The Press.
London, England, 1857-03-21 00:00:00

MUTINY BILL-AFFAIRS OF ITALY.

On the order of the day for considering the Mutiny
Bill as amended,
Mr. DISR %ELI rose to put a question to Lord
Palmerston with reference to the Neapolitan papers
laid before the house early in the session :
The noble lord stated that the papers did not contain
all the correspondence, but that the correspondence
omitted referred to a proposition which had led to no
result, and that it was therefore unnecessary to place it
upon the table. I find, however•, from the foreign journals,
and from an English journal, that foreigners and the public
out of doors are more favoured than the members of the
House of Commons, for the correspondence which was
omitted front the papers laid upon the table appears to
have transpired, and portions of that correspondence have
been published. I wish to address a question to the noble
lord with respect to one of the allegations contained in
th it correspondence. It is stated that her Majesty's Go-
vernment tuado an off,a• to a foreign power to undertake
that in case there was any attempt to establish repub-
lican institutions in Vie south of Italy they would prevent
the establishment of such institutions even, it' necessary,
by force of arms. Now, what I wish to know is whether
there is any authority for that statement—whether it be
true that a communication of that character, or in that
spirit, was ma le to any foreign power by the noble lord's
Government; and I hope he will give to that question a
frank, and not a technical answer.
Lird PALMERSTON :

The right hon. gentleman has not represented quite
correctly the statement I made on a former occasion.
Whit I then said was that the papers laid upon the table
contained everything that bore upon the course of policy
which her Majesty's Government had adopted, but that
certain instructions had been given to our mission at
Naples as to the course to be pursued under contingen•
cies which had nut happened, and that as those contin•
gencies had not occurred the instructions fell to the
ground, and there was no necessity for acting upon them.
I did riot. refer to communications made to her Majesty's
Government, but to instructions from her Majesty's
Government to their own agent at Naples. I stated that
other instructions had been given upon matters which
were totally unimportant, and which had no reference to
tit! questions at issue. I understand the right bon. gen-
tl •man wishes to know whether the British Government
made any suggestion to a foreign Government that if an
attempt should be made to establish republican install-
Cogs in Italy the British Government ought to oppose
such a movement by force of arms. Am I correct iu so
un ler-tinding the right hon. gentleman?
Mr. DISRAELI : I wish to he distinctly understood.

L rd PALMERSTON : It is important to be exact.
Mr. lltaitsErd : ‘Vliat I wish to know k whether, in the
co irse of communications which took place with reference
to the affairs of Sicily, her Majesty's Government made
any offer to a foreign power that if an attempt were made
to establish republican institutions in Southern Italy
they were prepared to interfere—if necessary even by
force of arms—to prevent the establishment of such iu•
stit utions.

Lord PALMnERSTON : No such offer was made by her
Majesty's Government.
The subject then dropped, but was shortly after
renewed by
Mr. HENLEY, who said that the impression left
upon his mind by Lord Palmerston's reply was that
some of those communications made to the British
agent in Naples, with respect to certain contingencies
which did not occur, did actually contain such an
offer of preventing the establishment of republican
institutions from our Government. Under these
circumstances, I ant anxious to give the noble lord
an opportunity of correcting the impression which
his statement made upon my mind, if it be an erro-
neous one.
Lird PALMERSTON :

I am obliged to the right hon. gentleman, if such an
impression prevails, for giving me en opportunity of re-
moving it. What 1 said was that the instructions sent to
the British agents had reference to the emiduct which
they should pursue in the event of certain overtures being
made to them by the Neapolitan Government. Those
overtures never were made, and the instructions forwarded
to our agents had no relation whatever to the contingency
of republican institutions being established. Wo merely
said, "If the Neapolitan Government make an offer to do
so and so, you are to act so and so ;" bin, no such offer
having been made, the contingency to which the instruc-
tions applied did not arise, and the instructions had
nothing to do with the establishment of republican insti-
tutions. I sin quite sure that both the right hon. gentle-
men opposite must feel that the British Government never
would think of interposing by force of arms to prevent the