The Express.
London, England, 1849-07-21 00:00:00


misinformed on that head The noble and learned
lord had referred to the affair of Stromboli; but on
this the opinions were very conflicting. The alleged
deception by the hoisting of British colours might, perhaps,
be said to be justified by the practice of nations in Puce
cam. As to its taking place in the British waters, it was quite
right that the fact should be inquired into, and as soon as it
was ascertained, an acknowledgment was mule at once that
no further interference should take place. But when it was
seen that there was no hope of a mutual accommodation,
and the Kiog of Sicily eat an armed expedition to re-es-
tablish his authority in his Sicilian dominions, then the go-
vernment did not think that even the remembrance of their
old associations and oblgations to the Sicilians—they did not
think that any plea of humanity itself should warrant them
in exercising a forcible interference between the contenting
parties. And it was in rigid, though perhaps reluctant de-
ference to the strict principle of non-intervention, that our
vessels and their crews saw the transports convey the troops
of the King of the Two Sicilies, which were commissioned
to lay siege to Messina. The noble and learned lord had
severely censured what he called British naval diplomacy.
1 Sad he consulted the documents before the house in an im-
partial spirit, he would have seen that there was no real
ground tor his censure.
regard Parker's instructions were
Ito the effect that should be equally had
to the lives sad liberties of individuals of clime
party. The noble and learned lord said the government
-would have acted differently in the cue of the Sicilians.
, Bath an &cessation was wholly groundless. (Hear, hear.)
1, At the first attack on Palermo, it was not the Sicilian but
i the Neapolitan prisoners that were conveyed sway to a
pine.of safety in her Majesty's vessels. The correspond-
ence was full of cases where, under circumstances of great
difficulty and danger, the aid of British officers and crews
was most liberally and impartially afforded to the distressed
at all parties. Doubtless some inference might be drawn by
the alms from what came before their eyes ; though they
were men probably without political prepossessions, and
determined to do their duty loyally, they could not help
being involuntarily impressed with one set of impressions
, from what they witnessed. And when Palermo was even-
' ated by the troop. of the King of the Two Sicilies, a gene-
ral feeling seemed to have burst forth without control from
all assembled. The noble and learned lord seemed disposed
to object very much to one expression that had been employed
by the noble Secretary for Foreign Affairs in a document
which had been made the subject of so much umiak and so
many attacks both in this and in the other house of parlia-
ment. Now,what was the lupus ge which had been addressed
to his noble friend (Viscount l'almersten), in a paper dated in
Februarof the present year by the representative of his
an Majesty
Sicili ? Why, in that paper he referred to the
stipulations which bad been confirmed by the settlement
treaty at Vienna in 1815. and expressed his conviction that
the court of Great Britain would still manifest for that of the'
Two Sicilies the same consideration which had always
marked the proceedings of the cabinet of St. James's towards
it. Surely it the party who had been spoken of as so seriously
aggrieved by the policy of his noble friend the Foreign Se-
cretary, would hardly have expressed himself in these
terms of an ancient ally whose continued friendship and
supportntite was
learnedtui so
e anxiouslyac a o
aantefrounllytocalalicnigrefuor.
circumstance
which had been made the ground of muck angry remark,
and, be must add, of some undeserved imputations against
her Majesty's ministers. He Lad thought right to-night to
recur to a matter upon which he (Lord Carlisle) would
briefly state what he knew of the has. His noble and
learned friend's complaint regarded the omission in the
papers now before their lordships of a despatch in answer
to one of those which had been placed upon their table last
year. This despatch had not hitherto been produced by
his noble friend, the foreign secretary. He (Lord Carlisle)
certainly did think that, in reference to ordinary cases and
the general rule observed in such matters, the non-produc
lion of this despatch was a reasonable and a natural subject
for animadversion in parliament. Leoking back to all the
circumstances of the case, now that they were enabled to
judge of their general bearing, it was to be regretted that
his noble friend had not yet felt it right to put this ether
despatch with those already .communicated. But toed. lord-
ships would find that the musing pipers related to the af-
fairs of Austria ; and this had subjected his noble friend to
an insinuation which he (Lord Carlisle) did feel it material
to repel; for he was sure that almost every peer who heard
him must feel with him that it was impossible his noble
friend could be actuated by any unfriendly policy towards
Austria. Allusion had been made by tae noble
and learned lord to the communications interchanged
in 1847 and 9848 between the governments of Sardinia
and of Austria, and the courts of Turin and of London.
Now, he did not intend to claim for his colleagues
the gift of prescience, but in reference to those communica-
tions he would observe, that his colleagues might have
thought (very fairly and probably, too) that, so far as the re-
sources of superior material strength:and military force were
concerned, there was somewhatmore probahility of Austria,
at that time, attacking Piedmont, than of Piedmont attack-
ing Austria. The course of events, in the struggle which
hal taken place between these two powers, had certainly
gone far to justify the anticipations under which her Ma-
jesty's government had entered into the negotiations in que,
tion. Within little more than a year they had seen
Paris twice barricaded—twice swept with cannon—three
times in the possession of the insurgentpopul ace. They had seen
Vienna twice in the military possession of rebels, and twice
retaken by the Imperialists; its Emperor twice compelled to
Hee ; Berlin, twice in a state of siege ' • l'esth ( and how many
more towns of Hungary) bombarded ; Milan —Venice, k st and
won ; Bologna besieged, Ancona captured, Mantua retaken.
Ills reply to the noble and learned lord was that he (Lord
C rlisle) and his colleagues defended their government i s it
was, and with that answer he would have those illogical
and unfounded resolutions to be dealt with by the House of
Peers ars:ending to their own judgment upon them.
Lord HEY lESBURY, ice • speech of which we regret
our inability to give any detailed report, owing teethe very
low tone and colloquial manner of its delivery, gave a rapid
precis of the circumstances under which he undertook his
diplomatic mission to Sicily and Naples in 1514-15.
The Earl of MINTO, who was also very imperfectly
beard, wished to make • few observations, in reply to the
speech of his noble and learned friend who had first addressed
their lordships. His noble and learned friend had, through-
out the entire of his speech, directed something like a
reproach against him (the Earl of Minto) fur the pert
recently taken by the ministers of this emotry, in the in-
stitution of a free government in Sicily. The noble lord woo
had just sat down had spoken of that country as if a
free constitution had been established there for the first
time in 1812, and as if the constitution then esteblished was
merely a wild undertaking entered into without the sane
lion or authority of the British government. He could show
that the constitution of 1812 had the sanction of the govern-
ment of this country, and he was prepared to justify Lev!
William Bentisck in the course he bad taken with respect to
the affairs of Sicily. The constitution having been violated
after Lord William Bentiock's arrival there, he immediately
proceeded to London in order to communicate in person to
the British government of that day what had pawed,. and to
obtain their instructions. He did obtain specific Instruc-
tions from the government, and acted strictly upon them
upon his return to Sicily. The old constitution was revised,
and certain amendments proposed. The constitution of lel2,
which was sworn to by the king and parliament,
enacted that if at any future time he should be re-
stored, Naples should always remain a separate king-
dom. King Ferdinand was then Third of Sicily and the
Fourth of Naples—exactly a similar position to King Jam, P
1. of England, who was VI. of Scotland. It was enacted
that if the King should thereafter recover Naples, Sicily
should revert to one of his sons, but that the two kingdoms
should remain distinct and separate for ever. It was specif.
tally enacted that their separation for all future time should
be enforced under all circumstances. Beyond the mere ex
premien "King
.of the Two Siciiies," there was no recogni-
tion whatever, since 1814, of the right of one individual to
govern both islands. It was impossible that a mere expres-
sion of that sort should defeat as positive and spe-
cific en enactment as ever was made, that there-
after the kingdoms should be separate and distinct.
In 1847, the parliament was not assembled, the taxes
were increased, the principal offices engrossed by Nea-
politans, and a larger revenue levied than that allowed
by the constitution. In 1818, the provoeatien
caused by misgovernment led to great agitation
in Sicily, but there was no intention or desire to price' d to
violence in order to procure the fulfilment of the constitu-
tion ; although there was a general expectation that en the
12th of January, the king's birthday, concession would be
made and something like a parliamentary government insti-
tuted. These expectations were disappointed, and the result
was the insurrection and the expulsion of all Neapoli-
tans out of Sicily. At this time he (Lord Minto)
was invited to go to Sicily. He was extremely
unwilling to embark on so apparently hopeless an
errand as an attempt to interfere with the King of
Naples, but it was thought that his presence would be use-
ful. During the whole of the negotiations he bad elems
expressed an extreme desire for the maintenance of the
crown of the two kingdoms, at the same time he could not
agree in the opinion that the Sicilians were subjects in rebel-
lion against their king, but he considered them as oaly strug-
gling for the restoration of a constitution which had been
suspended. He wss sent to Sicily to negotiate the
Sicilian provisional government end to urge on their
acceptance a modification of the constitution of 1812, and
difficult as it was he yet thought that they might be induced
to acquiesce in that arrangement. When he arrived he
found that certain decrees, which had been entrusted to him
confidentially, and which were on no account to be divulged
by him, had preceded him, had been extensively
circulated and unanimously rejected. He found it,
therefore, impossible to carry out his object, for the
Sicilians stood out for the letter of the constitution of 1812,
and declared that the king had cease/ to reign.
He consequently refused to land or to treat with them, as it
was only on the condition of their acknowledging tho au-
thority of the king that he came. The noble earl concluded
by justifying the interference of the English admiral in the
affairs of Sicily.
The Earl of ABERDEEN bad no intention to discuss the
merits or demet its of the Sicilian constitution ; the question
' now was, wbc.her we had any ebligelion to set it up, which
released us from the duties of good faith, friendliness, and
justice we owe to our allies. They were now only celled
upon to discuss recent events on the Italian peninsula ;
but there was scarcely a country in Europe with which
our relations did not give cause for some expreseiens
,of regret or of censure. In the convulsions which bad
shaken various countries of Europe, we might, by
exercising a moderating and regulating influence,
have materially supported the cause of price, order, and real
freedom; we might thus have deserved and received the
blessings of mankind ; but we had extended the calamities
of war, we had failed in all our interferences is the disputes
oflother come eee, and, under the guise of reform, by en-
couraging revolutionary movemehts in various parts of
Europe we had bccom.: the objects of aversion to govern-
ments and of sus: iciest to the people. This had been called
a vulgar imput r ioa, but it was true. Not only so ;we had
abandoned thus,: whom we had encouraged to rcr.)l:. Our

peliey might in former times have been regarded as sae.—
arrogant, and unjust, but never before hail it hen
liable to the charge of duplicity. He proceeded to show thee
the whole of these transactions were characterieed by g
spirit of hostility and insult to the King of Naples; and thee
the conduct of Lord Minto, marked by greet peetiality, de.
served censure. The printed powers abounded with the rage
odious insinuations against Austria, which he deeply re.
gretted. Austria had given every explanation, France had
not, with reference to her interference wi'h hay. The foe.
besrance of General Oudinot, the able eomrneneern-chief,
deserved commendation, but he wanted to keow what spe-
cifie object the French government had in sending so Urges
forceto occupy Rome.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said that the inference
from the debate of the evening was, that though l.'s noble
and learned friend had stirred the cauldron, the ineredients
had been furnished by other bands ; the form witch the
matter had assumed wasaltogether changed front to t which
it bore when first announced by his noble and kerne • friecd;
and now comprehended au infinite variety of te •ets le
which no reference was made in the motion on th paper,
After the able and comprehensive speech of hie note. egad
near him, it seemed hardly necessary for him to go into the
subject. There bad hten, no doubt, movements ie variety
directions by the various European states, of France (4
Rome, of Spain towards Rome, of Austria teem& Lue
barely, of Russia toward, Hungary. As to all thee. move.
meets, her Majesty's government load soe'ght such; explans.
tion as they deemed it became the m to seek, and sr y bee
in each case received explanations which, up to he pre.
sent point of time and events, they regarded as suffienat,
While it had been the duty of the government to -etch the
course taken by other governments, it was imposeib e netts
feel that by exacting minute explanations from the stovers.
merit et France, and causing them to be published to the
country, that government might be weakened; and it was
the policy of this country not to weaken It. knowing limit
was placed in a position of great difficulty with its own sib.
jects. (Hear, hear.) Believing, as they did, that it was
the sincere wish of the government of France to
maintain peace all over Europe, it was the they
of this government to lend them all tho rap.
port in their power. This government se as lel
to believe that France had no other object in hg
Roman expedition then to re-establish met r and tranquillity
in that state. They believed the same of Austria, theme
these governments had not acted in concert, but had Pursed
the same object apparently by different meanie. The Au
trian government proposed the retestablishme nt of *he Pops
without any conditions at all; Francs propose,. it with
conditions bearing on the enterer. of she state she
was called on to guard. Lord Palmentor justly
regarded the relations of the Pepe as something pe-
culiar with all catholic countries, whereey he wee
capable of exercising an influence on those coun-
tries with which nothing could compare. Hence there ex.
WWI reasons en their part for having interfered on his be.
half, stronger than could be imagined in ant other case, foe
the sake of restoring the pope to hie religious sue', nosy;
and though a protestant country might not interfere in such
a movement, it might watch the proceedings with interest,
more especially a country like England, which 1-ad numer
ous catholic subjects, and whole catholic colonic 0. Reed-
luting the Important charge in 'he course of policy in Ete
rope, during the last two years,—a period which w-, wholly
unparalelled—the noble earl who bad lass spokes
must admit that the rules by which his policy
had been guided were wholly inapplicable, owes'
to the new elements which had been bretudtat into
operation, and which could only be compared in their Mtge
sity with what took place at the time of the Ref :maim
Now the great object of policy was to velum that ordg
which was threatened by so many wild and adverts
influtnces. This could only be done by tolerating a sautes
latitude of action than would have been allowed under onie
nary circumstences. The second resolution, which 'edged
all interference inexpedient, involved a prirciple n.urti toe
site and sweeping. No statesman for the last lee yews
could have carried on the burinces of the country, jeettp
such a rule as this. (Hear, hear.) All the creates
statesmen, from the reign of Eliralseth downwards,
had been compel' d to recognise and act on the
right and duty of interference in necessary woes. A
remarkable instance occurred so recently as 1831, when the
country recognised the duty of interfering in minces*
with Austria, be,ween Holland and Belgium ; nero to the
protocol declaring that interference necessary was &tucked
the name of Aberdeen. (Hear, hear) At best the resole-
tion was but a common place its ration of a prix &tele whisk
all would admit in the abstract, but which was su,c etibled
great modification. The noble earl oppuete (Abe-
deen) bad charged the government with supineness in art
using greater efforts to prevent the war between Auntie
and Sardinia. He most emphatically denied not the
government had not used every effort in their power to pre-
vent this war. (Hear.) In proof of shin, the Robles marquis
read extracts from the despatches of Mr. Ale•ruotebie awl
Lord Palmerston, in one of welch the noble lore desired
the Sardinian government should be informed that the en.
filet into which they hadentered must beadmittedtetwomof
doubtful mutt, and the principle on which it bad h on cow
menu& was one full of danger. No ems charged cith Its
conduct of the foreign relations of any country, coed more
effectually guard those relations than by rioting eta*
other countries the bearing which certain couleee, of seise
must of necessity have on their own interests. 1 tee edge
marquis then referred to the conduct of the peen muted
Naples is the recent interference at Rome, and c, nteeded
that it had not been marked by any anxious regard to
the stipulations of the treaty of Vienna ; still he ',tweed
that that government might, along with othe r Europe*
governments, been impelled by the force of eve raho
o um( R which it would not otherwise have pursued. (Hey.)
As to the second war between Austria and Smelted.. he no
equally prepared to show that this government teed domes
best to prevent that war. This was abundantly pried by
Mr. Abercrombie's despatch, in which lee declare to to dr
King of Sardinia his conviction, that for Sardinia •o under•
take sicole-handed a war with Austria, we uld he
attended with the most ruinous expense/, Led its
most fatal consequences. Lord Pulmenres heed is.
structed Mr. Abercrombie to seek an aside nee of ks
Sardinian majesty, to dissuade him from the war ; unable
obtain an interview, Mr. Abercrombie addressed a rote ahis majesty, explaining to him the extent of dense r to which
he exposed himself. How, after this, could it lee said the
the King of Sardinia was induced to go to war by the hop
of assistance from this country ? (Heat, hear ) In the ei
vice given to Austria, so far from an illiberal spirit muffs
that power being evidenced, the course recommenced es
fount', d on the views taken by Austria herself eta periods
little anterior. An empire, with its strength se widely
disseminated, might have an interest in concentneing the
strength ; and the aid which she hed see ca see
cited from Marsala showed that the necessity d
some such course was felt by Austria hers If. (Hese
The instructions given by this government to its winkle
at foreign courts were—not to abet revolutions, bee to sep
port the governments to whom they were accre aimed.
the same time, they were certainly urged to conciliate, as he
as might be in their power, the pretensions and authority
of those governments with use awakened spirit a
popular institutions and the demand for 1. gelatin
representation now so universally diffused through.
out Europe. (Hear, bear.) Ile submitted that in thew
instructions was involved the principle which could
alone give stability and permanency to exiating establish.
multi. As a friend to Austria ,himself, he sincere) y touted
that she would act on the spirit of this advice. Since she
had announced the great reforms and ameliorations which
she was about to introduce into her Italian and some of ha
other states, he willingly acee pted the disclaimer she bad
given of these intentions of arbitrary and unmitigutee regale
Lions which , had been imputed to her. The sods
marquis concluded by announcing to their ladder,
as a proof of the beneficial effects of the penis
the reopfrege definitiventativesof htrzerstMey
of
peace between Sweden and Denmark had just been received;
jpoeiltiseys pursuedgovernm abroad ro
that atbya
and thus an event had been brought about which would
give peace to the whole of northern Europe, and et:oloWe
pacific policy that he and his colleagues were sati,fic I, what.
ever the event of these resolutions, the country woull
giw
them ample credit for. (Cheers.)
Lord STANLEY, after apologising for the Ise
hour at which he addressed their lordelijs, will
dicated successively the language of the resole
tions proposed by his noble and learned freed.
The noble lord then referred to the duty of nemintreereats
and the sanction given by England to the me wee w
by this country in the internal affairs of any otle r regent
Rome by the French. The noble marquis said ehe woe
distinct declarations had been made by France and Attlee
with respect to their interference. Had the Bri i.h gum•
went any assurance that the French would withdraw they •
trove from the occupation of Rome when they effected they
object, which was now admitted to be the reetorates of the
Pope ?
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE—We have an 'smug
from France. (Hear, hear.)
Lord STANLEY—I am very glad to hear it. For tie
first time we have been informed of that fact; not one word
' of it had the noble marquis stated during his address to they
lordships.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE explained the extent
which assurances had been received from France, t°
withdrawal of their troops when their object was maize,
He should admit these assurances were not so expressive WI
satisfactory as might be desired.
restoration of the Pope, who, good, easy man—ei Wer,
Lord STANLEY—The object of the French ws,Vkle.
was the model, the tae plus ultra, of perfection, st me tie
years ago. Pio Nino was the first pope who sought. tao
diplomatically represented in this country. Be was,
etas
his popularity, expelled from his eevercignty by.the wet
The restoration of the Pope to his spiritual dips,' teen!
bogie possessed of full and ample jurisdiction as a teufree
monarch, would be found an utter inconsistency in weand totally impossible in practice. He applied to the r
Roman catholic powers of Europa for aid in rester:ogee;
to his spiritual and temporal pewee as sovereign Pereme
Rome, Three of them had concurred in accenting thst
and it was the duty of this country to be fully irefarene°
the real circumstances before they
Lion by France. The noble lord referred in detail le te.
correspondence on the subject, exprolieg his intended:oth
trespass at any length on She house at that hour of tkem
The Pope gave a full and complete amnesty ; and if th.etime
ten of this country had acted on the recomasendsti siso
Guizot, not to gave any advice unless they were calico
do so, they would have acted more wisely than they °
sanctioned oily intuit
done. Again, on the 16th March, Mr. Ahercomhe
tioned that disturbances had taken place at rite, lin;
end
diately inetructions were sent to find out somet
Austrian a„ eats, taking.
(Hear, hear.) There.wse for granted that these dietuanbeete
were caused by Austria
instance of alleged Austrian interference mt atoned W
noble and learned friend, which was said to be coetauitd
teal
a letter to the Kir —•-• • bat, On inetlue.-
: e
found that no such t all.
The fact was that lei

ing of Sardinia; Uat, on wow, •-
letter had bran written at ail• (06T
Austria, towards whom 10 DALLC.II,3IJ
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