The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-15 00:00:00

TIIE PARIS PLOT.

Sir L. PALK rose to ask a question which he said was
of great importance to the honour of this country. He
could understand why hon, gentlemen occupying distin-
guished positions in that house treated with contempt
any scurrilous abuse that appeared in the newspapers of
this or any other country, but when grave charges were
beeeught against the honour of that house and this country
by an Cfneial of a friendly nation, ho could not suppose for
ono moment that communication had not been made with
that Government to the effect that the assertions had at
once been contradicted and denied, and that proof had been
forwarded to the Government as to the falsity of that
charge. Ho was quite sure that no charge brought against
this country was so painful to the feelings of Englishmen
as that any Englishman, by word or deed, by thought or
expression, could promote or instigate any man to assassi-
nate or commit murder. He was quite certain that was so
foreign to the feelings of every Englishman, that he was
glad to have that opportunity of enabling her Majesty's
Government to take the earliest opportunity in their power
to vindicate the honour of this country, and to declare that
those assertions that were made by the Procureur-General
were utterly devoid of all truth—nay more, were devoid of
all possible suspicion—and to assure the French Govern-
ment that no charge could be brought against this nation
which was more abhorrent, more worthy of contempt of all
honest men, than the charge that one of that house had
been guilty directly or indirectly of stimulating others to
become assassins. He asked the Secretary of State whether
any correspondence had passed on the subject.
Mr. LAYARD agreed with the hon. member that It was
necessary that the honour of this country should be vindi-
cated in a matter of this nature, and agreed also that the
honour of the country was best vindicated by treating such
accusations as these with the contempt they deserved.
(Hear, hear.) He was quite certain that there was no man
in this country—and no man was better acquainted with
this country than the distinguished man who now ruled
over France—but who would believe that such an accusa-
tion made against a member of Parliament or any English-
man must be totally and entirely false. The course her
Majesty's Government had pursued was to take no notice
of these accusations. No communication had been made,
nor was it intended to make any.
Mr. P. lIENNESSY agreed that no one in that house
would be guilty of the charges made by the Procureur-
General. But there was another subject upon which he
wished to touch, and that was the principles declared by
Mazzini on the subject of assassination, and published in
this country. He held a book in his hand, called " The
Thew'
.
of the Dagger," published by Holyoake and Co., in
Fleet-stree‘!,
4
from which it appeared that Daniel Manin ac-
cused Mazzini 0 abetting assassination ; and to that accusa-
tion Mazzini replied, that in it Mazzini referred to his own
principles and practice. :I'4 (Mazzini) set out by noticing
what Daniel Manin had considert..*4 en act of great courage,
the publication of a letter in the limes,
and said, speaking
of courage, stain without
that by the dagger they would u. A
the slightest risk the rights of their country. Having- read
an abstract to prove what were M. Mazzini's doctrines ac-
cording to his own avowal, the hon. member proceeded to
ask the house to listen to the description given of them by
the Chancellor of the Exchequer in a translation which he
published of a book called " The Roman States," by M.
Farini, the late Prime Minister of King Victor Emanuel.
The house had heard two ministers of the Crown, the one
in praise of Mazzini and his doctrines, the other declaring
that Mazzini had done nothing to induce people to be guilty
of such crimes. The hon, member concluded by avowing
his belief that the hon. member of Halifax was perfectly
sincere in his declarations with respect to Mazzini; but, at
the same time, so great was the genius of Mazzini, that he
had made a dupe of the hon. member. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. W. E. FOSTER protested against charges being
thus brought against an absent man, who, whatever his
faults, was still a man of very high character. (Hear,
hear.) He believed that, in the general opinion of men
of all parties, Mazzini was not implicated in the late
plot; and if there was any plot, it was a plot to impli-
cate Mazzini. It seemed to him to be an abuse of the
privileges of that house for any member of Parliament
to use such language with respect to Mazzini. If the
hon. member believed Mazzini guilty of the charges
which he had insinuated. let him call upon the Government
to institute a prosecution ; but if not, was it fair to bring up
a pamphlet which was written some time ago, which con- ,
tained a great deal that was foolish, and which could only
be properly judged of by having the whole of it before thorn.
(Hear, hear.)

Mr. G. DUFF said it did not lie in his mouth to defend
M. Maziini, but at tho same time he should regret to see
the House of Commons disposed to act a part of gigantic
hypocrisy. The hon. member for King's County naturally
detested Igazzini, because, in spite of his shortcolnings, he