The Sun.
London, England, 1852-06-15 00:00:00

that motion to-night; and whether he would propose that
the Committee should consist of 18 gentlemen instead of 15,
the usual number? He also begged to ask him whether
he meant to accede to the suggestion of his Right Hon. Friend
(Mr. Gladstone) who had given two notices on the subject
"After the nomination of the Select Committee on Frome
Vicarage, to move that the Member for Cockermouth do
reduce into heads or articles the several charges which he
has made in his place against Richard Lord Bishep of Bath
and Wells, and do present the said heads or articles to this
House." " After Mr. Horsman shall have presented the
heads or articles of his charges against the Bishop of Bath
and Wells, to move that the said heads or articles of charge
be referred to the Committee appointed to inquire into the
circumstances connected with the institution of the Rev. Mr.
Bennett to the vicarage of Frome, and that it be an instruc-
tion to the said Committee to report their opinion thereupon
to the House."
Mr. HORSMAN said it was his intention to proceed with
his motion. He did not mean to propose that the Committee
should consist of 18 Members, but 15—the three additional
names had been printed by mistake. He had already been
in communication with the Right Hon. Gentleman (the
Chancellor of the Exchequer), and had hoped that he would
allow him to nominate the Committee after the order of the
day for supply, to avoid the inconvenience of its coming on
at a late hour of the night. As to the other question of the
Right Hon. Gentleman, it was rather for the House to decide
than himself. The Right lion. Member for Oxford Univer-
sity (Mr. Gladstone) had given notice of his intention to
move that the charges against the Bishop of Bath and Wells
be reduced into writing, and had stated that he was prepared
to show that what he proposed was in conformity with pre-
cedent. If the Right Hon. Gentleman did show that, and
if it were the pleasure of the House, he should bow to its
decision, and do all that lay in Lis power to conduct the in-
quiry in a manner satisfactory to the House and to the Right
Hon. Gentleman.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he wished
to facilitate the appointment of the Committee, if he could be
assured that no discussion would take place upon it ; but he
could not satisfy himself that this would be the case—(Hear,
hear)—and at this period of the session, when its very hours
were numbered, and there was such an amount of public bu-
siness, of course he must look to the business of mpstimpor-
pledge
tance.— (Hear, hear.) However, he would watch the pro-
gress of public business, and if he couldfatcilciteautledthneet
appoint-
ment of the Committee, would do so ; but
himself to permit the Hon. Gentleman to nominate it out of
its proper order.— (Hear, hear.)
Mr. GLADSTONE said,. as the Hon. Member did not ex-
press his assent to the motions of which he had given notice,
it would be necessary
(ashedeeed;hedeqtrzaienstiothn
eonHeetieF4f,lthe
t
highest constitutional importance)
some length in supporting these motions.—(A laugh.) He
was prepared to perform his duty
on the
matter, and thought
it proper to give notice of his intentions.—(Hear.)
Mr. HORSMAN observed, that all the Members whose
names were in his notice had consented to serve.
Mr. GLADSTONE said the lion. Member had forgotten
that he had distinctly stated that nothing could induce him
to serve on the Committee unless they proceeded according
to the established course of having the charges properly and
regularly placed before them.
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL said, as his name was on
the list, he wished to atk the Hon. Member whether he
was one of those who had consented to serve on the Com-
mittee ?—(Hear, hear, and a laugh.)
Mr. HORSMAN said the Chancellor of the Exchequer had
suggested to substitute the Hon. and Learned Gentleman's
name for one that had been struck out.—( Hear.)
The CHANCELI/It of the EXCHEQUER said this was
only on the understanding that all the other gentlemen
whose names were on the list had consented to serve—
(Hear, hear)—and he had distinctly understood from the
Hon. Member that the Right Hon. Gentleman the Mem-
ber for Oxford University had agreed to sit on the Corn-
mittee.—(Heer, hear.)
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL said, when the proper time
arrived, he had two questions to put to the Hon. Member be-
fore he could consent to serve on the Committee.
GRANT TO MAYNOOTIL

Mr. MONSELL said last week he hid asked the Right
Hon. Gentleman the Home Secretary why the annuel vote
for the repairs of Maynoeth College had been left out of the
estiamates for this year, to which the Right Hon. Gentle-
Man replied, that the reason was that the late Government
did not consider that there were any circumstances which re-
quired such a vote, and they had, therefore, omitted to place
it on the estimates which the present Government had
adopted. He wished now to ask the Hon. Gentleman, the late
Under-Secretary for the Trcesury (Mr. C. Lewis), whither
it were not within his knowledge that an estimate had been
sent in from the Board of Works, Ireland (the proper autho-
ritv for the purpose), for the repairs of the college this year,
and whether the late Government had given any directions
for the omission of the annual grant for the college before
they went out of office.
Mr. C. LEWIS said in the course of last autumn the
usual circular was sent out from the Treasury to the dif-
ferent departments, calling upon them to furnish their re-
spective estimates, and before the late Government went out
of office the answer was received from the Irish Board of
Works, stating that a sum of LOCO/. or 1,2001. would be re
quired for the repairs of Maynooth College. Before the•
change of Government took place the estimates had not been
prepared; but no directions had been given for the omission
of the item from the estimates, and he had no reason to doubt
that if the late Government had continued in office the vote
would have been proposed as usual to the House.—(Hear.)
THE OUTRAGE UPON MR. MATHER.
On the Order of the Day for going into Committee of
Supply,
Lord J, RUSSELL rose and spoke as follows :—Sir, I am
at all times unwilling to bring questions relating to the
foreign policy of the Government before the attention of the
House, for I think that, generally speaking, it is difficult
to judge of the conduct of the Government as to particular
transactions in which they may have been concerned with
foreign powers— (Hear, hear)—and I am so little disposed
to press the Government upon this subject that when, the
other day, I asked the Noble Lord (Stanley) the Under-
Secretary for Foreign Affairs, if it were true that a protocol
had been signed with the great powers as to Neufchatel, and
whether it could be laid on the table—the Noble Lord
having informed me that there was such a protocol, which
he described as being one of considerable importance
—when he went on to say that it would not ha desirable
to lay it on the table (mcanirg, I presume, that
reasons of public interest would prevent the Government
from laying it on the tahle)—l did not say one word more,
or press for its production. But in the case to which lam
about to call the attention of the House the Government
have of their own accord, without any pressure on the part of
the House of which I am aware, produced the correspondence
respecting an assault committed upon Mr. Erskine Mather at
Florence—a correspondence which was presented to both
houses "by command of her Majesty." And, Sir, having
read those papers, it could not but occur to me that if they
were left ale ;ether unnoticed by Members of this House,
such gentlemen as might have the good fortune to he elected
for the next Parliament would be told that they had taken
no notice of these papers, though they had been presented to
Parliament in June, and that, therefore, it must be pre-
sumed that they had no fault to find with the conduct of
the Government. Now, Sir, upon reading these papers, it
appears to me that though it is not necessary nor advisable
to come to any resolution upon the subject, yet that it ie
advisable that Member; of the House should not be sup-
posed to be committed to the approbation of the course
that has been pursued; and, therefore, I think it neces-
sary, to call the attention of the House to the contents of
these papers. Sir, the House will recollect that at the end
of last December. two gentlemen of the name of Mather,
one of the age of 17 and the other 19, being in a crowded
street in Florence, and having attempted to cross between
' a detachment of Austrian soldiers and the regimental band,
`one of these gentlemen (the elder of them) received, first
a blow on the back, next a severe blow on the face, and,
when he was recovering from the blow, received a cut with
a sword, which opened his and placed him in a
situation of such extreme danger that he was
carried to the hospital. I do not mean in any
danger of his life, but certainly seriously injured. A com-
Vault was made to my Noble Friend, Earl Granville, then
eretary of State for Foreign Affairs, who immediately
rot. Ur Mr. Scarlet, our acting Mini .ter at Florence, and
to tb,elEarl of ;Westmoreland, our ambassador at Vienna,
p"aateht4lkg the facts of the case. But in the meantime a (Hs-
, ad been received from Mr. Scarlett, stating that a
forma •
tion beenrrir• had been asked f
or,. and had at his solicita-
Earl Gran4rituted' and
was to commerce immediately.
ei have
tole, therefore, wrote:
that at his therefore,
a report from Mr. Scerlett, stating
by Mr. etteilt, and in conformity with a desire expressed
the Tuscan government has consented
to a judicial inq
I have, therefore; no official instruc-
tions to added
fairly conducted asePi you ; but 'if this inquiry is' not
uence is used to suppress the truth,
the British GoveinniCi'lfit
ant will be obliged to ask for reparation
for this outrage upon
duntrending and unarmed British
subject from Austria, In
lionof her Majesty's G express the confident expecte-
asen..ment that such; reparation
will be promptly afforded
Austrian Government."
Mr. Mather has underssoedsliTes
ith stated that it was said in
the House by me, that there (mid be proceedings before
the regular tribunals at Fiore
thing. What I said was reponeteatee brint,.l.nev.er said any such
gutlY in Hansard, that
es to the case. Th
a judicial inquiry had been offered_
thnereraise of an inquiry,
us,
then, Mr. Scarlett had obtained.
which was to be at once instituted. Thefirst •
questions
„_ offence, and what
arising are—what was the nature of the
was Itourse the second
was the reparation to be required?
question depends entirely upon the
the offence was
of it certain nature, entirely. butt'pn jofristni
Provoked, one kind
of reparation would bo row
reparation
..ury,eetlaia:lseat
r"lanYfflacniencet...
• eident, a different kind of
' Now, Sir, as to the nature of the injury,
conflicting than arraellts first
supposed. the two parties are more c-. a bad at first
suppcsed. Mr. Mather states .—_
"Oh the forenoon of the 29th of last nmarrethhina
iletechment
of the infantry regiment liinsky was.
The usugdown
Via del Martelli, preceded by its banderewathoef
some of them eincludin eer
. persons accompanied the music,
Mather and his brother) walking and the
between the band Mr
troops. An obstruction wascreated in a narrow part of the
street by the passage of a carriage.
11Ir. Mather came ace;
dentally in the way of the commander of the detachment,-
Lieutenant Forsthuber, and admits that he may possibly
have touched that officer. He then received a blow from the
flat of M. Forsthnber's sabre on his back, and on turning
round indignantly to expostulate was struck in the face
by another with his fist. While staggering from this
blow he received a sabre-cat on the head from Lieutenant_
Forsthuber, which wounded him so severely that his dlif
still in danger. He was then taken to the hospital) an
lies there.', still
lies is
The account given by the Austrian officers is very different.
It is stated by the Austrian Minister :
" The detachment of infantry which, preceded by mill-
Vary music, was mounting guard, was passing through the
narrow street which leads from the Via Large to the piazza
del Duomo. There was a stoppage, and many people were
pushing themselves between the music and the troops, inso-
much that the latter were forced to shorten step. One man
in particular walked the whole time precisely before the
MEcer, who being In command of this detachment was in
the place prescribed to him by our military regulations, and
prevented him from continuing his progress. The officer
told him politely in Italian to give place to him, at the
same time touching him with his sabre, in order, to make
him understand that he was speaking to him. This man
thereupon turned round, looked at the officer, but continued
to walk in the same manner. After this proceeding bad
been several times repeated, the officer became angry, and
forcibly thrust the man who prevented him from conti-
nuing his march, and who he could not but think did so with
mischievous intent, as he did not attend to words spoken
politely.
" Another officer who
accompanied the . guard, without
being on duty, gave
who_
turned
a like impreoslon) another blow
to this individual,
n_edround with an irritated look,
and was no other thanobxrirttihteu•rde. Upon that Mr. Mather
t,ag Ma
at
putting himself in a
advanced with his fist
uplifted towards the officer—who
sabre in hand. The officer, wh was on duty, and had his
certainlya could not submit
• to be treated after such a fashion°
insult
who was exposed to
the risk of receiving an outrageous
u.lt.at the_ head of his
detachment, made use of his arms i
by giving Mr. Mather a
• stroke of his sabre."
The House will see that there is the greatest differen
• tween the two accounts.—(Hear, hear.) In the oneeecbasee-
' there appears to have been a wanton and
unprovoked at-
.