The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-23 00:00:00

fMERi.AL FABLMIENT

HOUSE !Jr LORDS—Last Evening.
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack at
Ave o'clock.

PRIVATE BIISrNESS.

The following bills were read a third time and passed :
Tetersfield and Bishop's Waltham Railway--Brecon and
Met thyr Tydfil Junction Railway (new lines)—Great Wes-
tern Railway—Dublin Improvement—North Staffordshire
31ailway (new works and Silverdale, Madeley, and Dray-
ton) South Eastern Railway (No. 4.)
MIDDLE-CLASS EDUCATION.

Lord BROUGHAII presented a great number of peti-
tions, praying that their lordships would give their atten-
tion to the important subject of the education of the
middle-class.

Earl GRANVILLE informed the noble and learned lord
that the Government intended to appoint a Royal Com-
mission to inquire into the subject, but he doubted if in-
spection by officers appointed by Government would be
effective.
REPORTED REVIVAL OF THE HOLY
ALLIANCE.

Lord STRATFORD DE REDC LIFFE called atten-
tien to the rumours concerning the supposed revival of the
so-called " Holy Alliance," and inquired whether her Ma-
jesty's Ministers had any information thereon which might
be communicated to Parliament without prejudice to the
public service. He need not tell their lordships
that the subject of his notice was one of great
delicacy, but although the rumour was only based upon
newspaper reports there was sufficient evidence exist-
ing to attach importance to the report, It was now
half a century ago since a " Holy Alliance" existed.
Ths treaties of Vienna and. Paris were agreed upon
for the purpose of composing the troubled affairs
of Europe, but scarcely had they been settled when
it was found that the powers—Russia, Austria,
and Prussia, were coming to an arrangement based
entirely upon. different terms, and likely to be followed
by a very different result, and although the action
and the treaty upon current affairs was not
observed tor a very long period, its influences
Were from time to time marked, Remembering
the circumstances attending the original alliance, their
lordships would naturally regard with interest any rumour
regarding its revival, especially as circumstances which
have followed the first intimation of its existence tends to
confirm the rumours. He presumed that some information
must have reached the noble earl the Secretary of State for
Foreign Affairs. There was trustworthy information of
an interview having taken place between Prince Gortscha-
keff and the English Ambassador respecting the matter.
It was to be expected that there would be some trace in
the British Ambassador's despatch of what passed on that
occasion. It was also known that the Under Secretary of
Foreign Affairs had some conversation with the Russian
Ambassador on the subject, and it would be of the greatest
interest to their lordships to be informed as to what really
took place on that occasion.
Earl RUSSELL said that this subject was one of the
greatest importance. The question of the noble lord embraced
in reality three separate questions. With regard to the
genuineness of the documents which had been published,
he could not say that he had himself any belief in their
genuineness. It was true that a despatch written by Prince
Gortchakofi was shown to Lord Napier, and that its sub-
stance was communicated home, But, on looking over the
account given of this paper by Lord Napier, he found that
it had a very vague resemblance to the paper published by
the Morning Post. There were various matters which
throw, an indirect light upon the genuineness of these docu-
ments. A date was displaced ; that which took place in
December is represented as having taken place in January.
In one despatch, written by M. von Bismarck to the Prus-
sian ambassador at Paris, he was represented as referring
to a difference of opinion between himself and the King,
Now, that was a moat unlikely thing to be referred to in a
despatch, Again, it was most unlikely that any arrange-
ment to give each other assistance with respect to their Po-
;hal dominions would have been discussed at the length, in
the formal manner, and at the time represented in these
do )cements. With regard to the noble lord's second ques-
then, he had to state that there had been transactions which
dic; give a certain semblance of truth to the substance of
there documents. It was well known that, on the part of
the Governments of Austria, Russia, and Prussia there
was a very extreme apprehension of what was called the
party of revolution; and that those Powers were constantly
expressing their desire that all the sovereigns in Europe
might unite to resist the aggressions of that party. Lan-
guage of that kind certainly accorded somewhat with the
re presentations made in these documents; but that did not
prove these documents to be genuine, nor lead one to
tObak that there was more than a general foundation for
the statements they contained. He had understood that
these directly emanated from a commercial source,
and the information they contained was just such as com-
mercial men, anxious about their own interests, might ob-
tain. As to the last question, with reference to the amount
of apprehension which this country ought to entertain in
regard to the Holy Alliance, supposing it to be revived, it
is necessary to consider what that alliance was and what it
accomplished. The noble lord then read the circular em-
bodying the principles and objects of the Holy Alliance
adverted to the protests of Lord Castlereagh and Mr Can-
ning against its policy; and mentioned the successful in-
tervention of Austria to put down the revolutionary Go-
vernment in Naples (in 1820), and of France to restore
Frederick 111. to the throne of an absolute monarch in
Spain in 1823. These things were done in spite of the pro-
tests of Lord Castlereagh and Mr Canning, which might
therefore be said to have produced no practical effect. He
did not, however, for his own part, think that this was the
case. He believed that the assertion of the principles of
justice and freedom on the part of the Ministers of this
country, or by the English Parliament, was by no means
without effect, even although the country might not be pre-
pared at once to go to war for their vindication. Having
seen what happened in 1823, let them see what took place
a taw years later. A few years ;later the Government of
France was overturned. Did the Holly Alliance attempt
thinterfere, and to overthrow the Levolutionary Govern-
ment? No, they acknowledged that the task was too great
for their power. They acquiesced in the Government of
Louis Philippe, as they did 18 years afterwards when his
throne was replaced by a Republic, Although the Govern-
ment of England did not go to war against the Holy
Alliance, it did not by any means follow that it succeeded.
On the contrary, after 1830, an alliance was established
between France, England, Spain, and Portugal, in order to
guarantee the revolutionary dynasties of the two latter
countries. A few years later Lombardy was torn from
Austria, and the Power which had sent her troops to
Naples, in 1823, was obliged to withdraw to -Venetia. But
the matter did not stop there. After the peace of Villafranca
confirmed by the peace of Zurich, a question arose whether
the archdukes of Tuscany and Modena were to be enabled to
reassume their thrones in spite of the opposition of their sub-
ject s. On that occasion he protested, on the part of her Ma-
jesty's Government, against any intervention on the part of
Austria to compel the people of Lombardy and Tuscany to
receive back their discarded rulers. The French Govern-
ment also gave it to be understood that they would oppose
any attempt on the part of Austria to intervene by force.
Subsequently to this Austria was found to be powerless to
prevent the revolution in the Two Sicilies. He thought
that this showed that the Holy Alliance was now powerless
to interfere in the affairs of Italy, the unity of which was
established. The same might also, he believed, be said with
respect to Spain. And he thought that the facts he had cited
proved that the influence which was not possessed by Lord,
Castlereagh and Mr Canning, in spite of whose protests
Italy and Spain were invaded, had been possessed during
the last five years by her Majesty's Government, who had
successfully prevented any attempt of Austria or of the
other Powers to prevent the unity of Italy. As to any
danger that might now arise from the revival of the Holy
Alliance, it was clear that the Powers which were supposed
to compose it could not interfere with any effect to carry out
their principles with respect to Italy or Spain. The only
question that remained was as to the Duchies belonging to
Denmark. It was said that an attempt would be made to
deal with the succession to those Duchies by the German
Diet, supposing them to be yielded up as the price of peace
to Austria and Prussia by the King of Denmark, as it was
said they would be. Now, in the late Conference, her Ma-
joete's Government, the French Government, and the Go-
vernments of Denmark and Sweden, had expressly declared
that those Duchies should not be disposed of without the con-
Bente! the Population, supposing
them to be yielded up by the
King of Denmark. Therefore, on this point we were agreed
with France, and not with Austria, Russia, and Prussia-
The result must be that we should draw towards France
rather than towards those who thought that sovereignty
should be separated from the will of the people. The Go-
vernments of England and Frane had lately acted in com-
plete accord in reference to the France
principalities, and
a question which threatened the peace of Turkey
He
not the
peace of Europe, had these,
that this would be the Peaceably settled. tie hoped
harbinger of agreement between these
Powers on more important eubjectB.
might Her Majesty's Go-
vernment heartily trusted that this .ght be so. Nothing
could more conducive to the advantage
good understanding between EnglandaGf Europe than a
Francend
that Government subsisted he did nut thinkther.e need be
the !oast apprehension of the Holy Alliance, IT if the
Po wei-s who were said to compose it should be 5:
and should show themselves so ill-informed as to the state
ta
of feeling in Europe, as to entertain the designs and taote
re-
sume the enterprises of a former time. (Hear, hear.)
The subject then dropped.
BISHOPRIC OF CORNWALL.

On tho motion of Earl NELSON, a copy of tho corre-
spondence between the Archbishop of Canterbury and Sir
George Grey with reference to the formation of a bishopric
in Cornwall W:114 ordered to be laid on the table.
The Accidents Compensation Act Amendment Bill was
read a third time and passed.
The Railways Construction Facilities Bill passed through

committee.
The Harwich Harbour Act Amendment Bill was read a

second time.
The Burials Registration Bill, the College of Physicians
Dill, the Elieloeure (No. 2) Bill, and the Trespass (Ireland)
Bid were read a third time and passed.