The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-18 00:00:00

one who was a Minister of the Crown had been made
the medium and machinery for the correspondence of
assassins and conspirators. As, however, the noble lord
would not assert the dignity of the house, the how.
ought to assert its own—(cheers)—and in order to do so he
saw no other course open to it than to support the resolution
of his hon. friend. (Loud cheers.)

Mr. BRIGHT wished he could persuade himself that the
excitement of hon. members opposite had so good a founda-
tion as might be built upon a strong anxiety to preserve
friendly relations with France, and to maintain the honour
and character of that house. (Cheers.) He discerned in the
temper which they manifested very different motives, which
led him to believe they were not in a condition to take a very
impartial and just view of this case. He did not say that the
circumstances were not calculated to excite some surprise
and dissatisfaction, but let them not be unjust and ungene-
rous to a member of that house. (Hear, hear.) For many
years past great enthusiasm was felt among considerable
classes of the people in this country in favour of political re-
fugees of Poland, Hungary, and Italy, who were forced to
flee from the oppression and wrongs of the Governments
under whom they had lived. He had never himself shared
in the enthusiasm felt for such refugees, because he thought
it was calculated to embarrass the Government of this coun-
try, and to embarrass English diplomacy abroad. But still
he should be ashamed of himself if he had never felt sym-
pathy for those refugees ; and if any man in thathouse stood
up and said he had never felt political sympathy for those
refugees, he should despise him too. (Hear, hear.) They
had a refugee from Hungary long resident in this country)
and they had several Italian refugees; and would any man
stand up in that house and say that those exiles were not
deserving of sympathy? Ho believed that there was no
man acquainted with Mazzini who would not say that he
entertained a profound devotion for the freedom and in-
dependence of Italy. (A voice from the Opposition
benches—" He is a blackguard.") He did not rise to de-
fend Mazzini, but the stories read about him to-night
took place thirty years ago, when he was, probably, only
25 years of age ; and at such an age many persons were
apt to indulge in enthusiasm. Did hon. member. on the
other side want to be the helpers of the Paris police, and
add fuel to whataver fire existed there, and exasperate
the feeling which prevailed in France ? and did they believe
in the sincerity of their leader when, with simulated horror,
he spoke of the transaction in Paris? (Hear, hear, and
laughter.) Or was it their object, which was hardly less
worthy, to worry the existing Government? He need not
say that he was no partisan of the present Govornment ; and
evsr since a short time after its formation he looked with
anything but dismay to its dissolution. (Laughter.) But if
he was as hungry as the hungriest to place himself upon the
Treasury bench, he should be ashamed to make his way to
it over the character, the reputation, and the happiness of
the last-appointed and youngest member of that Govern-
ment. (Loud cheers.)
Lord R. CECIL said there would have been no vehement
prosecution of the matter upon the side of the House but
the irrevelant topics introduced by the noble lord at the
head of the Government.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, at the risk
of being dull, should confine himself to the judicial features
of the discussion. He never saw M. Mazzini ; he did not
participate in his opinions with respect to Italy ; but he was
bound to declare that he never encountered any class of
men who did not accord to him the possession of great
talents, force of character, and perfect truthfulness. (Hear,
hear.) It was not wise to consider very minutely who had
intercourse with this or that man in a foreign country; the
danger of such intimacies had been sufficiently pointed out.
But, on the other hand, the freedom and right of private
judgment which belonged to Englishmen should be upheld.
No doubt it was the duty of the hon member for Halifax to
have made himself certain of M. Mau.ini's opinions, and to
have refused h'm the command of his house for purposes
which were concealed from him. Well his hon. friend, a man
implicitly to be believed, asserted that ho had done so, and
that, from years of intimacy with M. Mazzini, he was
enabled to conclude that he was utterly incapable of
the charges brought against him. On the other hand,
he would put it to the house whether the statements of
the Procureur-GCintlral were etetitled to their strict con-
sideration. His duty was to raise the case to the very
highest against Greco and M. Mazzini, and it was outside
his province to take a calm and dispassionate view as to
men or circumstances. That he sail without casting the
slightest imputation upon the French Government. But,
on that account, these matters ought to have been made the
subject of a full and searching judicial investigation before
they were brought under the consideration of that house.
Coming now to the issue directly before them, he asserted
that it would have been impossible for the hon. member for
Halifax to have met the charges brought against him in a
more direct manner. (Ministerial cheers.) God knows,
he was not indifferent to any feeling which might exist in
France against England, but as to the existence of which
he entertained great doubts. Nor was he insensible to the
claims which the French Emperor had, not only upon the
friendship, but to the respect and cordial good-will of Eng-
lishmen. Still, it was nut because they danced in those
feelings that the Government declined to accept the motion
of the hon. baronet. (Cheers.)

After some observations from Lori C. lIA.)LILTON and
Mr. Cox,
The house divided. The numbers were—
For Sir 11. Straeey's motion
Against it
Majority against
This declaration of the nucab,as was received wish loud
cheers by the Ministerial B:de of the house.