The Sun.
London, England, 1848-08-09 00:00:00

HOUSE OF LORDS, August 8.

Their Lordships assembled at Five o'clock.
The Salmon Breed Preservation Bill was read a third
time and passed.
The Public Works (Ireland) Bill was read a third
time and passed, after a few words from the Earl of
DESART sad the Marquis of CLANRICARDE.
COPYHOLD BILL.

Lord WHARNCLIFFE asked what course it was in-
tended to pursue with regard to the Copyhold Bill.
The LORD CHANCELLOR said it was not his in-
tentio❑ to proceed with the Bill during this session.
SICILY AND NAPLES.
Lord STANLEY, while he hoped to obtain an answer

to the question of which he had given notice last
night, thought it would be better to make a mo-
tion for papers, as it would enable him to ask
the Noble Marquis to enter more into details with
regard to the question of Sicily than he would in giving
an answer to a question. The success of the French re-
volution and the acknowledgment of the French republic
had given rise to an insurrection in Sicily, which for the
time had been successful. It was an acknowledged
principle that in all such cases foreign Governments
should maintain the strictest neutrality. On this
principle we had abstained from interfering in the affairs
of Italy, we had condemned German interference in the
affairs of Holstein, and we had praised the answer of M.
de Lareartine to the Irish deputation; and if there was
any country in the world in which it was incumbent
to maintain the doctrine of non-interference it
was England, which had Ireland at its door,
with a large portion of the population al-
ways willing to accept foreign intervention to
shake off what they were unjustly taught to consider
the yoke of the mother country. It was most unfortu-
nate that at the period when the affairs of Naples re-
quired great tact and judgment, the British Minister
should have been absent from his post, and the
conduct of affairs should have been left to an able
but an inexperienced young man. He believed the
Noble Lord opposite, who had a roving commission
to all the Southern Courts, happened to be at Rome at
the time of the Sicilian outbreak, and that he had been
invited to come to Naples by the King, and to interfere
between the King and his revolted subjects. He believed
that although the Noble Earl had been invited to inter-
fere, his advice had been disregarded by both parties. His
mediation was disregarded, and the Neapolitan troops
had been driven from Sicily. An insurrection followed
in Naples, which was at first successful, but afterwards
a reaction took place, and an agreement was come to be-
tween the King and the liberal party of Naples.
Measures were then undertaken by the King of
Naples to subdue his revolted subjects in Sicily,
With regard to the recognition by foreign Powers, of
the independence of any revolted State, he thought that
no friendly Power should recognize such independence
so long as there was any chance of the friendly foreign
Power to which such revolted subjects owed alle-
giance being enabled to make its supremacy re-
cognised.—(Hear, hear.) The self-constituted Provi-
sional Government of Sicily proceeded to consider the
form of government to be established. Communications
were opened with the British authorities ; and it was
stated that a communication was made through the me-
dium of Mr. Fagan, an attach 4 of the British Embassy
at Naples, that it was the pleasure of the British Go-
vernment that the Sicilians should adopt the monarchical
form of government, and that they should choose ads
their king the son of the King of Sardinia. He d
not know who the Gentleman was to whom such a
mission was entrusted; but he believed he should not err
very wide of the mark if ho inferred from his name that
he at
he was a native of the (sister country, belonging to
ti. e
extreme liberal party of that country ; and that
_opinol
was confirmed by an examination of a very
useful little
work, called Dodd's Parliamentary Companion, in which
he found that a gentleman, named Fagan, was in 1847,
returned, for the first time, as a Member for the City of
Cork, and that in politics he was an avowed repealer of
the union between Great Britain and Ireland.—(Much
laughter on the Ministerial benches.) Perhaps ho was
wrong, and if so, the Noble Earl could correct him.
Earl MINTO—Go on—go on.
Lord STANLEY—In this, however, he believed he
could not be contradicted in stating, that previous to
that event, agents from Sicily were received in this coun-
try, he meant formally and officially received and admitted
to interviews with the Noble Lord at the head of the
Foreign-office. They submitted their views with regard
to the future constitution of Sicily to that Noble Lord,
and were informed by him that England would not re-
cognise Sicily as a republic, but would do bo if a mo-
narchical form of Government were chosen' and a son of
the King of Sardinia elected as their King. He believed
it further to be the case that a communication
to
tha that
effect was made by direction of Lord Palmerston to the
King of Sardinia through our Minister
Mr.
Turin, and
also to the British Consul at Palermo
who lost no time in letting the condition
which England would recognise the
Sicily. All that might perhaps be a fable,
nd
le
r .
be
known
Goodwin.e c
butofon
he had it