The Sun.
London, England, 1860-08-17 00:00:00

RECRUITING FOR. GARIBALDI.

Mr. HENNESSY, in calling attention to this subject,
said that the Government had declared their opinion with
regard to enlistment for foreign service in a despatch which
the noble lord (Lord J. Russell) addressed on the 7th of
December last to Loll A. Loftus. In that despatch the
noble lord desired Lord A. Foftus to ask these questions of
the Austrian Government—whether the Austrian Govern-
ment were cognisant of the fact that enlistment was going
on in the Austrian dominions for the Papal and Neapolitan
armies; whether the Austrian Government considered such
a proceeding to be legal or illegal ; and whether the Austrian
Government had given their consent to such enlistment.
He (Mr. Hennessy) now ventured to put a similar ques-
tion to her Majesty's Government. Within the last few days
a letter appeared in the newspapers from Capt. Styles, an
aide-de-camp to Gen. Garibaldi, the object of which was to
induce young men, and especially rifle volunteers, as well
as soldiers who might wish to gather laurels, to take up
arms in the cause of Italian independence. The letter con-
tained a notification from Gen. Garibaldi himself, dated
from the now famous Melazzo, to this effect :—" Capt.
Edward Style 3 goes to England with my authority. His
object is to render advice and guidance to those who
may wish to come here to fight for the liberties of this
country." He did not wish to say a word how far Capt.
Styles had violated• the law, or how far those men who
were associated with him had violated the Jaw. That
was a question more properly for the law officers of the
Crown. He would only say that the Act of 59th Geo.
111., the act bearing on this question, was one which
he should at any time ask to have enforced. He would re-
mind the house that in the month of May last the Attor-
ney-General stated distinctly that any person in this coun-
try who enlisted in the service of a sovereign who was at
amity with the Queen was guilty of a breach of the com-
mon law of England. He was anxious to know from the
Government whether they were aware that such enlistment

was now going on; also, whether they had given their con-
sent to such enlistment, and what was their opinion as to
the great question of international law. He admitted that
General Garibaldi had exhibited qualities of heroism and
valour which entitled him to respect; but they knew that
at this moment the whole foreign affairs of Europe were
complicated by his movements, and that the two great
powere, Austria and Prussia, were determined to act in con-
cert against what he (Mr. Hennessy) conceived to be an
illegal proceeding.
Sir J. SHELLEY said before the noble lord answered
the questions of the hon. member he wished to remark that
the hon. gentleman never said a word when volunteers were
going from Ireland to join the papal army, which was a case
just as applicable as the one he had brought forward. All
he could wish was—which he said from the bottom of his
heart—that the gallant fellows who were now going out to
support Garibaldi would be better treated than those Irish-
men who had gone out to support the Pope.
Lord PALMERSTON—In answer to the question of the
hon. gentleman, I have to say that her Majesty's Govern-
ment have no knowledge of any enlisting going on in this
country for the service of General Garibaldi, nor are any
persons who are understood to be in her Majesty's service
engaged in enlistment. As to any soldiers enlisting to serve
with General Garibaldi, that would be an act of desertion,
punishable by the military law of the country. The hon.
member has put a case upon one or two grounds ; first, as
bearing upon the provisions of the Foreign Enlistment Act.
Now, as was stated by the hon. baronet (Sir J. Shelley), any
persons going to Sicily to join General Garibaldi, are pre-
cisely in the same position as those Irishmen who went
to serve the Papal Government. Tho hon. gentleman
knows the difficulties of enforcing that act. It would be
necessary to prove that the enlistment took place in this
country. The possibility of obtaining any evidence to that
effect was avoided by those who went to Rome by their de -
daring that they went for the purpose of being employed
on railway works, whereas unfortunately no railway works
were being carried. The hon. member has put it on
another ground, that, namely, of international law. The
house will recollect that my hon. and learned friend the
Attorney-General has shown that there is a difficulty in
bringing the principle of international law to bear upon
any particular act. All I can say is, that we know nothing
of any enlistment going on in this country, and if we knew
of any enlistment for any foreign State, or assumption of a
State, we should feel it our duty to 'put the provisions of
that act in force, and in doing that we should thereby bring
those persons within the practical provisions of the act.
(Hear.) _

Mr. KINNAIRD wished to know if any official informa-
tion had been received by the Government of the landing
of Garibaldi on the shores of Calabria.

Lord PALMERSTON—Nothing beyond the telegraphic
reports.
Mr. SCULLY. did not object to gentletaen going out to
the Pope or to General Garibaldi. He thought what was
aatleo ter the Irish goose should be sauce for the English

gattder. He hoped with the hon. member for Westminster
(Sir J. Shelley) that those who went out to Gen. Garibaldi
would be much better treated than those who went to ROG.
With regard to the remarks of the noble lord (Lord ral-7:
merston). all he would say was that he deprecated any in-
termeddling of this country in foreign affairs. But the noble
lord must either know nothing at all of what was going on
in this country with respect to Garibaldi, or he must wil-
fully shut his eyes to it. He (Mr. Scully) saw advertised
in the newspapers of Saturday last a long list of subscrip-
tions of money sent to Garibaldi, and in that list the first
name was Viscountess Palmerston—(a laugh)—the second
was the Countess of Shaftesbury, and the third was Mrs.
Gladstone. (Laughter.)