The Sun.
London, England, 1860-03-03 00:00:00

ANNEXATION OF SAVOY.

Sir R. PEEL said he had a question to ask, which, as it
was one of great subtlety and nicety, might perhaps claim
the attention of the Chancellor of the Exchequer (A laugh)
Everyone in that house had, he was sure, read the recently-
published speech of the Emperor of the French with the
deepest emotion and concern, for it was, quite evident from
that speech that his Majesty meant to avail himself of the
present position of affairs, and to take Savoy. He hoped,
however, they should have further opportunities of discuss-
ing the matter, as he was informed that the discussionwhich
had already taken placehad produced considerable effect even
in Paris ; in fact he was informed the Emperor had said that
after all the sacrifices he had made for the preservation of the
English alliance, he had no supporter in England but his
esteemed friend Monsieur Milnes. (Loud laughter.) Now
the question he had to ask referred to the copies of the im-
perial speech which appeared in the Times, The Sun, and
Horning Post. The last named paper was understood to
represent the policy of the Tuileries, and its transcript
of the speech differed in an important point from the
other two papers. The Emperor was made to say
in the Post—" 11 etait mon devoir pour la surete de
nos frontiZtres, de revendiquer les versants Francais des
montagnes." The Emperor went on to say, " Cette reven-
dication d'un territoire de peu d'etendue n'a rien que doit
alarmer l'Europe." Now, the difference between the two
words " reclamation" and "revendication" was most im-
portant, and it was necessary that the proper interpretation
should at once be put upon the pb*stse. It was important,
because in 1792 the Republic took Savoy, and it was most
important to know whether it was "revendication" or " re-
clamation" which the Emperor now contemplated. He
thought that net a moment should be lost in ascertaining
the fact. In the last century Poland was absorbed, and
now a similar act was contemplated with respect to Savoy,
every inhabitant of which was most violently opposed to
annexation with France. They wished to maintain their
connection with Piedmont, but if that were not possible,
then they wished to unite their destinies with the free and
noble Swiss people. He trusted that the house would per-
mit the Roble lord the Secretary for Foreign Affairs to an-
swer this question, because it was of vital importance to
know whether France claimed Savoy in consequence of
the act of the Republic in 1792, or whether she appeals to
Europe to protect her against a powerful Italian nation of
nine millions, by permitting her to extend her frontier to
the Alps. (Hear, and a laugh.)
Mr. BRlGHT—Before thenoble lord answered the ques-
tion, he wished to know what the hon. baronet proposed
himself. For after all it was a were Ming or time—(" No,
no," from the Opposition)—and also tending to produce
greater complications, if, there being no policy which the
house or the Government could adopt, these discussions
were to be constantly repeated. They were not the Par-
liament of France, nor of Savoy, nor of Europe—they were
the Parliament of England ; and unless it could be shown
that this country had a direct interest in these foreign ques-
tions, they were only making themselves an absurd spec-
tacle in the sight of Europe by such discussions. Nothing
could be more extravagant than the language in which the
hon. baronet addressed himself to this question. One would
suppose that not only England, but all Europe, was on fire,
and the hon. baronet came down nightly to the house, not
to extinguish but to increase the conflagration. Let them
examine this question. It would perhaps be better if all
the States of Europe were content with their respective
frontiers, and should make no attempt to extend their boun-
daries ; bat that was not the state of things, nor could they
expect it. Our own Government, supported by a large party
in the country, were consenting parties to an alteration in
the boundaries of several of the States of Italy, and it was
quite possible that if the right hon. member for Bucks now
sat on the Ministerial benches he would be an acquiescing
party in those changes. The hon. baronet talked of the
treaty of Vienna as if it were a settlement, whilst it was
nothing but an unsettlement. Holland had been separated
from Belgium, and now the French Emperor was to be
attacked because he did not respect the treaty of Vienna in
the case of Savoy. What was the treaty of Vienna to him
but a monument of the degradation of his family ? And
he could only regard with pleasure the crumbling away of
an edifice which never should have been erected. He
agreed that it would have been much better if this question
had not been raise l, not only here but also in Paris. He
saw no special advantage to France by the addition of the
population of that mountainous region. He did not believe
Sardinia would be sensibly weakened or changed if the
transfer took place. (Oh, oh, and hear,, hear.) He doubted
extremely whether any disadvantageous effects would re-
sult to the people of Savoy. The right hon. baronet the mem-
ber for Tamworth argued upon the supposition that they
were about to be transferred by some forcible means from a
state of freedom to a state of servitude. That supposition
was certainly not very complimentary to the French people,
who might be quite as well pleased with their institutions as
we were with ours—(hear, hear)—and who might be satis-
fied with a social liberty which we had not, and might pre-
fer it to a political liberty which we had. (Hear, hear.)
But he had heard from persons of high authority that the
inhabitants of Savoy had not only no objection to the trans-
fer, but would prefer being annexed to France. (Oh, oh,
and Hear.) The best authority he had been able to consult
on the matter had assnred him that the ar-iesation of Savoy
to France would go far to double the value of the landed
property in that country. For his own part he would not
give much for the loyalty of some people in other countries
Oavoy it no coma F. owtse mem to tumble tne value
of the landed property of their country. (Cries of " Oh,

1 oh.") But ha was told that the labouring population
in Savoy were well aware that the annexation would
add greatly to the value of their labour. Lyons was not
more than two or three hours from Chamounie. The ma-
nufacturers of Lyons, with their capital, their looms, and
their industry, would immediately spread through the val-
leys of that province, and an immediate advance would be
given to the value of everything now existing in Savoy.
(Hear, hear.) He did not wish the Government to give
the slightest countenance to the transaction, but on the
other hand he would not ask them to offer it the slightest
opposition, because such opposition would be futile, and
they coOld not possibly prevent the annexation d Savoy,
although they might embroil England with France. Rather
than this should happen he would say, perish Savoy. (Cries
of " Oh. ohs") But Savoy would not perish, or even suffer
He had found, unfortunately, that the more remote a ques-
tion appeared to be from our owa interest the more it seemed
to absorb the sympathies of some hon. gentlemen of that
house. (Hear, hear.) For generations past we had been
endeavouring to settle the map of Europe, and spending our
biood and treasure for that object, but had we not utterly
and ignominiously failed in every attempt we had made ?
In the name of common sense, and in the interest of the people
of England, we ought to judge this question with calmßess
and dispassionateness as a matter which really concerned
only the kingdom of France, the kingdom of Sardinia, and
the people of Savoy ; and if those two kingdoms were agreed
to the transfer, and the people of Savoy themselves were for
it, it certainly was contrary to the interests of England, and
contrary to the honour of the English Government, to pro-
ceed to interpose against a transaction which, although he
(Mr. Bright) would never have recommended it, yet he was
quite sure was not worth the expenditure of a single tax on
the part of Englishmen, or the expenditure of a drop of
blood for one single moment to prevent. (Hear, hear.)
Lord J. MANNERS said he was glad to hear from the
hon. gentleman that this was the Parliament of England
and not the Parliament of France. (Hear, hear.) But he
thought they had made this discovery from the hon. mem-
ber's speech, that ;4: this was the Parliament of England, at
any rate France was not unrepresented in their body. (Op-
position
cheers.) There had been suspicions created through-
out England as to the reasons which had induced the hen.
gentleman to show such a marked attachment, and 'even
affection, towards certain treaties and engagements which
had recently formed the subject of discussion in that house,
but they now knew there was no price the hon. member
would be unwilling to pay rather than the treaty should
not be carried into effect. (Hear, hear.) He hoped the hon.
gentleman did not speak the sentiments of her Majesty's Go-
vernment on this occasion. Certainly he did net speak the
sentiments of the people of England. (Cheers.) They now
knew the measure of the loyalty of the hon. member. When
he was given 4d., where he had previously only got 2d., he
did not hesitate to tell them that that transferred his loyalty
and allegiance. (Opposition cheers.) He did not attribute
to the hon. member such overweening vanity as to suppose
that, when he said there were great masses who would not
hesitate to transfer their loyalty if their incomes were
doubled—he did not attribute to him the vanity of suppos-
ing that he meant to say he was above such considera-
tions himself. (Cheers.) The hon. gentleman spoke no
doubt from an intimate knowledge of his own heart and
sentiments. (Hear, hear.) But he trusted the Govern-
ment did not synrpatl•ise with the sentiments of the hon-
member, who had said" perish Savoy." The hon. gentle-
man might also have said perish freedom of the press, perish
constitutional government, perish everything which stood
in the way of the realisation of the treaty with France.
The hon. gentleman went so far as to say that it was
nothing to him whether France =sexed this or that coun-
try. It was natural that Savoy should be annexed because
the hon. member had received private information that the
people of that province were in favour of it. If Belgium
were to be annexed, no doubt the hon. gentleman would be
able to inform the house that he had -information in his
pocket to the effect that the people wished it—(hear, hear)
—and ;f the Emperor went so far as to wish to annex the
Rhine provinces of Prussia, the hon. gentleman would up-
hold the transfer on the same ground. (Hear, hear.) Was
this the language of an English member of Parliament?
Did such language represent the sentiments of the people
of England ? Was the determination of the hon. gentleman
the determination of the house ? He was confident the hon
member stood alone in the expression of those opinions.
(Cheers.) He (Lord J. Manners) wished to ask one ques-
tit,' of the noble lord the member for the city of London.
The noble lord, at the outset of this somewhat irreguler dis-
cussion, stated, very correctly, that a short time ago he was
enabled to inform the house that the Government of the
Emperor of the French had informed him that the Empe-
ror would not proCeed to annex Savoy without consulting
the great pewees of Europe. That afternoon the noble lord
had read a statement, in the speech of the Emperor of
France, to the effect that the latter did not wish to proceed
with this annexation by military occupancy, but by frankly
explaining the question to the great powers. He wished to
know whether, in the opinion of the Government, theme
was any divergence in trh• language of a fortnight ego and
the language now used, or whether the Government were
of opinion that when the Emperor of the French said he
intended to explain the question to the great powers, he was
still inclined to consult them previously to proceeding with
this annexation.

Mr. M. MILNES said he could not believe that in a
question of great European interest of this kind they were
doing justice to themselves or to their country by any per-