The Sun.
London, England, 1860-02-17 00:00:00

OUR FOREIGN RELATIONS.

Sir R. PEEL asked the Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs whether her Majesty's Government have any objec-
tion to state the nature of the communications which have
passed between the Sardinian and British Govern-
ments, with respect to the cession of a portion of
the Sardinian territory to France; and also, whether her
Majesty's Government have had occasion to communieate
to the French Government the opinion entertained by other
Powers on this subject; and whether, in the event of the
annexation of Savoy to Franco being effected, her Majesty's
Government are prepared to abandon the neutrality of Swit
zerland, as guaranteed by Great Britain, in common with
other European Powers ?
Lord J. RUSSELL, who was very imperfectly heard, was
understood to say that, as regarded Sardinia, a eornmun
cation had been received from the Government of that
country, to the effect that it was not intended to cede any
of the Sardinian territory to France. Up to the present
time there had been no official communication with France
on this subject. Her Majesty's Government proposed to
act in the same way with reference to Switzerland, that
other countries had resolved to do under the condition in
question. He had entertained some apprehension that
Switzerland, under the circumstances, would have been
tempted to act in a spirit of aggrandisement, but he had re-
ceived assurances to the contrary. (Hear, hear.)
In reply to Mr. FITZGERALD,
esll hi: lit he
Lord J. RUSSELL said that the Governmentlltioceived no official information with respect to the avler:
of France relative to the annexation in question;
understood it had been communicated by the Government
loaftteFrraknincegdtoom Sardinia, that
increased
ifinth
ceontrrenrle of the
the
addition of a portion of Central Italy, then Frame would
not consider her frontier sufficiently secure unless she ob-
tained the annexation of the provinces alluded to by the
hon. baronet (Sir It. Peel).
THE TROOPS OF THE KING OF NAPLES.
Lord It. MONTAGU asked the Secretary of .State for
Foreign Affairs whether her Majesty's Government had
received any commTwo Sicilies, u
n
i
c
a
tion from the Government of the
n complaining
trying
rytihnagt
taog agents
excitea
of them
I inr nm
e theil
t
of Sardinia have
troops of the King of Naples.

Lord J. RUSSELL—We have no information of the
kind, nor has the Government of the Two Sicilies made
any such representation. At the same tiros I should tell
the noble lord that the Government of the two Sicilies is
very ready to make complaints of plots at id conspiracies.
Some time ago we received a complaint res pecting several
British officers ; we inquired into it, and foi Ind the facts to
bo that an officer going to call upon a lady ; b ought at a
pastry-cook's a cake which was said to have. a flag upon it
having three colours, and the GovernzrLent. of the Two
Sicilies complained of this as an attempt to .ite insurrec-
tion. (Great laughter.)
EXCESSSIVE PUNISIIBMST

Mr. FREElliiii-asked the Secretw.y .of Mate for the
Home Department, whether the attention of her Majesty's
Government has been called to the case of an a cricaturai
labourer in Hertfordshire, who, having .been. previously
convicted for stealing rabbits, was said '
to have been sen-
tenced
by the magistrates of that coot
qty to th rep years'