The Sun.
London, England, 1866-05-09 00:00:00

the action of the Gorman Powersin the affairs of Denmark
was a wrong and a robbery—that there was no question as
to which was in the wrong and which was in the right'; and
the question was whether you, after having gone to such
an extent—after Prussia told you in answer to one of your
braggadocio despatches, that it was, in point of fact, a de-
claration of war—after that time, when Denmark called for
support—the question was whether you were
your assistance, and depended upon your moral, if not upon
your material
justified in taking the opportunity of withdrawing from the
contest and abandoning an ally whom your encouragement
had led to hope and expect you would defend and maintain.
(Hear, hear.)
Earl RUSSELL—I beg to state more distinctly, and in
explanation of the course which her Majesty's Government
took at that time, we maintain, with regard to the engage_
ments which Denmark had taken with Austria and Prussia,
that Denmark had given cause of offence to Austria and
Prussia., and we advised Denmark to set herself right with
those Powers. She was inclined to do that at first; but
she afterwards determined to resist, and she refused the
advice which her Majesty's Government gave her. We
afterwards urged that course upon Denmark, and Lord
Wodehouse went to Copenhagen with a view of endeavour-
ing to persuade the Danish Government to adopt that
course, and we asked the German powers to give Denmark
an opportunity of setting the matter right by negotiation,
and we stated that they had no right to go to war until after
negotiations had failed. At the last moment Denmark was
prepared to do full justice to the demands of Germany, and
we said that Germany being satisfied, the consequences of
any war must fall upon themselves. But the German
Powers had a good right to complain that Denmark had
made engagements with Austria and Prussia which she had
not fulfilled.

The Earl of HARDWICKE—I should like to ask a ques-
tion of the noble earl the Secretary for Foreign Affairs. I see
by the report of what occurred in another place last night,
that a distinguished member of her Majesty's Government
stated that "it would be unadvisable for her Majesty's
Government to enter alone into any communication with
a view of offering their good offices to the Powers now
upon the verge of war." It struck me as being a very
remarkable thing that this country should be unable to do
anything alone—that it has not of itself power and weight
enough to appear before Europe as an arbiter, well-wisher,
or adviser, but that it mast, forsooth, go to some powerful
neighbour, and say, " Will you act with ns, because we are
so feeble that we can do nothing alone ?" I should like to
know whether that is really the condition in which we are
placed? (Hear.)
The Earl of CLARENDON—I can tell my noble friend
that is not the state of things in which we are placed. I do
not know what report my noble friend has read, but it is
certainly not a correct report. lam not aware that we are
not in a position to make our voice heard in any part of
Europe, or any part of the world. I suppose it is necessary
between Governments, as between individuals, to see first
whether advice will be accepted, and not to give it if you
see that you are more likely to do mischief than good. We
did take means to ascertain whether our good offices would
be accepted, and the answer we got was not encouraging.
We addressed ourselves to other Powers holding the same
view as ourselves; but we found them in the same position
as ourselves, and we could not do any more.

The subject then,dropped, and their Lordships adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS--LAST EN-ENING.
The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock.

PRIVATE BUSINESS.
The following bills were read a third time and passed:—
Great Northern Railway (Additional Powers); Lynn and
Sutton Bridge Railway (Works at King's Lynn) ; Lynn
and Sutton Bridge, Spalding and Bourn, and Norwich and
Spalding Railway Companies; and Spalding and Bourn
Railway.