The Sun.
London, England, 1866-07-27 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

110 USE OF COMMONS-LAST EVENING.

THE WAR IN EUROPE.

Mr. GOSCHEN wished to ask the noble lord the Foreign
Secretary two questions of which he had given him private
notice—viz., whether the Government had received any
official communication relative to a demand made by the
Prussian authorities for a contribution of £2,000,000 ster-
ling from the free city of Frankfort ; and whether the
noble lord could give the house any idea whether there
was a prospect of the cessation of hostilities between
Prussia and Austria?

Lord STANLEY—In answer to the right hon. gentle-
man's first question, I have to say that I apprehend there is
no doubt that a demand to the amount named by him has
been made upon the free city of Frankfort. I don't know
that the right hon. gentleman desires me to go into further
details on the subject. As to the second question, I under-
stand that the Grand Duke of Baden, with the sanction of
the allied Governments, is occupied in negotiating an ar-
mistice between the Federal armies and the Prussians; but
I am not yet aware of the result of that proceeding.
Mr. OTWAY said that as it had been stated in ono of
the papers that an application had been made to the Bri-
tish Government by the Senate of Frankfort for its arbi-
tration on that subject, he wished to ask the noble lord
whether that was the fact, and whether her Majesty's
Government had undertaken any such arbitration.
Lord STANLEY—No demand or request has been made
to her Majesty's Government that they should arbitrate in
this matter, and as long as the question was one between
a German Government and a German population we should
have no locus standi. (Hear, hear.) I ought to say that it
has been reported to us that threats have been used by mili-
tary officers commanding in Frankfort of a very violent cha-
racter. One of those reports was that it had been threat-
ened, in case payment was not made, to bombard the town
and give it up to pillage. lam bound to say that the
Prussian Government have strongly disclaimed any such
conduct. (Hear.) The accounts are very contradictory,
yet it certainly does appear that some language of that
kind was employed, but employed, it would seem, without
the sanction of high authority. I may add, with reference
to the protection to be afforded toßritish subjects in case of
any strong measures being taken against the town, that
communications have taken place with the Prussian Go-
vernment, and the assurances which we have obtained on
that head are satisfactory. But the Government of Prussia,
I may repeat, deny having ever used or sanctioned any
threat of bombardment. (Hear, hear.)

THE HYDE-PARK DISTURBANCES AND THE
C OVERNMEN T.

Mr. B. OSBORNE—As great uncertainty and anxiety
exist in the public mind in regard to the meeting which has
been extensively placarded as being about to take place on
Monday in Hyde Park, I wish to ask theright hon. gentle-
man the Home Secretary the precise state of the case as to
his relations with the Reform League—(laughter) and
further, if he has granted permission for a meeting to take
place in the park; and if he will state, in order to calm the
anxiety of the public mind, what precautions he has taken
for the preservation of the public peace. (Hear.)
Mr. WALPOLE—My relations with regard to the Reform
League are simply the relations of Secretary of State re-
ceiving a deputation from that body with reference to the
painful circumstances which have recently happened in the
metropolis. That is an answer to the hon. gentleman's
first question. With regard to the second question, a very
natural question, as to whether any meeting is to take
place in Hyde Park on Monday next, I have to state, and
I think I can show, that a misconception of a most extraor-
dinary kind exists on the part of the promoters of that
meeting. (Hear, hear.) There are persons in this house
and out of the house and others present at the interview
which I had with a deputation from the Reform League,
who know exactly what took place. Substantially a state-
ment made in what is called the leading journal is correct.
What took place on that occasion was this:—l intimated
to them, after a statement made to me of a conciliatory
character, that as the main, if not the only question that
had given rise to the disturbances that had occurred
in Hyde-park was the alleged right, or claim to a right, of
admittance to that park for a public meeting, her Majesty's
Government would give every facility in their power for
obtaining a legal decision on that question ; and that in the
interval nothing should be done in the assertion of, or any
attempt made to assert, that light on the one hand, and on
the other hand that nothing should be done to interfere with
the determination of the question. It was then stated at
the meeting that one of the great causes of irritation at that
moment was what was called the demonstration of large
bodies of police, and an intimation was made to me that if
those large bodies of police were withdrawn, the irritation
would cease, and the disturbances too. My answer was that
there was no desire ou the part of her Majesty's Govern-
ment to make any unnecessary demonstration either of the
police or of the military force, and if the gentlemen who
addressed me, and who expressed their willingness, on the
removal of the large body of police then in the park, to go
to the park and use their best endeavours to induce the
people to retire peaceably, would do so, I undertook, on the
one hand, to remove these large bodies of police, reserving
to myself, however, the fullest power of calling out either
them or the military force in case of damage to person or
property, or in the event of danger to the public peace, and
on the other hand, those gentlemen undertook to do their
best to stop the disturbances, the unhappy and fatal dis-
turbances, which have taken place in the last three days.
not availed
alvatihleidnkmiyssehlrolfd
shuachveannegolpepcoterd ytumnityduotfy
bifrinlghinad
g
these unfortunate matters to what, I hope, will be
a satisfactory conclusion. After that interview was over
two or three of the members of the deputation came
into the room, and asked the question whether her
Majesty's Government would allow a meeting on the ques-
tion of reform to take place in Hyde-park on Monday next.
I replied distinctly that such an application as that must
be made to me in writing; and that in writing they should
receive their reply after I had submitted their application
to my colleagues. It is stated in the placard which was
afterwards posted in different parts of the metropolis that
the meeting should take place on Monday next by arrange-
ment with the Secretary of State. Now, I have not wished
to use any language which might provoke any irritation on
these unhappy matters, and I will not use that language
now, but I do say that a more extraordinary misconception
could not possibly have arisen. (Hear, hear.) The letter
of application, which was written to me by a Mr. Edmond
Beales, was actually not in my hands till near 6 o'clock
yesterday evening, and the placards announcing that that
meeting was to be held must have been printed at that
time. I suppose the house would not care to hear the let-
ter. (Cries of "read.") It is dated 25th July, and I re-
ceived it between 5 and 6 o'clock in the afternoon. It is as
follows :—" Sir,—l am requested by the council of this
League to most earnestly press upon you the advisability,
and even the urgent necessity, as the most effectual means
of putting an end to the state of dangerous exasperation
now existing in the public mind, that you will offer no op-
position to the meeting proposed to be held by the League
in Hyde-park on Monday afternoon next at 6 o'clock, such
meeting to be held on the general subject of the elective
franchise and reform, and to be without prejudice in any
way to the decision of the question in Parliament, or in a
court of law, as to the abstract right of the people to meet
for political discussion in that or any other park, the
council of the League undertaking on their part to do
everything in their power to preserve the peace—(a
laugh)—and to prevent any act tending to riot or disorder.
—I am, sir, your obedient servant, Edmond Beales."
'
That letter shows as distinctly as words can show-,-inde-
pendent of the affirmation which I have already made—
that the application, which was to be made to me in writ-
ing was then received, and that the answer which was to
be given by me in writing had not been given at all, and
could not have been given, for I had had no opportunity of
consulting my colleagues. I might appeal to the witnesses
who were present. (Cries of "No, no.") I thank the
house for that expression. In justice to a most able mem-
ber of the League, whose writings are known to many
members of this house, I must say that, infinitely to his
credit, he voluntarily came to my office this day to make a
statement on the matter. He could not see me, for I was
so much engaged that I could not see him, but he saw my
private secretary, who immediately afterwards told me
what he said, and I said it was so important that I desired
him immediately to write it down. He did so, and I believe
that what I am about to read to the house is correct. It
is to the effect that, "Mr. Holyoake said he had come to
repudiate in the strongest terms Mr. Beales's proclamation,
and that he perfectly understood Mr. Walpole to decline
to sanction any meeting in the park, and to ask that any
application for that should be made in writing, and that he
spoke to many Liberal members, and also to Mr. Beales,
when that proclamation was being made." I have only to
add that I regret this unfortunate misconception, however
it occurred, and I hear that Mr. Boales regrets it also. To
complete the statement I think it right that I should now
give the answer I sent him this afternoon : " Sir—l have
laid your letter of the 25th July before my colleagues,
and I beg to state that, pending the judicial decision,
every facility for obtaining which will be afforded by
the Government, as to the legal right of the people
to hold meetings in the royal parks, no permission for
such meetings can be given. In the event of its being
desired to hold any open-air meeting on the subject of
reform, no objection will be made on the part of her Ma-
jesty's Government to such meeting being held on Prim-
rose-hill." The only other observation I have to make is
this, that after what has occurred I really do trust that those
who desire to promote these meetings, with a view of set-
tling this question, will not think it necessary to assert that
right by means like those which were had recourse to on
Monday. I further hope that on whatever side of the
house gentlemen may sit they will aid us in the mainte-
nance of those rights and privileges which her Majesty's
Government believe belong to the Crown. (Cheers.)
Mr. J. S. MILL—My object in rising is to make a state-
ment which I believe will be satisfactory to the whole of
the house. I have just had an interview with Mr. Betties
and several leading members of the Reform League, in-
cluding the whole of those who were present at what may
be called the second interview with the Home Secretary,
and to which he has referred, and I have full authority
from them to say that so far as they are concerned there
has been no council of the Loaguo held, and they are not in
a position to spa.); for the Loaguo. (Laughter.) Do hon.