, 1866-06-12

o'lduCeS ana warnings WHICH lie was JUS
tilted in offering from his long experience,
high character, and the great estimation
IN which his noble friend was held by
the Sovereigns and many of the principal
statesmen Of Europe with whom he was
intimately acquainted. He would now
ask the question Of which he had given
notlce-nameIy, whether Her Maiesty'S
Government had made any offer of me-
d%lation, either alone or in concert with
the Emperor Of the French and the Fm-
perOr Of Russia to the Courts of Austria,
Prussia, and Italy, with a view of assist
ing the Governments of those countries
in arriving at a pacific settlement Of the
questions at issue between them. He
trusted that the noble carl would not
coniine himself to the specific terms of
the question but would consider it as
applying to a proposal of any other ma
ture which he might have made to the
Courts in question.
The Earl of CLARENDON.-My Lords,
l am much obliged to my noble friend
for the tone Of the remarks he has made,
and for the courteous manner in which
he has expressed himself in regard to
myself. [ am af aid that, in one respect,
it will be necessary for me 10 maintain a
discreet silence, if my noble friend al
ludes to the apportioning Of blame and
the imputation of motives.
Eprl CADoGAN said he had expressly
disclaimed any wish of this kind. (TIcar,
hcar)
The Earl of CLARENDON.-I beg my
noble friends pardon. 1t is perfectly
true that Parliament has been without
any information communicated by us on
the subject, and for this reason-that, so
far as the action of the Gnvnrn"o"t -
concerned, this country will, neither dl-
rectly nor'indirectly, take any part in war
if war should unfortunately occur. OF
course, we have always been ready to
answer any inquiry addressed to us; but
until last night, in the other House of
Parliament, and tonight in this House,
no inquiry of that nature has been adj
dressed to us. | am sure this has not
been from any want of vigilance or want
of interest in Continental affairs, but be-
cause it was felt that the public are just
as we'll informed as the Government on
passing events. There is now little Of
that secret diplomacy which in former
days so much prevailed. There is on
the part Of every Government-such is
the power of public opinion-so great an
anxiety to appeal to it and obtain its sup
port that dispatches of the most import
ant character and entailihg the gravest
consequences are no sooner delivered
than they are published, and the teIe-
gram secures that there shall be no pri-
ority of information. We are, therefore,
all placed on the same footing. We
know the complaints of Prussia against
Austria, and in what manner Austria has
answered those accusations. We know
by the able papers they have published
what are the opinions of Bavaria and
Saxony as to the conduct Of their two
great neighbours, and what are the opin-
ions of the rest of the German Powers.
We know how loud have been the re-
monstrances throughout Germany against
a war uncalled for by national honour
and forbidden by national interests. The
fall of the funds and of all public. securi-
ties throughout the Exchanges of Europe
the paralyzation of credit, of commerce,
and industry-the enormou losses that
were entailed as soon as the rumour of