§ Viscount Palmerston,seeing the hon. Baronet opposite in his place, wished to ask him a question respecting a Motion of which the hon. Baronet had given notice. That Motion had been postponed to a certain day; he wished to know whether the hon. Baronet meant to bring it on upon that day, or whether he intended further to postpone it?
§ Sir Richard Vyvyansaid, that when he first postponed his Motion, he stated, that he should again postpone it before the day mentioned as the period of his first postponement, the ratification by the three Powers of the Treaty of Belgium not having arrived, Having thus answered the question of the noble Lord, he should wish to put a question to the noble Lord; the object of which was, to inquire when the ratification of that treaty was expected to arrive? He should like to put another question to the noble Lord. There were reports that an expedition was in the course of fitting out at one of the ports of France; the expedition it was said, was destined for the shores of Italy, and the particular places designated were Civita Vecchia, and Ancona. He wished to know if these reports were true, for it did seem to him. 636 that if they were, the amount of French interference in the ports of the Mediterranean was becoming too extensive?
§ Viscount Palmerstonobserved, that he certainly could not say, that he had any reason to expect that the ratification by the three Powers of the Treaty of Belgium was likely to arrive before the 28th of this month. Indeed he thought there would hardly be time for it to arrive before that period. With respect to the second question of the hon. Baronet, he could only state, that the Government had received information that preparations for sending a small detachment of troops were in progress at a port of France, and that these troops were to be sent to the coast of Italy, but he did not know to what particular part of Italy they were to be sent.
§ Sir Richard Vyvyanwished particularly to know, whether the noble Lord understood that Civita Vecchia or Ancona was the place intended to receive these troops?
§ Viscount Palmerstoncould not take on himself to answer as to what were the intentions of other governments.
§ Sir R. Vyvyan,after the little satisfaction he had obtained from the noble Lord, could not say anything positively about postponing his notice.
§ Lord Palmerstonhad given all the answer he could—namely, that he had no information, and that he could not answer for the intentions of other governments.
§ Mr. Ruthvenwas anxious to know from the noble Lord, whether any information had reached Government respecting the choice of a sovereign for Greece.
§ Lord Palmerstonsaid, that negotiations were going on, and he hoped they would terminate to the satisfaction of the country on the subject alluded to by the hon. Member.
An Hon. Memberbegged to inquire whether it was the intention of Government to lay on the Table of the House any information respecting the affair in which Mr. Boyd had lost his life by order of the Spanish government?
§ Viscount Palmerstonsaid, certainly, there was no intention on the part of Ministers, to place any papers on that subject before the House; but if any hon. Member should think proper to move for the production of any information which Government might possess, it was competen for him to do so.