§ Dr. Bowringwished to put a question to the noble Lord, the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, respecting a matter that had excited considerable interest in Switzerland as well as upon the continent generally. He alluded to the attempt which had been made to coerce the Government of Switzerland to violate the Laws of hospitality, and to drive from its territory those who had taken refuge there. The French ambassador had presented a note to the Confederation at Berne, requiring them to dismiss from their territory certain persons who had hitherto received protection there; and it was stated in the public papers, that our ambassador at Berne had joined in that requisition. He confidently trusted, that the name of England had not been employed in this transaction. He could not, for his part, believe that England was concerned in this attempt to expel unfortunate political exiles from Switzerland; and he wished, therefore, to know from the noble Lord, how far the English Government had sanctioned the introduction of the name of England in this matter?
§ Viscount Palmerston, in answer to the question of his hon. Friend, had no hesitation in saying, that the English Government had not been consulted as to the note or notes which had been referred to the Swiss Confederation, and that, in point of fact, neither the English Government nor the English Minister in Switzerland had been any party to such application. That being a matter of fact, he thought it right to state it. At the same time, he should not perform his duty if he contented himself with simply giving such an answer, because inferences might be drawn from it one way or the other inconsistent with the real opinions of the Government. In the first 1033 place he would observe, that it was undoubtedly true, that every independent nation had an indisputable right to afford protection and the rights of hospitality to any foreigners who might take refuge there; but it was also a duty of every country to maintain the relations of good neighbourhood with the bordering states, and it was the interest of every power that exercised the right of hospitality to take care, that the persons enjoying it did not use it for the purpose of forming and executing conspiracies to disturb the tranquillity of neighbouring states. His hon. Friend had said, that he believed some of the refugees in Switzerland had availed themselves of their situation there to form conspiracies against the Duchy of Parma. He knew that the French Government conceived no grounds with which he was not acquainted, but which he gave that Government credit for supposing to be well founded, that there were in Switzerland a number of persons who had connected themselves in a conspiracy for the purpose of overturning the French Government and disturbing the tranquillity of France. It was acting on that conviction that the French Government applied to the Swiss Confederation to have certain persons expelled from its territory. If he should presume to give advice to the Swiss Government in such a case, it would be that the course under such circumstances conformably with the good understanding that ought to prevail betwixt neighbouring States, was, that any persons who were really guilty of such practices should be requested to leave a country the shelter of which they had so abused. It was not to be supposed that the French Government had acted lightly in this instance, or without sufficient grounds, especially when it was considered that, up to the present time, the French Government had pursued a very different line towards the Swiss Confederation, and had endeavoured to dissuade other Governments from pressing the Government of Switzerland for the removal of foreign refugees from its territory He supposed, therefore, that it was upon good grounds that the demand of the French Government had been made. As far as the policy of the English Government was concerned, he felt fully the importance of maintaining the independence of Switzerland. Any advice therefore which should be given to it by the English Government would be given as a friendly power, and always bearing in mind that it was of the greatest importance to the European 1034 policy of England to maintain and uphold the independence of the Swiss Confederation.
§ Mr. Humewished to know whether he understood the noble Lord to intimate that such advice had been given by His Majesty's Ministers. He understood the noble Lord to slate distinctly, that the English Government had not joined with the Government of France in the request made to the Confederation. He hoped that, the policy of the British Government would never be founded upon that of the French government, which was at present outraging all the principles of law and justice, and trampling under foot the rights of its subjects.
§ Viscount Palmerstonbegged to state, in reply, that the English Government had taken no official step whatever on the subject, that no similar note had been presented by the English Minister to the Confederation, that he had no instructions to take such a step, and that in point of fact, he could not have taken it. With regard to the private advice that might have been given, he (Lord Palmerston) had indicated the tendency of it.
§ Dr. Bowringsaid, that the Swiss Government had in confidence stated to the refugees, especially the Italian refugees, that it was obliged to expel them from its territory. Now, against them there had been no accusation, and the Act was manifestly unjust.
§ Subject dropped.