§ Mr. Cumming Brucebegged to ask the noble Lord, whether he was aware of any impediments having been thrown in the way of the British residents at Naples to prevent their enjoying the advantages of a Protestant place of worship; whether, if so, those impediments were still continued; with whom they had arisen, and by whom they were so continued?
§ Lord Palmerstonsaid, that the strictness of the laws opposed some obstacles to Protestant worship at Naples. For a long course of time, however, an apartment in the house of the consul-general at Naples was appropriated as a chapel for British residents; and when the office of consul-general was abolished, and a consul with a reduced salary substituted in his place, a similar accommodation was still afforded in the house of the consul. The room in his house, however, having been found too small, the British residents applied to the Neapolitan Government for permission to build a separate edifice as a chapel for public worship, and it was understood by them and the British mission that the Neapolitan Government had consented that such edifice should be erected, provided that its outward appearance should be free from anything calculated to shock or annoy the feelings of the Neapolitan inhabitants. Her Majesty's Minister and the British residents proceeded with some ceremony to lay the first stone of the intended chapel, but the Neapolitan government, acted upon by some other influence, took alarm, as he supposed, retracted their consent, and insisted that a stop should be put to the erection of such building. The British residents then, but without obtaining in writing the consent of the Neapolitan government, engaged a large room in the Palazzo Calabritti as a place of worship, which, however, when fitted up, the Neapolitan government would not permit to be 710 opened, their consent not having been obtained. Hon. Gentlemen were not perhaps, aware, that negotiations were going on between the Neapolitan and British Governments, for the purpose of concluding a new treaty of commerce between the two countries. These negotiations had been suspended by the question of the sulphur monopoly, but, as that question would shortly be settled in a satisfactory manner, those commercial negotiations would be resumed, and the Government of this country would endeavour to come to an understanding with the Neapolitan government on the subject of freedom of divine worship by British residents at Naples.
§ Subject at an end.