§ SIR R. H. INGLIS, seeing the noble Lord the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in his place, wished to ask a question, of which he had given notice. One of the noble Lord's Colleagues in the Cabinet, holding the office of Lord Privy Seal, and having the custody of the privy seal, had been for some time in Home, and he (Sir R. Inglis) heard from public report (and now rose for the purpose of giving the noble Lord an opportunity of contradicting that report if it were not true) that a convention had been signed between the noble Lord, on the part of Her Majesty, and some authorities of the See of Rome, in reference to diplomatic relations. He wished to know whether the Colleague of the noble Lord were in Rome with any authority from Her Majesty's confidential advisers, and whether, being so at Rome, any convention had been signed by him on the part of Her Majesty with any authority of the See of Rome?
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONIt is well known that for some weeks past, Lord Minto, who holds the office of Privy Seal, has been at Rome. Lord Minto is not at Rome in any official capacity; he has no power and no instructions to negotiate any convention whatever with the Court of Rome, to which Court he is not in any way accredited; and therefore my hon. Friend will see that the statement to which he alludes is entirely destitute of any foundation whatever. I need not say that, so long as doubts can be entertained by any person as to the legality of diplomatic intercourse with the Court of Rome, Her Majesty's Government have too much respect for the law to do anything which could by possibility be considered as an intention of violating it. The doubt arises chiefly upon the construction of the word "communion," the law being, that the Crown is not to hold any communion with the Court of Rome. A doubt exists whether the word "communion" should be strictly intrepreted as applicable to religious communion, or whether it should be applied to diplomatic intercourse. I give no opinion; and until Parliament can settle that doubt, I can assure my hon. Friend and the House that no step will be taken by Her Majesty which can by possibility be considered as contravening the law.