§ MR. T. DUNCOMBEsaid, he wished to ask a question of the right hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and for the purpose of doing so in order would move the adjournment of the House, if that were necessary. Nearly two years 2376 ago the Government of this country broke off diplomatic relations with the Government of Naples; and the question he now begged to ask was, whether any change has taken place, or is likely to take place, in our relations with that country? The breaking off of those diplomatic relations arose out of the barbarities which were committed in the prisons of the Neapolitan dominions towards political offenders. The imprisonment and torture, he was sorry to say, continued, and those dungeons were still full of persons who were undergoing all the barbarities which were the usual accompaniments of incarceration in an Italian prison. The question, he thought, was a most appropriate one to be put at the present moment, and the House ought not to separate for the recess without receiving some reply. The Sovereigns of England and France were about to meet in a day or two. Her Majesty would be surrounded by Peers and Commoners, and attended by very many of her faithful subjects, and he did think that a whisper or a word on the occasion from Her Majesty's lips might suggest to the Monarch of France that in the midst of all the festivities and congratulations they should not altogether forget the wrongs of Italy. The utterance of such a sentiment would, he believed, he highly acceptable to the Emperor of the French, because it was well known, at all events, he (Mr. Duncombe) had reason to know, from what had recently been communicated to him, that during the Russian war the Emperor of the French, to his honour, suggested that the restoration of Poland and the independence of Italy should form part of any general scheme for the settlement of peace. That proposal, however, he was given to understand, was ignominiously rejected by the Government of England; but be that as it might, he believed that the reproach which was sometimes levelled against Englishmen, that they were very fond of constitutional freedom and liberty at home, but that they sided with despotism abroad, was but too true. The question he had to put to the right hon. Gentleman, therefore, was whether any change has taken place, or is likely to take place, with regard to our relations with the Government of Naples?
THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERSir, I did not collect from the observations of the hon. Gentleman whether he thinks that the revival of diplomatic relations with Naples would be a 2377 proof of our sympathy with despotism abroad, or the reverse, though the inference from his observations may be taken either way. I think, however, all must feel that to terminate diplomatic relations between two States is always an extremely inconvenient and injurious course, and one that can only be justified by very strong reasons indeed. With regard to the case of Naples, perhaps a great deal of what has occurred, and which has very much interested this House of late, between the King of the Two Sicilies and this country, might not have occurred had Her Majesty been directly represented at that Court. But it is unnecessary now to speculate upon those circumstances. I am bound to say that the late negotiations between England and Naples, which were of an extraordinary character, and occasioned by a remarkable event—I allude to the seizure of the Cagliari—were certainly conducted in a manner which was satisfactory to this country, and, at the same time, not at all, I think, to the discredit of the Neapolitan Government. Whether those relations which subsisted heretofore will soon he revived it is impossible for me at the present moment to state, No doubt it is extremely desirable that there should be direct communications between this Government and the Neapolitan Government; and I trust that whenever those communications are restored, they will be restored under circumstances which will be generally satisfactory to the people of this country.