§ MR. HENNESSYI gave notice to the hon. Gentleman the Under Secretary of Foreign Affairs, that I should ask him a question to day, and he requested me to ask it of the noble Lord at the head of the Government. It is, Whether a certain despatch received from Mr. Odo Russell, of which mention was made the other evening, and in which it is alleged Mr. Odo Russell contradicts a statement made in another despatch which has been laid on the table, 1584 —whether that despatch so referred to has been communicated to the French Government? Perhaps I may be allowed to state, that from my own personal knowledge and what I have heard of Mr. Odo Russell, I believe him to be not only an able diplomatist, but a gentleman of the highest honour.
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONSir, I really cannot see that any object can be served by bringing into discussion what Mr. Odo Russell said and what General Montebello said, except it is with a view of establishing bad relations between Mr. Odo Russell and the French officers at Rome. Mr. Odo Russell merely stated what he had heard —namely, that certain brigands, 260 in number, had found their way from Rome to the Neapolitan territory, clothed in French uniforms—in blue coats and red trousers, such as are worn by the French troops—for the purpose of deceiving the Italian patrols on the frontiers. He communicated what he heard to General Montebello, and General Montebello denied the fact. Mr. Russell spoke from information which he had received, and General Montebello spoke from information which had been communicated to him. The only important part of the statement was, that 260 men had actually crossed from Rome into the Neapolitan territory. As to their having French uniforms, that is no reflection on the French authorities. It was not alleged that those uniforms had been given to those men by the French authorities. On the contrary, Mr. Russell stated, in his despatch of the 14th of January, that he had communicated to General Montebello what he had been told the practice which prevailed was—namely, that cast-off uniforms were bought by the committee of the Jews in the Ghetto; that these old clothes were sent to certain convents on the frontiers of Rome; that the brigands went there one by one; that arms had been sent to these convents concealed in herring casks; and that, being armed and equipped, the brigands were sent on from these convents. In his despatch Mr. Odo Russell states that General Montebello said that might have been the case previously, but he had taken steps to prevent anything of the kind from occurring in future. The General gave his word of honour that no armed man could pass from the Roman territory to the Neapolitan territory from that time. If anything of the kind has passed since—and I am afraid it has—it only shows that the agents whom General 1585 Montebello has employed have not been as watchful as he had expected they would be. But this I say, that at the present time Rome being governed by a French garrison, and the Pope being only a puppet in their hands, it rests with the French garrison to prevent these transactions, to prevent the committee which I believe is sitting—if I am asked on what authority I make that statement, I can only say that, from information, I believe it—to prevent that committee from continuing the organized system of sending bands, either armed before they set out, or armed after they get there, to commit outrages in the Italian territory. We have been told—on information which I hope is not correct—that a great expedition is contemplated to take place during this month of May.
§ LORD JOHN MANNERSSir, I wish to ask the noble Lord a Question which naturally arises from the statement which he has just made to the House, and in which he has not replied to the Question put to him by my hon. Friend the Member for the King's County in reference to something that was said here a few nights ago by the hon. Gentleman the Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs, on the authority of a despatch which was not on the table. As I understand it, the rule is, that when a Minister quotes a despatch, that document is to be laid on the table of the House. It now appears the noble Lord has quoted from further despatches, and on the information he has received he has not hesitated to make a most serious charge against the Sovereign of a country with which this country is in friendly relations. I wish to ask the noble Lord, whether he is prepared to lay the despatch on the table?
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONIt is altogether a new doctrine to me to be told that a Minister, making a statement from information which has come to his knowledge, is bound to lay on the table of the House the document from which that information is derived. I admit no such principle. It is perfectly true that when a Minister reads a paper he is bound to lay it on the table. I made no charge against the Roman Government except that charge which, unfortunately, cannot be denied—that the authority of the Pope is null, that it is overridden by 20,000 French troops. In that state of things, whether the fault rests with the French Government or the Roman Government—I believe it rests with both—I say both are chargeable with the responsibility of the acts committed by 1586 bands sallying forth from Rome to commit outrages in the Neapolitan territory.
§ LORD JOHN MANNERSI do not wish to enter into any argument with the noble Lord, but I beg to repeat a Question which he has not answered. Will the noble Lord lay on the table the despatch from which the hon. Gentleman the Under Secretary made his statement?
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONI will look into the despatch and see if there is anything in it that should prevent us from laying it on the table.