HL Deb 21 February 1860 vol 156 cc1450-1
EARL GRANVILLE

said, be wished to state to the House that Her Majesty's Government had received a letter from Mr. Corbett, Her Majesty's Chargé d' Affaires at Florence, with reference to his alleged attendance at the official reception of Signor Boncompagni on New Year's Day. Mr. Corbett denied that he had attended any official reception on that or any other occasion; but that he had attended a ball given by His Excellency on the evening of that day; that he was invited in his private capacity, and that as he had known Signor Boncompagni since his first arrival at Florence, he did not conceive that there was any impropriety in so doing.

THE MARQUESS OF NORMANBY

said, that the explanation of Mr. Corbett was perfectly satisfactory, and no one hoard it with greater pleasure than he did. If there had been any error he must have been led into it by the language which had been held by the Provisional Government at Florence.

Afterwards,

THE MARQUESS OF NORMANBY

said, he wished clearly to understand the meaning of Mr. Corbett's letter. He understood the phraseology of that letter to draw a distinction between attending at an official reception and accepting an invitation to a ball. In point of fact, the ball given on that occasion was the sequel of an official reception, and was part of the official reception. The only explanation that was at all satisfactory to his own mind was that Mr. Corbett did not attend in his official capacity. He was only anxious to guard against admitting that this was a private affair, for the real fact was that it was an official reception.

EARL GRANVILLE

said, he had better read the words of Mr. Corbett's letter:— I was not present at any official reception of Signor Boncompagni on the 1st of January or any other day. I did indeed receive an invitation as 'Mr. Corbett,' not as Her Majesty's 'Charge d' Affaires' to a ball given by his Excellency on the 1st January, which I did attend, and as I had known Signor Boncompagni since my first arrival in Florence, I did not conceive that there could be any impropriety in being present on that occasion.