THE MARQUESS OF NORMANBYsaid, he had given private notice to his noble Friend, the Lord President, of his intention to ask two questions, both relating to certain reported acts of Her Majesty's Government in reference to the contest now going on between the King of Naples and certain parties of a nondescript character in Sicily. He did not intend to say a word that might be calculated to give rise to discussion, but his object was to give his noble Friend an opportunity—of which he would, no doubt, gladly avail himself—of 756 contradicting a rumour which had been very current within the last two days, and which had already been made use of by foreign journals in raising a prejudice as to our supposed intervention in the affairs of other nations, contrary to our avowed policy. The question to which he wished to call the attention of his noble Friend was this. It had been stated within the last two days in telegraphic despatches that a demand had been made on the part of the Sardinian Government for the restoration of two steamers, with armed men and ammunition on board, which had been seized by the Neapolitan cruisers, and that such demand had been backed up by Mr. Elliot, Her Majesty's representative at Naples. Now, the conduct of the Sardinian Government had led to the belief that there had been no desire on their part to shut their eyes to the expeditions which had started from Genoa and other ports; but with respect to Mr. Elliot, he could hardly suppose it possible that any English Minister could have consented to hack up a claim for the liberation of vessels which had been engaged in an enterprise avowedly contrary to the law of nations. Still less was it likely that Mr. Elliot could have interfered on the ground which had been stated, namely, that the persons on board the captured vessels were furnished with passports to Malta. It was scarcely probable that a body of men, so armed and furnished with munitions of war, would have been very willingly received by the Governor of Malta; and nothing was more calculated to create prejudice in the minds of foreign nations against our interference in the affairs of Italy than that any expedition of such a character should be allowed to take shelter in Malta, and to continue its enterprise from that place. It was further reported that the British Admiral, while the evacuation of Palermo was taking place, had undertaken to send a garrison of English Marines to the fortress of Castellamare; and an answer which had been given by the noble Lord the Foreign Secretary in "another place," in reply to a question upon the subject, tended to create an impression that the report in question could not be positively contradicted. He believed that no one would regret more than the noble Lord himself that he had been compelled to give an apparent confirmation of the report, and that he had not felt himself authorized to contradict the rumour in the strongest terms; but at the same time he (the Marquess of Normanby) 757 should be glad to learn from the noble Duke at the head of the Admiralty whether the power of occupying any foreign territory during a time of revolution fell within the discretion of any British officer. These were the two questions he wished to put; and as a proof that even those for whom we professed an interest deprecated this incessant meddling on our part, he might state that two days ago he had seen in a Piedmontese paper—the Unione—an article discussing the subject whether Sicily ought or ought not to be annexed to Piedmont. The writer declared that there would be both good and evil in such an annexation. The good was that Sardinia would at once get rid of all interference on the part of England, and the evil was that, on the other hand, France would at once claim the cession of further territory.
§ EARL GRANVILLEsaid, the noble Marquess had certainly given notice of his intention to ask a question, but he had asked considerably more than was supposed to be his intention when he gave notice. However, with regard to the second question he could say that Her Majesty's Government had received no information whatever in confirmation of the statement contained in the telegram, that there had been an occupation of Sicilian territory by British forces; and with regard to the first question, as to the interference of Mr. Elliot, all he could say was, that no despatch had been received upon the subject.
LORD BROUGHAMsaid, he was glad to find that there was no truth in the rumour that the French Government was about to send a military force to Naples or Sicily for any purpose. He trusted, also, that the Austrian Government would not send troops for the support of the tyrant of Naples.