§ MR. B. OSBORNEasked the noble Lord the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he and Her Majesty's Government had received any information of the advance of the Russian army into the free and independent kingdom of Hungary? ["Oh, oh!"] It was very evident that hon. Gentlemen were not conversant with the history of Hungary. Secondly, he asked if there was any treaty in existence by which this country was bound to permit the entrance of the Russian troops into Hungary? and, lastly, whether Ministers had any intention to offer their mediation between the Emperor of Austria and the victorious people of Hungary?
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTON, in reply to the first question, had to state that Her Majesty's Government had to-day received information from the Chargé d'Affaires at Vienna, that application for military assistance in a war between Austria and Hungary was sent by Austria to the Russian Government, and the application had been assented to, and was going to be complied with; and, although no Russian troops had as yet entered, a Russian force was expected. As to the second question, there was no treaty that he was aware of that bore at all upon the question of the military assistance afforded by Russia to the Austrian Government. As to the third question, he had to state that Her Majesty's Government had taken no steps to offer their mediation between Austria and Hungary, and the Austrian Government had intimated no desire for such mediation.
Subject at an end.