§ LORD DUDLEY STUARTsaid, he wished to put a question to the right hon. Chancellor of the Exchequer as to the papers laid on the table respecting the outrage committed on Mr. Mather, a British subject, by an officer in Tuscany. It would appear from the papers that the Government entirely disavowed the proceedings of Mr. Scarlett, at least so be read the papers of Lord Malmesbury. It seemed the noble Lord disapproved of the arrangement. He wished to ask whether he was right in reading those papers in that light?
§ The CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERsaid, the Government had placed on the table all the papers connected with the circumstance referred to, and now the noble Lord asked Government what opinion he was to form respecting them, and what conclusion he was to come to. That was really an extraordinary inquiry. The pa-pears would soon be in the hands of every hon. Member, and they must be left to form their own opinion respecting them. He thought it would be satisfactory, but he certainly could not answer for the opinion the noble Lord would form.
§ LORD DUDLEY STUARTsaid, the 67 right hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer, certainly could not he called upon to tell him what opinion he (Lord D. Stuart) would form on these papers; hut he could he called upon, and he called upon him now— [Cries of "Order! Chair! and Spoke!"] He was asking a question. He believed he was in order in asking a question. ["No, no!"] He really must appeal to the Chair.
§ MR. SPEAKERThe noble Lord is not strictly in order. On the question before the House the noble Lord is not entitled to make another speech, but he might put a question.
§ LORD DUDLEY STUARTsaid, he had no intention to make another speech, or to ask another question, but to set the right hon. Chancellor of the Exchequer right, as he had misunderstood the question which he (Lord D. Stuart) had asked or meant to ask. He wished to know whether it was the intention of Her Majesty's Government to take any further step to obtain redress for the outrage committed on Mr. Mather or not?
§ The CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERsaid, his answer to the very irregular inquiry of the noble Lord was, that the Government had placed on the table of the House all the papers relative to the subject, and that among those papers there was a despatch describing the ulterior steps which Her Majesty's Government were prepared to take with respect to that circumstance.
§ MR. MONCKTON MILNESbelieved the noble Lord's inquiry was a little premature. He had no doubt when the papers were on the table, and when the noble Lord's question was repeated, as he hoped it would be, that Her Majesty's Government would be able to give a most satisfactory answer, and that the answer of Lord Malmesbury to the Tuscan Government would be found to be most grateful to this country.
§ Subject dropped.