CAPTAIN O'CONNELLsaid, he would beg to ask the hon. Under Secretary for War if it were true that the Italian Legion are doing, or about to do, garrison duty at Malta; and what was to be their ultimate destination or disposition? Also, if he would lay on the table any correspondence that might have taken place between the Government at home and the authorities at Malta, relative to the riots there, in which the Italian Legion were concerned, and the murder of the police director?
§ MR. LABOUCHEREsaid, in the absence of his hon. Friend (Mr. F. Peel), who had not as yet taken his place, he was not in a position to reply to the hon. Gentleman's first question; but with regard to the second, he might state that it was not considered expedient, for the present, to produce the correspondence.
§ MR. FREDERICK PEELsubsequently replied to the first question: he stated that he understood that a part of the Italian Legion had done garrison duty at Malta to the extent of mounting guard at Valetta. With regard to what was to be the ultimate destination of the legion, he had to state that it would be disbanded, like all the other foreign legions. He understood that half the legion had elected to return to Sardinia, being subjects of the King of Sardinia; and, with regard to the remainder, they would be offered the choice of going to the colonies, or returning to Italy; and, in case of their preferring the latter alternative, application would be made to the local Italian Governments to receive them.