MR. HEADLAMsaid, he would bog to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has as yet received the opinions of the Law Officers of the Crown on the subject of the Cagliari; and if so, whether he can state to the House what course the Government intends to pursue?
THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERSir, in the matter of the Cagliari there are two questions involved which are really distinct from each other. The one is, what I may call the national question, the other the international question. The first concerns the treatment to which our two countrymen, Park and Watt, have been subjected; and with respect to that question we have received the opinions of the Law Officers of the Crown, and their opinions on the subject are unanimous. They are of opinion that the detention and imprisonment of Park and Watt were illegal; and in consequence of having received that opinion, and after giving to it ourselves all that deliberation which so 1173 serious a matter required, we have addressed a despatch to the Minister of the King of Naples, and the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs has demanded compensation for the grievances which have been experienced by our two countrymen, Park and Watt. With regard to the international question, that, as the hon. and learned Gentleman well understands.; is a question quite distinct from the other—a separate one, in which England is only interested the same as all other maritime nations are. Upon that question we have not yet received the opinions of the Crown Officers; but, in explanation of what might otherwise appear to be an unaccountable delay, I may remind the House that I have already informed them that on Saturday last very important documents were received by Her Majesty's Government bearing upon that question. They were submitted to the Attorney General and his colleague, but the time of the Attorney General has been so completely absorbed, as the House is well aware, during the last few days, in the conduct of the State trial which is now going on, that it has not been possible for him to give to those documents all the consideration to which they are entitled.
MR. HEADLAMHas the right hon. Gentleman any objection to lay the documents to which he has alluded on the table of the House?
THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERI think it would be very inconvenient at this moment to lay any of them upon the table, but on the right occasion they shall all be produced.