§ MR. T. DUNCOMBEsaid, he rose to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why a Return, ordered on the 9th of June, relative to the Military Commissioner sent to the head-quarters of the French, Sardinian, and Austrian armies, has not been presented; and whether there is any objection to lay upon the table the Reports made by those officers up to the present time?
§ LORD JOHN RUSSELLsaid, the Return to which the he n. Member alluded was presented yesterday—the first day on which it could be presented—by his noble Friend the First Lord of the Treasury. With regard to the latter part of the he n. Member's question, "whether there was any objection to lay upon the table the Reports made by those officers up to the present time," he (Lord John Russell) must say there was very great objection to such a course. It was obvious that, if 540 those Reports were presented, the different Governments to which those Commissioners were accredited would very justly object to the publication of statements which might have a serious effect on the operations of their respective armies. He considered that it was a very friendly act on the part of those Governments to allow those Commissioners to be sent among them. He could not, therefore, for the reason he had assigned, agree to the presentation of the Reports in question.