§ MR. HENNESSYsaid, he wished to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether the Government have advised Her Majesty to recognize the annexation of Bologna, Tuscany, Modena, and Parma to the kingdom of Sardinia; and, if so, whether he is prepared to state the reasons which have induced the Government to tender such advice to Her Majesty?
§ LORD JOHN RUSSELLSir, in reply to the question of the hon. Gentleman, I beg to state that the King of Sardinia has not taken any new title, but his dominions have been enlarged by the annexation of Lombardy; and I have no hesitation in saying that we have advised Her Majesty to consider the new part of the King's dominions as forming part of his kingdom of Sardinia. The hon. Gentleman probably knows that as soon as the Austrian troops left Bologna, the Papal authorities left it likewise, and the country was left without any Government. In Tuscany, as soon as the Grand Duke left Florence, the grand-ducal authorities also left. At Modena the same thing occurred. The Duchess of Parma showed more courage and determination, but still she was obliged to leave her dominions. These different states have re-constituted themselves of their own accord, and annexed themselves to the dominions of the King of Sardinia. If the hon. Gentleman wishes to go further into the matter and inquire into the causes which induced the people of those states to leave their former sovereigns, and their motives for so doing, he will have to give notice of a Motion on the subject.
§ MR. BAILLIE COCHRANEasked whether the noble Lord had any objection to produce any recent correspondence between the Government and Her Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires at Rome, Mr. Russell?
§ LORD JOHN RUSSELLsaid, there was no Chargé d'Affaires at Rome. Mr. Russell was only an Attaché to the Ministry at Florence. He had laid on the table from time to time some letters from Mr. Russell to the Home Government, and he did not think there were any more which it was necessary to produce.