HC Deb 27 July 1860 vol 160 cc275-6
LOKD JOHN RUSSELL

I wish, Sir, to address the House for a few minutes with regard to an answer which I gave to the hon. Gentleman yesterday. That answer was correctly reported in substance, and it having reached the Envoy of the Neapolitan Government, he has addressed to me a letter complaining that I did not accurately represent his statements to me. Those statements were entirely verbal; and I certainly meant to represent accurately both his proposition and my answer to it. His letter is as follows:— London, July 27. My Lord,—The reply which your Excellency gave yesterday to the question of Mr. Griffith, on the subject of the war in Sicily and of a truce to be established, not having correctly represented my intentions and those of my Government, I beg you to be kind enough to rectify your statement in the House of Commons. What I requested of the Government of Her Britannic Majesty was, to be good enough, in concert with France and Piedmont, to exercise a pressure upon Garibaldi with the view of obtaining a real truce for six months, so that the negotiations for an alliance with Piedmont might be brought to an issue, and that the meeting of the national representation might take place. The idea of directly employing force against Sicily by the abovementioned Powers did not at all enter into my mind, nor into that of the Government which I have the honour to represent, assured as I am that the means of attaining the object would not have failed without the necessity of having recourse to extraordinary expedients.—I have, &c, A. LA GRECA. I do not wish to add a word to that statement, of which I am anxious that the Neapolitan Envoy should have the benefit.