OBSERVATIONS. (Hansard, 4 August 1862)

§ MR. COX

observed that very early in the Session he had put a Question to the 1206 noble Viscount on the subject of Reform in Parliament. The noble Lord gave him an answer which many of his friends did not think quite so courteous, so kind, or so good-humored as the noble Lord's replies usually were. The Session had been a very quiet one; the House had almost been a "happy family;" and after the noble Lord's answer to his Question the subject of Reform had scarcely been mentioned amongst them. He did, however, wish to refer once more to a matter in which he could assure the noble Lord his constituency and millions of other persons in this country took the deepest interest. He wished to know if during the recess the Government would turn their attention to Parliamentary Reform. He would ask the noble Lord to be good enough to look into the Bill which was introduced by the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Buckinghamshire, and that at the same time he would also read the Resolution which was proposed by Earl Russell, and which affirmed that that Bill would not be satisfactory to the House or to the country unless it went a great deal further. With those two documents in his hand the noble Lord would have no difficulty in coming to a right conclusion.

§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTON

Sir, I am sure it is unnecessary for me to remind the hon. Member for Finsbury (Mr. Cox) that the subject to which he has adverted is not only one of great importance, but also one beset with great difficulties, as events have shown; and on the last day but one of the Session I do not think it would be advisable for me to express any opinion as to what the Government might or might not think fit to do next Session on such a matter.

With regard to what has fallen from the hon. Member opposite (Mr. D. Griffith), he may be aware that the representatives at Constantinople of the Powers who were parties to the Treaty of 1856 have been authorized to meet in conference upon the question now pending with respect to that part of the Turkish territory to which he referred. I can assure him that the representative of the Queen will be, and has been, instructed to bear in mind, on the one hand the engagements which the six Powers—I may say the seven Powers, including Turkey herself—entered into under the Treaty of 1856—to bear in mind what are the just rights of the Sultan, and also what is due to the welfare of the Sultan's Christian subjects. More than that I can- 1207 not say. The Sultan has undoubtedly the right of holding garrisons in certain towns in Servia—Belgrade and others—and, of course, it is open to him, in concert with his allies, to determine whether there are any military posts which, consistently with his interests, he could abandon. I do not, however, think that is at all likely. Such are the instructions that have been given to Her Majesty's representative.

In reply to my hon. Friend behind me (Mr. Beaumont), I do not think it is advisable to state at present what is the condition of any communication passing between Her Majesty's Government and the Government of Austria as to commercial matters. I can assure him that we are exceedingly desirous, if possible, to conclude a better arrangement with Austria upon those subjects. The Austrian Government, as my hon. Friend has well observed, has entered upon a course of policy far more liberal in all respects than that which heretofore it has pursued. The Emperor has given a representative constitution, and I believe in commercial matters, as well as in political, there is a great desire on the part of the Austrian Government to liberalize their system. At the same time habits of protection in favor of native industry—however ill-founded the reasons may be—are very difficult to be eradicated. The other day, when there was a question of the entry of Austria into the Zollverein, there were conditions attached to such entry by Austria which were thought still to be too much based upon the protection principle, and they have prevented Austria from joining the Zollverein at the present moment. Therefore people must not be over sanguine as to any great change in Austrian commercial policy. It is undoubtedly true, as my hon. Friend has stated, that the Austrian empire abounds with natural resources; and if, by a wiser course of policy than has hitherto been adopted, an interchange of commodities with other countries was encouraged, the empire possesses wealth beyond description, with which its people could purchase those articles which other countries produce at a cheaper rate than they themselves can produce them, and a more enlarged commercial system between Austria and this country and other countries would be highly advantageous to all parties, and I by no means despair that the Austrian Government may be led to adopt a course in harmony with those principles.