CESSION OF ITALIAN TERRITORY TO FRANCE.—QUESTION. (Hansard, 14 March 1862)

§ MR. DARBY GRIFFITH
said, he would beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for, Foreign Affairs, Whether the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs will 1509 endeavour to ascertain that there is no intention on the part of the new Italian Ministry of entertaining any question of the Cession of any Territory now belonging to the Italian Kingdom to France, under any pretence or consideration whatever; and to more an Address for Copy of any Communications relating to that subject which may have taken place with the late Italian Government? He thought that events which had recently occurred were calculated to excite distrust on the subject to which he desired to call attention. A distinguished and patriotic Italian minister had lately quitted office, chiefly, it is supposed, through the influence of the French Government, in connection with which it was remarkable that his successor had last autumn made a sort of political visit to the French capital, the object of which at the time was supposed to be sufficiently significant as canvassing for the support of the French Government, and was much commented upon in the foreign papers; and a letter which had been published in the Ami de la Religion on the 8th November last gave some reason for suspicion that a cession of the nature to which his question referred was actually in contemplation. In that letter it was stated that "Sardinia was always neglected by and of little political utility to the House of Savoy, and that, in the possession of France, on the contrary, Cagliari, which was one of the finest natural harbours, would become one of the strongest positions in the Mediterranean." The writer added, that "the idea of uniting themselves to a great nation and the hatred produced among the Catholic inhabitants of the island by the attack of King Victor Emmanuel on the Papacy were fast detaching them from Piedmont." By the retirement of Baron Ricasoli from office one great obstacle to any scheme which might exist for the cession of some part of the Italian territory to France had been removed; for every one knew that the head of the new Ministry at Turin, Signer Ratazzi, was a decided partisan of a more intimate alliance than had yet subsisted between the Italian Government and the Government of the Emperor of the French. Now, Signor Ratazzi, on occasion of a dinner that was given to him at Paris in November, expressed himself to the effect that "Italy would never forget what she owed to the Emperor Napoleon and the French army;" further observing that "in the present era of the reconstitu- 1510 tion of nationalities the union of the Latin race must not be regarded as a vain idea; and that when the hour came France would see how well Italy understood the debt of gratitude which she owed her." The hon. Gentleman also quoted passages from Le Pays, in which that journal said that a Cabinet under the Presidency of Signor Ratazzi, was the best token of a good understanding between Italy and France. All these passages showed that the French press considered that the advent of M. Ratazzi to power, would confer some tangible advantage upon French interests. It was universally understood that the Island of Sardinia was the portion of the Italian territory of which the French Emperor was particularly anxious to obtain possession, and a statement had appeared in the public prints to the effect that Baron Ricasoli, before his removal from office, had informed the British Government that a certain pressure had been put upon him fur the cession of that island to France He (Mr. Darby Griffith) should be glad to know whether there was any truth in that rumour; and in conclusion he had to more for any communications which might have taken place between Her Majesty's Government and the Government of Italy upon that subject?

§ MR. LAYARD
said, it was a very important question. The hon. Member had a perfect right to bring it before the House, and he was obliged to him for the courteous way in which he had done so. He trusted that the House would feel grateful to the hon. Member for the vigilance which he exercised in all matters connected with our foreign relations; but he hoped the hon. Gentleman would not think it necessary that he should follow him in the somewhat discursive speech in which he had taken the House from the Alps to the furthest end of Sicily. The question was very fully discussed last year, and after the ample statement then made by so high an 1511 authority as the noble Earl at the head of the Foreign Office, he thought it scarcely necessary, not to say becoming, for him to dwell upon the subject at length. Earl Russell stated, on that occasion, that he had received a most distinct assurance from Baron Ricasoli that not an inch of Italian ground would be ceded to France. The noble Earl also stated his belief that it was not the intention of the Emperor of the French to ask for the cession of the Island of Sardinia. He would fain hope that the opinion then expressed by Earl Russell was well founded. Her Majesty's Government accepted the assurance of Baron Ricasoli, not as a mere personal assurance from him, but as an assurance which he was authorized to make by the King of Italy and by his Government; and he should regard it as an affront to the King of Italy and to the great Italian nation if, for one moment, the loyalty of that assurance were doubted. He thought it would not be becoming for the House to imply any doubt as to the sincerity of that assurance by asking that it should be renewed. Her Majesty's Government had accepted it as coming from the King of Italy, and they had full reliance upon the good faith and loyalty of that Sovereign. It was hardly necessary that he should say more upon this subject. Nor would he enter into an argument with the hon. Member opposite with respect to the conduct of Count Cavour. The hon. Member had correctly represented what he stated last year. He trusted that what had happened would never occur again. He regretted to say that the Government were unable to give the hon. Member the papers for which he had moved. He trusted the hon. Gentleman would not press his Motion, because it would not be convenient for the public service that the papers, such as they were, should be laid on the table.

§ MR. DARBY GRIFFITH
begged to be informed whether the fact was that there were no papers on the subject, or that the hon. Gentleman declined to produce them?

§ MR. LAYARD said
, if there were no papers, he could not of course decline to produce them.