§ MR. CAVENDISH BENTINCKsaid, he wished to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether he has received any official account of the meeting of the "Provisional Committees of Italy," held at the Paganini Theatre, at Genoa, on Sunday, the 9th of March, and of the subsequent proceedings of those bodies; and whether he will lay Copies of such Despatches on the table or state their import?
§ MR. LAYARDsaid, Her Majesty's Government had received accounts of those meetings, as they received accounts of' other incidents of interest or importance which might happen in other countries; but he thought it would be unbecoming in them, and inconsistent with due regard to the dignity of the Italian Government, if they were to lay those papers on the table of the House, as he should think it unbecoming in the Italian Government, and inconsistent with due respect towards the Government of this country, if that Government were to lay before the Italian Parliament any papers connected with public meetings held in the Free Trade Hall, Birmingham, or the Rotunda, Dublin.
§ MR. BAILLIE COCHRANEsaid, he wished to inquire, Whether the hon. Gentleman will lay on the table any recent Despatches received from Sir James Hudson?
§ MR. LAYARDsaid, he hoped in the course of the Session to lay upon the table some of those papers.
§ MR. BAILLIE COCHRANEsaid, a debate was about to come on—[Cries of Order! order!]
§ MR. HENNESSYsaid, he would beg to ask, whether the hon. Gentleman will lay the papers in his possession upon the table before the debate on Italian affairs was to come on?
§ MR. LAYARDreplied, he was not able to give any promise.
§ LORD JOHN MANNERSsaid, as he did not understand from the hon. Gentleman that he would present the papers to the House, he begged leave to ask him, whether by Monday next he would be prepared to give an answer to the question?
§ MR. LAYARDsaid, of course they had at the Foreign Office a large number of Despatches from their Minister in Italy, but no address had been moved for papers, and when his hon. Friend opposite (Mr. Cochrane) asked a general question, whether he was prepared to lay papers on Italian affairs on the table, he was not able to give any other answer than that which he had already given.