§ MR. HORSMANsaid, he wished to call the attention of the House to the delay in the presentation of the Papers on the Affairs of Poland, addressed for on the 15th of May; and to put a Question to the First Minister of the Crown as to the probable time of receiving and communicating to Parliament the Russian reply to the last proposals of the Three Powers?
§ MR. LAYARDsaid, he was extremely sorry those papers had not been produced, but the delay was entirely owing to a strong pressure of business in the Government printing office. They were in type, however, and in a very short time would be laid upon the table.
§ MR. HORSMANsaid, that the House had been told the other night that the notes of the three Powers had been sent to Russia, and the House was led to believe that they would be received and probably answered by the Russian Government at the same time. Since then he saw in a paragraph in The Times of the previous day the following telegram from St. Petersburg:—
St. Petersburg, June 23.The English and French Notes upon the Polish question arrived here yesterday.The Austrian Note on the same subject is not expected until Friday next.He wished to know whether the Government were aware of that paragraph; whether they could state what was the cause of the delay in the receipt of the Austrian note; and further, whether, as the Austrian note was not expected to be delivered until four days later than the French and English notes, and might not be replied to until four days later, such a circumstance would at all retard the communication to Parliament of the Russian answer to the English note?
§ SIR GEORGE GREYsaid, that he did not know on what authority the statement rested to which the right hon. Gentleman bad referred. The note of the English Government was sent off on Wednesday, last week, and he believed that the French note was sent on the same day. The Government also understood that the despatch 1445 of the Austrian Government was sent off and received at the same time with the English and French notes, and it was not likely that there was an interval of four days before its arrival. He could give no assurance as to when the answer to the English note would be laid before the House until that answer was received.
§ MR. HENNESSYsaid, that with reference to the recent statement of the noble Lord at the head of the Government that certain propositions had been submitted to the Russian Government, he wished to inquire when the paper containing those propositions would be laid en the table.
§ SIR GEORGE GREYsaid, he understood his noble Friend to have said, that when the answer of the Russian Government was received, that paper would be laid before Parliament.
§ SIR WILLIAM GALLWEYread the following paragraph from the French paper the Constitationnel:—
It should be understood, that as the question is a European one, it must be resolved by the common action of Europe. Should the assertion above alluded to mean that England, if, by some mischance, and against all probability, the intervention of the three Cabinets should remain without result, would refuse to proceed further, even if the two other Powers were prepared to march with her, then we must lower the praises given to a false enthusiasm, the consequence of which was to drive the unfortunate Poles to certain death.The article concluded as follows;—We are convinced that England will dispel all equivocation. Her honour and the interests of Europe and humanity demand it.He wished to know, whether this country was to go on drifting into war?