§ SIR HARRY VERNEYsaid, he would beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether, at the Conference about to assemble on the affairs of Germany and Denmark, the interests of the inhabitants of the Duchies of Holstein and Schleswig will be represented and protected?
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONSir, I can assure my hon. Friend that the interests of the people of Schleswig and Holstein will be sufficiently cared for. In the first place, there will be in the Conference a representative of their lawful Sovereign; and that Sovereign, no doubt, will have equally at heart the interests of all his subjects. In the next place, there will be in the Conference the representatives of the two German Powers who have taken up arms on the alleged ground of enforcing engagements connected with these two Duchies. Thirdly, the Diet will, we hope—but no answer has yet been received—be represented at the Conference, and although the Diet has nothing whatever to do with the Duchy of Schleswig, that not being a portion of the Confederation, the representative of the Diet will take good care of the interests of the Duchy of Holstein, which is under the Confederation.