§ MR. DARBY GRIFFITHsaid, he wished to put a Question to the noble Lord the First Lord of the Treasury, of which he had given private notice. Upon that day fortnight, when the noble Lord favoured the House with a statement in reference to the policy of the Government, he made use of a remarkable expression with regard to certain contingencies which might arise in the Dano-German war, which would justify the interference of Her Majesty's Government.
§ MR. SPEAKERsaid, the hon. Gentleman was out of order in referring to a 1329 speech delivered in the course of a past debate.
§ MR. DARBY GRIFFITHsaid, the noble Lord had on a previous occasion mentioned in general terms certain contingencies which might occur, and which might justify this country in taking part with Denmark in the present war. He understood by that that the Government were prepared to prevent any attack upon the independence of Copenhagen and the personal safety of the King of Denmark, but it was doubted by many persons out of doors whether such was the intention of the noble Lord. To refrain from interfering until after Copenhagen had been bombarded would be very much like shutting the stable door when the steed had been stolen. It had been said that the Austrian fleet had received notice that if they appeared in the Baltic the English fleet would accompany them, and he wished to know if that intention would still be carried out now that the Conference had broken up. It was of immense importance to the country to know what was likely to be the course which the Government would pursue. A great debate had just taken place on the policy of the Government, in which that policy had received the approval of the majority of the House; but there were many matters still left unexplained, of which this was one of considerable interest. He would remind the House that at the commencement of the Crimean war we sent our fleet to the Dardanelles and into the Black Sea as soon as we heard of the outrage committed by the Russian fleet at Sinope. He would, therefore, ask the noble Lord to favour the House with an explanation of the real meaning of the expressions he had used a fortnight before.
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONI think the best answer I can make to the question of the hon. Gentleman is to say, that as far as Her Majesty's Government are informed at present, they have no reason to believe that there is any intention of attacking Copenhagen.