§ MR. BERNAL OSBORNEsaid, he rose to ask the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether Her Majesty's Government has grounds for believing that the order of succession in Holstein and Schleswig, which was contemplated by the Treaty of London, will be consented to by the Assemblies of Estates in those Duchies?
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTON, in reply, stated that, in the first place, the Government had no certain knowledge that the Estates of those Duchies were to be assembled. He was aware that there existed a wish that they should be assembled on the part of some portion of Germany. [Mr. BERNAL OSBORNE: The whole of Germany.] But if there were any legal or competent au- 304 thority to assemble them, he confessed he could not see what they were likely to do when assembled.
§ MR. BERNAL OSBORNEsaid, he wished to know, whether he was to understand that it was the noble Lord's opinion that those Duchies were not entitled to any assembly of the Estates.
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONsaid, he did not quite understand the question. The Duchies had Estates which were liable to be summoned by a competent authority. He believed, however, there was a doubt whether there existed any competent authority at present.
§ MR. BERNAL OSBORNEIn consequence of the Treaty of 1852.
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONThe Treaty 1852 had nothing to do with the matter. Holstein and Schleswig were now occupied by Foreign Powers. The authority of the Sovereign of the Duchies had been suspended by those Foreign Powers, and it was doubted whether there was any authority competent to summon the Estates.
§ SIR HARRY VERNEYsaid, he wished to know, Whether it is to be understood that no steps would be taken with regard to Holstein and Schleswig without obtaining the opinion of the inhabitants of those Duchies in some way that would be deemed legal and constitutional?
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONsaid, that was a question of policy which he really could not undertake to answer.
§ SIR HARRY VERNEYsaid, he would beg to ask, Whether the noble Lord was not aware that by the Constitution of Denmark the Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein were placed on the same constitutional footing as the Estates of Denmark; and whether he was not aware that the consent of the Rigsraad having been asked to the new Constitution, it was not competent to ask the same assent from the Estates of Holstein and Schleswig?
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONwas understood to say that he supposed his hon. Friend referred to the Treaty of 1852, and that that treaty was confirmed by the Powers of Europe.