HC Deb 31 May 1864 vol 175 cc915-6
MR. HENNESSY

said, he rose to ask the noble Lord at the head of the Government, Whether certain Despatches of which he held copies, relating to the policy of the Government in reference to Poland, were authentic? With the permission of the House, he would read an extract from one of them, which was a despatch from Count Walewski to Count Persigny, dated October 15, 1855. It said— Lord Cowley has read to me a despatch from his Government in reply to that which I commissioned you to deliver to Lord Clarendon, on the subject of the situation of the Kingdom of Poland, in its relation to the Treaties which determined its legal condition in 1815, and to the eventual basis of the future peace. Now, the Question which he wished to put to the Government was, Whether the Despatches to which the extract which he had just read made reference, and of which it formed part, were authentic; and, if so, whether the noble Lord would be prepared to lay those Despatches on the table?

VISCOUNT PALMERSTON

said, as he understood the Question of the hon. Gentleman, it was whether certain despatches to which he alluded, and which were addressed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs at Paris to the French Ambassador here, and vice versâ, were or were not authentic. In reply to that Question, he must observe that he was really quite unable to answer for the authenticity of the French despatches.

MR. HENNESSY

said, it was stated in 1861 by two Ministers of the Crown, one of them being the noble Lord himself, that in their opinion no despatches had passed between our own and the French Government in 1855 relative to Poland. Now it appeared that Lord Cowley had in that year read a despatch purporting to be from Lord Clarendon to the French Government on that subject, and he wished to know whether that despatch and others on the same subject will be laid on the table?

VISCOUNT PALMERSTON

said, he could not give an answer off hand with respect to the despatches alluded to. He would, however, examine into the matter, and see whether they could be produced.