HL Deb 05 June 1848 vol 99 cc330-1
The MARQUESS of LONDONDERRY

inquired whether any communications had been received by the Government from Her Majesty's Ministers at Rome, Naples, and Florence, relative to the extraordinary circumstance of the troops of those States having entered the Austrian territories in Italy, and having made war without any violation, as far as was known, on the part of Austria of the arrangements existing under the Treaty of Vienna?

The MARQUESS of LANSDOWNE

could give a very short answer to the question. It was undoubtedly true, as might naturally be expected, that Her Majesty's Ministers abroad had made communications to the Government at home relative to those transactions to which the noble Marquess had alluded; but Her Majesty's Government, not conceiving that there were any existing treaties or obligations which required them directly, imperatively, and forcibly to interfere with respect to those occurrences, certainly did not think that any communication should be made to Parliament on the subject.