§ LORD BEAUMONTpresented a petition, signed by David Salomons, Alderman, the chairman, on behalf of a public meeting held a few days since in the city of London, on the subject of the war in Hungary. He did not wish, in presenting the petition, to say anything which might lead to a discussion upon the subject at the present late period of the Session. Every person must be of opinion that the war in Hungary was a subject of deep regret, and that whoever of the parties might come out of the contest the conquered or the conqueror, the effect upon them would be to weaken the two Powers engaged in it—the empire of Austria and the kingdom of Hungary—which, when united, formed a great element in the balance of power in Europe. The prayer of the petitioners was, that this country should immediately recognise the existence, de facto, of the kingdom of Hungary, and that this step was no less demanded by considerations of justice and policy, and the commercial interests of the two States, than with a view of putting a stop to the effusion of human blood, and of terminating the fearful atrocities which had marked the progress of the Austro Russian armies.
LORD BROUGHAMthought the noble Lord who had just sat down had exercised a sound discretion in not entering at all upon the merits of the dispute between Austria and Hungary. The noble Lord had said that the balance of power in Europe was endangered by the war between Austria and Hungary; but he (Lord Brougham) thought it was more likely to be affected by the fact that at the meeting at the London Tavern, a great public agitator had threatened to crush Russia. He had said that he could tear Russia to pieces. Russia, containing sixty millions 963 of people, he had said he could crush as easily as the piece of paper which he held in his hand on the occasion. And how did the hon. Gentleman propose to crush Russia? Why, by peaceable means, by agitating the city of London against that nation. The public agitator to whom he (Lord Brougham) referred, proposed to destroy Russia by preventing any loan being made to her as long as Russia was Russia, because the hon. Gentleman undertook to say that he could prevent any man in the city of London negotiating a loan with Russia, whatever might be the amount of interest offered. He (Lord Brougham) ventured to say there was not a man on the earth, or even under the earth, who could not get in the city of London a loan for our own country at 6¼ per cent interest if it were offered, and at 6½ for another country.
§ Petition to lie upon the table.