LORD BROUGHAMwished to ask the noble President of the Council whether any official intelligence had been received of Charles Albert having abdicated, left his dominions, and entered France on the 26th instant. He understood that intelligence had been received at Paris by telegraph from the theatre of war (if that, indeed, could be called war, ubi tu pulsas, ego vapulo tantum) to this effect—that the Piedmontese army had been driven into the mountains by Marshal Radetski—that the Marshal had himself entered Turin on the 2 26th—that Charles Albert had abdicated in favour of the Duke of Savoy, and had traversed Nice from Novarra on his road to Switzerland. If this were so, it had pleased Providence to bless England, France, and Austria with one of the most important advantages that could be bestowed on them—namely, with the immediate decision of an event which would preclude the necessity of any interference in the affairs of Italy. He entirely disbelieved the rumour that there would be any such interference, now that all was over, on the part of either England or France. It was a slander on our old and faithful ally, Austria, to suppose that any such interference was necessary on the pretence of preserving the integrity of the Piedmontese dominions, after Marshal Radetski had declared in his proclamation that there was no intention on the part of the Emperor, his master, to take one inch of territory appertaining to the Piedmontese dominions, or to relinquish one inch of territory belonging to those of Austria. He (Lord Brougham) could not bring himself to believe these reports, or that either France or England would descend to the adoption 3 of any such discreditable course of policy. He had never had but one theory on this point—that any attempt to overthrow an existing domination must always end, as it always had ended, in the extension of that domination. As he wished most cordially to see the success of liberal principles all over Italy, he should regret much if the present success of Austria should throw any obstacle in their progress. He had no fear whatever of that at present; but still, at all times, and under all circumstances, the effects that followed such successes were much to be dreaded.
§ The MARQUESS of LANSDOWNEfancied that the noble and learned Lord, when he first got up, had only intended to ask a very simple question, to which a very short answer might have been sufficient. He would not follow his noble and learned Friend into his extraneous observations, but would confine himself to stating that no official despatches had yet been received from Her Majesty's Minister at Turin upon this subject. Still he had no doubt that there had been a great contest between the Austrian and Piedmontcse forces, and that that contest had been followed by a severe defeat of the latter. Accounts had been received to that effect by telegraphic despatch from Turin; and the result of these events was the abdication of Charles Albert, followed by the proclamation of his son the Duke of Savoy as King of Sardinia. The same telegraphic despatch conveyed the intelligence that Marshal Radetski had entered, or was on the point of entering, Turin. He had been reminded by his noble Friend near him (Earl Grey), that, although there was some reason to believe that Marshal Radetski had reached Turin, no accounts had reached Her Majesty's Government announcing that he had actually done so.
§ The DUKE of WELLINGTONHe's on the road to Turin.
§ The MARQUESS of LANSDOWNEadded a few words more, declaring that he joined with Lord Brougham in hoping that the recent events might prove satisfactory for the future peace of Europe.
§ The EARL of ABERDEENinquired whether the papers promised him by the noble Marquess last week would be produced before Easter?
§ The MARQUESS of LANSDOWNEsaid, it was possible they might he produced before the Easter holidays; but he could not give a positive assurance as to that.