LORD BROUGHAMwished to call the attention of their Lordships to a matter of privilege which he could not entirely pass over, although it was of but little importance. There had appeared in a very respectable paper of that morning an invitation to fight a duel: it was of the most ridiculous description, but as it referred to himself and to other noble Lords, "his companions," and to what had boon said in that House, wherein they were all Noblemen and Gentlemen, it was clearly a breach of privilege. The letter was signed "Giacomo Manzoni." Now, of that letter M. Manzoni had no knowledge whatever, and was astonished to see such a fabrication in a public print with his name attached to it; and he had immediately written to him (Lord Brougham) to express his astonishment and sorrow at the fraud. It was imprudent in any journal to publish such a letter; and he had no doubt that it was owing to some inadvertence that it appeared in the respectable journal in which it was published. It was clearly a breach of privilege; for it contained a challenge to fight a duel for words spoken by himself in that assembly. He did not imagine that it was published from any ill design or from any disrespect towards himself, or towards the House. He thought it only fair to the House and to M. Manzoni that he should make this statement. M. Manzoni had only seen it at 10 o'clock that morning, and had immediately, upon seeing it, called at his (Lord Brougham's) house, and sent him a written communication that the letter was a forgery. As he was then upon his legs, he would also allude to the second expedition of our countrymen who were going upon a visit to Paris. Those expeditions or visits were now becoming a serious nuisance. It was much to be lamented that 200 or 300 Englishmen were going to enter Paris during a period in which that metropolis would be 970 in a state of the greatest excitement; for very great indeed would be the excitement at Paris on Monday next, the day fixed for the installation of the new Legislative Assembly of France. He admitted that he had no right to object to the presence of numbers of our countrymen in that great capital; for, if they conducted themselves peaceably and quietly, nothing could be more desirable; but what he had a right to expect was this—that there should be no impression given in any quarter that they were anything but private travellers, and that they were going to Paris in any other capacity. As it had been put forth that that magnificent building the Hotel de Ville, which had been opened to our countrymen on their last visit by the kindness and courtesy of the magistrate who presided over the prefecture of the Seine, would again be opened to them, he trusted that there would be no disappointment if it were not. Furthermore, he hoped and trusted that, for the sake of peace between the two countries, all intercourse by public bodies between them would in future cease, and that the only communication between them would be carried on by the two Governments. It would follow there from that no further countenance whatever from any quarter connected with the English Government should be given to these visitors of France from England.
Some petitions unconnected with this subject having been presented.
§ The MARQUESS of BREADALBANEentered his protest against the notion that the noble and learned Lord had expressed the sentiments of their Lordships on this interchange of visits between the two countries. Our countrymen had a right to go in any numbers they pleased to visit the' French metropolis, and nobody had a right to interfere with them, whether they went singly or in bodies, provided they conducted themselves in an orderly and peaceable manner, as they had done upon their late visit. Such an interference as the noble and learned Lord appeared to con-template was contrary to the laws and constitution of these realms. As to the way in which the French Government might receive them on their arrival at Paris, that was a matter with which we had nothing to do.
LORD BROUGHAMhad heard a great deal lately respecting the bad construction of the House for hearing; but when he found that Her Majesty's Lord Chamberlain, who stood within the House, was so 971 ignorant of what was passing within it, he could not wonder that other persons, who were further off and not within it, should be equally ignorant of it. He appealed to every one of their Lordships present, except the Lord Chamberlain, whether he had said a single syllable which could be construed into a declaration that he objected in any one way to Her Majesty's subjects going upon a visit to France, in case they conducted themselves peaceably and decorously. On the contrary, he had stated expressly that they had a right to go over, and he had never called upon the French Government not to show them courtesy and haspitality, if it so thought fit. If the French Treasury were so flush of money, as it appeared to be from the recent measures of the National Assembly in repealing taxes to the amount of 100,000,000 francs, and if the French Government were disposed again to give our countrymen dinners, fetes, fireworks, and dances in the Jardin d'Hiver, he should only be the better pleased. Indeed, be should be more pleased the more our countrymen were feted and hospitably treated on the other side of the Channel. He concluded by denying every word which had been imputed to him by the Lord Chamberlain, in consequence of the inconvenient structure of the House for hearing.
§ The MARQUESS of BREADALBANEwas extremely glad to hear the explanation of the noble and learned Lord.
LORD BROUGHAMExplanation! I positively and peremptorily deny that I used any words requiring explanation.
LORD REDESDALBobserved, that as this subject had been renewed after it was thought to be dropped, he must say that in his opinion these visits ought to be discouraged. There was a great difference between the two deputations which had mutually visited France and England. The deputation of the National Guard of Paris had come over in uniform, and as soldiers—for soldiers they really were. There were times when the appearance of French soldiers in uniform in the streets of London might be attended with great inconvenience. For instance, if that deputation which came over in full uniform to London in the course of last summer had come over in the March preceding it, they might have been the occasion of disturbance, and that disturbance might have produced disastrous effects. He was convinced that danger must ensue from these 972 visits, if they were continued to the same extent with that in which they were commenced.