§ LORD LYNDHURSTI wish to ask my noble Friend the Lord President whether any communication has taken place between this country and the Government of France with reference to certain offensive paragraphs Which have lately appeared in the Moniteur. These paragraphs having been inserted in the Moniteur, and nothing appearing in that official journal except with their concurrence, the French Government ate responsible for those offensive paragraphs. I belive that the French Government have entered into some explanation on this subject. I will not refer to that explanation except to say that, the French Government having rendered them selves responsible for those insults, I think 808 we are entitled to look to that Government for an explanation, and if necessary for a retractation. Within the last day or two I perceive that an article has been transferred from an English newspaper to a French newspaper, which, by omitting some passages and perverting others, may be converted as an acquiescence on our part in the insults that we have received. Now if the object of any Bill which may be brought into Parliament be merely to increase the punishment for conspiring to commit murder without at all in the slightest degree referring to that which is really the essential point between us, namely, facilitating the means of detection—which I understand to be the result of the measure contemplated by the Government, I am apprehensive it will be considered as having been introduced for the mere purpose of soothing that unjust and uncalled-for irritation in France which has led to the insults to which I refer. I hope my noble Friend will be able to say whether or not any communications of the nature to which I refer have passed between the two Governments.
§ EARL GRANVILLEI am sorry my noble and learned Friend has not given me notice of his question, for then I should be able to answer it more accurately. A despatch has been written by Count Walewski and delivered by Count Persigny to Lord Clarendon, in which an explanation is given of the publication of these addresses, and in which the Emperor of the French expresses his regret that anything offensive to the English nation should have been inserted in the Moniteur.
§ LORD LYNDHURSTasked if the despatch to which the noble Earl referred would be laid on the table?
§ EARL GRANVILLEsaid, that as his noble and learned Friend had given no notice, he was not prepared with a decisive answer; but he imagined that there was not the slightest objection to its production.