THE MARQUESS OF NORMANBYrose to ask the noble Earl the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the Questions of which he had given him notice on a previous evening. His Questions related to certain recent extraordinary occurrences in Northern Italy. The recent liberation of prisoners in Naples might be regarded in either of two lights. It was either an indication that the Italian Government was desirous of maintaining the peace of Europe by the 626 observance of international obligations; or, n the other hand, it might be intended to have a bearing on the proceedings of Garibaldi and his friends, of which intelligence had been received within the last few days. L manifesto or proclamation, signed by Mazzini, had recently been published in Naples, the Italian text of which he held a his hand, in which Mazzini stated, that laving tried the experiment of an Italian monarchy under the House of Savoy, and laving found it a failure, he was determined to resume his old course of agitation. A letter recently published under he name of Garibaldi appeared rather to point to the direction which the projected expedition was intended to take; for it had been clandestinely circulated through he Venetian provinces, and it stated that 100,000 valiant men were at the gates, le wished therefore to know, Whether the noble Earl had received any information from Sir James Hudson on the subject; and whether he was prepared to lay the despatches containing it on the table of the louse. Also, whether he had received my report from our English Commissioners sent to examine into the state of the Neapolitan prisons; and, if so, whether he had any objection to lay it on the table?
§ EARL RUSSELLsaid, he had no objection to produce any despatches of a public character which had been received from Sir James Hudson. With respect to what had occurred recently in Northern Italy, he must observe, that there was a Treat deal of obscurity in the reports regarding those events. Her Majesty's Government had not as yet received an official account of them. There was no doubt, however, that persons either authorized by Garibaldi, or using his name, had endeavoured to get up an expedition, whether intended for the Tyrol, or for Rome, or to cross the sea, he could not say; but certainly intended against a foreign and a friendly State. Those expeditions has been frustrated by the Italian Government, and certain persons connected with them had been arrested and sent to a fortress. It was stated that they had since been liberated, but he had received no information on the subject. No doubt he should soon receive an official account of the facts. The Italian Government, whether in answer to the representations of Her Majesty's Government, or to those of the Government of the Emperor of the French, had stated that they would use their best endeavours to prevent any such 627 expedition leaving their shores against any foreign Power. His noble Friend said, that a paper had been circulated by Garibaldi in Venetia promising the inhabitants the aid of 100,000 men. No doubt it was the expectation of the persons who got up this expedition that the Italian Government would be forced, willingly or unwillingly, to join in them, whether the expedition was intended to raise an insurrection in Hungary or the Danubian Provinces. He had not received any papers on the subject. No British Commissioner had been sent to inspect the prisons at Naples.
LORD BROUGHAMsaid, the proceedings referred to by his noble Friend near him wore contrary not only to the peace of Europe, but to the best interests of the kingdom of Italy. Those attacks, or pretended attacks, upon Austria, whether designed for the Adriatic or the Tyrol, could only be conceived and could only be attempted by persons profoundly ignorant of the interests of the kingdom of Italy. His belief was that General Garibaldi's name was often used without his consent or knowledge. At the same time he must say that, great as was his admiration for that distinguished person in his military capacity as a great partisan warrior, and admitting that he had performed great services as a partisan, he had not the same respect for him as a statesman. As for Mazzini, he had not the least respect for him either as a warrior or as a statesman. As a warrior, he had never exposed his person in any one way; and as a statesman, he was only engaged in conspiracies.