THE MARQUESS OF NORMANBY, in postponing the Motion of which he had given notice relative to Government prosecutions of the press in Italy, from Friday to Monday next, said his principal reason for doing so was that the noble Earl the Secretary for Foreign Affairs had insinuated a charge of forgery against a most respectable paper in Italy, the Armonia, and had stated that that, as well as other Conservative papers, enjoyed perfect impunity under the rule of the present liberal Government. He therefore thought it right to endeavour to ascertain from the parties most interested what this perfect impunity had been. Unfortunately, it was probable that the receipt of that information would be delayed, owing to the death of a distinguished Piedmontese nobleman, who for fourteen years had filled the office of director of the Armonia. He could not say he regretted the necessity for the postponement of his Motion which had thus arisen, because facts which had transpired within the last two or three days tended strongly to show that the cruel proclamation the noble Earl opposite believed to have been exceptional in its nature, in reality formed only part of the infamous system established by the Piedmontese invaders.
§ EARL RUSSELLI do not accept as perfectly correct the statement of my noble Friend with regard to my speech. But I 1233 think I had better reserve my explanation till he brings forward his Motion.
THE MARQUESS OF NORMANBYsaid, he referred to the remarks of the noble Earl as reported. He might not have used the words "perfect impunity," but he certainly employed, or was reported to have employed, language capable of that construction.