LORD CAMPBELL, in rising to move—
That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty for extracts of any correspondence which has taken place since the 24th of April between Her Majesty's Government and other Powers as to the manner of fulfilling their engagements under the Treaties of Paris of 1856,said: My Lords, the terms of the Notice I have given will explain the kind of information which it calls for. Such information would put an end to many doubts in reference to the existing war, 180 and the intentions of the Government upon it. It would tend to show whether the three Powers—Austria, Germany, and Russia—are still acting together, or whether a less suspected European concert is attainable. It might throw light on the extraordinary statement which has appeared to-day, that Austrian troops are concentrating in Dalmatia, not for the defence, but the dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire. But I admit at once it was not merely with a view to information that I gave the Notice. My intention was to bring before your Lordships many thoughts as to the efforts which it seems to me our Eastern policy requires. In the meanwhile, it has been credibly affirmed that Her Majesty's Government are to-day appealing to the other House of Parliament upon the subject. Under these circumstances, it is not the time to urge them when they seem to be decided; or to uphold their measure when we do not know exactly what has been propounded. In common with large numbers who have at heart the maintenance of Treaties, the improvement of the Ottoman Empire, and the deliverance of Europe from the unfortunate aggression which hangs over it, I should only venture to congratulate them on the judgment they have formed, or on the step at least which is imputed to them. Other noble Lords can address the House in a different sense, or at greater length, as a Motion is before it. Should no such correspondence as I allude to have begun, or should it still be incomplete, the Motion may be easily disposed of. It is true that two despatches of an important kind have recently appeared. But it would be satisfactory to know that Russia is not the only Power to which the views of the Government have lately been communicated.
§ Moved that an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty for extracts of any correspondence which has taken place since the 24th of April between Her Majesty's Government and other Powers as to the manner of fulfilling their engagements under the Treaties of Paris of 1856.—(The Lord Stratheden and Campbell.)
§ THE EARL OF DERBYThe reticence of my noble Friend will be my best excuse for not entering into this matter. The noble Lord has addressed you very briefly, and I do not think you will expect from me explanations which, in point of fact, he has not asked for 181 Within the last four or five days we have laid on the Table of this and the other House of Parliament two despatches, containing a statement which I think will be considered sufficiently full and explicit of the views which Her Majesty's Government take of the present situation. I shall, therefore, imitate the discretion of my noble Friend in regard to the Motion, and give the only Answer to this Question which it is possible to give, which is, to say that as there are no Papers it will not be in my power to produce them.
§ EARL GRANVILLEsaid, he did not propose to take any part in this discussion, but he wished to reserve to himself the right to make any comments upon the despatches recently produced which he thought desirable.
LORD CAMPBELLsaid, that after the statement of the noble Earl the Foreign Secretary, he should be entitled to withdraw the Motion.
§ Motion (by leave of the House) withdrawn.