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on the theme of ' what can be got . ' ( Cheers and laughter ) That was in the true spirit of the peddling instinct w hich presided over the Foreign-office . " Stung by the sarcasms of Mr . Osbbrne , Lord StanxeT rose and declared that Government had no intention of damaging Mr . Mather ' s character ; whereupon ]\ fr . Gsborne retorted that "if Mr . Mather was satisfied with that apology at the eleventh hour he ' . viras' not the man he took him for . " As to the responsible Government— -
"It was the Austrian Government they were bound to call upon to show Lieutenant Forstlmber waa justified in | iis conduct , and , they f ailed to do so , then to demand some mark of their regret for what had occurred ; but the Austrians , so far from expressing contrition , had commended Lieutenant Forsthuber ' s conduct , and he Was going about Florence as : a sort of herb , as ' the man who had cut down the Englishman . ' (' Ifo , no . ' ) Yes , he knew it to be the case ; and it ; J was said Lord Malmesbury had given Lieutenant Forsthu 6 er a step . '" ( A laugh . ) The only man who- showed well in the case , andlcept up the character of the country , was Mr . Mather . " He regretted very much the / question had been brought before the House in its present shape , and that he was prevented by some form of the House from moving a direct vote of censure on Lord Malmesbury for trifling ^ with the honoixr ot"tttBrCmaitry ; cuad £ ar > . txnxing disgraced us in the eyes of the whole continent of Europe . ( Cries of " Move , move ! " )
Passing over Lord Geanby , who made a mad Protectionist speech , arid did not touch upon the Mather question , we find Lord Paimeeston on his legs , insisting that debates on . Protection were a waste of time ; that protection was dead—that no doubt its death and burial would be duly registered at the ensuing election ; and that Lord Granby ' s speech was a " convenient diversion " of the debate from the damaging topic of the outrage upon Mr . Mather . The noble lord then continued—
" I must confess I have read with anything but feelings of satisfaction the papers which , have been laid on the table of this House With respect to the affair of Mr . Mather . ( Hear , hear . ) I own , sir , that for the sake of the country—for the character of the country , I wish the whole of this correspondence had been very different . ( Hear , hear . ) I am sorry to say that that observation applies to the whole case , fr om the beginning to Jhe end of it ; for I must own it seems to me that it was not a cor med y but a tragedy of All in . the Wrong . I must say that I find much to criticise in the cdnducD of almost all the
forties concerned , except Mr . Mather and his son . ( Hear . ) think the late Government took a wrong view of the case . (' Hear , hear , ' from the Ministerial benches . ) I think , also , the present Government took a wrong v iew of it , and I am sorry to say that our Char a 6 d'Affaires at Florence took a wrong view of it too . What is the course which in the case of a personal outrage committed upon a British subject abroad—what is the course which I think the British Government ought to have pursued ? Why , ib is the first duty of the Government to ascertain clearly the facts of the caso-r-to ascertain clearly the character of the injury which the British subject has sustained , and how far he was in the wrong , or it not in the wrong , how far t blame
hose by whom the injury was inflicted were to . Well , Sir , having done that , if the Government find that an outrage has been committed , reparation ought to bo demanded . That reparation may consist , first , in a demand for the punishment of the offender , and next also in a demand for compensation to tho sufferer . ( Hoar . ) Upon these points it has been always tho practice for tho Secrotnry of State tp consult tho Queen ' s Advocate , to lay th o facts of the case before him , to ask him what , according to his view and his knowledge of tho habits of co urts of justice in other countries , what might bo a fit sum to ( lomand for pecuniary compensation ; how far , according to international law , tho Government would be justified in asking for the punishment of tho wrong doer . That « o os not appear to have been done by either Government in this case . But tho first question which avisos , is what
was tho injury inflicted , or was thoro any injury inflicted P I think no man ' who haa roatl theso pa ' pora can hositato ono moment in acknowled g ing that a grievous injury was committed ( cheers ); that a British subjoct was exposed to n moat violent , a most cowardly outrage , for which no adequate , in f act no provocation whatever , was given . A ¦ uritiH h subject was accompanying a band of music in tho strcots of Floronco , and ho was struck , firat by a swovel by ono officer , then by tho fist of another , and then , in a cowardl y manner , was cut down with tho sword of tho 0 ' «« or who drat assaulted him . Now , what is tho fooling "l different countries with regard to an attack by an armed ftgainat an unarmed man P ( Cheors . ) Why , Sir , wo all Know tho old anocdoto of tho English butohor , who , while emp loyed in tho avocation of his profession , was struck by « jnan with whom ho had words , and whom ho roproaohod with
tho good old English sentiment , ' Why , what a mean , cowa rdly follow you must bo to strike a man who has a Jmiio in his hand , and who cannot return tho blow . ' Li ar > > ftrul laughtor . ) That : in tho English fooling . ( Vhoopfl . ) Wlmt is tho French fooling P ( Hoar . ) Why , , p » nift « y of uh know that thoro was a distinguished « Hicorin , tho ' British soi'vico in tho cavalry , who had ' lost 'm arm , but who Horvod in tho Poninsular war , mutilntod •«• ho thon was . In an action in which ho was engaged , ji" got into tho inSMa , and a Froneh ofttcor rodo up to Jl » n , and was going to cut him down . But tho Fronchj nun . saw that hia opponent had only ono avrn , and , sooing l"afc , ho dropped his eabro point ( choors ) , and passod on to soeJc out an opponent with whom ho miffhfc contend on ° <| ual tormH . / That in tho Fronoh fooling . ( Ohoors . ) Alien , X shall bo told that this enso ie a proof of tho
Austmn-feeling in such matters . Sir , I don't believe any such thing . ( Hear , hear . ) My conviction is that the cowardly conduct : of that lieutenant who Cut down , without provocation ^ an unarmed British subject , has met with as much disapproval and disavowal on the part of his comrades in Tuscany , as they in their service dare show by their conduct towards their officers . I am persuaded that if Marshal Badetzky had known the true facts of the case at the time when h " e said that the officer was fully justified in what he did , — -I am fully convinced" that such a brave man would have sympathized with Prince Schwarzenberg , who , when appealed to by the Earl of Westmoreland , who said to him , 'We are both soldiers , and never raised our sword against an unarmed man , ' replied ,
'No ; such a thing could never have happened to either of us ;'—I am persuaded that had Marshal Radetzk y known the truth of the matter , he would never have Written the despatch which we find among these papers ; for , whatever we may think o the policy which is pursued by the Austrian Government , no manwhp knows the Austrian people and army can for a moment doubt their generosity and universal courage . " ^ . He then declared , aPhis own opinion , that had the Austrian Government been applied to they would have given ample redress . And he further animadverted on the fact , that Mr . Scarlett had been left without definite instructions , both by the late and the present Government , as to what kind oi' reparation , he should demand ; and he
condemned as unusual the act of Lord Mirimoabuyy in calling on the sufferer to assess his own damages . Nor waa he less severe on Lord Malmesbury for " forcing Mr . Mather to name a sum against his inclination and against his protest , and then showing him up to the Tuscan Government as being exorbitant in his demand . " He censured Mr > Scarlett for the manner in which he executed his office ; and coming to the Stratfords , gave the following ; interesting exposition of their case : — " But the fact , in regard to these Mr . Stratfords , is , that they were accused of that which was in itself an offencethat is to say , the y had in their house a private printing press , which is prohibited by the law of Tuscany , and it was shown that with this printing press they had printed papers invei ghing against the Government for the purpose of distribution . No doubt they had incurred the liability to punishment , but they were tried by an Austrian
courtmartial at Leghorn . Well , the Government , when I was a member of it , protested against this proceeding . We consulted our legal advisers , and found that by the fundamental law of Tuscany even the Tuscan Government could not establish martial law to the suppression of the ordinary tribunals , much less those of a foreign garrison acting under the orders of a foreign Government . We protested , both at Florence and at Vienna , against the competency o the court , and against , therefore , the validity of the sentence ; and I presume , from what I have heard to-nig ht , that that protest was insisted upon , that its force had been admitted , and that these two young men were to be liberated in consequence of tho incompetency of the court and the invalidity of tho sentence : therefore , their release , while it was no great satisfaction to Mr . Mather , was , diplomatically speaking , not , I think , a fair arrangement , inasmuch as we should have had them released without it . "
He contended , that if any pecuniary compensation was to be demanded , the sum of 5001 . was " altogether inadequate . " One thing , he insisted , that Mr . Scarlett had not done . He had not surrendered , he had only waived tho discussion of the principle of the responsibility of the Tuscan Government . And then , said the speaker , — " I think , if the Government were not satisfied with the amount which the Tuscan Government offered , the moro handy way of dealing with that case would have been to say , ' We take tho money in our sense ; and remember , that if ever the same thing happen again , wo will compel you to give us what we think ample compensation ; and we don ' t care a pin what you say about , your non-responsibility—we will make you responsible . '" ( Cheers . ) As to suspending relations with Tuscany , or inflicting any punishment on its governors , that would bo making it tho whipping-boy of Austria .
" If you wanted to inflict a practical lesson , I think it would have been better read by applying it to Austria . Tho practical lesson road to Tuscany waa this—and it in applicable to all small States—you say to Tuscany , Tou possess practically an independence ) , but you have nevertheless'let in'a foreign -garrison , ovor which you hnvo nn control ; > vo will teach you to do that again , for wo will mako you pay fo r tho conduct of that garrison . No doubt there is a moral in that , but I am not sure that greater European good could not have boon accomplished by rending a lesson to tho othor party , and by saying to groat Powers , If you tako advantago of your Huporuu * force to impose upon a smaller Power , and occupy and garrison that small State , you shall continue- responsible- for tho conduct of that garrison , and if that garrison misbehaves itself towards English subjects wo shall conio to you instead of to tho weak Power which you have overruled and overborne . Both lessons aro good , but in a European fionso , that would havo boon best . " ( Choors . )
Tho peroration of his speech is so remarkable at this juncture of allmr . s , that it is jus well t ; ho render should peruse- it entire . " I am voi-y much interested , as tho Government naturally aro , in tho indopondowo of Tuscany , and I inunt say thorn ) papers do call for norious attention on tho part of' tho Governmont to tho unfortunate condition of largo portions of tho Italian States . ( Loud orios of " Hoar . " ) Tho , Italiann aro n people endowed with very groat and eminent qualities ; Uioy aro gifted with groat natural ability ; they havo shown in forinor times that ; they nro not inferior as HtatoMinon and in political knowledge and capacity to tho people of any other pivvt ; of Europe I apprehend their qualities remain the name , though tho cultivation of Uiobo powers by tho possession of opportunities of employing thorn aro not ; tho sumo as thoy possessed in former periods . It ia lamentable to boo tho
present state of Tuscany , the Roman States , and of Naples . It is difficult to say where the greatest misgovernment prevails . ( Loud cries of " Hear . " ) J t-ha $ been said of Austria that they wished the people of Italy should draw a comparison favourable to them betv # en the condition of the States which they govern and those which other Governments administer ; but , like the gentleman from the sister island , Who complained of his bootmaker that , whereas he had ordered him to make one larger than the other , the bootmaker had made it less than the other ( laughter ) , so the Government of Austria , instead of making a comparison in such guise that the Italians should think the Lombards and the Venetians , are better governed than the rest , only compels them to think
that the other territories are worse governed than the other States . ( Cheers . ) This is , I say , lamentable , and I do not believe there is another example in modern times of such a system of cruelty , tyranny , and violence of every sort as exists in the Neapolitan and Roman States . ( Cheers . ) It is a disgrace to modern Europe . The position of affairs in Tuscany is not so bad , but tho public there are exposed continually to acts of violence From a foreign garrison , for which they have no redress , and which , u committed in England , Would arouse' the indignation of every man from one end of the kingdom to the other . ( Cheers . ) This occupation of the Italian States , especially of Tuscany , by foreign troops , did not escape the attention of the late Government . It is evident
that that occupation cannot cease except by common consent between the Governnent of France and the Government of Austria . France would not withdraw uni il Austria has evacuated Tuscacy and the Legations , which it cannot be expected to do until the French have retired from Rome . We have been told that nothing could be done until the month of May had passed , and there was much force in the arguments and statements then made . But May has now gone by . I do intreat Her Majesty ' s Government to turn their minds to this question . It is one which really concerns' —not merely the happiness and
welfare of a most interesting part of Europe—but which also involves great international questions , and which deeply affects the balance of power in Europe . ( Cheers . ) I should hope that Her Majesty ' s Government , bein g on good and friendly terms with the two Governments mainly interested in a decision upon that matter , will exert that influence that justly belongs to the Government of this great country , and will endeavoinj , to persuade the Governments of France and Austria to put an end to the anomalous and irregular state of things which now prevails in so great a part of the Italian peninsula . ( Cheers . ) I shall be told that the condition of-the Roman States is
such = that , if the French garrison were to retire , a great revolution and disturbance would , take place . But let me remind the House of what passed in 1831 and 1832 , when the five powers of Austria , Prussia , liussia , France , and England , gave to the then Pope advice with regard to tho improvement of the internal organization of his Government , which , if it had been acted upon and carried out , would have secured the tranquillity of tho States which ho governs . ( Hear . ) Some such arrangement might now with advantage be adopted . I shall be told , perhaps , that some steps are already taken with that object , but I feel that they aro practically illusive , and that no practical
step has been taken with the view to those improvements which were then recommended , and which aro now more wanted than ever . ( Hear , hear . ) I ought , perhaps , to apologize to the House for tho time during which I have occupied its attention . ( Loud cheers . ) I am sure , however , that the subject I have mentioned is one that must engage the sympathy of every man in this country ; and I am persuaded that if Her Majesty ' s Government will take it up in the spirit in which I think thoy aro disposed to act , groat good will result to Europe from their endeavours . " ( Much cheering . ) * "Mr . Disraeli thon took up tho cudgels , ami vnlismtly defended his obnoxious colleague . Ho denied that the national feeling was involved in tho outrage at Florence , and he added , although " it was an outrageous , a wanton , and a cruel net ( cheers ) it was still an necidentnlono " PHodofondcdLordMnlmbsbuvyatallpoints ; and fully adopted tho course pursued by him , making a merit of tho domand for redress being mntlo to Tuscany , as , if it had been mado to Austria , that would have been a virtual acknowledgment of Austrian supremacy in that state . " Ho , in common with the Opposition spoakors , applauded Mr . Mather—to a certain extent . " I will not say one word that would cheapen the conduct or character of Mr . Mather . I havo no reason to believo that ; ho is otherwise than a respectable . Englishman , and AVtts placed under circumstances of great difficulty , and which , from his previous habits of life , ho wns unaccustomed to , and had little experience- of . lfo appears to mo to havo conducted himself with discretion , and good Bonne , nnd any attempt to criticise his conduct or Iuh character would , I think , bo not only wanting in good taato but in good fooling . ( Hoar , hoar . )" And aftor uttering this eulogy , ho turned round to tho Il ' oufiO , nnd askod them to view tno enso as " of tho world , and members of Parliament . " He thought Lord Malmesbury had acted with groat propriety in requesting Mr . Mather to Htato tho Hum at which ho valued tho injury , and in demanding pecuniary reparation . Neither was there any "infirmity of purpose" about Lord Malmosbury ' s conduct—it had been " porfoctly proper , ! ' And , ho wound Tip with 8 omo remark * in reply to Lord P » dmoraton'a peroration . "Tho noblo lord has called our attention to tho state oil Italy , and ho only does justice to tho feelings of tho Government when he assumes that thoy look with groat intotcttt and floino anxioty to that important country . J 3 ut ho upoko in a tone as if fbo Government wore responsible for tho stftto of affairs thoro . Tho Htato of Italy in no worso than wo found it . Tho noblo lord has boon making Uiobo spooohos on tho stato of Italy for a considerable tinio , and very iuHt are his observation h , and vory ingonioushia policy ; but tno utoto of . Italy has nob been improved hithorto by
Untitled Article
Jpne 19 , 1852 . 3 THE LEAD EB . ' . 575
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), June 19, 1852, page 575, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1940/page/3/
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