There was an
interesting debate last night in the House of Lords, brought on by Lord
Ellenborough, on the Roman question, in which Clarendon and Lord Derby also
took part. He asked whether our Government was engaged in any correspondence
with the object of reconciling the spiritual independence of the See of Rome
with the exercise of temporal sovereignty by the King of Italy within the Roman
territory. He thought Rome was the fitting capital of a united Italy, and that
the occupation by the French of that city precluded that unity. He then
discussed the Venetian question, and though he admitted the right of Austria to
maintain herself in Italy, by virtue of the Congress of Vienna, he considered
the time was come when she should reconcile herself with the Italian people.
Holding these views, however, he deprecated the interference of the Italians in
Hungary. Lord Wodehouse replied that we were not in any correspondence on the
Roman question, and that Her Majesty's Government considered it was neither
becoming nor desirable for a Protestant country to take the initiative in the
matter. The whole question depended upon the withdrawal of the French troops
from Rome, and Her Majesty's Government had not disguised their opinion that it
was desirable those troops should be withdrawn.
Clarendon thought
Rome the proper capital, and believed the Emperor Napoleon to be sincerely
desirous of withdrawing his troops whenever it would be safe for him to do
so-both as regarded the Pope and his own position in France, where popular
opinion was in favour of their remaining. Derby said much the same thing, but
expressed his opinion that it would have been far better to establish a
northern and southern kingdom of Italy, in which case Rome would have lain
between the two countries and the solution of the difficulty would have been
easy. As, however, there was only one kingdom, the desire to have Rome for
their capital was quite natural; but it was a desire that created the greatest
embarrassment.
Dined at Chorley's,
met Mr. Brookfield, Holman Hunt the painter, and others, who talked much of
Fechter and with great enthusiasm.
Bad news from
America-Civil War imminent.
SOURCE: Alice
Countess of Stratford, Leaves from the
Diary of Henry Greville: 1857-1861, p. 369-70