Any aggression on the rights of independent States will not be viewed with indifference by Great Britain.  The independence of the Roman States is an essential element in the political independence of Italy; and no invasion of that territory can be attempted without leading to consequences of great gravity and importance.

The answer which we received to that note from Austria was, ’We never dreamt of any such thing, but are ready at all times to stand by the integrity of all Italy.’  That declaration brings me, my Lords, from considering the affairs of Northern Italy to the subject of Central Italy, and more particularly of Rome itself; and I naturally ask, in the words of my first resolution, whether that full and satisfactory explanation which we have a right to receive has been given of ’those recent movements in the Italian States which tend to unsettle the existing distribution of territory, and to endanger the general peace of Europe’?  First there is the occupation of Ancona by an Austrian army, then there is the occupation of Bologna by the main force of another Austrian army.  I say nothing of the occupation of Tuscany.  I put Tuscany out of the question, as it is a sort of family estate of the House of Austria, in which she has a right by treaty to interfere.  But that is not all.  There is also in the heart of Italy, in its very centre, in its capital, an army, not Roman, not Austrian, not Italian, not composed of its native soldiery, but a French army, consisting of 40,000 or 50,000 men, and with a park of artillery consisting of 120,000 guns.  I crave your pardon, 120 guns. [Laughter attended this mistake.] This army did not fall from the clouds.  The troops advanced on the surface of the earth.  The Eternal City was invaded with all the usual pomp and circumstance of war.  Some thousand men with a few guns were in the first instance sent from Marseilles to Civita Vecchia, and some explanation was given why they were sent, more or less satisfactory.  But if any man has seen that explanation, stating that a force of 16,000 men and a strong fleet had been sent to Civita Vecchia by France, and has been told that the army was to stop there and to do nothing further, and that their sole object was to rearrange the balance of power—­such was the Government explanation—­to adjust the balance of Europe at that port; if any man, having seen that explanation, can take it as satisfactory, all I have to say is, that he is a man very easily satisfied.  It does not satisfy me—­indeed it seems very like treating us with contempt to give such explanations.  Be that, however, as it may, the other events which followed, plainly demanded full explanation.  That army, sent in the first instance to Civita Vecchia, afterwards marched onwards, and in three days arrived at Rome.  What was it doing there?  To an unskilled observer, to a non-military man like myself, who could not tell the difference between 120,000 and 120 guns, it did look as if it were going to make an attack upon the Eternal City.