In the meantime, my Lords, I have given you an outline of the course of these negotiations.  I have given you an account of the efforts we have made for peace, which, like the efforts made in 1823 by the Governments of Lord Liverpool and Mr. Canning, have been unfortunately unsuccessful.  I say that our policy at the present time is to maintain peace.  If there is any party in Parliament—­if there is any individual in Parliament—­who thinks as Lord Grey thought in 1823 that we ought to go to war, it will be competent for them to ask Her Majesty to interfere materially in the contest.  If they think that in any respect we have failed in our duty, it is competent for them to take any line of conduct they may think proper.  But, for ourselves, I say with confidence that we have maintained the honour of the country, that we have done everything in our power to preserve the peace of Europe, and that, those efforts having failed, we can rest satisfied that nothing has been wanting on our parts which was needed by the honour or the interests of this country—­that nothing has been left undone which it was our duty to do.

LORD STANLEY JULY 20, 1866 AUSTRIA AND PRUSSIA

Sir, this debate has lasted for some time, and, as was to be expected, many and various opinions have been expressed by those hon. gentlemen who have taken part in it.  I hope it will not be supposed that, on the one hand, I necessarily agree or acquiesce in those opinions which I do not expressly mention for the purpose of saying I differ from them, or, on the other hand, that I differ from those opinions in which I do not go out of my way to express agreement.  I think that in the actual state of Europe the House will hold me justified if I do not think it expedient to go into a general detailed discussion of the political situation, and the more so as that situation is changing not merely from week to week, but from day to day, and I may say, from the telegrams received, almost from hour to hour.  I shall confine myself, therefore, as closely as I can, to the questions which have been put to me in the course of this discussion.  First of all comes the question of the hon. member for Wick (Mr. Laing).  He wants some guarantee that no intervention is contemplated on our part.  He wants some assurance that this country will not be dragged into a war as it was in the Crimean case.  He admits the policy of the Government is intended to be that of non-intervention; but he fears that it may be possible to drift into a quarrel without intending it.  But I suppose when the hon. member speaks of intervention he means either armed intervention or intervention of such a nature as, though not immediately, yet in ultimate result might lead to an appeal to physical force.  If that is what he refers to, all I can say is that if the speech which Lord Derby about a week ago delivered in another place—­if the opinions which I myself have invariably expressed