Yesterday morning Lord Palmerston received an address from the Corporation
of Leeds. In the course of his reply he referred to the aid England has given, not by armed intervention but by opinion, to the establishment of constitutional states—Spain, Portugal, Belgium. Then he said- " We are now seeing in another part of Southern Europe changes in progress which I trust may lead to the establishment of a system in Italy as conducive to the happiness and prosperity of the Italians as, unfortunately, some of the Governments which have existed in that country have contri- buted to their unhappiness and their misery. But, gentlemen, our action is the action of opinion alone. We leave the Italians to deal with their own affairs, and all we hope and wish is that other countries should follow our example—and that the people of those regions, favoured by many of the gifts of nature, should be allowed to arrange their internal affairs in a manner which may seem to them best adapted for their happiness and wel- fare." (Continued applause.)
Previous page
