=Source.=--_Leaves from the Diary of Henry Greville_, Third Series, pp.
369, 370. (Smith, Elder and Co., 15, Waterloo Place.)
_Saturday, April 20, 1861._--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 H.M.’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 H.M.’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their opinion that it was desirable those troops should be withdrawn.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.