was an immediate party to this
treaty; that its provisions were parcel of our solemn engagements;
and that when circumstances so extraordinary occurred as that a state,
recognised as free and independent, was occupied by foreign powers, we
were called on to look narrowly at these events, and see whether or not
any violation of the engagement in which we were interested had or
had not taken place. Lord Palmerston found himself embarrassed in
consequence of neither the facts of the military occupation nor its
causes having been communicated to him officially by the three powers.
Doubtless the demand made by the three powers appeared contrary to
the letter of the treaty, for they had not required that the persons
referred to should be given up by the powers to which they might belong,
but that they should be within eight days removed from the territory
of Cracow. At the same time, if statements made were true, as a
justification of the measure, it might be considered as falling within
the spirit of the treaty. It was alleged that a number of person,
natives of Poland, assembled in the state of Cracow, and inspired by
feelings which, perhaps, in their peculiar circumstances were natural,
had established a communication with the inhabitants of some of
the Russian and other parts of Poland, calculated to disturb the
tranquillity of the neighbouring states. But, although the three powers
might be justified in requesting such persons to depart, it did not
follow that they were justified in going to the extreme of military
occupation because their demand was not immediately conceded. As yet no
sufficient reason had been given either for the entrance of the troops,
or the shortness of the interval which had been allowed between the
demand and the entrance which had been effected. All friendly means
should have been exhausted before any such measures were resorted to;
and, under all circumstances, as Great Britain had been a party to the
treaty of Vienna, it was the duty of those powers when they made the
demand, and before they had recourse to occupation, to have communicated
to the government of this country the grounds on which they thought
themselves entitled to act, and the intentions they were about to put
into execution. Messrs. O'Connell and Hume were violent against the
three powers. They advised, that if any part of the Russian Dutch loan
due by this country was not yet paid, payment should be refused till
satisfaction wa