THE MISSION TO ROME. 3 



may be necessary to prevent the Italian expedition 

 from being any longer kept from carrying out the aim 

 assigned to it." The Minister of Foreign Affairs (M. 

 Drouyn de Lhuys) cast all the blame for what had 

 occurred upon General Oudinot, who, he asserted, had 

 received no instructions to attack the Eoman Eepublic. 

 The resolution of the Committee was, however, carried 

 by a majority of 338 to 241, and though this was to a 

 great extent a vote of want of confidence, the Ministry 

 did not resign, but appointed a diplomatic agent, whose 

 mission M. Odilon Earrot, the President of the 

 Council, explained as follows at the sitting of the 

 Assembly on the 9th of May : 



" I assure you that as long as I am in office French 

 arms shall never be used for the restoration of abuses. 

 It is with this feeling, in order to learn from trust- 

 worthy agents the real truth, and also in order to 

 convey to those concerned the faithful and precise 

 expression of the intentions of the Assembly and of 

 the Government in regard to the aim and object of 

 this expedition, that the Government has decided to 

 despatch a man who enjoys our full confidence, whom 

 we have put to the test in very trying circumstances, 

 and who has always served the cause of liberty and 

 humanity. M. de Lesseps, to give you his name, has 

 been sent, and we have specially instructed him to 

 place himself in immediate communication with the 

 Government and to keep us informed day by day of 

 whatever may happen. We have further im- 



B 2 



