The National Register. — London, England, 1823-04-28 00:00:00

Pi •to a :I; i~ i '' 4~ I , j '11:: i , ~~~ __--~~ w gmpertal 'Parliament. IF /USE OF LORDS. MONDAY, APRIL 21. The Mouse met to hear appeals. On the motion of the I.OltD HIGH CI! Ascitr.t.on. the Sill to diseolve the marriage of James Alladyce, Esq. was read a second time. PAPERS RELATING TO.THE NEGOCIATIONS. The Earl of LIVERPOOL said he informed the Home on a former Diet of his readiness to produce this d a y c ertain p a p ers required by a noble baron aria other noble lar !s. With 'espial to those papers, he understood there was no objection to the same being printed; he, therefore, should take care that they be laid on the table to morrow before twelve o'clock. The noble earl wished to say a few words on the subject of two letters from M. La Garde to Sir William A'Court, stating the views of France. On a recent discussion he stated to a noble baron (Lord Ilolland), that the documents alluded to had not come to the bands of his Majesty's Governr nt officielly. Ile had since ascertained, that the lenses came as a onfidennal communication from Paris to Sir W. A'Court. They could not therefore be laid on the table as facial documents; but a translation of the Liters, sudscient for the purpo.es of debate, bad been published in the daily papers. The letters were in fact before the public. and might be found in the Courier of the 19th of February.—With respect to other papers relating to Portugal, it was his intention to lay the same before the House to morrow..—Adjourned. ruesoay. ARIEL 22. NEGOCIATIONS.—This day. at melee o'clock. the Supple- =entail Papers having been printed, were laid on the table. SLAVIC THARIE.—The Duke of GLOUCESTER presented a pettdun from the University of Cambridge. praying ter the effectual abolition of the Slave Trade in the West Indies. His 'loyal Highness exprseel hit happiness ut being able, its Chan cellor of the University, to present such a petition, and declared his full concurrence in the same.—The petition was read, and laid on the table. Mr. Broaden, Lord Stanley, and other Members from the Commons, brought up the Merchunta' Apprentices Bill,. die Army a nd Navy Pensions Bill, and several 'imam bills, which were read a first time. POartiorat..—Lunt HOLLAND rose to move for all Corn saunieatMns made by his Majesty's Government to his Alost Fa;thful Msjest', the Ist of September, 1822, on the sub ject of die invasion of Portugal. together with the answers. The noble lord did not see that any objection could be made to his motion. The Earl of LIVERPOOL said,some of the papers alluded to. might be produced ; there were others also that could not be brought under the consideration of SLAVE TRADE AND AUSTRIAN LOAN.—The Marquis of LANSDOWN g wished to strove for two descriptions of papers —the first 'elated to the Abolition of the Slave 'frade; the outer subject to which be should cull the attention of the noble earl was the Austrian Loan.. At an early part of the session he took the liberty of putting questions to the noble earl on the subject, awl he was told that tne neguclation was successful, and in a state of forwardness, No information hap since appeared on the table. Claims of a more recent date than the Austrian loan had been brought to a conclusion with Spain, and it would afford him much satisfaction to hear that an arrangement had been made by Austria to pay the money. The Earl of LIVERPOOL said,all the par,ers respecting the Slave Trade were before Parliament, and he had norhing to retract. As to the Austrian Lou,o it was true he stated on a former day that the arrangement tor the re-payment of that loan was in plogress. Austria bad cudeavoured to follow up the principle of arrangement , but recent events in foreign countries bad reacted her funds. and in the present menacing state c" the Continent, she could not divest herself of the whole amount of the debt; the principle of adjustment. however, remained the same. Ile saw no reason to say terms of compromise might not be agreed to, and they did not now expect to recover the whole amount of the debt. Earl GREY was glad to hear the Austrian Government was disposed to compound. Ile never expected to get any part of the money. Lord HOLLAND said. he had not seen the name of the Emperor of Austria an the Gazette as a Bankrupt laugh), but as the noble earl declared ham to be insolvent, we had better get part of the debt. TUE Navr.—Earl DARNI.EY, pursuant to notice. adverted to the state of the gurintships and men of war in commission. In consequence of the present hostile state of Europe, it Wes necessary this country should be prepares" 'with an efficient navy to meet emergency. The noble earl concluded by moving for a return of the state of the navy in the dal...rent ports. Load MELVILLE oppopp oses ! os the motion, on the ground that it would not procure the information the noble earl required. No attention had been paid by the noble cad to the mode em ployed on the Preventive Service. which was always an available turce. The navy had been kept up to the full Peace Establish ment. The motion was negatived, and the house adjourned to Thursday. THURSDAY, 4711 L 24. The Duke of SUCKINGII AM presented a petition from the University of Oxford. against the Roman Catholic claims. Lord SU PFIE 1.1 11 presented a petition from die inhabitants of the Hundred of itumbleyard, in the county of Norfolk, complaining of agricultural distress ; and praying for relief from Lazes on malt and barley —Laid on the table. COMMUTATION or TITUES.—The Marquis of LANS now NE said. before they proceeded to the order of the day, he wished to advert to a subject of considerable importance to Ireland. Ile understood it was the intention of the iiertuelly of that part of the United Kingelern to present a petition Put a commutation of tithes. Ile expressed a cope that he should !lot be considered wanting in respect if ke requested a right rev. prelate, who was to present the petition, to give notice of theday on which lie should present it, as he had a petition to pre cot on she same subject, which he snould like to deliver at the stone time. TILE NEGOCIATION WITH FRANCE. Lord ELLEN BOROUG II rose upon the order of the day to addons die house upon the conduct of his Majesty's ministers in the late negoctitions with France and Spain. He said, lie rose under considerable anxiety and doubt of his abilities to perform to the satisfaction of the House a public ditty. The great question of Spain was so impor ant in his v.ew, that lie was called upon to lay aside all considerations of a personal nature, and to confine himself only to the subject. rainfall as it was to unveil what lie called the shame of the country, tete:warned by the conduct of his Majesty's ministers in the late neeciations. that pant was in. creased by seeing a noble duke connected with the transaction.— Ile had entertained the hope of seeing the issue of that noble duke handed down to posterity wit:, the glory it once deserved, but he should forfeit his ditty if he contented to lenience errors against public services; let services be rewarded, but let carom • wtio:ver Might OUlTallit throb, be censured. In the discussion which took place on the affairs of the Continent, the revolution of Naples had been considered very cliff:Tent from that of Spain. It was distinctly admitted by the noble duke, that the Spanish revolution was provoked. Ile iron atael the lords, in forming thir judgment of the Spanish people to recollect the ciacum stances which led to the revolution. King Ferdinand on lit; res. teratioa, promised to ratify the constitution, arid allow die free. eons of the pres.. His first act, however, was to throw persons illegally into priann. In 1815, 32 persons writ in the public prisons. A tribunal was appointed to try and punish them.— fhs tribunal said they found no ofro.ee limp been committed by the petossers. Verelmand they took oa lecte.elf to punish thane. -. . _ • . • THE I:ATIONAL REGIsT Many were sent to work in garrisens. Amongst them, the pa triotic minister Argueha was sentenced to ten years loud labour in a finite's as a private so'dter. These things provoked. the re velittion.—Ferdinand thelaied in li:s speech to the Cot tea, that the Allied Sovereigns at Lavbach had declined till interference iii the afikirs of Spain. Wilik lord I .andonderry lived, no h:- terference took place. The Allied Say, reigr.s in Mil, declared in three instances. they would not intertet e with Spain, yet they i at last gave up their premises; art) here he might ask, whether any man could doubt their intention was to strike down liberty all over the world? They had commenced by striking at the press. Since thla, the Allied Sovereigns had omitted no ("Tor tunny to beat down and destroy the liberties of their subjects.— On the 24th olJun.. 11622, the Eliglish Government first under stood that France hail hostile views with respect to Spain.—They formed the cordon amaktuire, and it was manifest that war was determined on. The English Government at that time could not remain in ignorance of the consequences which must arise from France taking possession of the Spanish ports. They could not avoid asking what became oldie balance of tower in the hostile Mews of France. On the t7th of September Mr. Canning wrote to the noble duke, imtructing him to declare that his Majesty would not be party to any interference in the afiiiirs of France. The meaning cf that was, that while a blow was to be struck which must affect our dearest interests, his Alajesty's ministers said, come what may, they would stand with their arms folded, and do nothing to prevent the commission of time. lilts Ma jaty's ministers did nothing, and bald but little. What they did say was ill said. When the noble duke was called on to state the views of his Majesty's ministers, he stated that it would be consistent with the interests of the Spanish nation for die English Government to undertake the part of mediators. The noble duke felt ilia: great were die lienefits conferred on the King of France by Spain and other nations, and his opinion of the gratitude of the French Government was so.:. as matte him consider it iin• possible France would undertake any steps hostile to Spain. The noble duke added to the false confidence an admission that the army of observation was justified by the contiguity of civil war.— In his despatch of the %Rh of December, he admitted that the revolution in Spain had endangered the safety of other States; and so ended the negotiation at Verona. During the whole of that me-glaciation, in which all the mischief was done, there was nothing decisive from Mr. Secretary Canning. The 'Sake of Wellington then went to Pads, and there commenced the nego tiation list the mediation of England. This mediation tailed.— The ntoble duke,. had he been sufficiently acquainted with the constitution under which he lived, could not have made the re• presentations he did to the Spanish Government. The propo sitions ot the noble duke were, first to vi.late the principles of their constitution,and to make those concessions to a threatening enemy which must fur ever destroy the principles of independ ence in every part of the world. The Spaniards, nobly senaible of the value of their oaths, and the principles of :slice constitution, could not agree to the terms. The proposition to alter their c. astitution was made in the presence of an enemy, which was likely to produce the worst consequences. On the Yid of Jun. Sir Charles Stewart told Mr. Canning that there was room for mediation. On tile same day, a letter from M. Chateatibriand stated, that nothing but the surrender of the Spanish constitution would satisfy France. The object, in fact, was, to procure an entire surrender of the Spanith constitution. Jl. de Chateau bzimul, in February, says, if the Spanish constitution would consent to the erection of a second chamber, hostility would cease. It fa but until the 19th of February dial Sir Wm. A'Court was put in possession of the pacific views of France. These negociations having terminated, the result wiar a most iniquitous war. Did the noble lords feel that the honour of this country had been preserved ? Was it honouruble to induce men to break their oaths, and sacrifice every prMiciple of independence ? —Did they think that it was fur die advantage of Fiance such a war should have ensue.% ? , —lt was marked by aii the atrocity of Napoleon, and all the upprision of die BOW bons. In the conflict in which Spain was engaged, the general feeling of the British people wets in volved.—The Spanish nation had acted with dignity and forbearance, which might have done honour to older sate. tits hope was, that in this contest die Spaniards would consider that the war involved every thing dear to man, and that they would oppose that resistance which had formerly triumphed.— The cause was independence. They wanted no wild and visiunary object; but a tree and constitutional monarchy. The noble lord concluded by moving, That an Address be presented to his Majesty to return the humble thanks of that House fur the communication graciously made to on -address for certain Papers, relating to the negocia dons at Verona, Paris, and Madrid. To express their deep re gret then the desire manifested by his Majesty fur peace between France and Spain had not been gratillud—at the same time they were obliged to declare that the course pursued by his Mejesty's Ministers was not the true course to support die independence of the fintisli Nation. and avert die war. That the French King, forgetful of the valuable aisistance which had contributed to his resruration, and invading the right which every nation posoLstl to alter and amend its conetitutauti, had commenced an attack on Spain, whose independence had all dines been an object of Brie ti,li policy. Tu acquaint his Majesty twat the House highly disapproved of the conduct of his Majesty's Ministers, ia having suggested to the Spaniards a change in their Constitution similar to that proposed by Fiance, and in haring shewn, throughout the whole course of the negociations, more solicitous to serve the French Goat:re:lntent than Spain, unjustly threatened with war. To Jelin:sent to his Majestp, that in the view taken of the late negociatitnui with France, they could place no reliance on that Government. To assure his .Majesty that is triumph by France ever Spain would he injuitious to this country. To tictlaxe that a mote prompt decisive policy might have realised the hopes en . ter taintltl of preventing war, &e. 'Tile Earl of II Altlto NM' lose and said, that whatever was the conduct pursued by the noble Duke who represented this country at the Congress of Verona, he in no degree exceeded die strict bounds of the instructions with which he was furnished, and Ministers were prepmeal to share with the noble duke die consequences arising out of the pie..ey there pursued. The sole of our interference was by conciliation, to avert the impending storm, and our good offices in this respect were urged to die last moment that hope remained. As to the assertion that France Seeks in this contest her awn uggandisetnent, it cannot be men tioned. this Lordship was far from vindicating the conduct of the French government, but lie could nut see how France could be aggrandiatal by the result. Site may conquer Spain, and re place Ferdinand oh his mil ' eel throne, but she must then re tire from the country, idol leave Spain to her own discretion. As to an attack upon Portugal, his Lordship said he feared no such event. Undoubtedly if any were made, this country would not stand by an idle spectator, provided the aggression did not come from Portugal herself, and in that case we were not bound to stand forth an her champion. Although he agreed with the ' noble Lunt, that no man could calculate on the ultimate conse quences of this war, he trusted the House would acquit the go vemient of having acted in any way derogatory to the honour or . interests of the nation. Lord lIOLLAiaII said, that without any degree of arro- gnome, be woo d take upon himself to prove tied the Noble Earl who had just s .t down, did not put the question in a fair shape before the (louse i ard that he is in total i A tiorance of the Spanish Constitution, of w inch he hiss said so much and knows so little. lle (Lord Holland) agreed with every word that had (seen uttered by his noble friend, the mover of the addr•ss, and he siocerely thanked him for the eller( be lout Pint night made to rescue the !louse and lice country from the it sgrace which the papers upon the table were caiculated to bring upon tooth. These papers had failed to convince any man in the country that the character of the nation hat teen done justice to Ly Lis Majes,'s ministers in the late aegoeia- - `% lion. And never did a set of men enter open such It subject with a brighter prospect of success, dr under mere favourable circumstances. Circumatances well calculated to insure suc cess. But there wax ane thing viewing—gond will on the pail of the wed:dos. 'they had nut teen no 11111 A Illelit as by any nicaos to Relive at a good end. Much mar said idiom the :theses ef the .S, anials Cunetitution—lie did not mean to assert that it Mat in all its parts a p a feet one ; tl.ere were faults in it. But with all the knowledge he hail of Spain, and he re aided there some lime, and had ninny ft isaids there, yet he would not have the presumption to ask them to make any alte rations it—rind yet the relighted Czar of Russia, from his regions of snow, tidies upon himself to do so—yea, calls upon them to alter that Constitution, of which in 1814 he had signed the gnarantee. Did it not come well from such powers as Russia, Plated's, and Jeannie, to find fault with the Constitu tion of Spain, haying none at all themselves? They complain of only one Chamber—but base they any ?—As to the Con stitution of the Cortes, any man who is conversant with' Spa nish history, most know that the first foundation of the 'mo narchy in that country rested upon the Curter ; and at this day an old law exists, which says, no Act shall !. • binding with out Ode concurrence." He fully concurred in the address proposed, and to which he gave his most heartfelt support. Lord GRAN VILLE contended, that his Majesty's ministers. in the conduct they had pursued, had consulted the best interests of the country, and concluded by . mseing an amendment. I expressing the concurrence of the House in the. principle' laid ' down in the papers communicated to tt ens. unit their &infliction at the manner in which they had been applied during the late negociutems, though lamenting that the efforts to preserve the peace of Europe had been unsuccessful, and declaring that they should be at all times ready to give their cordial suppot t to all measures which might be necessary to vindicate the honour of his Majesty's Clown, and the interests of tl:c country. The Duke of BUCKINGHAM said a few words against the address, and in support of ministers. The Duke of WELLINGTON entered into a defence of hie conduct. Earl GREY, in a long audible speech, rte; ported the no. lion. The Earl of LIVERPOOL answered the objections mad* by the noble Lords who supported the motion. Lord ELLEN BOROUGH shortly replied. The hou e then divided— Content, present 96—Proxies - 46-142 Nut-content - - 29—Ditto - 19— 48 Majority for the amendment - - Their loedships adjourned at half past two o'clock. sumac, arm 25. Two private bills were brought up by Lord Stanley and other menabers from the Commons. Lord KEN YON presented a petition from Bellinasioe against the Roman Catholic Claims. The Marquis of Conysigliam presented a petition from Do negal in f.suur of a Bill for the Commutation of Tithes. Hop DUTIES.—The Marquis of Camdeu presented several petitions from the hop planters in Kent and Sussex, praying for repeal of the duties. The Earl of DARNLEY had no desire to oppose the peti tions, but rose to stale that the cultivation of hops in Kent was anhject to considerable hazard, A rich soil was required, and notwithstanding all the care of the farmer; he frequently sus tained great losses. It was a question worthy the attention of government, whether it would nut be expedient to encourage the growth of hops. The Marquis CAMDEN said a few words in answer to the observations of the noble earl; after which the petitions were laid on the table. Tits Ceowns or FRANCS, CID SPAM—Lord HOLLAND' said he, in 1816, addressed a question to the noble earl (Li verpool) for the purpose of inquiring whether there were any recret articles of treaty between this country dud other states. for preventiug an union of the two crowns of France and Spain. The noble curl, on that occasion, said there was no treaty of such description, which was not before Parliament. lie bad lately received a similar answer, but the noble earl hail pre sented papers which released the Ilosee Isom some difficulty on the subject. Mr. Canning,. in a mite, acknowledged the existence of a secret treaty between his late 'Majesty and his Catholic Majesty, relating to the crown of Spain. By that treaty his Catholic Majesty engaged not to enter into any con tract with Spain on the subject of the family compact, to the injury of his L. itatinie Majesty. The noble lond did not see in that treaty any bar to the onion of the crowns of France and Spain. If all the lives of the Bourbon dynasty were to drop oil to-morrow, there was nothing to prevent Ferdinand the Seventh from coming to the crown of France. The noble earl had said all the treaties upon the snbject had been laid before Parliament. The Earl of LIVERPOOL could not recollect what be said in answer to the noble lord in 1816. Ile had no difficulty in saying the treaty was signed in 1814, just after the general peace. It was considered a sort of humiliation to the French Government, and therefore remained secret. Lord HOLLAND wished to know how it could liar the right of Ferdinand the Seventh to the throne of France. The Earl of LIVERPOOL said, all treaties on the right of succession would lead to a union of the crowns of France and Spain. The Earl of DARNLEY ;adverted to the state of Ireland with respect to tithes, and intimated that he should bring the subject before the Douse, it would be open to any noble lord connected with the i terest of Ireland to make any suggestion. The Earl of LIVERPOOL brought the subject of delay with respect to appeals under the consideration of the House,. and concluded hj moving the appointment of a committee 10 inquire into the means of facilitating justice as to hearing ap peals, writs of error, and other judicial proceedings. After a few words from Lords lloseherry and Cawdor, in support of the motion, the committee was appointed.—Ad• juuracd to Mus Way. lIOUSE OF COMMONS. MONDAY, *rum 21. A petition was presented from the grand jury of the county of Sligo against the Grand Jury Presentments Bill.—Ordered to be printed. Mr. LAM BTON presented a petition from ship-owners of Shields against the W aretiousing Bill. Mr. SYKES spoke in support of the petition. Mr. W A LLACE thought that the petitioners look an erro neon' view of their own interests. I Petition ords.red to be printed. Mr. LAMBTON presented a petition from Sunderland. *kb a siniitar prayer.—Order e d to be printed. Mr. WYVILL presented a petition from the York Whig Clot) for reform. Lord MILTON said be should to-morrow present the York shire petition. Mr, C. BENETT presented a petition from the poulterers in. tau• Metropolis, to legalize the sale or game. ' Mr. G. BENETT gave notice that en May 29 he sbusill 1 lui;