The Sun. — London, England, 1837-04-18 00:00:00

he could pretend to ; and he had no doubt they would on that occasion say all that was necessary on that part of the subject.—(C r i es of " Hear, hear. " ) But the Noble Lord the Secreta r y for F ore i gn Aff a i rs had never attempted to justify theintervention that had taken place in the affairs of the north of Spain, on the plea that it was called for by the stipulation s of that treaty; nor had he said that the order sll council was required by the Quadripartite Treaty, or by the addi t i onal articles. The Noble Lord, he repeated, had never asserted that the proceedings that had taken place with refer ence to the legion Grew out of the Quadripartite Treaty, He therefore said flat the Noble Lord and the Go lio•ert nment, in is su i eg their ord ers i n counc il, pursue d a course involved in the question of the treaty, but merely so acted as a matter of policy on their part. It appeared that his Ma jesty's Government had, by the conduct they had pursued, Placed his Majesty's subjects in the situation of being dealt with as pirates and robbers ; and when they did not take any steps to protect those of his Majesty's subjects who had Proceeded t o S pa i n i n conformity with the issuing of the Order in Council ; he must say that the way in which the war had been carried on was a most unsatisfactory mode of proceeding. (Hear, hear, hear.) He considered that the Noble Lord, by the measures which he had pursued on this theSubject,H had very country.—( much implicated the national character of ear, hear.) He had implicated, by the ope rat i ons which he had chosen to pursue, the military re rtation of thi s country.—( Hear, h ear. ) H e repeate d , t h at Was of opinion that the very act of raising 10,000 men for the service of the Queen of Spain lowered the high character of this nation, and the military reputation of the country, which had been carried to such a high degree of ren own , at th e c l ose of the l ate war, an d w hi ch had not b een uwered during the peace until by these recent proceedings, and which had been handed over, pure and unspotted, to the Present Government, and which it was their duty to preserve as na tional propert v .—(Cheers.) It was th e d u ty o f th e House to see that the national property, the national honour, was not tarnished by the course pursued by the Noble Lord am l, his colle agues .—( L ou d c h eers .) Th ere was anot h er ' e ne of viewing thi s subject—namely, as aff ec ting the moral char acter of thi s countr y, w hi c h, i n hi s op i n i on , was a mat t er „ ° , f high consideration.—( Hear, hear.) It remained a matter neep consideration for the inhabitants of this Christian acountry wheth er his Majesty's Ministers and that House should llo w se ' ss •uen, tee natives of this country, to become accustomed shed th e blood of their brother men in a quarrel in which were not interested. There was no positive motive for all _r o wing the p rocee di ngs t h at h a d ta k en place : the character u d r e _ e th e.country did not require it—the maintenance of the in p neence of Spain did not call for it—and while it seemed to be the act of the Noble Lord, he did not recollect any sin gle instance of an explanation where the Noble Lord had ac counted for his sanctioning the raising of the legion, and the steps that had taken place with reference to it, unless indeed haven the Noble Lord said, in the summer of 1833, that they ,ad sanctioned the raising this body of troops to put down a 'fly thousands of men who were engaged in a local and par- North of p • ): :: 1 i nsurrection in the S Spain. This being the case, it th; e ante necessary to know who were the people engaged in W ar. Ile had lived for two months with this people in the North of Spain, and he was convinced that a more inde- Pendent, honest, and upright people than the inhabitants of the Basqu e provinces did not live.—( Hear.) He was sorry he did n ot see i n h i s p l ace t h e lion. and Learned Member for Bath, -..0 at the commencement of the Session stated, that the .4rtili of interference of this country in the present contest in the Spain, was as undignified as it was useless ; if he had se en the Hon. Gentleman he should have appealed to him oa , the su► ject. lie would appeal, however, to ars authority which he was sure would have weight with many Hon. Gcn tiensen opposite, he meant Mr. John Quincy Adams, the late President of the United States of America, who had given his °l "inion on th e c h arac t er o f the nativ es o f th e B asque pro ,,,;;aces• After drawing a most favourable view of the inhabi tants of the U n it e d S ta t es , h e proceeded to say th a t i n a ll Europ e there was no race of people who had such claims to respect on the score of liberty as the inhabitants of the Basque Provinces. He said, " while their neighbours have long since r esigned all their possessions into the hands of kings and P ri ests, this extraordinary people have preserved their an cient language, genius, laws, government, and manners, without innovation, longer than any nation of Europe. Ac tive, vigilant, generous, brave, hardy, inclined to war and na vigation, they have enjoyed for two thousand years the t'ePutation of the best soldiers and sailors in Spain. Many wr iters ascrib e th e i r fl our i s hi ng c ommerce to their situation, but as this is no better than that of Ferrol or Corunna, that advantage is more probably due to their liberty. In riding through this little territory, you would fancy yourself in Con necticut; instead of miserable huts. built of mud and covered with straw, you see the country full of large and commodious houses and barns of the farmer, tile lands well cultivated, and a wealthy and happy ycomanry."—( Hear, hear.) Such was the account that the late president Adams gave of this people, and he would ask the Noble Lord whether he would allow that this country was at war with this people, for the purpose of Putting down whom he had allowed the raising of 10,000 In en? If he wanted a more recent expression of opinion as to the character of this people, be would refer to the authority of one of the Hon. Members for Westminster—he meant Ge neral Evans—who, in his proclamation to the inhabitants of the Basque provinces, of the 14th of February last, said, " All Spain was now desirous of enjoying those liberties which you (addressing the people of those provinces) have to long possessed." Was not this an admission that the liber ties of this people were real and substantial ? \Vas this the reason that the Noble Lord wished to coerce this people, by sending 10,000 men to make war upon them? He could not conceive any proceeding more unjust, than the course pursued by the Noble Lord and his Government.---( Hear, hear.) But unjust as this policy was, the time of' interfe rence was also as impolitic. The date of the Order in Council was the 10th ofJunc, 1835 ; the date of the convention signed by Lord Eliot was in February. He was convinced that the Order in Council impeded the carrying into effect the conyen !len, which, if enforced, would have humanized the war ; for immediately the Noble Lord took part in the contest by his roost impolitic interference, the convention became almost dis regarded. What was the date of the convention ? The first act of his Noble Friend (the Duke of Wellington), when he accepted the seals as Foreign Secretary, was to endeavour to wad out a way to put a stop to the cruelties carried on in the r in Spain. Hi s N o bl e F r i en d sen t over L or d Eli o t, an d A t hat N o bl e Lord succeeded in the commission entrusted fo a t. But wh en t h e N o bl e L or d t h e S ecretary f or F ore i gn airs adopt e d hi s O r d ers i n C ounc il , t h e system acte d upon ih c onformity with that conv en ti on was a b an d one d. They had e auth or i ty o f G enera l C ordova for assert i ng, that prev i ous Cthe Order in Council th e li ves o f b e t ween 500 an d 600 ristino prisoners had been saved. Mr. Henningsen also 1 steted that during the few months between the signing the convention and the issuing the Order in Council, the lives of ,: ° ° o prisoners had been saved by th e C ar li s t s . H e was con titneed by this that the war had been humanized by the conven and that it was the duty of the Noble ord t abstain ` r em interfering with such a force as that whic L h he o was the t e los of se n ding out—namely, ten th ousan d mus k ets ; b ut + e ought to have attempted, by means of negociations, .hurnanize the war, and, if possible, to put an end to instead of resorting to measures which, so far from irnanizing it, tended only to brutalize it.—( Hear, hear.) f did not make this statement on light grounds, but was i., I "Y able to establish it. 'The first operations of General a g ai nst Hernani, and on that occasion the force of the Le t' was acc om p an i e d by a regiment of Chapelgorries. These apelgorries were natives of the Basque provinces, who wale in the service of the Christinos, and they were regarded With strong feelings of animosity and hatred by the Carlists. tie was a l so accompanied by another Spanish force, rimmed c r egiment of Fernando. The Legion, with these regiments, e r o ,, eeded against an enemy upon whom this country had no n t leht to make war—(hear, hear) —at the same time it shonld (` be forgotten that this advance was made on a Sunday.— leer, near, and oh.) He said that he believed that this was Place on a Sunday ; he knew that the battle of Waterloo b as fought on a Sunday, but that was a matter of necessity ; tit the advance on Hernani was a voluntary act of going out °:111 Sunday, The fact was, the enemy was driven under the s t -a s of Hernani, and at length General Evans either deemed en a Z l P e dient or n ecessar y, as it entered into his views , to e a return to St. Sebastian. On his return, the Fer t aild ° regime n t l ost e i g h t men as prisoners to t h e_ Car ats, while at the same time, that regiment took four then Carlists prison e rs.—( Hear, hear.) This took place after f o ' conventi on h a d been siemed, and after it had been in forc e fur some months. Now he would ask, did the ql -7 , r'st s and Christinos really carry this convention into sue?' t? Up to this period it had been carried into effect, the of the prisoners taken on both sides were spared ; but was the feeling of exasperation which existed in !,he , rt minds of the Carlists at the appearance of foreigners taking the in this contest—for he need not inform the House that of f S panish natio n was extreme ly j ea l ou s at the interference °reigners in th e i r a ff a i rs — suc h was the feeling of exaspe ration excited at the part taken by these 10,000 men of the t T a g t i t 7 l , that h e h ad the authority of a person presen t to state r e • the Carlists put to death the eight men of the Fernando Put to taken prisoners by them, and the Fernando regiment to death their fourteen Carlist prisoners. In addition to huno.autliority of the persons he alluded to he held in his hand a i , rr _ es k . written b y M ajor Richardson, of the Leg i on, w h o was sthwsedast at th e a ff air before Hernani ; and from the pra i se bbe onl on General Evans in the first part of the book, nd h a t t , t e stoner terms of censure applied to tile Tory parties, berac little doubt but that the author of this work was a Li earl The passage he alluded to was as follows In the priz( Y ) Part of the action the Carlists had made seven or eight Ri efle r :7 \ s of the regiments of Fernando (a regular Spanish re . - ti s t i .`), who, in sight of several officers of the Ist Bri per_ were taken to the rear and deliberately shot. The Th e regiment had taken fourteeil Carlists prisoners. fe n Uarlists were in closepursuit. In this emergency, 4rl " th • • • suit e d" , eir prisoners might be recaptuscd, they at the together for a few moments, and then c h a. leans of their victims a simultaneous dis htirge, and they fell, the bayonet completing what the ree,Xn had l e f t unfinished. " This was a Sunday afternoon ' s be °4 aanca ! Such was the state of the case which had a nd th e"4lst about by the unfortunate act of thc Noble Lord teutin_ Government.—( Hoar, hear.) He felt justified in iin ogn the change that had taken place in the mode of carry the war the present Goverment, and every ting 'r" he had seen to , and read, and heard, n confirmed him 'in h this ° P in inn• He had before him a paper from Captain Hen ssine,ey• , su 'e who, from the period of the convention to a date Bonn caerio_ hsequent to the advance of the Legion, was with Don to g S pin. He says, " I have no hesitation in assert a„t. in all the actions subsequent to the first attack on es,u r e h en i re A gi u m g e n n st t , of l t B l, 3 e s l , in n eo t more than one soldier of the (the least obnoxious part of the tr p e n- Z i ) ol i i s s rwapar , ed during the fight for four who were spared _„ .0 the disembarkation of the Legion. An examine " 0 J the Proportion of prisoners to the killed and wounded in the affairs that have taken place, before and after that pe riod, will, I think, sufficiently demonstrate the correctness of what I advance on this subject."—( Hear.) The Noble Lord might say that it was not his fault that the Durango decree had been issued. But it ought not to be forgotten that the Durango decree was subsequent to the embarkation of the Legion, and was not framed before it was sent to Spain. He ( Sir Henry Hardinge) deprecated this assassin-like de cree as much as any one possibly could.—( Hear, hear.) It was such a monstrous offence against the laws of humanity, that if any such document should incapacitate any one from holding a crown, this was the decree that should do so. —(Cheers.) But what was happening at the very moment this took place in other parts of Spain ? Mina at this period was carrying on a most cruel war, and from the mode in which this was done the Noble Lord was not justified in enlisting 10,000 men into the service of the Queen of Spain. He knew that General Evans was a gallant man, and a man of honour and humanity ; and yet he might he might have been called upon to serve the cause of the Queen of Spain under the or ders of General Mina, and he might then be called upon to take part in and even execute the atrocities directed by that man. But he would say, that not only the character of the Legion had been affected, but the soldiers bad been inured to a system of bloodshed such as British soldiers had never been present at before.—( Hear, bear.) When the Legion arrived at Vittoria on the 11th of August, it was a strong body, and it remained there for the period of four months. During the a hole of this time the troops were placed in uninhabited con vents, without being furnished with bedding, fuel, or indeed supplies of any kind. The men were kept there in spite of the strong remonstrances of General Evans, and the wants of the men increased to such an extent that not less than forty officers and 700 men fell victims. At the same time that the soldiers of the Legion were suffering these hardships, the Al gerine brigade was billeted in the houses of the town. On that occasion General Bernelle, who commanded them, said to the e'd-d-camp of Gen. Evans, that the authorities wished to ssnd his troops to the uninhabited convents; but he told them that he would billet them by force on the inhabitants the next day, if they were not furnished with what they required. Ma jor Richardson said, at page 177 :—" February 20, 1836 We have lost upwards of 700 men and 40 officers, exclusive of those who have died elsewhere since Christmas." In little more than two months, Major Hall, General Evans's aide-de-camp, says The cause and origin of disease at such a season of the year was attributed invariably to the want of proper accommodation, bad food, little clothing, and, in deed, the absence of all the necessaries of life." Again Major Hall, in another part of the book, says :—" Notwithstanding the continued exertions and applications of General Evans, the consequence of want became daily, nay hourly, more fatal; and nothing can atone for the unpardonable neglect and bru tality of those whose duty it was to supply the unfortunate sick with the most common necessaries. Beds were wanting, and even covering for more than half the number. What were the unhappy consequences may be easily conceived ; ten and fifteen men were each day consigned to the earth." He then praises the unceasing attentions of the medical offi cers. These statements showed the impropriety of the con duct of his Majesty's Government in allowing 10,000 British subjects to be enlisted into the service of the Queen of Spain without ensuring to them better means of support, and bet ter protection of their rights. If the Noble Lord wished to liken this country to the Swiss and Hessians in re spect to hiring out troops, he, at any rate, was bound to imitate the Swiss and Hessians in another respect, namely, by taking such steps that the rights of their men should be protected, and that they should not be exposed to such sufferings and hardships as they had been subjected to.— ( Hear, hear.) He believed that General Evans had done all in his power to provide for his troops. He had sent Ge neral Macdougal to Madrid for this purpose ; he believed that he was accompanied by Colonel Wilde, his Majesty's Commissioner in Spain, and that these two officers entered into an agreement with Mendizabal for the supply of the Bri tish troops. If this officer had been a party to this proceed ing, the Noble Lord had sanctioned the engagement, and General Evans had a right to expect that his men would be provided with what they required, and that they would be duly paid. Had he been in the situation of General Evans, this occurrence alone should have prevented him from leading back the troops to England, in order to rescue them from the sufferings they were subjected to in consequence of the bad faith of the Spanish Government ; but under the circum stances he considered that General Evans was perfectly warranted in acting upon the promise, given through these officers, that the Legion should be better treated for the fu ture. He had been present during the Peninsular war in IHI3 at the battle of Vittoria, and he could state that in that glo rious action time loss of the British was little more than half number of men the Legion had thus lost by the ill conduct and brutality of the Spanish Government.—( Loud cheer as) The Legion then went to Trevino, and here again men daily died from the effects of cold and hunger, and the condition of the whole army was that of the utmost misery and destitution. To use the words of Major Hall, " Numbers of the men were sacrificed who returned with frozen feet, sick, wet, and weary, without any change of clothes ; and thus many died in misery and pain, whilst others, by the loss of legs and feet which required ampu tation, were left mutilated, in the vain hope of receiving pensions, wherewith to drag out the remainder of their mise rable existence. But every officer of the Legion is well aware how cruelly and dishonourably these hopes have as yet re mained unfulfilled." This was about six or seven months after their arrival in Spain. Now he (Sir H. Hardinge) had been, when a young man, in this very part of Spain, commanding a brigade, and although the snow lay deep on the ground, he had not lost a single man. The secret of such different circum stances was simply that his men were well clothed and well fed, while the Legion had been suffered by the Spanish Go vernment to remain destitute of food, destitute of clothes, and destitute of proper lodging. The Legion on its return to San Sebastian found things no better, for notwithstanding the pro mise given through General M'Dougal, they received not a farthing of their pay, although it was three, four, five months in arrear.—( Hear, hear.) Under these circumstances the troops showed a great disposition to mutiny and insubordina tion, a fact which forcibly showed the impolicy of bringing together a body of men such as those who composed the Le gion without previously insisting upon the best security that they should be well fed, clothed, and lodged. It was impos sible to keep an army together in good discipline unless the bargains made with each individual soldier were scrupulously fulfilled.—( Hear.) It was not long before a mutiny actually broke out ; scenes of the most painful description followed, and there appeared every reason to apprehend that the blood of one regiment would be shed by the soldiers of another. This was on the occasion of the Scotch regiment, 400 strong, re fusing to serve, they alleging that the time of their stipulated service was up, while the authorities insisted that they had still another year to serve. What took place then ? An Irish regi ment, the 10th, offered to fire on the Scottish regiment, if it did not submit. The result was, that the latter were actually forced on shipboard at the point of the bayonet, having been previously marched, through the streets of San Sebastian, through lines of Spanish troops. Surely it was most outrageous that a body of 400 British soldiers, for claiming what they con sidered their just rights, should undergo the degradation of being forced on shipboard under such deeply-insulting circum stances as these.—( Hear.) The cause, in a great degree, of all the discontents on the part of the Legion was this very dis pute as to the period of service which the troops had agreed for ; they maintaining that the stipulated period was one year only, while, on the other hand, the authorities insisted that the agreement was for two years. Major Richardson, a gentleman of unexceptionable character and conduct, was very precise in his information on this part of the subject; and his statement of it was this " The beginning of August was the termination of the year of service of many of the men of the Legion, and more particularly of the Scotch regiments, the 6th and Bth. The Bth had previously mutinied for want of pay, which step they found successful in obtaining it, although it had been pretended there was no money whatever in the military chest. " Their conduct was considered so refractory, that it was deemed prudent to get them out of the way altogether; and some troops being required at Santander, where Gomez had made his appearance, they were driven on board for that destination, literally at the point of the bayonet, by the 9th Irish. While at Santander their conduct did not improve : they sold their necessaries in every part of the town, and were constantly inebriated with the proceeds. Their original insubordination had been caused solely by a violation on the part of the lieutenant-general of the terms under which they had engaged in the service." " The 6th, among whom insobriety was of rare occurrence, were also infinitely more determined. The regiment having vainly demanded a release from the service, in consequence of their haling fulfilled the ye a r o f c on t rac t for which they bad been engaged, refused to obey their officers ; accordingly they were marched upon the glacis of the town, for the purpose of being disarmed. About 300 returned to their duty, after a sharp lecture from Brigadier-General Shaw ; the remainder (about 300 also) were sent to the Castle of St. Sebastian, in the expectation that their resistance would be thereby subdued. General Evans was obliged eventually to acknowledge their claims to retirement, and to send them home." " The 6th were much condemned for insisting upon their right of retirement. The 10th Irish regiment, which had been the first to offer to fire upon them if required, and to express their readiness to serve without pay, subsequently threatened to go over to Don Carlos, unless they were settled with ; and when they di'l receive their money (mutiny, which ought to hare been anticipated, achieved this result), they continued for a length of time in the most riotous state." Could any one be surprised at what had taken place after hearing such a statement as this ?—( Hear, hear.) He (Sir H. Hardinge) would himself offer no opinion as to whether the men were right or wrong in claiming their discharge ; but Major Richardson strongly insisted that the men were per fectly justified in making such a claim. The whole account of Major Richardson exhibited a state of things so monstrous that nothing could possibly demonstrate more strongly the im policy of Government in having permitted a body of men to be raised for this service without taking care that their pay and proper maintenance were fully guaranteed.—( Hear, hear.) After such statements no one could be surprised at reading in the papers the accounts of the 200 deserters collected toge ther at Bayonne, whose treatment had excited such general indignation. Deeply painful was it to read the accounts of the manner in which these unfortunate men had been compelled by the authorities there to march out in brigades of ten and twelve men at a time on the high road, exposed to the insults of the passers by, who jeered at them, exclaiming, " Voila les Anglais."—( Hear.) When he coupled this with the recol lection of the different manner in which British soldiers had for merly traversed the same road, he felt that. whatever the mis demeanour of these unfortunate men, the degradation inflicted in their persons on the national character called for the se verest reprobation of the system under which it occurred.— (Hear, hear.) He had another authority which he thought would have great weight with the House, in the person of an officer who had served with the Legion for a year and a half, and was one of its best officers, but who had left the service in despair. This gentleman (Colonel Churchill), in a letter which he had thought it due to himself to write in explanation of his reasons for quitting the service expressed himself thus :—" Colonel Churchill gives his reasons for resigning , the command of the Westminster Guards. After the meet ing of the superior officers of the Legion, early in December, it appeared to me obvious that there was no prospect of any amelioration in our affairs. With an empty chest, and clo3e run for rations, my heart revolted at the idea of a recurrence of the horrors and disasters of last winter at Vittoria. In the next place, it was evident that the officers had not that control over their men which is indispensable for the well-being of an army. The soldiers had so much ground for complaint, and the nature of the service was such, that subordination seemed almost at an end. Could my longer continuance in the Legion have been of any practical benefit to those who naturally looked up to me for support, I would never have left the brave men I had the honour to command, in whose sufferings I sympathised, and in whose glories i par ticipated. For these reasons my principles as a British officer, and my pride as an independent Englishman, made me feel that the time for endurance had been passed. I resolved to submit to such a state of things no longer. When the taint of indiscipline and disorganization has once affected an army, it is not the cry of victory that will destroy its fatal conse quences. Let justice be done to our countrymen. 'File) , ask no more. That will have more effect on them than twenty victories. " C. CHURCHILL, " Late Colonel Westminster Guards." The misfortunes of the Legion did not stop here. He ( Sir H. Hardinge) had shown what was the condition of the Le gion at Vittoria, at San Sebastian, and elsewhere, and the consequences resulting from that condition, mutiny and insu bordination. He had now come to another most painful part of the subject—the frightful atrocities committed in the prose cution of this war, the bloodthirsty and brutal acts perpetrated by both parties. Last year the Earl of Aberdeen had most forcibly stated to the Noble Premier the pernicious effects of allowing these troops to remain in Spain, and take part in such an atrocious system of warfare—and what was the answer of that Noble Viscount ? Why, that "it was desirable that no impediments should be thrown in the way of those who wished to take advantage of any war that might be going forward to educate themselves as soldiers ; that as to these men, they would only receive the education that all soldiers received, or, at least, would receive, under similar circumstances ; and that young officers should not be forbidden from seeking crosses, and unemployed persons of the lower classes be prevented from gaining an hone t livelihood." Now, he (Sir H. Hardinge) had served for many years in the army, and ho had never before heard it stated that such a school as this was a fit one for forming a soldier.—( Hear, hear.) The species of exasperation which animated both the men and the officers—for the officers fully participated in the feeling—was strikingly il lustrated in an account of the proceedings of the Legion, which appeared in a publication called The Monthly Reposi tory, the author of which, as he ( Sir H. Hardinge) had been assured by the editor of this publication, was a person of the highest authority. This account, the accuracy of which, h e would add, had been fully corroborated by an officer of high character recently arrived from Spain, stated—" The spirit with which the British Legion entered into action on the sth of May may be gathered from the verbatim addresses of the commanding officers to the regiments under their command. Rifles r said the Major, who, in the absence of Baron de Rot tenburgh, commanded that regiment, ' we are going to be en gaged to-morrow : the enemy shows no quarter, neither shall we; skiver every man you catch ; take no prisoners ; show no pity to the wounded ; skiver every man you meet 1" Men r said the gallant Colonel of the 4th Regiment, now, we will have no nonsense; no firing behind walls—fix bayonets, walk into them, and skewer the scoundrels !' " These were orders, be it remarked, given in cold blood the day before the action took place. How that order had bee❑ carried into effect was stated by Major Richardson, an unexceptionable authority, in these terms :—" A heavy cannonade was opened by the Phoenix upon the enemy's battery, on the left of their position, which the Ist Brigade had attempted, ineffectually, to carry. By this fire a breach was effected; and the 4!li and Bth (reserve) coming up, the left of the position was stormed and gained. The Carlists, thunderstruck, saw that the day was lost, and sought safety in flight ; but no mercy was shown them, for they had savagely bayoneted several wounded officers and men in the early repulses. Numbers fell beneath the steel of the en :steed assailants, burning for revenge; and not a Carlist who could be reached lived to recount to his comrades that the English Auxiliaries, i❑ imitation of the examples sot by theta selves, give no quarter. The other brigades, cheered by the example of their comrades, who had come fresh into action, once more moved to the assault. The Irish, like the let Bri gitte, bayoneted all that came near them. We have 78 officers and nearly 800 men killed and wounded." This statement was sufficient to show that the auxiliary army i❑ Spain was not the hest possible school to which British officers could resort for their education, whatever the Noble Premier might think of the matter. The mode in which this war had been carried on was altogether unlike anything in his (Sir Henry Hardinge's) own experience. He believed that General Evans had done everything in his power, by negociation with the oppos':e army, to induce them to lay aside the ferocious mode of making war which had been adopted. Though he might be of opinion that in some in,tances that Gallant Officer had been misled by his judgment, he thought lie had done all he could to humanize the war, and the way in which it was conducted was no fault of his. He believed that the Gallant Officer (General Evans) was totally ignorant of those orders which he had referred to as having been given by one or two of his of ficers. He thought he had succeeded in showing that the state of the Legion was such that, as Colonel Churchill had said, "it was hopeless to expect amendment." There had been slaughter and brutality on both sides. This was not ho nourable war ; it was butchery ; and we were butchering a people who, as he said before, were a fine and independent people, and who had committed no offence against this coun try.—( Hear, hear.) When he put together these facts—. when he recollected that these Basque people were a proud, free, and independent people—be would ask what right had this country to carry on a war of extermination ? He denied the right, and he called on the Noble Lord to retrace his steps, and to revoke the order in council tile first opportunity. 111-treatment, want of food, and want of clothes, had induced these unfortunate men to become parties to mutiny and insub ordination ; and what followed? Why, that they ceased to have the proper confidence in their officers. They had not confidence in their officers when the opposing army appeared, and that which was to be expected followed, viz., defeat and disgrace.—(Hear, hear, hear.) Let them palliate the misfortune as they would, however disagreeable it might be to many, there was no doubt of the fact that a large body of soldiers who were British subjects had suffered a defeat such as he believed no British soldiers had suffered in the course of the last five or six hundred years. He would not enter into a detailed description of the circumstances attending the action to which he was adverting ; it was sufficient for his present purpose to state that we had a large proportion of his Majesty's artillery there, which, in his opinion, ought not to have been there ; and the conduct of those men contrasted most favoura bly with the conduct of those who, when commanded by off s . cers in whom they confided, showed on previous occasions that they were as brave as the men of any other nation in the world, because they were treated as he had described they ought to be ; but on the present occasion, having lost all con fidence in their officers, they were defeated. On the occasion of the 16th of March, being within three miles of the maga zines, and having been exposed to the inclemency of the wea ther for a week, it might be supposed that they would have been well supplied with rations. On the 16th of March, how_ ever, there were no rations to eat, but there was, he believ e d, a ration of rum. The women who had followed the army from St. Sebastian had brought some spirits with them. In order to destroy the sense of hunger the men resorted to the spirits, and the consequence was that more than half the Legion were intoxicated on that day. What could be ex pected from an army in such a condition ?—( Loud cries of " Hear, hear, hear," from the Opposition.) How was this state of things to be remedied ? The only thing fur the Noble Lord to do was to recal the Legion. He should say let the Noble Lord contrast the conduct of the British Legion on the 16th of March with the conduct of his Majesty's Royal Marines.—(Cheers.) The Royal Marines were on that - day officered by gentlemen holding his Majesty's commission—by gentlemen in whom the men were accustomed to place confi dence ; and the men themselves were well paid, clothed, and fed. The British Marines did their duty—(Cheers)—so did the Royal Artillery. Of their force, comprising from 80 to 90 men, not one man misconducted himself, though the rest of the forces—though the British Legion—were seized with panic. In the midst of the humiliation he felt on account of that defeat, it was some consolation to him to know that the regular part of his Majesty's service had done their duty. In making these remarks, he wished not to be understood as reflecting in any way on the officers ; no one could deny that General Evans and the officers of the British Legion had conducted themselves with the greatest bravery.— ( Cheers.) But he would say, if we made war, let us make it directly, and not indirectly ; let us make it in a manner that was honourable—( Opposition cheers) —do not let us adopt such a course as he was deprecating., because if we did the result would be inevitable failure and disgrace. He main tained that the marines on that occasion, great as was their good conduct, and able as was the manner in which they were commanded by Colonel Owen, were improperly called into action ; he maintained it was no part of the articles of the treaty that his Majesty's navy should be so employed. If it were necessary that our vessels of war should be placed on part of the line of coast occupied by the belligerent parties, it might be necessary to have in our possession some batteries, in order to secure the place of anchorage ; and if the Noble Lord had contented himself with allowing the British artillery and marines to remain in the garrison of Passages, though he might have objected to their taking up a position on land, he did not know that he should have felt himself called on to bring the subject under the consideration of the House—( Hear, hear) — but the Noble Lord was not contented with landing 400 of his Majesty's marines, and eighty of his Majesty's a rtillery of the land service ; he was not contented with landing these eighty artillerymen and the 400 marines from the four vessels in his Majesty's service—a proceeding, the justification of which was only to be found in the occupation of the fort of Passages being necessary to secure the pl ace o f anc h orage . No ; these marines and artillerymen, instead of keeping within their lines and guarding their anchorage, were allowed to march seven miles inland ; and not only did they take up that position in support of General Evans, but they acted on the offensive. His Majesty's artillery, seven miles inland, under the command of Colonel Colquhoun, was employed throwing shells on Her nani. Could that be a proceeding within the terms of the treaty? What were the terms? The articles to which he was adverting were the two additional articles ; and, what was a great advantage in documents of this description, they were short. The Hon. and Gallant Officer then read the articles as follow :—" Article 1. His Majesty the King of the French engages to adopt such measures on the fron tiers of his states as may prevent the Spanish insurgents T THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 1837. from receiving from the French territory any kind of assist ance soever, whether in arms, men, or munitions of war. Ar. tide 2. His Majesty the King of Great Britain and Ireland engages to supply her Catholic Majesty with such arms and munitions of war as she may stand in need of ; and, more over, if necessary to assist her Catholic Majesty by the use of a naval force." Now, he put it as a matter of common sense, whether it was not intended that under the first article there was to be established a blockade by land on the French frontier, or what was called a cordon niilitaire? and whether the second article did not apply only to a blockade of the coast on the part of the English? The French had confined themselves properly to the observance of their part of the treaty ; but what had we done ? We had not been contented with merely establishing a naval blockade, but, as bad been stated by Colonel Colquhoun, four of the guns of his Majesty's artillery had been employed in the ac tion. Nor were they employed distinct from the Legion, but were attached to the Legion in the action of the 16th of March: It appeared that Captain Bassett received an order from Colonel Evans to bring his guns to the left, in order that he might attempt to stop the Spaniards from coming over the bridge. He was too late, however, to succeed ; for scarcely had he fired three or four shots, before the British Legion was seized with panic, and the result was that he was obliged to make the best of his way and fall back to the marines, which he did in perfect good order. Here then were our land artillery brought seven miles from their garrison to act with the Legion, at a distance and dis tinct from the marines, and as if they were a portion of the Spanish army.—( Opposition cheers.) The Noble Lord might again favour him with a definition of what he considered to be naval co-operation, but having one definition of what it was from the Noble Lord, before he received another perhaps the Noble Lord would allow him to refresh his memory as to the definition he had given on a former occasion. The Noble Lord had contended that that was strictly a naval force which was under the command of naval officers, which relied on ships as its chief support, and of which ships formed the chief feature of operation.—( Hear, hear.) That definition was given by the Noble Lord before the battle of Hernani.— ( Cheers.) He begged to ask the Noble Lord whether, on that occasion, ships formed the chief feature ?—( Hear, hear.) Did the artillery ever retire to the ships ? No ; they retired on St. Sebastian, being seven or nine miles from the ships. There was another definition by the Noble Lord to which he might refer, in which the Noble Lord said that was to be con sidered a naval co-operation, when, from the very nature of the occasion, it was impossible to employ a force in the inte rior of the country. In the present instance, the force left the coast, and marched inland seven miles, and his Majesty's marines were nearly captured by a superior force; for he be lieved that nothing but the weariness of the Carlists prevented them from following up the advantage they had obtained ; and it was no disparagement of a force of only 400 men, to suppose that they would not have been able to resist a_ force of 8,000 or 10,000. Ho contended, then, that the British Legion having been seized with panic, it was by the greatest good fortune that his Majesty's artillery and marines were saved.—( Opposition cheers.) He held the King's prerogative in as high respect as any man, but he must say he considered it very unusual for warlike operations to be commenced without a message on the subject having been first sent by his Majesty down to that House. To have em ployed the King's forces to slaughter the Basque people without a message having been received from his Ma jesty, appeared to be very extraordinary. How did the Noble Lord make war? Gomez having advanced with his army to within a short distance of Madrid, came round to San Roque. Having arrived in the neighbourhood of Gibraltar, the officers of the garrison went to visit Gomez in his camp, and see the nature of his army. Was it not remarkable, that on the same day that our officers from the garrison visited Gomez in his camp, on that very day, ac cording to the newspapers, from which he derived his in formation, one of his Majesty's ships, laying in the bay of Algesiras, fired on the columns of Gomez by command of the King's officer, it being stated that Gomez had no artillery, and all the harm that could be done was to kill some of his people.—( Opposition cheers.) Thus, by a curious construc tion of the law of nations, it appears that our land officers went out and met on good terms that very force which our navy fired upon directly it made its appearance. Was this a pro per mode of declaring war ? He recollected an anecdote of Lord Exmouth, which, as it bore on the event 'to which he was referring, he begged to narrate to the House. When the Noble Lord, then stationed in the Mediterranean, was chasing the French squadron, himself being on board the Ca. ledonia, he came to within half-gun-shot of a French frigate. The Caledonia was firing into the frigate ; but it being evi dent that she would get into harbour, he cried out, with the noblessness of heart which distinguished him, " Avast firing I we can't catch her, so don't let us knock off her men to no purpose."—(Cheers.) Why, he would ask, had we fired on the columns of Gomez, when it was evident there was no point to be gained by the sacrifice of human life ? He would say that this was a mode of proceeding which lie must consider to be very improper, and the sooner the House of Commons came to the determination of preventing his Ma jesty's Ministers from continuing Rich a course the better. He maintained that after the statements he had made, and the Noble Lord having resisted all that had been addressed to him to persuade him to pursue a different lino of policy, it became the duty of the House to interfere and take care that our marines and artillery were not again employed in this un holy warfare.—( Opposition cheers.) Ile would say it was a most unchristian warfare.—( Cheers from the Opposition re newed.) 'What right had his Majesty's Ministers to attack the Basque people in this way ? What right had our artillery to slaughter them? He did not mean to impugn the military capacity of General Evans; whether he had managed well or ill was not a question for that House; for having managed gal lantly everybody would give him credit.—( Hear.) Those were questions which might be raised by military men, who would discuss them according to their individual views of such mat ter; but as that Gallant Officer would probably be shortly in England, and would have the opportunity of giving any ex planation that he pleased, lie would not think of going into them then. Lie would contend, however, that he had laid be fore the House sufficient grounds for the motion he had made. He had shown to them that failure was the necessary result of the measures of the Noble Lord ; Lliat we had rendered ourselves, by this mode of carrying on the war, obnoxious to the jealousies and all the bad passions of the Spanish people ; that we had taken measures calculated to destroy that feeling of reciprocal regard which had always heretofore existed between the Spanish and the English nations--( Hear, hear)—that we had shown ourselves the opponents of a party, and not the friends of the State.—( Opposition cheers.) By the conduct that had been pursued the Noble Lord had deprived the English nation of being mediators in the quarrel, and of terminating deeds which were shocking to humanity.—( Hear, hear.) He had shown to the Members of that House that their unfortunate countrymen had been dying of the most cruel want ; he had shown what were the conse quences of these transactions, that the men belonging to the Legion were without discipline, and the officers without autho rity. They had heard of the disastrous results—they were told of danger and defeat.—( Hear, hear.) He had been a British officer for many years—he had witnessed the horrors of war, such as they were, according to the practices of civilized states ; but he must say, that he entreated of the House, if it had a consideration for the national character—if it had a re gard for the military reputation of the country—if they looked to that which he could not but believe to be of the utmost im portance to them, he then conjured them no longer to permit war to be thus made on the principles of the Noble Lord ; he besought of them to withdraw from the contest in Spain not only the Legion, but the naval force that was now engaged there.—(Cheers.) As a Member of that House—as one, in that respect, whose duty it was to watch over the interests and the honour of the people—he besought of them to with draw men from continuing in a war such as he had described; nay, more, he called upon them to put a check upon the Noble Lord and his Government in his reckless career, and to re strict them strictly to the operation of a treaty which his Ma jesty had unfortunately been advised to conclude.—( Cheers. ) The question having been put, Sir S. CANNING, in rising to second the motion, said it was not upon that part of the subject which had been imme diately under consideration--that connected with the military profession, and which had already been amply treated of by the Gallant Mover—it was not upon that portion of the sub ject he meant to address them : he considered that part had been amply treated on, and he, therefore, should not enter at any length into a part of the subject which his own habit: rendered him particularly inadequate to discuss. He meant to consider such parts of the subject as were con nected with civil proceedings of the Government, and on which the military operations had arisen.—( Hear, hear, hear.) He wished to have leave to say, with his Gallant Friend, that if he felt himself obliged to come forward and question the policy pursued by the Noble Lord at the head of the Foreign Department, he had no intention of separating that Noble Lord from his Majesty's Government. In making observations upon the course pursued his Noble Friend must be well aware that he had any feeling of an unfriendly nature towards him ; and if upon this occasion he was induced to take an early part in the debate, it was only from a sense of duty that he did so—it was only from a con sciousness of the importance of the subject that he desired to throw what light he could upon it, and, if possible, in duce the house to support the motion made by kis Gallant Friend. He was not inclined--he was not from an early period inclined—to throw the slightest shadow of doubt upon the policy that his Majesty's Government had adopted in re cognizing the justice of the claim of the Queen of Spain to the throne.—( Hear, hear, from Members on the Ministerial benches.) It was sufficient for the Government, in his opinion, that they found her the Queen de facto in Spain. They were right in acknowledging her as Queen. She was the Queen de facto, and what they did rested on sound and substantial grounds, inasmuch as all the constituted authorities recognized her after the death of the late King. They saw, too, no diffi culty made to the recognition of her title. They saw her re cognized by the Cortes—they found her tole recognized by the grandees—the army, too, had sent in its adherence from every part of Spain. Throughout all Spain, exclusive of the Basque provinces, the Queen's title was recognized. It was not, then, for his Majesty's misisters, supposed they had a capacity of enter ing into the niceties of this quection, which was more fit to be decided by Spanish lawyers—it was not for them to deter mine it—it was enough that these were the circumstances he had stated to justify the policy of his Majesty's Government. ( Hear, hear, from Members on the Ministerial benches.) At the same time he, being in Spain, could say, the question was brought forward in a more astounding shape.—( H ear , h ear , from Lord John Russell and other Members.) At that time he was in Spain in the service of the Government, and on a subject respecting which lie would say, that instructions had been given to him, and that it was impossible for him, in ac cordance with his instructions, to have accomplished the pro:. position he was directed to make.—( Hear, hear.) He said that in answer to t h e c h eer o f th e Noble Lord. He said so when be found that his character was attacised i tis he onder stood an insinuation to be conveyed by that cheer.—( Hear.) They heard of the establishment of a great confederacy, a ; It was not his intention to have touched upon this subject, but opposed to the despotism of the north. Ile could only say, he was taunted into it by the cheer of the Noble Lord. He that, if such were the object, the execution of it had not been was sure that the Noble Lord at the head of the Government of a nature to do credit or tumour to this country. He wished would not have been so indiscreet.—( Hear, from Members on it had been attended with better success. It seemed to him, the Opposition Benches.) The Government having deter- on the contrary, that they were pursuing a policy wLich could mined upon intervention, the natural question presented to only lead them hie) danger, from which it would require more the country was this—whether we were to give to the Govern_ than the talend of the Noble Load ( Lord Palmerston) to ex ment a moral support, or was it to be one of a positive and tricate us with honour. Such was not the policy that pre national kind ? By the line taken were they to make them_ Tailed at the Foreign-office at a time at which his Noble F r i en d selves responsible for the burden of a material support ? This ( Lord Palmerston) would, he was sure, look with satisfaction. question not only applied to the treaty with Spain, but it also He (Sir S. Canning) was greatly mistaken it' the pelicy of applied to the provisions part of the Quadruple . Treaty, m ore Mr. Canning was of this character. He referred to the two especially to that part referring to Portugal.—( Hear.) He cases of the French intervention in Spain ; and, again, to the was desirous that they should look to the circumstances th at time when Spain threatened Portugal with invasion. In the led to the formation of the first treaty, and a lso to the a d o pti on one case Mr. Canning abstained from war; and in the other of the additional articles. He was aware that both, in diplo- he sent a force into Portugal. Ile (Mr. Canning) bore all matic arrangements, were part and parcel of the same treaty ; that was to be borne for the purpose of avoiding a general war : but, in point of fact, they were to be considered as adopted at he did not then avail himself of the rights of this nation, different periods. What were the circumstances that led to because he thought it inexpedient. But Mr. Conning sent the adoption of the Quadruple Treaty with respect to Pur- a force into Portugal for the purpose of stepping in between tugal? The Pretender to the Spanish Crown had left Spain Spain and Portugal, and preventing a war. The policy w i •li before his brother's death, and established himself in Por. . had been pursued by Mr. Canning on that occasion was the tugal. He was received by Don Miguel, who was regarded very reverse of the policy which had been recently pursued by as an usurper here, although recognised by the Court of his Majesty's Government. If they thought that the object Spain. Don Carlos had united his cause with Don Miguel ; which they had in view was desirable and legitimate, at least he did not go the length of hoisting the Spanish colours, but let them pursue it in an open and honourable manner. He several of his Spanish partisans got around him, and he thus certainly doubted if the Noble Lord would find the Right Hon. formed the nucleus of a force which might have been the Chancellor of the Exchequer disposed to assist him in any directed against Spain on a future occasion ; and, con- such undertaking ; but he ( Sir S. Canning) repeated that if sleeted as he was with Don Miguel, that which was goin g on his Majesty's Government conceived that the object whi c h they in Portugal was a subject of great anxiety to the Spanish had in view was a justifiable one, let them avow it ; let them Government. From such danger as then threatened the S; a ask for a vote in the comieittee of supply ; let them r equ i re nish Government was desirous to be removed ; fi rst, by ami- the House to place a large military force at their disposal.— cable remonstrances, and, on the failure of that, by physical (Hear, hear.) He could not, however, suppose that any such force. The subject then naturally presented itself to the Bri- intention was seriously entertained by the present .Cabinet. tish Government, either to allow a Spanish force to enter a But that not being the case, it certainly would be a safer country with which this is bound in the closest ties of inter- and more prudent line of conduct, on their part, w ere th e y. course by a long-standing alliance—and, as his Noble Friend instead of bringing the royal marines from their ships, as they was well aware of, they were oblig ed _to send an armed force had done, to abstain from acts calculated to bring so much dis there, in case it was subject to a foreign invasion—they were credit on this country. He trusted that the House would he then either to witness a foreign invasion, or, considering that of opinion that the case against his Majesty's Ministers had there had not the cases liederis arisen, they were to come been wholly made out; he trusted that the time was aglength within the spirit of the treaty with Portugal, and take up the approaching when they would be compelled to change their common cause of the Queen of Spain. There were circum- system. It was impossible to restore to life and their families stances that constituted a very natural, just, and cogent claim our gallant countrymen who had been sacrificed in the con upon the Government of this country. Ho could perfectly well test ; but at least the further effusion of British blood in such a understand how the Government, taking a statesmanlike view cause might be stopped. It was a question the determination of this matter, should enter into the Quadruple Treaty. But of which involved our national honour. We were bound to when the arrangement was made, it was of material interest do justice to our brave countrymen. He ( Sir S. Canning) to observe in what shape assistance was to be provided from did not call upon the House to pass a censure on his Mt them, as well as by other Powers. The principle of the lest Y's Government, but he did call epon the House to compel' treaty was co-operation. The King of France was to aid his Majesty's Government to stop in their pernicious career. in one way; the Spanish Government was to provide phy_ Lord LE VE SON said that the question seemed to him to sical force ; the English Government was to afford nav a l have been treated more as an instrument of pa r ty war f are th ao force ; the object to be obtained was the expulsion from the as a fair inquiry into what was due by this country to Spaio Peninsula of the two Princes. Under these circumstances, the and to the whole of Europe.—(Hear, hear, hear.) What treaty was made, and that was the object for which it was to was it that the House was really called up o n t o cons id er ? operate. The policy of such a treaty did credit to his Ma- In issu ing the Order in Council permitting English troops jesty's Government. Additional articles to the treaty had to enter into the service of the Queen, and in employing been signed, but that was late in the same year—certainly the royal marines in the same cause, had his Majesty' s Mi e after the distance of some months. In the m e anwhile great niters confined themselves within the limits prescribed changes had taken place in the Peninsula, and very conside- by the Quadruple Treaty, or had they overstepped those rable changes had occurred in this country. If he recollected limits ?—( Hear, hear.) If their conduct had been consis rightly, a very considerable change had taken place in the tent with the conditions of the Quadruple Treaty (and so he government of this country. When the first treaty had been believed it to have been), that conduct they were bound to ' made, Lord Grey was Premier ; at the time of the ad- continue.—(llear, hear.) He had himself, in the Chamber ditiunal articles a change had taken place—first, in the of Deputies in Paris, heard the Liberal opposition to the Go retirement of Lord Stanley and three o f his c o l- vernment of Louis Phillipe declare, that the E ng li s h h a d leagues, and then the subsequent retirement of Lord acquired the strongest claims to the gratitude of the Spanish Grey'. He mentioned these f ac t s ra th er t o mar k th e nation.—(Hear, hear, hear.) If hi s M a j es t y ' s G overnment, interval of time that had occurred, than for any specific bear- instead of taking the course which they bad adopted, had ing that they had on the argument in question. What, then said, " Let the parties in Spain fight it out ; we will • were the circumstances under w hi c h th e additio na l a r ti c l es were take no part in their pr o c ee di ngs ," t h ey m i g h t i n d eed signed ? Don Carlos had come here—he had made his have satisfied the Tories, but they would have incurred the escape from this country, and appeared in Spain. This condemnation of all Europe. If England and France had not was, he believed, before the death of Zumalacarregui. acted as they had done, the Northern Powers would have Don Carlos arrived in July, and the a r ti c les were signed poured in their supplies to Don C ar l os . Th e Mi n i sters of in August. Don Carlos was in Spain at the time that those Powers had so evidently for their object to maintain a the addition to the treaty was made ; and, notwith- connection with Don Carlos, that M. Mold's administration ' standing the treaty of Portugal was for the expulsion found it necessary to require from their respective Sovereigns of the two Princes—notwithstanding all this, there was their immediate removal from office. He begged leave to nothing in the additional articles for his expulsion. That ask those who appeared to be so anxious about the national which was a great object in the first treaty was omitted honour, whether that honour would not have been stained if we in the second, and a very vague character was given to it. As had deserted an ally at the very moment when she most re the requiring the assistance to be given limited that assistance, quired our aid ?—( Hear, hear.) He begged leave to ask on the part of the King of the French, to have measures taken those who appeared to be so tender of our military repute to prevent supplies from passing the frontiers of France, so on thin, whether that reputation would be maintained by withdraw the part of the English, they were, only in case of necessity, ing from Spain our brave Legion, by withdrawing from Spain to assist her Catholic Majesty with a naval force. This con- our brave Marines, whose employment on such a service was firmed the view that the original idea of the treaty was not amply justified by the example set OR that point at Bastia by one of naval operations, but that of a blockade—that the real the Marines under Lord Nelson ?—( Cries of " Hear, hear.") intention of the treaty was to co-operate by sea where the civil For his (Lord Leveson's) part he could not help think war was going on. He had looked at the additional article, ing that the real objection to the employment of the latter and he found that not only was it confined to naval force, but force in Spain was the efficiency of their succour.—( Hear,, it bore the character that the naval force should be used in hear.) If the maxim that it was wise in a nation during the most limited possible manner. But when he looked at a time of peace to prepare for a time of war, and if the the execution of the treaty lie saw that not only was the naval declaration of Mr. Canning that the next war in Europe force used in what he would call a military manner—not only would be a war of principles, had any weight, then the course had the marines become a military force, but they had been adopted by his Majesty's Government was a wise course ; then taken from their ships, and used at a considerable distance as it was most desirable to prevent the triumph of a prince who a land force. This, he thought, incontestibly showed the was the representative arid impersonation of despotic power. animus with which the Government was actuated. When he ( Hear, hear.) The Right Hon. Gentleman who spoke last looked at the contrast between the articles of the treaty and hid inveighed against the interference of a foreign forc e i n the conduct of his Majesty's Government, the question natu- any national quarrel. Did he not remember one memorable rally arose whether, if they tacitly consented to these articles, pi ecedent of such interference in the history of our own coun they did so under the supposition that a naval force should only try ? Did he not remember that that Monarch, whose " glori be employed, and that limited to objects in harmony with ous memory" was toasted down to the present day, had em the circumstances which that service was calculated to pro- ployed foreign troops to co-operate with our ancestors in get duce, but that their policy, subsequent and collateral, was one ting rid of an obnoxious and tyrannical King?—( Hear, hear.) of collusion, and one that was inconsistent with the views and He thanked the House for their patience. He hoped it would feelings of a large portion of the people of this country. When be shown by the vote of the House that night, that the people he looked at the execution of the treaty, he felt that this of England were not indifthrent to the issue of time Spanish country had been surprised, and he might say, cheated.— contest—a contest of absolutism against constitutional govern (Hear, hear.) What had been the course of action pursued? ment—of fanaticism against religious toleration.--( The Noble It was totally at variance with what might be really expected Lord sat down amidst loud cheers.) from the terms of the treaty. When he recollected that that Mr. C. WOOD said the conduct of the opposition with country ( Spain) had been the scene of action with which the respect to Spain was but the sequel of their conduct with re glories of this country were in the greatest possible degree spelt to Portugal. They had uniformly discouraged every connected, and where the glory of those great actions was effort to obtain constitutional liberty, and had done everything connected with the name of the great captain of the age— in their power to advocate and advance the principles of abso when he recollected these circumstances, and that it was lute monarchy.—(Hear, hear.) By motion after motion they owing to the conduct of the present Government that nothing. had induced Lord Grey to act as he bad done with reference but discredit, and circumstances of an unsatisfactory kind, to to one who had been denominated, even by the highest leading to no good result, and terminating in disgrace, had cc- Tory authority " a perjured usurper." The Right Hon. curred—when he saw all this taking place on the same ground, Gentlemen opposite seemed perfectly indifferent with respect it was impossible not to be struck by the contrast, and to avoid to the character of Don Carlos ; and it was clear indeed that having one's feelings excited in the strongest possible manner. the object of the motion before the House was to aid Don The British troops also were not soldiers in the King's service, Carlos. The former attacks on foreign enlistment had been or responsible to that service, or acting with all the advan- that night repeated, and the most extraordinary doctrines tages belonging to that service, but men placed under every held on the subject. It had been maintained that the en possible disadvantage, exposed to the ingratitude and that na- trance of the subjects of this kingdom into the service of tional feeling which had always been shown by Spaniards to other powers was calculated to lower the character of the foreigners on the Spanish soil. It appeared that not only country, and that since the times of Queen Elizabeth no such had the King's Government gone beyond the principle of practice had been exhibited. He was surprised that the Right giving a military character to the naval operations, not Hon. Gentlemen had showed themselves so forgetful, he would only did they employ all the marines in addition to the not say ignorant, as not to know that both officers and men artillery, sappers, and miners, but the objectionable mode of had frequently obtained leave of the Sovereign of this country giving military assistance to the Queen of Spain was at va- to enter into the service of Foreign Powers. He would not riance with the letter of the treaty under which it was pro- trouble the House with many quotations from it, but he held in fessed to be given. Then nattrrhlly a question arose, what his hand a list of officers without number, from the period of great commercial interests of this country were sufficient to the Revolution to that of the general war in Europe, who had justify the departure from the Treaty, or to reconcile the na- with leave of the Sovereign entered into the service of Foreign tion to the burthens to which we had been put, and to make Powers. There was the case of Lord Keith, an English Rear the very heavy expenses we had to bear satisfactory ? He Admiral, who had permission given him to go into the Russian might add also, their assisting to spread demoralization service, at the head of which he continued for many years. Sir amongst a body of men, the miserable remnant of whom would Sidney Smith entered the Swedish service, and fought against return to this country. Were we to find compensation for Russia. Up to 1819 it was a common practice for the subjects these in the commercial advantages which we might expect to of this country to enter into foreign service. 'The Foreign En derive from Spain ? Now two years of the war had elapsed, lirtment Act was passed, not with a view to its being a permanent and they had heard nothing of such advantages, They cer- Act, but for temporary purposes, as applied to the case of parti tainly had heard that the Spanish Government had relieved miler states, and that was the distinct, avowed object of those our merchants from the payment of the extraordinary contribu- who passed that measure; so much so that when a Noble Earl tions. This did credit to his Noble Friend ( Lord Palmers- in another place (the Earl of Eldon) protested against the Bill, tun) and to his Majesty's Ministers who had carried this into on the g round that it might be made a general measure , the execution, but this was a very small advantage. What were then Lord Chancellor said it was a mistake to suppose it was the principles of commerce as generally received, and which an Act of general application. The Foreign Enlistment Act was were allowed to - regulate commercial neguciations ? They passed at the instance of Spain, to prevent the supply of men were those of mutual advantag e. No party should seek ex- and arms being sen t t o the South American colonies. But elusive advantages. They knew that such a course of however cautious the Right Hon. Gentleman might have been, things would not last, and that they must rest on the broad however careful he might have been, the object of the motion basis of mutual . advantage. There was nothing of the kind was clear. His Noble Friend distinctly disclaimed the sup to be obtained. It was not to be supposed, if Spain was in- port of Don Carlos, but there were those who had not hesi (dined to make a treaty of a more liberal character in our fa- tated to avow themselves Carlists ; and an lion. Member for your, that our ally France could be omitted. It was natural Dover called Don Carlos Charles the Fifth. Nay, further, to suppose that the same advantage should be given to France a Noble English Lord. who was not certainly a peer of the as now given to this country. No man was more anxious than realm hail not hcaiteeed to appear in person against the troops he was that a good understanding should be maintained be- of this country. to take part against the troops cf her Majesty tween this country and France. But had these transactions time Queen of Spain, for the purpose of retaking a ,battery, the rendered the connection between the two countries more inti- fire of which had been directed against British soldiers, He mate, or had it brought the present Government of this noun- (Mr. Wood) rose for the purpose, not of going into the gene try nearer to the French Court? No such thing.—( Hear.) ral question, hut of answering that part of the Right Hon. From the speech of his Noble Friend (Lord Palmerston) de- Gentleman's speech which related to the employment of ma livered before Easter, it appeared that during the last year nines 011 shore, a subject which was more iinmedir.tely con that Noble Lord himself had made a proposal to obtain some- fleeted with that department to which he was attnched. He, thing like intervention on the part of the French Government. could not but be surprised to hear tne Right lion. Gentle- If he (Sir Stratford Canning) remembered rightly, the Noble mail say that he thought they ought to give to the treaty the , Lord had stated that a proposal had been made to the French most limited construction which it %venial - Jean It was a new Government to afford an opportunity for elle introduction of doctrine to be held in that House, that to sacred obligations a French force to complete the pacification of Spain. This entered into between. friendly parties only a limited meaning; appeared to be the result of our unsuccessful operations, and should be affixed loy one of th a contra c ting parties.—( Heer e it led to this, that instead of secur i ng the independence of hear.) The llight Hon. Baronet the Member for 'Parn Spain from France, according to our established policy, it led worth stated ow a former 'occasion, that that treaty raised the to the reverse, and this c o u n t r y, moreover, enjoyed the mor- general exPentation that the Queen of Spain would be entitled . tification of a refusal. We had asked for the intervention of tet uphold France, arid in ',gat treaty, and therefore, without saying one word.. the teeth of this request, on the part of the to defeaid that treaty, he felt himself bound to answer the- Noble Lord, they were subjected. to the mortification of, e eha4e of departing from the obligations of that treaty, As refusal. Well, had the pacificelion of Spain adva'heed ? ao the manner in which the Marines had been employ ed, the, Why, notwithstanding what they had heard of the, vast re- ' IZi , ht Hon. Gentleman stated, that the Marine, force being sources of the Queen of Spain, notwithstandine 6 armies and the mora l an d m s eter i a l force 'her large employed was a surprise and a cheat u p on ti ae House. Noe giv.en her by her one would suppose that such instances heed ever occurred_ Government being immediately rcesognised hit! the three most before; and moreover , the Right Hon, 'and Gallant Officer! England, France, stated that , in his op inion, nothin g less. wa s intended than thlr powerful neighbouring kingdom, namely. and Portug a l ; notwithstaaedina "these sedy'aritarres, what was blockade of the coast of Strain. hie would put this matt eg the result ? The Queon wag o w i "i -geet to apply'for assistance, to the test of fact and teperieneee. Had naval co-opee-4-. and that being granted, end on .a. most extensive scale, they tion never been rendered by tiee naval force of this country r were still further from the pat alleation and tranquillity of __had a naval :own never co-operated with the land forcess Spain than when the civil Wi r cosnnsenee d._( Hear.) It of this cournry ? Looking to what had passed in form err h would be something under fail ure if there had been a miti- vea's, h e contended that the principle of naval co-o•ae gation of the horrors of the wee •—it' they had. found ' the bar- : etti . o . a Was fully and fairly borne out and justified in ,e• barons system mitigated. a - -- - h 1 1 me contrary, tamy found, as hi" 1 ' ca se ,. even if th ey put the limited construction of the N Hon. and Gallant Friend ogler ved, they had. done nothine h • :: co-o eration " which had been suggested. He wa s , to prevent the dreadf u l a y r tem of butenere whir', c orn- in tiewilli P tee to trespass at any great length on the pee meneed with fresh vigour the 7.noment ou'• V 1' ' * _sellers ,te . rived Spain. The arrival of' the Br •F.tisli ereldie ,' i n h “ Ould take the liberty of stating; and evert, the revival of butchery. This was ai -3 was hile, signal for . cw longer than he wished, it was for this the arrival of British sold' to e compliment paid to tr es p assed . terse Th e that lie wished to prove that the cases he quoted . though there might be no speeifi y y might be told that ho e f sir ele or isolated examples—they were not were interests conneoted with ti e •ritish interest, yet there t 3: o and then, but they were those wh; and the cutting only now interests of' humanity which me world at large . l intati • aed the Government h .. in eened every year of the war in every part of tk the course they had takerbefore he did this lie might be t . his Noble Friend (In la r: i He rather thought that i'erliaps, however, few words with reference to the battle of 1 this as the e ;,- • i u .. • dill erston) would repudiate 'o r say a ' I course 'sr-icy:el on wl : ' the The Rig ht Hon. Gentlemanhad o course eet e, len the policy of Government Was f(ll,lr4ded but • ' • according to his view of the e it i .ad been insinuated by Gen- the strongest c ase, Vernet:l wile hati stet ea tit' e N 11, ' ► eht Hon. Gentleman stated that eaptecZes 1 ' a m lf ;Lords tide of the House, But tac hig.