The National Register.
London, England, 1816-02-18 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTR.

Regency (all the Members of which were selected from our
interposition), two had lately been sentenced to punishment
by Ferdinand, end were to be found in the black list of Iris
victims. These wt re part of that Regency who had maintained
relations of amity with us, who hail made common cause with
us; the interest of Spain being considered the interest of Eng-
land, and the re-loureie of England being liberally resorted to
in order effectually to sustain the cause of Spain. The real
!allies of England were the Regency and the Cortes ; they had
struggled for the liberties of their country. when tiny were as
ignorant how Ferdinand was employing 1111130 f, tes he believed
every one in that House was careless what might uhimatt ly be
his fate. Towards the end of the vear Isl 3, or the beginning
of the year 181 I, when the power of Ittioneparte liege:, to totter
all over Europe, a treaty was begun between him and Ferdi-
nand his prisoner. By this treaty he bound himself to remove
the English army from Spain, on the French army being with-
drawn; anti, in a word, co-operated, ns touch us was in his
power, with Buonapartr, against this country and its allies.
Mulch confidence had Napoleon in Ferdinant I, that be imme-
diately suffered his prisoners to go at large f seueible, perhaps,
that he Could not do a worse service to Spain) ; and what did
Ferdinand do on this occasion ? Did he revoke the treaty of
Valency? No. Did he hasten to Isladrid ? No, he aeonleil it,
and retired to Valentin, after refusing to sign the Constitution,
and to recognise the existing authorities, without revoking the
treaty width he had been induced to sign while in a state of
duress. All his thoughts seemed devoted to the study of the
means by which he might overthrow the Regency and the Cor-
tes, which, as the ullies of England, had so effectually laboured
for the salvation of Spain. The Cortes refused to ratify the
tremy which Ferdinand hail concluded with Buonaparte, be-
cause it was inconsistent with good faith to England, as it went
against the stipulations of that concluded with this country by
Admiral Apodaca in 1809. They treaty of 1809 they adhered
to ; and this it had been the object of Ferdinand to break, and
indead to dissolse all the arrangements which had served to
knit the two countries toeether. He apprehended it was
ennecessary to pursue further the conduct of Ferdinand to
prove the pi esent to be a case which called for our inter-
ference; when he had cruelly pitnislied those who were
united with its in war and in council, in his behalf; who had
not only made this liner:taut return to them, but who had
given up the treaty which had been negotiated in fasour of
this country. He wished not to bs unnecessarily minute in
noticing the punishment, which had taken place. It was
however right to state, thet 27 Member' of the Cortes, and two
of the Regency, hail been consigned to dungeons ; and besides,
a great variety of persons, in private stations, who had attached
themselves to the patriotic cause. These, after remaining 19
or en months in confinement, without bring bt might to trial,
Ferdinand, as it' to take assay that complaint, had ordered to
be brought to trial, and had areerdinely signed a commission
for that purpose. Three commissions,one after another, had beest
siened by his Catholic Majesty, by Wiliell tIiOSP persons were
sled to be tried, not be fore men selected front the great body
of the people, but before creatures supposed to be subservient
to his views. and by them to be sentenced to punishment, or
irequitted, according to the nature of their case, on inquiry.
It had further pleased his Cieleeic :Majesty to review their
sentences, and to proclaim to the world, either that these crea-
tures were not disposed to besufliciently suhservient to his viewt,
or that they had miscalculated the poiut at which tile', concluded
his animosity would stop, by taking the work out of their hands.
Some of the punishments would nevertheless have been thought
sufficiently severe in this c try. Several of the patriots had
been sentenced to two years' iinprisonmeut, and others were
ordered to confinement for a longer period. One person, a poor
tradesman, who had proved himself friendly to England on all
occasions, and who had been active in promoting political
discussions on the conduct of the Goverumeat, was sen-
tenced by these tribunals to four years' imprisonment.—
" What !" said Verbatim], on seeing this sentence, "
only
four years' imprisonment, for a wretch who had presumed
to speak in public on polities;'--(A laugh.) He immediately
undertook to revise this sentence, and, taking a more ens
barged and Iceitimate view of the subject, he immediately
struck oat the first assigned &tont of this unfortunate mail, who
was a cripple, with his own head, and offered him to he
hanged. neer, lt•ar, hear.) The public, however—he meant
the scum of Madrid, with whom Ferdinand was popular—(a
mournful proof of the assertion that that country fa res ill where
the Monarch hail the mob for his ally), even these, his Majesty's
own rabbit., had rescued this poor ntau from death, and the
punishment had in consequeuee been commuted for i:uptisori-
ment for ten years. While speaking of the cruelty of the punish-
ments inflicted. he thought it might be proper to mention the
name of the virtuous, the patriotic Arguellas, whose fate could
not be contemplated but with punt anti indignation. Argnellas,
the most enlightened, the most eloquent of die patriot.:, whose
eloquence had always been devoted to the right cause, who has
always raised leis voice in praise of liberty; in fas our of the
alliance with this country; against the Inquisition, and against
the African Slave Trade ; Argnellas was eundemned to seise
as a common soldier in the garrison of Ceuta, and had been sent
,to his pestilential dungeon °lithe coast of A frieu, within sight
of a fortress heloneine to this emintry—that of Gibraltar. It
was now for the House to determine, whether this was a cause
which called for their interference. He hail shown that this
cenutry had interfered times out of number in other cases; at
this moment an army was maintained in France for the express
purpose of interfering in the concerns of' that country, as they
had it under the bend of the Noble Lord opposite (Lord Cas-
tlereagh ‘. This interference was most extensive, and the
whole French police might be said to be under the control of
the Duke of Wellington. It was then for the House to say,
while this line of conduct was pnrsued in one quarter, whether
we ought not to use our weight and influence to relieve those
who, by scenic in concert with this country, had been brought
into distress elsewhere for the good faith which thi4 heti ob-
served with us.

Mr. Ilnocoutast charred Minister not only with total in-
difference to the fate of the fortes and Liberates, but with har-
ing paid the troops whirls Ferdinand employed against them,
and promoted the officers who executed his orders. In call-
ing for interference, however, he did not wish to break the re-
lations of amity which subsisted between this country and a
Iverson of the sort he had described. Ile Aid not mean that
threats or menaces should he resorted to—he did not mean that
we should tell him what we hail effected tier his interest and sc.
ettrity—whielt would he mit:interims—no —he wished that an
appeal should be made to Ireidi.iand's apprehensions, He
ought to he led to consult his own prudential pieiry—a priori-
pie of whielt '•e did not suppose hint destitute. Such n lesson
should be given as would mike him re.ect on a great and Seri-
•'S truth, which he t Mr. Brim:Nun) would express, not in his
-,wit worh. lint in the words of a Minister, who hal whispered
in lir ea- of one of Ferdimin•i's predecessors -" that Hi.
11,1 nit twe ,neinies —one of whom was the whole
sot Id -and the other his owa Ministers!" In rolichision, the
leorned gentleman observed, that, happily for the interests of

humanity, there was one place in which the truth Height boldly
be spstken--whete the crimes of Sovereigns might be :orraignenT
_where the oppressed might be • inelieutitil,and their oppressoi•
called to an account—and that place was, the Collieliollef Haase
of Great Britain ! —(herte.)--111. then moved—
" Ilia all humble address be presented to flue Prince Regent,
entreating Ills Royal Highness to take into Isis gracious consi-
deration, the sufferings of the late ‘;panish Kearney and Cortes;
and representing to his Royal Highness, that the Alliance at
present subsisting between his Royal lligne4s and his Catholic
Majesty, :itiords the most fat (menhir opportunity for the inter-
ference of Creat Britain, with all the weight which belongs to
the country and to flee sentiments of that House."
Lord C ssarkai son.--in the whole course of his parliamen-
tary eaperieme, I. never recollected to have tart with any'
thing that surprised him more than the nature of she motion
with which the Hon. leether had concluded his speech.
lion. Gentleman, although be had entered so tom li at largls
into the doctrine ut interference—although lie had said so much
to prove that interference might be effectual; yet in his motion
there was not use word of ciitteaty to his Royal Highness the
Prince Regent to act on the principles laid down in the Speech,
—there was no prayer for interference. It was certainly most
extraordinary that the lion. Gentleman, entertainhig the seta-
timents which he hail expressed, should litre spoken so strongly
in favour of ioterference, without taking the trouble to male
any enquiry whether or not the British Government had inter,
freed ;—or, being aware that they had interfered in some way,
should not have endeavoured to show, that the kind of inter-
ference which he recommended was better than what had been
adopted. lie could not consider the speech of the lion. Geo-
Benno as calculated to lay down any principles on the subject
which it would be wise to practise, with a view to the interns**
of either country. He had indeed heard it sometimes said, that
in the profession to which the Hon. and Learned Gentleman
belonged, it was not uncommon, in the defence of a client, to
sacrifice his interests, for the sake of making a display of ta-
lent. Certainly in the present case, with a view to the inte-
rests of those individuals on %sliese unfortunate situation the
question arose, nothing could be inure 'inadvisable than any
interference on the principles which the Hon. Gentleman had
laid down. It the lion. Gentleman thought of any thing short
of interference by force of arms, there never was a speech
snore calculated to defeat the end proposed, and to make Par-
liament see the utter inexpediency of the measures which it
recommended. Without founding himself on any accurate in-
forniatiou, the Hon. Gentleman had made imputations against
the personage on the throne of Spain ; and, substituting on this
occasion a reasoned invectise fur the asserted one which he
had on a runner occasion employed, he bad endeavoured to
pre, that the King of Spain was acting on a course of settled
hostility to this country ; that he was a voluntary party to the
Treaty of Valency, against Great Britain and her allies; that
he hail returned to Spain with the settled purpose of carrying
that treaty into execution, and that he was now proceeding in
the accomplishment of his design. This teas the ground out
which the lion. Member called upon the House to interfere.
( /bur, hear, hear.) lint the Floase would feel, that in order to
make interference cfreetval, it wag not the proper way to begin
by insulting and degrading the le u son of the Spanish monarch.
—(ltar,lutar.)--11 the lion. Ge.utleman thought it was the duty
of this House to embroil the country in any dispute as to the
merits or demerits of tit members of factious in foreign coun-
tries, he trusted he would meet with few in this country to
countenance such an opinion. With a view to the benefit of
those individuals in Spain, whose sufferings he was Sure every
alember of the House agreed in deploring, the course which
the lion. Gentleman had taken, was the last to be expected
from a maa of his undorstanding.—His Lordship stated, that
from the first itininciit of Ferdinand's entrance into Spain, the
British Ambassador, Sir Henry Wellesley, had applied to Mal
of his own accord, and afterwards, with the full authorization
of Government, to induce him to accept the Constitution of the
torte', and to shiny lenity towards the Liberates. If any fanlt
had been committed, it was in going farther than the rights et'
an ally justitied. It had been officially notified to the King of
Spain, that.no money slamtel be paid him, neither was any mo-
ney paid hint, in consequence of his conduct, with the excep-
tion of 441110 doiil ara for table.expenses elnring his imicbcY from
France to Spain, which bad been advanced at the request of
one of the chiefs of the Liberales. 'File representations in bc-
half of the persecuted, who, in their day of power, had also bet it
perseemors, had not been confined to this eountry. The Mi-
nisters of the three great continental Pew, is, our allies, had
been instructed at the Court of Madrid ; and the present mo-
tion was likely rather to dcleat than to forward the views with
which we had interfered. As to General Whittingbain, who
had distinguished !dinned' in several battles, anil sacrificed
brighter prospects bete to the cause of Spain, which he had
espoused at its earliest dawn, was he to be blamed for obeying
the orders of his superiors, when he. did not even know what
their object was? On these grounds, he never found himself
called upon to give a more parainount or stronger negative to
any motion.--t Lend and euntinurd cheering.)
Lord JOIIN Russet:. saw no reason why intesferenee should
not be carried a little further.
Alderman C. SAI rim, on the authority of letters which he had
received from the most respectable characters in Spain, ex-
pressed his conviction, that the people of this country were
sptite mistaken as to the state of affairs in that nation. There
"as not a mare popular mon ureb in Europe, nor one to whom
les subjects were more devotedly attached than Ferdinand,
Gen. Mtaft sAvs said, that F- was a n--r, au odiout
and detestable to---r.—t The speech of the Noble
lord was intended by his Lordship to close the mouths of all
those who were not on the same side of the House : but no-
thing rank' be said by the Noble Lord to shin the mouths of
those on his (General Mathews') side of theifianse, or to alter
their opinions.—(Laug;:tee.) 'they would raise their %Mr.%
against the iniquitous acts oh' that iniquitous in—r F -
whom lie hoped to see hurled flout his ill-gotten and blvoit-
stained t—e.

Mr. 'SENNETT defended the conduct of the Liberales, who
had not acted agaiint the interests of this country. Fie main-
tained the right of interference on the Nita' the Home. He
also .houldlike to know what person, or oh.it Minister, had
cnimselled the bending the Order of the Garter to Fer&nand
VII. although, to be sure, an honour 1141 been received in
return.

Mr. Bent/Gni sst perceiseil, !loin the declaration of the
Noble Lord, with nu small astonishment, that the conntrs had
interfered all along, had sent instructions to her Minister., and
wante-1 in nothing to t%e unthrtunate Liberates ; in fail, that
the object which be bad thought to spein by his motion, hail at-
ready beer, attempted. gilt low could he divine that such
NA, the reality!' When a notice had been given. and some
coaversation had taken place on the subject, the Nob c Lord
had preserved a dead si.ence, for the pile iosc,ino donut, of
en:rap,:ing hi• opponents by their silence 'tut) the present mo-
tion; winch he sho.il I not ;tIV4S it the in.,. erence cr. ; . ern-
ment had taii.en pi. re after Di-ermine, ir.nin the I:At :iolcnt
proceeding of Ferdinand against the Liberates had occurred; ae

the results of our efforts could nut then he known. If before
that period, be would persist its his motion, as it would be clear
that the eNertions of Government had tailtul.
Mr. %VELLESLEY Pots maintained, that his Noble Friend
had clearly stated, that from the moment of Ferdinamt's en-
trance into Spalts Government had used its best offices in fa-
vour of the Idealisers of the Cortes and the Liberates. lie
therefore wondered at the surprise the Hon. Gentleman lead
expressed. It was true, that lie had not a seat in the House last
rear; but his fricuds ought to have informed him, that two or
three times during the last Session, its answer to a Member
now nu more, be (Mr. W. Pole) had explained, that from the
moment Sir Henry Wellesley had met the King of Spoilt at Va-
lencia, lie had left nothing untried to persoade him to accept
the Constitution, Null to treat the Liberates with mildness. It
*Ws therefore hardly possible that the Gentleman opposite
should lint have known the course adopted by Government.
The Liberals.% themselves were einem. ~ that all that was
possible had been attempted in their cause ; and that was so no-
t o isms, bolls in Spans and in this country, that he was astonished
the lion. Gent. should nut have informed himself of the fact
before he had brought his motion- Goverunient had interfered
from the first moment ; but it' he thought proper to perm.% ere
in his appeal to the House, let him go on, only let him not any
that they were takt by surprise. He would add, that it was
the opinioa of Sir Henry Wellesley himself, that the latignage
Used its this country, and the attempts nude in this House to
degrade King Ferdinand, were in a great measure the cause
that their ease Intl not been listened to as it would have been
batlike been left to himself Ile also thought that our merchants
and residents *uttered materially from it Not a post, Sir Henry
'Welk Acy said, arrived in Spain, s ithout hriuging papers full
of httla 1111 l lately and abusive paragraphs aganist Fersiatind ;
in consequence of vvE:t h our merchants and residents were
greatly impeded and injured in their concerns. However, the
lesson which the Hon. Gentleman lied received to-night, and
he did nut mean any offence by the word lesson, would teach
him to make himself more master of the subject before he
brouclit forward another motion, in order to save much trouble
to the House.
Mr. Ilnocentatu trusted that the Right Hon. Gent. would
*Team this lesson himself, to know another time low to express
what he meant. As for the lessen w hie li lie (Mr. It.) had learnt,
it was that Ministers had for 20 immtlis used fruitless niter-
ference. The only alteratiou that knowledge would have oc-
casioned, had he possessed it before, would have been an in-
crease of force in the worsting of Isis motion.
Lord CASTLEREAGIA should only urge the argument, that, so
far from yielding any good, the interference of Parliament
would only serve to deprive Geverunient of obtaining the de-
aired object.
Mr. lIERNEY wished to know whether the conrve adopted by
Government was likely to be attended with any beneficial et-
feet. lfso, he would advise his Hen. Friend to withdraw his
tuotion. The manner in which the Liberates had been treated,
eeemed to have roused the same feelings in his Majesty's Minis-
ters as in his Hon. Friend and the three allied European Pow-
en ; it was not too much therefore to ask whether they wanted
further assistance, should they all have failed. If the noble
lord would state that the interference of Goveniment was in
progress, and that the 'simian would prevent its success, then
be would, as he had :dreads. said, advise that it should be with-
drawn ; but if lie considered that all efforts had proved fruitless,
then it would not be improper to call in the assistance of a fifth
Power.
Lord CASTLEREAGH was conscious how anxious the Hon.
*Gentleman was to be freed frosts his motion ; he would, however,
afford him no other aid than the opinion which he had already
expressed, that the motion was calculated to embarrass the at-
tempt made by Government.
Mr. Tfeescv conceived, notwithstauding the triumph of
the Noble Lord, that the arguments of Isis Hon. Friend re-
mained unanswered. Indeed no one had attempted that task
but an Hon. Aldernrau.. . .

Alderman Ssi ITII explained.
The Howse then divided :
A.gainst the motion . . .
For it
Majority in favour of Ministers . . . . . . ----al
~A,j k‘in.cd.