The Sun.
London, England, 1839-02-22 00:00:00

AFFAIRS OF SPAIN.

The Marquis of LONDONDERRY rose
to move that that portion of her Majesty's
speech relating to Spain be now read.
Lord BROUGHAM reminded their Lordships
that the papers moved for last Session were not
yet laid on the table ; he meant a return of any
despatches which may have been received from
the Governor-General of the Leeward Islands, or the
Council of Government, touching the dissolution of the
Legislative Assembly of those islands.
The Marquis of LONDONDERRY said it would
have ill become him to occupy their Lordships time when
the address was moved, by giving expression to his sen-
timents on any point, and he therefore reserved himself
for the present occasion to express his sentiments on that
part of her Majesty's Speech which related to the af-
fairs of Spain. He would move that that part of her
Majesty's Speech which related to Spain be read.
The deep interest which he took in that subject in-
duced him to move for papers at the close of last session.
li their Lordships had had the patience to read those pa-
pers which had been laid on their table, they would have
have been acquaintedwith the dreadful state of affairs in that
unfortunate country. He appealed to the candour of the
Noble Viscount whether there was any exaggeration of
any nature in the statements made by him (Lord L.)
on the subject. He would endeavour shortly to explain
the situation in which we stood with regard to that
country. We had made an expenditure upon the war
now carrying on in that country of 569,1631., and
had sacrificed upwards of 8,000 men. He would ask
if we are still to continue our exertions, to waste our
money and treasure, for the purpose of upholding a
cause so disgraceful in itself and so despised by all the
Governments of Europe ? In offering those observa-
tions he was confirmed in the hope that a dif-
ferent system was to be pursued, by remarking
that the expressions in her Majesty's speech this year
expressed a spirit so different from that that was sx-
pi essed in previous speeches from the Throne on that
subject, he trusted that the Government had deter-
mined to abandon the course they had hitherto pursued.
That Government through the Commissioners and Lard
John Hay had opened a communication with the Span-
ish Government, andlhad afforded them, consequent upon
that, a supply of ammunition and cannon. Thus they
had only escaped the disgrace inflicted on them by the
return of the Legion in November, to fall into such
another trap immediately afterwards. He would call
the attention of their Lordships to the different manner
in which the affairs of Spain had been alluded to, in
the Speeches from the Throne, since 1834. In 1834,
the Speech from the Throne stated that his Majesty had
directed to be laid before Parliament the articles of the
treaty entered into between himself and his allies, the
King of the French, the Queen of Spain, and the
Queen of Portugal. In 1836, the speech expressed
that the measures he had taken, and the energetic
conduct of the Queen of Spain would be fully sufficient
to bring the civil war to a speedy termination. In
1837 the speech expressed regret that the civil contest
in Spain had not yet been brought to a close, and
stated that his Majesty still continued to afford the
Queen of Spain that assistance which he wes bound to
afford her by the treaty of the Quadruple Alliance.
These speeches all speak of affording every assistance, and
of the expectations of ultimate success in the contest. In
November, 1837, her Majesty expresses her regret at the
continuance of the civil war in Spain, and states that she
continues to execute with fidelity her engagements
with the Queen of Spain. In 1837 their Lordships
would perceive there was still the same decision to con-
tinue in the same course which had hitherto been pursued ,
but on the opening of this Session we only find one single
sentence expressing her Majesty's regret at the continu-
ance of the civil war in Spain. Their Lordship's would
observe the great difference in the expressions of her Ma-
jesty's Minister at these different periods. He wished to
know from the Noble Viscount whether this charge of ex-
pression had any allusion to a determination on the part
of her Majesty's Government to desist from the course