The Sun.
London, England, 1830-02-05 00:00:00

planation would be submitted to their Lordships, He did
not wish to press for the information before that period
;bebruetcobgenfiiusreei, Tice.
ia)rerriivoeddarwrilvieend i‘tvhmenigohtonbileiisgaufeellysigwivuelini
thought it would be necessary to have whatever informa-
tion the Government possessed before them. Their Lord-
ships were told, the Session before the last, that it was to
the atthigeustterhneiai(rfiactufitirtihe
of
follarl
their diEffi s °
f pagu
ctuhietyiezusatrillookfor a
ali.sion bad been sent out to effect a reconciliation, or at
least to suggest the principles and basis on which a recoil_
ciliation might be effected ; but not one word was to be
found in the notable papers already mentioned of the pro-
positions which had been made, or in what manner they
had been received—of all these not one word had been
laid before their Lordships. Both Houses would, Le
hoped, taink it right to inquire what were the principles
en which it was proposed to terminate this state of
things, and what were the causes of the failure, before
they consented to the bad, the disgraceful measure,
of acknowledging a bloody Usurper over a country
which was more necessary than all other couutties
to the welfare of England ; but which, by A
strange series of mismanagements, had within
the last two years, been completely estranged
from the people acid Government of England. If his
health allowed, he should probably make some motion on
this subject. He was afraid as he was growing old, he
was growing fastidious; fur he did not approve of either
Amendment; and there was, be believed, another to be
moved ; he should therefore retire when the question was
put, and not give his vote on either side. He, like his
Noble Friend, was surprised that the Government could
draw satisfaction from an event they had formerly depre-
cated. They had told us that Turkey was necessary to the
balance of power in Europe—that this country must
always desire to see it independent and strong. But the
Noble Duke now congratulated himself at a peace which
destroyed the independence of Turkey. He did not know
of what use it wax to this country to uphold one of the
most o lious and detestable tyrannies that ever existed ; and
which had done more mischief to the world than any
other tyranny. He regretted that the Russians had not
taken Constantinople—he regretted it very much.—
(Hear, hear, and a laugh. )—lf they had taken Constanti-
nople, the Noble Duke would have sent no fleet to protect
it, whatever might live been his declarations. The value
of such professions was not known, and nobody would
trust them. The Noble Duke seems satisfied that come-
thing has happened which he did not wish—he was pro-
bably rejoiced that he had fallen soft.
The Earl of ABERDEEN explained, that when his
Majesty's Ministers were disposed to take any step with
respect to renewing our diplomatic relations with Portugal,
they would not ask the Noble Lord's advice. When the
time came, information would be laid before their Lord-
ships, which would justify the advice the Ministers might
give. If he said it had not taken place before it was aeces-
. sexy, he did not mean that the country was driven by any
• argent necessity to acknowledge Don Miguel. The Noble
Lord had used some terms in speaking of him which he
could not entertain. He had never been that Prince's
advocate; but he believed that there were great exaggera-
tions respecting him which were not justified by anything
which he (Lord Aberdeen) had heard. He knew what
the spirit of party was, and he knew how that could over-
charge the character of Princes. His character might
well deserve what was said of him ; he did not mean to
defend or to palliate the conduct of Don Miguel; but it
was possible that his conduct had been rnierepreaented by
party spirit. He was surprise-. 1 to hear the Noble Lord
object to acknowledging an Usurper; for he should have
thought he would have been the last man to have made
much objections. If he recollected right, the Noble Lord
had ne objection formerly to acknowledge an Usurper
who had been chosen by the people. Don Miguel had
been chosen by the people, and he never remembered
any person wino had dethroned the lawful Monarch that
had received greater support. Had he been originally
some obscure person—had he not beeu illustrious by his
birth and high station, he might, perhaps, have been
glorified, and been thought a happy traitor; but without
referring to him, attending only to the interests of Eng-
land, the question would be decided whether or not the
English Government should acknowledge him ? It was
the interest of England to preserve the connection with
Portugal. At present that connection had been int r-
rupted for a longer period titan at any other time for
these 200 years, during which the countries had one com-
mon interest, and had gone on in amity. It was not
only our Amicable relations which were interrupted, tend-
ing to injure the union which had so long subsisted, but
the interruption was opening the way to other Powers to
fill up our place. If we went on as we were going, other
Powers would not fail to take advantage of it, and we
should be acting contrary to what had been the settled
policy of this country for a great many years. Whenever
the recognition should take place, the House should have
the fullest information, so as to enable it to form a judg-
ment of the event, and he had 110 doubt but the House
and the country would be satisfied of its propriety when-
ever it occurred.
Lord HOLLAND, in explanation—The Noble Earl
said he would not ask his advice ; nor would he ask the
advice of Parliament. The Noble Earl formed his opi-
nion independently of all other people, and of all other con-
siderations, except those relating to himself and the Par•
liament; and the public and a humble individual like
himself were to be informed when the step was taken.
He called Don Miguel an usurper, because he woo an
usurper ; and sot only an usurper, but a breaker of those
promises he had celled on us to witness lie hid broken
Ills faith with us, and he had usurped the Crown to which
Ire had sworn allegiance—he usurped the Crown of a near
relation, after swearing most solemnly that he would de-
fend and serve it. It was not exactly as au usurper that
he spoke, Hire were tire Governor of the country de facto
it might be our duty to acknowledge him. The Noble
Earl said, that he (Lord Holland) was fond of usurper.,
and had been ready to acknowledge them. If the Noble
Earl alluded to Napoleon Buonaparte, he would nut pay
Buonaparte such a bad compliment as to say that he was a
very different person from Don Miguel. If Buonaparte
was an usurper, he did not know whose throne he usurped
—ire was made the Governor of tire country by the law,
and had the same right to the Throne of France—a Par-
liamentary right—as the illustrious family under whom
the people of this country lived had to the Throne of Great
Britain. He was not an usurper. The Noble Earl said it
was the interest of this country to keep up our relations
with Portugal. He was of the same opinion, but he main-
tained, that the conduct of his Majesty's Ministers bad lost
as all our interest in that country. It did not signify
whether Don Miguel was King, or whether the Coo-
stitutionalitts were in power, or whether the Government
was vested in Donna Maria ; the present was the first pe-
riod in the history of that country in which the public
mind in Portugal, of all parties, was so decidedly hostile to
England, that it sought support in Spain, or in France, or
in any other country, rather than hare recourse to England.
The present Government had military possession of Portu-
gal et the time they succeeded to the administration, and
they had mismanaged matters in such a disgraceful manner
that we bad lust our most necessary and useful Ally. The
Noble Earl said he would not ask advice before he acknow-
ledged Don Miguel. He would nut ask advice of either
House of Parliament; but he hoped that the House of
Lords and the other House of Parliament would not ask
the advice of his .1111jesty's Ministers; and in particular
would not ask the advice of the Noble Earl, before they re-
solved to obtain iliformation ; and that some opportunity
would speedily be taken to get all the information con-
nected with this subject laid before the Parliament, parti-
cularly all the information connected with that disgusting
outrage and that violation of the law which had been per-
petrated ofi7 Terceira. The Noble Earl had insinueed
that he loved revolutions, and did not lore legitimate go-
vernments ; but such language was perhaps areparliamen-
tary—it was certainly Rot proper language to use in that
House, and still leas was it proper in the mouth of one who
held such. a Ligla official situation as the Noble Earl.
The Earl of WINCHELSEA supported the Amend-
ment. He contended that the distress was unparalleled,
and he regretted that the Speech from the Throne should
have noticed it so slightly. The distress nurser was so
great, and the public mind was completely disheartened.
Either the Advisers of sloe Crown had taken no pains to
obtain information, or they had misrepresented the case to
his Majesty ; or they had told him that legislation could
supply no remedy. He regretted to see a spirit of asso-
ciation growing up in the country, and God forbid that it
should extend or eontioue,oa spirit of seeking redress for
grievances by the means of the people themicives, 'mates('
of carrying theta before Porliatnent ; and he was afraid
that this spirit would be increased by Parliament not in-
qu:rioe, into the camel; of the distress. He gave his heart-
felt support to the Ameonlutcnt.
Earl STANHOPE, in reply, stated that he intended,
were Iris Motion for a general inquiry complied with, to
follow it up by a motion for a special inquiry on each par-
ticular beaech or the subject, which would give the Noble
Duke an opportunity of ea:piainieg his theories about the
currency. The House would riot discharge its duty to
the country, if it did not pursue the inquiry into tire dis-
tress generally and specifically.
;„oed KING said he had an amendment of his own to
move to tire Adeireza in roamer to tae King's Speech, as
he could not agree to any part of the Amendment of the
Noble Earl. He objected to the Speech, that it gave no
adequate idea of the distress of the country that it did