The Sun.
London, England, 1838-03-28 00:00:00

of Spain's own hand, in which she says—" I declare that the
Gallant General De Lacy Evans and the other Spanish and
British officers who contributed to the taking of Irun have

most completely fulfilled my expeetations."--(Hear, hear.)
He trusted the House of Commons would have some regard

for its own character, that it would not say that the Order in
Council had produced no beneficial effects on the affairs
of Spain. It had been argued that the warfare waged
by the Legion in Spain was not in accordance with the
law of nations. For his part he could entertain no doubt
upon the subject. They were an auxiliary force grantedto an
ally to whom we were bound by treaty, and the assistance
afforded under such circumstances, so far from being unlawful
and unchristian, was quite the same as if the assistance had
been given directly by the troops of this country. Vattel,
who was considered an authority on these subjects, had given
an opinion as to how far it was lawful for the soldier to serve
is a mere mercenary. Vattel was of opinion, that where
there was an express opinion, or a tacit consent of the Sove-
reign, the subject might serve in the ranks of any other Mo•
'larch, and became, for the time, a member of the State in
whose cause be served. The Right Hen. Gentleman, whe
was very indistinctly heard, repeated the names of several
eminent men who had thus volunteered into foreign service,
either through a love of renown, or a desire to become more
conversant with the art and practice of war, but we could only
catch the names of Marlborough and Turenne. He denied
that serving in such a cause as that of the Queen of Spain
Was a disgrace or a discredit to any man.—( Ministerial
Cheers.) With this feeling, if he were a military man, he
'would not have the slightest hesitation in entering into the
service of the Queen of Spain ; but no consideration on
earth should induce him to serve under Don Carlos.—(Mi-
misterial cheers.) He would be the last man to impute un-
worthy motives to any person, but it was strange that,
within so short a period, the affairs of Spain should be a
second time brought before the House. Did the Noble Lord
Woo brought the question forward, use it with a hope of over-
throwing Ministers? Three times it had been resorted to for
that purpose—three times his Hon. and Gallant Friend ( Sir
G. Evans) had been put upon his trial—( Ministerial cheers)
•—and on each occasion all the force and the power of the
very powerful party opposite had been put into requisition.
If the proposition of the Noble Lord were agreed to, the im-
pression throughout Europe would be that this country had
abandoned the line of policy which she had marked out for
herself with respect to a nation to which she was bound by
treaty. —( Hoar, hear.) The Continental States would at
once come to this conclusion, without balancing the niceties
which attached to the discussion of the question in that House.
They would come to the one broad and general conclusion.—
(Hear, hear.) If Spain fell, Portugal would follow next, and
Pretenders would be seated on the thrones of both countries.
This was a matter of serious consideration, and for these rea-

sons be would oppose the Noble Lord, to whom, however, he
must give credit for that integrity of purpose by which his con-
duct had been ever characterised.

Sir A. DALRYMPLE, who was frequently completely
inaudible, was understood to repeat his opinion of last night,
that the course pursued with respect to the British Legion in
Spain was contrary both to military law and usage. The
Right Hon. Gentleman who had just sat down had not entered
upon that point of difference.
Mr. C. FERGUSSON felt himself to ill to go more at
large into the question.
Sir A. DALRYMPLE, with that explanation, would not
further press the point. The question resolved itself into two
points. The first, relative to the utility of the services ren-
dered by the Legion in Spain • and the next was, whether or
not the Order in Council should be renewed. The Hon. and
Gallant Gentleman who had commanded the Legion had told
the House that he was not answerable for the policy or impo-
lie), of permitting the troops to be raised. The command had
been offered to him and he had accepted it. The Hon. and
Gallant Gentleman had also stated that he had many difficul-
ties to surmount, that he had found the inhabitants unfriendly
on his arrival, and that one in five of the trcops under his
command had died in winter quarters.—( Hear, hear.) They
should therefore go to the consideration of the question with-
out either blaming or criticising the Hon. and Gallant Gen-
tleman. With respect to the Legion itself it was the first
time in the history of this country that an army had been
raised by beat of drum for a foreign Power—( Oh, oh)—
which was to receive foreign pay. —( Hear, hear.) The late
instance was a solitary one. He hoped such another would
not again occur in the history of this country, and he should
cordially support the l roposition of the Noble Lord.
Captain PE CHEL L contended that the Legion had ren-
dered considerable service to Spain, and that the course pur-
sued by Ministers was one which would in many respects,
prove advantageous to ih hi country. It had been stated, and
he believed truly, that the Government of Spain was entirely
governed by the moral influence of England. What gave us
that influence ? The fulfilment of our engagements with her.
What was its effect? The complete abolition of the slave trade.
It was to the treaty of 1935, concluded by the Noble Lord Pal-
merston, that the abolition of that nefarious traffic was entirely
owing. During the reign of Ferdinand the Seventh, England
never could obtain any moral power ov r the Spanish Govern-
ment as regarded it ; and in all the time that Hon. Gents.
opposite held office they could not make any impres!ion on the
councils of Spain. He (Captain Pechell) would next proceed
to the other advantages derived to this country from the fulfil-
ment of the Quadruple Treaty with Spain. One of the chief
of these was the employment of the officers of the navy
in the service. Another advantage .c-aimed too, was the
knowledge of the power of steam-vessels as engines of war
—a knowledge unattainable before, because they were un-
known in action. By their agency and the accurate practice
of the artillery another advantage was in evidence of our na-
tional reeourcec—the Carlist works on the Bilboa River had
been completely destroyed whenever they came within the
range of the'r guns. This employment of a part of our naval
force end the knowledge of our undiminished spirit derived
f•om it—together with the valuable experience in a warlike
point of view which our navy acquired was, he considered, of
the greatest advantage. He would now turn to the commer-
cial advautages. Who would deny that keeping open the
port of Bilboa was an important advantage to our trade with
Spain? Who would undertake to assert that that port would
not he closed against us if it were in possession of the Car-
lists ? It was the same with the other ports of that country ;
which, if occupied by the Carliste, would most assuredly be
shut against England, and everything Liberal ; though 'Hon.
Gentlemen opposite, the Noble Lord perhaps, and especially
the late Hon. Member for Dover, might have permission to
enter them. Without meaning anything personally disre-
epectfed to the Noble Lord (Eliot) lie (Captain Pechell) felt
bound to say that he considered his speech a most miserable
failure for the purpose intended by it. Ile should, therefore,
give it his decided opposition.
'Mr. PO ULT ER looked on the motion of the Noble Lord
as the result of a feeling of disappointment and chagrin at the
non-occurrence of events predicted by all parties, especially
of some predicted by Hon. Gentlemen at the opposite side of
the House at the outset of the business. He did not coasider
it in any way called for by a wsnt of generous energy on the
part of her Majesty's Government, or by any dereliction of
duty on the part of his lion. and Gallant Friend who com-
manded the Legion. Ile (Mr. Poulter) deeply deplored the
policy of the French Monarch towards Spain, and could only
account for it by believing that he was actuated by family
or other motives purely personal. With respect to the con-
duct of his Hon. and Gallant Friend who commanded the
Legion, he (Mr. Poulter) saw nothing in it but cause of high
commendation. In that view of it he concurred with General
Count Harispe, one of the oldest and ablest Generals in the
French service, and one of the best judges of military merit
in Europe. Nothing could be alleged against his Hon. and
Gallant Friend except the violation of a little Article of
War-4 Laughter)--but there was no reasonable man who
could not deem the situation in which he was placed a suffi-
cient justification if a greater license were used by him.
Whatever course France took in the matter, he (Mr. Poulter)
trusted that England would be always found faithful to the
treaties she entered into.
Mr. S. HERBERT said that the main question was, why
did we interfere with the intestine feuds of the Spanish
people ? Was it to support a certain form of Government, or
to support a general and unlimited democracy ? The
Quadruple Treaty was founded on the Estatuto Real—its
principle was to support a Government on that fundamental
basis ; but what was the fact? The Estatuto Real was no
longer heard of. Government succeeded Government, and
faction followed faction, and every ono of them was more
democratic than that which preceded it. Was proof of
this fact wanting ? If so, it would be found in the
laws passed against the aristocracy—in the confiscation
of ancient estates—in the destruction of Noble fa-
milies—and, above all, in the robbery and sale of Church
property. The Right Honourable Member for Kirkcud-
bright, had referred with great triumph to the services of the
Legion in Spain ; but he (Mr. Herbert) believed that there
was a very great difference of opinion on that subject in the
public mind. At all events, he could safely say that the side
of the House on which he sat was quite adverse to such an
opinion. But it was not of the Legion nor of General Evans
that they complained. They did not deny that that Hon. and
Gallant Member had displayed courage and conduct, and that
his men were brave, as Englishmen usually are; but what
they did complain of was, that by the policy of the Govern-
ment they were placed in such a position as to exasperate the
people among whom they were sent—to make their foes im-
placable—and to make those who should be their friends ad-
verse to all co-operation with them. The feelings of tha
Spanish people had been outraged ; their prejudices had been
violated by the introduction of foreigners into their domestic
quarrels, and the result was the Durango decree. In all our
efforts,we were doing roe more than supporting the minority
against the majority. (Cries of " No.") Yes, the majority
was in favour of Don Carlos. He (Mr. Herbert) hoped that,
under these circumstances, the House would pause and well
consider all the bearings of the case before they decided on
the subject; and he sincerely trusted that many Honourable
Members who had hitherto supported her Majesty's Govern-
ment with a generosity and devotion almost pertinacious, would
be now induced, by an examination of all the merits of the
question, to take part against them.—( Hear, and laughter.)
The Hon. Member concluded by supporting the motion.
Sir H. VIVIAN could not think it desirable that assistance
should be withdrawn from Spain, and he could not believe
that it had been useless. Spain was the best judge of its value,
and from what appeared in its official documents prized it
highly. L Here the Hon. Member read extracts of documents
from Senor Mendizabal to Sir George Villiers, and from the
Spanish Ambassador in London to Lord Palmerston, decla-
ratory of the advantage derived from the services of the Bri-
tish Legion, and requesting that their services might be con-
tinued to Spain.l He would ask if these services had not
been instrumental in preserving the peace of Europe by the
preservation of Bilbao and St. Sebastian, and the rescue of
Passages from the arms of Don Carlos'? Had Spain been
- able to pay the Legion, he had no doubt it would have re-
mained in full force to the present day, and have deserved
the name of an excellent corps,—(Hear, , hear, and great