The Sun.
London, England, 1831-07-28 00:00:00

The Right lion.
sion, hut thought
regarding these fr
tion to the Noble
King's speech, it
fleet had forced tin
Portuguese vessel
the walls of Lid
tuguese navy es%
This amounted to
Had such a ward..
R. Peel) would not req ..xpr,
to enforce the treaties with Portugal, so far as to sly that,
however wrong Portugal might be, we were bound to
support her; but it should be reol!ected we were still
under engagements with her to repel any foreign aggres -
sion. He would ask whether there were any objections on
the part of Government to lay before the House a copy of
the communications, if any, relative to this subject, in order
that the House might see whether we were justified in
withholding- our interference, and whether a cocoa fitderis
ha I arisen to justify France in what she had done?
Lord PALMERSTON said nothing was fairer than his
Right Hon. Friend's questions. But he would not enter
into detail. He had laid before the House the protocol be-
twien the Four Powers, Great Britain, Russie, Austria,
and Prussia, stating that as soon as there was a Govern-
sielt in Belgium recognised by those Powers they would
rotor into a negotiation, to consider whether the for-
tre,sea, or any part of them, should be razed, undra-
the circumstances in which Belgium was situ ited. Ile
could inform his Right Hon. Friend that to that future ne-
gotiation France would not be a party, but only the Four
Powers Le had aliuded to. If he were to enter
n the grounds on which the Four Powers had egveed to
thminish the number of those fortresses, it would imme-
diately- occur to every one that the email resources of
Belgium rendered it impossible for them to be supported.
With regard to that part of the King of France's speech
relative to the conduct of France towards Portugal, be
could confidently state that Goverment was net
insensible to the obligations under which the treaties
bound this country to Portugal—(hear)—and which'
guaranteed to that country the succour of England. And
it it had been the opinion of the Government that the late
occurrences between those two countries required either the
military aid or the mediation of this country with France,
the mere non-recognition of the present Government
of Portugal by this country would not have prevented such
a course. His Right Hon. Friend wished to know
whether Ministers would lay those papers before Parlia-
ment, statin., what had come to their knowledge,
and what had to the French expedition. In reply, he
could state that whenever the time should arrive at which,
in the opinian of Ministers, that information could be
communicated to Parliament, they would be ready to do
so, and assign motives fur their conduct, if it should be
impugned. At present it was not expedient to produce
that information, not as respected themselves, but because
it bore on transactions at present incomplete.
Sir R. PEEL felt some satisfaction that the question as
to what number and description of fortresses in Belgium
should be destroyed, was to be decided by the Four Powers
without France. They were intended for the defence, not of
the united provinces of Europe, but more especially
of Rolland, a country in the maintenance of whose
independence England was most deeply interested. Ile
would just state to the Noble Lord now, when it was not
too late, the peculiar claims of that country. The No/ le
Lord would recollect that by the convention in 1814, British
money was applied to the erection of those fortresses for the
purpose first of defending Holland, but secondly for the
purpose of consulting British interests. Two millions v ere
advanced to the King of Holland for the purpose of effecting
and maintaining those fortresses, and in consideration
thereof the people of Holland had ceded to this country the
colonies of Demerara, the Cape of Good Hope. Bethke, and
Essequibo. He would ask if the King of Holland was to
he considered as a party in any degree interested in the
matter, and what recompence he would by the demolition
of these fortresses have received in the cession of these
colonies by England ?

Lord PALMERSTON would assure the House that
his Majesty's Government had not been forgetful of the
ancient and lonz subsisting alliances between Hol and and
England, and that they were quite aware of the extrem*
importance to England of maintaining the indepen-
dent friendship of Holland.—(Hear.) With regatd
to the connection which had been referred to, the
Right Hon. Baronet opposite had alluded to one of the
equivalents which Holland had received from a cession of
the colonies of Demerara, the Cape of Good Hope, Bethke,
and Essequibo ; but the full equivalent was the payment to
Sweden ofa million which Holland would have had to pay,the
advancement of the two millions which had been referred
to, and charging ourselves with that portion of the Rus-
sian loan to which also reference had been made.

In answer to a question put by Lord ELIOT,
The NOBLE LOAD said, that within a very short pe-
riod after he undertook the duties with which he was
now charged, it occurred to the Plenipotentiaries of the
Four Powers in conference that it would become necessary,
as soon as Belgium was separated from Holland, to make
some arrangements. These Powers had no object in
calling their attention to these matters except to take
care that those arrangements, which had been made
sarme time ago for opposing a barrier against any possible
aggassion on the part of France, should not by an altera-
tion of circumstances serve a purpose very different front
the original one. The fortresses undoubtedly were not
constructed with any intention to menace France,
but on the defensive system, for the purpose of protecting
other countries from those aggressions which in the then
state of things might be attempted on the part of France.
On the motion that the papers be laid on the table,

Mr. BARING observed that he considered the payment
of the debt of Russia, due to individuals in Holland, which
was undertaken by the King of the Nettie' Linds and this
country, would be terminated by the separation.
Lord PALMERSTON observed, that the question was
not as to new engagements, but to settle what was the force
of old ones.

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e Lord rei#o4lll&he-__ ' 'of i '` ell
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.fare existed in any other country, he (Sir
not require explanations. He did nut NVI•11