The Sun.
London, England, 1836-02-20 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, FEERUARY 19.
The LORD CILANCRLLOR took his seat on the Woolsack at
lye o'clock. '
AGRICULTURAL DISTRESS.

Lord BRAYBROOKE presented a petillon from Essex,
complaining of agricultural distress, and praying relief.
Lord WYNFORD presented a similar petition from Nor-
thampton.

CLERGY OF TUAM.
Lord RODEN said, that as he had given notice of his
intention to present this day a petition from the
.Clergy of
Tuam, he felt bound to state, that on looking over the petition,
he found there were some verbal faults which were neces-
sary to be corrected before be could present it to their
Lordships. He should therefore return it to the petitioners,
and upon receiving it again he would take the first opportunity
of presenting it to their Lordships.
AFFAIRS OF SPAIN.
The Marquis of LONDONDERRY said that he should
have made the motion which he was now about to make
last night, bad it not been for the flat contradiction he had re-
ceived from the Noble Viscount opposite, with respect to the
answer received from the Queen of Spain relative to the dis-
charge of the 27 Spanish prisoners to whom he bad adverted.
He maintained that those unfortunate individuals had been
taken prisoners against all principles of international law ;
upon that subject the Noble Viscount had flatly contradicted
him. It was not.for him to discuss with the Noble Viscount
what was the law of nations, but he was empowered to say that
it was the opinion of one of the highest judicial authorities in
the country tat the capture of these persons by the Royal
Tar was an act of positive piracy. The transactions were
such as, in his opinion, loudly called for the interference
of the Government. Upon his pressing this subject last year,
there was a communication made to him which gave him to
believe that the Government would take decided measures for
the liberation of these persons, but up to the present moment
those persons had been confined. He moved for the papers of
which he had given notice, for the purpose of seeing whether
it was the intention of the King's Government to use their
efforts, and the power they possessed over the Queen of
Spain's Government, to have these persons liberated. He
could not believe, with the powers they had, and the means
they possessed under the quadruple treaty of stopping the
means of carrying on the warfare, that is justice they could
do otherwise than use every effort to liberate these un-
fortunate individuals. The generals of the Queen of Spain's
army had first established this horrible warfare, and there-
fore they ought to be the means of putting an end to it.
When the paise-rs came before the House, he should consider
what steps ought to be taken for liberating these indivi-
duals.—( Hear, hear, hear.) The Noble Marquis con-
cluded by moving, " That an Htimble Address be presented
to his Majesty, requesting that his Majesty would be graciously
pleased to order that there be laid before the House a copy of
a letter sent in or about September last, from his Majesty's
principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to the Spanish
Government, interceding for the liberation or exchange of the
27 Spanish passengers taken on board the Isabella Anne, about
February, 1835, and still retained as prisoners, together with
the answer of the said Government to the same."

Viscount MELBOURNE had no objection whatever to the
production of the papers, and when they were produced, the
Noble Marquis could take what steps he might think proper.
He was sorry the Noble Marquis considered he had been
guilty of a want of courtesy towards him upon a former occa-
sion, for he could assure the Noble Marquis he had never had
any such intention.
ENGROSSMENT OF ACTS OF PARLIAMENT.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE moved that certain re-
solutions that had been come to by the House of Commune
relative to the printing of Acts of Parliament, and other Par-
liamentary documents, should be referred to a Committee of
their Lordships' House ; and that they should report their
opinion thereon.—Agreed to.
Their Lordships then adjourned till Monday.