The Sun.
London, England, 1836-01-11 00:00:00

WIDNESDAY.

Senor Perpina, in a long rambling discourse, stated that
he always intended to oppose the plan of the Minister on
the vote of confidence, or rather the four votes of confidence
asked for by the project of law. There was no ground
shown for such votes of confidence. The Procuradores
were not assembled there to guess riddles, but, to judge the
acts of the Government on behalf of the nation. Why
not tell the recent intention of the Government to the de-
puties of the nation ; for the more numerous were the parts
of a secret, the better was it kept.
Senor Ferier.—When the committee asked for various
explanations from the Ministers, he offered to tell the whole
matter to any one of us who should be chosen for the pur-
pose, and .I as the leader was selected, but I could not un-
dertake to accept a secret, which, if the measure formed on
it should fail, the blame might be laid to my charge. lam
not like the last speaker, who amused us with riddles and
charades, nor do I think, as he does, that the more public
is a secret the less public is it.—(Laughter.) The com-
mittee will notice the language of the Knight of La Mancha,
and call him " a proud and uncommon enemy," but we shall
call him " the dauntless and fearless champion of the Op-
position." _ _ _

Senor Gonzalez defended the conduct of the Govern-
ment, and supported the vote of confidence. Without being
initiated in the secret, he believed it had some relation to a
banking operation.
M. Mendizabal declared that the Government had no in-
tention of making any operation of credit, and much less
of banking. The Government had no secret ; it had a
system, respecting which it had already given ekplana-
tions, and was prepared to give others when requisite,
and when not opposed to the great object it had in
view—that was, the destruction of the rebels, and the
consolidation of the throne of Isabel 11, and of liberty.
His worthy friend, the Conde do Toreno, was aware' of

his having had a system when he joined the Cabinet,
but there was a palpable difference between that of last
September and that of the present day. The confidence
which the Government sought for was like that granted
by the Queen to her Ministers, to do their best for her
benefit. Its former acts were the best proofs that it would
not abuse that confidence in future.
Senor Alcala Galiano, in a brilliant speech, stated
that he was always an open friend or an open enemy.
The true cause of this long discussion was the Opinion
of certain Procuradores relative to the persons whom
they wished to be Ministers. A vote of confidence was
nothing but permission to adapt the acts of the Govern-
ment: to the exigencies of the. State. The present Mi-
nisters, in consequence of the faults of those who went
before them, came to ask a vote of confidence, to ask for
funds for the exigencies of the nation, to save the country
at the same time from Carlism or from bankruptcy, revolu-
tion and anarchy. A vote of confidence might be called an
administrative dictature ; it was a measure dictated by ne-
cessity. There was an attempt made in secret of arranging
an indirect systematic opposition ; it;was avowed by Senor
Perpina, and now was their attack directed against the Mi-
nistry. The nation was now in a revolution, and required
to be governed as such. Yet there came forward persons
who asked that the whole business of the Government
shoUld he carried on as if in the most ordinary times. And
when the Government asked for a measure of confidence,
they asked to know the secret of that confidence. This
was the mode they adopted to save the country ; and they
said that because there was no systematic opposition, the
Government ought not to resign. But the Ministers would
not do so ; they would resign if the vote was refused. And
who would take their places ? Let either of the two fac-
tions into which the late Ministry was divided, take their
places, their very first measure would he to come forward,
and on their knees to beg to carry on the Government, on:
the plan of the secret. The first fraction of that Govern-
ment, which expired in June last, had revived the credit of
the country by a cartel, which lowered the funds from 72

to 35. -Is that the fractiOn which ought to take the Minis-
try ? Ido not wish to attack thefallen, but I wish to save
my country, my friends, and myself, from the dangers with
which we are threatened. We have been told that those

votes of confidence are new in Legislative assemblies,

When Neckar asked for one in France, Mirabeau declared
that it ought to be granted. The great undeniable cause 0;

this vote is necessity, necessity, necessity.
Senor Martinez de la Rosa defended his acts as Minis-
ter, and took credit to himself for having sanctioned the
convention of Lord Eliot which had contributed to spare so
much Spanish blood. He had resigned last May to avoid
being implicated in any demand for a foreign intervention.
Senor Alcala Galiano contended that that treaty or con-
vention, and the statements of Colonel Gurwood, were the
cause of the, depression of the Spanish funds. That treaty
was the machination of some Tories, who under the mask
of humanity; `sought to ruin liberty in Spain. He was
ready for discussion on the subject.

THURSDAY.
The Marquis of Montesa insisted that the Government
ought to give some explanation to the Estamento on the
nature of the measures which it proposed to adopt. Why
was there a secret ? And above all, why was confidence
required on one side, while secrecy was observed on the
other ?

M. Mendizabal—The Government has no secret.- It
has a system which it proposes to carry into execution. It
is not possible to enter now into the details of such a sys-
tem. The Government has the intention of obtaining the
means of extinguishing the rebellion. Look at the arrange-
ments made for the supply of the troops by the propositions
made to the deputations. As to the plan of putting the
debt.with interest into circulation, however much it might
be talked of ammo- some of the public,no Procurador could
suppose it feasible. As to taking possession of the funds '
already amorticized by the sinking fund, such an imputation
deserved no answer.
Senor Aguirre Solarte, as a member of the committee
said-that the explanations of the Government had proved
satisfactory to him, from their ability and good faith. Four
months was all the period asked for, 'and he could not re—
fuse to grant his confidence to those who had during four
months already past done so much good for .the nation.
A motion was made by a procurador to have the ques-
tion declared sufficiently discussed, but the motion was ne-
gatived.

Senor Medrano, at some length, stated that although be
approved of the first and second articles, he could not agree
to the third. He said the expenses of the new armament
would be 500,000,000 reals (5,000,000 L sterling)

M. Mendizabal.—That calculation is erroneous, although
made by one who was lately a Secretary of State. The Go-
vernment adds no new officers. The levy of the 100,000.
is for pne year, and will not cost more than 7.5,000,000, or
even 100,000;000 reals, and will be a saving, for the Free
Corps and the Moveable National Guard cost double that
sum. The exact number of men likely to be raised from
the levy, which cannot be effected in Navarre, the Basque
provinces, and Catalonia, will be about 70,000, exclusive
of 12,000 who will have paid the redemption money, which
will suffice for the clothing of the rest ; at three reals per
man per day, the amount will be 200,000, which, at the end
of each month, amounts to about 6,000,000, or about
75,000,000 per annum. Such erroneous calculations as
those of the late Minister are calculated to do mischief, and
I wish the truth to be known.

Senor Arguelles, in a luminous discourse of two hours'
length, entered into the details of the Report of the Com-
mittee, and in which_ be supported, with his accustomed
eloquence, the measures of the Government.
M. Mendizabal—After a discourse so glorious for the
actual Secretaries of State as that of Senor Arguelles, I
wish to make a few observations. A report has gone
abroad that the Government has the intention of seizing
the property of private individuals ; but I refer merely to
what I stated yesterday on the subject, to demonstrate the
falsity of such notions. I repeat 'here, before the Procu-
radores, and before the whole Spanish nation, that such an
idea has never been entertained by me. The. Government
refuses to make new loans, and why should it seize private
fortunes ? My public belief is, that the Government ought
to proceed in conformity with the opinioa of the nation,
without which it is impossible after such a crisis to unite
the people. Such a notion is not suited to our times ; it
belongs not to the representatives of Spain, nor to the
Spanish. people, nor to any enlightened Government, to
fancy such a plan as the seizure of private fortunes practica-
ble. The Government rejects the scheme as an indignity.
The question was then put to know if the subject was
sufficiently discussed, and having been carried unanimously
in the affirmative, the Estamento was about to proceed to a
nominal vote on the totality, _ _ -

M. Mendizabal requested to be heard, and profound si-
knee ensued, and he spoke as follows with great emotion
and dignity :--" I regnest the attention, the kindness, the
indulgence of the Estamento. At the beginning of this
discussion the members of the Government felt the, pain-
ful, the embarrassing situation in which we were placed,
and I stated so ; but now the position' is Changed ; it is
flattering and satisfactery—it is glorious. What can' be
more flattering to the Ministry than to find that in a
discussion, which, however much it involves our political
existence, proves .that the Procuradores of the nation,
after the Cortes had been 42 days open, still afford us
their confidence ? For us that is sufficient, even if the
present project be rejected—at the close of 183.5, a year,
remarkable for such events in our country—events glo-
rious for our country and interesting to all Europe, and of
which history will long preserve the record—for' us it is
enough, even if our political existence should now cease.—
(Great attention.) On the 14th of September the pre-
sent Ministry was formed, and a programme was drawn
up, which her Majesty received most graciously, thereby
proving her love to the Spanish nation : to that pro-
eamme the acts of the Government have boen most
religiously conformed. We all know what was
then the state of the nation—we have witnessed
the extraordinary sight of seeing peace and tranquillity
restored. To whatever persons may be our successors
in the Cabinet we (the present Ministers) have to wish a
continuance of equal good fortune and prosperity, for the
consolidation of peace and union, of order and tranquillity
such as it now reigns in every corner of the kingdom, and to
be able to make full use of the loyalty and good sense
of a noble people. It has been said by several Procura-
dores, that if the vote of confidence be now denied, the
Government will dissolve the Cortes ; others contend that
we shall retire ; and finally, some have said that we
ought not to resign ; and from that cause is an 'ex-
planation requisite on our part. The Secretaries of State
will not rely solely on the confidence reposed in them by
the august Queen Governess, nor in that exhibited towards
them by the whole nation, not even in the unequivocal
manner in which it appears in the happy results of the en-
listment of the 100,000 men, in the large gifts daily offered
on the altar of our native land, nor in the periodical
press, now at free liberty to censure all the acts of the
Administration, other than as a proof of their having
properly recommended to her Majesty an extraordinary
measure in those circumstances, and solely for this occa-
sion. They declare that without it they will incur no
further responsibility. They respect the laws—they re-
spect the nation—and this most intimate conviction of
the necessity of unlimited confidence animates them
now—a confidence which, by extending itself to all
classes, will insure and consolidate the great work of
the union and reconciliation of all Spaniards. When

the discourse from the throne was discussed in the Ca-
binet, the Ministers unanimously agreed to state explicitly
the measures they considered proper to adopt, and they did
so that the Cortes should know fully their sentiments and
their political system,• as well as the sincerity and frankness
which guided even the minor acts of their Administration.
They wished to learn if, by this means, they could depend
on an immense majority of the Representatives of Spain,
for' from that, and from accordance between all the Powers
of the State, the Ministers of Isabel 11. reckon on obtain-
ing strength to put down the factious, to consolidate the
Throne, and to- consolidate our liberties. We did not,
therefore, present a vague discourse couched in general
m ;
ters we wanted approbation, sincere, and even in some
respects universal approbation. We
.required the example
of union and good faith in such a manner as to reach from
the Nobleman's Palace to the shepherd's cottage ; we
wanted a complete reconciliation- of all the childrenc of
Spain. That is one of' our secrets. The discourse from
the Throne, as has been well said by my excellent friend
Senor Arguelles, does not contain a clause in which this;
confidence is not breatned : the present vote does not con-
tain any new ideas ; all may be found in the discourse from
the Throne, and therefore, having done our duties, we the
Secretaries of State shall leave the Estamento to do 'its
duty, in full liberty of voting. We could not, we cannot
act otherwise, and therefore if we have not a larp;',3 majority
to enable us to solve the third problem,- we have no alter-
native but to return to private life with unsullied consciences
—we have done as far as we knew, and as far as we could,
our duty to our native country.
M. Mendizabal, and the Minister of Grace and Justice,
Senor Gomez Becerra, then withdrew, and tne.Estamento
proceeded to a nominal votation, when there appeared for
the question, 156 ; against it, Senor Pardinos.
Toreno and Martinez de la Rosa voted in time majority, as
did also Perpina, and the others who spoke against it.