The Sun.
London, England, 1823-06-09 00:00:00

FROM THE TIMES.

FRENCH FAITH.—( Punica Fides.)

NOTICE OF THE FILEN,CII GOVERN-

MENT.
The present Ministers of his Most Christian
Majesty have discovered that the most convenient
mode of avoiding the payment of the debts due
by the French Government, is to expel the cre.
ditors of that Goverbment from France. This
mode, which is as remote from ingenuity as from
justice, was employed by the French Ministry
towards the Spaniards on the 11th of May, 1893.
The following are the facts authenticated by do-
cuments:— _ _ _

The Spanish and French Governments concluded a con-
vention on the 30th of April, by which the sums to be paid
by each Government to the other for the liquidation of the.
debts of their subjects, founded on anterior treaties were fixed. *
The Spanish Government engaged to pay 84 millions of francs,
which from the moment of the ratification of the said conven-
tion were left at the free disposal of France.
The French Government on its part engaged to deliver to
Spain an inscription on the great book of the public debt of
France for 703,010 francs. But at the moment when this pay-
ment was to be effected, that Government imposed the restric-
tive condition that the inscription should only be disposed of by
twiliths, and from month to month.
This conditition was arbitrary, as it had not been stipulated
for in the convention.
It was unjust, because it delayed the payment of the debts
due to Spaniards.
It was not reciprocal, for the 'French Government did not im-
pose it until after the signing of the convention, and when the
8a millions allowed for the payment of the debts due to its sub-
jects were placed without restriction at its disposal.
Accordingly, the Spanish Government repeatedly protested,
~
but always in vain, against this arrangement.
It was then suspected, that the Minister who was the framer
of the restrictive condition, had imposed it solely for the pur-
pose of delaying the delivery of the funds, in order that he
might be able to sequestrate them in the case of a rupture—an
event, which it was not difficult for biro to foresee, since he had
long before planned and prepared it.
With this view, the same Minister thrice paralysed the par-
tial transfer of the twelfths, after the period for their delivery.
The last twelfth became transferrable on the Ist of May,
1823.
The authorized representative of the titular holder of the
inscription repaired to the public treasury, to transfer this last
sum to the name of the Spanish agent, who was the depositary
of all the funds belonging to the Spaniards.
But the treasurer refused to allow the transfer, and stated
that he had received orders from the Minister of Finance to
prevent its being made.
The Spanish agent then addressed to Viscount de Cheateau-
briand, the French Minister for Foreign Affairs, the remon-
strance which we subjoin as the first document on this sub-
ject.—(No. 1.)
We shall not analyze its contents! It is sufficient to observe,
that it will be found as energetic and convincing as it is mode-
rate; as strong in reasoning as in facts. The Spanish agent
terminates his remonstrance to M. de Chateaubriand by enclosing
a letter from the Spanish Minister for Foreign Affitirs, in which
that Minister states, in the most positive manner, that the Spa-
nish Government will religiously respect French property, if
France fulfil the convention of the 30th of April, 1822 : and
that, in the contrary case, reprisals will, though reluctantly, be
made.
This remonstrance was delivered on the 9th of May, at fi in
the evening, to the Duke de Batman, Head of the Chanceries
of the Foreign Department ; and on die 10th, at the same hour,
the Spanish agent received a notice to appear immediately be-
fore the police.—(No. 2.)
The Spanish agent, suspecting that the object of this sum-
mons was to order him to leave Paris as the only reply to his
representation, he wrote to•the Viscount de Chateaubriand on
the subject in a way which was calculated to give no offence to
his self-esteem, to make him sensible of the impropriety of such
a design, and to enable him to avoid the odium which would
attach to the French Ministry if it were carried into execution.

(No. 3.)
On the following day, the 11th, the Spanish agent having
received no reply from M. de Chateaubriand, went at 1 o'clock
to the police-othee, where it was intimated to him that he must
leave France, and more particularly Paris, within 21 hours.
tNo. 4.)
A like order was intimated on the same day, and at the same
hour, to the authorized representative of the titular holder of
the inscription.
On the 11th, at six in the evening, the Spanish agent re-
ceived a letter from M. de Chateaubriand, in which the Noble
Viscount stated, that the orders of the police were not an an-
swer to the representation of the Spanish agent of the 6th, as he
(Chateaubriand) had not received it until the 10th ; and be-
sides that, he was about to transmit it to the Minister of Fi-
nance, by whom the measure which formed the subject of the
remonstrance had been adopted. (No. 6.)
The first part of this reply is contra produccnteni.
The Minister acknowledges that he received the representa-
tion on the 10th. Well, the Spanish agent was summoned to
,the police.on that same day, and on the 11th he was ordered to
-leave Paris and France.
'This order was therefore posterior to the receipt of the re-
monstrance, anti a consequence of it.
The Viscount de Chateaubriand should have proved the con-
trary. That, however, was not in his power; for it is not so
easy to alter facts as to compose showy phrases.
lie might, at least (for that was very easily clone), have sus-
pended the execution of the police-order until the remonstrance
of the Spanish agent had been decided on ,• it was only thus
that the real motive of the police-order could be doubted.
In the second part of {his reply M. de Chateaubriand seems
willing that the remonstrance of the Spanish agent should be
taken into consideration, as he states that he is going to trans-
mit it to the Count de Villele. Wo are inclined to think that
his Excellency must have had for his object in this proceeding
to ascertain the ground on which M. de Villele had sequestrated
Spanish property : for as the faith of the treaties formed one of
the bases of the Spanish agent's representation, the matter di-
rectly regarded the Minister who had made the stipulation,
and only secondarily the Minister of Finance who had ordered
the sequestration.
At all events the intimation given by M. de Chateaubriand
to the Spanish !tgent, that he had transmitted his representa-
tion to the Minister of Finance, was useless, and even absurd, if
that agent was not allowed to await the result ; and it certainly
could not reach him, since he had been ordered off within 24
hours.
On this account, and in order that it might not be said that
he had abandoned the interests of his fellow citizens by not
waiting for the decision, good or bad, which is always due to a
representation founded on the interests of private property, by
any Government that respects its character, the Spanish agent
did .not hesitate to demand of the Viscount de Chateaubriand
whether he was to await the result or to comply with the order
of the police. (No. 6.)
This demand was made on the 12th, and though it did not
require a long reply, the Spanish agent waited for it in vain
on the 12th, on the 13th, and on the 14th, till 11 o'clock in
the evening.
CoOsidering, then, that the silence of the 31 inistcr confirmed,
in a positive manner, that the order to leave Paris within 24
hours, and immediately after France, was the reply to the re-
monstrance ;
That this silence was a violation of the laws of decorum,
which surely are not inconsistent with political relations;
That he had already delayed his departure a day and a half,
and that, had lie retarded at still farther, he would have ex.
postal himself to fresh insults on the part of the French police,
too well known by its conduct throughout Europe;
That it was not prudent to furnish a pretext for a new alter-
cation, which would have been of no advantage to the rights of
the Spaniards, which he had afended to the last moment, and
unsuitable to his personal character, to the public functions he
had to discharge in France, and to the country to which he had
the honour to belong
Finally, that nothing could be expected front a Minister
who, while proclaiming that war was not to be made on Spain,
at the same time sequestrated the private 'property of Spaniards;
The Spanish agent left Paris on the 14th, after having ad.
dressed to M. de Chateaubriand a letter. (No. 7.)
That letter contains a protest. Time, the courage and the
perseverance of the Spaniards, will render it effective, and

* These debts atise out of sequestrations and confiscations
reciprocally Lunde by the two Governments ; but it is to be ob-
served-.,-
1. That according to the stipulations of the treaty of Bale
in 1795, and of that of Paris in 1014, the two Governments
were reciprocally bound to reimburse the value of the seques-
trations and confiscations.
2. That before the war of 1808, the Spanish Government had
discharged all that it owed to French subjects under the treaty
of Bale.
3. That it also paid, in 1822, all that it owed to French sub-
jects under the treaty of 1814.
4. That the French Government, by frivolous pretexts, de-
layed the reimbursements due by it according to the treaty fur
sequestrations and confiscations.
5. That the French Government sequertrattd and confiscated
Spanish property in 1793, under the convention ; —it did the
same thing in 1808, under Napoleon ; and the same thing
again in 11.122, under his Most Christian .11Jajesty Louis XVIIJ.