The Sun.
London, England, 1823-02-05 00:00:00

course she bad: taken were
that
or unjust, he conceived the
conduct of this canary,. onthat tinestion, hkd been perfect-
ly consistent: with, that which she now pursued with regard
to Spain. Whatever might be thought of the motives of
Austria- in taking possession of the Italian States, it was
clear that territorial randizement was not her object,
but security.. ag
This
ha been proved at Verona, where
it had been decided that the troops which had been sta.
tioned in those • States should be withdrawn. He should
now quit this subject, having briefly noticed some of the
reinarks.of the Learned Gentleman, reserving the details' for
a future occasion. lie was sure the House would' cordially
approve, of that part of the Address which expressed sa-
tisfaction at the reduction of the Estimates 'for the current
Year, and at the declaration of his Majesty that he contem.
Plated a further and a large remission of taxes: lie would
give notice now, though to do so was somewhat irregular, that
his Right Hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on
an early. day after his return to that House, would take an
opportunity of entering into a detailed exposition of the state
of the country, and of explaining the details of the proposed re-
duction of expenditure and remission of taxes. It was not for
him to attempt anticipating the statements of his Right Hon.
Friend, but he might venture to inform the House, that a con-
siderable part of the intended remission would apply to the as.
sessed taxes. He trusted this would be grateful to the 'country,
but he did not concur with some in the views which they took
of the degree of relief to be afforded by the remission of taxa-
tion to the Agricultural interest. It was to the iderease of our
commerce, and to the growing prosperity of the manufactures
of the country, that he, looked for that relief which the landed
interest required. And it was his belief, that it was quite im-
possible for such an improvement to have taken place in our
commerce as had been witnessed, and so large an increase in
the consumption, of the necessaries of life, as appeared on the
returns—it was impossible, he thought, for these to occur as
they had done, without finally leading to the restoration of the
agricultural body to prosperity. But looking at the vote to
which the House was now invited, he would abstain from en.
larging on the subject of agricultural distress. lie trusted no-
thing had fallen from his. Hen. Friend behind him, or from
himself, which could provoke A debate ; but reserving all those
topics on which a variety of opinions might prevail, for future
discussion, on this night at least he hoped they would come to
an unanimous vote. At an early period those inquiries Would
he entered-upon. which 4c now wished to avoid, anti prosecuted,
he flattered himself, so to promote the best interests of the
country.
Sir J. MACKINTOSH at this important crisis, wished to
address to the house a few observatione on that part of his Ma-
jesty's speech on which the conversatieen or debate in the house
had turned. He applauded. the Ministerial prudence on this
occasion, with respect to the observations which fell from his
Hon. and Learned Friend who had preceded him. He could not
add to their effects by any thing he could offer, or dilate further
on that part of the speech without taking up time. That speech
was too cloquet and too good to be ini proved—( H ear!)—lf is Hon.
and Learned Friend had remarked with justice—with pointed
and sarcastic justice—on the declarations and pretensions of those
Who claim a monopoly of morality and .justice, and yet outrage
and violate all morality, all truth, and all justice—( Hear! )—But
for the powerful appeal of his lion. and Learned Friend he would
himself have delivered fully his opinions on the principles and
pretensions of those powers. The war now threatening was one
directed against liberty throughout Europe (hear, hear.) It was
one, he would assert, tending to affect the security of his Majes.
ty's crown and the safety of his dominions. The French monarch
directs his menaces against the domestic institutions of a neigh.
booting country e he has been advised to extend hie principles
farther than his allies at Verona ; to declare that no amendments
in absolute monarchy can be tolerated orjust that do not emanate
from the will of the monarch or despot himself. Such a declaration
with those of the allied powers are, in effect, a slander on all the
Institutions of our country. They proclaim the glorious revolution
of 1688 a rebellion, and William to have been the chief of a
gang of banditti.—(Hear !)—lie was sorry to hoar them called
the allies of this country ; to hear leagued with free laws and
institutions those who propagate doctrines introductory of a new
law of nations, anti who, on no other principle, declare war and
threaten to carry blood and massacre into Spain.—(licar, hear,
hear !)—Their precious principle is, that every amendment is
an innovation, and that .they have a right to impose a war on
any people adopting such changes or free institutions, though
the change brought with it no danger whatever to the countries
of ,these universal legislators themselves.—(Hear, hear, hear!)
'—Yet war was to be waged, and no people were to dare to carry
into effect free institutions against the wishes of' the conspirators
against all free nations.--(fear, hear, hear !)—He recollected
bearing, at the commencement of the revolutionary war, the ar.
Aliments of an Hon. Gent. then Member for Ilixlmyn, and the
universal opinion that the decree of 1792, and the shutting the
'Scheldt, warranted the opposition of other nations. The Hon.
Secretary was mistaken in his arguments respecting Naples.
That fine and oppressed country did not warrant their inter-
ference on any ground of vicinage or fair interposition ; they
'did it on their assumed and paramount right to interfere.—
They do not declare their intention to march any troops into
what is called, in the Muscovite language of the day, the
western territory of.Euroue t against Naples they did not
march their Pandours and Calmucks for a Aar ; they. suffered
Spain and Portugal to be the last against which their unholy
power was to be directed. The King of France, by adopting
their principles, had opposed himself to the free institutions
of that country, to the throne of which lie was unexpectedly,
restated. He requested the attention of the House for a few mi-
nutes, to an observation or two he would offer on the situation of
Spain, and the dangerous ascendancy of France. Had it not been
• a fundamental maxim of English policy always to'preserve, if
possible, Spain front the power of France. The Ultras now
deelsre they are about to complete the views of Louis XIV.,
'when he seated his grandson on the throne of Spain, and there
.were no longer to be any Pyrenees.--(llear, hear hoped
they would pay some attention to the dying words of William
who Was oppoeed, during his life, to the inordinate views
of him who was at one time ambitious of universal conquest and
• rule, and the terror of Europe. The words of William were
well deserving of attention ; they relate to the great importance
of' Spain, and appeared as if prophetic of the situation In which
we now are. The French King, he states, by placing his
grandson on the throne, renders himself, in effect master of Eu-
rope : this must affect England in the nearest and most sen-
sible manner, both in her trade and respect of that part which
• England ought to take for the liberty of Europe. hint' Wil-
liam places the libbrty of Europe, as Russia puts forward
treachery and slavery---(Hear, hear o—He begged the House
to recollect the unanimous addresses of both houses of Polls-
. meat after the death of King William, adopted for the purpose
of resetting Spain from the power of France, in which they only
followed the opinions of the English people; and but for the
'domestic enemies and dissentlons then unfortunately prevailing
in England, Spain would have been rescued from the gripe of
France.—(Hear, hear !)—The Bourbon Government make as
dangerous experiment, to see if it cannot make a new basis for
itself by cherishing that very military spirit it was restored to
extinguish.—(Hear, hear!)—The Address of both Houses,
voted in 1707, declared there could be no safety for England if
Spain were suffered to remain nnder the ascendancy of the
House of. Bourbon. lie adMitted that from the peace of
Utrecht to the, faMili compact ror fort}, or fifty years, that in-
fluence was suspended, hut from the period of the family com-
pact that influence revived, and Spain became in fact a military
province of France. The only event that could balance the
influence of France and a Bourbon Prince was the establish.
meat of a free Constitutioh.--(llear, hear !)—ln 1812, when
Alaret was Minister of Napoleon, the late Lord Londonderry
. declared that the restitution of Ferdinand was indispensible
to the promotion of peace. The declarations of the Allies
allegethhat perjured, soldiers had overthrown the Constitution
of Spain. On what principle of truth could that be main..
tained—what was it but a rtestoration of that government which
Russia had acknowledged, and all Europe in fact acknow'.
!edged, but the then powerful and haughty Napoleon ear,
hear!)—He must consider the threatened attack on Spain and
Portugal, on the principles set out in the speech of the King of
Franee, as most treacherous, hese, and flegitious—(llear, hear I)
,—The people of Spain were strong in their own cause, an
he ardently hoped that they who have hitherto pursued so
wise and noble a moderation, will not now be 'driven by
an attack of this sort into any measures of violence 'which
must be regretted by their friends, and can be grateful only
to their envenomed enemies—(Hear hear!)--.Tic independence
of Spain was the proudest triumph of England; the attempt
upon her freedom was one to tear froin us those glories,
purchased at Salamanca and Vittoria by the bayonets of
our soldiers—(lieer, hear, hear !)—He would feel die greatest
fgrief at the prospect of her enslavement by foreign force and vio.
ence, and lie knew of no country, ancient or modern, which at
once deserved and inspired a deeper and more unmixed intereat
.than Spain. This he was sure was the policy and opinion of
the people -of England, and lie was equally sure there was
not an honest or enlightened man in Europe that did not con-
-cur with him.. His Lion. and Learned Friend had quoted a
passage of Cicerd ; he would take the liberty of adding to it
another passage from the same great orator, which could not
certainly be called democratic, when put in the mouth of the
celebrated Scipio Africanus, at the period of the seditions ex-
cited by the Gracchi. The Hon. and Learned Gentleman made
the quotation from Cicero, which we regret the noise in the
gallery at the time prevented our distinctly hearing. It was
-not, he said, a democratic argument, as the House would
see, hut one which is put by an aristocratic writer into the
In_outh of a distinguished senator and patrician, whose very
life was threatened by a popular faction. Those Allies who
ler two Yeats,
Spain and Portugal, after giving them a respite
yeats, for taking just the same liberty which England
did at the revolution, are ready, as appears by their decluea.
Lth pour their armies of Tartars and Calmucs into wes.
/41'4 Zurope. If the French troops who menace Spain, should;