The Sun.
London, England, 1840-04-03 00:00:00

manufacturing interests had temporarily arisen from the
derangement of the currency, and nothing else.—k Hear,
hear.) The fact was, however, that the manufacturing in-
terests had been going on with an increase of prosperity.
--(Hear.) Last year alone there had been an increase in
Ow cotton exports of 1,000,000/.—(Hear.) Practically
the Corn-laws had worked well.—( Hear.) In conclusion
the Noble Lord moved for returns of the prices of
wheat for the last year or two in England, and at several
continental ports, also of the quantities imported into this
country.—Agreed to.
The Earl of HADDINGTON deprecated such irregu-
lar discussions on this great question, which ought, he
said, to be substantially brought before their Lordsh!ps.
He complained of the "run " which he said had been made
against his Noble Friend, Lord Ashburton, for haying
changed his opinion on the Corn-laws. Why he had
heard that a Noble Earl opposite, who, when a Member of
the House of Commons had opposed Reform in Parlia-
ment, had voted for the measure when he cameinto that
House, yet nobody had attacked the Noble Earl for the
change.
Lord DUNC A NNON laid papers before their Lord-
slips—the papers moved for by the Bishop of Exeter
respecting Canada.
The Printed Papers Bill, and the Irish Corporation Bill,
were put off till next week.

SPANISH LEGION.
The Marquis of LONDONDERRY presented some
petitions from officers of the British Legion, and strongly
urged upon the Government the justice of their taking im-
mediate steps to redress the grievances of these unfortu-
nate men, and especially as the Government had guaran-
teed for the Spanish Government that their contract should
be fulfilled. The Gallant Officer who had commanded the
Legion was unwilling, perhaps, to press the claims of the
men who had served under him from feelings of delicacy,
in consequence of the position which he now occupied ; at
ail events, it was not for him to say why that Gallant
Officer was silent as to those claims. He would, how-
ever, read a letter from him, which would confirm the
views which he (the Marquis of Londonderry) had ex-
pressed on the subject of the expedition. (The Noble
Marquis here read a letter from Sir De Lacy Evans in the
year 1836, in which thEett officer stated the distress and
dangers to which his men were exposed. The letter also
alluded to the fact of the Spanish Government refusing to
pay the arrears then due to the Legion. It stated that the
national army of Spain was at the time better fur-
nished with every necessary than the British troops,
who, being but recruits, stood much more in need of neces-
cessaries. General Evans enumerated the circumstances
which had led to the formation of the Legion, and the
promises held out to him by General Alava,:and the mem-
-bees of the Spanish Government. He complained that
those promises had not been kept, though not from any
want of good faith in the Spanish Government, but in
consequence of the difficulties of their position. He con-
elided by stating, that he had made every exertion in his
power to obtain a fulfilment of the engagements'inade to
the men who were serving under him.) The Noble Mar-
quis proceeded to say, that the officers of the Legion were
not politicians. They could not be able to judge how far
the Government guaranteed the expense of the expedition.
He was himself one of those who had protested against
the undertaking, but that was not a reason why, when
he saw them abandoned by those who had employed them,
he should not stand up and humbly advocate their claims.
If he saw the Government disposed to do justice to those
parties, he would feel himself placed in a very
different position. He wished to read to their Lord-
ships a letter he had lately received from Madrid
to show how little probability there was that the claims of
the Legion would be satisfied by the Spanish Government.
( The Noble Marquis here read the letter in question, the
writer of which stated that he saw no chance of a liquida-
tion of the debt due to the British legion. The fact was
that that Legion was the child of Mendizabal, who alone
took any interest in its affairs, while the present Ministry
were totally indifferent on the subject.) The Noble
Viscount opposite had lately urged on them the claims of
the Noble Lord who had acted so distinguished a part in
Canada. No one was more willing than he was to admit
the merits of that Noble Lord, but at the same time it
was the duty of the House not to forget the claims of those
who were employed in a service subject to mire
privations than those endured by our troops in
Canada. The sum due to the Legion was not
a large one, and it could not be supposed
that the Spanish Ministry could not discharge it. Her
Majesty the Queen of Spain, had lately alluded in her
speech from the Throne to the improved state of her
affairs. It would therefore be quite absurd to say that
Spain, in consequence of its poverty, could not liquidate
the debt in question. Under these circumstances he
thought that the claim was one which could not be re-
sisted, and be trusted that the time was come for bring-
ing forward a motion both there and in the other House
of Parliament for the purpose of addressing her Majesty
to give orders that some effective measure should be taken
for the payment of those men, and he thought it was im-
possible that the Government could resist so ju%t a de-
inand. The case would soon go before the public, and it
would be said that the entire affair was a manoeuvring
transaction, unworthy of the Spanish Government, and
all those parties who had been mixed up with it. He
would now read a letter from General Evans, and another
from Mr. Williams, connected with the question. (The
Noble Marquis here read the letters, which alluded to
the injustice from which the Legion were suffering.)
The Earl of CL A RENDON.—What is the date of
Getters' Evans' letter.
The Marquis of LONDONDERRY—It is dated the
19th of December, 1838. (The Noble Marquis also read
a letter from Mr. Bradbury, in confirmation of his opi-
nions on the subject, and denying some assertions made
by the Earl of Clarendon on a former occasion.) He
handed over to the Noble Earl the documents to which he
had referred, and he hoped the Noble Earl would give
them his consideration. The Noble Viscount opposite
(Lord Melbourne) had said that he would make every
exertion to obtain the satisfaction of those claims. But
declarations would not support those men and their fami-
lies. It was bis intention, therefore, to bring forward a
motion in their Lordships' House after Easter, to support
the motion which Sir George De Lacy Evans was to
bring on in the other House, for an address to her Majesty,
praying her to order measures to be taken to procure the
settlement of the claims. He wished to ask the Noble
Earl if he would object to give him copies of any corres-
pondence on the subject.
Lord MELBOURNR,L,Nnu must give notice.
The Marquis of LONDONDERRY then gave notice
that be would to-morrow move for copies of or extracts
from any correspondence that had taken place between her
Majesty's Government and the Spanish Government, in
which her Majesty expressed her desire that the claims
should be settled ; and for copies or extracts of the answer
thereto.
Lord MELBOURNE—No, I can't give that.
Lord CL AR E NDON said that notwithstanding the
importance which the Noble Marquis had given to these
details, he thought their Lordships must see that their
time was taken up too much and too often with these mat-
ters in which they could do nothing. He must give credit
to the Noble Marquis for the motives of his dogged con-
sistency, which motives he had stated to be his affection
for the Spanish nation, and the kindness he had expe-
rienced from the Government, and from every portion of
the people—not excepting, perhaps, the inhabitants of
that nunnery of which the Noble Marquis spoke on a for-
mer night. He (Lord Clarendon) had thought that this
would have been the last instalment of his gratitude, with-
out the motion with which he proposed to support Sir De
Lacy Evans's motion in the other House. He wasisorry
for these discussions—ho was sorry for the sake of the
Spanish people.—( Hear, hear.) They had hitherto re-
garded the Noble Marquis as the greatest enemy
of Spain except the Carlists, and what would his friend
Don Carlos think of the Noble Marquis now ? He thought
he would best consult the convenience of the House, by
simply stating what the Commission had done ; but he
should like to know on what grounds the Noble Marquis
claimed to represent the Legion. He could hardly con-
ceive that any of the officers of the Legion were so forget-
ful of their own dignity, as to apply to him for his coun c-
nance, after they had been so much vilified by him in that
House. He had described the Legion as the refuse of
society, the sweeping together of the most idle and worth-
less of the whole population ; that in Spain they were
drunken, idle, and cruel; that in return for the kind-
ness of Don Carlos to his prisoners, they murdered
in cold blood 130 Carlist prisoners. He did not think
that they would make him their representative, unless he had
made an ample retractation, and their Lordships had also a
right to expect an ample retractation. If he was in com-
munication with the persons of whom he made such state-
ments, he ought to say whether he had ascertained that
those statements were incorrect. If be had not ascertained
it, how could he answer for the statements he now made
on the authority of men so utterly worthless ? If the men
were so worthless, it was no wonder that the Spanish
Government was so slow to pay the arrears of men who
had done them so much mischief. As the Noble Marquis
was in the habit of calling on the Government to give him
categorical answers, he (Lord Clarendon) was entitled to
ask him for categorical answers to those questions. But
it really would not do—it was " too bad "—that onef time
he their
h
t
lie came down vilifying those men, complaining
e
worthlessness, and the mischief they had done to Spain,and
another time came down complaining about .the neglect of
their pay, the disregard of their service!,
comet the d.e-
frauding them of their just claims by a delusive s_
just
sion. And then
talking of General Alava,
(who was the companionagain'in arms and friend of the Noble
.
Marquis), and complaining of his insincerity and cruel
treatment of those n
—complainmg even of the hospi
tality which the General n
e was receiving in this country:
But be would occupy their Lordships time by stating a few
acts. The commission was transferred from Madrid to
Isondon because the principal part of the men were in
England. One Commissioner was appointed by the Le-
gion, another by the Spanish Government ; two referees
were appointed, one by the Spanish Government, another
by England. No commission could be more honourably
formed nor any system better devised to procure strict
justice to the parties. The commission closed its labours
a few days ago, and he had received a report from Mr.
Alcock, who stated that the just interests of the Legion
had been strictly attended to—that all claims had been pa-
tiently examined. The whole amount claimed was
280,0001., and 3415 certificates were signed by the Com
missioners, who thus allotted 260,000/. to the claimants,
and 9000/. was set to the credit of 1500 other claimants.
He believed that the report of the Commission, although
it be unsatisfactory to the Noble Marquis, and to those
who had brought forward some exorbitant claims, would
yet prove satisfactory to those who, like superior officers of
the Legion, were desirous of an honest and fair settlement
of the claims. The Commission having closed their
labours, the amount of debt due from the Spanish Go.
\Torment was pretty clearly ascertained, and his Noble
Friend at the head of the Foreign Affairs would makeseuse of every means in his power to procure a spec y t
tlement of it. The Spanish Government was at presen
in a very embarrassed state, but he knew thaatndthteLltootkbeedy
upon this debt in the most sacred light,
would make use of every exertion in their power
e. to pay the
claims of the Legion as speedily as possi 1
The Marquis of LONDONDEwRhRi h'
t ne
Nr Opt! lye Esaid
l
that notwithstanding the jeers
withhad listened to the conclu-
had commenced his speech, he

sion of it with the utmost satisfrtetion. He 1•+ e
however, to know what was the present worth of the cernfi
cotes issued by the Spanish Government—would any (3,e
purchase them at a discount of 50 per cent ? The
Noble Earl said the Spanish Government would do
their utmost, but they bad been four years doing
their utmost, and what had it all come to ?
Why did not the Noble Earl insist on the payment of the
claims, the justice of which he admitted ? The Noble
Earl asked why he now became the advocate of the officer!
of the Legion, after having reviled them ? The petitions
he had presented had 400 signatures ; their friends had
deserted them, and therefore he took up their cause.
He had never disparaged the bravery of the officers; be
had said that the men might have been led astray, but that
was the fault of the service they were set upon, and the
want of management in conducting that service. He had
never said a single word against the bravery of the officers.
He had been accused of attacking General Alava. He
had the greatest personal respect for General Alava, but
he found fault with him for remaining in this country as
the representative of his Government, after the want of
attention to their claims. The Noble Earl had alluded
to the person who had drawn up his brief. He (the Mar-
quis of Londonderry) had received piles of letters korn
officers on this subject; he had sent those letters t%the
agents of all the officers, and from him he had derived his
information. He did not object to the promotion of
the fifty-six officers, to whom be had alluded the
other night, but that was an additional reason why the
others should not be neglected. He trusted that the de-
claration of the Noble Earl would go forth to the public,
and that that promise would be better kept than the
guarantee of last year.
The Earl of CL ARENDON—I forgot to mention I
never gave any guarantee. In fact, how could I give
any guarantee for the Spanish Government to pay the
money?
The Marquis of LONDONDERRY had understood
that the Noble Earl had made that declarat icn, that the
Legion should receive their arrears of pay. He hoped
that the promise of the Spanish Government would be
fulfilled, and with that hope he would remains at stied, until
afte r Easter, when, if it were not settled, he Won d again
bring forward the subject.
The Duke of WELLINGTON understose the Nobb
Earl would-state that two referees had been ppo'nted, one
by the Spanish Government, and the other by lat! Majesty's
Government, or the Secretary of State. This brought
the Commission to be a Commission under Government,
and he believed that the Secretary of State had received a
report on that subject. Now it would be desirable that
the Noble Lord would be so good as to lay that paper on
the table of the House. He did not understand that the
Noble Viscount objected to the production of that paper,
and it would be very convenient that• it should tie ie
possession of his Lordship.
Viscount MELBOURNE said the paper could not k
got at. One Commissioner was appointed by the Spen4sh
Government, nod another by the officers of the Legion,
with which the Government had nothing to do.
The Duke of WELLINGTON understood there were
two referees appointed, one by the Spanish Government and
the other by the British Government. This made it
in part an English Commission. He understood the No-
ble Earl to state that the Commissioners had been before
the Secretary of State, and made a representatiem to him.
He would suggest that this should be laid before their
Lordships.
Viscount. MELBOURNE would produce that Report,
if on consideration it appeared there was no objection
to it.

:VENING EDITION.