The Sun.
London, England, 1840-02-22 00:00:00

DROPPED NOTICES.

The Dropped Notices of yesterday were fixed fcr other
days.

FROST, WILLIAMS, AND JONES.

Mr. LEADER fixed Tuesday next for bringing before
the House the case of Frost, Williams. and Jones.
AFFAIRS OF THE EAST.

Sir R. PEEL said, that there was a question which he
wished to put to the Noble Lrrd the Secretary of State
for the Foreign Department. The question had reference
to a paragraph in the Speech delivered by her Majesty at
the commencement of the Session. That paragraph was
to the following effect :—" The affairs of the Levant
have continued to occupy my most anxious attention. The
concord which has prevailed amo gat the Five Powers has
preven'ed a renewal of hostilities in thikt quarter, and I
hope that the same unanimity will bring these important
and difficult matters to a final settlement, in such a manner
as to uphold the integrity and independence of "the Otto-
man Empire." He wished to know if the Government
hoped to maintain the integrity, as well as the independ-
ence, of the Ottoman Empire, and if the unanimity be-
tween the Five Powers was likely to continue, or whether
the question was likely soon to be brought to a final
issue? •

Loud PALMERSTON said that the paragraph meant
that the -five Powers were unanimous in their intention to
maintain the integrity as well as the independence of the
Ottoman empire, as well as to preserve the peace of Eu-
rope. He four.ded that assertion, in the first place, on the
opinions entertained on the subject by her Majesty's Go-
vernment ; he founded it, in the second place, on the
speech of the King of the French at the opening of the
French session, in which the words integrity and indepen-
dence of the Ottoman empire were expressly mentioned ;
and he founded it, in the third place, on the ascertained
opinions of the other Powers on the question. With re-
gard to the inquiry as to the present state of the negocia.
tions on the subject, he could only say that the matter was
under the consideration of the five Powers. He believed,
however, that the Right Hon. Gentleman would not press
him to enter into any details as to the nature of the nego-
ciations.

Sir ROBERT PEEL said that he wished principally
to know if the questions were likely to be settled at an
early period.
Lord PALMERSTON said that the English Go-
vernment had been in treaty with the other four Powers,
and be believed that the matter would be brought to a
conclusion as soon as might be compatible with the in-
terests of the different parties.
THE MEDITERRANEAN FLEET.

Captain BERKELEY wished to ask the Hon. Gen-
tleman the Secretary of the Admiralty if the British ves-
sels in the Mediterranean were on a peace establishment
or not ?

Mr. M. O'FERRALL replied that they were at pre-
sent on a peace establishment. ,
PORTUGUESE CLAIMANTS.

Lord SANDON rose for the purpose of bringing for-
ward a motion in favour of the Portuguese claimants. A
compact had been entered into with those gallant men
which had never been fulfided.—(Hear, hear.) They
had, on the contrary, been treated with every species of
indignity, and be could not but characterise the
conduct observed towards them as most atrocious.
There were two classes of persons who hid to complain of
the Portuguese Government. There were first those who
nad refused to accede to the conditions offered them by
that Government; those men had been cast into dun-
goals, and treated with the utmost cruelty. When he
read of the injuries they bad suffered, be could not but
ask what was the conduct of the British Government when
they saw hundreds of English subjects whom they ought
to have protected cast into prison. He was surprised to
find that the indignities exercised towards them would not
be 'followed by any interference on the part of their Go-
vernment. These men, however, had merely refused to
serve on any other terms than those on which they bad
been engaged. There was the other class of those who
had acceded to a new contract, and these men, though
they bad not been treated with the same cruelty as
the others, had had the greatest fraud exercised
towards them. - In the first place, no payment
bad been made of their stipulated pay. They were re-
fused a single shilling unless they should sign a receipt in
full, in which all kinds of frauds were used for the pur-
pose of diminishing their claims. For five years, how-
ever, they had not received anything. That was done by
appointing a commission for the purposes of chicanery and
deceit. In the month of August lest year, it had been
proposed that a peremptory demand should he made on the
Portuguese Government in favour of the claimants. That
Commission was to be similar in its nature to that which
existed for a similar purpose en the part of the British sol-
diers in Spain. One Commissioner was to be appointed
by the claimants, another by the British Government, and
and another by the Government of Portugal. The Eng.
lish Minister in Portugal had addressed three several de-
mands to the Portuguese calling for such a Commission,
and expressing their determination to compel the Portu-
guese Government to satisfy the claims in question. A
Commission had been appointed, but such was the charac-
ter of that Commission, that though it had sat
for three years it had only decided on one claim, and that
was merely to the amount of 401. He did not see any re-
medy to this state of things. He believed that the pre-
sent Foreign Minister of Portugal was altogether opposed
to the interests of the claimants. How, he would ask, did
it happen that the English were those only whose rights
ever they refused, and that they never heard of French or
American claimants ?—( Hear, hear.) The Noble Lord
(whose indistinct mode of speaking renders him peculiarly
unintelligible) concluded by moving the Address to her
Majesty for a Commission to investigate the claims.
Lord PALMERSTON said in a great part of the com-
plaints against the Government of Portugal as to British
claimants be was very much inclined to agree.— ( Hear,
hear.) He thought the conduct of that Government on
the subject well worthy of reprobation.--s( Hear, hear,
hear.) Although the British Government bad at
first wished to await the spontaneous justice of the
Portuguese Government, they had lately endeavoured
to enforce on that Government the necessity of a Commis-
sion to sit in London ; assenting (if that were agreed to)
to make it a mixed Commission of Portuguese and Bri-
tish; but if not, declaring that they would take the course
suggested by the Noble Lord of addressing the Crown for
a Commission entirely British.--( Hear, hear.) He
therefore entreated the Noble Lord, for the present at-
least, to postpone the motion till the answer of the Portu-
guese Government was received. Portugal was unfortu-
nately now suffering under the demoralizing effects of a
long course of gross misgovernment—(Hear)—and it was
to be trusted would speedily recover under the constitu-
tional representative Government recently established, in
imitation of the American and French representative sys-
tems.—( Hear, hear.)
Sir H. HARDINGE said the treatment of these
claimants had been truly infamous. The Portuguese Go-
vernment had first by their ill con. duct driven them into
mutiny, and then compelled them to work like galley-
slaves —( Hear, hear.) How was it possible that any
Representative of the British
uY Governmentgorneatethoubildxityh_ava
grii)gT
e seen these gallant
There
men treated ?—( Hear,
'alavi lbe
of e ef ndot
a
y
hrnatot
l u l
part of
greatthe hear,
hear.)
enee—aßepresentative,a who for five years hade
viewed
such injustice without redressing. it.—Hear, hear.)
Mr. HUME regretted that Portugal should have been
so grossly ungrateful to those who served it. Buwterae
question arose how far the British
far
h Government
they
bad sanctioned the enterprise—
bound to take the matter up. and ho j
•
Mr. O'CONNELL said it did not lay in the mouth
Or the Portuguese Government to dispute about the sanc-
tion of the British Government to the expedition.—( Hcar,
hear.) The Portuguese Government had availed them-

selves of the blood—tbe lives of these gallant men ;
and it was monstrous to refuse or delay to pay them._
(Hear, hear.) The shame, the disgrace, of having so long
submitted to such robbery must be wiped off by the in-
&sting on an immediate restitution.—( Hear, hear.)
Lord PALM ERSTON said these unfortunate men
had not received the sanction of the Government. But
that made not the slightest difference as to the obligation
of the Portuguese Government to pay thern.—( Hear,
hear.) Now he nished to observe that the British Resi-
dent at Lisbon had made such representations to that
Gevernment.as were expedient as to the treatment of
these men.

Sir H. HA RDINGE said those representations must
have been very tardy ; he knew that for some weeks these
poor fellows: had been 'compelled.to do the scavengers'
work in the streets of Lisbon, to the amazement and dis-
gust of the Portuguese themselves.—( Hear, hear.;
Lord SANDON withdrew his motion for the present,
on the understanding that something heavier than hitherto
would be hanging over the beads of the Portuguese Go-
vernment, from whose justice, much less generosity, he
had no hope; whatever —( Hear, hear.)
TRANSMISSION OF VOTES.

Captain POLHILL complained that Members were
compelled, if they wished to transmit Votes and Proceed-
ings, to come down to the House, so that if the House
were " up early" the papers did rot go.
Mr. GORDON (one of the Treasury Secretaries)
said the Chancellor of the Exchequer (not then present)
would take care to apply some remedy.
Sir G. CLERK could not understand why this fool;sh
obstruction should be interposed to the transmission of the
House papers. Why not go like Newspapers? Was it
to make a little difference in the Post-office accounts?—
The disguise was too flimsy. —( Hear, bear.)
Lord SANDON was of a similar opinion, and could
not understand the reason of thus obstructing the pub-
licity of their proceedings, about which so much was said.
Mr. WA RBURTON hoped that after the observations
which had fallen from the Noble Lord, the House would
be very jealous about altering the regulations of the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer, as this seemed to be'only the
commencement of an attempt to break down those regu-
lation?..—( Hear, hear.)
Mr. F FRENCH complained of the inconvenience
which Members were put to by being charged ld. pre-
plvment upon Parliameotary papers weighing under four
ounces. _ _

Mr. GORDON said that applied to other papers, not
the Votes.

Mr. GOULBIT RN—May I ask the Right Hon. Gen-
tleman, does he give it up ; if he does I shall give him the
answer.—( Laughter.) When you send the papers from
your own house you are charged Id. ; when you send them
from this House you pay nothing.
Captain POLHILL hoped that some arrangement
would be made to remedy the inconvenience.