The Sun.
London, England, 1848-06-06 00:00:00

deived from the vile source of inquisitorial espionage. 1 from at once rising to endeavour to satisfy the Noble
One example will suffice: it was said, when Fulgosio I Lord with regard to those points upon which he is as yet
wasput to death, that Mr. Bulwer paid for his death in uninformed. The Noble Lord is willing to admit, and
gola Calumnies such as these will be treated by the I think the majority of this House must be willing to
peoile of this country simply with disgust and scorn.— admit, that, even putting aside the peculiar relations
(Heir and cheers.) This is not the first time that which subsist between this country and Spain, it is corn-
my Noble Friend has been made the object of
petent for the Government of one country to give advice
fierce and calumnious attack. Many a time
to the Government of another; and that it may even feel
have I heard him assailed in this House with vehement at times bound to give that advice with respect to its in-
vituperation ; but my Noble Friend has ever, when ar-
ternal affairs.—(Hear, bear.) Provided that advice is
reigned before the great tribunal, where the public men conveyed in friendly terms, and that it has a friendly
of Eigland are tried by the gentlemen of England,
object, there are few Members in this House who will
has err vindicated himself with triumph from each deny that there may be occasions on which such advice
attack, and has proved himself the conscientious, as he may be given.—(Hear, hear.) Without referring to
is the able, champion of liberty all over the world.— the innumerable examples which may be found where
(Hear, hear.) He will, I am sure, do so now.—(Hear, such advice has been given by persons of the highest
hear.) My Noble Friend, like the rest of us, has his authority on all matters of international relations, I
faults ; but these are not times in which such faults as will mention one case that I happened to be reading, I
his are to be made subjects of party strife—(Hear, think, not more than two or three days ago, with re-
hear)—the tremendous crisis of European affairs will sect to the late events in Naples. A person of high
not admit of our making experiments heedlessly upon authority sent for three of the Foreign Ministers, and
public teen.—(Hear, hear.) My Noble Friend has his informed them that tranquillity was restored in the
faults ; but among these faults his enemies will not Cabinet; whereupon one ut them took upon himself to
reckon the want of sagacity to discern danger, or the speak on behalf of his colleagues, the two ether Foreign
want of firm tranquil courage, and of indomitable con-
Ministers, and said that their opinion was that the time
stancy to encounter it.
had come when clemency ought to be shown by the So •
Viscoant MAHON assured the House that he eh-
nthe present discussion with the sincerest
who tendered, unasked, this advice to the Government
respect Noble Secretary for Foreign Affairs, on
of Naples? It was the representative of her Most Ca-
accountrr the
of-'
his eminence and undoubted ability, his long vereign and the Government. Who was the Minister
tared
upon
tholic Majesty the Queen of Spain.—(Loud cheers and
experience in public affairs, and the high post he now laughter.) Subsequent discussion occurred with (sue of
filled. Nor was lie insensible to the inconvenience of the Ministers of the King of Naples, in which the nature
saying anything that might tend to increase the diffi- of the Constitution and the propriety of dissolving the
euity of our position with regard to a foreign power—a Chambers were laid before those Foreign Ministers
foreign power, and lately a friendly power.—(Hear.) Various opinions were given, the Spanish Minister
But this question having been once brought before the giving one opinion, the English Minister giving another
House, he would verdure to state the opinion which he but it never occurred to the Minister of the King of
had formed respecting the transaction. In the first Naples to say, " Any advice upon the internal affairs of
place he would concede to the Right Hon. Gentleman this kingdom is an unjustifiable int( rference, and I call
that the Noble Secretary had a right, under all circum- upon you to refrain from such interference, unless you
stances, to tender some advice to Spain. He thought
that, after the sacefices which we had made for that wish me to give advice with respect to the mode
of conducting the Governments of England and of
country, and after the assistance we had given her in
the civil strife connected with Don Carlos, we ter- Spain."—(Hear, hear.) But, Sir, there were, as the
tainly were not to be considered as precluded from Noble Lord admits, peculiar reasons why England
should have some title to give its advice to the Go-
offering suitable advice to the Spanish Govern- vernment of the Queen of Spain.—(Hear.) Her in-
ment. But then came the question—in what terms,
terests had been deeply concerned when the Marquis of
and to what effect, that advice was conveyed ? And, Miraflores came here to pray, to beg, to supplicate for
when he looked to the dispatch of the Noble Foreign
March, he was compelled to own assistance. Our assistance had been given too readily
Secretary, of the 16th
—our
that he could not concur either in the scope of the assistance had been too effectual—for us not to
think that if an occasion arose when the throne of the
advice he gave or the terms in which it was given.— Queen of Spain should be in danger, our sympathy
(Hear, hear.) In the dispatch of the 16th of March, might be exhibited, and our friendly counsels might be
the Noble Lord not only stated his advice as to the tendered without fear of arousing the national suscep-
course of policy which should be pursued in Spain, but tibility. Sir, the events of the present year have been
he went on to recommend a change of administration, extraordinary. My Right Hon. Friend the Master of
and advised that tie Queen of Spain should call to her
mannerpadatderhe
sta)
et . sdniu
tymn masterlyn
Friend
rsheiae, tn
ride cfi
ena
rnii
eaBdd4 d6n:bniuns tt I
v.itlti li ee aptlyht o
myt
nw haNa tod
bihsl ee.
the Mint (Mr. Shed). who went through this case in a
counsels some of those men who possessed the confidence
of the Liberal party. Now, he (Lord Mahon) could
not but think that it was stepping somewhat beyond the
proper and the usual line in such cases to give advice,
Friend observed to the Ambassador—" Such are the sen-
not simply with respect to the measures to be pursued, timents of the British Government, and you will inform
but as to the men to be employed. Let them look at
those with whom you have intercourse that you will act
what might happen in this country. He believed that
it was not unusual for men of weight and station, who in accordance with those sentiments: but you will not
stood in friendly relations to any Government, from obtrude any advice with respect to the internal affairs of
time to time, if h a they saw occasion, to go to the head of Spain." But, as I have said, the events of this year
that Government, and state their views with regard to Save been most extraordinary, and there was no country
hardly which could be considered to be sate from those
the course which the Government might be following;
and if such counsels were given in an amicable spirit convulsions which have overact thrones—have destroyed
they were generally received in an amicable spirit. constitutions—have placed towns at the mercy of mobs,
But the ease would assume a totally different aspect if and have threatened to convulse the whole of Europe. It
the friends of ehe Government were to say, "We was impossible, considering the relations between this
advise you to change the Administration; we advise the country and Spain, that the state of Spain should not
Queen to call other men to her counsels;" and he could seriously and painfully attract the attention of the
not help thinking that by so doing the friendly line he British Government. My Noble Friend read a dispatch
of the 16th March, and the Noble Lord opposite asks a
supposed to exist would thus bo overstepped. So the
Noble Lord, in the dispatch alluded to, had given advice perfectly justifiable question—viz., whether that dispatch
not only as to measures, but also as to the men to be em-
Spanish Government, or whether it was only intended was written with a view to being communicated to the
played; and, looking at the terms of that dispatch, he for the information of Sir H. Bulwer? The answer
must say that in them also he saw some ground for re- which I shall give will be given in• relatne the
gret. Such a dispatch as that ought to have been worded events as they occurred. My Noble Friend rem]
with the utmost circumspection, and with every irna.gm- that dispatch. It is in those terms in which a dis-
able care, lest a single word should fall from him which
patch is couched that is communicated in a note
was calculated to wound the sensitive jealousy of the to a foreign Government. It was in a dispatch
Spanish nation.—(Hear.) But let the House see how written in that form which is intended for the informs-
short—how unaccompanied by any argument—was this
tion of the Minister; but at the same time it was for
dispatch, and how peremptory in its tune. It began—
the information and guidance of a Minister who had
" I have to instruct you to recommend earnestly to been chosen for his eminent abilities—who was the-
the Spanish Government, and to the Queen Mother,
roughly acquainted with the state of Spain, and in
if you have an opportunity of doing so, the adoption
whom the Government of. this country most wisely re-
of a legal and constitutional course of Government in posed confidence. Sir H. Bulwer, in the first place, under-
Spain." Why, surely, if his (Lord Mahon's) pre-
stood that dispatch as it was meant—as being for his
ceding observations had any foundation at all, the
guidance. But there occurred a state of things which
Noble Lord ought to have prefaced those instruc- tilled him with alarm as to the security of the throne of
clone with some reasons or explanations, and not to
Spain. He has described the circumstances in a dispatch
have this decisively given his instructions to Sir dated the 22d of April. In that dispatch he relates
Henry Bulwer to interfere in the affairs of a foreign
that extraordinary powers were obtained by the Spanish
power. The dispatch of the 18th March having been
Government—that the Cortes were prorogued—but that
communicated by Sir Henry to the Spanish Govern-
no sooner were they prorogued than almost every officer
went, the Noble Lord, on the 19th of April, sent another of note in the Progresista party was arrested or ban-
dispatch to him, approving the language he had held to ished, and some of the most distinguished deputies were
Queen Christina' arid again another dispatch on the seized and imprisoned, with the apparent intent to de-
leth, instructing him to state to the Duke of Sotomayor port them, and all this without the parties thus treated
that her Majesty"s Government entirely approved of the
being told of their offence or submitted to any sort of
step which he (Sir H. Buiwer) had taken in making his
trial. Now, on this part of the case I must say what I
communication of the 7th instant, and likewise of his believe the opinion of Sir H. Bulwer to have been, for 1
note of the ISO. Now he confessed that he did not see have seen it frequently stated in dispatches and letters
how the Noble Lord was to be entirely defended in re-
of his, viz., that the best policy fur the Queen of Spain
ference to these dispatches. It the first dispatch was to pursue would be to unite, if possible, in her
intended for communication to the Spanish Government,
councils the most eminent of those who support her title
it tended to weaken the claim, which we fully possessed,
as opposed to the title of Don Carlos; and that, whether
of giving advice; but if it was only intended for the
they were called Moderadoes or Progresistas, it was her
private information of the Ambassador, and was
interest to see her throne surrounded by both those
marked, as such, " confidential," then he asked why
parties, and to make of those parties, united us it were, a
the Noble Lord sanctioned the step of communicating
it to the Government of Spain? Did ho or did he not rampart against the attempts of those who support the
intend that that dispatch should be laid before the pretensions of another prince. Whether that were a
Spanish Government, and if he did so intend, why did just opinion or not I have no occasion to argue. I only
he express it in a tone which he must admit was calcu- say that was the opinion formed by Sir H. Bulwer, not
dated to give silence? If', on the contrary, it was not in- from any regard for one party or the other—not from
tended, then he asked how the Noble Lord could recun- any wish to take part in the internal politics of Spain,
andtbhlies
htbehldee
uht
siytel
theec can
nf
wholetthv the l presentl enoanteiconceive
0 Queen
tlhvai
that
With
Siro
thisn fi rimi. confirmed
opinion,ua i nwde r
thin,essta aw-
cto his sense of duty to sanction a step which was but from a wish to see the Throne of Spain strengthened,
cite :
bete n
justifiederror
it
taken separately,
ne
badmitted thathe
were
dispatches of the 16th of March and of the 20th of April
with alarm that not onl
might . .
to be justified both together he hoped hear fromy to the was en extraordinary law
Noble Lord in the course of the evening. Consistently passed suspending all the
eyguarantees of üblie lb
with his respect for the Noble Lord, he must observe hut that the most emineut men who had ph
ld. PI erty.
e rogre-
that there was another, and that the • sista opinions in the Cortes—men who were distinguished
most important
point, still behind, and that was with regard to the reds- writers—men of attainments and of character seized
, andthreatened, werewith
thins in which we stood to the Spanish Government. and imprisoned without a trial
• the loss of their libert wherever they went. Such
Upon this point the correspondence was most Inconclu- '
being the case, Sir H. y . Bulwer was afraid that the par-
sive; but the Noble Lord had promised further papers
teems of Don Carlos or of a republic might make a
when the negotiations were complete, and he could not
but think that the Hon. Member for 1 'rsetsbire would successful insurrection. "In this state of circumstances,"
have exercised a sounder discretion he postponed he says, "I consulted my in • -
instructions. I had already
his motion until those papers ware prods I.—(Cheers.) acted upon them by giving friendly and intimate advice
At present they were discussing the satin in the without any effect having been produced." That show;
dark; but this state of obscurity was not t, e perpetual, he rightly understood the instructions authorizing him
for the Noble Lord had promised that '-ould be to use friendly and intimate advice) without immed • iately
removed. Doubtless, while negotiations
- go_ prodeeiee ose „,,,, •
trio i dzed to do etoe
tually pending with a foreign power, the s., aria _au
Lord might be perfectly justified in with). .. e.e oe. whi'''t if .
a he went iea further no
the dispatches until those negotiations were • - h '"'', "%a to him the 'ivivice which bad passed in
that fo r the sake of
arid as fur as his judgment was cone lane(' Wit, it occurred amain a that , .
world -cereal
s ed to hiel
plated; record wou
and i -eel:Q. tit might at spear we had
thought they ought not to have entered upon Noble
cussion at all at a time when the most importainlding eonversationovernmeot, Oho).
could ha ve been ten-
the case, and that not touching parties or
.iusliseoth- the ritish tug untried wh
d recklessly the throne of
left
" "r‘nve "a n°t all°e'seubverted, and that at all
but the national honour of England, was not k• he
them. Iu this state of the case, therefore, seeing tha tgred, that
ht so
'-' -:1111 to
he
stifled in case. the throne
1-11311 a should be justified those circumstances
they possessed no information with respect to the n
enclosing- . ;,-, 10
its, • erl' ,he Duke de Sotomayor,
grounds on which the. Spanish Government had acted in
nese are the coaesa , eheeess te....„a Noble Friend.
their dismissal of Sir Henry Bulwer, it would not become '
dispatch being written in terms which, rtnielyst, for the
him to pronounce an opinion on that part of the subject.
thought of and were more abrupt than those Y'Sreeuini,
This, however, he wuuld say, that so far as the papers
my Noble Friend would have written if he were sentlink
on the table were concerned, he saw no justification
a note intended to be laid before the Spanish Govern-
whatever fur the Spanish Government in dismissing the
ment ; but they also account for the conduct of Sir. H.
ambassador of that very power which had befriended
Bulwer in afterwards delivering that note to the Spanish
theta as the Goverment of this country had done.— Government. What course were we to take, then ? It
(Cheers.) They ought not to have forgotten that we
was nut at, first intended that the note should be laid be-
had stepped forward to assist them with our blood, our
fore the Spanish Government, but then Sir H. Bulwer
treasure, and our moral influence; and that the assist-
. his
acted upon discretion, and we have to consider
once we had given them would require very strong pro- whether ho had properly acted upon that discretion.
vocation indeed on our part before we could justify so
It was our opinion that he had so acted properly upon
an outrage as had been offered to us. But in those
great his discretion, and that he deserved our support and al,-
papers there was no such justification, nor even the
b thin I think would have
ro sh .it
shadow of such a justitication.—(Cheers.) He did not
deed, if, looking to the conduct and career of Sir H. Bul-
presume to say what else the Spanish Government might
wer at eladrid, who had been there for years, and who
have to bring forward. On, that point, if it were
was well acquainted with that country, if we
necessary, they would be able to express an opinion
had taken advantage of a technical point, and
hereafter. Nur, did he mean to deny that in one respect
said, ",You were not instructed to give that
the Noble Lord's dispatches were fairly open to some
note, and therefore your conduct must be disavowed."
degree of blame; but what he contended for was, that
We should have very much lowered the Government
had
outrage far exceeded the provocation—that it bore
the we so acted, and we consider we were right in taking
proportion to the provocation, and that as far as he
no ourselves the responsibility, or rather upon
could see then _, never was an act of so much importance
the greater part of the responsibility, for the Hon.
undertaken upon grounds which appeared to be so slight
Member for Dorsetshire is right in saying that if there
and inconclusive.—(Loud cheers.) True we had done
is cause for censure, the censure must rest on the Go-
such acts ourselves, for Count Gyllenberg, the Swedish
vernment at home, and not on the agent.—(Hear.) We
Minister, was sent out of this country, in 1716, but we
therefore, do take the greater share of that responsible
gave the strongest reasons for doing it, inasmuch as he
lily, and we stand here to be acquitted of all blame, or
had been detected in correspondence with the Pretender.
to be censured, if it should please the House to censure
It the Spanish Government could show a similar cause
our conduct in this proceeding. But, at all events, not
sure that this blouse would not preclude
then he was, den •ine or seeking to evade the responsibility '
itself from admitting it as a justification; but at present Ye. which
properly rests upon use my Noble Friend's subsequent
had been shown. And if it should
no such justification dispatches to Sir Henry Bulwer have been censured on
such justification existed, he was cer-
turn out that no s another ground ; and it has been said that after such
within the House, orparty
lain that no party differences
t them from
feelings of any kind, would recent . concur-
b k his dispatch, heought to have fallen "
into a pas-
se which the vindication of our national ac
ring in any course
m to require.—(Cheers.) This was sion, and in pompous terms, and by some acts of an
honour might see ,
of the subject; though extreme nature, he ought to have resented the indig-
what he had to say on that part
nit put upon him. I think my Noble Friend took
d that it should have been stirred
he deeply regretted a much better and a wiser course in explaining that his
could speak only in " ifs" and
at a time when they motives were friendly, and that if the Spanish Ministers
"buts," because t
he most important documents were
w to be considered were angry, we should not be offended with them. I
not before them. It remained no
recollect a story which Lord Holland told me, of a dia-
-1 House would concur in the vote proposed by
whether the en., nor at which he was invited ;
hon)
llon. Member for Dorsetshire. He (Lord Ma.. lye arrived, he
the lon.concur in it. That found there Lord Archibald Hamilton and a gentleman
would say, at once, that he could not
who was not known to him. Lord Archibald came up to
ofcensure; it expressed regret, but regret
vote was a vote
such
from this House was nothing more nor less than a vote
things to him that he must either laugh at him or knock
lion. Gentlemen remember what
of censure. And let
ofcarrying in this House him downs upon which, said Lord Holland, I advised
my
would be the consequence
h a .
friend to laugh, and not to think of knocking Gentleman hadpro- down. So,
resolution like that which the Hon.
• is • h Noble '
I think, the case with my Friend (Lord Palmer-
posed, expressive of the
_l3 .t.
of
.‘ .
ston) the question is not one which involves a grave na-
House observed the humiliating posi ion the English !
1. Then there
eadmitted
Government.—(Hear, hear, and laughter.) H tional arre has been another s •
criticism eased upon the language pales of
used. in the notes ad-
the humiliation, but he was not yet prepared to say
dress d 13
the Minister of
whether that humiliation was incurred by the fault of eeentothata,enu
ought
Spain by Sir H. Bulwer. It
has b
our diplomacy, or by the !Must suspicionsof the Spanish ,
~ . swirl. g
the Noble °'
o igations she is under to this country. Now, I differ in
Government.—(Hear, hear.) The conduct. of
opinion with those who think thus. Ido not think that
to animadversion; but to say
Lord was partially open ' • • it the Spanish Government had really consulted the in-
that animadversion should be followed by the immediate
terests of their mistress they would
the councils of the
have returned such
retirement of the Noble Lord from
an answer as that of the Duke of Soto'
mayor
to Sir H.
Qieen, and the possible retirement of all those Noble
Bu' The ht
ver. ey oug to have been too mindful of their
Lords amid Ilight Hon. Gentlemen who now composed
Queen's .
,indulge in hntere!ts to such sarcasms as were
the Government of her Majesty, was what he could not
vented in their reply to Sir Henrythat, Bulwer's note of
• tine. the whole case, he could April r . But as they had chosen to do so, they fairly
fuller information respec ,
drew upon themselves the retort that the Queen of
not but think that the House of Commons would not
consult the true interests of the country, or show a England had received no such obligation as had been
feet information,
upon imper upon the .
bestowed Queen of Spain. The Honourable
proper feeling of dignity,, ir, for shire has
Member Dorset chosen to bring forward his
it came to any such decision.—(Cheers.)
d he thinks it both e
an wise and becoming to do
Lord J. RUSSELL—Mr. Speaker—chic Noble Lord motion,so whilst negotiations aro yet pending on the very sub-
fairly on this es
who has just sat down has spoken so qu - ject under discussion. He professes only to ask for in-
tion—(uheers)—has expressed his doubts where ho has furmation, and doing so, he proposes to the H
louse to
doubts, his approbation where he approves, and his re- agree to a vote of censure on our conduct. endea-
voured to justify the discretion of the Honourable Mem-
luctaece to a with vote of censure, in terms so be-
grce a ber• for whilst it was not proper
ro
p p for us to ask him to
coming a Member of this House, that I cannot refrain '
put of his motion, I cannot agree with him in his asser-