The Sun.
London, England, 1848-05-09 00:00:00

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY.

The on
that the
ys.usbnscarlir
AFTERNOON SITTING.
subscription, was toipoonssititoon
tohfethce
hoirsgrtainstizaftuinond csohmomulidttebee,
gcaavreried by a large majority.
voluntar
Mr. E. Ol,l ELI that there should be no stated amount of
course of conduct the rtice of a motion stating what
the people to pursue.
other things, it advised
„s‘sniembly deessed it necessary for
them not to support any Pao jets
not
not to pay any
movement which did
not fully embrace the PeopielsiclCh
deal with any but a Chartist
taxes, poor-rates, or tithes
eable articles;
and to supply
of any but a Chartist, nor to ' '''
maintenance
exercise
to rent a house
tradesman ; to abstain from the use o fae:lcais.
to convert their paper securities into
themselves with arms, in order that they
their constitutional rights, and for the
mode of
of
peace, law, and order.
A long discussion then. followed upon the
electing a general executive of five. persons,. as recom-
mended in the report of the organiz: mon committee, and
also upon other points in the report,.
The Assembly then adjourned.

FOREIGN
society was
SAILOI :Si SOCIETY.—Yes-
terdayBRITISII
held at the Londn resided. sogfa this
st r es
The Ffrec retary read the fif-
eveninAgNDthe
Tananveuranl,mßeeisthinogv
W. Wire,
teen ,-eipts for the last year
The total re ~
interesting details.
'epportof the cOmniitt ee. It was full of
th annEua6lqr.
were 2,966/. 195.;
to 468/. more than it
society with liabilities am.
the eoxupnentidnigt are, however, left the
lene-thened remarks, as
inten-
tion to occupy their time by afuoi:
He had, how-
itself.
had on band. The Chairman sa• id it was not his
the report spoke sufficiently
ever, to express his deepregret
been prevented
h lt bad
not able to be present, and that .
men[, for he knew
being present by a previous enga. ;T. all
th at the Lord Mayor was
that his Lordship took a great
i rat rest in the society.
He congratulated the society on tho i ncreased attendance
at their meeting this year. The me, ,t 4; wasng addressed
by the Reverends G. Smith, J. Burn ett, N.Boyer,
and
M. Davis, and by Messrs. Payne and Garland. _
TIIR LA ii
LATE EXTENSIVE CONFLAG IRATION ON OL.
nortN-rum..—Yesterday Mr. Willis m Payne and a
respectable jury assembled at the Cit y Arms, Holborn-
bridge, for the
purpose of inquiring into the circum-
stances connected with the fire w' iich broke out on
Holborn-hill last V •
-rid4Y, and which destroyed the pre-
mises occupied severally by
Mr. Winter, a tailor; an
dMr. P eaty, a tea-dealer ;
Mr,
SI LAnner, a tobacconist.
After examining several witn
verdiet " That there was es!es, . the jury returned a
, fire originated." uo evide. ace) to prove how the

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
li9usE OF LORDS, Mar, s.
Their Lordship, assemb d at Five o'clock.
The Earl of STRAFFORD, at the request of the
Earl of Derby, presented a petition from Liverpool
and Manchester in favour of the Jewish Disabilities
Removal Bill; also, petitions from Clapham, and
various places in \Vales, with a similar prayer.
Lord CAMPBELL presented an immense number
of petitions from various places with a similar prayer;
also, several petitions in favour of legalizing the
Society of Odd Fellows.
The Duke of BUCCLEUCH presented several
petitions from various Presbyteries in Scotland
against the Jewish Disabilities Removal Bill.
Lord DACRE presented several petitions in favour
of the measure.
The Earl of EGLINTON presented several peti-
tions against the measure ; also, a petition from the
Chamber of Commerce of Glasgow against any alter-
ation in the navigation-laws.
JEWISH DISABILITIES BILL.
In reply to a question from Lord STANLEY,
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE fixed the second
reading of the Jewish Disabilities Removal Bill for
Thursday, the 25th, on the understanding that it
should not be postponed beyond that day.
LAW REFORM.
Lord BROUGHAM would then bring forward his
motion on the administration of the law on Friday,
theo
Thea 12th.
motion
Earlf
of
euffLGoßvgreffdAaaD:
:nfilrNai ABERDEENued. lt had
mightnev eri,e before
postponed,heard
but not advanced.
ahta
hnni
sediidNol ThegL6ro dtevb
hEael
Beroaanaßnrnrenllotice for the 12th for his motion on the
dui tgahgddeofrsopatrwte dtt
hhteeh hisai motiontt
suggestionhh .e N Noble
forol ef
iegs°whhtßo u
noticewithdraw
Friend, and withdraw his former notice,
subject.

CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS BILL.
Lord LYNDHURST asked if his Noble and
Learned Friend opposite intended to proceed with his
Criminal Proceedings Bill on the 12th ?
Lord CAMPBELL said it was his intention to
proceed with that Bill on Friday next.
PETITION S.
Lord BEAUMONT presented several petitions
from various places in favour of the Jewish Disabili-
ties Removal Bill.
The Bishop of ST. DAVID'S presented a peti-
tion from the students of Lampeter College in
favour of the Jewish Disabilities Removal Bill.
Lord KINNAIRD presented several petitions from
various places to the same effect.
The Bishop of WINCHESTER presented several
petitions against the Jewish Disabilities Removal Bill.
AFFAIRS OF SPAIN.
Lord STANLEY said he must detain their Lordships
for a short time whilst he referred to the subject of dis-
cussion on Friday night last. Her Majesty's Ministers
had since laid on the table of their Lordships' House
ft
ehree
ncorrespondence
Itioe which he h
no
intention ten referred
of
submittinge-
a
motion on the subject, but, having perused that corre-
spondence, he could not refrain from stating the im-
pression which it had produced on his mind. The Noble
Marquis (Lansdowne) seemed to have been labouring
under a singular error the other day in attributing the
publication of the letter from the Secretary of Foreign
Affairs to Mr. Bulwer to a French newspaper, and in
stating that he did not know how that paper got hold of
the document, a most important part of which it had sup-
pressed. Now, it appeared from the statement of that
newspaper itself that the first time it got into its columns
was the 24th of April; whilst the Duke of Sotomayor had
complained of its appearing in a Spanish paper on the
10th of that month. Upon looking at the letter itself, as
it was now printed, he thought it had not been mutilated.
The communication of the Noble Viscount (Palmerston),
which commenced the correspondence, began by saying,
" I have to instruct you to recommend earnestly to the
Spanish Government, and to the Queen-Mother, if you
should have an opportunity of doing so, the adoption of
a legal and constitutional course," &c. Now, it ap-
peared to him, inasmuch as Mr. Bulwer could easily
have an opportunity of communicating to the Spanish
Government the Noble Viscount's dispatch, but might
not be able to do so to the Queen-Mother, that the
words "if you should have an opportunity of
doing so," applied exclusively to the latter, and had
no reference to the Spanish Goverement.—(Hear, hear.)
It appeared to him by this correspondence, first of all,
that there was a great difference of opinion between the
British Minister in Spain and the Secretary for Foreign
Affairs in this country; and secondly, that there was a
still wider difference between the sentiments of the
Noble Viscount and his colleagues. The reply of the
Duke of Sotomayor stated that he did not understand
what the letter meant by recommending the adoption of
a legal and constitutional course, because at the time it
was written an emeute had not taken place, sad the
Spanish Ministers were following a strietly con-
stitutional mode of government. What was the
answer of Mr. Bulwer? He admitted the justice
of the observation: he acknowledged that the com-
munication of the Noble Viscount was made before the
Government had taken any step of an arbitrary cha-
racter, but said it was intended to refer to a state of
things which might arise. The Noble Viscount, how-
ever, had not said anything about a state of things
which might arise; he had given his instruction with
reference to the actual, and not the future, state of
things. Mr. Bulwer was, however, obliged to admit'.
the Duke of Sotomayor that his argument was good;
that the Noble Viscount had no reason for doing what
he had done at the time at which he did it; but the
opportunity had arisen, and he availed himself of it.
But a more important fact was disclosed, and one which
their Lordships and the country would require to have
a full explanation of. He meant the different view
taken by Members of the Government on this subject.—
(Hear, hear.) He had mistaken the Noble Marquis the
other night if he did not rest the whole of his case on
this fact : that the letter of Lord Palmerston was a
private letter to the British Minister at Madrid, and
ought not to have been shown ; and he stated ex-
plicitly that he lamented the course which Mr.
Bulwer had adopted. The leading Minister in the
House of Lords, stated that he "lamented " the course
pursued by a Minister of the Crown, and, by so saying,
he meant that such conduct was not justifiable, and ho
virtually passed his censure upon it. He (Lord Stanley)
expressed a doubt whether that letter had ever been
seen by the Noble Marquis (Lansdowne) or the Noble
Earl (Grey). Why, at the time the Noble Marquis re-
ferred to it, on Friday night, he was not cognisant of
what he was about to lay on their Lordship' table; he
was not aware that the British Minister in Spain had,
upon the face of the documents now before their Lord-
ships, received the entire and cordial approval of Lord
Palmerston. The letter from Mr. Henry Lytton Bul-
wer was dated April the 7th, and there was another of
the 11th of the same month. On the 19th, and also on
the 20th, the Noble Viscount (Palmerston) had written
to Mr. Bulwer, and in both dispatches approved of his
conduct. In one he said, " Her Majesty's Government
likewise approved of the note which you addressed on
the 7th inst. to the Spanish Minister for Foreign
Affairs." Now he would leave it to the Noble Mar-
quis to explain that extraordinary fact.—(Hear, hear.)
The letter of the 11th, from Mr. Bulwer, enclosed also
the dispatch from the Duke of Sotomayor; and the an-
swer again of Viscount Palmerston to that was a most
extraordinary production. He said, " I have received
your dispactches," and not " I approve of the course
you have adopted;" but " I have to instruct you
to state to the Duke of Sotomayor that her Majesty's
Government entirely approve of your representation of
the 7th inst., and of your note of the 12th inst., and
thereby he took upon himself to throw upon her Ma-
jesty's Government the whole responsibility of the lan.
guage, tone, and manner of the correspondence. He
took a course in which he involved her Majesty's Go-
vernment in the entire responsibility of a most offensive
proceeding. But, in his attempt to place the correspon-
dence on a more amicable footing, he exhibited a degree
of Christian forbearance which would have been credi-
table in a private individual, but which was quite incon-
sistent with the representative of a great power.—(Hear,
hear.) What did he say? Having his dispatches re-
turned in a manner which one gentleman would not tole-
rate from another, he said, "Go and tell the Duke of
Sotomayor that I entirely approve of the course you
have adopted; but her Majesty's Government are not at all
offended." Thus you exposed yourself to insult, you got
a kick, and then begged to say that you entirely ap-
proved of the course which induced it, and tell the person
at the same time that you were not the least offended
with him.—(Laughter.) It was a most absurd and lu-
dicrous anwer to as imprudent a step as he ever heard
of. The Noble Viscount went on to conclude the cor-
respondence by reminding the Minister for Foreign
Affairs, whom he was addressing, that in certain circum-
stances, unless Great Britain had interfered, he (that
Foreign Minister), instead of being the Minister of his
Sovereign, would have been a proscribed exile on a
foreign shore. This needed no comment. He wished
he could see a satisfactory issue to such a correspon-
dence. But he thought he should be excused for calling
attention to the subject—(Hear, hear)—and, above all,
tvihaste:luonutsethaned the country had a right to know whether
the conduct of Mr. Bulwer, in taking the step which he
had adopted, athdaotptietdw, wasasaconprosiedeeerdeidngby the Government to be
Imp-lidera, if not indefensible; and whether the Noble
The Mar
taken upon himself, in the name of the Government, to
at
oPnPer,"aanl:37:aisi ema ro
say, that it was intended Mr. ti)hietwaoer
radh,
who
hwphhoaaoaunsdlsi
dups
Spanish
dkhxneeeeeri
rwisrcnt
ospaoeadl entirephoetilow
had communicated the Vstiaeetecllyt3ih.
own discretion on the He did not believe he
before it was known to
certainly regretted that it had beenuke of Sotomayor. He
distin-
guished individual ; but Mr. Bulwer,
made to that
knowledge of the affairs of Spain, mwuest r
havefrom his great
had reasons
for making the communication of an imperative
ter. As to the approbation which had 3een signifiedchttrc-
Mr. Bulwer 's conduct, i.t was necessary either to expressf
approval or disapproval of it ; and if the latter course
had been adopted he must have been recalled. That was
a course the Government were not prepared to adopt,
"i'SceedtrLeintAadriNys
siDforo‘FvihrEeici,gll Affairs
had not
because they did not think it desirable to make this
matter a subject of permanent quarrel. They did
not, however, think fit to give a species of triumph
to the Duke of Sotomayor after the language which
to be communicated to the Spanish
sent to Mr. Bulwer
he had used, and the answer was accordingl-
Minister. From what had since taken place he knew
that all unpleasant feeling between the parties had been
removed.—(Hear, hear.)
The Noble Lord had said
madeod whea
that the communication wbeen
perilb
taken at
;
a i
was in
arbitrary measures bad not

' tended to leave the matter to Mr. Bulwer's discretion,
with a view to prevent the adoption of ouch tneasuree.—
' (1.14.a,-, hear.) Yocre niust have been aoinetoieg to lead
his Noble Friend to suppose that the affairs of Spain
would take. the course which he was anxious to prevent,
and therefore he was justified in the advice which he
tendered. That advice was given in a spirit of goodwill
to the Spanish Government, and from an anxious desire
that the peace of the country awl the strength of the
Government might be maintained; and not from a wish
to interfere in the affairs of Spain in any other sense than
to promote the prosperity of that country. It was a
source of satisfaction to him to consider that an amicable
feeling had been restored ; Mr. Bulwer's recal had not
been demanded ; and therefore he trusted their Lord-
ships would not think it necessary to revive a contro-
versy with respect to the merits of the proceeding.
The Earl of ABERDEEN did not think much ob-
servation necessary on the explanation of the Noble
Marquis. He did not, however, seem entirely to agree
in the course which had been adopted. He admitted
with him that it would have been most unjust to have
abandoned Mr. Bulwer, because he had certainly acted
according to the spirit of the instructions which he had
received.—(Hear,
efeteh
perfectly iev
eCdr—ownil
earand
he had no doubt that Mr. Bulwer
knew 'hear.) He was a most able servant
well what he was about when he made
the communication to the Duke of Sotornayor.—(Hear,
hear.) He appeared to have felt perfect confidence that
he should meet with the approbation of his Govern-
ment, and when the Noble Marquis said it was left to
his discretion he surely could not have read the com-
munication very carefully. If there had been a comma
between the words " Government" " and" in the
opening sentence of the letter it would have removed all
doubt as to the passage "If you shall have an oppor-
tunity of doing so " applying only to the Queen-
Mother.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. Bulwer had no occasion to
seek an opportunity of communicating with the Spanish
Government—it was his right to do so; but he had no
right to put himself in communication with the Queen-
Mother.—(hear, hear.) That such was Mr. Bulwer's
idea was evident from his reply, in which ho said, " In
conformity with your
.Lordship's instructions, I took
the opportunity of communicating to the Spanish Go-
vernment, &c. It was said that it was not desirable to
give an apparent triumph to the Duke of Sotomayor by
xpredsosivoenrywell of
after the Noble approbation from Mr.
Bulwer. withholding
Ih
That
tn mightexpression
Vis-
count had received the answer of the Spanish Minister,
but it so happened that the approbation was expressed
before that reply had been received.—(Hear, hear.) Ho
was anxious to know how the renewal of friendly feeling
had been brought about, because he regarded the answer
of the Spanish Minister as a most serious affair. He
had bad some experience in matters of that sort, but he
had never before heard of the dispatch of a British
Minister being returned as unfit to be received or re-
tained.—(Hear, bear.) It was the first time, he thought,
that a British Minister had been subjected to such in-
dignity.—(Hear, hear.) If it had not been for the
discussion in their Lordships' House blr. Bulwer
might have had his approbation in his pocket, but
he would have met with the disapprobation of
the whole country ; but now it would be seen,
if censure was due, that it attached to those who
adopted the step which led to such a communication being
made. He fully expected that the suggestion which
had been thrown out the other night by his Noble Friend
(Lord Stanley), as well as from something which he
knew to be going on at Madrid, would have been adopted.
He thought there would have been an explanation
offered by the British Government, that they did not in-
tend to interfere in the internal affairs of Spain, and
then the offensive communications on both sides would
be withdrawn. That would have been the proper
course ; but the whole matter was marked by such
frivolity as surprised him; and he was at a loss to know
how any Noble Lord, with the gravity of the matter before
him, could have brought it to such a termination.—
(Hear.) He thought Mr. Bulwer had left it much
better than it now stood, within so long to quogue wind-
ing up.—(Hear, hear.) It was quite indispensable that
some understanding should be come to with the
Spanish Government with a view to set at rest this most
objectionable proceeding; for although we had drawn it
on ourselves, yet we had received such an insult as had
never been inflicted on any Government before.--(Hear,
hear.) He would for a moment refer to the language
used by the Noble Viscount who had been so justly com-
plained of. The Noble Lord said—" The recent down-
fal of the King of the French and his family, and
the expulsion of his Ministers, ought to indicate to
the Spanish Court and Government the danger to which
they expose themselves in endeavouring to govern a
country in a manner opposed to the sentiments and
opinions of the nation ; and the. catastrophe which
has just occurred in France is sufficient to show that
even a numerous and well-disciplined army offers only
an insufficient defence to the Crown when the system
followed by it is not in harmony with the general system
of the country. The Queen of Spain would act wisely
in the present critical state of affairs if she were to
strengthen her Executive Government, by widening the
bases on which the Administration reposes, and in
calling to her councils some of the men in whom the
Liberal party places confidence. It' that meant anything
i it meant an approbation of the revolution which had
taken place in France.—(Hear, hear.) It was not con-
sistent with good feeling, in a fortnight after the arrival
of that unfortunate prince (the King of the French) and
his family in this kingdom, to hold him up as a warning
to the Spanish Government. And it was not true—it could
not be said that he was governing France in " a manner
opposed to the sentiments and opinions of the nation."
The feelings of the people were expressed in the only
legitimate way in which they could be made known,
namely, by a Government majority in both his chambers.
But, suppose this was so—suppose the Noble Viscount's
representation to be correct, and it had been so stated to
c.eneral Narvaez, he might at once have said, " If the
King of the French had allowed his able, upright,
and courageous Minister to act as I have done, he would
still have been on the throne of France." General Nar-
vaez had put down the attempt at revolution by means
which, unfortunately for himself; the King of the French
1,.
abstained from using. It was therefore no argument as
to what might have been done by firm resistance.—
(Hear.) He must also say that the time chosen for giv-
ing his advice was most inopportune, it being just after
the Spanish Government had put down an attempt at
insurrection.—(Hear.). But objectionable as the com-
munication was it could not have been expected to pro-
duce such an answer.—(Hear.) Much depended on the
feeling existing between the party who made the
communication and the individual who received it. He
should have had no difficulty in giving advice through
Lord Cowley to M. Guizot, because of the friendly
feeling which existed between them, and this communi-
cation, if it had been made by a friend, might have
been differently received; but it was offered without the
shadow of a hope of its being accepted.—(Hear, hear.)
Suppose that our interference had led to a change of
Ministry, and that national calamities had followed this
change, we should clearly have, in such case, been re-
sponsible to Europe for those calamities. He denied
that the interference of the Government in the recent
case was called for by any existing treaty. He con-
sidered it the duty of the Government of Great Britain
to establish a friendly understanding with the Spanish
Government of a clear, straighforward character, and to
be no longer influenced in any degree by what should
now be the dissipated bugbear of French influence.
Lord BROUGHAM expressed his gratification to
hear that friendly relations were once more established
between this country and Spain, and suggested that the
quarrel being now over, the less reference there was
made to it the better. _

The Marquis of LONDONDERRY fully concurred
in the Noble Lords qualification that the misunder-
standing between England and Spain, occasioned by the
unwarrantable interference in Spanish affairs of our
Secretary for Foreign Affairs, was now dissipated. lie
felt compelled, nevertheless, to denounce the conduct of i
the Noble Secretary n meddling as he did with every-
thing and eve body, a mania which had involved him
in the perfectly natural dislike and distrust in every Court
of Europe.
The Marquis of CLANRICARDE contended that it
gratuitous meddling the con-
ductin directing our Minister at
wMa o
durinjdiudhsiit to
discreetly NoblecredetelnyFulee a
to give,
ives, when occasion should arise,
such advice to a friendly Government as the Noble Lord,
under the circumstances, deemed it well for that Goveru-
ment to have, not dictated, but suggested to it. The
only error in the matter was an error of judgment on
the part of Mr. Bulwer, in the mode of tendering the
advice at a peculiarly critical moment.
The subject then dropped, and their Lordship? ad-
journed.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, May 8.
The SPEAKER took the Chair shortly before Four.

THIRD READINGS.

The following Bills were read a third time and
passed :—Bristol and Clifton Gas Light Amendment
Bill, Derby Waterworks Bill, East and West Looe
Harbour and Bridge Bill, Herculaneum Dock Bill,
Huddersfield Improvement Bill, Stirling Water-
works Bill.
Mr. MACGREGOR presented a petition from the
Manchester Lodge of Odd Fellows, praying for the
legalisation of their body.
Sir W. SOMERVILLE presented a petition from
the Bells board of guardians, praying for an altera-
tion of the Irish poor-laws.
Mr. WALTER presented petitions from the inha-
bitants of Blackfriars in favour of the Health of
Towns Bill.
Mr. HEYWOOD presented petitions from Hert-
ford against the game-laws.
Mr. J. B. SMITH presented a petition from Forfar,
praying for an alteration of the law of entail in Scot-
land.
Mr. URQUHART presented a petition from Staf-
ford against the Health of Towns Bill.
Lord ASHLEY presented petitions from White-
chapel, Hampstead, and the Isle of Wight, in favour
of sanitary reform.
Lord DUNCAN presented petitions from Bath
against the Health of Towns Bill.
Mr. P. SCROPE presented petitions against the
sale of spirituous liquors on Sunday.
Mr. HILDYARD presented similar petitions from
NVhitehaven.
Mr. HUME presented similar petitions from
Arbroath.

NOTICES OF MOTION
Mr. AIACGREGOR gave notice that on an early
day he should move for various returns connected
with the fees and salaries of the parties employed in
various public offices.
Sir B. lIALL gave notice that on Thursday he
Should move for a return of the number of electors
registered in the United Kingdom for the election of
184
7;
thethe
of the various towns and boroughs
nnamumesber who polled at the election, speci-
fying

to which the electors belonged, an,' ah‘o a return of
the nunshor of hn,lses rated to the peer 'n each of such
towns or bur.ughs.
GOVERNMENT OF MALTA.
Dr. BO WRING, seeing the Hon. Gentleman the
Under-Secretary of the Colonies in his place,
wished to ask him a question of which he had given
notice. The inhabitants of Malta had been long
expecting that a popular representative government
would be conceded to them, and as he understood the
subject had been under the consideration of the Colo-
nial-office, he should be glad to know whether any
measures were in progress for extending to the people
of Malta the benefit of popular institutions in any
shape ?
Mr. HAWES said, if his Honourable Friend
meant by his question to ask whether a re-
presentative government was to be conceded to
Malta, the only answer he could give him was
that no such measure was in contemplation. He
should do but ill justice, however, to the Governor of
Malta if he omitted to take this opportunity of stating
that the Governor had several important measures
under his consideration for improving the condition
of the island. In the first place, he was ascertaining
the expediency of municipal institutions, and, in the
next place, he had appointed two Commissioners, one
to inquire into the state of the commercial law,
and the other to ascertain the state of the criminal
tribunals, with the view to improvement. The Go-
vernor had also had under consideration various other
measures, with the view of trying to effect improve-
ments in the government of the island.
Dr. BO\VRING would be glad to know whether
the municipal institutions would be based upon the
principle of popular representation ?
Mr. HAWES could give no information what-
ever upon that point now, but a report on the sub-
ject was daily expected from the Governor.