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

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY.

The on '
that the itsaCrl)
AFTERNOON SITTING. -
voluntary, ro.position of the organization committee,
andvalutraitere should be no stated amount of
submscrr.itt.iojno,NEBto the .Chartist fund should be
earnedby a large majority.
course of conduct the Asseclabof a
gave
motion stating what
A
m
eio
nly deemed it necessary for
Chamrtoove.ment which did
the people to pursue.
rto, not to pay any I
them not to support any politica?" things, it advised
Chartist
not fully embrace the People's
articles;
a house
taxes, poor-rates, or tithes ; not
of any but a Chartist,. nor to deal with any but
tradesman; to abstain from the use of exciseaoaultialae
to convert their paper securities into gold •
themselves with arms,
. in order that they inighreau"ly
their constitutional rights, and for the maintenxanerecelse
peace, law, and order.
. of
A long discussion then followed upon the mode of
electing a general executive of five persons, as recom_
mended in the report of the organization committee, and
also upon oer points inthe report.
The Assemthbly then adjourned.

the
terday evening
BRITISII AND F' SAILORS' SOClETY.—Yes-
terdaypresided. The Secretary read the fif-
ananveuranl,mßeeisthinogpsogfatteh-isstreseot.cietyDavid
W. Wire,was
held at the London T
interesting details.
teenth annual report
opo rt
T ofh
The hteo committee.talrece ipts folrtthwealsasfttlylleaorf
were 2,9661. 195.; the expenditure,
society with liabilities amountingto however,
468.
nloro lethftanthiet
had on hand. The Chairman said it was not his inten-
tion to occupy their time by any
the report spoke sufficientlyforthat the Lord Mayor was
how-
ever, to express his deep regret
lengtheneditself. He
remarks,
had,
as
not able to be present, and that he had
tlr
foren phreevietnnteewd
men
being present by a previous engagement,
that his Lordship took a great interest
attendanceinthesociet)%
lie congratulated the society on the increased
at their meeting this year. The meeting was addressed
by the Reverends G. Smith, J. Burnett, N. Boyes, and
M. Davis, and by Messrs. Payne and Garland.
THE LATE EXTENSIVE CONFLAGRATION ON 1-10 -
-mi-L.—Yesterday Mr. William Payne and a
respectable jury assembled at the City Arms. Holborn-
bridge, for the purpose of inquiring into the circum-
stanc" connected with the fire wich broke out on
Holborn-hill last Friday, and which destroyed the pre-
' mises occupied severalty by Mr. Peaty, a tea-dealer ;
AMirierWexmatmeri,naingtasileovre;rz
htMr. Skinner, a tobacoonist.
itnes!es, the jury returned a
fire
verdoriginatedtiet " Tha there was no evidence to prove hew the
."

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
HOUSE OF LORDS, May a.
Their Lordships assembled 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 Wales, 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 BUCULEUCH 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,
the 12th.
The Earl of ABERDEEN had never before heard
of a motion being advanced. It might be postponed,
but not advanced.
The Earl of RADNOR suggested that the Noble
and Learned Lord might withdraw his motion for
the 16th, and give a fresh notice for the 12th.
Lord BROUGHAM would adopt the suggestion of
his Noble Friend, and withdraw his former notice,
and give notice for the 12th for his motion on the
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.
PETITIONS.

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 KINN AIRD 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
the correspondence to which be then referred with re-
ference to Spain. He had no intention of submitting 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 (Lansd oi
odew lrnenr toeo t )tre
rktst
hnoefeeor
amewo
InFet
hhdroeet
wrnht
ceodthahshyaenate
newspaper,
e been labouring
paper
ats
appa
retayrt
pr
egiobrof
,ut
Foreigntaihnnogdl
dt hionef
Ipsl Affairstnuadbtileinregaa tti soo i
thatnngohufel Mr. at
Bulwerdrh
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 Government.—(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, and the
Spanish Ministers were following a strictly 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
tbings 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 to
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.
Bat 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 he
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, ho was not cognisant of
what he was about to lay en their Lordships' 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. Tho 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
Setomayor 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-
dieranpere:deßatu,t he thought he should be excused for calling
Viscount thi::::
attention to the subject—(Hear, hear)—and, above all,
that House and the country had a right to know whether
tthakeecnonduct of Mr. Bulwer, in taking the step which he
had adopted, was considered by the Government to be
matterbecauhsoew
evert
say that it
tone, and w
approval.— not
:ao Secretary
.sind e f indefensible; sfiobrl e
E;
oarnedi
gnwhether
Affairs
d Noble
no t
upon himself, in the name of the Government, to
_ was a
)tindistinctly proceeding
heard,which was
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE, who spoke in a low
had communicated thete
say, that it was intended
own discretion on theo r .
Spain,B uol Bulwer et n should
must
made
imperative
have
treeoanetthtihxav
heedeai exercise c. understood
distin-
guishedis e
reasonsh entire
ti
his
before
individual was
;subject. He did not believe he
dispatch to a Spanish newspaper
thezi r
.DBunkeineweo: Sotomayor.
hfrum n
ihis
grnHa et
certainly regretted that it had be
but
fkonro
makingwle d ge otfhteh
communication
affairs
As to the approbation which had signified of
Mr. Bulwer's conduct, it was nectssary eithert
approval or disapproval of it ; and if the latter express
se
had been adopted he must have been recalled. That was
they did not think it desirable to make this
a course the Government were not prepared to adopt,
a subject of permanent quarrel. They did
think fit to give a species of triumph
not,
and the answer was accordingly
he had used,
communicated to the Spanish
to the Duke of Sotomayor after the language which
sent to Mr. Bulwer to be
Tho Noble Lord had said 1
removed.—(Hear, hear.) _e
at a period when
ad
Minister. From what had since taken place he knew
that all unpleasant feeling
wb
ae
stwmeen the parties had been
athrbaittratirlye
mcoemasmuruennsticbfaeatediolinnn
not been taken ; but it was in

it tended to leave the matter to Mr. Bulwer's discretion,
with a view to prevent the adoption of such measures.—
(Hear, hear.) There must have been something 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 and 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, hear.) He was a most able servant
of the Crown, and he had no doubt that Mr. Bulwer
knew perfectly well what he was about when he made
the communication to the Duke of Sotomayor.—(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 he said, " I❑
conformity with your Lordship's instructions, I took
the opportunity of communicating to the Spanish Go-
vernment, Bs.c. It was said that it was not desirable to
give an apparent triumph to the Duke of Sotomayor by
withholding an expression of approbation from Mr.
Bulwer. That might do very well after the Noble 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.) He
was anxious to know bow 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 had 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, hear.) 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 Mr. 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 be 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 quoque 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
it meant an approbation of the revolution which had
taken place in France.—(Hear, bear.) 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
General 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
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 Lord's 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. He
felt compelled, nevertheless, to denounce the conduct of
the Noble Secretary in meddling as he did with every-
thing and everybody, 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
was unjust to denounce as gratuitous meddling the con-
duct of his Noble Friend in directing our Minister at
Madrid discreetly to give, when occasion should arise,
such advice to a friendly Government as the Noble Lord,
under the circumstances, deemed it well for that Goveru-
went 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
ad
subject then dropped, and their Lordship? ad-
vTichee a t a peculiarly critical moment.
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
legalization 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. small 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
Whitehaven.
day
Mr. HUME presented similar petitions from
Arbroath.
f 18.47 ; the NOTICES OF MOTION
_ Mr. MACGREGOR gave notice that on an early
heth
the
hfeoeusl d
andmove
sa
la
rfioers
ovfa rtihoeu s
partiesreturns
employedconnected
in
various public offices.
Sir B
HALL gave notice that on Thursday he
shouldre. !nave for a return of the number of electors
registered in the United Kingdom for thy election of
number who polled at the election, speci-
names of the various towns and boroughs
ying the

to which the electors belonged, and also a return of
the number of houses rated to the poor in each of such
towns or boroughs.
GOVERNMENT OF MALTA.
Dr. BOWRING, seeing .tile lion. Gentleman the
Under-Secretary of the Colonies in his place,
wished to ask him a question. o'i which he had given
notice. The inhabitants of 'Malta had been long
expecting that a popular re; ?r esentative government
would be conceded to them, :It td as he understood the
subject had been under the c o> isideration 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 pop tailar institutions in any
shape ?
Mr. HAVES 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 it s contemplation. He
should do but ill justice, howe v er, to the Governor of
Malta if he oniittod to take this• opportunity of stating
that the Governor had sever Ll important measures
under his consideration for im iproving the condition
of the island. In the first pia( e, he was ascertaining
the expediency of municipal in citutions, and, in the
❑ext place, he had appointed t• vo 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 in tnrovement. The Go-
vernor had also had under con: loleration various other
measures, with the view of try Log to effect improve-
ments in the government of the: island.
Dr. BOWRING would be :glad to know whether
the municipal institutions w' uld be based upon the
principle of popular representa ti on ?
Mr. HAWES could give n o information what-
ever upon that point now, but, a report on the sub,
ject was daily expected from t le Governor.
In reply to Mr. HUME,