The Sun.
London, England, 1833-08-24 00:00:00

CHINA TRADE BILL.

Lord ALTHORP moved that the amendments to this
Bill be agreed to.
Sir R. INGLIS thought the country was deeply in •
debted to.the House of Lords for those amendments.
Mr. G. F. YOUNG contended that the Lords amend-
ment relating to the tonnage duty was an improper one,
and moved as an amendment that it be reduced from ss.
to 2g. 6d. per ton, the former sum operating as a very
heavy tax on the shipping interest.
Lord A LTHORP said the expense of a consular establish-
ment would be very great, and the Lords' amendment
was but experimental. If experience proved that less
money would be necessary, Government would consider
whether it might not be desirable to diminish the ton-
nage duty.
After some conversation, in which Mr. Methuen, Mr.
Crawford, Mr. Macauley, and other Members took part,
Mr. YOUNG consented to withdraw his amendment.
The Lords' amendments were then agreed to.
ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE.

Lord ALTHORP said that as he did not think the
House of Lords would be able to get its arrear of business
under before Wednesday, he begged to move that the
House at its rising do adjourn to Wednesday next.

Agreed to. -
FOREIGN AFFAIRS.

Colonel EVANS stated that• although he had _great
confidence in the spirit which actuated his Majesty's
Councils with respect to foreign affairs, yet as they were
about to separate for some months, during which it would
be impossible for them to have any official information
with respect to them, he had deemed it his duty to give notice
of his intention to advert to them. He congratulated the
country on the termination or near termination of the di flicult
negotiations entered into, with a view to establish Belgium
as an independent State. He was the more happy. at the
prospect of the termination of these negotiations. as it
would enable his Majesty's Government to pursue a more
vigorous course of policy in other quarters. He should
hope that, by next Session, something satisfactory would
be done on behalf of Poland ; but it was in Por-
tugal and the East of Europe more particularly that
Ministers ought now to bestow their attention. The
capital of Portugal, as well as its second city, was now
i❑ possession of the Queen de jure.—(Hear.) In-
deed she might be said to be almost Queen of the
country de facto, and as her fleet had annihilated that of
the usurper, and now rode triumphant all along the coast,
he was in hopes that ere this his Majesty's Government
would have publicly acknowledged Donna _Maria. As
early an acknowledgment of the young Queen as possible
would be advantageous both to our political and commer-
cial interests, but as he had great confidence in his Ma.
jesty's Government in this matter, and as negotiations
might be pending which would make any declaration of
opinion by the Noble Lord opposite (Palmerston) impru-
dent at the present moment, he would only express
his regret that that public acknowledgment bad not yet
been made. But as it was understood that France and
England had not, more directly than they had, interfered
on behalf of Queen Donna Maria, on account of the in.
fluence of Russia, he must say that France and Eng-
land not having prevented the dii ect interference of Russia
in the affairs of Turkey, were now entitled to say that
Russia should not prevent them from interfering in the
affairs of Portugal. The two cases were precisely in point.
Being the most important maritime nation in the world,
it could not be unimportant to us that Russia should
establish or extend its territorial power on the shores of
the Bosphorus. The policy of her aggression had made
great advances within a recent period; and as the country
knew nothing of the matter officially, he was anxious to
know, first, whether a body of troops, lately sent down by
that power to Constantinople, was sent there with the con•
currence of the Courts of France and England ; or, if
not with their concurrence, whether they were sent in
opposition to the protestations of the Ministers of those
Courts at Constantinople? and secondly, whether it was
true that a treaty offensive aed defensive between Russia
and Turkey bad been entered into without the me-
diation of any Ministers whatever, and without even
the knowledge of the representatives of France and
England at that Court? It was of the highest import-
ance, he need not say, that precautionary measures of a
very decided character should be taken to prevent the
recurrence of such aggressive steps on the part of Rus-
sia ; for no one who had looked attentively to that power,
could fail to be impressed with the necessity of checking
boldly, and at once, its aggressive policy. He would only
throw out the hint ; he thought it might be accomplished
by a corresponding treaty between England and France,
to counterbalance that between Turkey and Russia.
He lamented that Russia had at all interfered with the
affairs of Turkey; it would have been much better that
the Pacha of Egypt should not have been interfered with
by any of the European States.
Mr. C. FERGUSSON congratulated the House on the
declaration which the Noble Lord opposite had made with
respect to Poland, it had given satisfaction throughout
all Europe, and he hoped the time was not distant
when its independence would be recognized.—(Bear.)
The point with respect to Turkey was of the last im-
portance, but, at the same time, he would contend that it
was of the utmost importance to 'his country, in conjunc-
tion with our ally, France, that she should take the means
of rescuing the East of Europe, and, indeed, be would say
the whole of Europe, from the attempted dominion of
Russia, which would pervade the whole of Europe very
shortly if it was not in sufficient time restrained.—
(Hear, hear.) He thought if there was a treaty offensive
or defeilaive between Turkey and Russia, the Government of
this country and France ought to interfere, and that un-
less they did interfere) and act together in concert, be be-

lieved that the liberty and independence of Mime would
be extinguished.
Sir ROBERT INGLIS said he did not rise to follow
the two Hon. Gentlemen who had just sat down through
the general observations which they bad made, but he
understood and he knew it only from an extremely
intelligent letter which appeared in a Morning
paper two or three days ago, that the treaty
to which the Honourable and Gallant Colonel had
alluded expressly prohibited Turkey from entering into
any other Treaty whatever, other than the Treaties actu-
ally existing with any other Power. Now he trusted the
Noble Lord opposite would not allow that House to
receive its information from an ordinary newspaper, either
of Brussels or England, of the day, but would give to the
House every legitimate information that was in his power.
He was willing to admit it was irregular on their
part to apply for this information; there
being no specific motion before the House upon it, but he
trusted if the Noble Lord could not now question the
information they required, he would be prepared, if not
before the adjournment, at all events before the prorogation
of Parliament to lay before the House not merely the
treaties that had been made, but all communications con-
nected with the formation of those treaties between
Turkey and Russia. The interests of all Europe were
bound up with the independence of Turkey. He trusted
the Noble Lord would have no objection to state if it was
in his power, consistently with his public duty, whether or
so the reports which had been circulated, and which were
so injurious to the cause of England were, or were not true.
Lord PALNIERSTON said it was always a pleasure to
him to give that House any information in his power, but
he was more compelled to do so on the present occasion,
from the temperate manner in which the questions were
put by the Gallant Colonel. He felt it was his duty to
correct one mistake into which the Gallant Colonel had
fallen. He had stated that the Governments of England
and France had been prevented from interfering in the
affairs of Portugal more than they had done, through the
fears of Russia. In that he was entirely mistaken. Of
course, he spoke merely far the English Government; but
they bad in no degree whatever been influenced in their
conduct either by motives of fear or favour—so far as
regarded Russia, or any other Power.—(Hear, bear.)
They had pursued that line of conduct which they thought
would be most conducive to the interests of this country.
So far as be was acquainted with the motives which had
actuated France, he believed they had acted in an equally
independent manner.—(Hear, hear.) With regard to
the East, it was perfectly true that the Government
had received information that a treaty had been entered
into between the Porte and Russia, but that treaty had
not yet been officially communicated to them. Therefore
it was impossible for him to give any information as to its
contents, except from rumour. He did not think, how-
ever, that it was a fair charge to be brought against Go-
vernment, that the Members of that Hcuse were enabled
to see the particulars of what was going on in Foreign
Courts, before it was in his power to give any official
information on the subject.—(Hear, hear.) That was
a matter for which the proprietors of the public journals
deserved praise for :theirspirit and intelligence. but surely
it was no charge against the Government. The Gallant
Colonel bad asked whether the entrance of the Russian
troops had been with the consent, or in spite of the pro-
testations of France and England. In answer to that, he
had to state that Government did not think it necessary to
protest against that measure, because from the official
communications made to them, they placed perfect
confidence in the assurances of the Russian Government
that the troops should return, as soon as they had accom-
plished the purpose for which they were sent, which
confidence had been justified by the result. He was net
in a condition to lay on the table any papers connected
with the subject, and could only further say, that when
Government were in possession of the treaty, they would
do that which they considered to be for the benefit and
honour of the country.
. _

Colonel EVANS expressed his satisfaction at the state-
ments of the Noble Lord, and hoped when Parliament
met again, that an opportunity would be given of putting
further questions on the subject, and that more definitive
opinions would be given by Government.
Lord PALMERSTON begged it to he understood that
he had not expressed any opinion as to the treaty that had
been referred to, or to the general policy pursued by
Russia. Government had placed confidence in the assu-
rances gir,n on the part of Russia, relative to their troops
sent into Constantinople, and those assurances had been
emptied with to the letter.

Air. C. FERGUSSON wished to know whether pre-
vious to the Porte calling for assistance from Russia a
similar request had not been sent to this country.

Lord PA LMERSTON said that it was true that in the
course of the last autumn application had been made by
the Porte to this country for naval assistance, and that it
was then thought by his Majesty's Government not neces-
sary to comply with that request.