The Sun.
London, England, 1835-06-20 00:00:00

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L os a d his friends
fouinntcliais
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they
as e'„ ten a -rebel. g The
onl r s act was,
_give _a_ moral
countenance and support the e of thes- reher
and of course to continue that bloodshed which it pro-
fassed to put an end to.—( Hear, hear, hear.) +Io had
many years' acquaintance with both Lord Eliot and
Colonel Gurwood. In their private life he admired and re-
spected them, but as the agents of a Government in whose
foreign policy he could not agree, he feared them, and could
niot put confidence in them. He (Mr. Dunconabe) found-it
If as . asserted in the convention, that it was its object to
prevent the loss of life. Now, he had often heard an autho-
rity quoted in that House which met with respect and atten-
don, and in the present instance he should cite it against
Don Carlos. Vattel, in his work on the Law of Nations,
then speaking of rebellion and unjust law, attributes all the
ils of rapine and bloodshed that ensue in civil tear to the
surper who provokes it, and calls them " his works; his
rimes." But this treaty made no distinction between the
Soldiers who adhered to the cause of loyalty, ana those in fa-
four of rebellion. But this was done on the plea of humanity.
Where was the humanity of the Government who dreamt of no
Convention when Poland was devastated ? The convention
signed by the belligerents in Spain, expressly stated that no
soldier shall be executed on either side, but according to the
Spanish law. He should like to have seen a convention insti-
gated by English Commissioners dictating to the Autocrat of
Russia, on the plea of humanity, that no Polish soldier should
be shot or exiled, until first tried and convicted by Polish law.
Where was this sympathy with the cause of humanity on the
part of a Tory Government, when Torrejos and his brave
companions were murdered? Judging by the reports of those
uncontradicted conversations, alleged to have taken place be-
tween Louis Philippe and the English Commissioners, the
King of the French spoke in terms highly complimentary of
Don Carlos. He should like to hear this explained away.
He could not doubt the sincerity of the King of the French,
but at the same time such language was not in accordance
with the spirit of the Quadripartite Treaty. It was notorious
too, that arms had been sent from this country for the support
of the Carlist cause. As also, that it had the assistance of
the Neapolitan Government. The subject was looked upon
with great interest out of doors, and if the House of Commons
instead of constantly wrangling and debating, would declare
its opinions of the righteous nature of the constitutional cause;
it would cut from under it all the support now afforded to the
side of the rebels. Europe was attentively looking on, while
the liberties of Spain were trembling in the balance ; and if
the House of Commons would but speak out and repudiate
the opinion of their giving countenance to the Carlista, the
scale would soon be turned ; and, in spite of the treachery of
domestic foes, Spain would yet recover her liberties. In
moving for these papers he did not wish to compel the. pro-
duction of any, the communicating of which would obstruct
impending negociations, but merely such authentic and official
information as would convince the country that the national
honour had been fully and faithfully maintained. The Hon.
Member concluded by moving, " That an humble address be
presented to his Majesty, that a copy be produced of the 'in-
structions given to Lord Eliot and Colonel Gurwood- upon
their late mission to Spain; together with copies of all reports
and communications made to the British Government hythose
Commissioners ; and also, for a copy of any convention. for
the exchange of prisoners proposed by Lord Eliot, and
signed by the Commander-in-Chief of the armies in the
provinces of Guipuscoa, Alava, Biscay, and the kingdom of
Navarre.'"
On the question being put,
Lord JOHN RUSSELL, as we understood, commenced
by apologizing for the absence of the Noble Lord at the head
of the Foreign Department, who had been summoned to at-
tend upon his Majesty at Windsor. He (Lord John Russell)
should have had no objection to the production of the papers
moved for by the Hon. Member for Finsbury, if he could be
convinced that it would be no injury to the service of his Ma-
jesty. He thought, however, it would ; and, in addition to its
being unusual and inconvenient, it was establishing a bad pre-
cedent. He could not concur in all the observations of his
Hon. Friend. The contest in Spain had been carried on with
great animosity on both sides; and it was a struggle in the
conclusion of which his Majesty felt a great interest. Feeling
that interest, his Majesty, under the advice of the Administra-

tion of which the Duke of Wellington was a member, had
issued a Commission, with a view to put a stop to the elusion
of blood. Before sitting down he thought it proper to ob.
serve that the Duke of Wellington, while at the head of the
Foreign-office, most fairly fulfilled all those stipulations of the
Quadripartite Treaty entered into by England, France, Spais,•
and Portugal, and he could not, therefore, concur in the ob-
servations of his Hon. Friend. The Noble Lord concluded
by regretting that he must oppose the motion for the produc-

ti-on of the papers.
Dr. BO WRING said he should be the last person in that
House to urge the production of papers calculated to be detri-
mental to the service of the country. He was sure, however,
that the people of Spain looked with great anxiety to any ex-
pression of feeling which might emanate from that House.
Any demonstration of friendly feeling from this country would
assist that nation in its struggle for emancipation. He would
not have spoken on this subject but for the interest he felt in
the fate of a country with which many of his associations of
early life were connected. He considered Spain a country
possessed of the elements of greatness, requiring only the
slightest interference on the part of the English nation to
bring out all its dormant sympathies. No one knew bow much
this country was looked to by the friends of freedom, the
friends of the cause of Reform, and the general cause of
liberty throughout the world. The name of Don Carlos—so
we understood the Hon. Gentleman to say—was associated by
the people with popular institutions; and the Government of

the 'Queen had unfortunately perinea their cause from a want
of liberality. If the Spanish Government did what they ought
to do there was no danger for their cause. No country in the
world was more calculated for popular institutions, and the
time might again arrive when Spain would be as great as at
those periods of her history with which every thing exalted was
associated.
Lord MAHON regretted the absence, unavoidable though
it was, of the Noble Lord at the head of the Foreign Depart-
ment. Of course the Noble Lord could not have done other-
wise than obey the summons of his Majesty ; yet it would
have been better if circumstances could have permitted him to
be in his place. As far as he (Lord Mahon) was personally
concerned, he could not but express his regret that the Noble
Lord had thought it his duty to refuse the production of the
papers ; but as he thought that such production would tend
to the establishment of a bad precedent, he (Lord Mahon)
should yield at once. He had the authority of the Duke of
Wellington for expressly stating, that, as far as his own
feelings and wishes were concerned, he was not only willing
but desirous that all the papers should be produced connected
with the subject, including the instructions originally given to
Lord Eliot, the despatches from Lord Eliot, and the previous
correspondence with the Court at Madrid. Every thing that
could, however remotely, affect or bear upon the subject, the
Noble Duke had authorized him to say, he was not only willing
but anxious should be produced. Of course he was not autho-
rized to press, for them if their production would be detri-
mental to the public service ; but if they were produced they
would clearly demonstrate how unjust were the attacks made
both in and out of that House. If ever there was a transac.
tion founded on motives of pure justice and humanity, and
and more relieved than another from any thing approaching to
the sordid or mean, it was the convention so skillfully framed
by the Duke of Wellington, and so ably carried into execution
by Lord Eliot. The present Government and the country
were extremely indebted to Lord Eliot for his services, and
he had no doubt, would receive further benefit. Had the re-
turns moved for, been granted the Hon. Member for Finsbury
would have been made acquainted with the barbarity which
disgraced both sides in this civil war. Prisoners on both
sides had been cruelly put to death. Had the Hon. Mem-
ber (Mr. Duncombe) been more fully informed upon the
subject, he would have been the last to oppose any plan likely
to mitigate such a system of atrocity. Had he only seen
passages in the letters of Lord Eliot and Colonel Gurwood
it would have been sufficient to have convinced him. On
the very evening that Lord Eliot arrived at the head-quarter;
of General Zumalacarregui no less than from twelve to fif-
teenprisoners were to be executed the next morning. Lor,..P -
Eliot, although not then acknowledged in his official capaeif
as Commissioner, interceded, and interceded with success...

( Hear, hear.) The prisoners expressed their joy and thar'
to their deliverer Lord Eliot. Liad these facts been kno•
the Hon. Gentleman, he had no doubt, would have beer
a different opinion as to the motives of the policy of the
Government. The late Government had been actuated o
by a feeling of humanity, and a desire that the barbarity
civil war always inclined to be extreme—should not be ag-
gravated, and perhaps at last become a precedent for a similar
conduct in other countries. The Hon. Member had stated that
the mission of Lord Eliot was inimical to the present Govern-
ment of Spain. In the object of that mission General Alava
(the Spanish Ambassador) fully concurred; and that eminent
statesman Senor Martinez de la Rosa in the Chamber of Pro-

curadores expressed his unqualified admiration and gratitude
for the scrupulous fidelity in all official conduct of the Duke of
Wellington—( Hear)—and did the strict and honourable
fulfilment of the treaties entered into by • the Government
which preceded that of his Right Hon. Friend the Member for
Taanworth and the Duke of Wellington. This declaration
was made by the Senor Martinez de la Rosa, after the Duke
of Wellington had resigned, and in answer to an attack made
by one of the Members of the Chamber. Therefore it was no
mere complimentary statement, influenced by a suspicious
motives. He could also safer to other letters and papers to
testify to the impartiality of the Duke -of Wellington, and
the good resulting from issuing the Commission. He appealed
to 'the letter written by Erazo (second in command to Zuma-
lacarregui in Navarre), by which it appeared that 500 of the
Queen's soldiers and 100 of the civic guard, had, since the
convention came into operation, been spared the fate which
befel their fellow prisoners, whilst, during the same period, not
ono Carlist had been found in similar circumstances. Thus
600 Constitutionalists had been saved through its instrunr.eat-
ality, where not one of its enemies needed its protection. He
lelt fully assured that all the authorities on the side of the
constitutional Government of Spain were perfectly satisfied
with the arrangement; and unless the Reuse could believe
that the Hon. Member for Finsbury had its interest more
deeply at heart than the Queen of Spain, was more zealous in
its cause than her Ministry at Madrid, or more faithful and
active in her service than her Ambassador in London (who had
ail expressed their perfect acquiescence in the convention) he
was sure it would not adopt the construction. the Hon. Gen-
tleman had alone endeavoured to put on it.—( Hear.) He
would only recal the attention of the House to one incident
which took place during the arrangement of the preliminaries to
that convention, to establish the fact of the conciliatory princi-
ple on which the whole undertaking was carried on and accom-
plished. He alluded to the suggestion of Gen. Valdez relative to
the change of form in the negotiation from that of astipulation
to a convention. The public were already in *session of