The Sun.
London, England, 1827-05-10 00:00:00

PORTUGAL.

Lord ELLENBOROUGH seeing his Noble Friend who
was the head of the. Foreign Department in his place,
wished to put a question relative to our present peculiar
connection with Portugal. It would be in the re-
collection of their Lordships, that in December last,
a most - Gracious. Message was. delivered from his Ma-
jesty, stating that he had . been called upon -for as-
sistance. by the Princess Regent -of Portugal, by virtue
of a treuty subsisting- between the two countries.—
A dutiful Adnress had been presented. in answer to this
message, and troops were Immepiately, sent to Portugal.=
It was then stated by his Majestys Ministers, that it was
impossible to lay the papers connected with that measure
before the House ; but it was commnnicated to their
Lordships that his Majesty's Ministers had ascertain-
ed that there .was a just cruse for, performing what we
had stipulated by our treaty to do. The Noble Lord thought
that it was not sufficient that we should be called on by
the other party to do any act founded on the treaty, unless
there appeared to be a just cause for that demand. It was
the duty of his Majesty's Ministers to satisfy themselves
upon this point, but since that time to the present no in-
formation have been laid before their Lordships._
That, perhaps, might have been caused by the dis-
organised state of his Majesty's Government, things are
now different, said the Noble Lord, and though a casus
feederis may have then arisen, non constat, that it exists now.
The state of Portugal had since undergone a very material
change. That rebellious army which had derived such
assistance from. Spain, was .now, dyiven across the fron-
tiers, and recent accounts toldus the troops in the strongest
fortress, and those troops, the most distinguished had re-
volted. It was impossible to look at the state of Por-
tugal, if indeed we believe the accounts which arrive
from Lisbon, or unless the falsehoods coming from
Lisbon. were so numerous as those lately in' circulation,
through London, and not feel uneasy at the situation of our
troops in that country. There they were, and it was
not possible to imagine that they could continue there
without being engaged in contests, which were purely
of a civil and domestic nature. Feeling as he did the vast
importance of the *object, it was his duty to call on his Noble
Friend whether he was ready to lay before the House any in-
formation respecting the present and the late state of affairs
in Portugal.

Lord DUDLEY said it was not at present the intention
of his Majesty's Ministers to lay any such information be-
fore their Lordships. The question was one of the most
important and delicate nature, and connected with negoci-
ations which were now pending. Under these circum-
stances, he was assured their Lordships would consider his
Majesty's Alipisters justified inwithilohling the required
information.

Lord ELLENBOROUGH—WiII my Noble Friend say
whether these negociationq are being carried on with the
Portuguese or with any (Aber Governments ?

Lord DUDLEY was understood to decline answering
the question.

NEW ADMINISTRATION-MR. CANNING.

The Duke of NEWCASTLE rose to present a petition
against any alteration in the Corn Laws. I intended, said
his Grace, to oppose the bill now before us, even when the
Noble author of it was in this House. If I were then of
that opinion, how much more strongly strongly must I be
inclined to do so when those persons with whom he was
associated were driven from the Government, and those
checks and safeguards upon which I might rely are
removed. It is, I think, the duty of every honest
man to come forward at this awful crisis—lt is a
duty which he owes to his King and his country,
to stand boldly forward and dispossess of power that indi-
vidual—l may perhaps be using a harsh term—but I can find
none more appropriate, I apply it of course in a political sense,
but I cannot designate him other thin the most profligate
Minister that ever was in
,power. I call on you all, my
Lords, to come forward and liberate his Majesty from the
awful and tremendous situation in which he is placed,
and to overthrow that most insidious and dangerous coali-
tion that had ever entered into the head of any Statesman
to project._(Loud cheers.)—Thus much my Lords, I
felt it my duty to say. Indeed, I should be very sorry
if any Member was not sufficiently clear ; or if I have not
stated my opinions as strongly as I feel them, and I am
convinced that in giving utterance to those opinions, I
hut express the sentiments of every well-thinking man
from John o'Groat's House to the Land's End.—(Cheers.)
Lord TEYNHAM presented a petition against any
al!,!ration in the Corn Laws, from a Parish in the
County of Buckingham, and gave notice that he
would move that the petition by taken into consideration
in order that the petitioners be heard at the bar of the
House against the proposed bill.
Lord DARLINGTON, after expressing himself in
favour of the bill, and appealing to the recollection of the
Noble Lord, who had lately sat on the Woolsack, whether
his opinions had not always been in accordance with the
principles o f his Majesty's p..--‘sant Government, that he was
astonished, and saw with grea&gret the sudden and violent
opposition which was raised against the new Administration.
There could be but one of two causes for this opposition—
either a desire of office and place, or an intention to dictate
to the Crown what Ministers his Majesty should choose.
Both causes were, in his opinion,. highly objectionable.—
( Cheers. )—He had but little personal knowledge of the Right
Hon. Gent. now at the head of the Government, but he
felt himself bound to declare, that, his confidence in it was
much strengthened by the accession of that distinguished
Stateiman. It was with feelings which he could hardly
describe, that he heard that Right Hon. Gentleman al-
luded to in n manner not very uncourteous, and certainly
most unparliamentary.—(Cheers.)—The Noble Lord did
tint standup as the advocate of that Statesman—lie was too
feeble for such an undertaking, but he stood there to vin-
dicate his own character in having associated himself with
the new Administration. The Right Hon. Gent. at the head
of it entertained principles in favour of civil and religious
liberty—principles which the Noble Lord acted for SO years,
and what then could be snore reasonable than that he
should rejoice that the Right Hon. Gent. should hold the
present elevated situation ? He had proved himself a great
statesman, and fully. competent to direct the foreign and
domestic policy of the country.—.(Cheers.)—The Noble
Lord was sure that the opposition to the new Administration
which had absolutely commenced before the Ministers had
taken their places, was adopted rather with a Niel, of

embaTrfissipt
.the Povepurentffint4 (ifigvinuthf country.
—(Great cheers.)—The-Noble Lori' concluded by desig-
nating the new Administration as trio' -most finished that
ever was formed.

The Errl of HAREWOOD Said, 'that the whole course
of his life was an answer to any, insinuation charging him
with faction, but he confessed,, on,
the first view, he could
not approve of the present Administration Hear. )
He should apologize for not having given notice of his in-
tention to put a question as to the persons composing the
present Administration. Like many other persons, he did
not know who composed his Majesty's Government. A
certain part of the Administration hrd resigned, and the
Country looked for an explanation of the causes of those re-
signstions. Those reasons had been given, and he believed they
were satisfactory to the whole community._(Hear, hear.)
It was generally reported that the present Government
was only provisional, and if that was the fact, why not
explain the reasons for this extraordinary, he would not
say unparalleiled, posture of affairs? Under all the circum-
stances, he considered it was the duty of_the present Ad-
ministration to
.afford their Lordships the fullest satisfac-
tion on the manner in which the present Administration was
formed, and the probabilities of its performance.
Lord GODERICH complained of the singular manner
in which discussions of this kind arose. If Noble Lords
did not choose to confide in the present. Government, and
it was clear there were some Noble Lords who did. not,
the fair and manly course to pursue was to bring the ques-
tion regularly before the House. For this reason
he 'had hailed the constitutional course proposed by
a Noble Lord opposite (Winchelsea,) who gave no-
tice of a motion which would bring the question
to an issue. If his Majesty's Government could not
give satisfactory reasons for, their conduct, their Lordships
would withdraw their confidence, and he would bow to
their decision, but he knew enough of the high feelings of
the present head of thee. Government to be assured that that
Right Hon. Gent. would prefer the consummation he had
hinted, namely, a Withdrawal -of their Lordships' confi-
dence, to being baited as it 'Were every night in the way of
•
interlocutortquestions.--4eheerk):,.
The Marquis of *TdOillit could ja4o”!hipg foul
the acts of the, present Adiphlispriitifiri;-7-4(gear, from, the
Ministerial Benches.)7-But constitute4,asrthet Administra-
tion was, he confessed he, should irk at all their acts with
great suspicion.—(Hear, hear.)---,-But though he had no
confidence in his. Ministers, he had the fullest confidence in
his Majesty, and when his Majesty discovered that his
avowed wishes on a particular subject were not attended to,
he (the Marquis of Salisbury) had no doubt how his Ma-
jesty would act.

The Earl of HARDWICKE rose to order, we under-
stood him to object to the course pursued by the Noble
Marquis in attributing certain views to his Majesty.
Lord LAUDERDALE thought his Noble Friend was
quite in order. The King was only known in that House
to act by his Ministers, and it was the unquestioned privi-
legege of their Lordships to express themselves on those
Acts.—(Hear, hear.)
Lord FALMOUTH regretted that he was now under
the necessity of withdrawing his confidence from some of
his Majesty's Ministers, in whom he was formerly willing
to confide, but his confiddnce was his his own, and he
confessed he could not give it to an Administration con-
stituted as the present was.
Lord ELLENBOROUGH _agreed with Noble Lords
opposite that it was the undoubted right of his Majesty to
choose his own Ministers, but he held as firmly that it
was the undoubted right of Parliament to express its
opinion on all public questions.—(Hear, hear.)—What 1
dependance could be placed in the present Adminis-
tration, when it was well known that several Noble
Lords presiding over the highest department of the State,
only held their present situations until other Noble Lords
thought proper to accept them.—(Hear, hear.)—No
doubt the change would take place when the Session was
over or nearly over. This measure he had no doubt
would be consummated in the dark.—(Hear, bear, hear.)
and, therefore, no doubt it was convenient that all notices
of motions should.be withdrawn, as was -seen in another
place, and that no public measures should be introduced by
Government that could possibly be avoided. The effect
of this arrangement was, that a year would be lost to the
country. He )10 heard with surprise, from a Noble Earl
(Darlington), that he (Lord D.) had agreed with the prin-
ciples of his Majesty's .present, Ministers for a• period of
30 years, but notwithstanding this long and complete coinci-
dence of opinion, it was not at the 11 th,but at the 31st hour
that the Noble Earl thought of giving those
,principles his
support. The, Noble Earl.and and all his friends, how-
ever it now appeared, had given their support to his Ma-
jesty's. Government, but how far the country would con-
sider that support
.disinterested he would not now in-
quire. It was well known that all the good things
were not yet disposed of, and it remained to be seen whe-
ther the coalition which had taken place between the
Noble Lord and his friends, and, that the pre-
sent Ministry was founded in a sacrifice of private
feeling to public principle, or whether it was to
be looked upon as a mere common vulgar transac-
tion of willing political seduction, only remarkable
for being perpetrated with the appearance of a little
more than ordinary scrupulosity, for the sake of decency.—
(Cheers. )
Earl SPENCER followed, and was left speaking, (at
seven o'clock.)

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
The House met this evening at 4 o'clock.
DISSENTERS' MARRIAGES.

Mr. W. SMITH brought up the Dissenter's Marriage
Bill, which was read a first time and ordered to be read a
second time on Monday next.
SALMON FISHERIES.

Mr. H. DRUMMOND presented a petition from the
Guildry of Perth, against the Salmon Fishery. Similar
petitions were presented fsom the Proprietors of Salmon
Fisheries on the River Tay, and from the Corporation of
Stirling.
Mr. HUME moved for returns connected with the
General Post Office Delivery. Ordered.

On the motion of Mr. HUME to summon the House,
resolved itself nto a Committee on the Fraudulent Bank-
ruptcy (Scotland) Bill, which passed through a Com-
mittee, and the Reperf was ordered to be received to-morrow.
Upon the motion of Mr. BERRIES, the Irish Auction
Duties Bill was read a second time, and ordered to be
committed to-morrow.

The SPEAKER called upon Mr. Macqueen, Mr. W.
Horton, and Lord John Russel, each of whom had mo-
tions on the orders of the day, but as they did not answer
to their names, upon the motion of Mr. HERRIES, the
House adjourned at a Quarter before Five o'Clock.