The Sun.
London, England, 1842-03-05 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
HOUSE OF LORDS, March 4.
lie LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at Ten Minutes past Five o'Clock.
PRESBYTERIAN MARRIAGES.
The Marquis of HEADFORT presented a petition
from Monaghan favour of the legalization of Presby-
terian marriages.

- SPANISH AFFAIRS.
The Earl of CLARENDON wished to put a question,
pursuant to notice, to the Noble Lord, the Secretary for
Foreign Affairs, respecting the preparations now being
made in France for a fresh insurrection in Spain.
These preparations were carried on with so
Touch system and publicity, that they excited
the alarm of all who were interested in the
welfare and prosperity of that country. He had no
doubt that communication on the matter had passed be ~.
tween the Noble Earl and the French Minister f-or
Foreign Affairs, and that the Noble Earl had beens us.
eared that those preparations were not encourair"eil by
the French Government, and that, with wach an
assurance, he would rest satisfied. But, on the
elver hand, in the struggles against fan-elfin ag-
awassion for ,which Spain was now preparing, it
*uuld be of great advantage, and a. vast, encouragement
Ito the Government and people of that, country, if they
learned by a public declaration in Parliament, that the
teal interests of Spain were not now a matter of in-
difference to this country, not treated as on a former
occasion, as a party question, but that her Majesty's
Gov. zumentsiveTe determined to uphold the present go-
vti-nment of Spain as the best which the circumstances
of that country admitted ; and that it was the opinion ea.
her Majesty's Government that it was the unquestion-
able interest of this country that Spain should be
completely. free and independent. He confessed that
was his principal motive for asking the Noble Earl for
much informationon as it was consistent with his duty
to communicate. If any correspondence had taken
place it certainly had, as yet, not produced any.
beneficial results ; for it was well known that an aide-
de-camp of the Premier of France, Marshal Soulte had
'been sent down to Don Carlos, and was still
resident with" that Prince. It was aleo nell
known that an army for the invasion of Spain
was uniting on the South of France, and
that the Carlist leaders had been allowed to leave the
towns which had )seen assisp ' assigned for their residences, and
to repair to the frontiers. 'Many civilians also had been
permitted to come to the frontiers, and to trans-
mit large sums of money across the borders ; and
these people declared openly that they had the
!authority of the Government of France. He did not. I
'believe that they had any such authority, and that what-
ever might be the policy of that Government, it was too;
prudent to give any direct sanction to such proceedings..,
.But yet those th',.ngs could not take place if the French '
Government chose to prevent them: as it was well known j
that no man could stir a league in France if the Go-
-vernment chose to prevent him. Much less could those
refugees, wh'.i were under the immediate surveillance of '
the police, and receiving daily rations from the Govern-
ment, move about where they thought proper, against ,
the will 'or without the knowledge of the Govern-
ment. It was also well known how easily the i
Go vernment 'could interfere when it suited its
purpose to do so. In 1839, when the war was
drawine• to a close, and it suited the purpose of the
,French Government to put an end to it, an instant stop
was put to the transmission of arms, ammunition,
'provisions, and. money across the frontier, and even
persons who were considered 'obnoxious to the Go-
vernment of the Queen, were not alloWed to approach the
frontier. But all those things thus suddenly prevented,
liad been permitted for five years before. If the French
iGovernment could . effect this along—a long line of
nnonntain frontier, how much more easy to prevent
the same proceeding on the part of men who
were scattered throughout the interior towns, and were
dependent upon the bounty of the Government for daily
xubsistance ? That Government was the last which
should tolerate those hostile preparations against a
neighbouring ,and peaceable state, when it considered
avhat had :seen its own conduct towards Switzerland,
'which only gave a refuge to Louis Napoleon. The
present conspiracy had no other object than revolu-
tion and disorder, and these were points well worthy
the attention of every one who wished well to the coun-
try. 'He rejoiced in the conviction that no foreign inter-
vene'sm in Spain could be of the least avail if op-
Toesd to the wishes of the people, nor could any-
etislng now deprive Spaniards of a constitutional
el, overnment. Spain had of late made prodigious pro-
eggress in the establishment of order, and he was perfectly
-convinced if Spain could only enjoy a few years of peace
sand tranquility, she would soon regain her place amongst
the nation:. Ile merely wished to ask the Noble Lord
wtiether he was aware of the preparations which were
Arlking place in Spain, and whether in the event of a con-
nspiracy taking place in Spain, it was the intention of Go-
seernmeet to send over any British men of war to protect
the interests of Britain? ,
Lord ABERDEEN was not surprised that the Noble
Marl should take an interest in the state and prospects
or Spain, where he had so long represented her Majesty.
I.lus he (Lord Aberdeen) would not consider Spanish
/politics as a party question, for he believed every Govern-
-mem, and every man in this country, united in desiring
-to uphold Spanish independence and prosperity. This
policy' was the motive of the great triumphs of
the Noble Duke near ~ him, and of the Govern-
ment opposite. This was their principl, whether
Spain was; under a King-, Regent, or Cortes. But the
present Gown-I-intent Aewevretl-partietilarly the support of
her MajestY'' folliterrrnient, for it, had done more to ad-
-r.ance the ilit4r tes'sf thatcpuntry than any • other since
the days or 'pal b,iffi; ;I', yitent 'attempt had been
el/2
completely •mat ci, ~• aiat in Projection was well known
to the SpaAlsh GOVernment, and her Majesty's
Government; had reee`ived every assurance freni the
Trench Government, that every attempt would be made
to check and suppress that 'movement, Our Government
had receive& the strongest assurances "ram . that of
France. However, her Majesty's Government would
do all it leg,itithetely could in the. provinces and on the
coasts, to support the Government .of Spain. But
the apprehensions of the Noble Lord were
premature, for ' he (Lord Aberdeen) knew for
at fast that no_ union had taken place be-
tween the Carlists and the Christinos. As for Cabrera,
he had not even been permitted to go to Paris, much less
negotiate for the beginning of an insurrection. Cer-
tainly, however, if notwithstanding the knowledge and
strength of the Spanish Government, an insurrection
should take place, her Majesty's Government would cer-
tainly send ships of war for the protection of her British
11Iajesty's subjects, and also to give every proper sup-
port to the Government of Spain, as our ancient ally.
THE LATE SIR ROBERT KENNEDY.
Lord BROUGHAM wished to call the attention of
the Noble Duke and her Majesty's Ministers to a matter
which lie had seen with great pain. He should do no
more than simply call the attention of their Lordships
to the fact. By 6 sec. 2 chap. of the Act commonsy
called “ The Civil List Act," it was enacted that certain
proportion's- of the public funds should be at the disposal
of the Crown, for purposes set forth in the pre-
amble of-' the Act, . and' that it' was the bounden
duty of 'the advisers of the Crown to recommend
to the CrOnn for grants of pensions, such persons only
as, by their services and integrity, were entitled to such
henctits. No man who had read the despatches of the
Noble Duke sopposite—whieh were more interesting,
perhaps, for the statesman to read than -the soldier—
could. doubt that a more . gallant and ..noble man
than the late Commissary-General, Sir Robert
Kennedy,' old not exist- That man—who, if possi-
ble, added to his nobility of character by dying in
poverty, a proof that he could resist a temptation before
which many great men had fallen—left two sisters who
were in circumstances of extreme poverty. To these
ladies, the sisters of Sir Robert Kennedy, had been
awarded a pension of 501. a year. Unless he (Lord
Brougham) obtained a satisfactory explanation
of their granting so small a sum to each of those parties,
he should give. notice of a motion for the production of
papers relative to that grant.
'The Duke of WELLINGTON was glad that
the Noble and Learned Lord had called the
attention of the House to this subject. No
officer was more deserving of the high respect of the
public than. Sir R. Kennedy. That officer had served
the public in most arduous situations with high credit to
himself -and - advantage to the country. He had ac-
counted 1 for -- C sum which was almost incre-
O'hle—a sum not ' less than fifty-four or fifty-
five millions sterling, to the satisfaction of the
.anthorities at the Treasury. He (the Duke of Welling-
teni) would.. eve, his attention to the matter under con-
-sitleiation, as ;there, could not be a worthier officer than
'sift individual now mentioned.
Lord BROUGHAM said nothing could be more satis-
-ktetory than the observations of the Noble Duke.
FOREIGN FLOUR.
The Earl of ENNISKILLEN presented a petition
from the
.millers of Armagh, against the importation of
foreign flour into Ireland.
. EXCHEQUER BILLS.
Lord ''MONTEAGISE rose to make the motion
which he had postponed on this subject, not from
any wish of his, but to suit other parties. Had he been
aware of the motion to come on in the House of Com-
mons last night he perhaps would not have postipened his.
He hoped, however, he should not be 'prejudiced in the
Opinion of the Noble Duke on this account. He (Lord
At) wished to separate the present subject frOm that of
the holders of forged Exchequer bills. He would leav
the question between them and the Parliamentary Com-
Imiiisisiooffin.ce
waslle proposed an inquiry for another purpose. ,
of a peculiar nature—of great and serious
responsibility, and which had for along time been little
known to the public. But the functions of making
out and issuing Exchequer bills were not his
only functions, he had the more responsible office to
judge of the propriety of all money Payments and re-
ceipts for the public service. He was not removable
from his office, except by an address from both Houses
of Parliament, to which ho was responsible, and whose'
- officer, in fact, he was. .Ha had addressed himself to
this part .of the subject, to show that in inviting
their consideration, it was his wish that they should
searchingly inquire into the conduct of an officer who was ies-
pecially responsible to them, It he had been guilty ,of any
neglect of duty. The resolution come to in the other House
was, to appoint a Parliamentary Commission, which he thought
was not only the best which could be adopted, but certainly the
only one which could satisfy those whe had any just claim on the
. Government, and to exclude those who had no such right.
But he did net think it would effect what he desired to be as-
certained. What he asked their Lordships to inquire was, not
whether the owners of those bills ought to be paid or not, but
whether there was any delinquency in the affair which he held.
lithe inquiry could, ITh the opinion of the Noble Duke, be at-
coined. issany other. way than that which he proposed, he would
glaillOccept'that mode. Altheugh no one ienthe House had
asadatiny
none against: him personally, yet, there had been
hands inltongues busy elsewhere, which rendered it necessary.
for him to put himself, as it were, upon his trial, for the valise
of millions of public securities would be endangered if the opi-
nion once &abroad that there was any laxity or carelessness
lathe management of the business of the office over which he
Podded. Re would take it upon himself to say that there had