The Sun.
London, England, 1829-06-02 00:00:00

petitions or applications from either party. We re-
gulated the sale of Corsiea, although we were at
peace with France. Neutrality was not a point. It
was a line within the scope of which each might
offer friendly offices, manifest opinions, and express
its judgment without any offence to the other party.
Neutrality is a line of such length, that a neutral
Power may in reality be changing from one extreme
point to the otherfromfriendly to. ildt,erte; With
out ceasing to bb %.Vithih the line. It is not for any
breach bf neutrality that I require any explanation
from the Right lion. Gentleman opposite; it is for
his conduct towards an ancient ally of England.
What tve have done in the recent relations of Spain
and France was within the line of neutrality ; and
Mr. Canning, in his assistance given to Portugal;
had kept lyithin the same line. But I now revert
to the conduct of Don Miguel. On the 30th Oc-
tober the espousals took place. It was a ceremony
of affiance, not of marriage—a betrothing performed
before the Nuncio of the Pope and the British Mis
nister. This required a Npal dispensation; and all
of which required time and deliberation. The par-
ties had full time to consider well the consequences
of the act in which they were engaged:. On that
day, in the presence of those I haVe mentioned, was
Don Miguel sworn to the observance of the Consti-
tution granted to Portugal.—(Hear, hear, hear.)—
This was the first of his profanations, his awful and
horrible profanations, of all that is held most sa-
cred upon earth. Whilst the oath was made to
maintain the Constitution at Vienna, the rebellion
of his partisans against the Constitution was ma-
tured in Portugal ; and I shall ever consider the
landing of the British troops in that country to be '
the most just, honourable, vigorous, and splendid act
of policy ever performed in this country.—(Cheers.)
—lt saved the country from being enslaved by the
rebels set in motion by the conspirators at Vienna.
Mr. Canning had the satisfaction of completing the
deliverance of Portugal, and he thus repaid the debt
of 130 years uninterrupted alliance, which, for more
than a century never cost England a single hostile
movement. I cannot allude to the next point with-
out saying a few words on the nature of the autho-
rities I shall quote. The House will understand,
that in the autumn of 18727 the Portuguese Am-
bassador at Vienna presented a Note, founded
upon letters from Don Pedro to the King of Eng-
land and to other personages. On the basis of that
Note, and on the basis also of the opinion of the
greatest Ministers of Europe, Don Miguel was ac-
knoe ledgcd King of Portugal; and a Protocol, a
word answering to the English word Minute, was
made on the subject. In this Protocol was the De-
cree of Don Pedro, nominating on the 3d of July,
1827, Don Miguel to be his Lieutenant in the king-
dom of Portugal, confirming the elisting institutions,
and containing provisions for the purposes of carry-
inginto effect the Constitution or Ckarter granted
by him to his Portuguese subjects. This is clearly
a conditional appointment of a Lieutenant, as con-
ditional as words can make it. Next to this was a
letter from Don Pedro, addressed to his Britannic
Majesty, beseeching him as the most ancient and
faithful ally, as the protector of Portugal, not mils,
to aid in placing Don Miguel in the Regency, but to
take care that the Constitutional Charter should be-
come and be as a fundarnentary law to the kingdom,
I quote from memory, but 1 believe I quote cor-
rectly, and, if I am -wrong, the Right Hon. Gent.
opposite can correct me. There is a letter of the
same date addressed by Don Pedro to the father-in-
law of Don Miguel, the Emperor of Austria. The
Emperor of the Brazils desired the aid of the
greater Powers, not simply to support the Re-
gency of Don Miguel, but to carry into effect
the Constitutional Charter. When this Protocol was
produced, Prince Metternich—for it is ridiculous for
rue to hesitate to name the person to whom I have
alluded—as the first Minister of Europe, naturally
thought that the first question was to ascertain whe-
ther Don Miguel would accept and observe the
conditions of the Regency. He was determined to
ascertain this; because, on this condition alone his
Court was asked by Don Pedro to co-operate in
putting Don Miguel in possession of the Regency.
He did wish to ascertain not only whether he would
promise to carry into effect the Constitution, but
whether he were resolved, in every part of his con-
duct, to avoid all that might tend to impress per-
sons with a contrary opinion. Prince Metternich,
in his first conversation with Don Miguel, found
him impracticable as to the route which he would
take to Portugal. His return to Portugal by the
way of England, it was urged, would be a security
to the Constitutional party. The people of Por-
tugal, by his coming from England, would infer,
that as lie was sent to them by a free people, he
was not coming to destroy free institutions. There
were at that time two Portuguese Plenipoten-
tiaries—the Viscounts Villa Real and Villa Secca
and these arguments were an encouragement to the
former to undertake the hazardous expedition.—
This was well known to the greater part of those
who took an active part in the politics of Portugal,
and it induced them to think well of the disposition
of England. Prince Metternich confirmed this
idea. Don Miguel declined returning to Portugal
by the way of England. He said he knew that
very strong prejudices existed in that country
against him, and that he was afraid of meeting with
a very bad reception. Persons of his description
very well understand in what light they are viewed
in countries of this sort. Don Miguel formed a just
estimation of the virtuous feelings of the people
of England ; but he did not trust to his own powers
of imposing on their generosity by his powers of
hypocrisy. Prince Metternich told btm that he
could not return to Portugal through Spain. Austria
would not consent. At length Don Miguel had an
interview with a much higher person, to whom he
was bound to speak truth, if truth were in him. He
spontaneously—for these are the words of the docu-
ment I quote—he spontaneously assured the August
Person of his intention strictly to fulfil the injunc-
tions and commands of his brother, Don Pedro.—
Afterwards Prince Metternich was under the neces-
3ity of telling him that he had only two parts to
choose—to return to Portugal through England, or
to wait at Vienna the ulterior determination of Don
Pedro. I claim the attention of the House to the
bearings of this proceedimr. The English Minister
at Vienna, who was placed, as it were, between the
August Person to whom I have alluded, and Prince
Metternich, transmitted to England an account of
these proceedings in a letter which I have read, and
MIMI was ordered to be communicated to his Ma-
jesty's principal Secretary of State. No dissatis-
faction was manifested by this Government, nor by
any party to these proceedings. Prince Metternich's
acts were ratified by the other Powers of Europe,
end whence had he the right to direct the path of
Don Miguel in his return to Portugal? If I doubted
his right upon this occasion I should be afraid to
express it, for it would amount to an impeachment
of the Governments of Europe for being parties to
an act of false imprisonment. Whence had Prince
Metternich the right ? Was it derived from the ori-
ginal commitment of Miguel to prison by his father
for his attempt at parricide, and for his re-
bellion against King John the Sixth ? Had sen-
tence of transportation been enforced, and had
Don Miguel refused time terms of liberation ? The
Powers of Europe had engaged as allies of Pedro to
acknowledge the Government of Portugal in such a
manner as was consistent with their peace and safety.
By his engagement -with Pedro, Prince Metternich
had acquired a right of doing what he had done.
He had a right to insist that the conditions of Don
Pedro were observed, and to insist that Miguel
should not goto Portugal until he had given a satis-
factory answer. His powers were urgent, and he
dictated that unless Don Miguel should take the
proper course to Portugal, he would detain him at
Vienna till the determination of Don Pedro was
'known. This was a strong proof that he considered
that the Monarch had a right to exercise his discre-
tion as to die terms upon which Don Miguel should
exercise the Regency of Portugal. Miguel wrote a
letter to his brother, assuring him that he accepted
the Regency with the deepest gratitude, and that he
repaired to Portugal with the determination to carry
into effect the Coniititution granted to his faithful