The Sun.
London, England, 1829-02-10 00:00:00

AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL.

Lord HOLLAND rose for the purpose of asking the
Noble Lord (Aberdeen), the Secretary of State for the
Foreign Department, a few questions, relating to the
affairs of Portugal anti the relations subsisting between us
and that country. He did so in consequence of some oc-
currences reported to have taken place recently, in which
he conceived that the national honour and the interestsof
Portugal were alike interested. On a former evening the
Noble Earl had stated, adverting to the state of Portugal,
and in answer to some observations made by a Noble Mar-
quis (Lansdowne), that he (the Earl of Aberdeen) was
most anxious to give a full explanation of the relations
subsisting between this country and Portugal. The Noble
Earl also pledged himself not only to justify the steps taken
• by Government with regard to Portugal, but to place
them in such a light as to insure them the most cordial
approbation. Charges had been brought against the con-
duct of Ministers with respect to Portugal, but he (Lord
Holland) did not very clearly comprehend whether these
charges related to their abetting, aiding, and conniving at
the usurpation of Don Miguel, or to the more recent com-
mission of hostile acts against the unarmed and unoffending
subjects of an ancient ally. He did not understand whe-
ther it was the intention of the Noble Lord to bring down
information anti papers on the subject, for the guidance of
their Lordships, and on which to found such a motion as
might be deemed expedient. He confessed, however, it
did appear to him things were in such a state as to point
out that as the proper course to be adopted anti acted on.
The time was come for something like this (at least such
sea his opinion) ; for after three successive speeches from
the throne en this subject, after much anxiety, and after
hopes having been excited that the mediation and inter-
ference of this ceetintry would be attended with a success-
ful termination in the errangement of the disordered affairs
of Portugal, we now only heard that our diplomatic rela-
tions with one party were still neceerarily suspended, and
that heeetilities were commenced against the other. This,
he rubmitesd, was any thing rather than a satisfactory state
of affairs, and Oemanded the explanation which the Noble
Earl had professed hieeself so ready to afford. He had
made these observations lei itehostile spirit to his Majesty's
Ministers, vireth no desire to eroabarees their operations;
but he really did think it woold be quite zinbeealuing not
to exhibit some feeling for the onbappy condition of Por-
tugal—not to take some interest lit a late extraordinary
caec4rrence—not to show some little anxiety relative to
the 44,4 s pf our oldest ally. Under these circumstances,
he Crusted Noble Earl meant to lay the fullest and
most satisfaceoly ,itrineneation before the House with re-
gard to the policy peratee4 ley this country towards Por-
tugal.
The Earl of ABERDEEN said, it has not the inten-
tion a'
.his Majesty's Government to lay any pep,efe before
Parliamene at the present moment respecting the affairs of
Portugal, or the xelations between the two countries. His
Majesty had already reformed the House in the Speech
from the Throne, that, feetreng deeply interested in the
prosperity of the Portuguese innneraiiy, he had entered,
and veae fhen engaged, in negotiation 1144 tare head of
the House elf Braganzd, in the hope of terininat;ng gke
un-
fortunate discord e ,of Portugal and restoring the tran-
quillity of that country, and putting an end to a state of
affairs incompatible to its walla sing and prosperity. That
being the case, Noble Lords rineest ka,ri:eive that it would
be utterly impossible, during the continnaieee of that nego-
tiation, for his Majesty's Ministers to be prepay ed „tee come
down to Perliament and lay upon the table of the Una
papers and documents in explanation of the precise state of
it. The course of his Majesty's Gcfeernment was clear and
distinct; upon that peizet they had no akernative. If, how-
ever, the Noble Lord thought proper to move tar intOrma-
tion or papers calculated in his opinion to throw light iipen
114 eobject, anti lead to favourable results, they
,(the Minis-
tees weld be ready to prodnce them, if they imagined
it could be done with propriety, and without injury to
the public service e or if they should come to a different
conclusion, and decide npoesi withholding the required infor-
mation, they would be peepeged with satisfactory reasons
f.e: their refusal. With respect en Ake
,O,thq event adverted
to i,ya, Noble Lord, Government had eeceieeed po official
informatiwi-,.40 tenable them to satisfy the
upon the subjeee, ;No doubt the fact as reported had o.c-
ceured, but under wei eea!eetinistances Government as yet
Was wholly without informai4op.. At the sane time it was
fair to admit, that the instructions neelete• which the officer
in quesose must have acted, contemplated 4141 possibility
of such an ateesweit being made by the Poitagozee, end
provided for its fruesegion: and he was fully prepared,
,be occurrence had taken egere as stated, to prove that no
charge of blame could attach tr pie Majesty'y'a Govern-
ment, in consequence of what had happened. To far, in-
deed, from that being the case, lie was most eci:Jer and de-
sirous to explain peed justify (as he could most conar4erely)
any share GoveruMen4: iziigl.t have had in producing the
event. It would appear, 3.t tha prGper period, that not
only was his Majesty's Government telly jpstified in the
line of conduct it had adopted on this occiAon, but that
there was no other course left it to pursue; and that ;het
rouse 742 not only just and proper, but necessary and
indiepensabie, •
Lord 14OLLAkeD eet'ets not satisfied by the reasons ad
duced by the Noble Feed iseeefreining from bringing for-
ward the information desired as 4:9 ehe Agate of Portugal.
The Noble Earl told him that he (Lori Molten()) sees at
libeety $p move for information 011 the :abject, 30 tteieL:'t i.t
would be grantell, if not inconsistent with the public ter-
vice. He was also phi that last session, and with great
apparent candour Rod Oaelsebilitv, that it was impessible
liar a person unconnected with relent4,4:_pq to select the
p4tieular papers that it might be leave pro-
duced, 4nd that it ought to be left to GovartPlkeig 49 PM"
mit those 14;.4 were necessary for the information Of Jae
!louse. It woe eeeercely to be expected after this, that be
should take upon leiniee;,: to give notice of a motion upon
the suffice. He could not limeshoping that, sooner or
later, Parliament would institute an iieeeeiry with regard to
the affairs of Portugal, and our relations wieli ;hat coun-
try. He liiin6eZ: 'lid not intend to attempt to bring tl;es.
:natter forward, at peae:eret fur various reasons. One
motiqA that induced hint to /4.tain from doing so arose
out of tiro expectation that some oois jereter able than
himself to accoroilith the end he had in vieee
e.ttempt it. (Hear, hey.) There were other motives, and
a a pnlAic nature, thought it 1.44 not be quite Parlia-
mentary tone Wien them upon that gccfisiop, However,

he would place them on record. The fact was, important
as might be the subject of our relations with Portugal, the
present was not a fortunate time for bringing it forward,
when the minds of men were absorbed and pre-occupied
with another most important and engrossing subject. Be-
sides, he felt great diffidence and disinclination to commit
himself iu hostilities with his Majesty's Ministers, at a
time when they were engaged in a work which (great as
the regeneration of Portugal would be) was, for the hap-
piness, prosperity, and peace of this country, the very
greatest in which any government could possibly be en-
gaged. Feeling as he did, however, on the subject of our
foreign politics, and our relations with other States,—sub-
jects in which he had long taken, perhaps, too much inte-
rest,—be could not look at the representations of what was
said to have taken place off the island of Terceira, with-
out calling upon Parliament, sooner or later, to institute
an inquiry into the transaction, and express a decided opi-
nion upon the subject.