Star.
London, England, 1809-04-21 00:00:00

TREATY WITH SPAIN.

Mr. PONSONBY said, that seeing the Right Ho-
nourable Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in his
place, he wished to receive informatiop from him re-
lative to one of die articles of the treaty lately con-
cluded with Spain. The article to which he alluded
was that by which his Majesty engages to continue
to assist, to the utmost of his power, the Spanish na-
tion, in.their struggle against the tyranny and usurpa
tion of France, and promises not to acknowledge any
other King of Spain, and of the Indies thereunto ap-
pertaining, than his Catholic Majesty FerdinandVll.
his heirs, or such lawful successor as the Spanish na-
tion shall acknowledge. • In his view of the subject,
this article admitted of two interpretations. 1. That
in case of Ferdinand VII. remaining a prisoner, Nye
were bound to fight for the right of the heir in lineal
succession-2. That we might acknowledge the King
of Spain de ::.cto, to be the legitimate monarch cf
that country. He wished to be informed which of
the two interpretations was the right one ?
Mr. CANNING said that neither of these inter-
pretatior s had been in the contemplation of those by
whom !I;ii treaty was framed. lithe present branches
of the Family of Spain who were in confine-,
men .hould become extinct, it would be for the Spa-
nis• action to say who were the heirs next in succes-
s: •. to the Crown ; and th was a point upon which '
- understood some difference of opinion existed

.mung the Spanish jurists themselves. Certainly it
was one in which this country had no right to inter-
fere. With regard to the oilier interpretation, that
of acknowledging a King of Spain de facto, when-
ever that became a case for consideration, the treaty
itself would be, ifrsofacto, annulled.
Mr. PONSONBY profi:ssed himself satisfied with
the explanation afforded; but there was another point
on which he was extremely desirous of receiving some
information. In one of the dispatches from Mr.
Frere to Sir John Moore, Mr. Frere desires that the
General would call a Council of war, to examine the
Messenger who was the bearer of that dispatch. This
he could not help considering as very extraordinary ;
a civil officer to dictate in that way to a military
commander.

Mr. CANNING spoke to order. He said it was
irrregular for any Gentleman, who rose merely to
propose a question, to enter into any arguments on
the merits of that question, which must necessarily
give birth to discussion.
Mr. I'ONSONBY apologized. He wished to
know who the Messenger was, and what was the na-
ture cf the message of which he was the bearer ?
Mr. CANNING declined giving the name of the
hoc., --- F-
•vl,at as he had been at Ma-
defence which

were then making in that • • • 'lr. Freres
wish that he should be examined .:uncil of
War as a winless, not to give an opinion.
Mr. PONSONBY enquired of the Chanctli :r of
the Exchtquer, whetiier, in consequence of the third
report -of ;:le Coinmittee of Finance, which disclosed
various at...ses, he had any plan to submit to the
House, ..vhich those abuses might be corrected for
the faun:

The C; LANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER re-
plied tha he had no peculiar plan for that purpose at
present contemplation.
. . . .

Mr. ' HITBREAD asked, whether it was the
iiltenti.i. of his Majesty's Ministers to continue Mr.
1 rcre iris situation ?
M ....ANNING said that there was no intention
on t part cf his Majesty's Government to remove
hir. The Right Hon. Gentleman then moved, that
th• • be laid before the House copies of certain notes
f. :-:, the Spanish Ambassador to his Majesty's grin-
• Secretary of State for the Foreign Department.
• Ordered.