Star.
London, England, 1824-02-18 00:00:00

concurring,
stated that the Henke sat ndthing but a subject of con-
s ratolation in the termination of the contest between
ranee and Spain. He felt that the policy which his
Majesty's Ministers had thought proper to follow was
inconsistent with the high riane, they had formerly
adopted. He could not bet think their conduct insin-
cere as regarded the Spanish nation—inconsistent with
the conduct pursued towards that country a few years
• before—a variance with 'the pyinciples which had'
actuated the Government of this country in its foreign
policy at former periods.-and compromising those
. general interests which it had heretofore been her con-
stant study to uphold. The last Session bad been.
allowed to come to aclose without that Mouse being
induced to look fully into the grounds of the foreign
policy of his Majesty's Government—(Hear)., He had,
therefore been prepared to expect in part what had fol-
lowed, when the Ministers declined interfering in the
war between France and Spain, although in that war,
were involved questions affecting the general liberties,
- of nations, and principles, in the support of.which this
country had in former times never hesitated to take an i
• active parts But he had not been prepared for the gra-1
tuitous surrender which was made Of the commercial
advantages which the situation of Spainafforded to this
country. The lamentations which had been-so lavishly
poured from the other side of the House over the fall eta
state of Spain, were but a poor consolation, a slender
atonement for the fact that that state had been brought
about by the refnsal of Ministers to interfere in her
cause. It was not his intention to refer to the transac-
tions that took place at the last Congress at Verona, nor.
.to the abandonment which there took place of the:right
of this country to interfere as became her in support of
that Constitution in Spain, which she had sanctioned in
+common th' the Powers Ofthe Continent iq 1812. These
questions were decided last year; and unforttinately it was
also decided that neutrality was the best policy of our
Uovernment; in which opinion he lamented to think
that the country at that timeisut too generally acquiesced.
All that he was about to contend for was, that the
ground, low as it wan which was taken at the Congress
of Verona, had since been abandoned; that the circa.'
sion which had there been stated as one which would
call for the interference of this country had occorred,
and yet no notice had been taken of it; that a war for
conquest had been carried by France into Spain, and
that the Government of this country had not only stood
by in idle neutrality, but had tamely submitted to insult,
and the violation of the honour of her flag. No sooner
did the Duke d'Angouleme find that in proportion as
he advanced further into the heart of the country, the
situation of his army became more critical ; and that
the Regency which he had set up, instead of aiding
his advance, contributed, by its violence, and the wan-
ton excesses which it'committed, to increase the embar-
rassment of his situation •, than he issued an Edict,
dated from Andojar, in July last, setting aside the au-
thoi ity of that Regency, and proclaiming his intention
to take the Government of the country, both civil and
military, into his own hands. He did not mean to cen-
sure the conduct of the Duke d'Angouleme in issuing
. that Decree, He considered that step as quite neces-
sary on his part. But he contended that it was a de-
•claration of the intention to carry on the war for the
annexation of Spain as a province of France. And
that intention was evinced, not by words and declara-
tions only, but by the subsequent conduct of the French.
In point of fact, the Fiench flag was hoisted in every
place of which they afterwards took possession. Ili pass-
ing the Pyrennees, the Duke issued an order to his army,
directing that none but the Spanish flag should be
hoisted on the walls of any place that surrendered to,
or might be taken possession of by the French forces;
but after the issuing of the Andujar Decree, none but
the French flag was to be seen on the walls of every
place which they occupied, and the Duke d'Angouleme
became virtually Viceroy of Spain. In the first Note of
the British Government to the Duke of Wellington, re•
lating to an armed interference in the internal affairs of
Spain, he was ordered to state, that "come what may,"
h s Majesty would not be a party to any such inter-
ference. That was a strong expression ; and he per-
fectly well remembered the cheer which had resounded
upon its being repeated in that House. But waoat must
be our surprise, what the surprise of poor betrayed
Spain, within one month after those cheers were heard,
to see the accredited Minister of that Government
throw Himself into the arms of the French, repairing to
the head-quarters of their army, and assigning as the.
groonds of his conduct certain acts which had been
done by the Constitutional Government of Spain in the
internal administration of the affairs of that country ?
Was not the withdrawing of a Minister an indication o(
hostility ? The only question was, Whether Sir William
A'Court had withdrawn from Seville is consequence of
instructions from home, or at his own suggestion? If
he had not received instructions from his Government,.
and his withdrawing himself had been his own act, then,
be would ask, why bad not Sir William A'Court been
recalled—why had be not been impeached ?—(Hear.)—
If, however, be had received such instructions, and the
Right Honourable Gentleman could best answer that
question, then he (Lord Nugent) would say, that the
conduct of Government was at variance with their pro-
fessions of neutrality, and had inflicted the deepest
blow on the Constitutional liberties of Spain. And what
was the reasoning by which this conduct of Sir William
A'Court, or of the Government, or of both; was sought
to be defended ?—Why, the Cortes had declared the
King incapable, for a time, of exercising the Royal func-
tions, and had appointed a temporary Regency, for the
purpose of changing the seat of Government from Se-
ville to Cadiz, allowing,to the Monarch the full power
of resulting the exercise of his functions when he arrived
them And was this a reason why a British Minister
should withdraw himself from the Court at which he
had been accredited, and give the sanction of his ap-
probation to the party likely to take advantage of such
a step, when his Government had previously declared
n the fate of the world that they would preserve a strict
neutrality? Was the British Nation or the British Par.
liament entitled, he would ask, to question the legality
of such an act? Was it necessary to call to thearecol-
!Mien of that House the Act of Regency passed by our
own Parliament in 1810?—(Hear, hear).—ln adverting
to that Act, however.be felt the full delicacy of the
ground on-which be mod ; and 44 Gon forbid,"said the
Noble Lord. that I should for a moment compare our
late venerated and re:meted Monarch, struck with the
heaviest calainity to which human nature is subject--
GOD forbid that I should compare him to Ferdinand,
the smart: his own people, for all they have done,
and all have _forborne to do—(Hear, hear)—the
must finiihed specimen of all that is corrupt and infa-
Moss, whose name will go down to posterty amidst the
oxecrationsOf mankind, and who therefore is perhaps the

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