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

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it his ditty to adrezt. Could Mg. stirs deny, that bye-
turesworo made to ahem by, the Cortes by which thy
Aired to recognise the independence of South Ame-
rica n-,-(Hear). Could the Right Hon. Gentleman deny
that overtures to that effect were rrnide to Sir William
A.COurt? If the Right Hon. Gentleman could not
deny that fact, theft he (Lord Nugent) felt justified in
charging Ministers with having tisked alt the advan-
tages which might have been derived from that mea-
sure, and subjected the country to the probability of
a \var with an absolute King, aided by an associa-
tion of Despots, which might ultimately involve us
in a contest with all Europe—(Hear, hear, hear).—
He (Lord Nugent) would contend, that we might have
obtained from Constitutional Spain, without a struggle,
all the advantages, commercial and political, that .the
most sanguine could have desired. The Cortes bad
abolished all the laws of Old Spain which imposed re-
strictions on foreign commerce, and bad made provision
for payment of the debt owing to this country. Such, in
fact, was the flourishing state of our negotiations, that
the House had received his Majesty's congratulations on
the subject. Notwithstanding all these desirable offers,
however, on the part of the Cortes, we had chosen to
peglect them, and for what? Why, to effect a much more
desirable object—to gratify our Holy Allies, and let
their Beloved Ferdinand loose to glut himself with the
blood of such of his subjects as dared to become the ad-
vocates of free institutions. He had thus endeavoured
to chew what this country had lost, as far as Spain was
concerned. What we had conceded to France remained
to be told. We had in the first place allowed that
Power to exercise a light of blockade, such as in the
mid-day of our maritime power we had never arro-
gated to ourselves—a blockade which not only inter-
cepted our commerce with all the Spanish ports, but in-
vaded even :lie .seat of Government, where our-Minister
was prevented from exercising his functions—(Heer),
—All this we had, however, conceded without remota.:
qrance. We had besides allowed France to exercise
the. invidious right of search, to a degree that could not
be justified, and ought not to have-been tolerated. Eng-
lish merchant vessels were constantly boarded and de.
!aimed under circumstances the most humiliating am'
disgraceful. Their captains were frequently obliged to
quit their ships, and kept in close custody, and that tor%
not in the neighbourhood of Cadiz, or within a short
distance of it, but very often when they were far out to
sea, and sometimes more than one degree to the west-
ward. English vessels too had beep detained whose
cargoes were shipped before the declaration of the
blockade; and when application was made to the French
Admiral for redress, his refusal was accompanied by
every circumstance of incivility and insult. It had been
said, why had no remonstrance been made? The an-
swer was obvious. The British Ambassador had with-
drawn himself—Mr. Brackenbut wire Vice-Consul,was
in England, and there wet e no authorities through whom
an application for redress might be forwarded. While
he was upon this subject, there was a circumstance to
which he felt bound to advert, although lie could not
bring himself to do so without a feeling of disgust and
shame to which he was unable to give ezpres-i n.-
01 the circumstance to which he was about to allude, he
himself was a witness, and therefore he felt the note
warmly. While he (Lord Nugent) was at Cadiz, an
American vessel had been detained; and while Mi.. A-
ppleton, the American Charge d'Affaires, was preparing
a protest upon the subj-ct, two English Captains who
had taken in their cargoes before the blockade had been
declared, but who were nevertheless detained, went to
Mr. Appleton, the American Minister, and entreated
his assistance to have their vessels restored. Here were.
British Captains craving the protection of an American
against French injustice—(Hear, hear).—ln making
these observations he did not 'mean them avinvidious.
Of the Americans, our brothers, the descendants of
common ancestors, united to us by language and insti-
tutions, he could never speak but in terms of respect
and regard ; and be trusted the day was trim far distant
when America and England might he yet more closely
united together by the bolds of affection and of com-
mon interest. He could not, however, help feeling a
little jealousy at seeing the flag of England thus de-
graded. And what was the result of this inglorious
policy ? NVhat had we gained by it? We saw-our trams,
rat enemies in possession of all the Spanish ports. The
Frew!) flag floated triumphant in Bilboa, Malaga, Barce-
lona, Cadiz, and Caithagena. These weir the fineft har-
bours in 'Spain. Of Carthagen4 there was a Spanish pro-
verb, which said theme were but three good harbours in
all Spain-. 4 June, July, and Carthagena"—(A lauzh.)
Barcelona Was the key of Spain ; and possessed of it
and Cadiz, what opportunities had not the French tor
obstructing our commerce, and possessing themselves
of the advantages of the Mediterranean trade? The
Family Compact had in former times been considered
a .cause of war, and England had wasted her blood and
treasure, and engaged in a long and arduous contest to
prevent it from being carried into effect. That Com-
pet was now renewed, and every object for which that
par was carried on had been gratuitously abandoned.
Ministers, if they pleased, might have let Ferdinand
loose upon his people. They might have let him gorge
'himself with the best blood. of hts subjects ; they might
have allowed him to restore the Inquisition, and check
every as[ iiing hope of liberty, every approach to free
institutions. But it was a duty witith they owed to
themselves and their country to prevent Spain from be•
coming a province of France—(Neer, hear). The Noble
Lord apologised for any warmth which he might unin-
tentionally have used, and concluded by moving--.--
" That an humble Address be preseeted is his Majesty, praying
him to be graciously pleased to direct copies alai instructions given
to his Majesty's Minister Plenipotentiary et the Comet of Spain,
with a view to his viaduct in the war between that country
and France, from the period of the entrance of the French army
into Spain to the surrender of Cadia, both inclusive ; and also copies
of all the Correspondence between his Majesty's Minister Pleni-
potentiary at the Court of Spain and his Majesty's Government, with
respect to the mediation of Great Britain during the same period."

Mit. Secretary CANNING merely rose to answer
one or two questions which had been put to lid' by the
Noble Lerd opposite, before the debate went any fur-
ther. Looking from the period at which the Spanish
Government left Seville, to-the surrender of Cadiz, the
Noble Lord asked whether Sir William A'Court,during
that time, had acted upon instructions, or upon his own
personal discretion? The answer was, that Sir William
A'Court had acted, ill some degree, upon both.. Govern-
ment-had endeavoured to foresee every case which was
likely to arise, and bad furnished Sir William A'Court
with instructions, in every such case, bow to act; but
that Gentleman bad also been made aware, that if cir-
cumstances should arise which the caution of Ministers
had not enabled them to foresee, the greatest confidence
Was placed upon his personal discretion, and apprised.
that, supposing any case of a new and unprecedented
,nature to occur, the safest course for him would be to
,regair to Gligaltaes :and either-remain then until he.

777"

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should receive instroctioas, or proceed to any nthr:
spot at which his services might seem to be 'required. it
so hitppeised, that none of the cases foreseen by Gover,,.
ment did occur, end that a case did occur—upon mhio,
he should not dwell now, because he did not mean,
the present stage, at all to argue the question. A c.i%e
did occur, which no wisdom of man could have kre•
seen, viz.-4' he deposition, for a limited period of t!
King. Sir William A'Court, cettairlly, had not been
prepared for this event; and it would be rather a high
demand upon the sagacity of Ministers, th sic that
they should have anticipated it ; under such circurn.
stances; he of course acted for the time upon hip oat
discietion. It was true .that Sir • William AVouit',

~....aance for a. short period at Seville had been mis.
Construed by a factious party at that place, and tint
they attempted to make him an instrument in thei.
hands: but, when the Noble Lord stated this, he (mph:
tcohave added, that he had refused td become the in:
strument' that was desired. On quitting Seville, nic
William A'Coutt had made it known to Govet nnit ti•
that he should remain as near Cadiz as he could: Ili
had gone to San Lucar, and from thence to G.braltar
and had at once intimated at home, on his leaving th,
seat of (Spanish) Government, that diet e were two ca.r
in which, if he had,no instructions, he should act foi:i
with upon his own viewthat, if he received any no! c
that his presence in Cadiz would conduce to the iet
sonal safety of the King, he should proceed their ; an
that he should take the same course, unless he was in
structed to the contrary, if he heard that the Knig wa
restored to the functions of Government. lost' uction•
however, had readied Sir William A'Court; and when
the proper time came, he (Mr. Canning) and hi; col-
!wares should be ready to justify that instructio •
' which forbade Sr William A'Court to put himself int
a blockaded place. The blame of that course, if it was
blameable, belonged to himself and his friends. The
course, such as it was, ihey were ready .to sustain an,'
to justify. But he thought that, before the debate we:.
any fusilier, it was right that Sir William Atouit
should, upon that; point, be entirely exonerated.
Mr. S. BOURNE did not rise to advocate the polio'
which had been adopted by this ci nntry during the u
cent struggle in Spain, because he felt that eulogi,i,
was unnecessary where the voice of the country ha;
been already so loudly expressed. He' *as, ho sere?
he confessed, not a little astonished to hear the Nub!
Lord stigmatise, as inglorious and infamous, a line c
conduct which had prevented us from plunging into
war with nearly all Europe, including half the pop!,
tion of Spain herself—( I kar, heat). For he would a
-the Noble Lord,hatl Ministers been mad enough tolta•
sent their armies i. ts Splio, with v horn would th,
have had to act in the field? NVith !gorilla Abisba,
and Ballasteros—( Hear, hear). Would England ha'
been satisfied with such Allies, or would they be con•
tent to serve under even the consummate Genet al t', I
had led our troops to conquests when there belbre? 's
Member of that House could be ignorant of the far
that one of the Generals he had mentioned (Ballastetos
when the combined armies of England and Spain were
under the walls of Toulouse in the year 1812, had rr
fused to serve under-the Duke of Wellington; when t 1
Spanish Government was ready to invest him *ith the
command of her army ; and that in consequence of 0,•
petty jealousy lie had abandoned his country, crippled
her resources, and allowed Soult to winter in the seta
of Spain instead of Wellington and Hill—Wear, hem
If bull had been-the conduct of the Spanish Genet:
at a period when greater union of purpose had certai.st
prevailed amongst them than_ upon the late occasions
would it not have been rest to madness lo think of car.
Tying on a war in concert with such Commanders? lit
it was idle th eulogise the conduct of Minister s.upon tic
occasion ; there was, in fact; but one opinion on tl
subject from one end of the country to the other. Tln
as to the conduct of Sir W. A'Court, he (Mr. S. Boon
was never' so much' surprised as when be heard t
charges which had been brought forward against lc
by the Noble Lord. He was accused, first, of not havi,
gone to Cadiz. Sir William A.Couit was the accre-
dited Minister to the King of Si.ain, and at Seville them
ceased to he a King of Span. • Sir William A'Coui r
functions had therefore ceased' by the act of the Corti
and he (Mr. S. Bourne) was astonished that the Rig,
Hon. Gentleman had not adverted toil 'as a prool th.
we had preset ved our neutrality. Whether the Coif
were right or wrong he did not mean to attic.; but rigi,
or wrong there ceased to be a King ; and therefore Sii
William A'Court was perfectly justified in the course
had pursued. 'ffie next charge against Sir. %Ilia,
A'Court was his having given some advice to a dist;
guished Spanish officer, to whose merits he (Mr. Bourn,
was happy to add his testimony to that of the Nob]
Lord. But surely he (Lord Nugent) did not mean
impute an act of private disinterested friendship (ant
such he took it to be) to Sir William A'Court as a crime
The third charge brought against the Ministers by the
Noble Lord was, that they allowed the blockade .
Cadiz. Ile really felt some difficulty in answering this
citrirge, as he could hardly believe the Noble Lord wat
Iserious in urging it. Was one nation to prevent another
from exercising the right of blockade; and were we
all nations to object to that right which we so rigidly
enforced ourselves ?—(Hear, hear). Let us be wise and
Ilonest, and not arraign a law which we-contributed '
make, and which we took care to see observed, the rrh
merit it becomesinconvenient to ourselves--(kienr,hea,
It might be said that there was this distinction in tin
present case, that Cadiz was the seat of Government
kw'but was that a reason for infringing the rights of nation:
d saying to . one belligerent you shall not declari
your enemy's ports in a state of blockade? These, the
weie the three grounds upon which the Noble Lord h;
thought proper to move for the production of such it.
portant kcuments as the secret instructions of Govern-
ment to their Ambassador. Let us look at the facts -
the case. Is there any partiality on the part of his Ma-
jesty's Government towards France, after the mediation
of this country 'offered towards Spain was refused? No.
But he doubted not that if it had bcen,sreceived and
acted on by the Spanish Government, Spain would lir
been in a 'better condition than she was at the preset
moment—()'ear, hear). Although the offer of medi
ation was refused, and the advice rejected; yet Sir W:
limn A'Court's instructions were still persevered in.—
Bad this Government no obstacles to contend with
Was there not an ardent spirit abroad which it was,
*tilt to check? Btit there were obligations on the Go-
vernment still more binding. Under all the circa;
stances of die case, Ministers could not possibly have
stied more for the satisfaction of the country ; and,
with this opinion, the Right Hon. Gentleman took 1...
.liberty of moving an amendment to the Noble Lord's
motion; that after the word " that," in the original mo-
tion, all she words should be left out, and the following
substituted: " This House is duly sensible of the ad-
vantages derived to this country from preserving said;