Star.
London, England, 1828-01-30 00:00:00

•
NM'stei • not at present in il.eit in aces.• PA+ :I',-1.111
he rejoiced to hear that the troppsthTle•;ilelliftbettle 410;„
for a ditteient reason from that of Hon.
1) rietshire, and that was, beCau-e the object of the cx
pfiendeittfieotaenwcwes
ignatitnedea.a.
aSirisniofinPlolardmigharel—mePinerdtugaaviolent
,nte,ference in thìe affairs of Portup*l— Portugal asked,
ithe aggression. We'granted it.
Our
as t
fere in the intent ,ffoirs of
:oi,;(pgrdeid to
not
att
repel
Yugal, and the threatened interference of Srain was
preventedt by presence of our troops. As to the late
ui
Ministetial changes. he felt himself bound to declare,
that be had no confidence whatever in the present
Administration.
Lord PALMERSTON—Sir, in the present state of'
the House and in the absence of so many of my col-
le igues in the Ministty, I do not think it expedient to
enter into that discussion 6f the several topics of the!
Speech which. in ether circumstances, it would be the
first duty of the House to discuss. Therefore, Sir, and j
on that account only, I must decline to accept the'
challenge of the Gallant Officer, and forbear
give an explanation of the circumstances which led
to the I.te Ministerial changes, whether it was
asked for the purpose of gratifying personal curiosity,
or public interest. The Learned Gentleman oppo-
site considers the Address objectionable. in .the cir-
cumstance, that it witholds the approbation of the
House from some of the measures:to which it alludes,
but it would surely have been unwise in Ministers to
omit in th•t document any topics if public importance;
and it would have been unbecoming in the Mover.and
Seconder not to declare openly their opinions on some
of them at least. As to the Ad.:ress itself, Sir, there
is nothing in it which can be construed to commit the
House to approve the mea•ures contained in it; it only
returns thanks to his Majesty for the communications
he has made to the House. but doe; not hind the House
to the approbation of one of the trpics in the Speech
from the Throne. The Hon. aid Learned Gentleman
has, as usual, thrown his pleasantries over eveiy topic.
in a spirit of huinaur which amuses even those against
whom his jets are directed ; bunt I take leave to tell him,
that his attacks on the militai'y reputation of the Noble
Duke are as impotent as they are unjust. The character
of my Nabl: Friend stands too high with the count y to
be affected by the Hon. and Learned Gentleman's taunts
or sneer s —(Cheering). lam sure the Noble Doke will
neither feel nor case for the Hon. and Leirned Gen-
tleman's remarks, and; for my part, my opinion of them
is s'.ch, that 1 t 4.0 not consider it necessary to say one
word in answer to them. This much, however, I am
able to say. and I do it with the more willingness, as it
may tend to allay the Hon. and Learned Gentleman's
const tutional al arms, th at it is not intended the command
of the Army and the Chief ship of the Ministry should
be united in the person of the Noble Duke; for, in
fact, he offered the tesignation of the command of the
Army to his Majesty when he accepted the office of
Prime Minister ; and if it was not accepted at the
moment, die House may consider his resignation vir-
tually made, though his Grace's successor has not yet
been appointed—(!sheering;). Se much for the Hon.
and Lamed Gentleman's fear of military power.—
As to the Noble Duke's alleged disclaimer of his
aspiring to the office of First Minister, oh the ground
of his incompetency to public speaking, I shall not
trouble the Huse with a wind on it, particularly as
the 'House has already tece:ved the testimony of the
llon. and Learned Gentleman in favour of the speech
spoken by the Noble (hoke, and the Learned Gentle.
man's opinion that the Ni.ble Duke's asses tion of his
incompetency proceeded only from a sense of modest
diffidence in his abiaties. Then, as to the Leatneti
Gentleman's charge of inespei miter against the Noble
Duke, is there one political mea•ure, oft re gn or domes
sic policy, of the last 11 or 13 ears, in ahi h he has not
been conversant—and is all that experience, with the
fruits of it, to stand for nothing ? Tr.e Hon. and
Learn d Geialemen toys he is a better tactician than
the Noble Duke, and that he has placed his Glace
within the difficulties of idilemnia— for, says he, the
Speech hom the Thr iiie conden.ns the battle of Na•
vat in. 1 say no. is contains nut a wt.rd of censure on
she gallant Admiral who commanded in that engage•
merit. For IA bat does the Speech s•y ? That the battle
was unexpected—and was it riot so? %Vas it not a Colli-
sion arising from a c imbination of Unforeseen circum-
siaute;? And does not hi. M., jest) tut ther confine himself
to the expression of his regret, that a battle to destruc-
tive should occur with tie Inrces of a counts y in re-
lation Fro which he stood ori terms of friendly alliance?
1 say, then, that these taps essions of regret at the tic-
curience of such a destructive col filet, do not mean
to convey censure on the Gailant Admiral, nor should
they be construed in that sense; nay, more, the
'honours sent out to the Gallant Admiral. immediately
after the news • I the battle, and the legit that he has
been since retained, and is to this mornent in corn-
stand of the fie. t—th se, I repeat. show that no censurer
was iiiten.led to be cast on that Gallant Officer in the
Speech from e Throne. It it laJ been intended to
censure him, he would have been previously re-
moved from his commaid—but no censure was in
tended, no censure is expressed—their is, then, no di
lemma, and that Igi:al d•fficulty in which the Learned
Gentleman fancies he found the Noble Duke, has no
existence in fact or reasoning—it is purely the creati•
of the Learned Genthman's fertile ensaginatien. The
Honourable titntl. nian has said, thal the Ministry in-
tend to revert to the former system of foreign and com-
mercial policy. Much as I disapprove the practice of
making anticipatory declarations, and resolved as 1 am,
to give no detailed explanatien of our 'mute conducti
may, however,bt iefly state, that as to our foreign policy
—whe I say, I hat al) rimy Noble Friend, who conducted
it under Mr. Canning, still remains in that department
—that ihe Hon. Member for Liverpool continues at the
head of the Colonial Government, and the Honourable
Member for Inverness retains the Piesieen:y of Tiade
And Commerce, these is no reason that they w.II deout
from those principles of acting which they I:ave professed
in the face of the country, and which have received the
sanction of this House. I say then, fi.ially, judge Ministers
by their nu asures—(Chees ing). So tar let the IL•use
give them its support as it shall aptirove their Conduct,
and no farther.—((sheers). The Hollow able Member
for Dovetarire has asked whether are we 'at race, 01
at war? 1 answer, we are nut at was—no change
has taken place in our foreign relations—we are m
peace: As to the Ilc,uourable Member's observa-
tions on the Tieaty, I am enabled to state that it is
the intention of Government to lay the Protocol and
Treaty before the House, but they do not iutend to
found any proposition upon them—it will of tutus, j
test vi ith any Honourable Member wl o may desire it
to bring them into discussion. As to the last Treaty,
the negociations connected a ith it have not been brought ,
to a satisfactory result ; and if any Hon. Member his an
idea of raising a debate on it, he will do %s ell to consi-
der how far such discussion may tend to imptide negra
ciations not yet finally completed: When, however, the
proper time shall bpve Come, I trust we %Wl' Ise able to
prove that the Treaty vial founded isn sound tfolicy , that
the objects of. it !ere the Pit 11ferlatice of
lAirope, and thearseeectlee of occrorrences sttagitostettia owns,