Star.
London, England, 1820-07-12 00:00:00

BOURSOS DYNASTY IN SOUTH AMERICA.

Dr. LUSHINGITON rose in pursuance of the no-
tice which he gave, to move for a copy of any offi-
cial communications relative to a negotiation be-
tween the French Government and that of Buenos
A' re. for the establishment of a Bourbon Dynasty in
South America. It appeared to him to be of very
considerable importance, that these documents should
be laid upon the table of the House, and he should
proceed 'therefore to relate. the transactions which
took place about thirteen months ago between the
Court of France, and the Agent of the Provisional
Government of Buenos A.yrez.. The transaction ori-
ginated with tfie Secretary for Foreign Affairs of the
French Government, and was one of a most extraor-
dinary character. At a period when the most arni.
cable relations were supposed to subsist between the
Courts of France and Great Britain, the French Go-
veinment, if his information were correct, was
treacherously and perfidiously engaged in originatir.g
measures, which, if not subversive of, were at least
highly injurious to the commercial prosperity of
this country. At the time when we were assured in
speeches from the Throne that foreign nations enter-
tained the most amicable dispositions towards us, a
negotiation was carried en between the French Go-
vernment and the Goiernment of Buenos Ayres, for
)e purpose of placing the Prince of Lucca (nephew of
Fe-dinand Vll.)upon the Throne of that Province.
!l was obvious, that if ever unfortunately such a pro.
ject should be carried into exxution, it would tend
to the infinite detriment of this country. In the very
first document on the part of the French Govern-
ment, if be were rightly informed, it would appear,
that there was an express stipulation that'England
was not to be apprised of the .freaty. The negocia-
tion was to be conducted behind her back in perfect
secrecy ; and it wits further stated, that the Courts of
Austria and Prussia were decidedly favourable to the
person of the Prince of Lucca. The project was to
receive the sanction of all the Powers of Knepp% in'
chiding Spain ; but not one word was said of Eng-
land, nor was the previous consent of this country
considered at all necessary in this transaction. In the
Notes submitted on the part of the.French•Govcrn-
znent, it was actually stated, that France would sup-
tort this project with such anaval pad milltrityTfirce
,ps would enable the Prince .of Litcca.tocuntend with

:;ly State which might presunie to isteratro• What
'l:ate could be here alluded to but• Great Britain? It
'void(' fie wasting the time of the House to argue that
nerference. could be apprehended from any other
rlarter than front this .coantri• Some objections
started by the Envoy from. Buenos Ayres as
the practicability of the arrangeMent, but they
were answered by fresh arguments and fresh induce=
n.iv.-.ts. The French Government was ready to agree
t.:,tt the Prince of LUCCa should marry one of the Ps in-
cesses of the Court of Brazils, and to the cession of
t.le Banda Oriental to the province of Buenos Ayres.
the document further stated the possibility of Great
Britain wishing to place a British Prince upon .the
I iirone of Buenos Ayres, and commented upon the
c.,11s lud calamities which would result to South

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America from such
to the religions feelings
a long tirade upon the.i
ligion:would receive from
was glad to state, that
declined entering into
and approbation of Great Britain should not be
preliminary, because it was one of the many circuit!.
stances which proved the earnest desire, on the pale
of the Government of that Province, to conciliate the
good wishes of this country. If the documents_ to
which he had.alluded, and some others for which he
should not now move, were laid upon the table of the
House, he trusted he should be able to convince the
House and the Country that this Government wet
imperiously called upon to acknowledge the inde-
pendence of the States of South America—(Hear!)
No European State, except France and Spain, had i
'right to interfere with the conduct. which Great Bri,
tain might choose to pursue as to the recognition *of
South American independence. If Prussia had been
privy to the transaction which be had detailed to the
House, she had forfeited all pretence to such right of
interference. As to Spain, he had no doubt that she
had some secret understanding with the French ne-
gociators, for it was scarcely passible that France
would have entered-into such a negociation without
first sounding the feelings of the Spanish Government:4
He maintained that when a Colony had revolted froni,
the parent country, and succeeded in maintaining its
independence for a number of years, it became a mere
question of policy, whether any other Stateshoula
think proper to recognise its independence ? If chili
were otherwise, the independence of the United States
of Holland and of North America would have been
still unaCknowledged. It was extremely difficult to
carry on any diplomatic relations with a Colony so-
parated from the parent State, unless this principle
were admitted. .It•was true that we carried on trade
with Buenos-Ayres, and that an English Consul was
established there, but still we felt the extreme incon-
venience of carrying on diplomatic relations with a
Government whose Authorities we were not disposed
to recognise. If Spain were a party to the negociai
tion which he had stated to the House, or if she was
reduced to such a state of political imbecility that
France had taken her diplomacy into her own hands,
Great Britain WAS no longer bound to. consider the
views or wishes of Spain with respect to her Colonies.
Wheu a Government was so reduced and debilitated
as not to be able to protect its own interests, other
States were entirely free to pursue clot line of policy
which, consistently with justice and honour, they
might deem most expedient. It was a curious cir-
cumstance, that this negociation was avowed to
spring from the principles of the Holy Alliance !
The basis of that Alliance 'was the total extinction
of all the Republics in Europe. The Republics.of
Holland, Venice, and Genoa, were, already extinct;
and in the same spirit the Continental Courts had
resolved to do away with the remains, or rather the
buds of freedom which now existed in South Ame-
rica: Upon the conduct of France it was scarcely
possible to express himself in l;inguage which was
too strong. After the waste of so much B:itish
blood and treasure, after the unparalleled exertions
which this country had made to place the House of
Bourbon upon the Throne of Frdece, scarcely was
the signature of the Meaty dry which restored, a
second time, to their feeble hands that sceptre which
they had neither the wisdom to hold, nor the courage
to fight-for, when they turned round upon their bene-
factor, and inflicted an injury upon the country to
which they.-svere bound 'by every tie of gratitude.
The conduct of France towards Great Britain he
looked upon as treacherous and perfidious—(llear).
—The Ma. and Learned Member dwelt at consi-
derable length upon the advantages which the com-
merce of the country would derive from a recog-
nition of the independence of South America, and
concluded by moving for " Copies of all official com-
munications received by his Majesty's Government
relative to a negociation between the French Govern-
ment and any Government, or the agent of any Go-
vernment of Buenos Ayres or Chili, for the esta-
blishment of a Monarchy in South America in a
Prince of the House of Bourbon."
Lord CASTLEREAGH objected to the motion,
on the ground that the information alluded to by the
Honourable and Learned Gentleman had reached Go-
vernment in such a shape that it could not be laid on
the table ; and observed, that he would not be drag-
ged, by the example of the Ilonourable and Learned
Gentleman, into an abstract discussion on assumed
facts, which could only lead to great misconceptions
both at home and abroad. He by no means denied
the existence of the documents in question (which had
been transmitted to Government by the Naval Meer
on the River Plate station), but on the face of them
it was evident that extensive communication must be
ibad with other quarters, in order to enable the Bri-
Itish Government to take a full and accurate view of
the subject. The Honourable and Learned Gentle-
man had, indeed, made the immediate object of his
motion merely a stepping-stone to a review and cen-
sure of the whole policy of this country, as it respected
Spanish America. Into this extensive discussion he
would not • enter. He regretted, however, that the
Hon. and Learned gentlernan had endeavoured to
raise presumptions injurious to foreign Powers, with
reference to the immediate subject of his motion.—
To throw out such vague insinuations was certainly
110 t, the way to strengthen the interest of this coun-
tryabroad. With respect to what was termed " the
Hai Alliance," he (Lord Castlereagh) had had ail
many opportunities of observing its spirit as the Hon.
and Learned Gentleman, 'and he had never seen a
single instance of conduct in any of the Powers of
'rivhith it was composedcalculated to awaken distrust.
'He knew not why the Hon. and Learned Gentleman
had pointed the finger of suspicion particularly at
Russia, for. that Power and Austria were mentioned
together in the same paragraph in the document in
question. If there was any thing in the transaction
injurious to the good faith of the Governments impli-
cated, he repeated that it was the first instance of
such a.spirli, that he had observed since the establish-
ment of the Holy Alliance—a Confederation, the
sincere with of which he. firmly believed to be the
maintenance of the peace and tranquillity of the
world ; and the honour of every . individual rower
composing which had hitherto been untainted.. As the
}ion. and Learned Gentleman bad not laid sufficient
grounds for his motion, and as the document, if pro-
duced, would remain a dead letter on the tablet be
should certainly oppose its production.

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tientte on the dis-
ujec
su of suchthere importance was so
such
attendance, of **Wm He did not know
languid interest was attributable. H.
sorny it wiereitp,be bofieveds either at
abroad, that the iFieuptry wis so absorbed by
the magnitude of its domestic distresses and embar-
rassment{, that it had no time or disposition to attend
to its foreign relations, and that Parliament; by neg-
lecting the duty which oar ancestors had always so
solicitously performed, ,that of watching our com-
mercial and political connection with other States,
and of exhibiting the utmost sensibility on all:points
of national honour, should be supposed to eshibit an
indifference amounting almost to preparation fur sub-
mitting to a foreign yoke. He hoped that such a
character of this nation would not go forth to the
world. He hoped that France or any other Power
would not be told that it might take what measures
it pleased to ruin, our interests or tarnish our honour,
but that we must shut our eyes to all such practices.
The Noble Lord did not deny that Government were
substantially in possession of the documents moved for
by his Hon. and Learned Friend. Why then not produce
them ?. One thing struck him as very extraordinary.
The negotiation mentioned in those documents was, it
seemed, opened at Paris, in May, 1819, at the time
the British House of Commons was passing the Fo-
reign Intercourse 13ill ; so that at the very moment
when we were sacrificing the interests of this country;
the agents of the Spanish Government, of France,
Russia, Atistria, and perhaps Spain itself, consider-
ing those prospects as illusory, and their realization
as impracticable, were engaged in founding a Mo-
narchy, one of the chief purposes of the establish.
, meat of-which was hostility to the interests of Great'
Britain—(Hear, hear).—lf our Government did not
know of that negociatiOn at the time that it was
commenced, they were extremely culpable for being',
so deficient in intelligence ; if they did know of it,
they had drawn Parliament into a measure which
they would never have adopted had they been aware
of the existence of the negociation—(Hear, bear).
He admitted that the situation of Spanish America
and Spfin was very peculiar at the present moment.
He certainly thought that the recent transactions in
Spain had made a material change in all the relations
between that country and her former colonies. When'
the question was, if Spanish America should be com-
pelled to return under European despotism? he
marked the proposal with his decided detestation.
But with the new state of things, hisview had some-
what changed. To realm under European despotism
was one thing—a union of European and American
~Spain, on the principles of freedom, was another. If
, such'a union were sincerely desired, no other nation
had a right to say anything to it. With respect to
the'probable result of the deliberations of the popular
Assembly now sitting in Spain, he would not give a
precipitate opinion; this, however, he would say, that
Spain had already conferred two -of the greatest be-
nefits on mankind that ever had been contened by a
nation. The first was, the expulsion ofi an invader
from her territory by the mere energy of the. people,
with little aid from regular military force—an, event
affording the best example that had ever been given
to Europe, of the successful assertion of national in-
dependence. Whatever deigns of ambition might
be entertained by any future conqueror, Spain would
Ibe the last country which he would venture to ap-
iproach. He was sorry to observe, by the smiles of
'the Gentlemen" opposite,. that they were thinking of
party questions, which, he could assure them, did
not at all mingle with his view of the subject.—Ano-
ther great service which Spain had done to the cause
of mankind was, that she had established her liberties
by a revolution hitherto unstained by crimes or blood.
This service, not infer for in importance to the first,
she had, however, yet to complete by still more diffi-
cult steps. For himself, he trusted that the spirit of
political Reform had become too powerful to be re-
sisted. It had crushed all its open adversaries. He
firmly believed, that the only danger to which it was
exposed, arose from the passions or errors of popular
leaders. Nothing also could defeat or retard the pro-
[gress of the spirit of improvement ; and he firmly
believed, that every Government that engaged in a
struggle with that spirit would be destroyed—(Hear,
hear).—The Spanish nation had formerly evinced
l' great virtues and wisdom; and he trusted they would
profit by the experience which the world had had on
the subject of liberty. He trusted they would disco-
ver from that experience, 'that nothing was so eaat
as to overshoot liberty ; and that a free Constitution
was naturally surrounded,by various kinds of tyran-
nies, into some of which, if pushed too far, it must
inevitably be precipitated. He trusted that they
would engraft their reformation on the ancient prin-
ciples of their Constitution—that they would connect
their new liberties with all the classes into which sob
ciety was divided—that they would attach every great
body of people in the State to the preservation of
•those liberties—and that they would' not add another
to the unfortunate list of nations, who, in the first de-
lirium of their joy on emancipation from thraldom,
had inflicted wounds on freedom which ages could
not cure—Vicar, hear!).
• Mr!CANNING opposed the motion, as quite un-
usual under the circumstances of the case. On the
hypothesis of the validity of the docUment in question
Government might be disposed to feel as strongly as
the Honourable Mover and his Honourable and
Learned Friend ; but although it might be perfectly
harmless, or-even beneficial, for the Honourable and
Learned Gentleman to reason on such au hypothesis,
.it could scarcely be expected that Ministers would
take up the subject hopothetically, and talk of the
indignation which they might feel against Austria,
or Russia, or France, or Spain, if such and such
alleged facts should turn out to be true. With respect
to the coincidence pointed out by his Honourable and
Learned Friend in the passing-of the Foreign Inter-
course Bill and the commencement of the alleged
,negociation, it was remarkable; but. if true, he should
still rejoice that we had discharged our duty ; for in
public as in private life "honesty was the best policy."
Adverting to the change Which his HOnourable end
Learned' Friend had avowed to have taken place in
'his sentiments respecting the connection between
Spain and- Spanish America, he observed that it was
now apparent that his Honourable and Learned
Friend i opposition to the Bill of last Session was
founded, not in love to the latter, but in hatred to
the former. Hjs Honourable. and Learned. Friend's
object, it was now evident, had been, not to belle.
fit the one, but to wound the other. This was an

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Lan event. It contained an aßpeal'
ings of the Soilth,Asielicasiet and cation of a s
the injury which the Catbalic iea thin an atten4
Pe from British interposition. -He to what this
:hat the Envoy for Bowie,' Area should he sor
ito any treaty to which the consent home or abra