The Statesman.
London, England, 1824-02-05 00:00:00

the proclamation issued on the entrance of the French
army into Spain for the purpose of stating that none of
the assurances held forth in that proclamation have been
violated. And it was but justice to say, still, however,
retaining all the opinions and feelings he declared last
year upon the French aggression, yet that aggression
having been made, and the French army having entered.
Spain, itj was but justice to say, that the conduct of that
army was as unexceptionable, as the conduct of
any army could be which was placed in cir-
ciiinstatices of so much difficulty and perplexity.—
Hoivever, lie would not have it supposed, though uttering
these sentiments, that he had changed his opinion of the
vice of the aggression. He bad tr-in, answered two of the
Hon. Member's questions distinctly. While he admitted
the right of Spain, be denied the right of any Foreign
Power to interfere for the recovery of the South American
colonies ; but with tl:e possible or imaginary cases of the
Hon. Member he had nothing to do. He was also satisfied
that there was no danger of the permanent occupation of
Spain, and he would only say, that if the question were put
to him, not in reference to France, but Spain herself, whe-
ther the French troops should evacuate Spain to-morrow,
be, as the friend of humanity, would say no. As the Hon.l
(lentleman addressed another question to him, relative to
to the Proclamation of Sir Thomas Maitland, and as he
seemed concerned to know how the case stood, be would
take the liberty of informing him. He bad now present to
Lis mind the precise passage of • the Proclamation to which
the lion. Gent. referred ; but as to Alavrocordato, without
any intention of disparagement to him, he believed his
name was mentioned with' the correct title, and the one
by which he was generally known in his own country. The
113 n. Gentleman asked to what the outrage adverted to in
the proclamation referred ? Now he would tell him. A
squadron of the Greeks pursued the Turks, who fled to
Ithaca, an island of sacred neutrality. The Turks land-
the °reeks pursue them, and out of a crew of 120 they mas
sacre 90 in cold blood, and this on a neutral islind ; and
even the Hon. Gentleman himself admitted that remon-
strance was necessary in this case. lie was satisfied with
that instance ; for instances could he shown in which both
the Greeks and Turks were treated with equal attention ;
and that no occasion could be adduced in which the con-
duct of the lonian government was not marked by the
strictest impartiality, ever since a system of neutrality had
been resolved on. No doubt outrages could be cited on
both sides, but it was impossible, lie knew, to bring for-
ward any. serious instance which would fix upon the British
flag the imputation of hawing violated its neutrality, or fa-
voured one side more than the other.

Mr. WESTERN rase (but the Hon. Member spoke in
so low a tone, that he was scarcely audible in the Gallery).
Ile said, as well as we could collect, that objecting to
many parts of the Address, it was his intention last night
to have moved an Amendment, if he had not been advised
to the contrary by some of his Honourable Friends. lie
was astonished to bear the Right Honourable Gentleman
say, that as a friend to humanity, he would not wish the
French troops to evecnate Spain ; for what must the situa-
tion of this country be, when one of the Ministers of the
Crown found it necessary to declare, in that house, that he
preferred the occupation of Spain by a French army? lie
could not but condemn the policy of this country as it re-
ferred to that contest, because, in his mind, such policy
was a sacrifice of its honour, and an abandonment of, all
those principles which guided England in the former
periods of her history in her conduct towards foreign
rowers. Much as he was disposed to value the blessings
of peace, for which every possible sacrifice ought to be
made, he still valued the honour and character of the
country more, which, as well as our own future safety,
•sere disregarded when we allowed the free nations of
Europe to be trampled upon. In allowing one country
to interfere with the right of another to legislate for itself,
v.at abandoned those princieles wide,' heretofore guided the
policy el this country, and salads should be the invariable
nle of its comfort rn its intercourse with foreign Powers.
The lion. Member then adverted to the Confress of Lay-
barb, the import of which we could not catch ; and con-
cluded by saving that Le would not longer press Isis senti-
ments upon the house, as another opportunity would soon
pres.•nt itself, farther than to protest against the supposi-
tion that he approved of the policy which euided the
rondsct of Ministers in its relations with foreign Powers,
in which they abandoned the honour and character of this
country, and totally renounced any regard fur the state of
Europe.
- -

Colonel PALMER stated, that he rose under the strong.
est feelings of shame and indignation, at the conduct o
the Government; for although he had not opposed the
Mares' against the general sense of the -house, yet believ-
ing from the bottom of his heart, that not only Europe,
butt the world at large, had never yet been reduced to such
a state of actual and prospective misery as at the present
moment, and that such state was to be imputed solely to
the conduct of the British Government, he considered it
to be a duty to Goo and his country, as a Member of that
house, to declare his opinion upon the subject. If it were
true, as the Ministers hail tali! them both in and out of
Parliament, and more especially in a late Sp •ech of the
Right Honourable Secretary, that the country had been so
long prepared for war, they bail sacrificed its honour
and most vital interests, by suffering France to conquer
Spain; if it were false, they had equally betrayed their
duty, by deceiving the country, to support the system of
their Government. But whatever was the real state of the
nation, the conliort of the. Ministers towards Spain had
been wholly izkdriro.ible. as looking to the avoweJ inten-
tions of France and the Holy Alliance. Neutrality on the
part of England was impossible, and could Lot bemaiutaiu-
e
; for what had bNal the late measure of the Ministers
in sending Cousuls to South America, but an act k, f hosti-
lity to those powers, which,i not resented, ti as hut a farther
proof, if any were wanting, that if England had acted
with firmness at the Congress, and declared herself the
ally of Spain, France would not have dared to invade
her? lc on the other hand, after abandoning Spain, the
country was to be involved in war for the independence of
her Colonies, what excuse was to be made for the Minis-
ters, who might have secured the liberties of both at a
less expense to the nation than had already been.incurred
by the active measures to which their crooked and incon-
sistent policy had at last compelled them ? The Ministers,
in the last Session, to cool the ardour of the people in the
cause of Spain, declared that any interference in her be-
half would involve all the expenses of the former contest.
But he (Col. P.) then stated to the Right Hon. Gent. that
no such expense was necessary. All that honour and policy
required of England was, to render Spain the assistance
hich, her means afforded; and such means were more
than adequate to the object: for to have sent but half the
force of our naval peace establishment, lying ready in our
ports, to the defence of Cadiz, would have prevented all
the disasters to the cause of Spanish liberty, which the
folly or treachery of the British Government necessarily
led to. Yet this straight and prudent policy, which every
consideration for the honour and interests of the nation
demanded, bad been termed Quixotism by the Right Hon.
Gentleman. Would that his conduct as Minister could
bear the same comparison! but, unfortunately, it had be-
trayed all the insauity of the character, without a spark of
that chivalrous' Idling, which, however romantic in its
origin, or
. thankless in the end to the mind of the.
Right Honourable Gentleman, was the beat foundation of
a great or good. name, either for States or individuals.
The Alps Honourable Gentleman, too, in his late
speech,. further to mark the distinction between his'
Quixati„; iniponenni and himself, hail openly declared,
as Minister of England, that "in the conduct of
political affairs, the grand object of his contempt.-
lion was the interest of his own country;" and what
had been the result of this most wise and prudent
polity but to combine the u hole world against her? Fur

11;,
'
1
J
t