The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-05-13 00:00:00

PRICK SEVEN PENCE,

that in the first, instance such a remonstrance should
here been made by us as would have prevented a war.—
He did not think that there were any difficulties attend-
ing a maritime war carried on by this country, in case
we were forced into the conflict. He believed that France
would not have embarked in such a war with us, and
that if a resolute determination had been manifested Is 7
us, the Powers of Europe would have kept away from a
war with us. If the Spaniards were united, he could
entertain no apprehension for them in a war with France
alone; but he was not sure that, assisted by French in-
trigues, there might not be a counter-revolution io Spain.
In that case Ferdinand would be restored to hi• absolute
power, and the consequence would be, that Feed quid
would become a member of the confederacy against the
liberties of mankind, which Iraqi i be no lest dangerous
to this country than Bcrnaparte's party ever had b-en.
It would lead to the extinction of freedom in every part
of the world, and a greater danger to rhis country could
not be possibly conceived. Here (he Noble Earl voted
the words of Mr. Fox to show the danger likely to arise
from an extension of power on the part of the Bourbons;
and he declared that if the liberties of Spain were de-
stroyed, there would be no longer any security for our
own free Constitution. This was the consequence of the
conduct evinced by our Government of supporting llo•
narchs against their people, as Was evident in thebs.anc-
tjon they gave to the invasion of Naples hr Austria.--
They stood by while Spain was invaded, and rather pal-
listed than opposed the attempt ; and his fears were in-
creased when he saw that they hail invaded the free in•
stitutions of their on n country. The papers he moved
for would prove the validity of the assertions he now
made. He was not now ro:ommending any romont'e or
chivalrous expeditions; but he was contieent that by a
different line of conduct the Ministers might have pre-
vented a war. He then concluded by moving for the
parrs to which he referred.
The Earl of LIVERPOOL said he should oppose the
motion, because no Parliamentary ground had been laid
for the production of the Papers. As to the capture of a
Spanish vessel, be should not stand up as the aio!ogist of
•Prance; but he had to state, that as soon as an explana-
tion was called for on the subject, the most distinct as-
surances was given that the French Government, had no
knowledge of the fact, nor that any orders had been
given to the French Admiral to take any Spanish vessel;
but the fact was, an attack had ;seen made in the night
time by a Spanish letter of marine on the Jean Bart,
and the consequence was, that the letter of marque was
taken.—(Hear, hear.) As to a Proclamation by the
Provisional Government of Spain, his Majesty's Miric-
tens knew nothing of it, and it was denied by the French
Government. As to the opinions formerly held by the
Noble Lord, he certainly did declare that this country
ought not to have sent an army to the defence of Spain
at the time of that most atrocious invasion by Bonaparte,
and what would the consequence have beets, if we bad
not assisted the Spaniards in that war? But soma
change took place in his opinions after the glorious suc-
cesses of his Noble Friend (the Duke of. Wellington). in
Portugal : there was no other part of the world %here
our forces avoid have been better employed ; and the
war carried on by us in the Peninsula, was the COM=
mencetnent of the victories that afterwards took place.
As to what the Noble Lord said of the discussions at
Verona, It was the opinion of Ministers that the prin-
cipal subject which was to come under consideration
there, would be the affairs of Russia and Turkey ; and
they did not expect that the affairs of Spain were to
form the prominent features of their deliberations.—
These were only then contingent points on which the
Allies were to snake common cause wit:, France against
Spain. The Allies might have given France a moral
support, but they.gave no pledge to make common cause
its the war against Spain; and as far as lie (Lord V-
verpool) knew, no such engagement existed even up to
this moment. As to the Emperor of Russia, he believed
there was a Russia* army on the Vistula, and that there
were Austrian troops in Piedmont ; lint he had no rea-
son to suppose that they had any other than a defensive
object in view ; besides, there was nothing unusuil in
Sovereigns assembling troops in their own territor'e;.
The whole policy of the Noble Lord went merely to this,
that we should run the risk of going to war without
rendering the Spaniards any assistance ; for he would
distinctly state, that no assistance could be given them
unless we sent an army into the Peninsula. This coun-
try embarking in the war might not have the effect of
rendering the war more national in France; hut Could
the Noble Lord suppose that any. effect could be pro-
duced by our confining our operanons to a naval war.—
No one effect could arise from such a war; the taking
of a few fishermen or an island could do nothing, and it
would be worse than an insult to the Spaniards to go to
war, and make no other efforts. He would ask then, if
a maritime war was carried on by us, could prevent the
troops of France from marching into the Peninsula;
and what injury could France sustain from any eyed.,
we could make on her commerce. If we were to go to
war for Spain, we must go to war in Spain. He main-
tained that our only policy was to hustand oer re-
sources, and that was the only way to be in a
state of preparation for war. We were not now
at war ;we were in a state of peace ; and our si-
tuation was now quite different from what it had b•en at
the time when the Noble Lord, in 18119, objected to oar
takinis an active part in favour of the Spaniards. At
that time Spain was a united, now she was a divided
country. 'this was a serious fact, well known; and
were a e now prepared to embark in a war, in whiLli we
should take part with one portion of the Spanish people
against another ; and were we unnecev,itrily to run the
risk of entering into such a war, while we were in a
state of profound peace ; which was not thecase in IoOS.
He did nut mean to justify the present conduct of the
French Government, but time must point out the differ-
ence between it and that of Bonaparte, the latter made
every country he invaded support his army ; but the
French now paid for every thiug in Spain ; and while
France was tuns exhausting her resources, was it not
the wisest policy fur us to husband ours? If the scab-
bard were once thrown away, no one could tell how long
the struggle would last ; and what other plan then had
we to pursue bust to husband our res.nirrei ? It was our
policy, if possible, to keep peace between all n-tious;
but if that could not be done, let us he at peace with our-
selves. Ministers haul, in every respect, condemned the
policy of France; but if there • were dangers Irons com-
binations of Governments, there were also dangers from
the propagation of revolutionary opinions. We uere
free from both, and it was our duty to keep ourselves in
the position in which we now swill. lie concluded by
opposing the motion, because there had been no Parlia-
mentary ground laid for it.
Lord HOLLAND declared that every pos;tion of the
Noble Lord was funded in Unary, pertscularly that
which'expre,sed the low estimation in which he held the
wooden wails, that were once the bulwark and glory of
England. History had shown that the mods of makirg
war by the Spaniards at all times was ut the muse ae-
scription as that which was practised on tire-present oc-
casion. When the Spartiarda found it neaessary to Mika •
before, they had wont to contend with. 'lll-ii earwig,.
the t•. ere alum, ;in po,:essiun of the ,4 6,4- •st •