The time for paying the i...
The Times, 1824-03-11T00:00:00

The time for paying the iest upotr the Spaanish bonds approaching, we wish to direct the public attention to that subject. Is Spain making, or has sho made, any provision for the satisfaction of her creditors ? AWre fear we must rather look to our own Government for protection, than to that of FESDINAND for voluntary justiec. WVe shall, how- ever, briefly state the eircumstances under which the money was lent. The King of SPAIN had never, at that time, de- clared himself under duress or constraint: he had not been temporarily (leposed, as was afterwards the case at Seville ; he was acting wvith the ConXttutional Govern- menit as its bead, and in that character he sanctionedi and aceepted the loan, pledging cornventual o- monastic pro- perty as security to the creditors. Oar Ambassador was present at his Court. and his Ambassador was accredited to ours. There was, thercfore, public peace betveen tlhe two realms; aud we do not apprehentd that there wvas any secret protcst ever made by FE\DINAN.P to the Foreign Ambassadors, by whom he vwas surrounded, against the proceedihzgs that wrcre then talking place, or any precau- tionary hint against their validity. He now, however, pzotests a posteriori against the acts of no incunsiderable portion of his reign, (among which is this of borrowving -oneyii ohi British-subjectsi) asserting, that for so long a: time he was not a free agenti. How ware we to k aow rcauy and certainly that suc S was his *ituation ? CJX, suiposing him to have done many det through coi- - 5ttAint, thsre wvere many others'alsc which' lie performtsd &Njlitntarinhw'Ab,sA of wvhich wet atea'ing svastono~ bWealateimme' -,and one pre, which 1i6 ath.: t eiLty ? I LThwjr,rmaking"l the ailtiwancerEWhich we are-ablt, and il ;.inde-d,Which'le u ouI cIqtarh; w 'there is still a mase in point, -whiei is gboth concusive a asns him ax; ouir creditor, ant imipcrat'i~e: - pon' the'bitwss (overnmenf also, obliging it to act in behalf of its -s'bjects.. There is no doubt that the Kitg o?f 'SPAIN wag as- averse too.anctio0 our commerce with the.trans-Adanti prrovinces, as to allow of this British-loan to.himsslf and his'subjects in Europe- Nay, since wbat he calls his restoration to liberty, he 'ha& shown his feeling by weakly attempting to stop that com- merce; and yet British subjects bave been indemnified for the losses wwhich they sustained whilst carrying it 'oa by the interruption ot' his cruisers. The evidenx of Mr. CANtING, in one of his late excellent state papers, is con- elusive :-" In virtue of this undterstaneting-viz., that the " trade was allowved-relress ha(l been demanded of Spa in "in 1822, for (among other grievances) seizures of vesseps "for alleged itifringenient of thnse laws; which redress "the Spanish Government bound itself by a convenation,> "nowv in the course of execution, to afford."-(MIemoran_ (um of a CotifereDce between Mr. CANXING and Prince; PoLT GNAc, held October 9, 1823). Now, eV? ask, wlhy British-subjects, acting, in one instance only, on the im. plied acquiescence of FERDIN A ND, and sustaining damaget. are to be redre3se(l; an-d in another instance,mnakinq an open. bargain with him and his Ministers, are to be left to suffer ? 'Ve solicit a reason for this difference : are not the case-, parallel ?-and should they not be decided on the sam e principle ? VATTEL, Who is among the iirst authorities on the lair of ii ations, speaks of reprisals, and doing one's self justica in a case of this nature. - It is only," he says, " upon jusi. "groindq, or fiur 'z well-ascertained and 7mckniable deb4, that the law of nations allows as to make reprisals"-. (i. t., withlout going to war).-Book II.. c. 18., sec. 34,'; 'I'he mattcr up)on which reprisals are to be made is indi. cated in a succeeding clause:-" Between state an I state, the privatc property of thle imembers is considered as be. longing to the body, and is answerable for the debts ofi' that bodv: whence it follows, that in reprisals we sei7iz on the propertv of the subject, just as we would on thalt of the state and soveriign. Every thing that belongs t1 the nation is suh.jcot to reprisals, thei:ever it can bi seize, providedi it be not a dILposit intrusted to tbe pub - lie faitlh."-See. 34T.