House Of Lord, Monday, Ma...
The Times, 1824-03-09T00:00:00

PARLIAMENTARY INTELLIGENCE. Several petitions relating to Negro slaver were presented-viz. onae by the Bishop of ExETEt, fr . llillary, in Cornwall- one b: the Duke of SostERsETr, from Holbeach, i Lincolnshire- three by the Bishop of L1CHFIELD, and one by the Marquia of LAwST)oWN, from places the names of which we did not hear. Earl BATfl URST, after the last petition had been presented, stated that, owing to some circumstances which had occu;red, he wished to postporae the statement respecting the measures taken by Government for the moral and religious inprorement of the Negroes, of which he had given notice for Friday next, until to-morrow se'nnight. se'nnght. SOUTH AMERICA. The Mzlarquis of LANSDOWN had on Friday last intimated his intention of pUtting some questions to the a oble earl opDosite, on the subject of the papers which had been laid on the table on the pre- ious day, relating to South America; *and though, from csrcum- stances which had taken place elsewhere, some ot the points on which he had wished for inforation might be considered as already answered, yet he still had three distinct queston on which he was desirous of obtaining explanation from the noble earl. The first question arose out of that part of the memorandum of the confer- ence wlich took place between the Prince de Polignac and Alr. Canningin the month of October lst, which related to the trade of this country with South America. It was stated, that permission to tradc with the Spanish colonies had been conceded to Great Britain in the year 1810. Now he certainly did not recollect to have seen any treaty to that effect, or any document containing a stipulation or concession of the kind described. He would, therefore, be glad to know whetlier any such stipulation or concession existed, and where it was to be found. His second question related to the last despatch of dIr. Canning, dated Jan. 30, which contained an offer of mediation between Spain and her colonies made on the part of this country. He thought that sufficient tinie had elapsed for receiving an answer to this desratch, which answer would, doubtless, enable his Mlajesty's Alinisters to come to a final determination on tbe mneasures they were to adopt. He therefore wished to be informed whether any answer had been received to this despatch. His third question wvas. perhaps, still more important. In the same despatch of Al r. Canning it was stated, that acommunication of the sentiments of his Majesty's Government on the subject of South America had been made to each of the Powers now invited to a conference at Paris. The communication thus made to Russia, Austria, Prussia, and France. it appeared, was in substance similar to what was stated in the despatch and the conference with Prince Polignac.He wished to ask the noble earl whether his blajestrs Government were in posses- sion of any answer to this communication from the Powers to which it had been made. The Earl of LIVERPOOL wished to give the noble marquis every satisfaction in his power to give in the state in which the ques. dion now stood. With respect to the first questioa, there doubtless never had been any distinct stipulation or concession by treaty of permission to the merchants of this country to trade tonSdth Ame- rica; but, undoubtedly, ever since the year 1809, when the first se. paration of the Spanish colonies from the mother county took place, their lordships must be aware that a trade had de facto existed. In all the conferences which had taken pAa.e wvith the. differenrt Governments of Spain from the com- the restoration of Ferdinand, there never had been any ques- tion niade as to the assent of the Spanish Government to this coDmmerce. Under these circumstances, he could state that, not. withstanding the various changes which had taken place in the Go- vernment of Spain, there had always existed a complete underatand- ing of the existence of a free commercial intercourse between the subjects of thils country and the provinces of South Americar' but as to any express treaty or stipulation to that effect, there certainly was none. As to the second question of the noble marquis, namely, whetlher any answer had been received to the despatch of Mr. Cannhig, he had to reply in the negative. There certainly had been no answer retunied as yet. His Alajeaty's Mlinisters were nierely informed of the receipt of the despatch, and its communica- tioni to the Spanish Government, but no official answer wbatever had been received from Al'adrid. Witis regard to the third question of the noble marquis-as to the communication of the course adopted with respect to South America by his Alaiesty's Government to the other Powers which had been mentioned- he had to state, that that course, as described in the conference and alsothe despatch. had been communicated, but that no answer had hitherto been received in pursuance of such communication. He wished now to say one word en the general subject. The papers now in the possession of their lordships were conmmunicated for the purpose of making known to Parliament what was the actual position In which the country stood s to the question of the Spanish colonies. These gapers sufficiently explaineo what course his Majesty's Government iad held on this important question, what had already been doie, and by what principles the Government had hitherto been guided, and would be guided in future. Under these cir. cumstances, he conceived that his Alajesty's Government were entitled to the confidence of Parliament, and he had no he- sitation in saying that he would resist any proposition which implied the contrary. He considered his MIajesty's Govern- ment tobe entitltel to the full confidence of the house on the princi ples laid down in the papers. If the noble marquis should be of a different opinion, it certainly would be competent fer him to bring forward the motion of which he had given notice, and in that casehe should be prepared to justify the course pursued on this ques- tion by his Majesty's Government. Tte Marquis of LANSDOWVN understood from what the noble earl had stated, that no answer had been received by his Majesty's Government to the communication made by them to the Continental P owers on the subject of South America; he wished also to be in. formed whether any communication had been made to Mtinisters of the answers returned by the Governments of France, Russia, Aus- tria, and Prussia, to the invitation of the Spanish Government to a The Earl of LIVERPOOL said, that no communication of the answers of-chose Powers had been received by his Alajesty's Go- vernment. Lord HOLLAND wished to know whether the Powers alluded te had made no communication of their intentions. TheEarl of LIVERPOOL replied,tbat not the slightest intime. tion had been received. He would not say that convessations had not taken place with some of their ministers, but no official commu. rniation hadbeen-received from any of them. Lord HOLLAND considered the answer given by the noble eerr perfectlv satisfactorz. It was just what he expected from him. The Alarquis of LANSDOWN was also to unde.rstand,- that no answer whatever had been received to Mr. Canning's despatch. The Earl of LIVERPOOLsaid notthing farther than what had already been explained. That-despatch hadbeen commnicated by Sir WF . A'Cdurt to the Spanish Mfinister, to be laid befbre the King at Mladrid ; but no answer, farther than he had stated, hbj yet reached this country. Earl GROSVENOR referred to the pass&ye, in the conftace between Alr. Canning and Prince Polig,acz, i which-it is kted, that Great Britain "would consider any tIreg' interference by force, or by menace, in the dispute betweex Spatn and tbercfronies as a mo.ive for recognizing the latter without delay." The noble sarl observed, that this language was strongerthin that contsinedbl the letter of dlr. Canning. He wished to know, whether Ministers adhered to the intention of making any foreign menace a motive for recogniziDg the South American States ? The Earl ofLIVERPOOL saw no difference in sense between the two papers. With respect to the word " mTenace," its meaning *as vague, and depended upon the purport given to it by the peron wbi us t. He s ould understanu by it, as it appeated in the papn", any threat accompanied by an overt act which implied an intenits of carrying such threat into execution. - '' Here the cor,versation ended.c'' On the second realing-of the Aastrian loan bill, Lord HOLLA7- intimated that he woulaf propose some amendment in a future staxe. Mr. BROGDEN and others, from the Commons, brought up the Irish churches' rate biDl, and the annusl indemnit bill, vhich were read a frst tlme.-Adjourned. HOUSE OF LORD.S MnznAv- MAU?w R.