The Sun. — 1848-12-01 (London, England)

FRANCE.  The following is a full report of the Ministerial explanations on the subject of the treatment of the Spanish refugees, given in Wednesday's sitting of the Assembly : At two o'clock, M. Corbon, Vice-President, took the chair, when M. Joly ascended the tribune to address questions to the Ministry relative to the affairs of Spain. M. Joly said that he had been charged by Spanish refugees to lay their grievances before the National Assembly. Immediately after the revolution of February, the Spanish Government sent to Berlin a Minister Plenipotentiary, General Zarco del Valle, to offer the co-operation of Spain in the event of the formation of a new coalition 'against France. On arriving at Paris the General heard that a revolution was imminent at Berlin, and having consulted his Government he was instructed to proceed on his mission, but to report that his object was to examine certain fortifications. General Zarco del Valle was well received at the Prussian Court, and having delivered his message, he succeeded in prevailing on Frederick William IV. to recognise the sovereignty of the Queen of Spain, which result he could not otherwise have obtained. The French Government was well aware of the real nature of his mission; but instead of resenting the hostility of Spain, it gays her a mark of friendship, by appointing Charge d'Affaires in Madrid M. de Lesseps, who, as Consul of France at Barcelona, participated in the two reactionary movements which took place in that city. Since then a new cordial understanding commenced between the Spanish and French Governments, and it soon became so intimate that the latter stationed on the frontier a special commissary, named Labridre, who had filled the same functions under the Ministry of M. Thiers. The duty of that functionary was to watch the intrigues against the Queen's Government, and to remove into the interior of France the Progressista or Republican enemies of her Catholic Majesty. That functionary had made himself the agent, and he could add the accomplice, of the wholesale murders perpetrated of late at the other side of the Pyrenees. He had repaired to Figueras and Puycerda, on the Spanish territory, to concert measures with the Catalonian authorities. It was owing to his exertions that M. Escosura and two Spanish officers were arrested and conducted to the citadel of Perpignan. M. Escosura was formerly a member of the Spanish Cabinet, and being hostile to General Narvaez had been apprehended and confined in the fort of St. Marguerite, at Cadiz, until the departure of a vessel, which was to transport him to the Philippine Islands. M. Escosura escaped and sought refuge on board a French vessel, which safely landed him in France. The papers found in his possession were transmitted to the Spanish Ambassador, in Paris, who forwarded them to Barcelona. On receipt of those documents, three Captains of the Spanish army were arrested at Barcelona, tried by court-martial, sentenced to death, and executed. The Cabinet of the Republic, he regretted to say, followed towards Spain precisely the same line of policy as its predecessor under the monarchy. The other fact denounced by M. Joly referred to the revolt of 69 recruits and deserters, embarked on board a vessel at Santander, who brought the vessel into Pauillac. After being detained there prisoners for some time, they were delivered up to the Spanish Consul of Bordeaux, who sent them back to Santander, where they have been sentenced by court-martial to the galleys. M. Joly trusted that the Minister for Foreign Affairs would be able to reply satisfactorily to those two charges. M. Ras, ide, Minister for Foreign Affairs, said that M. Lesseps bad been appointed Charg6 d'Affaires at Madrid by M. Lamartine, on account of his noble conduct at Barcelona during the bombardment of 1843. As regarded the charge of following the policy of the preceding Government, he replied that, in his opinion, it was the interest of France to have no distinct policy in Spain. Ever since Louis