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<* ~ PORTUGAL . THK ARMED ISXKKVBSlIOr ^ ^ jHinovmcca in o hr l ast numbe r tnecap tnre of Antas and Iks thousand four hundred of tlie Sam * of \ "J- Maitiand . We now give the 5 *« ta » of «> a-lfrfMMWB transaction , so diB - F ^ ftl to * e B ritish name , SWoMoffing ¦ wmj . o mainly derived from the ^ -pnndcnfc of the r « n . It nrast be borne in StW tl > at ) oivrr ; a ! LSS from the first been i «; _ . v nnnoscil to the xvational nartr «» ,, » : * - —_
JLfciH * have taken the utmost pains to throw tLaiton thecanscand actions of the patriots . So ££ is the L-ston correspondent a partisan of £ M ^ . fc . ttk « can hardly be any doubt KliBh ' iB ** ^ ^ V » «* n * "He personage . SmidS «*** fnct f iP ' nd , onr wa-lera may take ~ jt r «* n tfd " that the limes' correspondents are not £ totoi «* tthe < i n ? en and her British confede . w Wacfeer than they really are . but rather the iefZ- vet thce said correspondents disclose fa < ts * S decide for ever the infamy cf the British swjr' *« ° - iwaeomWnationof fwud with force , Tjferted the ruin of the Xaiiosal cause , -fa first quote from the budget of the Lisbon cor
IJ 5 B 0 S . Jane L—In my last I wantioned the rehirn tX . ^ ar-st eamer BnlWoc to Lisbon , on the evening ' nl- a ?* n"t .. aftersTapid voyage of four days from Src , r . pnth . wth despatches for Sir H . Seymour * 5 idiiiral Parie r , enmrntsnicating the seainRof " unratee ' ed and the further instructions , ~ Not an iint was lost In transmitting correspoirdin . s in-2-rti fins by the Bulldog to the commander ofonr % * Am at Opnrto , who ^ ras directed ( as I intimated ^ fflvla = t ) to " make tlie blockade efective , " in mnnetinn «> ft a French ship of war . Within 30 C ^ aftr r ttese instructions reach ed Oporto , a * jjcsppcliiwn which the Junta haS prepared to 5 i f . * ? n jiche . abou't 50 miles north « f Lisbon , and , ^ mbiTktr . Etliere . 'to . march on the «*? Ual , in purpnlic ¦ c-luch des mwen in
^ p goftTte y I a former S * r sriifi ^ rl » : c-h deafened to hnsfic Donna Marls JthethroM an'lgct hT out of t ! rc Kingdom before ai Palnwrston conH have arrscsed with Frarce -J Spsic ^ s t" fte ulterior proceedings , sailed frsni te Donr « . with nss Antas on board as commander . ijfcicf- when they fell , quite innocently , into the « afe ^¦ onrhipclsadinff squadroc ^ hose commander Sttopt "fte way" "and intimitefijthat they couK not j ^ s . The exnenitinnary squaSron chose to Misread "this infinrwion . and was proceeding to pass jttsf the river , when of cocrse . without firins a Ait , which would have been "madness , con&dering jStSluriorityer nnval forczxm our side , tkey gave Ajtsselves np as prisoners , trlth many protestations Has " thev vielded only to constraint and force . "" an 3 ^ 4 i formal dcclarationthat they surrendered to AeHllied Pewtars . and not to the ft seen of fortusal . finsinroortent seinre toik place at sunset on the
jchnlt R ^ va 3 the more important because the tisse insurgent steamers which left Oporto : abnut ¦ jg days since , had returneS ar . d formed part df this peent expedition . The vessels seized 07 the allied iodprn were the following : —Steamers , — = R' » yal fjr , Minddto . Porto , cwtette Eighth « f-iTuly : Mer-. BUitTessefe . —Florda steiizade and&mor da'Pa-- fa , and six hiates—in all twelve vessels , having on fejrd afbree 0 ! 2 . 400 raen-of all arms . 'VKth ' oO Iigtscs o 3 two piece 3 of artitter ? . the military commander jf the expedition being 'the Conde dss Antas , and ttenaval-commander -at Englishman , nameii jSaljg , who eeerfed at tha commencement of this insarection from the ^ mrral service of "the ftuwn of Piiringal , ? . ndhas sineebeen -Joinsall the iujur ; he t 3 n'dto = bis :-dopted- « Rereign . Das ^ ntss was on bard the ?» Iindello steaner , and was allowed toremhthere : hat Saltsrwas removed on board the BaHdie . "Sevfral of the most important amongst flerasnrsnt leaderstrere likewise on
board-teffvessdsformlss the insnTgem . sqiiadrcn . n ' e now turn to the Oporto correspondent of the Tans . The Junta had-eeUberated on the possibility tfthe expedition bein ? interfered vcith by the * Bri- 1 fci f qaaaron off the bar , and come tc the conclusion ! fct sneh interference was nat prol » able , ' as v . piozhat SM ( threa o ' clock , -p > x .. May S ) tU ) , " no < Ji « & ' act famtef fsrizureor-Tioppage hadletr * ssa'U iy any Idtitk agait . " Under these circumstances the order to embark was given :: — Ab-mfcEve o ' efcek . " ^ - .-400 men were drawn ih ? in tont of lie hou-e uccai'ied by Dis Antas—colours tera distributed hy his lady to one of the battalions -a speech was made by the CommaaderimChkftearty .-nms were given by the surrounding- multitude , and the embarkation commeaeed amidst the ovatesteEtlinsiasm , both en the vxA of tbe trcops
md the people . " Whilethi * was going on , the British quanron . conastingof afruate , a brig of war , and three larse steamer ? , lay off the bar , a witnes 3 of all that passed .-6 « f no . v . e&ege was se « t- ' w , nor ww or&tr aim , even under the shape of "friendly advice . " Abont 6 «? elock the British Consul arrived at the Foz , and had an interview of nearly half-an-honr nth Das Antas . The object of the Consul was to deliver a fetter . -dated the 28 th of May , from Sir Hamilton Seyinoor , refusing to protect -tlte tominkawer e le ' kcei the Junta had proposed to addressper maliy torfhe-Queai . for &e purpose cf having nutuv imal question deddeaihy national mates . Our Cona ! I have no doubt advised Das Antas in a becoming naaaer ; bat I am positively informed tliat Mr Johnson DID SOTiDKCLiKKCaAT TIIEEXBS 3 JH 0 NHQniiB
it seized , or use any language unqualified by the vord " probably . " The interview bang ov « T , Das Aufas himself embarked , and the Consul rtfcorued to twn for the . purpose of -delivering to tke . Junta the ktter alluded to , as Das Antas had declined officially ¦ fereceive it , « satne ground that being -Commandcii&Chietofaciespeditiosarv movement ie had for fte time resipsed his presidency of the Junta . The CmsuldW deliver the letter , and had at the same fcie a long conversation with that boe ? . ; but I fflvereisos to know without once exeaeding the amits of advieg ,-or converting "iirobalKlit }'" into -certainty .
Thusclo ed ike Sunday night , some degree of « aSdence being aken to the few English families -ranaining , by a iint that-nothing hostile would be « tne by our fleet in this-vicinity , « n account of the pat valne of British property in Oporto ; and that us expedition would not be disturbed till it « 3 ac ! ied jjseats . In fact , « q Monday morning the whale of tfccqnadron and tfce ships of the Junta wereseau !< eaeeably , and , to allappearanee , sodablv , at anchor fftte bar— " the wolf lying down with the laeb "lOti noUce pieced oa the bar book soon altered the ° « , Tand we saw , as it expk ' iECd . that the P « tu-Soese fleet was in feet environed by the British ^ tafrcn . The whole truth then became known ., ^ P it vas found that , at 4 a .-m . on Monday , Sir | iioin £ 3 Maitlaad had captured the whole of the « - ^ - — - —— ¦ ¦ 'W ¦ 1 £ ^« 4 W *^ ^*»** * W ** a' 4 W x *» ^ ¦ ¦ M '
* < acta " s sh . ips . _ and bad disarmed theexpedi ' ifo . Taj ? vfs done in so offuaadand * baracteristicamaas » ftatl cannot do less than gi vetlie correspondence *« h accompanied it . Tfce cortesposdence beginB *? a the following summons to surrender from ^ Thomas Mai tiand to the Cosnt Das Antas : — t MsJestj ' sShip America . offOporto , MaySL I have ilie fcononr to iulorm jon that my orders * re n aperauve to take possession if the Junta ' s ves-« sof wac , troops , &c Iftlfeydo » t immediately ^ cnoraearAheAmerica , I shall be compelled . how-«« r . reInet 3 ElIy , to use force . « T . Mtftum . " ., Uf coapeiDe Antas , oa receiving this letter , saw "fit ae ha « no chance of escaping , and s > makin" a J « a 6 of necessity , he struck his flag and wrote the ioilowingaaswer to SirTlwmas : —
„ " Mindeilo , off Oporto . May 31 . I have rceetred the communication which vour Aleale ucy Lseaiade me . Surrounded fey forces so aneh superior to those under my command , I consi-« er myself a prisaner of war . J protest nwtsolctmdy *^ a « j « itSis violeat infraction of Hie laws of nations ; < £ iinst war , vnthoutany previous declaration of war hjnfrksd ' y nation ; against die greatest abuse of /*» tver Biade uadsr cirewnslaaccs of tlte greatest a $ Szzvati < m , wldeh dishonours for ever the English *^ , ja& . Tour Excellency will be pleased to give fcaecsas to tbe ulterior destination of the force now Neryonr « K 3 mand . " Oonde Das Axtab . "
. Sir "bomas J&utland £ d not leave Das Antas long toijaacsneeof fci 3 infections , and he proceeded at % ce to ^ ie disarmament of the troops in the follosr-^ cuafaeteristJc manntrjjailer Msjesty ' ss&ip America , off Oporto , May 31 . As tiietfoop s n . nder your command are nowpri-» aersof w » , in order to present unnecessary blood-* « a I havetfee honour ioreqaart that yon will give fte necessary directions to tnea to lay down their *^ t —oikrwia I must ass the smiths in my power to v&amtodoSt . « -T . XUauxL " iois order was obeyed without resistance . . / am ™ &lhe . loneofour boats freduuvax&arily into onto / ^ fe Junta vcseels . and-that two men were y * &- 1 hear that one ojjvxr staffed himulfto the ttottstmer than give up his sword , aid that two WwBtkjw themselTOj overboardonaef whomhad
, «»;? cod juck to swim toshore . Ilie 'ilioitent of tbe aetvs was not kJ- 'cra till the ^ Boor t ^ Monday . It of coa rse pn-fliseed a vio-{ j ** JrritaMon in th ' e town , and caused the remain" ^ Euoliatx objects to refiect rery seriously oa their ttaatioD . Tig Junto , however . Ushared admirably . J ^ the Jucj ' a shown * the white feather , had they r ^ mltcd their pesonal safety and fled , I should sot £ aoly be alive lo write this letter , nor any other rj" ; fehWresidente . The Junto certaialj deserve 7 **} 1 for their / orbsarance , for , according M the j ** nnt which tLey have published , -and to the r ^* era which they i ? ave given to such Englishmen rr ^ ed on them , " the letter of Sir Hamilton Sey-U ^« declaratory of the final inteatioas of the ^« kli gn rerriment . thou » li dared Lisbon . May 29 . to of
j ^ delivered the Casa Pia ( palace the jj |» a ) till one o ' clock of the aRaapou of the 31 st , TlO » WSE D 0 DBS ***** IHE F ^ EI * S ° ^ XPZDI-« a t ? tt CAPT «? P « f Ms fact is so straugs-itis ^ ntrary to British good faith and repugnant * * in ^^ ng 0 / fair play , that I hive made minute jj £ r "es into it ; and Jean stats with certainty that mi y ** " a question was not delivered by our Consul ia Jttr one o ' clockp , a ., on Monday ( J « 31 sr , tfte cap-
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ture of the expedition having taken place ati a . m . or just nine hours previously . ' " ¦ ' ¦¦ ¦ ' . TheJuntaaddressedaformalprotest tothe English Consul , but as thi 3 document is very lengthy I only extract the most pointed passaiea . After reciting the facts of thocase , the Junt . say , " We protest solemnly a ^! "st « i » foreign intervention in the domestic affairs of Portugal , which ,, as a nation . free ^ in ,, ^ pendent , has an rodisputabla ri ght to constitntp ii ~? & ! F&dtozBi __ t «« 4 fd « expeditionhavmg taken place at 4 a . m .. or
tee wmKtiee required by Sir H . Scymour / on " the condition concamed in his letter , that the fc 4 s of the povernment of Lisbon shall at the samf-fme » tebin from ail hostilities by sea and land-I ™ , More ae recdpt of the said letter of Sir HftJ * J l ^ - ^ ^ syri £ S ^ SKSK £ &i ^ 33 M 5 S which * l \ T Wh'C , , Tml at € 8 a 11 na « onal Jaw , and Sd&ittSwT ?" 1 baTC reeled from the old SaSSJS I * tfPwtiiWil . " lam ^ lad to saythat of tt er tF " . I 8 httan h 3 s had reason to complain murf , ^ ht fS tin 8 nltorin ^ y- The P «» ple wre Swf ated ,. V eein " tbelr flect « meS t o the southward ? a ch of our steamers having aPortugue . ee vessel in tow ; but the peace of the city was so well preserved that we walked annul in f ,. 11 iL , rit »
bS . ^ l "f 9 ** ° committed the imprudence of ff » i" Zi £ ^ thc ™* reached their JhnL V * *?™ onal aggravation that Marshal Sal-SS ^ iJr ^* ? *!!* ^^ 'ccadvanced his head K > T c P 0 Sf ? to CamP » 6 rande , only one league , and that a Spanish force had crossed at Va ! enoa r ™ « a »« defeated with great loss the Junta % » $ JT near tfcat P lace- Lam told that iMdaifta , when remonstrated with for disreeardin 5 thearsnisMce said , thai- the orders for advance had neea previously siTen , and that he was glad to be Beat Oporto to assist the Junta in protecting the pcrs&ns and property of stransm . -1 snpnose the learfer of the Spanish troops at Valeirea will offer a similar exense . The conduct of SaHa ' nha does not
«»(» ne crmcisra here—and men csdaim a ainst the waive , who remained four months «» iet at Oliveira T . n . 1 never moved a step forward imtil he had the c ? nn of an anmifiee . and found that the Junta lost 3 , 300 men in one * weep . ^ iS !^ 88 ain t 0 tbc Li * eom V » 4 » W + nTfe l ° !^ . ™ l »«* w « t « Pt «» was carried lLrftv - A ladrid V ™™^ packet , which " ™ * & * f * afternoos -of the 1 st inst . It speedily became disseminatedflmraahout the nstm : polis , and produced a most etts-aordinarv sensation . S " CTery onc ^ "wPri" * . nd fillmq the U- « mssumcr * ritvithj 0 y lSSdthoadherentsof the Junta with dismay . :
? iJ ^ - i u ? and « curinSKJf the prisoners within the precmct * of st . Julian ' s was completed yestcrflay atternoon , June 4 th ; risa are guardedbv axtrong S ^«*««* On W . 8 nesday 6 ome 56 cavalry and MartiJeryaicn wentdown in a steamer to cono ^ loi K ^^ . horsesand "Mies to-LUiVwn , and ar ^ pnal boats to bring up the armament , &c . me great number « f the captured vessels arrived here iw Kteerabk state , short both of provisions and water . To » many mentusre likewise cnuwned on board some of the vessels , and they arrived like th * bumq n rattle of a slaver , terribly exhausted by t' -e excessrasfcentand confined space . \ Te tave thus pot a httie army of prisoners on our hands , and will not perhaps find it so easy to get rid of them . Whenever s tat liberty they nay immediately proceed to make a fresh rebellion . Of which their numbers would Form a ^ aiacient nucleus .
We are loth to eharge AJalral ParW with the treaehenviis design of -seihicin ? , under fabe pretences , the ^ v iscount Sa da'Bandeira to surrender himself and followers , but the extract following , from the Admiral ' s letter , wears that usly appearance , when he so grossly exaggerates the number of the » Tunta ' sttroops seizd , and speaks as though Das Antas Had voluntarily surrendered . - Qnr readers will remember that Sa oa Bandeira commanded the J unta ' s forces at St Ubs 3 , near Lisbon . " Her Alajestys ship Hibernia , at Lisbon , ¦ _ . "Jmwl , 18 « .
Jfe-asar Viscount . —I have this instant received , by the packet from Oporto , a despatchfrom Captain bn- Thomas Maitland . of the America frieate , who commands the British -squadron off the "Dnuro , informing-me that yesterSay the wlmle of "the insurgent naval forcp , consisting of the resseh enumerated in the margin , and lm ' rog on bt >^ rd trie Coufct das Antes cue 4 : 000 troops ^ urrendered tJicms 3 vcs , to the British squadron , and are now on their way to the fagus . ' . 'They are in thc hands of the English : ; and I need noLasourfryou that notonly will their lives heaafe . and that theywill not be delivered un to the Portuguese government , nor obliged to land in Portugal against their ui'k ^ 'itJ flatter myself they will find themselves kindly treated . ' " f Seedlintreat you . my dear Viscount , to cease hostilities , * nd / olfow ft&aamnlc of your associates in arms ? * ¦» *
" W . Pabeer , Vice-Admiral . " Thefollowlngisan extract from Sa dutBandeira ' a answer : — "In reply , I have to-tell you that I-shall defend myself if I am attoeked ; but also , that upon tlie appearance of the new and powerful enemy which has presented itself aeainst the cause of the people of Portugal . I shall-suspend hostilities until I receive ths instructions ofthe . Junta of the supreme governsnent of the kingdom . " I have tiie honour to be , Mods . L'Atniral , &c . "Viscount de Sa da Bam > eira . " St Ubes , June ± nd , 1 S 47 .. 2 A m . Admiral Parlcer assured Sa da Bandeira that the prisoners would sot be obliged to land in ? ortu ? al asainst their will- yet three days afterwards the pmonera were landed In Portugal and conaicned to a Portuauese fortress , under the guard of a body of British marinesi
-Ssncetheabsvewasintyps we have reeewed by tha Madrid . Peninsular steam-ship , intellicence ftora Lisbon to theS'h . and from Oporto to tfee 11 th instsat . The correspondent « f tho - " Daily Kews " tnuR writes : ¦ ¦ ..- ¦ The consequences of the -easy * d&ntnin perpclrated Dy the English squadron on the 31 st of May have not been long in making themselves apparent . It is noexogseration to say that , with the exception of the court parly , ana of a very small and bigoted party of Englishmen , { whose jnonied and stock-jobbing interests are implicated in the triumph of absolutism , ) the whole population of Lisbon feel alike contemptand indignation for a nation which could first foster the insurrection of Portugal , and then
use its irresistible power to quell it , and to deliver its chiefs -werto the hands of their enemies . The firm determination of the Viscount deSaBandiera toyie . d nothing short of direct aggression on the ' part of Gwat Britain , has apparently occasioned someemoarrassmentio the ambassador and the admiral , for no step had bren taken up to the evening of the 8 th of June to compel the insurgmt forces at St Ubes to lay down their arms . A Spanish force of upwards of 1 . 400 men , under the cmunand of General Mendez Vigo . marched into Tertugal on the 3 rd inst .. crossing the frontier river Minho , at Valenoa . Colonel Damazio , commanding the Junta ' s forces in that quarter , offered some resistance to the advance of the Spaniards , hut subsequently retreated to Ponte de Lima .
It is difficult to ascertain what diplomatic steps are being taken in the present confused state of affairs . The report most current is that-Sir Ilamilton Seymour has been uninterniittinely employed , since the news of the capture of the expedition of Count daB Antas reached him , in an endeavour to induce Donna Maria and her ministers to carry out the preliminary steps of the conditions accepted by her , and upon which the whole of the recent acts of the" British squadron are bated . These preliminary steps consist in the immediate nomination of a ministry calculated to give the popular chiefs confidence in the future conduct ef thecoart asd government , in . the restoration of the personal guarantees , and the liberty of the press , and in the liberation of all
persons confined under the rigorous regime of the Marquw Frontera and his brother , on suspicion of being disaffected . But up to the moment at which I write nothing whatever has been effected either by the representations or entreaties of cur ambassador , nor has Donna Maria or her advisers advanced on inch towards rendering her government more in accordance with the policy recommended and imposed on her by L « . rf Palmereton . Indeed , if the official part of the Biario may be accepted as evidence of the Queen ' s determination , conduct the very reverse to wSiat I have above indicated must bo looked for , inasmuch as the Gazette of the" 7 th instant contains a deeree , dated tbe preceding day , prolonging the suspension ef personalfreedom , and of the liberty of the press , and this , too , in the very teeth of Donna Maria ' s own personal engagement with Sir H . Seymour to annul every illegal act passed by her
aisongBt which this stands first and foremost . Of the general sentiments which animate all classes' in the capital , save a . select few to whom I have already alluded , it only remaiaa for me to say , which I can most conscientiously , tiiatone common feeling of indigaition and sorrow appears to pervade the whole mass of society , from the highest to the lowest . Even the more enlightened an < l liberal amongst the Cabral partisans feel that a blow has been struck at the honour and independence of Portugal by a power which , up to that moment , had at least the confidence and esteem of the nation , but which , by this act of partisanship and of police Intervention , ( for that will be the effect of Lord Palnjerstcn ' s proceeding ) has forfeited its pretensions to be considered a friend to the Portugese people , whatever it may be t ^» the court and camsrilfa . Recounts from Oporto represent that the Junta had signified \\ mx ^ my ^ to accept tbc terras
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diotated by the BritislM at the same " time protest-. i ing against tiieinterVeiitlon . > ¦ : I UNITED STATES AND MEXICO . By the m-iil steam-ship Britannia , we have news from New York to the 1 st instant . Letter ^ from the seat of war state that General Scott was advancing rapidly upon Mexico . Although ahovt of troops—a larga number of volunteers having left him , their time of service having expired—he bad pushed on a column to Puebla , where no resistance w , ? s expected . General Worth had taken possession of Perote , without opposition . . General Taylor , in consequence ol a large number of troops havin ^ left him , was unable to move from his position . In the capital of Mexico eyervthing was iri contusion . Little or no preparation for defence was made . dictated bv the BritislK at the * same time' protest-
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nOUSE OF COilUOSS . —[ In consequence bi aw putlishiug arrangements precluding the inasrtion at any length oi the commencement of the important debate on the intervention of this country in the : > fftirs ' of Portngal , we here " give an abstract of the discussion on Friday eveuing last . ] Affairs of PoetooaIi—Mr Hume moved that in the judgment of the house , tlio armed interference ot tlie Brithh Government b-. tween political parties iu Portugal was unwarrantable in principle , and Hltely to lead to mischievous consi'quem-es . After reminding the house of the popular struggles by which the liberties of this country had been achieved and e . latilishcd , nnd insisting upon theright of other people to fulfil in the some way thtir own political destinies , without beiitK interfered
with by any foreign power , the honourable gentleman proceeded to criticize the foreign pjliey of her Majesty's government in relation to Portugal—a policy to toe principle of which he . objected , as he also did to the manner in which it had b : « en carried oat . Without questio&iug the absolute risht of the executive government to act as it had done , he ' cohicmlcd that the whole question , should have been submitted to parliament before the intervention of which lie complained was deci- ! ed upon For such a course , the conduct of Mr Canning , in relation to Portogal , ' linVl not left them without a precedent . lie regarded thuiiews of that morning as cas ' . ing a -rcattr stain upon thc honour of the British nninb tlian had ever been cast upon it before . It had allied itself with despotism , and succeeded in crushing a
popular movement , to which a ' patient and suffering nation bad been driven by a series of arbitrary acts , which more than justified the people in the armed resistance which they offered to their government . The liberties of the Portuguese had teen nominally guaranteed by charter , but the whole conduct of Donna Maria's government had been subversive of that charter , at war with every principle of freedom , and destroctive ' of every right and of every guarantee for the enjoyment « f those rights which the people of that country had imagined thut they had secured . Yet such was the new ally of her BrUmmic Majesty ' s government , in conjunction with whom it-was now engaged in crushing a popular cause which was sanctioned by -every principle of jastice . One of the reasons assigned for this unworthy -course on the part
of eur government was , that if we hird nol interfered , France and Spain would have done so , to the annihilation of the popular party . But we were yet to bo told what it was -precisely that Frnnce would hare done . ' Louis Philippe cannot have forgotten , " said tbe lion , gentleman , '' the circumstances to which be owed his ; throne and the principle by which he holds it , " an . allusion which-elicited a burst ofcheering from all parts of tbe house , remembering this , the part which he had taken in this intervention appealed to him ( Mr Hume ) utterly unaccountable . The whole of constitutional Europe had acknowledged the Tight of the Trench people toreci'ttbo despotism of-Charles X ., and it was the exercise of ' that right , uninterfered with ,-which elevated the present dynastv to the throne ; yet that same dynasty
was now resisting the exercise of ttie same right by the Poituguesc people , who . Were ten times as much oppressed ae wire the Fr ^ th previous td th « malutibh of July . It 'Was urged by the advocates of intervention , that the . pactfication of Portugal , which was its object , wouHJ be its 6 peedy result . Portugal might be crashed , bat it would not be pacified ; and he couM assure the government that the step which the / had just taken would give rise to political complications which would certeinlylead to great future embarrassments . The differences bstweenthe governmentnndpeopleof Portugal would be multiplied instead of being lessened , and the implements in tbe w . ivof t&c pacification of tbe countrj augmnited instead of diminished . « ueh would be thu fruits of an interrentuin ' -. znjuMifiablean its inception ,
und unworthy the character of this country in thu mode in which it had been conducted ; for the news of that morning as to the capture of the troops of Das Antas left them only to infer that the Junta had been entrapped dnto the hands of tbe Britiih squadron . The ; evil tendencies of Uvi » unfoctvm&te poU « y on the part of our government could be better appreciated when it was considered that should Russia and Austria , on the death ofioais . Philippe , march an army to Paris for ( ha . re-establishmeut of legi timacy in France , our course towards Portugal would pr , dude us not only from resisting , but even frem-rcmoustrating with them . What rendered the conductof our government all tbe more indefensible was tbo fact that the Portuguese people were not iu reality in anas against their sovereign , hut against a cabal oi
tyrannical ministers , who oppressed the nation and ; coerced the govet nment . To interfere in behalf of these : wan neither . niore nor less than to sanction their violationof Ihe eocstltutlon , and to sustain tbcm in thatviolntion . Tills was no party question , bat one . of national , indeed ' of univ rsal , interest . Wbat had been done could not now be undone ; but he called upon the bouse , by affirming bis resolution , to manife « t l < thc world their unaniv moiis leprobtction of a policy which involved a course of conduct on our part towards another people which , pursued by other * towards u » , would be scornfully repudiated and indignantly resisted . Tbe motion was seconded by Mr Obscene , whereupon Lord iHabes -Vase addressed the house in vindication of the policy of the government . Mr Hume had hia self
admitte-. tint circumstaHces might arise , to justify the abstraot principle of intervention . He , ( lord H . Vane ) contended that the tircutustunces of the case in question afforded this . justification . Had we not interfered others would have done so , when intervention , independently of us , would have led to results which would have perilled the very existence of the Liberal party . He admitted that Donna Maria-had pursued an indefensible and uncoustiiutional -course ; but the object of British interference was the maintenance of the constitution , which she had frequentl y violated . Oar abstinence , when othirs intervened , would have promoted the establisbmeat of despotism , whereas the allied intervention , in which we took so prominent a part , would have the triple effect 01 maintaining the constitution , supporting the throne , and perpetuating the liberties of the nation .
No one rising after the noble lord had taken his seat , a pause ef some minutes -ensued , during ,. which Lord Palmereton was frequently called for , but he refusing to rise at that stage of the debate , some honourable members on the Liberal Fide , below the gangway , became clamorous for the questios , Mr B Escott vociferously , so , that hemmrable gentleman concluding his vocal performance by noticing that there w re strangers ia the gallery . Strangers being therefore . ordered to withdraw , «« e slowly d « filiug out of the honse , when , Mr m . Miines rose and continued the debate . Ileeommenccd by vindicating the general principle of intervention , on which , if Me bad not formerly a ^ ted , Spain , Portugal , and Greece would , to this day , have beendestitate of constitutions . If it was proper to interfere for the establishment of a constitution , it was equally so to interpose for its preservation wken its existence was petUled . It was because he regarded the present
intervention 33 ewential to the maintenance of the constitutionaUiberties of Portugal , . that he was disposed to acquiesce in tbe policy pursued by her Majesty ' s government . The government had confined itself to the use of moral force in Portugal , until the threatened active intervention of France and Spain necessarily threw it upon another cenrse , by forcing it to choose between conjoint intervention with these powers , permittins ; them to interfere alone , or going to war to prevent them from so doing . In adopting the first of these alternatives , thc government had pursued the wisest course Notonly had it thereby consulted the best interests of Portugal itself , by restricting the intervention to the narrowest limits compatible with the attainment of the object for which it was undertaken , but it had also conserved the interes t * of the English creditors , to whom the bulk of the Portuguese debt was owiug and who mainly depended for their security upon the maintenance of constitutional rule in the indebted state . .
Lord W . PoDtEir thought that the government should have interfered so far as to have given the Q > ieenof Portugal an asylum on board ohb of its vessels , but eo further . " ¦ . ,. ; Mr "Wabbubton contended that , by depriving , as we had done , the insurgents of arms , we had rendei ed ourselves virtuall y responsible for the future good govern , ment of Portugal . . ¦ : In addition to this , ho wished to draw the attention of tbe house to the consequences of inflating foreign governments to look to foreign aid for support whenever and however they might compromise themselves with their subjects . Such was tbe position in which the government of Portugal was placed—depending for its maintenance , not upon tbe affections of its subjects , but upon the physical force of its foreign allies . The consequence was that the Portuguese people , no matter how grievously they might be oppressed , were in a moit hopeless condition , inasmuch as , if they resorted to the ultima ratio / which under certain circumstances
they had a right to do , for the vindication of their rights , the government appealed to its foreign allies to crush the people , whom it drove into insurrection . Under such circumstances , what hope was there that the government of that country would deviate in future from its former unconstitutional practices f llr Bailhb observed that the question with whbh the bouse had to deal waB , whether the government wes justified under any circumstances , in interfering by arme In the affairs of Portugal , except when the liberties and independence of that country might be menacid by foreign powm . What had we gained by former inter , ferencesw the internal affairs of both Spain and For . tugftlIf We had gamed neither the good . will of the peo . pie of Uu latter , ; nor the confidence of the government , wbicb , by very unwarrantable menus , we had established in that country . Mr Omoshjs impugned the policy of the British government , as Jffjfcs the seeds of a general w in Europe .
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as su ?> rting absolutism in opposition to popular liberty , * and as sus taining , at all hazardB , a throne which hod divested itself of every , title to respect and confidence , either within or without Portugal ; and it therefore be . came every representative of a liberal constituency torecord his reprobation of . that policy by supporting the motion be ' ore tho house . He believed that Lord Palmerston , judging from tho papers before the : house , was at first averse to such a proceeding , but that he hail been outvoted in the Cabinet . By inviting foreign troops into the country , the Qvmsn of Portugal had broken her 01 th and sacrificed her throne . The hon ; gentleman then toolc a rapid historic review of events in Portugal since the accession of Costa Cubral to powi-r , to whom he attributed all the evils which had recently ; i c , ip . - . v , ^ - ; - ^ ,, "" TTTT" ..
befallen that country , and who , as Portuguese , ambassador at Madrid , had solely concocted this iniquitous intervention . It was , therefore , Costa Cnbral ' s i » amo that this country was now playing ; Wms that , the position which befittod its honour nnd dignity ? We were not bound by nny existing treaties to support any particular fuler of dynasty in Portugal , but to extend OBr protection to t !> at country , should it bo menaced with foreign invasion . This was the general rule of England , both in relation to Portugal and other countries . Besides , there was nothini , 'in the conduct of the ' ' government of Portugal to enlist the sympathies or secure the - countenance of this country . ' A government which was still ruled hy the spirit nnd by the measures of Costa Cnbral
ivasnot that with which a liberal government in this country shouia have taken part . If ths conduct of the British government surprised him , that of the "King of the Barricad 8 , " in becoming a party to the intervention , amazed him . The government coulil not get rid of this damning fact—that a ministry calling itself Liberal had proved itself to be the fri « nd and promoter of the most absolute principle of government , and the first to pander to tho caprices of tt court ; in doing which it put the constitutional liberties of a people aside , nnd , in fact , virtually subscribed to tl : e principles of the Holy Alliance . Lord Palmcrstbn should have scorned the threap of intervention from other quarters , and had that intervene tion taken place , to the danger of the balance of power , been prepared to uphold that balance . .. . -
Lord John RnesEii regretted that ,: in the speeches which had been made against the policy of tho government , the fao . ts of the case bad been 90 completely overlooked . Mr Hume , and others who followed him , took it for granted , but most unfairly and erroneously , that the ' government were engaged in an attempt to establish despotism in Portugal , on tho ruins of popular liberty . The very reverse was the fact , and this disposed of much of the tpeciousness of the arguments whioh had that evening been used . . As to tho general question , it was necassary to interfere , first for the welfare of Portugal , next for the inte'est of this country , and lastly to avert tbe danger of a European war . He was ready to admit tliat after the insurrection had broken . out decrees tfee most arbitrary ani acts the most despotic received the
countenance and sanction of tlie government of Lisbon . But these Mts an J decrees , so far from making against the British government in . the part which it had taken , was part of its case , for it was to put an end to these that Lord Palmarston wrote his despiitoh of April 5 , and that the intervention complained of ultimately took place . Whatever might be the character of these nets , the Queen should not be personally blamed for them , but the party wbo surrounded her , and who , threaten 1 , d to leave her without a government and without a direction to her army , unless she conformed to their views . At the -period of intervention Portugal tva ° diddeii into threo parties . There was first the . Quefin ' n party , who iroverned in her narse . in the most arbitrary manner ; there nvas next the Janta ,. which professed to have taken
arms in bohalf of Liberal principles ; and there was , lastly , the Migueliite party , which had coalesced with the Junta , and which would ultimately have had the advantage in the coalition . Such was the distracted state of Portugal when it became imperative to interfere , if intarference could be effected , for the benefit of the country . Tho circumstances did not warrant interference under'tbe quadruple alliance , and all that remained for this country , was to mrdiatebetwecn thepnrties , with a view toa reconciliation between them , LordPaltnerston , vrttli this object , first addressed himself to the Portuguese government , of which Vie demanded , as conditions to reconciliation , ' the revocation of aM . arbitrary decrees
passed sinee October last , the recnl of the prisoners seat to Angela , the calling together of the Cortes , and the ' modification of the Ministry . The council of the Queen advised her . to demand further terms , by which she might banish some of the popular leaders j terms , h ' ow--ever , which were not yielded to her . A new ministry was nominated , and after some deliberation , the otlif r conditions were agreed ., to . This being sa , and coriili-• tions , so favourable to the popular pnrty having been icceptcd by the government , thc British government was ready , according to . arrangement , to consult its allies ¦ with a view to inducing the-Junta to accede to them , and to call in the aid of force , if necessary , to compel them to do so .. There wero other considerations connected
¦ with tho interests of this country and general ponce which rendered it imperative to interfere . The existence of the throne of Isabella in Sp : in was identified with the safety of that of Donna Maria in Portugal . The Spanish ^ government , there ' ore , deemed it necessary to interfere . Had that interference taken place , the result would have been that Lisbon wsuld have speedily triumphed over Oporto , when the Spanish and Portuguese ' gavenme ' nts caight have acted in Portugal as they thought ¦ fit . And how would they have' acted ? They Would have insisted upon the bani 6 hmerit ' of the leaders of the . Junta , ' and would have permitted the administration , which had since fallen becau " 0 . tills uountry " mil objected to its acts , t ? continue Iti power , when iho Ubntwn of Portugal would have boen ' piwstrated . Butit wa ' s urged
by some honourable gentlomen that the proper course for the British government to have pursued would have been to have prevented Spain , at all hazards , from inter , faring . But if we had declared waragainst Spain , had the interfered , we must have taken part with tho Junta against Donna Maria ; besides , if Spain interfered , she would have hafl the good wishes , if not the aciive assistance , of France . And was the house prepared for tho establishment of a Spanish supremacy sustained by France in Portugal ? A good case for in ^ terfeience had , therefore , been made out , and it had taken place in conformity with the interests of Portugal , as well as in conformity with those of . this country , which were closely bound up with . the mniDtenance of our old alliance with that country . Ih all this the
British government ; had striven for the restitution of the charter of Dun Pedro , for the convocation of the Cortes , and f or future abstinence from all arbitrary acts , and tho revocation of 6 uch despotic decrees as had . been previously adopted . The British government had anticipated that . terras so favourable to the . Junta would not have been rejected by that body . They wore rejected , how . ever , and hence the events which had recently occurred . The cocsequence of these events must be , and would very shortly be , that both the Junta at Oporto and Sa da Baudeira at St Ube ' s , would accept the terms origi . nally proposed to them , when the constitution would be re-established in Portugal . So far , therefore , from the British government seeking in all this to establish de . spotism , all that it had done was with a view to putan
end t « despotism at Lisbon , and to the irregular anc violent government at Oporto , with a view to the welftm of Portugal itself , to the obvious interests of England and to the maintenance of European peace . The history of this country . showed that interference waB not new t < it , either in affording aid to other states or In being atile ; by them . Again and again had it interfered before not , however , as the Holy Alliance did , to establish abso lutism , but » o establish , limited monarchy , with roprc sentatirc assemblies , which would secure tha libertie of the people . Honourable '' gentlemen hud asked wha security they had that the terms accepted by thc Portu
guese government would be faithfully observed . He hac no doubt but that they would be carried out , for the Por tuguese government was bound to its allies , not only b ; good faith but by its own interests , to carry them out and the means of doing so would bo At its commnbd Whatever view the bouse might take in reference to tin policy of her ^ Majesty ' s government in this momeatoui matter , ho would have the - satisfaction of knowing thai he belonged to a government which would not shrini from acting in such an emergency , and In a > manner conducive ti the welfare of Portugal , and which had noi abandoned in the hour of need an alliance whie ' England had kept with good faith for centuries , ani which he trusted she would adhere to for centuries tr
come . .. . j ) The debate was then adjourned . . 1 MON'DAY , June W . . t HOUSE OF LORDS . —The Earl of Ellenbohouoh v moved for a select committee on the Post-Office 1 Revenue . . < The Marquis ofCtAMRicABOE had no objection to the 1 appointment of the committee , and the motion was * agreed to . . ¦ , ¦ -. ... j The other business was of a routine character , ana the t house rose at 6 o ' clock . •' . . ,
HOUSE OP COMMONS—The honsc sat at 12 o ' clock In order to proceed wiJh a number of private bils ; up . wards of fifty railway and other private bills were read a third time , and passed , nnd the house adjourned at 2 o ' clock till 5 , ivhen the Speaker resumed the chair . LordM . Hat . reported her Mnji'sty ' s answer to the address on the subject of colonisation , slating she would direct further inquiries to be made , in order to enable parliament to adopt a eours-j free from those evils which past legislation had caused both-to the emigrants and the colonies . . : Oa the motion of Lord J . Russeli , Hic resolution , on which to found a bill for tho further suspension of the Navigation La wb , wi , 8 agreed to . , . ' Mr M . Gibson , in reply to Dr Boweino , stated , that by the new quarantine regulations , ships having clean bills of health would be immediately admitted to " pratique » from whatever part of the world they may come , and whatever may he their cargoes . ¦¦ , ¦
Navigation Laws —The house resolved itself into committee on the navigation lawn . The resolution for bringing iu a bill suspending thc navigation laws with respect to vessels importing grain from foreign countries wqb then agreed to , and the house resumed , .-. ¦¦; Aefaibs of PoBTOOAt . —The adjourned debate on Portugal ' was then resumed by Mr Boethvjick , who contonded that on the precedent established by Mr Canning , ih 1826 , Ministers ought to have asked the sanction of parliament before they inter , fered with force « f arms in tho affairs of Portugal , The time was now jiono by when the into fcrence of tlie house could be exercised with any good practical effect ; and the interference which the government itself had made wasnotfor the btnefit of the people or of the Crown 01
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Portugal , but of the'basest and most despicable ' faction which had ever swayed the destinies of ; a nation . . By our ilLtuned Intervention we had sacrificed the liberties of Portugal to a faction which had reacted in Lisbon all ths fabled horrors of our own Star Chamber ; ami the result of it , after the destruction of ourancit-nt alliance with that country , would be cither the erection of a republio in Portugal or iho absorption of Portugal into the kingdom of Spain . , Mr Christie declared It to be Ms . oplnion " that her Majesty ' s government lmd mnd ^ out a valid and satisfactory de'ence for their recent , policy . It might ba-tlmt disturbances might break out again in , Spain ,, as . M . Guizwt . predicted ; but even if they tlid so , Lord PalrairV-, ston would have the satisfaction of knowing that ho had taken tha . best precautions for the ooHlinuunro of Portugutse liberty , and that he deserved , if he did not obtain , success . " ~ ' ' . '' ' "" T ""
Lord J . Manners , after expressing liis intention to support the motion of Mr Humo , prnci-odod to declare his deliberate conviction that Lord J , Russell had failed to substuntiateany of tlio propositions which ho had ad . ranceil on Friday evening . He had not proved that our interference , was requiri-d . by thtt interests either of Portugal or of England , or that it ' h-hs necessary to prevent the occurrence of an European war . Our former interventions in Portugal had produced 116 other results than a ruined peasantry an alienated ' and exasperated nobility , a bankrupt exchequer , a pirjured uiiminiitration , and a languishing condition of comnieres ai \ d a ^ viculture ; and he predicted that our present intrrvciition , by giving a new lease of power and wrongdoing to the present CoTernment of Portugal , would not b . ; productive
of more fortunate consequences , llv contrasted the remarkable , moderation cf tho Junta , \ yhich had never displayed tho slightest hostility to tho personal safety or tlia dynastic rule of Donna Maria , with the violent and arbitary conduct of theI ' supporters of the present tyrannicul administration , and lamented that we should have combined with those who were anxious to fetter tho chsioe and control the independence of the Portuguese nation If intervention were necessary , as MinUtcrs contended , why had they nos Interfered at in earlier period tiftev tVufirst successes of the Queen ' s troops , when the cruslties inflicted Oil theprlsonerB of Torres Veilras had not l ! ecn perpetrated , and when the atrocities which the peasantry of Portugal had since endured were still uncommitied ? He tbought that the amendment , of which Mr t Dun
combe had given notice that evening , was well worthy the attention of the house . He concurred with Mr Duncorabe In declaring that , as wo kad interfered tlms farin the affairs of Portugal , we w « re bound to interfere still farther by obtaining a public pledge from the hou ? o that it would preserve the rights and privileges of the Portuguese people , and a pledge from the Qaeen that she would rule in future according' to the constitution , and would abstain from all severity against those whom he bad captured in arms against hfr . But , no—Lord J . Russell had already . repudiated that amendment hy anticipatidn ; forhe'hftd' told the honse that the people of Portugal must rely ' on . the faith' of their Queen and on nothing else . Such being the onse , tliero was no probability that tho terms which we had laid down would be
adhered to . Oaths ' would be violated , as oath * hnd been violated before—and these insurgents would again be the objects of persecution and oppression . Other insurrections would again take place , and that would lead to other interventions on our part , as unwarrantable and miBchieyouB as the present , but still more likely to increase and complicate the difBc-ulties ' of Europe . " On a review , therefore , of all the circumstances , " said the noble lord , " I cannot arrive at any other conclusion than that the conduct of the Portuguese government was such as justified the Portuguese people in an attempt to secure their lives and liberties . The whole conductof that government appears tome to have been most extraordinary . The Portuguese might say to them , as one of our poets said of a government of his day , — 1 What would these madmen have us ?
They'd bribe us without gold or pence , Deceiva us without common sense , And without power enslave us !' I place no reliance upon tho promises of this government for the tutnre ! 1 do not believe wo can trust them 5 and it is because I believe ' this interference on our part not to bo for the interests of Portugal , becaose I believe that the interests of England must suffer for the disgrace attending the transaction . bocausesofar from promoting peace , I believe It will produce a thousand greater disasters than that it was intended to suppress—it is for there reasons that I give my support to tho hon . member ' s proposition condemnatory of this intervention . ( Hear , hear . ) " -The past , indeed , is beyond our rcccll : we caunot recall those who suffered in tho fatal exile to Ancola ,
we cannot recall those who have perished in thc tumults which have occurred ; but , sir , there is one thing the Commons of England yet can do— -the future is still before us ; we can repudiate the precedent which has been set by the government of our country ; we can tell the powers of Europe that we will not bo bound by this act , that we protest ogiiinst it , condemn it , and will not suffer it to be drawn into a precedent ! That is a constitutional course for a House of Commons to tako , and 1 trust that by the vote upon this questiou we shall affirm the propriety of assuming that positiou , and declare that this interference is not satisfactory to the country , nor in our opinion likely to prove beneficial to the iaterests of Portugal and England , whilst we think it calculated to disturb the tranquillity of Europe and the world . " ( Much cheering . ) ¦ ¦ . ; . .
Mr T . Ddncombe could not hel p expressing , his regret that the house had not earlier in the present session heard from the opposite benches those expressions of deep affection for constitutional freedom which had been enunciated tUnt-. night . ( Hear , hear . ) He was much mistaken if on a previous oconsionj this very year , he had not heard from those same benches an emphatic declaration that tho most perfect blessing was . the most perfect : despotism , and that the Emperors of Russia and of Austria deserved the gratitude of mankind for cxtinguiihing the independence of Cracow . ( Henr , hoar . ) He could not help thinking that there was more than met the eye in the support which thoso noble lords and honourable gentlemen were giving to the motion of the
ho-Hourable mimVer for Montrose . Friends as they professed themselves of absolute monarchy , perhaps they were convinced that the course pursued by her Majesty ' s government tended , rather than otherwise , to promote the cause of constitutional freedom . ( Hear , hear ) But , far : above the jangle of parties , there was one consideration connected . with this subject , which , in his opiuion , it was- specialty important to keep in ; view . Now that , interference had taken place , our chief object ought to be , in . his opinion , to- . secure tranquillity to distracted Portugal , and to see , her people placed in the enjoyment of their onstitu . tional rights , and of all the advantages the intervention could afford to them . It was with that view that he
was now anxious to propose thc resolution Of which lie hod . given notice ; : He . must frankly say , thut , after read-Ing tho papers which had boen placed in their hands , and after attentively : considering the speech of the noble lord ( which was the best possible commentary upon those papers ) ,, he had come to a conclusion verj different from the views he had been , led to entertain when he fitst heard of this interference . Throughout" these papers he niuBt confess that he had found a desire and a determination on . the part of the British government to protect the rights of the people who were in araaa . The
government here , as all who read the papers must confess , were placed in a difficult position , and had a most difficult duty to perform . The consequence was that they were abused by both parties . ( A laugh . ) There was ono plea , to be sure , set up in their . justiOcatioD , to which it was impossibla for him to subscribe . It had been stated ; as a reason for inteifereHce , that if England did not interfere , Spain would do so . Now , according to his vie « v , that was no justification whatever for any inby its own merit or demerit . If interference- was wrong , on no account » hould we have been a party to it ; our terferencu cm our part . Our conduct muststand or fall
course , then should bo to reject all claim to intcrferense to the last . ( Hear . ) Such was the conduct of thc British governmeuc in 1826 , when Mr Canning wrb in power . What was his language when , in thatyeur , ho asked the approbation and concurrence of parliament to the course he was about to pursue towards Portugal J It was almost .-the-first speech he ( MrT . Duncombe ) had cvei heard that eminent statesman make in parliament , and wull did he recollect bis . concluding words , — " We go , ' " he said , " to plant the standard of England on the heights of Lisbon , und wher « that , s . tandard is , foreign daminion shall not come . " ( Hew . ) Respecting the motion of his hou . friend , he could not , after rending the papers , before the house , ¦ agree in the conclusion to which his hon . friend had come . He did not think the
\ ( 1 I 1 1 ( ] < result of our interference would be dangerous or raischeivous to the liberties of Portugal , What said the Cabral faction , which had been the cause of the whole dissension ! In on « of their documents , published In . Lisbon , nnd termed the "Appeal of Loyalty , " addressing the Portuguese people , they told them tUat theirs was the cause of nutioiiality , that the proposal of tho EuglUh cabinet , sought to pl&oe the Queen ' s throne below the level of the junta , and that they ought to rally round the throne and defend the Institutes of the couutry , This showed that it was thie for every man to say whether the government had encouraged this principle of abtslutiam , or stood by the constitutional freedom of the people . Sir H . Seymour , in addressing Lord Palmerstou , on April 14 , said :
I 1 1 1 I 1 1 ¦ "But for two circumstances I stumld feel sanguine-as to the chances of currying the whites of her Majesty ' s government into full execution . The first of these has beem the universal disapprobation whivh every adviser of the crown , official and unofficial , has expressed with regard to an amnesty from which no exceptions are to bemsd * . This is the great difficulty , I might almost say , the only real one , wbicb I find in my path ; but this appears almost insurmountable . " lie thought it much to the credit of the government that they would not sanction tho sacrifice of any individual who rose in defence of the constitutional rights , of the people of Portugal . The Queen ' s [ arty continued
obsti-; ' nate , not being willing to grant a full amnesty , while tho junta demanded other guarantees than those of the government , if they laid down thtir arms . TheyhaO now laid down their arms ; or rither , we had wrestau them from them- ( a laugh)—and hating interfered so far it waB oar duty to go further . Tho members ot the junta and their party were ne sans culotles revolutionists , but men of rank and respectability ; and he believed th . y would have confidence in the joint « eclnration and guarantee of the three powtrs , particularly if supported by the " voice of that house . ( Hear , hear . ) Their eanust wish , speuking in thc name , of the Portuguese nation , was to bo gOTetned unto definite , aud permanent iusti . tutions . 6 uch as could and would insure to the people the
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" "jnyitientofreiil cnristitutlonal : t'freedom—io » tltmions ¦> -., which would not be changed to meet the imidions designs * f a minister , which would protect the rights of property , encourage tha national resources , and lead to ihe restoration of public eonfUence , by fair and equitable means . No ono could dusent from these sentiments as . » xpress-d by tin- junta . They further observed , that it was not iiraiie of change , but nctunl wrongs , thnt had driven them to the attitude thoy bnd assumed , and which they declared they would not abandon until they received a guarnntee thnt the representative government shouid not bo a mockery or irrefponaiblefor itRown acts . Being now prisoners of war , lie was sura tbo house would sigrcatoto motion , nnd , by m > ^^ doing , not only strfajrthtn , the hands of her Majesty ' s government , ami give i-ffunt to the recent declarations of the ^' lord- of the Treasury aud enable them to carry them nt . but dtserve tho gratitude and approbation of ev » ry civilised nation . His amendment was— . . ' ^^^ '»
"That Great Britain . having become a party to foreign . nrmctlinttrfcvorieeiin PoHugsilto terminate the civil wa « that unhappily prevails in that kingduiu , it is the opinion . ot' ihia house ihat , on tranquillity being restored , It will become tho duty of tho British government to t . ke measures for Etcuring to tho people of Portugal thu full enjoyment of their eonsti ' . utional rights and privileges , " L < jr < U ) oNC 4 N having seconded it , Mi-Macvolay said that ho hnd heard with great pleasure the amt-ndmeiu which had just been moved —( cheers and counter cheers )—by his hot ) , friend , who had taken a correct view of the principles which had guided , and would continue to guide , her . Majesty ' s government . He hail ulso observed with oleasure that his hon , friend an #
others , who wore n i first disposed to censure the course adopted by the government , had , up » n an examination of tho unfortunate circumstances which hnd compelled them to depart from thu general rule , which prescribed an abstlnenco from interference in the Internal affairs of foreign natious , 6 een sufficient rcason in those circumstances to justify thnt departure . Mr Mgcnulay than entered into a k-ngthencd defence of the policy of thc government , anfl in doing to virtually travelled over the same ground os Lnrd , T . Ruwll , It was admitted In every quarter that during the earl ; partof the negotiations the principles of non-intervention had never been more clearly expounded than in tbe despatches of tho British Ministers ; Viut it was stated tl'at in spite of thoso despatches a change took place after a certain timo in our policy , and an intervention was made . Now , tkocsuse of that change was this :
golong as it was an internal question between the Junta nnd the Queen , th » British Government refused to interfere : but as Bonn » s it became an international question , in which Spain and France and Portugal were concerned , tbe situarion of nffoirs became no altered that it was impossible for us to rc-fueo to interfere . He repeated that our interference imposed upon us the duty of protecting the rigli- ' s nml privileges , the lirss nnd liberties of Ilie FortugucBe people , and that duty " tlio British Govern , went was prepuml to perform . It had been said there was no gu-iraitc * thnt the Queen of Portugal would perform the engagements into which we had entered on her behalf . He wondered how any man could venture upon such an assertion with the fact before his eyes , that theconvention made b . Hween England , France , and Sp . iin was sufficient gmnntee , that if thn Queen , of Portugal was unwilling to keep the terms which sho had granted to her sulyectB she would be compelled to do so .
Lord G ; 'Behtinck was sure that every member of tha-Cabinet would be' delighted to find that Mr T . Duncombe , who had been pleased to refer with extraordinary courtesy to his friends on the Protection benches , Kad left it beyonA all doubt that , though hehau . tltelovo off liberty on his lips , he had that of despotism in his heart ,., by coming to thtir rescue from a vots of censure for ¦ their interference in Portugal , when it was admitted that the Interests of the Queen cf Portugal had become quite desperate . Referring lo tbe speech of Mr Macaulay , and thc argument which he had foundvd on the long-con- ¦ tinued alliance between England nnd Portugal , he defied , him to point out any treaty by whicli wo were bound to fly to the Assistance of tbc Queen of Portugal when she was resisting her subjects , forced to rebellion by the op-
pression of her government . The noble lord then gave an interesting narrative of the causes which led to the rising of the people of Portugal against the povevament ,. In Portugal , under the existing ordtr of things , all wag plunder and corruption ; every place was matter of purchase ; the monvy going into tho pockets of the , officers of state . There was Cahral himself ; but five years ago the son of an obscure shopkeeper , and himself since employed at an ostensible salary of £ 809 a year ; this person was now one of the very richeMinun in Portugal , and the estate of Thomar , which he had purchased , and whence he had derived his title , being alona , itwis said , worth £ 10 , 000 a year . With respect to the impost of burial fees for interm nts in thu public cemeteries , this was another cnuse of excitement to tho people , because
there were no walls erected to surround tho cemeteries , which were infested by dogs , and tho herds of . wild swine peculiar to the country , by nliich thc dead , who had been interred after the payment of heavy fees , were torn from tbe graves wherever they had been dcposi'ed , and the places were desecrated . These even's hrenght the population of Portugal to a state of frenzy . The case of the poor peasant woman , whose name had been given to an insurrectionary rising , must be remembered by tho house . She brought her dead child for burial in the village churchyard , but the priest declined to bury ths child , and appealed to the law , which , forbade him to do so . The poor woman , unable ts > pay the ten shillings ' fino required , insisted upon tho tmri&l ., The mask utn that a uisturbance arae , the military wero called out ,
blood was spilled in the churchyard , the peasantry though only half armed , defeated the military , and in a few days from-the incident the . whole country rose ia arms and required the dismissal of the Cahrnl administration . Another oflkiice . given to tho people was the monopoly of the tobacco contract , which , though novep before conceded for a longer term than twelve years , was granted for a period of twenty-three yetirs . So also the contracts for gunpowder and soup : and thus ia every way that it was possible the people had been plundered and pillsged by a venal and corrupt ministry . ( Hear . ) . These were some of . the offences among ninny others .- But , in addition , laws had been passed without any reference to the Cortes , but by the mura publication of decrees , and the electious were conducted without any
regard to the freedom of the people ; but on the contrary troops were marched , in direct violation of the charter ,, to vote in companies ,- . Ballot papers of a particular ' colour were distributed , so that the government couldascertain how every man voted ; and of course the resultwas that the electious were carried in favour of the then . existing government . It was one of the provisions of th& constitution ( as in this country ) that thc military should , not be allowed to interfere at elections ; hut in tho inr stance he referred , they had not only interposed by recording their votes in whole companies , but they had also httrfered with the people hy . force , and blood had been , shed in many of the very churches in which the elections were conducted , llut ' this was not all—a poll-tax o £ twenty pence per head h » 4 been put upon iho whole
population , without any difference being made between the rich and the poor , and this tax ivas imyosed under the pretence thst it was designed for the maintenance of the public roads . Under this poll-tax it was arranged , that where the peasantry were unable to pay , tbej were permitted to commute by giving eleven d » ys' labour ou tho public works . This , of itself , wa 3 felt bj tlie people to bo a great grievance $ but the grievance became Iho greater , because these very public works afforded no benefit to the country , but were rendered the means of the most nefarious jobbing . It whs notorious that Jose Cabral bad realised £ 50 , 000 by the contract he had secured for public works between Lisbon and Oporto . These were , as he thought , causes quite enough to stir up the most-patient people that ever existed in the
world . And , ea might have , been expected , they rose in arms—juntas assembled in every part of the country . and in May , 1 S 1 C , a new ministry was appointed ; and no sooner had the people obtained a government which in their opinion would do them justice than with one accord they laid down their arms , and in the course of a very few days universal peaco prevailed throughout Portugal . He contended that a people who could eo behave nnd conduct themselves were worthy of freedom and of a constitutional government . ( Hear , hear . ) The ' Queen of Portugal appointed the Duke of Palmellu heir minister , and made to her people a proclamation to the tffoct that all those grievances should be redressed , The Queon called upon the people in these honourable words , "Portuguese , confide in me . ' The Portuguese nation on this
invitation had confided ia their Queen , but it appeared that then the elections which were to take place in Octo . her were near at hand . The people doraauded the expulsion from Portugal of M , Dietz , who was supposed to be the adviser of the King of Portugal , and they were called upon to insist upon the just impeachment of tho minis , tei's who for five years had committed so many breaches of tho constitution , and had been guilty of so much tirossure upon the people . For this reason only , on the night of the 6 th of October , the Queen of Portugal , in breach of her coronation oath , in breach of every part and parcel of the Constitution , sect for the Luke of Pslmelia and the military Governor of Lisbon , and put them both under arrest , while she appointed a nuw ministry which , though it had not one of the Cabrals at its head
was to all intents aua purposes a Cabral administration . Was it not , then , tho natural conseqaenco of such a proceeding as this , . that the country shoull again rise in arms ? They did so even though tho whole military power of the country was against them—though they wore quite unprepared and taken b . v surprise , yet in the course ef six months all partio * became united , and were on th 8 . point of perfect success-success not with a view to dethroae the Queen , for no such feeling appears in the whole of their proceedings . It had been 6 uid that the cause of liberty would be best served by this house refusing to pass any censure on what the government had done . But what security was there that the Queen of Pormgal would not
persist in her illegal and tyrannical acts « Only on the fish of January the nephew of an eminent member of ' tfce junta bad been seized in the public street and hurried off to a dungeon . TLcre he was crowded along with 4 Q 0 or 500 other political offenders , who knew nothing whatover of the charge agninst them ; they were kept there till thc 29 th of April—20 days after the intimation given by our gavernment of their intention te interfere . They would still have remained tbew , had not the prison bceu biokcn , whsn 70 or 80 of the prisoners wtro butchered ia tho streets by the Queen ' s troops . ( Hear , hear . ) What guarantee , thon , had wo for constitutional government iu Portugal ? It might bo said the Queen was now ' pledged , not to her people , but to England , France , and
Foreign Jntelitgmce -Ffforti ' Fnt Slttdlttlttttrt
foreign Jntelitgmce -ffforti ' fnt Slttdlttlttttrt
Untitled Article
i o ^> 1847 - ^^ _ _ THE NORTHERN STAR , ' "' L '" "
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Citation
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Northern Star (1837-1852), June 19, 1847, page 7, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/ns/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1423/page/7/
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