Fort Armstrong, 3d September, 1822... 593 Ricara Indians. Treaty. Peace and Friendship. BRITISH AND State Papers. SPEECH of the Lords Commissioners, on the Opening of the British Parliament, February 4, 1823. WE My Lords, and Gentlemen, E are commanded by His Majesty to inform you, that since He last met you in Parliament His Majesty's efforts have been unremittingly exerted to preserve the Peace of Europe. Faithful to the principles which His Majesty has promulgated to the World as constituting the rule of His conduct, His Majesty declined being Party to any Proceedings at Verona, which could be deemed an interference in the internal concerns of Spain, on the part of Foreign Powers; and His Majesty has since used, and continues to use, His most anxious endeavours and good offices to allay the irritation unhappily subsisting between the French and Spanish Governments, and to avert, if possible, the calamity of War between France and Spain. In the East of Europe, His Majesty flatters Himself that peace will be preserved, and His Majesty continues to receive from His Allies, and generally from other Powers, assurances of their unaltered disposition to cultivate with His Majesty those friendly relations which it is equally His Majesty's object on His part to maintain. We are further commanded to apprize you that Discussions having been long pending with the Court of Madrid respecting depredations committed on the Commerce of His Majesty's Subjects in the West Indian Seas, and other grievances of which His Majesty had been under the necessity of complaining, those Discussions have terminated in an admission by the Spanish Government of the justice of His Majesty's Complaints, and in an Engagement for satisfactory reparation. We are commanded to assure you, that His Majesty has not been unmindful of the Addresses presented to Him by the Two Houses of Parliament with respect to the Foreign Slave Trade. Propositions for the more effectual suppression of that evil were brought forward [1822-23.] B by His Majesty's Plenipotentiary in the Conferences at Verona; and there have been added to the Treaties upon this subject, already concluded between His Majesty and the Governments of Spain and the Netherlands, Articles which will extend the operation of those Treaties, and greatly facilitate their exccution. Gentlemen of the House of Commons, His Majesty has directed the Estimates of the current Year to be laid before you. They have been framed with every attention to economy; and the total Expenditure will be found to be materially below that of the last Year. This diminution of charge, combined with the progressive improvement of the Revenue, has produced a Surplus exceeding His Majesty's expectation; His Majesty trusts, therefore, that you will be able, after providing for the Services of the Year, and without affecting Public Credit, to make a further considerable reduction in the burthens of His People. My Lords, and Gentlemen, His Majesty has commanded us to state to you, that the manifestations of loyalty and attachment to His Person and Government, which His Majesty received in His late visit to Scotland, have made the deepest impression upon His heart. The provision which you made in the last Session of Parliament for the relief of the distresses in considerable Districts in Ireland, has been productive of the happiest effects; and His Majesty recommends to your consideration, such Measures of internal regulation as may be calculated to promote and secure the tranquillity of that Country, and to improve the habits and condition of the People. Deeply as His Majesty regrets the continued depression of the Agricultural Interest, the satisfaction with which His Majesty contemplates the increasing activity which pervades the Manufacturing Districts, and the flourishing condition of our Commerce in most of its principal branches, is greatly enhanced by the confident persuasion that the progressive prosperity of so many of the Interests of the Country can not fail to contribute to the gradual improvement of that great Interest, which is the most important of them all. PAPERS relative to the Internal Affairs of Spain.-Presented to Parliament by Command of His Majesty, April and July 1823. CLASS A.-VERONA AND PARIS. CLASS B.-PARIS AND MADRID. ADDITIONAL PAPERS-SPAIN, FRANCE, PORTUGAL. CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN DON VICTOR SAEZ AND MR. SECRETARY CANNING. Class A. VERONA AND PARIS. No. 1822. Page lington.......... 1. The Duke of Wellington to Mr. Sec. Canning, Paris...............Sept. 21 2. Mr. Secr. Canning to the Duke of Wel 3. The Duke of Wellington to Mr. Secy. Canning, Verona......... Incl.-Questions of the French Plenipotentiary..... 4. The Duke of Wellington to Mr. Sec. Canning, Verona....... Incl.-Answer of the Duke of Wellington......... 5. The Duke of Wellington to Mr. Secr. Canning, Verona....... Incl.-Memorandum of the Duke of Wel ..Nov.12 8 lington...... 9 .Nov.22 10 10 6. The Duke of Wellington to Mr. Sec. Canning, Verona....... Incl.-Minute of the Duke of Wellington......... 7. Mr. Sec. Canning to the Duke of Wellington, Foreign Office......Dec. 6 12 Incl.-M. de San Miguel to the Chevalier de Colomb, Madrid, Nov. 15............................ 8. The Duke of Wellington to Mr. Sec". Canning, Paris.......... ..Dec. 9 11. The Duke de Montmorency to the Duke of 13 16 16 ......Dec.17 17 17 ..Dec.26 17 1823. ..Foreign Office......Jan. 10 19 ...... Paris..................Jan. 23 22 14. Mr. Sec. Canning to Sir Charles Stuart......... Foreign Office......Jan. 28 25 VERONA AND PARIS. No. 1.-The Duke of Wellington to Mr. Sec". Canning.-(Rec. Sep.24.) (Extract.) Paris September 21, 1822. I HAD a long discussion with Monsieur de Villèle yesterday, on the relations of this Government with Spain. It appears, that for a considerable time past, I believe since the alarm of infectious fever in Spain, the French Government have been collecting Troops in the Southern Departments of France. They have not, however, on the immediate Frontier, a larger body of men than are sufficient for the performance of the duties of the "Cordon Sanitaire," so long as that precaution is necessary, in consequence of the prevalence of the Fever in the neighbouring Provinces of Spain; or than can fairly be deemed necessary for the purposes of Observation of a Country which is the seat of a Civil War, and for the protection of the French Frontier from insult, by the different Parties in operation immediately on the borders. M. de Villèle said, that the Assembly of the Congress at the present moment was not a matter of indifference, in relation to the situation of affairs in Spain, or to that in which the two Countries stood towards each other. There was no doubt that expectations were formed respecting the result of the deliberations of the Congress on the Affairs of Spain, as well in Spain as elsewhere; and that if the Congress were to separate, and to come to no decision on those Affairs, it was probable that the existing evils would be greatly aggravated, and that the two Countries might be forced into a War. Monsieur de Villèle wished that the Congress should take into consideration the actual position of the French Government in relation to Spain, and the hypothesis under which they might be forced into a War; and that the Four other Powers of the Alliance should declare what line they would each take, in case of the occurrence of any of the Events which they conceived would force them to War. I told Monsieur de Villèle that it would be quite impossible for us to declare beforehand what would be our conduct upon any hypothetical case. I should wish to receive His Majesty's Instructions what line I shall take, and what arguments I shall use, in case the French Government should make the Propositions at the Congress, which M. de Villèle has made to me, respecting a Declaration by the Allies. No. 2.-Mr. Secretary Canning to the Duke of Wellington. (Extract.) Foreign Office, September 27, 1822. Ir therebe a determined Project to interfere by force or by menace in the present Struggle in Spain, so convinced are His Majesty's Govern |