§ MR. HUMEinquired whether, as France and Spain were said to have withdrawn from the protocol signed in London in the spring for an intervention in the affairs of Portugal, England had now withdrawn from it?
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONsaid, that protocol recorded certain engagements entered into by the Crown of Portugal towards the three Allies; and two of those engagements were that the elections of members of the Cortes should take place with as little delay as possible, and that the Cortes should be assembled. Of course, until those engagements had been fulfilled—and at present they had not been—it was the opinion of Her Majesty's Government that the Crown of Portugal was bound by so much of its engagements as had not been fulfilled.
§ MR. HUMEwished to know whether any communication had been received from France and Spain intimating that they had withdrawn?
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONdid not think there had been any formal communication to that effect. At the same time, he must not disguise that there might be a shade of difference of opinion between the two Governments that had been mentioned and Her Majesty's Government. He was only authorised to state the opinion of Her Majesty's Government; it was not for him to expound the opinions of other Governments.