§ Mr. Broughamsaid, he rose for the purpose of proposing a question to the right hon. Secretary upon a subject of the most serious nature—he meant the military occupation of Spain, by France. He had hitherto abstained from asking a single question, fearful that discussion would be productive of mischief, and of making worse the situations of those gallant characters who were now imprisoned martyrs in the cause of liberty, and who had lost in that glorious cause all bet their honour. But now, at the close of the session, he thought he might venture to propose one question. It had been long since stated, that when Ferdinand was fully restored to power, the French troops were to be withdrawn from Spain. That time had arrived, and still the French troops remained; nay more, they had fortified Cadiz; in addition to which, they held St. Sebastian and several other places. He underderstood that thirty or forty thousand French troops still remained in Spain. Were they to remain in Spain as long as the king of France, or as Ferdinand self wished for their presence? If such was the case, then it became the duty of England to interfere. In a short time Ferdinand might say that the French troops should remain in his territories, so long as Spain was at war with her South American colonies. The policy at present pursued by France had a tendency to destroy the balance of power in Europe. He would ask, what would be our situation, in the event of another war with Ireland, exposed to the iron coast of Spain, guarded, not by Spaniards, but by Frenchmen, continued in that country under various pretexts? He would, therefore, ask the right hon. Secretary, whether there was any reason to hope that the French troops would shortly evacuate the Spanish territory?
Mr. Secretary Canningsaid, that the point to which the learned member had alluded, had long occupied the attention of the government, and was still pressing upon that attention. He was prepared to say, that ministers had received from the French government, from time to time, such assurances as satisfied his mind that there did not exist the slightest shadow of an intention to occupy the fortresses of Spain, after the French army should have been withdrawn. He was able to 1473 assert most distinctly that not one sous of French money bad been expended upon those fortifications. It might be satisfactory to state further, that, in December, a distinct application bad been made to the French government for a disclosure of its views with regard to Spain. The answer was, that it was intended to reduce the army of occupation to 22,000 men, continuing an extra corps on foot in the country until the month of. April. He had every reason to believe that an extra corps had either been actually withdrawn, or was in a course of being withdrawn. With regard to the period when it might be expected that the remaining 22,000 men would be removed from the Spanish territory, he doubted if even the French government could yet give a satisfactory answer to the question. He firmly believed, that the learned gentleman could not be more anxious for the evacuation of Spain by the French army than the French government were for that event. Individually, he could honestly and conscientiously declare, that he was under no degree of doubt or apprehension on the subject.