Mr. Goulburnwished to ask a question of the noble Secretary for Foreign Affairs, of considerable importance. He had heard that a large number of soldiers had deserted from the garrison of Portsmouth, and had entered the service of the Queen of Spain. They had been tempted to do so in consequence of the expectation of great advantages to be obtained by those who entered the Spanish service. When attempts were made by the authorities of Portsmouth to recover these deserters, great impediments were thrown in their way by those who were intrusted with the management of the recruiting for the Queen of Spain. In some instances it could be proved that false information had been given to enable the deserters to escape. The commander of one of the vessels in the service of the Queen of Spain was asked whether certain deserters who were named to him were in his ship? and he replied that they had been on board, but that they had gone on shore. After this they were seen in the vessel, and were enabled to make their escape in consequence of the false statement made. These persons were known subsequently to have joined the 216 expedition. He wished to know whether his Majesty's Government had appointed a ship at Portsmouth to receive the recruits for the service of the Queen of Spain? He wished also to know whether those persons who had secreted deserters from the garrison, would not be brought to justice for such a serious offence. He would not enter further into the question, but wished to know whether the Government was aware of these proceedings? and whether any steps had been taken on the subject? The conduct of those men who deserted was not nearly so blameable as that of those who encouraged them to do so, and protected them from the pursuit of justice.
§ Viscount Palmerstonsaid, that the right hon. Gentleman had asked whether his Majesty's Government had sanctioned the appropriation of one of his Majesty's ships for the reception of troops who had entered the service of the Queen of Spain. The facts of the case were shortly these:—the Spanish Ambassador had applied to the Government to allow dépôts to be formed at the outports for the reception of recruits for the Spanish service until they could be embarked for the Peninsula. The Government thought that it would be better, both for the recruits and for the inhabitants of the places from whence they were to embark, that they should not be allowed to wander about or to assemble in large numbers on shore, but that they should be kept on shipboard until their final embarkation. On these grounds it was, that the hulk had been allotted for the temporary use of those parties who managed the enlistment for the service of the Queen of Spain.—These persons not only allowed a constant search of the vessel for deserters, but they manifested great anxiety that no vessel should be allowed to depart from Portsmouth, or any other port, with Spanish troops on board, until it had been strictly searched by the proper authorities.
Mr. Goulburnobserved, that he was in a situation to give an unqualified contradiction to the statement of the Noble Lord, that the commanders of vessels in the Spanish service afforded any facilities for the search of their ships. On one occasion, when some deserters from the garrison were on board a vessel, the officer in command said that it was true that such men had been on board, but that they had left it: they were afterwards put on shore, and subsequently went out to the Peninsula.
§ Viscount Palmerstonstated that he had been informed last week, that matters were 217 in a very different state to what they were described to be by the right hon. Gentleman. What was the date of the transaction alluded to by the right hon. Gentleman?
§ Viscount Howickadmitted that some subordinate persons employed in enlisting troops for the Queen of Spain, had induced some of the soldiers of the garrison of Portsmouth to desert, and enter the Spanish service; but this was done, not only contrary to the desire of the officer in command of the Spanish auxiliary force, but against his express orders. Lord Hill had issued an order for the trial of the individuals who had deserted, and proceedings had been instituted against those who had encouraged them to desert. If the parties guilty of this conduct were not in the British army, they would be proceeded against for the penalties. It was but justice to state, that the officers in the Spanish service had done every thing in their power to prevent the enlistment of deserters, and had afforded every facility for the discovery of them, on search being made by the officers of the garrison. Orders had also been issued that no recruiting should be allowed in Portsmouth or its neighbourhood.