§ Viscount Sandonwished to put two questions to the noble Lord the Secretary for Foreign Affairs. The first related to the prevention of British steam-vessels from carrying passengers from the coast of France to places on the coast of Spain; and the second to a decree passed by Mendizabal, imposing a duty on British coal deposited at dépôts on the Spanish coast for the use of British steam-vessels. He wished to know whether the noble Lord was aware of the facts which he had adverted to, and whether he had received any official intelligence respecting the decree of Mendizabal?
§ Viscount Palmerston, in answer to the first question of the noble Lord, begged 1501 to say, that a treaty had been some years in existence, by which France and Spain virtually conceded to each other the right of trading on the coast of both countries by vessels belonging to each other. With regard to the second question, he had received official information of the decree to which the noble Lord referred; but it was not confined in its operation exclusively to this country, but related to coals deposited on the coast of Spain, for the use of steamers generally. The moment the decree was issued the British Minister at Madrid remonstrated against it, and the matter was still undecided.