§ Viscount Mahonwished to address a question to the noble Lord, the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, relative to the correspondence which had been lately laid on the Table of that House on the civil war of Spain. The noble Lord has been employed in the very praiseworthy object of endeavouring to alleviate the barbarities of that war; but he wished to ask the noble Lord whether he intended to take those steps which must obviously and most effectually promote the completion of that desirable aim—whether it were intended to extend the provisions of the Elliot treaty to the whole of Spain? He need not remind the noble Lord that the original scope of that convention embraced the whole of Spain, but, in consequence of certain circumstances then existing, it was restricted to the two Basque provinces. Now, considering the great advantages derived from the treaty, even with that restriction, he would ask the noble Lord whether it was not desirable that it should be extended throughout the whole country? The second question which he wished to put to the noble Lord was, with regard to the overtures which it appeared had been made by this Government to that of Russia from the despatches of the Marquess of Clanricarde, and laid on the Table of the House. Did the noble Lord intend to take any steps on that subject? The Marquess of Clanricarde writes to Lord Palmerston, in his despatch of February 15, 1839:—
Count Nesselrode said, that when we addressed to the Russian Government an application for interference to stop the barbarous mode of warfare which had been adopted, the idea naturally suggested itself, why not carry the interference a step further, and make the war itself to cease? but that he had not thought of any means of overcoming the many difficulties which were opposed to the carrying out of that suggestion. Count Nesselrode proceeded to explain that his idea was, that if five plenipotentiaries were assembled, perhaps they might devise a plan for the pacification of Spain. 'We,' said his Excellency, 'have just now, after eight years' labour achieved the settlement of a question in Belgium replete with complicated difficulties, and why should we despair of finding the solution of those which Spain presents?'He would merely ask the noble Lord, as the rules of the House did not permit 80 him to make any comments on the subject, whether he intended to avail himself of the opportunity thus afforded to him of putting an end to that civil war in Spain which he was sure the noble Lord regretted as much as he did himself.
§ Viscount Palmerstonreplied, first, with regard to the Elliot convention, that it was true that it was limited to the Basque provinces and to the armies engaged in those provinces; but when application was made to have it extended to the whole of the country, the Spanish government objected for this reason—there were in Spain, owing to the suspension of the legal powers consequent upon the civil war, a great number of robbers and marauders roving about committing all manner of outrages; and if this convention were extended through all Spain, when any of them might he apprehended for robbery and murder, they would plead that they were Carlists, and claim the privilege of being exchanged as prisoners of war; therefore, they could not, consistently with the security of the people of Spain, extend this convention indiscriminately to all the provinces of that country. But one result of the application of the English Government to Russia was this, that it had led to an understanding between Cabrera and the constitutionalist general opposed to him, by which means were to be taken to provide for the safety of soldiers taken prisoners in war. He could assure the noble Lord, that no measures would be omitted to endeavour to humanize the war of Spain as far as it was possible. With regard to the second question, the noble Lord would see from the papers on the Table of the House, that the idea of some common action on the part of the Five Powers was suggested by Count Nesselrode, who undertook to use his influence with Spain for the purpose of putting an end to those atrocious crimes which were dishonourable to the character of men. The English Government expressed a wish to know the means which Russia contemplated, and stated that England and France could not enter into any scheme inconsistent with the quadruple treaty. In reply, Count Nesselrode said, that the Russian Government was not prepared with any particular scheme, and there the matter had dropped.