§ MR. HUMErose to ask a question of which he had given notice. He wanted to know whether the Government had any objection to lay before the House the instructions under which the officers in command of Her Majesty's ships of war in the Tagus had interfered in the affairs of Portugal? It would be recollected that Her Majesty's Government had so far interfered in the affairs of Portugal as to send out an accredited agent with powers to make arrangements between the belligerent parties; he alluded to Colonel Wylde. Now, he wished to know what powers and what instructions had been given to that officer. He would ask, too, whether our interference between the belligerents did not put this country to the risk of being involved in ultimate war, and whether our intervention had not been treated with insult, and had not thereby subjected this nation to uncalled-for indignity—uncalled for, because our interference appeared to be without just cause? He asked this question, because he understood from a gentleman perfectly acquainted with Portugal, that if the British Government had not interfered, the disturbance there would now have been settled in that constitutional way in which all such quarrels should be settled—by the people themselves. He would ask the Government whether they were not supporting and maintaining a bad Government by their interference?
LORD J. RUSSELL, in answer to the hon. Member, said, that, at present, the Government were not prepared to lay on the Table the instructions under which Sir W. Parker and the officers in the command of the fleet in the Tagus were acting. When the proper time came, there would be no objection to lay all the papers on the Table.
§ MR. HUMEgave notice that, immediately after the recess, he should bring the subject before the House, with the view of removing all doubt with respect to so important a matter.