§ MR. HUMEwould repeat the inquiry which he put to the Government previous to the holidays, as to whether they had any objection to lay on the Table of the House the instructions under which the British authorities in Portugal had been directed to interfere in the internal affairs of that country?
§ LORD JOHN RUSSELLsaid, it was his duty to oppose at present the production of the instructions to which the hon. Member referred. Her Majesty's Government had the subject under consideration; and, when the proper time came, the Government would place on the Table of the House the whole of the instructions. They did not, however, think it would be consistent with their duty to do so at present.
§ MR. HUMEsaid, that all the mischief would be done in the meantime. Seeing the noble Lord at the head of the Foreign Department in his place, he would ask a question, which probably the noble Lord might answer. He wished to know whe- 1247 ther it were true that the British authorities in Portugal, Colonel Wylde and others, had threatened the Junta to interfere by force of arms, unless certain terms were agreed to by them?
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONsaid, that the British Government, in conjunction with the Governments of France, Spain, and Portugal, were engaged in measures which had for their object the pacification of Portugal. Of course, his hon. Friend could not expect that papers could be laid on the Table, whilst the transactions to which the papers had reference were in progress. When the proper time came for the Government to lay before Parliament papers explanatory of the grounds and reasons for the course which they had pursued, they would be most happy to do so; and he thought he should then be able to satisfy the House that the Government, by their conduct in reference to Portugal, had done nothing to forfeit the confidence of Parliament.
§ MR. HUMEwished to know whether coercive measures had been already adopted by the British Government; and, if so, whether it was under any new treaty that such a course had been pursued?
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONsaid, his hon. Friend must see that it was impossible for him at present to give explanations of measures, which were measures not merely of the British Government, but of the British Government acting in concert with its allies.
§ MR. HUMEgave notice that, on the reading of the first Order of the Day on Monday, he should again call the attention of the House to the subject.
§ SIR R. PEELsaid, that the noble Lord had stated that the course of policy at present pursued in respect to Portugal, was adopted in concurrence with the Governments of France, Spain, and Portugal. Would the noble Lord object to state whether that course of policy resulted from a friendly concert between the Three Powers and this country, independent of the Quadruple Treaty, or whether from any obligation still imposed by that treaty?
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONsaid, the policy pursued was not considered to result out of the Quadruple Treaty, except in so far as the Government of Portugal had addressed itself in preference to such of its allies as were parties to that treaty; but the measures that might be adopted were founded on a fresh agreement and friendly compact.