THE RECALL OF LORD HOWDEN.

HC Deb 19 April 1858 vol 149 cc1331-8

SIR DE LACY EVANS

rose to call the attention of the House to the recall of Lord Howden, from the office he has held as our Minister at Madrid. The subject was one in which he took a great interest, having been engaged in two of the wars which had taken place in Spain; but he was actuated by no motives of a personal character, but solely by considerations bearing upon the general policy of this country in her relations with the Spanish Government. However difficult were the circumstances of Spain at the present moment—and un- doubtedly they were so — there was no country in Europe which had made such rapid advances during the last fifteen or twenty years in all that constituted social and material improvement. He would remind the House that within that period the monastic institutions and the vast estates of the monastic orders had been swept away, and the property distributed, not amongst a few favoured families, but among the great body of the people. Independently of that, and in the midst of all her difficulties, that country enjoyed the form of a constitutional Government; and he thought it a matter of importance that the policy which had hitherto been pursued by England towards Spain should not retrogade, or the Quadruple Treaty upon which that policy was founded be abrogated. That treaty had been acted upon for the last twenty years both by France and England, and always with good faith, by successive Ministries, and that brought him to the particular question which he desired to bring before the House. Upon the present Government coming into office, two important diplomatic changes were made—the one by the recall of our Ambassador from Vienna, the other from St. Petersburgh; but it so happened that the Ambassador at each of these places had already announced his intention to retire from his post; it was a matter of course, therefore, that those changes should take place. But that was not the case with regard to our Minister at Madrid. No offer to retire was ever made by Lord Howden, and no cause had been assigned for his removal. The first question was, then, what could have been the cause of this special measure with regard to Lord Howden? He found that on the very next morning after the recall of Lord Howden was known at Madrid, the six journals which represented the great parties in Spain — Democratic, Absolutist, and Liberal—published articles expressing their astonishment and regret at the occurrence, and containing the highest culogiums on his conduct during the several years that he had represented Great Britain at the Court of Madrid. Now, he thought it was rather remarkable that the noble Lord should have been so fortunate as to have obtained such a concurrence of opinion from such very opposite sources. The absolutist organ particularly stated that it was totally unable to assign the cause for the recall of Lord Howden—"but this we do know, that it is a subject of great regret throughout this capital, and we also know that during the several years that he has represented his Sovereign at this Court he has displayed in very difficult circumstances excellent tact and great benevolence towards all sides." The other journals, the organs of Liberalism, were still more profuse in their eulogiums; and under these circumstances it was quite clear that the recall of Lord Howden could not have arisen from any dissatisfaction which was entertained towards him at Madrid. The noble Lord the Member for Tiverton (Viscount Palmerston) was well aware that there had been many occasions on which the old rivalry between France and England had displayed itself in our representatives at Madrid; but that could not have been the case in this instance, for there had been a hearty concurrence between Lord Howden and the Marquess of Turgot in all their proceedings. What, however, rendered the circumstance more unsatisfactory still was that the Marquess of Turgot also had been recalled. Now the question was whether the recall of these Ministers had not originated in the exigencies of a foreign Government, and in a determination to change the policy which had hitherto been observed towards Spain; and, if that were so, he was at at an utter loss to imagine what was the advantage obtained by the late change in Her Majesty's Councils, so far as the independence of the British Cabinet of foreign influence and dictation was concerned. He should like to know, therefore, on what ground it was that the removal of Lord Howden had taken place. In saying this he did not in the least question the authority of the Sovereign, or the advisers of the Sovereign, in recalling a foreign Minister; of course it would be absurd in him to do so. It might be supposed that Lord Howden was recalled because he was a Member of the Whig or Liberal party; but that could not be the cause of his recall, for it so happened that in 1852, when the present Government were last in office, and Lord Howden felt himself bound by etiquette to express to them his readiness to resign his post, Lord Malmesbury, then as now the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, told him that it was his services and his talents at Madrid alone that were required by Her Majesty's Ministers, and not his votes in the House of Lords. On the present occasion, however, Lord Howden had omitted to tender his resignation; and although he had no idea of having committed any offence during the short period that Her Majesty's Ministers had been in office, we found that he had been sent to the right about. He (Sir Do L. Evans) conceived that this was an unfortunate indication of the disposition of the Government at the present moment; for there was just now a project much spoken of at Madrid called the "dynastic fusion," and that "dynastic fusion" was supposed to be an attempt to revive the Carlist cause, destroy the constitution, and in fact undermine the throne of the present Sovereign, and there were persons who supposed that the old policy of the Bourbons was about to be again resorted to. He hoped that the right hon. Gentleman (Mr. Seymour Fitz Gerald), would be able to state that there was no foundation for these representations, and that the change of our Minister at Madrid had not originated with a foreign Power, and was not the result of submission to or the dictation of that Court.

MR. SEYMOUR FITZGERALD

With reference to the question which the hon. and gallant General has put to the Government, I beg to say that, if there had been the slightest ground for the suspicions which he entertains, there would have been some justification of the observation which he has addressed to the House. Now, inasmuch as I am in a position to state that there is not the slightest justification for any of the insinuations which the hon. and gallant General has thrown out, I think I may with confidence assert before the House that the observations of the hon. and gallant General are in themselves most unprecedented, and that if such a course as this were generally followed of questioning Ministers respecting matters which are entirely within the competence of the advisers of the Crown, most mischievous and dangerous results must ensue. ["Hear, hear!"] Perhaps hon. Gentlemen will permit me to complete my observations, which they will then have an opportunity of answering. The hon. and gallant Member states that, coincident with the recall of Lord Howden, the French Ambassador also has been recalled; that he is convinced a pressure has been put upon Her Majesty's Government, and that the recall of Lord Howden from Madrid is in consequence of some dictation addressed to Her Majesty's Government by a foreign Power. I meet this by a simple statement that I am myself unaware that the French Ambassador has been recalled from Madrid. I would also say that I feel certain that no such suggestions have been addressed to Her Majesty's Government by the Cabinet of France; and I am perfectly sure that, in a matter of Such extreme delicacy and importance as tills, if any such suggestion had been addressed to them, they would not have been listened to by Her Majesty's Government, who would feel they were called upon to act solely in reference to British interests, and the policy which those interests call upon them to pursue. I am glad that the hon. Gentleman has disclaimed having brought forward this Motion on personal grounds. But as I have heard from one or two quarters in this House that the recall of Lord Howden has been found fault with, because it was supposed to have been done in an unceremonious manner, and not with that consideration for his feelings to which so distinguished a servant of Her Majesty was entitled, I shall shortly state to the House the manner in which the recall was made. It is perfectly true that the recall of Lord Howden was conveyed to him by electric telegraph, and that may perhaps seem to be an abrupt method of communicating the information to him; but on the same day on which that telegraphic message was sent, a private letter, which I have seen, and which was couched in the most courteous terms that one gentleman could possibly use to another, was despatched by a special messenger to Lord Howden by the noble Lord who presides at the Foreign Office; and the only reason why the telegraphic message was sent was, that it was thought proper and right that the first intimation which he could possibly receive of this change in his position should be made to him from the Government direct, and not, as it might possibly otherwise have done, from some other source. I must also say, in reference to what was stated by the hon. and gallant General as to the circumstances of 1852, that he has not been accurately informed as to what happened at that time. It is quite true that, upon the entrance to office of Lord Derby's Government, in 1852, Lord Howden tendered his resignation, and the noble Earl who was then, as now, at the head of the Foreign Office, requested him to remain in his position for a short space of time. Accordingly Lord Howden continued to occupy his post; but he intimated that by a given day it would be necessary for Her Majesty's Government to find a successor, as it was impossible for him to continue to serve under the Government. The hon. and gallant Gentleman, therefore, though he was aware of the first resignation of Lord Howden, and is also aware of the fact that Lord Malmesbury requested him to continue, is evidently not aware from his statement tonight that a short time afterwards Lord Howden intimated it would be impossible for him to continue in his position. The hon. and gallant Gentleman said he thought it was his duty to ask on what grounds Lord Howden is recalled. I can only say that I do not think it is consistent with my duty to gratify the gallant General by giving him the information. I may say that though in the exercise of his undoubted discretion, and in reference to the exigencies of the public service, and consulting, as Lord Malmesbury will over be found to consult, the best interests of the country, he has felt it his duty to recall Lord Howden; yet that removal does not imply—it is not intended to imply-any censure upon that noble Lord. It was not intended to imply any distrust in him. It was only intended as an expression of Lord Malmesbury's opinion that the interests of the country, in the present particular circumstances, would be better served by the appointment of another diplomatic agent in his place. If the hon. and gallant General supposes that there is any secret intention to promote what he called an absurd "dynastic fusion" in Spain, I can only say that no such idea is entertained by Her Majesty's Government; and if such an idea were entertained, it would not be to the Court of Denmark, or to a person who is innocent of all Carlist intrigues, that we should have gone to find a successor to Lord Howden. The gentleman whom we have chosen to succeed Lord Howden at the Court of Madrid we have selected because he is universally considered to be one of the most clearsighted, one of the most accurate, one of the most intelligent, and one of the most honest servants of the Crown. I hope I have now satisfactorily answered the hon. and gallant General. I have stated that the change was not made in any way discourteously to Lord Howden, or with any view of supporting or maintaining any particular side of politics, such as the hon. and gallant General has suggested. The Government has made the change only because they think it advantageous to the public service, and I do not suppose that the hon. and gallant General will question the right of the Government to choose their own agents, or, in other words, the right of the Crown to select such servants as may he considered most efficient for the service of the country.

VISCOUNT PALMERSTON

said, he quite agreed in the general principle laid down by the hon. Gentleman, that it was expedient in regard to diplomatic appointments that the advisers of the Crown should be at liberty to choose their own agents; but he did not think that the present Government were, perhaps, the best entitled of all others to maintain broadly that principle, because he thought he remembered that the noble Lord at the head of the Government did on a former occasion call on the House, and with some success, to interfere very strictly and decidedly with the freedom of the Government of the day to choose their own agent at a very important foreign post. With respect to the manner in which Lord How-den had been recalled, he could not say that he thought the explanation at all satisfactory. He did not, as he before intimated, question the act of the Government; for, having been long at the head of the Foreign Department, he knew that it was impossible to expect that the Government should at all times explain the grounds why they thought it expedient to make a change in their diplomatic arrangements; but he could not at all see that it was necessary to send Lord Howden his recall in an abrupt manner by telegraph. The House had been told that, at the same time that a messenger was sent off in the utmost speed with a courteous letter, it was necessary to send to Lord Howden an electric shock, in order to prevent him from hearing of his recall from any other source. He had hoped that the Foreign Office kept its secrets better than that. Was it to be supposed that when a special messenger was sent off with a courteous and private letter, all the world must know its contents, and that some person would by electric telegraph anticipate the arrival of the messenger, and inform Lord Howden what he was to expect in the course of a few days? However, he should not have risen on the present occasion, except that he felt it due to Lord Howden to bear testimony to the great ability with which that noble Lord had discharged the important duties intrusted to him for a long course of time at Madrid. He had most ably represented the character and policy of the British Government, and conciliated the esteem and regard of all those with whom he had to do at Madrid, and had contrived to act with the most perfect cordiality with the representatives of foreign countries. His hon. and gallant Friend had stated that it had so happened that on former occasions the policies of the two Governments were supposed, unhappily, to diverge, and not to be so much in unison as when Lord Howden represented England at Madrid; and therefore, both personally and on public grounds, the late Government thought it right, for reasons of which they were the best judges, to place the interests of the country at Madrid in other hands than those of Lord Howden.

MR. KER

said, that whatever might be the merits of Lord Howden, his successor was one of the best servants of the Crown. He would well sustain the honour of England, and was not a man who would submit to act in any way unworthy of his country, or in opposition to the principles of constitutional freedom.

Motion agreed to.