The Marquess of Londonderrywished to repeat the question he had put last night, and which the noble Viscount had promised this night to answer.
§ Viscount Melbournesaid, that there had been one vessel repaired in the dock-yards of his Majesty. The vessel was now called the Isabella 2nd, and the repairs cost the sum of 1,943l., to be defrayed by the Spanish government. There were also mus- 339 kets and stores of various sorts, amounting in value to about 200,000l. As to the questions by whom and when these were to be paid for, he said, that these expenses were also to be defrayed by the Spanish government; but it appeared, from an instruction sent out by the noble Duke opposite, to Mr. Villiers, on the 10th of March, 1835, it had been intimated to the Spanish government, that the British Government would not press for the immediate payment of the demand.
§ The Duke of Wellingtonsaid, that the Noble Marquess had thought proper to put the questions which had been put. Had his noble Friend given notice to him, which was the ordinary Parliamentary course in these matters, and which he recommended his noble Friend to pursue in future, he should have attended in his place and given an answer to that part of the question which related to the share he had had in that transaction. It was true that it had been intimated to the Spanish government that it was not the intention of this Government to press immediately for payment.
The Marquess of Londonderryadhered to the opinion he had before expressed on the subject. As to the recommendation of his noble Friend, he certainly had not intimated to his noble Friend that it was his intention to put the question; he should take care, on a future occasion to do so.