SPANISH LEGION. (Hansard, 7 June 1839)

The Marquess of Londonderry

said, that with regard to the notice of motion which he had given, it was not his wish to harass or press the noble Viscount at the present time, but he wished to know what effectual steps had been taken to liquidate the claims of those unfortunate officers who had been induced to enter into the service of the Queen of Spain by her British Majesty's Ministers. They had been deceived and duped and he could not help thinking that her Majesty's Ministers ought to insist upon some payment being made to them. They had been earnestly solicited by the Spanish Ambassador here to enlist in the service of the Queen of Spain, and he did hope that the Government would insist upon having their claims justly settled. He could assure their Lordships, that he was very sorry to trouble them upon the subject at that time; but in 36 order to show them that he was not a volunteer, and that the subject had been pressed upon him, he begged to read to their Lordships a letter which he had received from a large meeting of officers who had claims on the Spanish Government, which had been held in Dublin:— My Lord,—At a late meeting in this city of several of the officers who belonged to the late Spanish Legion, and to whom large sums are due for arrears of pay by the Spanish Government, I am directed to request your Lordship, who has, upon so very many previous occasions, shown the interest you take in those that have belonged to the Legion, will, in your place in the House of Lords, upon the first convenient opportunity, ask of some Member of the Government, whether any effectual measures are in progress of payment of the Legion. There has been a commission sitting in London to investigate the claims of men and officers during the last year, and no one officer or man now in this country knows any-thing about its proceedings. You, my Lord, will be the means of rousing the public to insist that some pledge will be given by the government that justice must be done by the Spanish nation to a number of men that went out to Spain under their auspices, and the minute of the King's Honourable Privy Council. For your uniform kindness and attention to the Legion and their interests, I am directed to return you their grateful acknowledgments, and am, for myself, with profound respect, your Lordship's my obedient servant, JOHN JENKINS, Summer-hill; Dublin, May 20, 1839. One of the officers of the Legion had also placed in his hands a very curious document which had been given by the commission to some of the claimants. It might well be called General Alava's bank note. It presented an imposing appearance, it was headed, "Office of the Royal Spanish Commission," and proceeded as follows:— By virtue of authority vested in us by her Catholic Majesty, we the undersigned commissioners for adjusting the claims of the late British Auxiliary Legion of Spain, do hereby declare that the sum of nine pounds four shillings is due to Henry Guyer from the Spanish Government. This document is transferable by indorsement at the will of the party interested. It was signed by M. Ximenes, the Spanish commissioner, and Colonel Wetherell, and contained the words, "Confirmed, Miguel Alava, her Catholic Majesty's minister." What was the use of such a document? Was there any place or time stated when the money was to be paid? It bore no interest; it was mere waste 37 paper; and to show the state of state of necessity to which these unfortunate men had been driven, be need only mention the fact that, for these certificates, containing the acknowledgment of the debt due to them, they were actually taking 1s. 6d. and 2s. in the pound. This bank-note of General Alava was a mere delusion; it was no such liquidation of the claims as he had understood to be in progress. If the Spanish Government were to be changed, he should very much like to know whether General Alava himself, would become responsible for this document? There could be no further excuse for delaying the settlement of these claims; the accounts, as he understood, had already, been audited, and a sum of 260,000l. was admitted to be due from the Spanish Government, but not a shilling could be obtained. Under these circumstances, he ventured to say, that if the noble Viscount could not bring the Spanish Government to do justice to these men, it was a discreditable position for this country to be placed in. General; Evans and General Alava were both at the present moment in this country, and this, therefore, appeared to him to be a propitious time for the interference of her. Majesty's Government; and the noble Viscount could hardly tell him that he, had exerted all his influence in behalf of these claimants. The noble Viscount had, unfortunately, now for a long time, held; his present office, and lately he had been incapable of doing much good, either for our foreign or domestic relations; but for the Minister of a great nation like this, to say, that in a case of mere justice affecting his own countrymen, he could not do anything, was, so extraordinary a statement, that he scarcely believed it could; be made. He stood up as an officer, on behalf of these poor men, when he had the honour of serving under the illustrious Commander, behind him; and he must say, that, unless the noble Viscount would exert himself to procure some compensation for these unfortunate men, it would be holding out very little encouragement to that military prowess which British soldiers had hitherto exhibited in defence of their country. The noble Marquess concluded by moving for a return of all the claims of the officers and men of the Spanish Legion which have been presented to the Spanish Commission now assembled; also an account of those which have been liquidated, and in what manner; and 38 an account of those which remain unexamined and not adjusted.