The Marquess of Londonderryrose to put a question to his noble Friend the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, and which he trusted his noble Friend would answer. It was quite impossible that the House and the country should not feel deeply interested in the course of events which recently had taken place in Spain. He wished to know whether his noble Friend had received any account of Espartero's having deserted the government of Spain and the position which he held, and taken refuge on board of an English ship of war at Cadiz? He knew of no previous instance of treachery equal to this, exceeding as it did, all bounds, and deserting, as this person did, the means of exertion at his disposal, and closing his career by inflicting the ruinous calamity of bombardment on one of the principal cities of Andalusia. That such a man, the deserter of his duty, would be received on the part of the Government of this country he could not conceive; he therefore, hoped, it would go forth to he therefore, hoped, it would go forth to the public that such a proceeding was impossible. What would be the nature of the new government in Spain no one could possibly tell, but he gave the Government full credit for having pursued a course of non-interference.
§ The Earl of Aberdeen, when his noble Friend had told him that he intended to put a question to him respecting Spanish affairs, and to ask him to give him any information as to the reception of the Regent of Spain on board of an English ship of war, did not expect that his noble Friend would have adopted such a tone of observation. Her Majesty's Government had no other intelligence on this subject than was open to all their Lord-ships; but he had no doubt, from the situation in which the Regent of Spain had been left, and from the recent operations in the south of Spain, as to the correctness of the accounts. So far, also, from refusing to receive the Regent on board of a British ship, he had no hesitation in saying that that eminent person ought to be received with every honour and distinction.