NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE foreign policy of the Whig Government has supplied the principal topics of discussion this week in both Houses of Parlia- ment. First, the Marquis of LONDONDERRY, in a ponderous address to the Lords, on Tuesday, arraigned Ministers for their interference in the Spanish quarrel. It would tax the ingenuity of a much more brilliant orator than Lord LONDONDERRY to illustrate this worn topic by any new and striking observation. The failure of the Legion, however, is a subject on which the Tories naturally love to dwell. Having predicted the disastrous result which ultimately came to pass, they must be permitted to enjoy the triumph arising from the fulfilment of evil prophecies. The Carlists are at least as formidable now as they were when Colonel EVANS undertook the duty, for which, as it soon appeared, be was unqualified. This fact settles the question as to the failure of the expedition. It is also undeniable, that the British Ministry sanctioned and encouraged the iulistment of soldiers to serve under Colonel EVANS. Infamously have those men been treated by the Spanish Government ; and their equitable claim (for such we must consider it) to relief from their own Govern- ment, is not allowed. A more direct and generous policy—an efficient interference in behalf of the Queen of Spain by Eng- land—might have put an end to the war long ago, with credit to this country, and advantage to Spain. But they who deplore the unsuccessful termination of the Eva:vs ex- pedition, would not perhaps have been ready to advise such a course. Now that the Legion is broken up, and that British interference is limited to the safe employment of a Marine corps on the coast, it is unprofitable to renew these discussions ; and it is to be hoped that we have seen the last of them. Some amusement will be derived from a skirmish between the Marquis of LANSDOWNE and Lord LYNDHURST, in which, by cool perti- nacity, the latter greatly discomfited the magniloquent and angry President of the Council. Lord LONDONDERRY'S motion was only for returns, which were promised by Lord MELBOURNE, and no division took place.
The affair of the Vixen, with the curious questions it involves, occupied the House of Commons on Thursday. Sir STRATFORD CANNING moved for an inquiry into the circumstances attending the voyage and the seizure of that vessel by the Russians in the Black Sea. The main facts lie in a nutshell. The owner of the Vixen asked Lord PALMERSTON to tell him whether the Russian blockade of the Circassian coast was recognized by this country? Lord PALMERSTON would not say distinctly whether it was or not; but led the applicant to suppose that it was not. by referring him to the Gazette, wherein, he was told, would be found notifica- tions of recognized blockades, but which contained no notification of the blockade in question. At Constantinople, the master of the Vixen was warned that the Russians might seize his ship; but he was nevertheless encouraged to proceed on his voyage. The ves- sel was seized; and now it is found out, that Russia was in pos- session of the Circassian coast, and had a right to prevent the access of any vessel to it. The complaint is, that Lord PALMER- STON led the owner of the Vixen into danger, instead of warning him of its existence; and that he was ignorant of facts which, as Foreign Secretary, it behoved hint especially to know and to com- municate to inquirers. It must be allowed that Lord PALMERSTON was in a position of considerable difficulty; for he was averse to the acknowledgment
of Russia's doubtful title to the Circassian territory, and yet he
would have incurred the risk of an open rupture with Russia had he supported any party in forcing the blockade. But he ought not to have allowed the question to be unsettled. It is a strange and anomalous state of things, under which a British merchant can obtain no direct information, from the proper authority, as to whether the Government recognizes the blockade of a country to which he is desirous of trading, or has resolved to disregard such blockade. At all events, Lord PaLltaxasrrom should have said at once—" The question is unsettled; I cannot, at present, give you any distinct answer." But instead of that, he did inti- mate to the owner of the Vixen, that the blockade was not admitted to be valid by this country ; and when the vessel reached Constan- tinople. the British Ambassador encouraged the attempt to trade with Circassia in defiance of the Russian regulations. To make war with Russia, for the sake of the entire commerce of the Black Sea, would be to gain a loss: yet there is something unsatilfae. tory, as a diplomatist might say, in the international relations which prevent an English Minister from giving a plain answer to such questions as the owner of the Vixen put—it is hard, that in the midst of a profound peace dictated by Great Britain, the Foreign Secretary should be unable to inform her Majesty's sub- jects whither they may send their ships without risk of seizure by foreign powers. When the division came, Ministers defeated Sir STRATFORD CANNING: but only by the very narrow majority 200 to 184.
A combination of Ministerialists, Tories, Saints, and blockhea
of all parties, threw out the New Zealand Bill, on Wednesd. The conduct of the Tories on this occasion warns us, that whetl in office or in opposition, they will strenuously support th, jobbing interests, and that the expectation of any voluntary improvement from them on their return to power would be idle.
They are, and will be, not less ready, (they cannot be more so,) than the Whigs, to sacrifice the public weal to class interests and paltry prejudices. Whatever maybe got must be wrung from them.
Those who have not examined this subject fur themselves, may find an intelligible finger-post to the side on which reason and jus- tice were, in the division-list : in the minority, we observe almost every Member valuable for any thing but his vote.
The Copyright Bill, irrecoverable from the shock of Lord Joust RUSSELL'S opposition, has been reluctantly withdrawn by Mr. Sergeant TALFOURD. The sentimentalists have found the heavy interests too strong for them. Well—no harm is done. As Dr. JOHNSON said, " we have had some fine talk ; " and many persons who were touched with Mr. TALFOI:RDS elegant lamentations about MILTON'S descendants and Mr. W ORDSWORTH'S profits, will have ascertained that the prolongation of copyright would be a mere deception as regards the gains of authors, while it 'night injuriously affect the public. Mr. PLU5IPTRE'S reproduced Sabbath Bill was stopped at the first clause. There is a minority against this measure sufficient to defeat it. As Mr. LEADER observed, they ec make and will persevere in a " vexatious" opposition to a most ‘psatious 1):11. A brief discus-ion on the Irish Municipal Bill, on Monday, WU remarkable for the distinct disavowals of Lord Ef.I0T, Mr. LAS• CEL LIM Mr. MILES, and Mr. PUSEY, of concurrence in Sir Ito- BERT PEEL'S attempt to enhance the ten-pound franchise by rating; while, on the other hand, Lord Joust RussELL declared iiis readi- ness to abandon the five-pound qualirc ition. The Tory journals manifested much soreness against their deserters,—and especially against Lord Emor ; for he maintained that the Church question had no connexion with the reform of the Corporations. Lord JOHN RessELL's new offer of compromise confirms the other symptoms that, in one way or another, the Irish bills will be got through Parliament this session. " Settle" them, gentlemen, by all means—on any terms !
