Page:History of the Radical Party in Parliament.djvu/185

1827.] Death of Castlereagh to Canning's Premiership. 17 1 in war. Canning, who had accepted office on the nth of September, had not yet obtained his seat, and for a short time Peel was the leader in the Commons. Further alterations had been made in the Ministry which tended to strengthen Canning's position, Robinson being appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Huskisson President of the Board of Trade. The King's speech, read by commission, contained the following reference to the affairs of Spain :" Faithful to the principles which his Majesty has promulgated to the world as constituting the rule of his conduct, his Majesty declined being a party to any proceedings at Verona which could be deemed an interference in the internal concerns of Spain on the part of foreign powers. And his Majesty has since used, and continues to use, his most anxious endeavours and good offices to allay the irritation unhappily existing between the French and Spanish governments ; and to avert, if possible, the calamity of war between France and Spain." The interest of Parliament was mainly concentrated on foreign affairs, and was increased by the actual invasion of Spain by the French army. This took place on the /th of April, and was announced to the French chambers three days afterwards. On the 1 4th of April the papers relating to the nego- tiations were laid before Parliament ; and on the 28th a debate, which extended over three nights, was commenced in the House of Commons. Canning was then in his place, having been returned for the borough of Harwich. Mr. Macdonald opened the debate on behalf of the opposition, and moved a long resolution, which, among other things, alleged that the failure to preserve peace arose " in a great measure from the failure of his Majesty's ministers to make the most earnest, vigorous, and solemn protest against the right of the sovereigns assembled at Verona to make war on Spain on account of her political institutions, as well as against the subsequent pretensions of the French government to deny that nations can lawfully enjoy any civil privileges but from the spon- taneous grant of their kings ; " and concluded by the proposal "to represent to his Majesty that, in the judgment of this