the Portuguese people, and the great
suspicion with which all foreigners he brought here into his service are
viewed, renders it necessary that the utmost caution, should be observed
by the English residing in Portugal with respect to private interviews
either with her most faithful majesty or her august consort,
that neither the government nor the people may have a pretext for
entertaining any undue impressions of the intentions of England. It is
therefore my most positive orders that you do not yourself call at the
palace, nor permit any officer to do so without my previous sanction."
The British ambassador sought, though in vain, to obtain justice for
the officers and soldiers who had been in Don Pedro's service, and whose
claims upon the Portuguese government remained unliquidated. A royal
order appeared, indeed, informing "the foreigners lately in the service
of her most faithful majesty," that if they were dissatisfied with the
decision of the commissioners to whom their claims stood referred, "the
law was open to them." This was most unsatisfactory, as the Portuguese
courts of law are notorious for corruption. The privileges of the
British, indeed, ceased to be respected in Portugal, and their claims
were set aside. They were restrained from carrying on retail trades,
which they had hitherto done by virtue of early treaties, and as they
were entitled to do by law. At the same time, disputes were constantly
taking place on the Tagus between the crews of British vessels and the
custom-house officers.

CHAPTER XLIX.

{VICTORIA. 1838--1839}

Parliament reassembles: Debates on Canada; Address to the
Throne moved by Lord John Russell; Bill for suspending; the
Lower Canadian Constitution..... The Question of Election
Committees..... Motion for the Ballot..... Parliamentary
Qualification Bill..... Personal Attacks..... Revival of
Anti-slavery Agitation..... Debates on the Irish Poor-law
Bill: the Bill carried in the Commons..... Motion for the
Repeal of the Appropriation Clause..... Ministerial Plan for
settling the Tithe Question..... Committee of the House of
Commons upon the Irish Municipal Bill; the Bill
rejected..... The Coronation..... Debates in the House of
Commons on the Irish Tithe Question..... The Irish Poor
Law Bill carried in the Lords..... Projected Formation
of a Colony in New Zealand..... Financial Statements.....