Star. — London, England, 1811-04-27 00:00:00

- 7 Ohms P.Af ENIA R AR T PRuCEEDINGS. :7 ALM M HOU'A tat I.OROS, Al2o. IiERK RIU' !MIRAGE. The eonsideratlor of this case being lumber resumed In the Committee of Priviteres, the Countess of likrlttky underwent very liwg chief and cross sum nation. principally by the Soli— ettor.General, on the part of the Como, &c. and mach discussion, thereon • tuck place ut the Committee It was not until six o'clock that their Lordships adjourned the further conkideration of the mom. The crowds below the Bar' were greater than on any former Ins ancr m our ri...)llrct ion, esen on the most Interesting periods') of the ilepoxy Question. 'lids circumstance occasioned much Inconvenience, and delayed the ulterior proceedings, so that it Wm not until a considetalde time ait,r prayers were read, that atraugers were admitted. VICTORIOUS ARMY IN PORTUGAL. ..,• On our entering the House, we found The Earl of LIVERPOOL addressing their Lord ships on the subject of the motion of which he had recently given notice, viz. for the Thanks of the House to Lord Viscount )vellington, and the Army I under his command. His Lordship, we understood, bad been some minutes previously on his feet. He observed, that the French army was formed of a force so numerous, so arranged, and so appointed in every respect, as to render it a tit army, under the com mand of Massena, for the purpose of-undertaking an extensive and long-meditated expedition against Por tugal. That expedition was not hastily undertaken ; it was known to be long wader consideration, delibe rately resolved on, and in a high state of preparation —and it was placed under the command and direc tion of the ablest and most expert Commander France could boast of. Under these circumstances the British General had to consider the line of polici and conduct the most fitting to be pursued. In what ever he did, or in whatever.movensents he made wishi the main army, he never lost sight of the opera-We on the frontiers. He had 'never, as had been -Patselis held out by the enemy, and in other : quarters, said, that he could relieve the Peninsula. His communi cations, distinctly made to the Marquis de Romana, clearly shewed. his judgment and opinion of thnt un dertaking. He nniformiy shewed his unwillingness to comnia the itish army at too great a risk. He looked generally to the result of the campaign as his princip..l object ; and in that view he was so far con stantly successful. Their Lordships would recollect that though the French army was collected in May, and Ciudad Rodrigo• was summoned soon after, that place did not capitulate until July. More than a month afterwards elapsed before the French Com mander thought it prudent to invest Almeida ; the short resistance of which was owing to that accident of which all the world were apprised. This did not sake place till towards the close of August, and which was the eztcut of their operatima fr o m t h e m iddl e of May wit i tl;at period. Even in this early stage of the operations, there was ground for satisfaction. The wise line of operations adopted on the part of the Brit tish General, was well calculated for ultimately frus trating the objects or the enemy, as the scenes of a very few months afterwards clearly. manifested. But these incipient operations of the enemy also evinced it new and can-ailatory consideration. It for the first time presented the view of an enemy flushed in a' career of victory, constrained to proceed slowly, cautiously, and with deliberation. -- It presented a campaign on the old principles, and the enemy evinceJ they had a very cliff rant sort of adversary-to cope with from those ta which they were long ac customed. The British General, however, wisely. dvermined not to make a stand until he could do it un ier circumstances of great comparative advantage, that was, until a fair opportunity was afforded of trying the Portuguese troops against the enemy. The position chosen by the British Commander was, for the objects he had in view, most judicious; the ground was particularly favourable for such an operation. Upon this trying occasion the Portuguese troops distinguished themselves in . such a manner, that an experienced officer was heard to declare that he could not distinguish any difference between the conduct of the British and the Portuguese regiments. Lord Wellington was therefore enabled by his judi cious choice of position, to inspire a confidence into the Portuguese soldiery, and to create in them a sense and opinion of their own strength and discipline, which previously they did not entertain. He still persevered in his original plan of operation, and his endeavours were directed to protract the operations to as late a period, as long as possible, not only for the objects he had ultimately in view, but to gird the troops of our ally an opportunity still further to improve in energy and discipline. On the sth of October Lord Wellington, with the British Army, reached the position in which, as he stated, in one of his dispatches, he was prepared for a trial of the problem that remained to be solved. It was then to be seen whether the French would attempt• ~ to realize those threats they had often held out, and which by circumstances, they were called upon to di. A few weeks, however, plainly manifested the superior wisdom of the line of operations adopted , and persevered in by Lord Wellington. It mani fested that, whatever the result of the campaign in other respects might be, as far as defensibility and 'strength of position went, the enemy regarded the British General to stand on such ground as that he could not be attacked with any prospect of success.— This was unequivocally manifested by the conduct of the French General. And here he must say (as strict justice called upon him), that not only this choice of position, but the entire plan of the cam paign, was entirely original on the part of the British Commander. It was not built upon 'Sny for mer plan of defending the country, it was the result of Lord Wellington's own experience and, observation ; his own excellent judgment pointed nut to him what was most proper to be done, and in this he was sanc tioned by the unequivocal conduct of the enemy.— It was also a question with the British Commander, Whether under the circumstances of the countr y , the defensive system was the best whereon to contend with the enemy. He examined the question with deliberation, how far it would be.prudent in him to have acted under the circumstances upon the offen • dive, to have attacked the enemy. On this important point, the opinion stated by Lord Wellington was, that he felt satisfied that if he attacked the French army, he could beat them, but not without a consi derable loss of men; the local circumstances, and the nature of the country too, which afforded many strong positions for -one of the contending . annies, klso afforded, in no small. degree, similar advantages _ ;~ :, • 7F 1 7 0 . 1 r.. 7 . " • prepared for seeing still greatietforts made by him. and if we continued to be left as principals in the war of the Peninsula, he much doubted the chances of nut being ultimately successful. There mese be very different exertions from what we had witnessed the part of the Spaniards, to enable us to entertain rational hope of the independence of the Pehinsu! a will be finally established ' The present was a pre. pitious interval for exciting to combined and vigamu s efforts, and should be improved by Ministers tnr that purpose, particularly whin the gallantry and good conduct of the Portuguese troops had pointed out the very mode in which this interval may be turned ti. the best advantage. It was a duty incumbent nn Ministers and on Parliament to take care, lest through timidity, imbecility, or corruption in any quarter, all our sacrifices should be rendered useless, and shout,: only tend to sap the foundations of our own power i n . the time of our utmost need. Upon the whole, fn; the serviees of Lord Wellington ha felt that Site tit , most gratitude was due; and he would not detain their Lordships farther than by expressing his cordial• acquiescence in the Vote of Thanks, which he regard ed as the highest honour the House could coefer,and which should' always be, reserved for occasions or splendid merit like the present. The Earl of SUFFOLK concurred most cordially in the motion, and considered the result of the cam. paiga mote truly glorious, useful, and decisive, than if it had been achieved and teminated by a victory, however Splendid, which eyelid not have been gained but with what we could but ill spare—is considurati, effusion of British blood. The question was then put and agreed to new. it.i. Lord LIVERPOOL next moved the Thanks of the House to the Portuguese Offir,ers, dcc, ttc. acting under General Beresford, for the part they had take ;case of the campaign.—Agreed to to the other ; though his opinion occasion, was the had undertaken to attack the French :d in contributing have.been successful, it was equall• as to the merits and same object would be attained, doubt,- and which no loss, by his persevering in the de. appreciated (Hear.) This was his'opinion, as stated in Nov, ;justice to the merit the next month he wrote, that he shown . bravery of the troops la general action upon any ground less advantageous which he comm anded. - He had listened to the speech than that which he was then posted upon ; and that of the Noble Lord with the sincerest pleasure—and the enemy would not be able to make any impression his thanks were particularly due to him for the can upon him, except in the crent of some unforeseen dour which he had displayed, on this, as Off misfortnne befalling the Allied Force. Upon the every similar occasion, in avoiding the introduction December, he avowed his determination not of any invidious topics, or of those former differenceir to avoid an attack, on account of any thing that Might of opinion, which might have teudzd to mterrupt the be said in any quarter whatever, but that he would unanimity that ought to prevail on such an occasion... pursue the dictates of his own judgment. And, from There was one point, however, on which he (Lord. reasons afterwards stated by him, his ulterior deter- Grey) felt it impossible to be silent ; and that was, mination was to persevere in that system which he the apparent contrast, or contradiction, as some might had hitherto laid down for his conduct ; and that, call it, between the sentiments which he had now de upon the whole, he entertained no doubt of the ulti- I livered, and the opinions which he had expressed on mate success of his measures—(Hear). Of this he 1 tormer occasions, when the nature and policy of the never entertained a doubt, that the plan adopted by campaign in Portugal were the subject of discussipo. the Gallant Viscount was such as would the surest He was ready to acknowledge, that on the invasion lead to final success, with the least possible sacrifice. of Portugal by the French armies, and in the course (Hear, hear.) He now came to the period at which of their progress, lie did anticipate a very different the French Commander thought proper to move from issue to the campaign. Whether the reasons on which his positions : there never was a more forcible prat. he formed that opaiion had more or less the appear tical illustration of the wise and skilful arrangements , ante of probability, to support them—whether in the' made by the British commander ; t h e i nt erval o f a ^ eye of prudence they might - appear well or ill founded. few days at this crisis, plainly evineed it, if there were he would not enquire. He had a much more agreei no other proofs of the soundness and accuracy of the ble task to perform, and to express his signal grad& opinions given by Lord Wellington. Nothing could cation, that the event had not corresponded with the- 1 place his conduct in a brighter or more advantageous fears which he felt, nor confirmed the anticipations -1 point of view, than these events—the compulsory re which pressed upon his mind. To their Lordships i s treat of the flower of the French army, placed under and to the public this explanation might he of no con one of the ablest Generals France ever possessed,with sequence--to himself however, and to his own cha 'its email a loss on the part of the victors. On this ratter, he felt such an explanation of consequence "poiet l which spoke so plainly for itself, he was almost —and he trusted their Lordships would do him clphatried to trouble their Lordships with any obser- the justice to believe, that the opinions which he 'trainee. But let the present situation and circum - had formerly delivered, though now happily On- It:trivet of the Frencharroi'be compared to what it tradicted by the event, were at least the sincere and was about the same tirstiVe year, when it was ad. honest dictates of his mind, and taken up from no il liberal or invidious feeling—(dear, hear.) He had' irancing from the front** of Spain, inspired by all 'the energy which success could give it, and achieved now no hesitation to qualify and retract them ; and with a loss far less considerable than what such a this very circumstance, perhaps, gave a value to his line of operations was usually attended with. Let vote on the present occasion, which would render it the striking, the glorious contrast he consider e d .— I t probably not less grateful to him who was its object , was beyond the. power *of any words of his to enlarge and which would not otherwise have belonged to upon its ' , /altte, or to express those feelings with it, had he been one of those who anticipated suc which it impressed him. The objects attained by the cess from the greatness of the means that were Illustrious Commander in question were inestimable employed to attain it. Those who looked forward in more than one point of view—the successful bat- to success at all periods of the campaign were bound ties he had fought, and the repeated victories gained, to acknowledge the valour and consunimate skill of formed but a comparatively small share in their real the Commander of the allied forces ' • but that ac estimation ; but the experience gained , the various ' knowled g ement was still mote aniptydue front those tb lessons learned, and the consequent improvement who, like himself, did conceives difficulties in and amelioration in every branch of military sci- which Lord Wellington was placed, to be such, as to ence and operation, were considerations of incal. threaten him and his army with the greatest danger, and greatly to diminish thehopes of a successful issue , culable importance. With respect to the Gene ral to whom _ these advantages were to be attributed This was the only use he wished to Make of those re collections ant allusions, which only served to exalt it could not be said of him, as was said by the French in his mind the character of this consummate Com of old of one of the greatest officers that ever adorned . mander, and to heighten his gratitude towards that this country, that be fought at a time when all the re. nowned Generals of France were dead — that he w as skill and valour which had surmounted such forini opposed only to Generals of the second order. Here dable difficulties. (Hear.) After the able detail which , the gallant Viscount was confessedly opposed to one their Lordships had heard of the nature , h and events .of the first French Generals, and to many others on of the campaign, he would not detain tem by tee peatieg that etilogium to which all had listened whom a series of success had conferred celebrity. He with so much satisfaction. By patient perseverance 'had been successively opposed to Junot, to Soult, to Victor and others, as well as to Massena himself ! under unfavourable circumstances, and at the moment action by the skilful combination of force and the Since the earlier periods of our history, or - of our mi- of - had been in the toils ash. nem. dbi ' The Bills brought up from the Commons seep , read a first tittle, after which the House adjourrmi till Monday. HOUSE OF COMMONS. Accounts of the expences of the Army Extraorlisaries aLre ordered to be referred to the Committee of Supply. LI M ERICK ELECTION. Mr. REGINALD POLE CAREW reported from the Com mittee ou the Limerick Election Petition, that the Sitting Mem her, W. Odell, Esq. had been duly elected; Lot that tee Fetraya against him was neither frivolous nor vexatious. IItISH LOAN BILL. Mr. FOSTER brought in a Bill to raise two millions and a ball, by way at loan, in Ireland, for the service of that comma.. ...Read a list, and ordered to be read a second time on Montag. 'BULLION. Mr. V ANSITTART, M pursuance of his notice, read to the House the Resolutions which it was Ls intention to propose for their adoption, on the disci , . sion of the Report of the Bullion Committee. [As these Resolutions were of considerable length arena complexity, and as we hope to be able to lay brier! our Readers an accurate copy of them in a tew d, v , we forbear from what would necessarily be a t,-; imperfect description of their tendency.] M. V.t sittart added, that if it were thought desirable to g • time for the consideration of these Resolutions, Committee on the Bullion Report might perhaps L: expediently deterred till Thursday or Friday. Mr. ABERCROMBIE had no objection to arr delay that might be deemed necessary ; but he be‘f ged leave disttnaly to state, on the part of his HCLI. and Learned Friend, now absent, the late Chairman Horor Inch • . litary records, no greater instance of a successful train ; most determined courage, a great success of the Bullion Committee (Mr. ter), that st British t done to he or series of operations could be found ; not even per- atchieved, and as much honourdelay would be the ect of the House, and was by to haps in the more recent instance of the Duke of Marl- army as any victory could have accomplished. The means the wish of his Hon. and Learn •d Friend. . success i tse lf was en h ance d the small . borough, where success kept pace with the exertions great l y b Mr. H. THORNTON, not being aware that there , amount of with was of the armies under his command. This opinion bloods h ed w hi c h i t a ttained . — was an - y - point in the Resolutions just read by tie would be further borneout by a consideration of the cir. Had the French army been defeated in a great battleßight Hon. Gentleman, to which the attention of with the loss of 20,000 or 25,000 men, which might cnmstacces in which the contending armies were' the House had not been previously directed, saw ill placed. These circumstances were peculiarly advan. ,perhaps be nearly the amount of their losses in t h ereason for postponing the consideration of this imper• • retreat, such a victory cou ld not h ave b een 'tageous to the army of France. They were not in that situation in which the troops of the respective' without a heavy expenditure of Britishblood. In the The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER must an event, t h ere mus nations were opposed to each other in the case of the t midst of our rejoicings on suc h thought that the delay .of a single day or of two days have been many mournngs ; b ut campaign in Egypt, as was well depicted by the ' i t h e ene m y had now could not be - very injurious, and that eventually time ah "Right 'Honourable Gentleman, of whom he could •might perhaps be saved by it. He would proem ellee on ex and that at a sma ll p have i n fli cte d , +never speak without sensations of regret for his ir- wou l d Tuesday as the day of discussion, were it not that a reparable loss, or of admiration for his virtues !— the part of the Allied Army. It was to him, as motion of an Hon. Gentleman opposite (Mr. Hut- That was a case in which the British and French ar- ,it must be to all their Lordships, a source of the chinson), respecting the Military Policy dui: cons inks were opposed to each other on a clear stage, , highest satisfaction, that so much had been achieved, and yet that British blood, so va l ua bl e at all times, try, stood for that day. and left to their respective immediate resources. In ,After a desultory conversation, in which Sir T. TURTON, the case in question eircumsances were very different : had been spared.—(ifear.)--There was one topic e DG. P. Moone, Mr. VANSITTART, Mr. whichtlt7T he cou l d a d vert wit h out gr eat not to —we had to contend, not against a limited force, and cussox, Mr. CALCR AFT, Mr. TIERV.A, an' Mr. that was, the miseries that had been inflicted on the but with one, as was contended in argument by some , Time-Nl'ox shared, the Committee on the Bullion Rr• unfortunate inhabitants of Portugal by their merciless of those who doubted of final success, which was con- port was fixed for Wedneslay next, and Mr. Hut tinually accumulating—and it exhibited not a contest I invaders. Calamity was inseparable from w.ir ; and, above all, from a defensive war, where the enemy had chinson's motion for Tuesday se'unight. only of British military valour, against French mili- ~ It was understood that Mr. V ANSI ITATtee Rel4:l- Penetrated i nto t h e h eart o f c o u ntr y. The dwell -64i. , tary yelper, but of British and French militarytions would be immediately printed, and left hi t:e ence and skill—Wear, hear, hear.) At the same time : ings, and the means of the people, would be made subservient to the purposes of the invader ; but to our hands of the Clerk. it furnished a striking example of what a people can' General, no blame was ascribable for adopting mea. The House then resolved intself ireo a do, when determined to exert themselves in their own . sores, which, though painful in themselves, were ne- . COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY. defence—and it animated to successfill exertions a people unaccustomed to efforts of war ;it inured them cessary for the ultimate expulsion of the eeemy. The; Army Etr di • ' It w his intention to pr.)- x .eor names. as to hardships and privations, and though their amine - miseries which the French had inflicted in their re - pose Mr. LONG rose, pursuant to notice, to move t!ir. treat, were, from all concurrent accottets,sufficient•t pose a vote Of £627,000, to make good the d eficiea: y dance sufferings have been great, such considerations harrow up the feelings : and he trusted, that as to circumona of the grant of last year. This sure considering t.e Mould lead to results of permanent glory and adven :rage. In addition to all these, the conclusion was Lord Wellington the Portuguese were indebted for the of the war, he thought would net be expulsion of their enemies, so toll's provident caresthey regatded as a great excess . He conceived it was ee inevitable, that when such measures, as were the de served theme of his applause, were the result of libe- . would also be indebted for much alleviation of their . neves... 47 -forirint to solcoup_thoalmogaf-Illealal e i'l misfortunes. From the language held by Ministers, he ral and enlarged views, and of true philanthrope, time, he was ready to afford any explan itire t: it they formed the easiest and the cheapest way of de- trusted that Portugal was secure, at least for the pre- going into any detail on the subject ; but at the Wilt sent ; that no apprehension was to be entertained for fending our own lights at home, and of securing tuns of grants voted for Army Extrarordiueries, le those manifold blessings which this country enjoyed. Sir W. Beresford and his army ; and that the speedy mien be required. After briefly explaining the ;:i. concluded by moving— The Noble Earl concluded by moving, fell of Badajos might be firmly anticipated. In this That su m £tu t • e ,t, n , xv 7.098 cg, be granted to de" light the expulsion of the French army was to be re- the exce a ssofAtity r F c : " That the Thanks of this House be peen to Lieutenant. d d • gar e as a circumstance of the proudest nature, of bit year, front 1809 to 1810. 4 General Arthur Lord Viscount Wellington, KB. Commander General Text are and most worthy of the cordial thanks of the After a few words from in Chief of the Allied Armies in Portugal, for the skill, valour, Ii foresight, intrepidity, seal, and perseverance, so eminently dos- Great Mouse, the greatest reward which they had to bestow. Lord PALNIFIISTO: e t , r - io;dinarles not provitied far by the E; rs;s played by him in the conduct of campaigns in and for the defence and important, however, as the deliverance of Mr. FREE MANTLE, though he saw noill'nz i " l Portugal waif, even that might prove only a temport. complain of in the Estimates of this year, as t y. t. of Portugal, &c. by which he has rendered the most essential sere W. vice to his King and Country." - ry advantage; but the moral effects of such a disci's- were rather diminished in their amount from 1 ci:a i guished advantage upon the minds of the enemy's' they were last year, thought the immerse elPelc tn , Earl GREY rose and said, that the motion of the Noble Lord had his most entire and full assent ; and forces must be very considerable, while on those of which the country was subjected by its Army te . ,: n .. , .. though the Noble Lord, in the course of his speech, OUT troops its effects must be incalculably beneficial. not to escape observation. From the come.e.iicr!,.., had omitted nothing that could illustrate the nature (Hear.) From the proud and welbeereed confidence, of the Spanish contest, our armies had cost toe e In:, . that we possess commanders able to cope with and to annually no less than 424,000,000, reclusive of il.n l and extent of the services that had been performed, .i tr defeat the " spoiled children" of victory, we derive a nance, amounting in the four years to nearfecn. i yet he could not sit silent on the occasion, impressed security against any efforts that may be more imme- millions. It lied been stated last year by a M • in., as he was with feelings of gratitude and admiration diately directed against ourselves. But at the same! (Mr. Huskisson) that tit maintain let),(o3rn on towards that great Commander who was the subject , of this vote, and deriving a just national pride from time, ee al :4 time he must caution the apse against thinking that opposite side of the Channel, •wonld cost the cotries, there was no ground for future apprehenssion. lie 4300,000 per month. At the present . , the consideration, that the honour of the country had knew not what diversion n been so greatly exalted by the conduct of that distin guished tight arise of the enemy's ' nearly 60,000 men in the P en insula,and n u e h a e r e.! ‘ " ,e 7 force from troubles in Holland, or froet war in the ditian (4 these it was remembered welted _l' . c , guished General and his brave army. There were North of Europe ; with prospects of diversions in Piettipttese troops in ear p 4 it must be seen Inc, .... also additional motives of imperative force and of a those quarters, he was not acquainted ; hut when liel pele;h.tue so oce ssiene.4 co ' uld be W the CO nature personal to himself, which induced him to feel considered what effect this mei Iced repulse must have i i€ 1,0014000, per month. He did not did re: anxious to second the present motion. In proportion on the revengeful passions of our : enemy, and how i test io the Peninsula mbe terienniltied' lle .1. wished , L 4 the pain which he ft in withholding his ascent ;e much his reputation was at stake , we °nest to be I desire any alteration to be made 1 bat he littl . e I..ss t.... -tnfPrZ i opinion was, that if he the Vote of Thanks on a former French army he would pleasterewhich he now experiences equally his opinion, the hismitentapprobation for services: 'ea, with comparatively effects-of which there could be no i the defensive system.— indeed could hardly be too highly a ed in November, and in The Noble Lord had done ample ; lat he should not risque of Lord Wellington, i 1: and to the br • • • . __ ....., AI .l iti ~•:,., I I 11.' .........,1