Star. — London, England, 1809-01-20 00:00:00

aen a ship sets sail, it carries all within itself of which it expects to stand in need, but how different is the case with an army just landed on the shores of a foreign country? But it might be, that if we landed an army on his princi ples, it should stand about as still as this country did stand during the period of the last Administration, when the Right Hon. Gentleman and his friends were in power. But supposing that we had landed our army at Santander,. or Gijon, or Bilboa, or St. Sebastian, which is still nearer to the Pyrenees, I can assure the Right Honourable Gentleman that there would hAve been the greatest inconveniences, and indeed in surmountable difficulties to their advancing. This he might know from the circumstances that attended the army of General Blake, and the necessary dis persion of the soldiers from the want of sufficient means. Our army could not have taken positions there, and might now have come back ; and of all imaginary campaigns that have entered into the minds of people in this country, the most preposterous, per hips, is that of a campaign in the Pyrenees; a: least I. believe, such as no military man ever set his face to. Although the French troops were not strongly re inforced, yet they were preparing their march from Paris, and from more distant situations, and the knowledge of such preparations would not have jus tified our measures. With respect to our option of effecting a landing in Spain or Portugal, the Right Honourable Gentleman had said that our army appeared to go out to Portugal to seek its for tune. Whether the object was gain or not, I assert that it did not go out on such a principle ; but that it went to the Tagus, and not to Corunna.• —The Noble Lord then proceeded to' state, that a degree of discretion was given to the gallant Officer who commanded the British force sent out from Cork, and that the object there was founded, in some part, on the information received from Sir Charles Cotton, but which proved erroneous, that with five thousand men he could get into the Tagus, and gain all the naval means that the port of Lisbon offered to the French. The Noble Lord then pro ceeded to notice the observations which had been made on the answer given by his Majesty to the address of the City of London. He was sure that it would be difficult to persuade the City of London that it was not a sense cf public duty that dictated that answer, and that it would be their last consideration to think that there was any disrespect intended to them in that answer." Mr. WHITBREAD said, that he had no intention of answering all that had fallen from the Noble Lord, A great part of his speech had been taken up in plan ning imaginary campaigns, in order to flew how ri diculcus they would be. He could not agree with t!le Noble Lord as to the happy result of the cam paign in Portugal, although he felt as strongly as any man the glory which had been gained at Vimiera, and which, indeed, elated the spirits of every man in the country. The Noble Lord, however, must recollect, that that which was brilliant in the campaign had been announced for weeks before the Park and Tower guns had been fired to announce the Armistice and Convention. The Noble Lord asks us, " What ! would you not rejoice at the successful termination of the campaign in Portugal i" The answer, however, w.s obvious. It was impossible to rejoice at that which was a subject of deep regret—that the cam paign in Portugal should have terminated by such an Armistice and Convention. The Noble Lord had said, that the City of London had been mildly and moderately reproved for condemning without infor mation. Not to speak of the mildness or moderation of the reproof, he must sae, that it was extraordinary, :hat precisely the thing or which the City of Lon don was reproved, Parliament was now called upon to co. [Cries of hear hear I) They were then called rpcn to concur in that part of his Majesty's Speech bleb expressed disapprobation of some of the Arti c. Es of the Armistice and the Convention, without any h formation at all upon the subject 'being before the licuse. It appeared to him, that no inconsistency c uld be greater than that. He should not go into a discussion of the details of the equipment of the er r edition but common rumour reported that there was a difference of opinion between the Goveinment ;Ltd the Commander in Chief upon that subject, acd that the latter asked in vain for cavalry and 1 - .( rses to draw his artillery, and was finally obliged to buy many of them at his own expence. He could not 'kip noticing and condemning the light and fan ciful manner in which the Noble Lord spoke of our campaign in Spain. When it was' considered that one of the greatest armies which this country had ever stt in the field was now in Spain ; that it was under an Officer of the first merit in his profession, and that nevertheless it was under the necessity of retreating ; % , ben it was considered, that news had arrived this very day of Bonaparte, with an army three times su perior, hovering near it, and threatening its right wing ; and when it was also considered, that perhaps Letore the Hottse should break up that night, it Is as not improbable that intelligerice might arrive of still greater calamities, he did not conceive the Noble Lord was justified in talking so lightly of our operations in Spain. Hemustdeclare, that thg country was now corn ing to that state, wlfetherby the mismanagement of Mi nisters, or by the force of events, that party-consi derations must cease [cries of hear! hear!) He should rejoice much to find that Ministers could clear them selves from any charge of mismanaging the resources of the country, and prove that all the disasters which have recently happened, proceeded only from that course of events which was beyond their controul.— If, however, these disasters should ap pear to proceed f ona the misconduct of Ministers, he thought the House should demand condign punishment on their heads. He could not blame the Ministers for sending. e British force, in the first instance, to co-operate with the Spaniards ; but since then, they had had time enough to consider whether the sending a British army into Spain was likely to be of any service ; or whe ther, on the contrary, the retreat of it would not do a positive mischief, by disheartening the Spanish Pa triots It was now doubtful whether we had not been proceeding on false informat oa all along, both with respect to Spain and Portugal. We were not now so sure as we formerly thought ourselves, of the feelings of Spain ; we were not perfectly content with the re ception which we had met with in the different pro vinces of that country. The Marquis de Romana co mplained of the reception which the inhabitants of the North gave to the French troops, which made it sccm as if they would be well content that the French P!s!otqujtes!sy,v should conquer. Although we must condemn. the this most arduous and momentous business; for, ambition and injustice- orßonaparte, in his attack although there had been exhibited to-night a dispo upon Spain, yet the means which he pursued for the sition and inclination to blame them, yet it had not yet attainmentof his object were extremely judicious. He been settled between the two Gentlemen who were abolished the inquisition, feudal rights, and unequal Members of the Committee of their accusers, hovi taxation. This was certainly holding out some temp- that blame was to be shaped, and they had each tation to the people to acquiesce in the changes which declared in this House that they Should want time he wished to introduce. Unless every Spanish heart for that purpose. The Hohourable Member who could beemb6died a ta the cause which was now at spoke last had indeed favoured the public with issue, there was very little hope of ultimate success. much of what he had said to-night, in a pamph- There were parts of the Address which had not his let which had been published a good while since.— concurrence, and yet he did not like to move an He maintained that the observations of the Right Ho amendment. ' As to that part of it which spoke of nourabk Gentleman Mr. P. were not very distinguish vigorous and persevering exertions, he would allow able for their originality, most of them having been generally that they were necessary, riot only in con- taken from the newspapers. Where the Right Hon. templation of war, but even on the eve of negociation ; Gentleman had got his information he did not know, but if that expression meant any thing like btllum ad but his arguments, and that pretty much in the'same interlecionem, he must differ from it altogether. He, by arrangement too, had been given in the public pa no means, condemned Minifters for not accepting the pers. He had fallen into many errors which are in propositions sent from El furth, as there was no man cident to those who derive thtir facts alone from in tile country who could admit of the abandonment such species of information. He had spoken of Spain as a preliminary to peace; but what he much of the Supreme junta of Spain—that was of found fault with was, that the country was apt to run the Junta of Gallicia, and he had spoken of its pro wild with every gleam of good success. When the ceedings in the month of July, but it did not happen to Spanish Patriots were successful last summer, nothing have been established as a Central or supreme Jun was spoke of, or thought of, in this country, but the to before the month of September. He had con utter ruin of Bonaparte—and many politicians of the ''Minded the Junta of Sevelle with that of Gallicia, old school were thinking even of the divisions into and therefore all that he accused the Government of which France was to be cut up. It was miserable for *his country with on that subject, was an accusation the country to be lcd so far by every tide of good which preceded the fact on which it was alledged success. Even if the Spaniards bad driven the to be founded by two months ;—and all the errors French out of their country, they could have done but imputed to the Government of this Country on ac little more a-rainst the overgrown power of France, count of not sending an army to assist the Spaniards, He recollected, that 'at different periods of the war, k ; were errors which really had no existence, for we did had been said that England would never make not undertake to send an army to assist the Spaniards peace unless this thing and the other was given up by until they bad established a Supreme or Central Jun- France, and yet we afterwards were ready to treat ta, because until that was done there was no supreme with her, allowing her to retain those things.—e authority under which any regular militify power A few weeks after a negociation failed, we were could act, all the rest of their force was under differ always ready to call the mail, with whom we eat Juntas; but until there was a supreme authority, had been content to negotiate, an atrocious usurper. there would be none junder which a regular military He thought that Ministers were not only justifiable force could act, and our army was not to be split in refusing to treat on the terms offered at Erfruth, but and divided into parties, but was to act in one mass that they would havebeen the basest of mankind if they under its own Commander, and the' Central Junta had accepted such a preliminary. He could not, was not appointed until September, consequently it however, avoid regretting that the country had lost was impossible that we should have sent to them so many fair opportunities of negociating a peace, troops sooner than we did. As to successes, they were and that it had at length been reduced to such a foul not in our power to command, they were under the opportunity, that it could not have accepted without guidance of the Supreme Disposer of Events, and eternal disgrace. The reason that he did not ap- .without whose permission nothing thrives : it was prove of the Treaty with Spain was, that Eng- enough for all human beings to do their best. But land was bound by the engagement she had en- there were some things in which we could never be tered into, to do all she could to assist Spain if there on an equality withßonaparte.We could indeed morn had been no treaty, and she could not do any more mend reformation to our neighbours and our allies, by after the treaty. She would, however, appear some- exhibiting the superior blessings of our Constitution what disgraced in the eyes of the world, by entering to them for imitation ; we could shew them the supe., into a solemn treaty which she had no means of ful- rior advantages of such a system, in the manner in filling. - As to Sweden, whatever we might feel of ad- which we treated our soldiers, but when we came at vantage from the trade we have through that country, friends, we could not change and convert ourselves he was sure it would be much better for the poor lulu- into tyrants for making others happy. We could . bitants of Sweden and Finland that our subsidy of not convert a friendly soldiery into a domineering 400,0001. per month was removed, and that they were garrison. We know that opinions prevailed, which allowed to make such peace as was suitable to their are unfriendly to the happiness of mankind, but interests. As to the firmness and magnanimity of we could not, like Bonaparte, insist on altering such the King of Sweden, they were qualities fruitless to opinion under the pretext of establishing the happi us, fruitless to the cause of Spain, and perhaps rui- ness of all mankind, of which, after all themselves nous to his own subjects. This last consideration de- were the best judges ; and they would form some tracted considerably from their merit. He would, decision from that species of benevolence, that kind however, agree, that it was necessary for us to furnish of freedom which is written with the point of the the succours stipulated in the Treaty. He could not sword. As to the landing of troops,swhether it was avoid expressing satisfaction at hearing of the impro- wise they should have landed in Spain or Portugal, ving state of the revenue ; he could not at the same he had consulted military men, and learned from time avoid stating, that the improvement of the re- them, that considering all circumstances of that vents was always attended with an increase of the in- And place, and even supposing the interest of the fluence of the crown, and with an increasing corrup- whole Peninsula to have been consulted, without, tion of the country. He could have wished, that in the separating the interests of Spain and Portugal, but Speech some intimation had been given that the considering the interest of the whole peninsula, that report of the Finance Committee would have been the attempt should have been made where it was, taken up, and if so, whether some retrenchments might at the Tagus, and driving the French out of Form not be made. If this were done, the country would pay gal,rather than that they should be landed :n any partl with more satisfaction what was a bsolutely neces- of Spain at that period, and that with a view to fu.i sary. He should wish to hear from some Minister ture operations on the whole of the Peninsula. HE that that Committee was to be revived, a nd who were maintained, that from the time we arrived at Lisbon the men that were to compose it. At least, he should to the present moment, there has subsisted between hope, that a set of men would not be placed in it for the people of that country and our men there the most the purpose of counteracting the labours of the other. perfect harmony. Under all that has happened, he If this were done, it would gratify the people, if it had no - hesitation in saying, that the Tagus, and not could not relieve them. He did regret that nothing Saint Andero, was the place for us to embark. He had been mentioned respecting our relations with knew there were some Politicians who thought that America. The same infatuation seemed now to pre- the whole British army ought to have landed at Bil vail with respect to that country, that existed in the boa, and form the Siege of Pampeluna, which was time of the late American war. There were the same the perfection of ridicule, yet such were the persons taunts, the same sarcasms, and the same assertions, whom the Right Hon. entleman had got to assist that America could not do without us. He must de- him with information. As to the objection which had precate a war with America, as being likely to be been stated to our entering into a Treaty, and the much more injurious to us than to them. The Right wishes which had been expressed that we should con- Honourable Gentleman (Mr. Cassneo) had, to a fine ourselves to an engagement, he thought the one proposition most just and reasonable (as appeared to as binding in honour as the other, and therefore him), returned such an answer, that accommodation there could be no objection to the one where the seemed at an cud, and the American Legislature al- other was equally binding. He had indeed read most unanimously resolved u p o n s hutting all their somewhere, that a distinction had been taken betweew rivers and ports against our trade. What good had a solemn promise and a serious promise, but it was resulted from our Orders in Council? The French a distinction which 'he did not understand. As to armies took the field, and wanted for nothing, al. the omission of America in the King's Speech, he had though we predicted that we could ruin them by de- always considered that, unless some fact had pricing them of medicines and colonial produce. He occurred to change the relative situation of the two hoped, however, that the subject would again be Countries, there was no communication usual from discussed in Parliament, and that they might be able the Throne, nor did he know of any information to find a way to heal those Wounds which the Right of which Gentlemen were not already in posses- Honourable Gentleman had inflicted. sion ; but the Honourable Gentleman who spoke Mr. Secretary CANNING then proceeded much i last, had treated the subject of the restriction at large, into all the topics which were contained in I of the Orders in Council, as a measure entirely be the Speech from the 'Throne, and also into all the tween America and England, whereas it was a mea observations which had been made by Mr. Ponsonby l sure between Neutral and Belligerent Powers. Here and Mr. Whitbread ; some of whose observations he he justified his own letter to Mr. Pinkney, and main-I maintained to be at variance with each other He tained that America had always treated us as the admitted that as great a cause as ever was trusted to aggressors, and France as the retaliators of aggres human discretion, had been put into the hands of his sion in the proh;bitory measures of theirs and our Majesty's Ministers, he admitted also , it was their duty ' Orders in Council ; but that was asuring the whole to make the hest they possibly could of themeanswhich fact. had been put into their hands; he admitted further, I Mr. TIERNEY replied to every one of the ar that they were not impeded in these means by any garments of the Right Honourable Gentleman, who opposition to the measures they had ad o pt e d on this preceded him • and contended, that what he had occasion, but that they had met the entire coocurrence , said about landing our force in the Tagus in prefer of the Country; he admitted also, that in the manage- I ence to going to any port of Spain • and as to our not' inert of the means which had been put into their hands , I sending am troops before September, after there had they had the greatest responsibility that any Ministers been appointed a Supreme Junta, Sir A. Wellesley ever had incurred. But, although they stood in a i had offered 10,000 to Spain in the month of July.— situation of responsibility the most awful that ever was And aetoNmen'arii the Right Honourable Gentle attached to men, he did not feel that they stood in a t mar l 's letter to Mr. Pinkney would be the sole cause state of accusation ; for he did not understand that I of a war with America, if that calamity, which he any thing which had yet been said against them was I dreaded, should befal us. L,otherwise than of a general nature, but that there was Mr. ROSE, kin. justified his conduct in America. Enothiog specific proposed; and, therefore, he was en- Mr. BARING, junior, disapproved of it, and re titled to say that it was now a dmitted, or a t least k mined his former ophirions on the subjects of Embargo was not dunied, that Ministers bad done their best in and Orders in Council, Mr. A. COOPER said a few words with regard so the horses with our army in Portugal, and alledged that Mr. Whitbread had been misinformed on that subject. Mr. WHITBREAD adhered to his statement. After several explanations between Lord Castle. reagh, Mr. Ponsonby, &c. Mr. Alderman COMBE justified the conduct of th e City of London in addressing the King on the Core vention of Cintra • said the Answer they received wa s unworthy of his Majesty, but worthy of those who advised him. Mr. HERBERT did not choose, by voting kr this Address, to be considered as precluded from cen suring Ministers, if their conduct should appear to deserve censure. The question upon the address was then put and carried, and ordered to be prepared. Lord H. Parry gave notice of a motion to-morrow or papers of Inquiry on the Convention of Cintrz. The CHANCELLOR of the Exenitouza gave notice, that to-morrow he should move an arrangement of private business ; and on Tuesday a motion for re newal of the Committee of Finance.—Adjourned r twelve o'clock. THE EVENING ST AR. LONDON. FRIDAY. JANUARY 20. PRICE OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLocr. Consols, for money. tasiutry 664l—Reduced 6S if. Osmium if dis. Yesterday morning, from nine o'clock to eleven, 2 tremendous firing was heard at Dover, in the direc t tion of the French coast. The atmosphere was so hazy that the cause of this occurence could not be ascertained. It is now some weeks since the public were first informed, through the medium of the Spun, of a Re. volution at Algiers. By the arrival of Dutch papers to the 11th instant we are enabled to lay some more of the particulars before our readers—also some far. ther intelligence from Constantinople. The report of the French having entered Portugal, which we yesterday mentioned, was brought to Ply mouth by the INTELLIGENT gun-brig from Lisbon. What credit it may deserve we have not the means of ascertaining, but it was not doubted at Lisbon when the INTELLIGENT was tent to England with the news. The French, it was said, had proceeded down the Tagus without meeting with any opposition from the Portuguese; and were expected to be in Lisbon before the Intelligent could reach her destination. The NONPAREIL has arrived at Falmouth in ten days with dispatches from Cadiz; bur from that place no late accounts can have been received relative to Sir JOHN MOOReS army. THE ARMY. Yesterday, the wind having shifted a little, tilt Artillery and other troops following General SHER- Baooxt did not sail from Spithead. A -most important change in the disposal cf ou: Militia is about to be effected. All the English Mi. litia Regiments are to be sent tolreland, and the Irish Militia will do duty in this country. Every effect,is to be made to raise the military force of the country to the most respectable footing, and Ministers have determined upon opposing an armed nation to any attempts at invasion. FALMOUTH, JANUARY 17.---Arrived his Majesty's ship NONPAREIL, from Cadiz, la ten days ; the ship Anna, Britian, from London, for the - West Indies, with damage ; and the ship America, Cor.nouns, from New Brunswick Aast ft.om Torbay, from whence she was driven in the late gales., PLYMOUTH, JAN. 18.—. Came in the Hope French lugger privateer, of about TO tons burthen, captured the 12th inst. off Cape- Barites, by the SPARROw• HAWK sloop of war, after a mart chase, during which she threw all her guns and spare stores overboard to facilitate her escape. She belonged to St. Vallery, had been at sea 18 day% and raack one capture, a sloop laden with provisons, from Limerick, which vessel was recaptured the 11th inst. PLYMOUTHDOCK, JAN. 18.—Arrived the Foxhound. Sailed the Cheerful cutter, Lieut. Carpenter.—sk mi litary officer of rank, accompanied by a messenger, arrived here express about ten o'clock this morning, and instantly went on board the Cheerful, which sail ed with them immediately for Corunna or Vigo. PORTSMOITTH, JAN.l9.—Arrived his Majesty's ships BOMBAY and LEVIATHAN (part of Sir R. STRACHA.x s squadron), from the Downs ; the remainder are ex pected to-morrow. Sailed his Majesty's ship Batt.- WANT with a fleet under convoy for the Cape of Good Hope and the Brazils. His Majesty's ship CLARINDA is gone down to the Mother Bank, and' will sail to morrow with the fleet for the East-Indies. - - Dovrtft, JAN. 19.—Two line of battle ships passed here this day from the Dowses for the Westward , : The rivers in Holland are frozen, and that no ves;c... can now approach near that coast for the ice. DEAL, JAN. I,9.—Sailed last ever.ing for Ports mouth the Leviathan and Bombay, and this morning the Saturn, of 74 runs each ; the rest of the squadron are expected to sail this evening or to-morrow morn ing.—Sailed the Wild Boar sloop with a convoy to the Westward.—Arrived the Fearless guubrig, from a cruize.—Wind S.E. fresh breeze. CORN•MARKBT, MARK -LANK, SAL 20.--The Mar ket this day is much in the same state as on Wednes. day—There are tolerable supplies of Grain in gener.ll, but from the impracticability of vessels unloading, the Thames Navigation being totally stopped, scarce any business is doing and our prices, as quoted on W ° needay, are again considered nominal—The stocks flour are plentiful. LONDON : Printed and Publlsheiby LEVEL KENT, of Car. tottery Place. Lambeth, at the !ITAL.°, TIM No. 1, Cater meet. Pebbled also it the STAR-Of Mita Temple Bar. • a e 0 i. to ip 's. N, cr !Li v. :h to a :h d. ii Ps od to ;ed •ts- ron , rn- to out Lan r.ll, the any 'ed. s of :ar.• 4ey: