Star. — London, England, 1810-02-02 00:00:00

tbi irivi :h 0 n tl .-frirjrn W. ..,.. j t lr Jer tilc c ommand of General Hill. The manner in wliich that attack was repelled, and the enemy re- I at the point of the bayonet, was well known, as 1 F,, ; :he s ubsequent defeat of the enemy, and must be in the memory of every one. Every part of the I operation was characterised by corresponding skill and ti.: lour; and it ended gloriously, ended in a repulse, and in a complete victory over an enemy double the nu mber of our army. The Spaniards afforded little As sistance in this battle. Whatever might be thought o f it here, no doubt was entertained as to its merits 1 in Spain;Portugal, and he might add in France. I t wa s an achievement that called - for the best Thanks d the 'louse, and he wished an Honourable Gentle. man opposite, who was not then in his place, would consider how well he might exert that eloquence of which he was in so eminent a degree possessed, by doing justice to the skill and valour displayed in that ac c ort , and calling on . the House for an unanimous to of thanks to the gallant officer by whom it was ak.hieved. He would wish to recal to his mind what so ably urged, when moving for thanks to the General who gained the battle of Maida, when he so deeply impressed on the House the importance of ray i n g a proper degree of attention to the encourage ment of military merit. That merit such as was shewn in the plains of Maida had been exemplified in t he fields of Talavera. The two actions were simi lar, and he hoped that Honourable Gentleman, feel ing that circumstance as he did, would concur in ca lli n g on the House for that honour which was so well deserved by the conqueror of Talayera. The Right Hon. Gentleman concluded by moving, es That the Thanks of that House should be given to Lord wellington for the distinguished ability displayed by him on the 27th and 28th of July, 1809, in the glorious battle of Talavera, t eL.-h terminated in the repulse and defeat of a superior enemy." Lord MILTON rose to propose an Amendment, r,r.d began by expressing his opinion of the gallantry of Lord Wellington ; but at the same time could not admit that he was entitled to the high honour of the Thanks of the House for his conduct at Talavera— an honour which would lose its value if frequently and indiscriminately conferred. He would not take upon him to question even the skill of Lord Welling ton in the battle. It was not a sufficient ground for thatking an Admiral, who had run his fleet on shoals, that he had with difficulty saved it from that perilous mation, neither was it sufficient, on the present oc rl;:en ; to skew that Lord Wellington had extricated birn,elf from his difficulty at Talavera, unless it ap peared that he was not brought into that situation by r.r.y n:isconduct of his own. This was, besides, Lt a repulse. Lord Wellington did not attack— b.:: was attacked. In a General Order issued by I:is l'..lajesty's Military Advisers, it was said, that the French made a precipitate retreat; whereas it ap peared, from Lord Wellington's dispatches, that they retreated in good order. He asked what Mini sters meant by blazoning this battle in terms dif i;rett from what the dispatches of the General war ranted ? He rather thought it proceeded from that feeling prevalent amongst most Administrations, which led them to consider the praises of the Gene ral as reflecting a sort of lustre on themselves. His Lordship then paid the highest tribute of applause to the conduct of the inferior officers and troops on that occasion, which he thought glorious to the British tame. But he rather imagined that the General fought more for his own perso nal glory than he ought to have done. This had said of the battle of Vimiera, but he had not joined in the opposition to a Vote of Thanks for that battle. But if he could have been aware of what had been explained by the battle of Talavera, and other circumstances, he should cer tainly have then paused. Lord Wellington seemed to have fought too much for his peerage (Hear, hear,) than in his opinion a good and prudent Commander should have done. Did the night Honourable Gen tleman (Mr. Perceval) mean to say, that the House was to lay out of consideration the fact, that so great a number of our troops were left on the field of bat tle, and that MOO of our sick and wounded fell into the hands of the enemy ? Was the retreat of our army not to be considered, and the singular circumstance, that it had not resumed active operations since the battle ; and the no less singular circumstance of no dispatch fmm the General having been published since that of the 22d of August, from Truxillo ? The Viole seemed to amount to this, that the General had g , t into a difficulty, from which he succeeded in ex tricating himself; but if it was blameable in him to have got himself into such a situation, he did not de serve the Thanks of the House. He moved there tore as an Amendment, that the motion of 'Thanks to Lord Wellington be set aside, and that one of Thanks to the other Officers and the Army be substi tuted, with an addition, expressive of the regret of the House, that the army had been compelled to re treat: that 1500 of our sick and wounded had fallen Qto the hands of the enemy, &c. Mr. VERNON rose to second the Amendment.— lie also expressed his high respect for the military .iancter of Lord Wellington, to whom the country Zm'aighly indebted ; and his country might also to future advantages from his zeal and activity. "e adverted to the absurdity of imputing to himself aid others a desire to throw reflections on Ministcrs, '1 refusing to thank their officer. If private honour, aid a sense of public duty, were not sufficient to pre 't'et them from doing this, policy would prevent :-ell—since nothing could so effectually disgrace !la as their own actions, public and private. (Hear, ".;r.) tie could not contemplate the valour of the '' i rny without ad m i rat i on ; b ut i n p ro p ort ion as he ittitired the valour of the army, was his regret, that it should be unprofitably employed. Lord Wellington, r* said, might have learned better from the recorded ePinion s - of Sir John Moore, and from the losses the loty of that Great General sustained in Spain. Lord weilington had not the excuse for entering Spain 1,11:eli the other had. Lord Wellington had no offi -6011, s and i mpert i nent i nter f erence to encounter .— Lllear, hear.) He was not insulted in his own camp `, l Y.an authori se d F renc h man . (H ear , h ear .) H e bad not to encounter the directions of a rash diplo matic, or any candid ate f or a Sp an i s h M argu i sa te.- 1 (Hear, ilear.) The Honourable Gentleman next ad ,erte, d to th e c i rcumstances w hi c h b roug h t on t h e hale of • ralavera, and contended that these were the l erY circu mstances wh i ch would have been avo i de d t l a wise an prudent General—so that the House ' , as call e d upon to thank Lord Wellington for hay t'g extri cate d hi mself with great loss and di ffi culty, "lithe consequences of his own rashness and im- P 4l dellte. It had been said, that the Frisch armies ifadeid, Thielit— t° 150martne filidianktd his troops. Lord Wellasston had no resu td the object he had undertaken, and the object:l: d e march appeared to be illustrated by a passage in Ha dibras, concluding with the lines.- " To put die nibble in a lune, And keep disk Cavemen from lime." It had been said that Lord Wellington relied on the co-operation of Cnesta and the Junta. But why did he so ? If the Spanish Government had acted in a manner calculated to inspire confidence up to that period, the excuse would have been good. But the Junta, it was well known, had, on the contrary, act ed with almost incredible stupidity. The Honour able Gentleman next adverted to the state of Spain, with a French army in the interior, commanded by a host of the ablest Generals, and no military resources of any consequence opposed to them, either in the abi lity of the Government or the character of the people. The people had not a constitution in which they felt an interest, and could not fight for freedom. Reli gion often made people fight ; and the Honourable Gentleman instanced two kinds which had that ef fect—that of the Fatalist, who believed that march ing up to the mouth of a cannon did not accelerate the moment of death, and that of those who consider ed dying in battle as a species of martyrdom. None of these was the religion of the Spaniards. He, how ever, paid a very handsome tribute of applause to the defenders of Saragossa and Gerona • but contended that the general character of the Government and people of Spain was not of a description to warrant us in sending armies into the interior. A different conduct ought to have been pursued on our part ; we ought to have sent arms, money, and troops too, pro.. vided they acted only on the coast. The mode of warfare calculated for such circumstances required the Fabian caution, rather than the rashness of a Fla minius or a Vara. Mr. M. MONTAGUE defended Ministers, and vindicated Lord Wellington from the charges prefer red against him. It would be unjust to refuse to Lord Wellington those Thanks which had often been given on occasions greatly inferior to the brilliant affair of Talavera. The effects of the Expedition he contend. ed would be beneficial to England. It would hate been well had no party feeling opposed the present motion. Such conduct would not be grateful to the country, and Gentlemen, he firmly believed, would find themselves deceived if they expected thus to in gratiate themselves with the people. Mr. LEMON supported the Amendment. General TARLETON never rose with more anxi ety, as he felt himself bound to oppose the Motion of Thanks to a brother Officer. He then entered at some length into the circumstances which preceded, followed and occurred at the Battle of Talavera, and contended that, in any point of view, it was not a victory that deserved the Thanks of the House. He likewise adverted to the Battle of Agincourt, and the victories of the Duke of Marlborough, and pointed out the circumstances in which they differed from the , Battle of Talavera ; exposing the absurdity of com paring this repulse to those great triumphs. It was not a victory, because the enemy remained in sight ' after it, occupying a position at the distance of half a league. He characterized the 'Report of Lord Wellington as vain-glorious, partial and incorrect. General MATHEW called him to order. _ General TARLETON was sorry to say any thing unpleasant to one for whom he had a respect ; but, if he had been out of order, the Speaker would have checked him. He concluded by paying the highest compliment to our army, which had not onlyexhibited the highest possible valour in the battle, but had been eminently distinguished for the strictest discipline during the whole of the arduous difficulties with which they had to contend. Lord CAST LE R EA GH took a very comprehensive view of the whole of the operations of the British army under Lord Wellington. He contended, that the first great object obtained, was the acquisition the Spa niards had, in getting the possession of the command of the Tagus. This acquisition not only afforded the advantage to the Spaniards of that possession, but was fully within the spirit of his instructions, as defending the frontiers of Portugal. The Noble Lord, in a most concise and impressive manner, proceeded to state the progress of that army ; first against Souk's army in the north, and after his defeat against that of Victor, until the hostile armies met at Talavera. That vic tory he epitomized as one of the most splendid upon militarj record, combining the highest personal he roism, with the most correct and systematic observ ance of all those principles,which those best conversant with modern warfare had uniformly acted upon. Mr. WHITBREAD congratulated the real friends of Lord Wellington upon having found in the last speaker at least one sincere defender of that gallant General. Up to the period of Talavera, he (Mr. W.) was always inclined to consider him as a distinguished officer ; but in appreciating his claims to the Thanks of Parliament upon the present occasion, it was im possible to cast the veil of oblivion over the effects which followed. It was impossible to forget that though his gallant brethren in arms were the partici pators of his success, that they were also the victims of his temerity. The Hon. Member took a view of the whole campaign, and in answer to the Noble Lord, contended that the movements of Lord Wel lington neither tended to advance the interests of the Spaniards nor to support the reputation of the British army, even putting out of the question the particular disasters of that battle. Colonel L. CRAUFURD expressed his decided conviction that the Vote of that House was never more justly deserved than by Lord Wellington. General STUART, in a manner which excited the approbation of both sides of the House, stated certain movements of that army in which be had the honour to have a command, which in a peculiar de gree illustrated the resources of Lord Wellington's mind, forced into certain unexpected circumstances by the course taken by the Spanish armies previous to the battle of Talavera. Mr. WINDIIAM observed, that he felt it his duty ou this occasion to differ in opinion from those with whom he usually acted, as he meant to support the motion. That the action of Talavera was a victory was generally confessed, was actually undeniable ; and although a retreat followed, he could by no means coasider that circumstance as a reason for de , preciating the character of the achievement, because upon that ground the victories of Agincourt ond .1 tilt *Wu 111166 Frail the it feidased g enerally' sense arouli Elton. men be disposed to quarrel with his General MATHEW was also an advotate for the motion, and was happy in this opportunity of ap plauding the conduct of his gallant Countryman. Alluding to Lord Castlereagh, the Honourable Offid cer expressed a wish that the Noble Lord should not, for his own credit, and for the benefit of the country, ever again become a Minister—for his own credit, because the Noble Lord from his display of this night,. seemed more capable of eloquence in another situa tion—and for the benefit of the country, because it never could conduce to that end to have that Noble Lord invested with any power in a free Government. (4 loud ery-of hear, hear !) General TARLETON explained. Mr. PONSONBY was adverse to the motion, but yet he had no wish to press the question to a division. Mr. CANNING spoke with considerable ardour in favour of the motion, and the merits of the Noble Lord to whom it referred. Lord FOLKSTONE stated his objections to the motion. Sir T. TURTON, after some observations, recom mended the Noble Lord to withdraw his amendment. The question being called for, strangers were ex cluded, but we understand that the amendment was withdrawn —Adjourned. THE EVENING STAR. LONDON. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2. CANDLEMAS DAY—Holiday at the Bank, Exchequer, and Stamp-Office. PRICE OF STOCKS YESTERDAY. Bank Stock 2761 2751 276 India Stock 1871 186 1 3 per Cent. Red. Ann. 681 68 Insp. 8 per Cents. 671 3 per Cent. Cons. 67H Imp. Ann. 7 3-161 4 per Cent. 841 84 Exch. Bib, 7s. Its. 4s. pre. per Cent. Navy 99H/ . State Lottery Tickets tn. 15s. Long Ann. 1817-16chs Consolafor Ace. 681 68 The papers wanting to complete the series respect ing the Walcheren Expedition were yesterday deli vered to the Members of both Houses of Parliament. We have continued our extracts this day. The fate of Holland is at last decided, and in a way more conformable to the wishes of the inhabitants than they were before led to expect. A Gentleman who left Amsterdam on Saturday last states, that the determination of NAPOLEON had been made known before he came away ; that Holland is to remain an independent kingdom under its present Sovereign LOUIS NAPOLEON ; but Breda, Bergen-op-Zoom, and most of the other frontier towns in Dutch Flanders are to be annexed to France ; and that in return France is to cede to Holland her part of the Grand Duchy of Berg, including Cleves, toge ther with some contiguous towns in Westphalia, border ing on the Dutch frontiers on that side. The kingdom of Holland is to pay to France all arrears of contri butions or taxes due by the ceded territories, and also one million of guilders as a consideration for the forbearance of France in suffering Holland to retain the rank of a kingdom. A few days before the real determination of NAPO LEON was known, a rumour was circulated at Am sterdam that a decree had arrived annexing Holland to France. This report excited no small degree of alarm, and a considerable mob assembled in conse quence, and drove the guards of King Lows out of the 'city. There was' no bloodshed on this occasion, the guards being too few in number to offer any re sistance : order was restored as soon as the real in tentions of NAPOLEON were made known, and no ap prehensions remained, but a little uneasiness excited by fears that this event might probably cause some change in the Emperor's sentiments towards Holland. By the same vessel which brought the Gentleman above alluded to, a confirmation has been received of the confiscation of all American ships at Naples and in the ports of Spain now in the possession of the French ; and it was generally expected that similar measures were about to be adopted in all the ports of France. Advices were yesterday received from America, but they are not so recent, by thirteen days, as ac counts already in possession of the public. The letters have a hostile aspect, but if we may credit the latest information from France, a war between the Repub lic and that country is just as probable as one with Great Britain. Letters were also received yesterday from Jamaica, brought by the NIOBE frigate. They are not of a re cent date ; but they bring considerable orders, and are accompanied with considerable bullion. We mentioned yesterday that the people of Cata lonia had adopted the expedient resorted.to in Galli cia to raise men and money ;4, we now find that the means employed have been effectual, and that 30,000 recruits, and two millions of dollars were collected in a very few days. By intelligence from Bilboa, we have the satisfaction to learn, that the towns of the province, of which it is the capital, had been deserted by their youth, who had fled to the adjacent moult. tains, from whence they annoyed the enemy on every favourable occasion. The Accounts from Malaga are of a different complexion. They speak in very desponding terms of the situation of that part of the kingdom. , ralatpuTß, tAIItrAILY 31. Th. Rana, vimillitt. If lo:12, woo sae In hire tote*. bealagboom pleated Ira the Oland witlisat to lad oe Wird. PLYMOUTH, MX SI. The 01~ bit it war- whish I brandied lo my letter of yeaterdayi le mad Perign i en, a ham vessel of her els q, and one title has dens masidemble to British commerce. She was taken by the AMAZON fitises. Calends Partaaa, after a bog chars ol *Wards of thirty lestan, in which the privateer threw most of her guns overboard ; she is pierced ibr IL She bed table three prime Ear* her last alive, which she had soot for France. Came in, the Dupy Truitt, French primmest, lilt* apes red; she bad taken and sent foi Franco the fellewlos dip 116naventare, Provider/ice, Eandatiod, 10, and the Maria ; :he lat ter ship has been reeked. Arrived the Riser and lens, and,rhe Concord tenders, with impressed men and volunteers for the Navy, from Dublin ; and the Sister. Paovurancs, of and for London, from Tenerilfe—captarad by a French privateer, and recaptured by the Futurism sleep et war. ,POItTSMOUTH, FEB. 1. Put back the Aeration man of war, with the Hon. H. Wet- Laster on board, bound to Cadiz. Sailed the Ttttan sloop of war on a cruise of Cherbarsh.--Whill Si W. DEAL, FEBRUARY 1. 'Came dews Sun the River the Et* mist dr war, and the **to. The Hanoureble ComPany's ships Alfred =lllp ull ithemeene, for the East Indies, wish a Gees of tooshaseus t s, are now turning through the Gulls for the Downs.—P. S. The Ganges East Indiaman has reached Dover, but on account of the thickens of the day, she will not come into the Downs to-night. FROl6LLoirres LIST. GRAVISIND i Frs. I.—No arrivals. Sailed the Brothoch, Tstosarsotte for Lisbon; and the Old Friends, Dicer, for Cadiz. Orders, we understand, have been sent off from the Admiralty to Admiral Rowan', at Dublin, to disband 'h.! Sea Fencibles there. We have reason to believe that this order is general, the enormous expence of this part of our military establishment having rein. detrd the measure necessary. The flag of truce which carried Prince STAHREN• BERG to Calais, has returned to Dover. The Prince was received there with the greatest respect, and every accommodation was given to those who accompanied him, as also to the Captain and crew of the vessel. Lieutenant Slums has been appointed to his Ma jesty's ship MARS. A late Inspector of forged Notes in the Bank of England, and who has been very acAife in prosecu tions and convictions for forging and tmering, has been in confinement for some days, charged with ut tering some notes of the Wooton Basset Bank, in Wiltshire. which had been stolen on their way to town. He has undergone two private examinations before the Loan MATODe The folloiting is the Finance Committee as it now stands Mr. BA NW Mr. H. TINOINTON Mr. Isirsotn.ru Mr. S. Boots E Mr. BROCIDLN Mr. N. CA LVtivr Mr. CATINDIIIII Mr. Coma Mr. T. Ifimenco Mr. Siniume Mr. MlLlers Mr. C. Eu. 4 Mr. Praia Mr. GIDDY Mr. BAsixtrtbx Sir 1. NewroaT, Dart. Sir G. Wmtacassaa, Bart. Essex ELecnoti..-State of the poll yesteiday— For Joati Aac*u Hovimoir, Esgi lit day • 663 Id* - *IS 1161 For MONTAG° BURGOTNI, Esq. ht day 191 2d day 76 267 Majority is favour o Mr. HOLMAN 890 Etlousn CATHOLIC MEETING.—In calling the at. tention of the people of England to the following mast temperate and seasonable resolutions of the English Catholic Body, we are sure that we shall gratify all the sound, liberal, and enlightened part of our readers. They will see in these resolutions the spirit of pure and loyal attachment to his MAntery's Throne and Government, mixed with the most mild assertion of their claim to an equal participation in the blessings of the British Constitution : LONDON, TESIMAILT 1, 1810. At a numerous and most respectable Meeting of English Roman Catholic Noblemen, Gentlemen, and Clergy, held this day, at the St. Alban's Tavern, the Right Honourable Lord STOVaTON in the Chair, the following Resolutions were yang mouldy adopted: Resolved I—That &eases% Catholics of England are subject to several penal and dhabling statutes, which have the most he• mill:thug and depressing operation upon them, and by which they are reduced to a sta t =stitical degradation, highly injuriess to their country and 2—That arrived, as the United Kingdom is, at the aide elks fate, unanimity amens s 1 dames of his Majesty's subjects is most essential for the pressrvaden of the Empire, and that nothing caa produce that uni, but an equal participation is the rights, privileges, and thos of the British Constitution. s—That tie Peddes, doted by the Roman Cathie, of leg► land, fur the repeal tithe's statutes, be presented to Peellansent. 4—That Earl OSZT be repented to present the sere In the House of Lords, andthea the Right Honourable WA% irMino sax be requested fie the same to the House efamemuns. s—That the E>tgil Low Catholics, is sickles the ages tion of Parliament to their Petition, are actuated, sot mom by s sense of the hardships sad disabilities under which they Moor, than by a desire to secure, on the most solid foundation, the peace and harmony of the British Empire ; and to obtain air themselves opportunities of manifesting, by the most nth, MP. °ono, their seal and interest in the ammo cause be dole country is engaged, for the maintenance of its *,dens sod inde pendence ; and that they are firmly permadod, tied provision for the maintenance of the civil and religkee meats of this kingdom, may be made, •slimindy I*k-the strictest adherence on their part, to the tenets and dedpibee of the Roman Catholic Religion. And, that any arneqjmnt, founded on this basis of mutual satisfaction and security, an ox tending to them the fdlenjoyment of the civil constituden of tide country, will meet with their grateful concurrence. (Signed) Brett/TON, Chairman. Last week an Officer of the Royal Staff Corps, alraitcd upon the Military Canal from the Lock near Rye to Hythe, and returned the same day (a distance of forty miles) in six hours. The Drawing approsches, and time flies ratiay, but Tickets sell Wirt trip Idly than time flies, and scarcity produces dearness; who than Cm liatinne at embracing the present moment for se curing a Shore is the golden prospect which Fortune presents? These undeniable truths Csarra, No. 8, Charing-Cross, thinks it his duty to impress on the public attendee. CORN MARIERLT, MARI•LANR, L—To.day the supplies of Wheat are considerable ; excepting fine, bales are at somewhat less price ; fine Dant:lg, 308 s. to 110 s. per quartet—ln Batley and Malt little variation--Wlthe Peas likewise—Grey and Bans, of the two kinds, at the late reduction in price—of Oats the sop % plies are maiden' le, and this trade also at the late reduction— Flour at our last quotation. OZWESAL CURISNCT AS V INDSI . Wheat, 6ss. 84s. 965. Beans, (old) 50s. 56e. Fine ditto, 104 s. 1060. Tick ditto (old) MK Sib. Rys, Cis. 411 s. Oats 17s. 20s. 445. Barley, 375. 464.0 d. Poland ditto, 465. Us. Od. Malt 745. 83s. Potato, ditto, 324. Od. Fine Floes 86s. 90s.—Seconds 804.855. loam anode/ so sitjtaA rip l ia rjst victory rta df tat df mars vat; ia•T thass a whale go of sugar out_ the ittiportintt am* of 'valour which red to oar own pm* and to Europe. .trI'LETON Mmred on the same side s g a wish that his Right Hon. Friend would • rather consult his first feelings than the re. of his understanding, and then few men of I , 1 • •