The National Register. — London, England, 1809-12-10 00:00:00

DEC. TO. THE NATIONAL REGISTER: sviis, did it not speak volumes ? And he asked how there could be a greater condemnation of Lord Chatham than what was contrttt►ed in that extract ? if he could be indifferent to such an attack, be could not divine of what sort of stuff the Noble Com._ slander most be made.—(A laugh.) But a cause was assigned for his Lordship's standing still for a fortnight, and not coming even then to a determination. It appeared that he was terrified into this magnanimous irresolution, " on account of the increas ed force of the enemy." It turned out--but take his own des cription, it will answer my purpose, said Mr. Waithman, a 3 well as mine could, for the. same Gazette • that contained Sir Richard Stachan's extract, contained Lord Chatham's dispatch from Bathz. In this he says, " that the force of the enemy in this quarter, distributed in the environs of Bergen-op-Zoom, Breda, Lill°, and Antwerp, and cantoned on the opposite coast is not less than 33,000 men :" but in the interim, that had been lost, what had been done against the army of ship-car penters, invalids, and custom-hoase officers ? He contended fbr it, that there was not in the whole an efficient force of 13,000 men and yet such to be the result !—But reports had gone abroad with respect to Sir Richard Strachan, that were in themselves another ground for inquiry. Sir Richard who he believed to beas brave and as intelligent an officer as any the country could boast—% hear ! hear 1)-4 was said that this man who feared nothing in the shape of an enemy, had found something for midable:a the frowns of a Cabinet Minister; that he had been induced to go back from his forme, t r sentiments upon this subject, and had thus proved himself deficient in that fortitude which never had forsaken him in fighting the battles of his country. Whether these rumours were well or ill-founded, still as they had existed, it was but justice to Sir Richard, as well as to the Commander in Chief, that an inquiry should be instituted.— After one year's amount of Income Tax had been squandered, at a time when we were bending to the earth beneath the weight of taxes—and how squandered ? In the destruction of the flower of our armies. One of the books written on this melancholy subject had stated, that at one time we were hurrying two hundred and fifty men a week, and that at one period 5000 out of 15,C00 were sick, and either kept upon the island, tir thrown like so many blocks of timber into our ships; and yet were we to endure this tamely ;—were we to gaze on in a stupid apathy, and make no efforts to redress our wrongs aa remedy our disgrace, by demanding, in the name of the coun try, an inquiry It this last disgrace would net rouse us from our torpor, ruin alone could do it ; and we were only fit to be slaves and nothing else. When such scenes have been passing before us—scenes that even in fiction would excite our commis seration—atid when the public behold them with a listless in difference, more melancholy than even the misfortunes them selves, are we not to assume our station in the country, and at such an awful crisis make the City of London give the public tone to the rest of the Empire ? With respect to that part of the Amendment that related to the call of the Parliament, it was against his wish that it was put into the Requisition; for, from what that Parliament had already done, he confessed he hart no great hopes from it. The Constitution was in every man's mouth ; but hewished to know what they meant by the word, if they did not mean that a power of check and coutroul was in the Cl/1111110M House of Parliament, and a responsibility at tached to the servants of the Crown; but if that coutroul was no longer exercised—if that responsibility was done away, it was idle to argue about words. In Parliament he wished the wink of Reform to begin—in Parliament he wished it to end. Ile wished to add one word with respect to a charge brought against him as to his wWI to cry down public men. God for bid ! he should be anxious to create a general distrust against all public men more than any other; but, when he saw public men turn round—when he saw the same men condemning the Income Tax, and on their coming into power agggroving of that Tax—when he saw Lord Grey standing on tairles at taverns, calling on the people to be earnest in the cause of Reform—nay, even complaining that they were not sufficiently earnest in the cause—stating that in 1191 ; and when he has seen that '.loblr Lord turning round, and complaining of the cant of Reform— w hen he has known Mr. Pitt to have beep a strenuous advocate for Reform, and recollected what he and his followers after wards proved, he could not think it unreasonable in his enter taining distrust of such professions. He concluded with mov ing-- " That an humble and dutiful Addressand Petition be present rd to his Majesty, upon the present deplorable situation of .Public A claire. •JI, • Butubly represcutitig to his Nia,;nl7 our grief a4t4 iadioAtion ft 785 at our late unwise, ill-digested, ill-conducted, and calamitous Expeditions, by which the blood and treasure of the realm have been scandalously wasted, the character of nnr gallant army ex posed, and its numbers reduced by pestilence, fainii;e, and dis ease, more than by the sword, without accomplishing any 11111.• tional object. " That while the people have been suffering under the pressure • of accummulated evils, bis Majesty's 'confidential advisers. re gardless alike of the sufferings of the people and of the uonour of their Sovereign, - and insensible or indifferent to the dangers and impending fate of the country, haNe been ei..aged in the most contemptible squabbles, intrigues, and cabal s, ' that ever disgraced the Councils of any nation; and as iiisreputable to his Majesty's Government, as ruinous :tad dishonourable to the country. " That while we forbear to enumerate a long tr►inof internal grievances, we cannot but attribute to such a series of failures and calamities to the corrnptions and abuses of the State, and the consequent want of a constitutional Parliamentary comma( over the Public Expenditure and the Ministers of the Crown, whereby the responsibility of Ministers appears to exist may in name. " Humbly praying, that his Majesty will be graciously pleased to assure his loyal and affectionate people, that the object to which their wishes are so anxiously directed, is neither to be abandoned or eluded; and that his Majesty will be pleased to institute a rigid, impartial, and general inquiry into these great national misfortunes, into the plans arid instructions upon which those Expeditions were undertaken, and into toe conduct and ca pacity of the Commanders to whom they were entrusted. Aad in order the more effectually to prosecute these inquiries, to be seech his Majesty, without delay, to convene the Parliament." The question being put, Sir William Curtis entered into au in genious defence of the Expedition to the Scheldt. lie contend. ed, that great wisdom had been sheen in the plan, and could not see that any disgrace had been reflected on this country by its failure. With respect to the Noble Lord ss ho co,nmanded the Expedition, he was convinced of his honour, and felt assured that his Lordship would be the first to court enquiry, if there was any just or feasible ground of complaint against him. As to the final issue of the Expedition, it is as clear that Hu blame could be attached to the -Noble Lord. A Council eas railed, who were unanimous in their °pillion, that nothing further cou!Li be done.—The worthy Baronet paid just compliments to the army and navy, but dwelt much on the strength of Flushiliz, anti he int prudence of attempting any thing ulterior till it was re. doted. He considered Walcneren more important than Gibri.l - or Malta, and conceived his Majesty's Ministers ought to be called to account if it should he evacuated.— )—The Hon. Baronet concluded by moving the previous question. Mr. S. Dixon seconded the previous question, and supported the propriety of postponing any measures of the nature propured in the Address till the meeting of Parliament. The Question vsas then loudly called fur, and the' ourt divi ded.—On the previous Question. For the Question, Aldermen 9, Tellers 2, Commoners 56-67. Against it, Lord Mayor 1, Alden:leo 4, Commoners 63-6 S. Majority 1. A. division then took place on the Address, In favour of it, Lord Mayor), Aldermen 4, Commoners 61 --;-66. Against it, Aldermen 94/ Continoners 54-63. Majority iu favour of the Address 6. . EAST INDIA INTELLIGENCE. Advice, were on. Thursday received at the India House, of the arrival in the Dowas of the Lion s of 64 guns, with the Bombay East-huliaman, and tl.e Upton Cattle and Lord Castlrreagh, country ships. The Warley, another of the convoy, parted cute. pany on Monday last, in a gale of wind, and then very leaky. The whole sailed from St, Helena on the 11th October. We are sorry to learn, by this opportunity, that the French cruisers continue as successful in the Indian Sea, as if there were not a single British pendant in that quarter. Out of four extra ships that sailed from 184ngal, two, the Europe and Streatham, were captured by the French frigate Caroline. in the B ay . — The Ocean, which was in company, escaped, and proceeded to Prince of Wales' Island with the inteiligeuce. The Carpline, instead of uthoriag her pri Zeit under the batteries at t tie Isle of Bourbon, is said to have been compelled to run ashore there, by some, of the squadron that is employed in the blockade of O. Mauritius. The i•bip reported to Ititve keen lost iu the flepgoi