The National Register. — London, England, 1809-02-26 00:00:00

tift kATIOIk7AL REGISTER. he Would not have suffered that communication to have passed over without animadversion. . . . , An explanation ensued b e t ween Mr. Whitbread and Mr. Per ievit s in the course of which it - was finally Agreed, owing to de 1. Ys in pointing, that the charg es against the Duke of York ihould not be tak en i n t o consideratiim before Wednesday next. plos meta of all her resources, to fight the battle as a substitute for Spain, to become her Champion, and not her Ally. As to the general character of the course adopted by his * Majesty's Ministers, with respect to assisting Spain, I must mo. , t posi tively say, that / conceived it to have been dearly pointed out by all the public feeling, and, as far as it could be expressed and collected, by all the public opinion. It was a very preva lent fallacy to judge of the Spanish people upon English ideas and notions? The Spanish people wanted no political -reforms, and it certainly did not become the English to impose them, The English were not conquerors. The main question with his Majesty's Ministers was, was there any grounds for believing that the pe o ple were zealous in their own cause, that they were animated azaiust their invaders : his Majesty's Ministers made these inquiries, and they had reason to be satisfied with the re. suit. I have often understood it as one of the favourite maxims of Opposition, that a country united in itself was invincible, and that nothing could resist a people in their own cause. Sir, the Spaniards Were an united people. I cannot consent that this country should voluntary take so low a rank amongst military nation:, as to tight by her money rather than by her arms—to subsidize a nation rather than become its ally. shall not enter into a further detail, as I conceive I have suf. ficiently answered all the Hon. Gentleman's arguments on the point of delay. If the delay was any where, it was in the Central Junta. The English soldiers would not be debarked till they had obtained the regular permission from the Central Junta. It is, indeed, too true, and a most melancholy truth it is, that the Spaniards have suffered .the greatest misfortunes—that her armies have been routed, and her best Generals defeated ; but I cannot persuade myself to enter into too free a criticism as to the cause of these disasters. If he really thinks that the British arms were so disgraced in Spain, if it be his real Opinion that the disgrace of the battle of Vimiera can never be wiped away, and that the battle of Corunna will re main an indelible disgrace on the recording annals of the court, try, if such, I say, Sir, he his sentiments, I can only express my astonishment at his way of thinking, and congratulate mys..lf that I so widely differ from him. General STEWAr.T and Mr. Go tr tnrcast opposed the Motion, which Was supported by Lord Milton. Mr. CANNING, rose amid universal cheerings, and in a most ominous speech replied to the statements and arguments of Mr. Ponsonbv. A long discussion then ensued, in which Mr. Windham, Earl Percy, Mr. Hutchinson, and Lord Temple, pressed the Inquiry, Sir Ponsonhy having replied at considerable length, the House divided, —For the Motion 127—Against it 20—Majority 93 Adjourned. TO OUR SUBSCRIBERS AND THE PUBLIC. !OMAR PREMIUM Tbe continuation of these Clerical Criticisms will be imme, diately resumed. Temporary circumstances alone occasioned their sii . spenFiion ; and on Sunday next March the sth, I propose myself the pleasure of attending to the numerous enquiries of those who seem interested in my opinions on subjects connected with our common religion. I shall also have some acknowledge- ments to make to my correspondents. February 25, 1809. ONESIMVS. We have been induced to omit, through respect to the public feeling our Drdniatic Strictures; and the destruction of the Theatre will excuse our not adverting to the merits of the last piece that was represepted there—T/ e Circassian Bride. We are still . obliged to postpone till Sunday next our obser. vatlens on the British lostitittion. A Poitttiit dF THE DUKE OP YORK, . . Engraved by Scriven from .a .masterly Painting by Sir Wil•I Liam Beecheit 1$ NOW READY FOR DELIVERY The Charnettr Of His Itoytil Ili,ghness i§ written by One ' simbs. . The Port!.lit Tay . bg . , y .ilke Iltircbase• nt of itie:gAribNAL ni:OSTEk Otihis`criy and ro=filiirid*. 116 47 7vord'lrr',"o"" ..... , • • FEB. 26. FRAUDULENT OFFICE, THREADNEEDLE-STREET. • The CItANcELLou of the EYCcITEQUEn thought it would be in the recollection of the house, that when the lion. Mem ber (Mr. Wardle) first brought his charge against the Duke of York, he had mentioned that there was an office in the city, in Thretidneedle,street, where preferments were to be obtained through the inftueuce of the Lord Chat c 'for, the Duke of Port land, and, he believed, himself. lie continued, a gentle man accordingly had some interviews with the agents; and they falling very readily foto the trap, he gave orders to the Solicitor of the Treasury to supply the gentleman with any sum of money that might be . wanted t o b e l o d ge d as security at a banker': , . The consequence was, that the transaction proceeded so far that he parties have rendered themselves amenable to a criminal roseention, and Me.srs. Coleman and Keeler, Mrs. Harvey, and ganker in the city, had been indicted for the offence. . Mr. IlirsKiSSoN stated, that Watson was the name of the Vanker, and that he was a partner in the house of Mes3rs. Sikes, Shaikh, and Co. CAMPAIGN IN SPAIN. Mr. PON' SONA, agrecably to his previous notification, ex patiated at largenne very ably, on the conduct of Ministers with rirspect to Spanish Affairs. At that moment, (said Mr. Ponsonhy) when .every other power had bowed submission to the yoke - that country; Which France esteemed as the firmest of her allies and Whom she deemed the m os t 4ubmisSive of her dependants, rose with unanimous consent to repel the encroaching despotism, and Spain, so tong sunk in apathy, made one last struggle to free herself from /he usurpation of France, and applied .to this country for assistance. No Ministers ever entered under such favourable 4ud such auspicious appearances on the .ext cation of their pfficial tinges; party spirit was extingaished; and there was pot to be found, throughout the country, a man who would eipress. hut on e op i n i on , name l y, that the powers of Lugland should be directed in the most effective manner to iyakds the service and assistance of the powers of Spain. But it was their duty, before they applied the wealth or force of their country for the prosecution of any project, to have well understood the . real situation of Spain. Ministers were responsible not alone for the means to be exerted fur the assist qnce of Spain, but also for the defence of England. They were pot . alone responsible for the money to he expended, but they were bound to take into their consideration the state of that country ift relation to any other country in Europe, and to as certain if it was capable of resistance against the powers of France, and in what its resources lay, And they were not to *,eaken the means of their own country, unless they were sure pf having the means of efferlizig the salvation of Spain. . Not withstanding a, British.foree found its way to Spain,. Mat:rid flcapitulated to Joseph Bonap ar t e , w h o , a f ew d ays b efore, had ed from it in disgrace. Do not these circumstances imperiously call fur inquiry, why a British Army so applied, where it could fie of no use to our Allies, and of no injury to our enemies, to do nothing, bar raise what did not want to be raised, its own eoararter for invincible bravery, Why after the Capitulation of Nradrid to J. Bonaparte, was it deemed necessary for the British army to advance to attack the French ? Was it in cousequenee 4, any other persons offering their interference, ordid she instrue tioes come from home ? Mr. Ponsonhy insisted upon the necessity ascertql,:ing the causes which led to the countermanding of the first retreat ; of tracing to their sources the misrepresenta tions made of the Spanish people ; and of obtaining returns,- as for as possible, of the losses sustained by the British Army. Ile pmcloded by pressing the necessity of immediate inquiry into tite Muses, conduct, and events of the late Campaign in Spain. front) CA;T LER 6u:ft.—Sir, why is a Committee of Inluiry neerksary to decide upon any of the points which the Han. Gen tleman' has produced ''he Hon. Gentleman . has made a corn. p laintto the "louse, that his Majesty's Ministers !lave no other • . oc l npation pat to keep the Tullis in the dark. I must trust,. that the IlitifSe will never concur iii this notion of the: 116481ritbia path must doubtless he acknow- Vti , gerr as the her Own war. The caus e wa g: 04( of in the fit'Sl iii;tanee, and in the first degree !Ind of I. l ll„•ritaiiii only - rela . tli , rl4; apapescea e,q • tier ~ inll%, No rap ti va g : th'af if wits in Hie power of Eligland, even by the eni- 104 {.t~ ~`:'