The National Register. — London, England, 1811-04-28 00:00:00

I. THE NATIONAL RF,GISTER. Ministers had stated to my Lord Wellington the amenity of st turinz, Portugal, but this direction was substantial,/ lirdited. to the strength .and fastnesses of Lisbon, where, tiiseilt t al/NJ:mud. • her salvation. His Lordship, accordingly ventured flu further than the frontier of Portugal, waiting to take advantak,se.4if any occasion favourable to his views; and yet, while he was eniploy ed in dettending the banks of the Coa, he was not km assiducius* in strengthening the banks of the Tagus. When he retired to astron, it was done in order to compel the enemy to eLhatist the country upon the produce of which they had designed to subsist ; the enemy chose not to attack him there. Casualty, as connected with the success of my Lord Wellington, was the most untast species of criticism that could be made upon that Noble Lord, whose plans had been formed from in the first— and formed actual contemplation of the experienced re sult. [Mime the Right Honourable Gentleman referred to extracts from certain dispatches from Lord Wellington, cor roborative of this portion of his epeech. j Ministers were told to thank their stars and be quiet; but he, for one, while he thanked his stars—it he was to thank them, and while he thanked God, since him he did thank--must still proclaim the merits of the distinguished Commander who had bets' the means of working out this deliverance!—(Hear, hear, kear!)—Let them revert to the advantages accruing from it, as affectiug our .alhes, the result of the campaign afforded the chance of at least another year's struggle for their liberty-. as to ourselves, we had the satisfation of reflecting that Britain, after a long and ::rdous contest with France, never stood higher in mili•ary esti mation. Our Generals, who had out-generalled those of France, and troops, %Aso had subdued her's, were now ready, should die worst come, to repel the invader from our shores. Nur would the lesson he lost on France, though time alone could disclose its effects :—still it was not possible that the world could last long under the tyranny of its ruler; and we, by assisting the Peninsula, might, under Divine Providence., be the means of t:upporting that spot where France would receive her death wound, if not find her grave. This was the feelieg and the lanp,uage which we were not unauthorised to cherish and to hold; and he therefore called upon the House to give its thanks to those who had placed us in circumstances which emboldened es to talk sush language, and to feel such feelings.—(Hear, hear, Lear!)—.. Ile character of Lord Wellington would be embalmed in the memory of posterity; it was a character to which no de s,:ription of his could render justice; it was one which the his torian would delight to trace, in better and happier times, and which it would be his ambition adequately to delineate, and extensively to perpetuate.—The Right Hon. Gentleman (kir. Perceval) concluded by moving. the Thanks of the House to General Lord Viscount Wellington; and to the Officers, and the Army, serving in Portugal. Mr. CANN! NO (thsequestion of Thanks being put) rose, ex pressing the pleasure which he had anticipated in having the honour and happiness to second the motion of his Right Hon. Friend (Mr. Perceval), yet he was in doubt wht the: he had not better leave the question with the mover. Ca s es occurred in which it was equally difficult to speak or to be silent. If, not withstanding, he still felt inclined to trouble the House, he was induced to do this in consideration of the means by which the country had been raised to its present high elevation. He beg ged, therefore, to observe to the House,that it was not any single campaign for which they were called upon to vote Thanks;—it was the consummation of two years of indefatigable application, and, this, too, under discouragements from th ,se who might at least have suotained his spirits.—(Hear, hetfr, hear !)--W hen Portugal was originally selected for the theatre of our military struggle with France, it was owned that great difficulties lay in the way of our success; and that, in proportion to the magnitude of those dilicultlee, would be the honour of a auccessful reault. It was natural to picture the situation of my Lord Wellington, who, after the fatigues of the day, harr.sed by the enemy, yet looking home for sources of consolation, and meeting there with nothing but calculations as to his miscarriage and prognostics of defeat! One could not help imagining him saying , in the solitude of night,—"l will not use words, but my deeds sh a ll speak for me." If there was in history any character to be a imired, it was this description of character.—( Hear, hear, hear!) -p his struggle had been made, inui made successfully, and had com pletely counteracted the hitherto too prevalent notion, whether some eternal fatality had not, as to us, separated the trident from the sword.—(Hear, hear, hear! 2 —lt was not merely the salvation of Portugal, but the exaltation of Great Britain, that had been effected. NVith our command over the resources of Portugal, and our present ascendancy over th e s p irits of itsin habitants, we had every thing to hope tor. Great diversity of opinion had existed as to the mode in which it was best to assist the Peninsula: some were for aiding with money and supplies, though others going turther, yet nut far enough, were valiant enough to make demonstrations, or diversi o n s, on its coasts. Coast expeditions he understood when undertaken against an enemy. but he tlought them ridiculous ‘‘ ben meant for the 261 . assistance of friends, on whose shores we were permitted to and encouraged to fight.—lt was of infinite i!'iportance., indeed, had, in tin, struggle, perfected cm - military character; laid that, i:: doing this, we bad given to the enemy a sample ut what his ti• ?pa might hereafterkripect itt our ha'tds —a sample that was not likely to encourage them in their famous project of invading this land. The sal , • that our arms had accomplished for our allies was also of ousider . able moment. He wishe.,!, utv , rtheles.•. that otner woggles should not be unadvisedly undertakeil to Holland). since premature resistance was likely to terminste only in perpetual shivery. . Too sudden r ~• ••istance to Lire des. putism of France was' in such a case to asVadirig to more dreadful results. It was better fee -plc to res,Arv.e themselves in that moat Hopeless state 6.1 things, for a more fa vourable opportunity. He trusted that the noble conduct top Lord Wellington would be held up as a Model.worrhy of imita- • tion tothe other quarters of Eurcpe, which were treVenbeiow the despotism of France. That tenipz-Lance of valour, that pm dent forbearance, that conciliatory andthat humanity of warfare, were lessons to the Continent ; and glorious war rants for ourselver, that wherever we should have occasion to send my Lord W , iidigr.ou, the like bright success weuld follow on the Sal'.` ry.tem of warfare. They promiat us that when ever we :..ay carry our arms, either to the assistance ofdiatressed kingdoms, or in the closer cause of our country, we shall find ourselves iinfrovid Dy-the example of a Wellington. • General .7 arletoti. general Fur;olson, Lord George Gren ville, and j.lr . eonsonby, - said a-few wores. After which the Motion was put and agreed to, aniid loud and repeated cries of —(Hear, hear !),..from all sides of the House. The. CLIAN C &WAR also moved. " That the Thanks of the House be presoate'd to the Por tuguese Troops, o!Ecera and Men, ;il - vii,L; in the Army of Gen. Beresfielr,whicli w.is agreed to•ntet..criit. The Vote of Thanks was ordered to be drawn o'it and cent munic;Aed to my 1 Wellingtota, and to the Of : cera and Sol diers under his command. '1 he Army Extraorditl-ries were then voted, and,. after some routine business, the elm's:: adjourned. SAII LIRDAY, APRIL 27. TIIP SrF a. K F K having counted the !,11. , ,ibers assembhql at four o'clock, ;And only fourteen he!: 2 ptbent, the ;louse adjourned till Monday. RELIEF OF THE PORTUGUESE. Wednesday, a General Meeting was iseldsat the City of Lon don Tavern, Bishopsgate-street, for the purpose of netting on foot a subscription for the relief of the unfertunate sufferers in Portugal who have been Flat dered and oppressed by the French armies. At half past one oiellck, John Whitmore, Esq. ws called to the Chair; who opened the business of the• l`sleetleg, and, after several prefatory obs,:rvatio.tut, remarked, t hat.the oh ject which he and those who neat :I him conteml,:ated, was one that recommended itself most itoi)resdvely to the attention and the sympathies of all men —To depict the dls:resses of the Por tuguese was far beyond his powers '• .11. e wants of the whole coun try were extreme; thousands of t.:tched Individuals were without clothes, food, and every other cornmai. ne:essary of life. He was happy to 'sod that thvobject for which they were assembled was one .in which no political difference of opinion existed ; he therefore trusted that that s.:irit of bentficence, so eminently cortipictious ariongst the Pritish people, would not expire without some prac . icat extenew , of its blessings to these p;t,.:b'e objects, whose sufferings had etched their sympathy.— Mr. Foster and Alde man C. Smith- caul a few serliGs, atter which Mr. Warm-, late Consul a' Oporto, Moved severat resolu tions, for entering it:to a svbsr!..pt.io4l for the purposes staled; and appointing a Committee to te)licit doration,, and superintend the application of the same. After the thanks of the Meeting bad been voted to the Chairman, books were optsted, aitd up wards of 20,000/. hat already beim subscribed. The front of the house in South AuOley.stre et, inhabited by his Excellency t' a ie Portuguese Ambassatio, . was t-,.t Thurs lay n.ght most brilliantly tllutr•tiseted,to cci'brate the cxpul , 'o.: of the French amy from Port utal. A fuperb r•-tv was on the obtuse angle of the pediment, and .;m1 f...Acto is, and various figures, formed by variega:ud -. -,rodticed a luminous effect, seldom seen ill Cie inetropo:is. tae centre appeared the ar.: - Is ci the Prilce of l'ortvgal. The etiel'l was supported by i.nd surmounted by the ernwn. .hove all, on a scroll, with el% and laurel leavt:s entwined, were the words, 66 Johannes, Lusitanz, Princeps." Underneath, in a scroll. " Patria, numor. , '