The National Register. — London, England, 1808-10-24 00:00:00

OCT. 24. bIH ARTHUV, WELLESLEY'S DIESENCE. This General has circulated among a few select friends a statement, authenticated by his own signature, detailing the late Campaign in Portugal. Ile assumes the motto of .S'uum cuique f and solemnly repeats the declaration, so frequently made by his friends, that he had no participation whatever, directly or indi redly, in the councils which lcd to the late Convention. Atter the battle of Vimiera had crowned our brae troops with victory, Sir Arthur suggested to those sent to take the command, that it would be highly judicious to take up an adrenced position with the v.hole British army—and he ac cordingly pointed out the most eligible locality for that parpose. This suggestion was not acted upou, and, in three hours, the French troops, with a rapidity of move ment peculiar to themselves, had occupied the point in question!--The description given of this position states it to have been of such a commanding ; nature, that an advan- Ligeous attack could have been m ade from it at any m'- meat, upon upon the French army. Om the subject of Sir Arthur's signature appearing to the mignial Convention, he remarks that he was ordered to subscribe his name by his superiors in command, and that bis refusal would have been a breach of the articles of war. The de:inclination on the part of his superiors to follow up his suggestions, excited apprehensions in Sir A. Welledey's mind for the fate of the contest.. Upon the occasion of the Couveatioa being presented to him for sitnature, he did Weinnly protest against it, in the name of the British army, which he had a few hours before led on to victory ; he now repeats this protest to his friends, and boldly challenges his enemies, to prove his assent or participation in the tern's granted to Junot. The - terms of the Convention, however,ita, hip opinion, do nut seem to warrant the animadversions so coptously te stowed upon it by the public feeling. Ile ascribes to party sprit the abuse bestowed upon those who signed it, awl upon himself in particular. In reply to what. has been ad vanced against setting :Junot and his army at liberty to march against Spain, Sir Arthur observes, that we had, at the same instant, a much more numerous and better ap pointed army set at liberty ready to act in Spain at a mo. :tient% notice, and without having to watch over a numerous body of prisoners of war in Portugal. lie Justifies the terms granted to Junot with respect to landing his troops in France, upon the principles of magnanimity, awl calls iu the law of nations in support of his arguments. He proceeds to state, that 38,000 meu, with a well appointed battering train, would have been requisite to have bombarded Lisbon with success, and that the army so emploed would have lost twice as many men as the-be sieged, besides the massacre to which the inhabitants would have been exposed. An allusion is made by Sir Arthur Weßesles in the con clusion of his addre s s, to a newly-inventei method of attacking our enemies, which was kg tried in Portugal with the moat wonderful eftects. This et:mists, we believe, in a new military projectile, invented by Colonel Shrapnel, And hence called the Shrapnel bombs." They have been alluded to in'several privateletters from Portugal. MEETINGS TO ADDRESS HIS MAJESTY RELATIVE TO THE LATE- DISGRACEFUL CON VETIOZI IN PORATGAL. —.0811• Thurui,y a, MeOrg wits c . onveried In Weitininster min, to consider of ms Address fts ilh Polalettty, to promote a fnll'inVesti gation of the causes which led to they late Convention in Portu gal. A platform itrai erected for the Speakers,--and at one o'clock Air. Sheridan entered the Hall amidst loud shouts of ap plause. Ile was followed by A. Morris, Esq. the high the lion. M r . Ma t h ew, Mr. if ishart, of (loventry-street, Major Vartwright, Messrs. Thompson, West, Mills, Roberts, Gibbons, tKigt, kawtiu, Clark,man j Jeoistion, Brooks, Pace, Puller, ,L REG: and other public characters. The business comment..a by the High Baililr readin. , the requisition %igned by the inhabitant.. after altielt he stated the purport of the meeting. Mr. T. Ntii,hart then proceeded to move an Address mid Reso lutions, which he prefaced by a speech to the f01i0.% Ing pur port : - - - - C TLEMEN 111.4 there is no person at this Meeting-tut holds it to he the bounden duty, tic well as the rig 4 ts nod Pri vilege of the people, legally assembled, when events have oc curred by which well-grounded hopes of compleat success have b-en blasted, or the high honour and distinguished character of tte nation has been tarnished, to address his Majesty, that a Full and efficient inquire should he made into the CaUSV4 of the disaster, that those implicated in it, however high their situa tion, if found guilty, after a fair trial, might be brought to speedy disgrace and punishment. Impressed with the idea that the late Convention in Portogal was a trauma. Lion at once mys terious and disgraceful, I joined several of our Fellow-Citizens in signing the requisition to the High Bailiff, for the pin-pose of your being assembled here to take into your serious considera tion that transaction in all it, points and bearing-, that, after mature consideration, you ,nn adopt such measures and psi such resolutions as the imperious necessity of the case may require. —Mr W islit:rt entered into a review of the events w Will led to ih.! Conveution, paid many deserved compliments to the troops employed, and then observed—the moment was aus picious fix our ancient and faithful All v, auspicious for all Europe, and our Ninistry ordered large bodies of troops, origi nally intended for other services, to he sent to Lisbon. Whether any unnecessary delay took place in their sailing, or whether a more proper de tical ion might not have been thought of, it is not our iosention now to inquire ; ti,at may form a subject of serious discussion in another Assembly, which, unitittimatel, is not now sitting. After a delay of some time, perhaps occasioned by petty jealousies and disputes for patronage, our Ministry, by a fatality unaccountable, appointed to the command of nits gallant army a General totally unknown to military nine-. I am not inclined to dispute that he might have done very well as General of a district in peaceable or quiet times; but you is ill agree with me, that it requires very ditirrent ingredients to form a parade and a fighting General. !mired, he with great can dour soon informed his_ employers, that he was totally un fit for the appointment they had given him, and entirely ignorant of the concerns they had entrusted to him.— Whether the failure arii•es from the inaliilitiec of the Genet-41, whether from the proper instnirtions that %veil. VPIr, or whether from want of cavalry, battering 'cannon, and proper stores, is immaterial ; in any of these eases a fall and eli'ective inqUiry necessary. Gentlemen, the Citizen; of London have presented an Address to His Majesty on this subject ; it is couched in warm,. hut certainly constitutional language. Ilui . as to the Answer to this Addre,s, as a warm w ell-wisher to the House of Ilanover, read it with regret and surprize. 'No friend Of that Illustrious Family but must read it with sorrow ; to I heir enemies if eta . - mies they have, it must be matter of tritonph and gratulation Many here present have lived in other times ; the late Kittg% Minister , did not dare to advise him to return such answers oti the unfortunate miscarriage at Minorca, by Admiral Rya , - George the Second participated in the feelings of hiS People; when his sun Williatn, Duke of Cumberland, made the Cori. vention of Closter Severn, which reflected disgrace on the coun try, he would not see him tin his return from Germany . ; and , though his victory at the battle of Cullodon had finally settled the Crown nu the heads of his family, he was dismissed from all military employments. 1 doubt nut that he felt as a rather, but he acted as a King. Perhaps our Statesmen thought that this. Answer would prevent future Addresses on the same subject, or strangle them in their birth, or that many might he deterred from attending the 'Meetings for fear of incurring the Royal dis pleasure. lam happy to see, from yoar numerous attendance, that it has failed in this respect ; and I trust that this subject, aided by this Answer, will rouse the freeholders and inhabitants itt all parts of the kingaiont to come forward, to inform ilk Ma jesty of their sentiments. I shall therefore beg leave to submit to pour attention several Resolutions on the subject, and which I hope will meet with your approbation. Mr. Einnertycomplaitted that the Resolutions about to he moved were inadequate to answer the end proposed. The only way to produce - a satisfactury investigation, was to address ills i Majesty to Convene parliament.. A Court of Inquiry could oily ; discover, military misconduct, and as it was probable that Mi 'nisters might be implicated in this diq., , racefal Convention a Milit,try Tribunal was incompetent to answer the end of jos- - THE NATION: \ a '4 , 6 . • • 6 \1• - -..i