The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1808-11-23 00:00:00

1 ciple of the evacuation of l'ortugal by the French, and the twitieetivis, 114.11.0 made to the details. Hia reitio34 for itivisiee4 the pritocop:e of the French eva cuating Portugal arose limn his conviction of Ow many powerful ad vaottuges „Inch at that inotneat the French army hod in Portugal. It 1.1 ptatseasitio o: every position, - which, in a ltliiiL!ty view, could coossidered. It 164 garrisons la vatious ,fosts, particularly u stream : o;o:6e in that of Liras, which may be desigauted a fort of the seeoutl order, in the elescreptiosty oh 5t04,41 04 fortiCal enteuations. There wits cvuory folcihis for the eutquy to t;loo eu t.nota sions fur the supply of these gettrisenc , . •Cheoe was amet the facility to the enemy of taking ads outage of the Mission squadron, and the t.oats which it had in the Tagus. to hive crossed that river. %Vim thei the ulterior object of the expedition to Portu gal would not he considerably retooled by such a contingency, he nook' leave to the co:aside:netters of the Board. Thus fur a,. respected the operations iu tee power of tit:: enceny. It was nee.t to cone:oiler the st:te anp . prospezts of the British army; The. suds of the wencher ol that coast was at all thetas pre etrions. On the Val of Augnst there was uatr ih , ven dare' bread - for the *irony. Tone could or had beets gat in the cutaatry, escept a Ain ill *luau tity left behind by the le'rench, in some position* from which they had hastily retreated. The army of Sir John Moore could 'ono have completed its debarkation before the end of August, nod it WAS nut probable that the British army vowed he able to tura that of the French, to an; of it. positions, be-" fore thc"lape at least ten days. But . Lveu if it *ere p-s.sible for the British army to have c.. , .osseet the Tagus, and to bare invested toe fortress of Elves, by a regular siege, it must. dudrig the period of the 'neve:sante:at of that place, have &- prowled for its fatitplies ine a attune:hat akty suites distant, whilst it con;o1 not evrect to be in posies shot of Ebner before the e:ed ut Deer:llller, , Con thrrefore, that the 11,111C10U4 KOthOlf Zits Nlajesty're Governmout cud of the Spanish people was, tiptt a prnlipt fivl • 2.1110 . ms co..opera tiou bet6ceit the Brush troops and the Simaish . . . armies alsosadtaket.hiee.. be.clid conceive diet a measure., which ardente* :14,00a British soldiers, • and released to their romitry'a cause 10.0. x) Span- WI troops, peesseesel saris edvautege, :11l MON that) eolnktleated for' the return to France of twenty thotwond men, even though tied. tree should be forwarded tit no very remote , 'retied to . the *Pyre nees. • lie might bare been -mistaken-hi his, • epeculatiotts; but •tlt fat Weft. the :fasts? Thug the Spanish 'lesion cniasel cites • very •arlvin - tars. It hill the tesssisenstioit of a Windt ann.:, trill toonxt 'wave troops reattire.l. UP•itla thee ' hotielta, it ha.] the cn-operation of the army of este% mutant, enneiPting ptliwipally tif cavalry, equipped front the stores which were iwuw.l on the evacuation of Cie French from Elyse, whilst not a . stogie loan of the Frelleil al'lWy• which, units/ Jn ..... ' • not, had evacuated Portugal, has or eau yet have entered Spa n. but eve.., if such consequences lusl lint iontntliatAy fuilowe I the evacuation of Pottage! by the French. was there not a para!let cans 111 the CllllVelltloll brio/ten Dmiceit nod (;c -bend Casitinott, by which the "'tench defeated force were hot prevented front serving agaiii aLlaiiist Spain, on their retorts to France ? It was certainly desirable, no all 04:1.41.1011,1 of ellopitlllatiOn lietw eeu hostile armies, that the catiny should he forced to lay down their ann.; hut in order to apply th a t principle to a very litrticuler case, it was necessary to take a view of the history of all tinnier winds have been compelled to submit to that necessity. Seth armies, it would he 1 . 01111E4 wire either ur. In it .;; ronudcd by intinbero, iii possession of cominanding military positions, or iters actually oithout pro visions, or the powilalitv of rec.tiving supplie:.— Bat in Portugal, the I .. retieli were in Ipep.e.ion • of the strotig positions. They had thetr maga zines, and were in no want of provisions. Let the situation of the garrisoos of Aftilitidria aunt Cairo, at the tune a Ilritisli t!ottohniAer Ford concluded a situiljt Convention, be cottrilast ed, and it will helper's that the French arart• id Por tugal, at the period of this negotiation, hail ntinte nms advantages *WA* these trarrisons heed not.— . lie stated these as his MINORS for toter:wing and edvtsing the print vie of the Prediction. In the . (titan.; them were twine dart:rem:es of opinion, particularly oil the duration of the tiir.e for a suiplonvion at the lou.tilitier.. and on Ihr arrauge nreiit with reppPet to the li.tit•sitei iih,...s in the Tagtui.. In stating these pints of titaerence, he ',remised, that elthongli the narrative of Sir Hew Dalrymple adrertvd to the hi.; !ii ells icier lie enternuned, and the peculiar votaidetwe he stns 1111;:1 , 014 to ~fare in him ttiir Artlinr), he had still renonn to bel'eve, and iodeed lie presumed the Ct4tet 'would form the sa:ne opinion from other Meets of Sir licw's 'randier. that that (*Aker was peepnlittel aguit:st hint front the time of Its laud • i ► ns t e in I'orttur•il. Perhaps, to this prejudice he eight attribute their not ctalicitling ou particular stipulations of the treaty. It was true, that on the atntnent of General Kellermitti's win/awing towards the British army, as alarm abated in the soap, is • •oeuselpieste of a Portuguese officer Ive..og re portf,t6.tliat . tart ad b4p:.:0.0 4 ( . thg . french t;tlicer;a . escort tipsy tlir. advance .•; Cie whore French army. . Whew General Kellerto vs arrived, Sir Hew Dal _ . _ . rytople M lnlllll,llted the °Nett of that 011ieet'a :suasion both to him and to Sir Harry Burrard.-- : Tilley all had attended the diseits.loti of the as rmixement. It was partici:lady reeoinroended by . (tine Arthur Wellesley), that the suspension of hostilities should be hunted to forty-eight hours, aml that she general words private pre. pert'', as irernliierri by t:eneral Kellerman, . :Mould he considered extetalittz only to militate/ Isiggsge sort equipments. The great point of discussion was the stipulation which referred to the flossier: fleet. The main argument with him was not to alloa the interference of the French at all us to the disposal of that squadron. It was the proposal of General Kellerman, that it should b e allowed a start of four hours, to sail unmolested out of the Tagus. Trio rrmilt was, that for the f wer t ent that article was.witielmwo, but was afterwards r e . intros - laced by General Kellerman, with the acqui escence of the Coutmititler-its-Chief, under the Brovilicio that there should be a reference toihe ritish Admiral. Of this treaty lie (Sir ArtLar) was cwHed the. netraciator. The adv:ce lie had Riven constituted the dime, if it was any, and for that alleged crime wad he then before the Besril. He however was forced - to observe, that if the , vice which he had given subjected him to diagret7e and puiiisliment, it was impoasible to overlook Lie strange dileinua in which lie, a subordinate officer, was placed, for affording that advice cud coutiael which he was called upuu by his superior officer to give. Sir Hew Dalryiuple had, in his wirraiive, sited, that General Ketierinun had observed, as reusou why he (Sir Arthur) shoald sign the armis tice, that his name Was inserted iu tiw titk. lie was afraid that the recollection of Sir te2tv avid mot serve Min on that point; because if it was th e tact that hie ISir Arthur's) name was insertod au the titie ofthe'Atinistice, there could exist no retisou why Sl.' listai'Dalremple should gets up from the . table for the purpose ut signing that &meant. ut. 1 f there was aisfuther inference, it must lea that he Kit up to sign a treaty which he had not reed. The feet was, that he (Sir Aitliiii) was in an outer rureie ; that General Dalrymple entered that room with theqtrue,.ice, and letudtel it to him ; that lie . read it. awl returned it with this observet, ~,,, that it wee ant extrauriliuury paper. In eomplienee with the desire of his superior officer, lie dial sign ; but lie never could he deemed the siegociator ; nor eat his signature to it ever cutisacred by- him inure than a matter of :brut. Indeed no one amide of the Attentive was ever carried 'tato effect, Save the du ration of the suspension of hostilities until the con elesitll of the definitive treaty. At three the nest morning. he marched with his division of the &kiln) , fur 114 Colonel Mime) , was 11/Ultra to haveini interview nit:i Sir Charge, Cotton, lie gave to the Colatmi a draft of the eirovisious a hick he i n en intended. far the perusal of the AilimaraL It re ferred tee the almost imeiediate surreoder of.ttie re spective fortresses, and the prorapt endear:sabot. of CI,: French army—that it also 01.1 be cotivryeri• either to the porta of Rochfort ne 11. 4 .)rient, the most remote freak Spain—di should br given fur the retorts of the transports particularly Abe lV o ty lute, been detained by the Ftelerl when their troops were coeveyed from Egypt—that all the Church plate stolen by the French ur.:iv vlunild be restored—:aid th:it,Rs there w .” am no hare) trawporta, there should remain in Pola,gal French Ct.:meth:- slimmers, to armee.% at their es penee, the efiliVeyltner of their homer' tp Pruner. tie was then, as leris now, of epiition. that, eat* rcs;) la to :lie Itessian squa dron,' thi• prele - ralile course of proceeding via. to leave them in the Tagus. under the protection of the neutrality of Portugal. Wao: that course followed, `the Rename sailers wool I net haw be enabled to ea;;;:ige in active hostility against the King of Sere etru—lieside, when the. Convention we. negociaied oas -Bore, the Broil h Admiral could not have made a hottile attack in the Tagus against the RusAau squadron ; a.., the moment the Elatisti o irmy, tt tend Convention, entered either the fain oa the •Tagus, or the city of Litton, the Portugueee Co lours would have been hoisted, soul, eeesequeatly. - ith e Russeri sqoadron swill have availed itself of its neutrality with that nation. From the moment of the departure of Col. Murray to negiecate 1). tinitive Treaty, lie (Sir Arthur) wag lane:etre to breve it nrranged, that the French isronv should leave, Lisbon forthwith, in order to have all the +Weald eget to the communal cause; which it was obvious the fr 4 navigation of die Tagus would afford, L. there two points lie was over-tailed, and n stipulation wits proposed, hunting the Freisch army to tan levigues round Lisbon. lit the narrative of Sir Hew I/al r naple, there was a reference to u ineetilig of the Lieutenant-Uenerals of the army, which lie lied couvened. This meeting was not convoked as a Council of War, but was composed of sorb officers as the Commander-in-Chief thought limper to 34 s• seinlile, and on the subjects brought forwent Sir Hew decided fur himself on every propositiun.— When the Conventiou, as concluded between Ge neral Kellerman and Colonel Murray. was carried to head-quarters to lie ratified, he did mit attend.. the position where he was stationed with the divi sion *lnch lie commanded, being such a distance from Torres Vedras, where the Counmander-in-Chief wail; and in point of fact he did not 'we the Convention itselfuntil his arrival in England. There renutincd an artiiile of the armistice, mi which sonic eminuriits had been made in this comitry, bemuse it ;;ranted a restitution of French prisoners in Spain, for the Spanish troops which the French had i.nprinineal oe board the Russian squadson. It was to be re— collected, that the Spanish army, in Portugal, was totally in the power of the Freuch. 'Their li beration mold not be thought effected by too great an erptivalent, in restoring the French prisoners in Spain ; besides. he had reason to believe, that the Junta of Gallicia had no isbjectiou to the exchange. It would be necessary for hint to call witnesses to co.airan theee statements, und, before be wit.lnwn, he wished to assure the Court, that the Officers wlanm lie should produce were at twine' at theit• own desire, and not in consequence of ray soleci emboli eiflies. Sir hl*w DALRYMPLE then entered into some explanations of his narrative, to which the observe boos of bir Arthur .Wellesley were directed. He belieVed he did not state positively in it, that General Kellerman bud itientioned the insertion of Generel NVelleslee's nume in the title of the Armee !ice. He referee(' to his narrative, and it np~ieared niirfas a iiiiltteriri;filefe he IttaZ inwertaiii re- - col redeem It hied appeared to him, that Sir Ar thur Wellesley was the perste' who ought to sign the Armistice, as Sir 11. Llurrard did not command any division, sod took the least fictive part iu the arriangemeeit. With respect to the Russet's part of the question, it was 'impossible fur hum to re- collect every conversatiou which hail taken place on that subject. It was probable that when Sir H. Btu-raid arrived, le would assist I• , and supply where his recollection was defiewet. lint there was eircumstauer which occurred at the period this question wan discussed with General Kellermen, which left it stroue impression on his mind. When he had seen Sir Cheeks Cotten off the Tagus, on his arrival front Gibraltar, he was informed lay him that lie hod received much information from a Frenchinew) in Lislem, of the mime °ft . :aline,. On the nientiose of this name; he waseonvieced that he heed heard it frequently before, and Melted knee/ a Freoeli Officer so galled. When. ll:ere:Ore, Gee ueral Kellerman wrought with lotto a person of that name, he viewed him very cinsely, but could nut recollect his features and persow. Sir Arthur Wellealey and Generet Kellerman beingen,pged in it discussion on the Itaisiaa equadroo, this Cal miv beckoned him to windox, repeating, like the litariiiid, the lb!' awing expreasious of Kel- Lerman, ring, quatre heurcs, di:: milk Russet. At the \vinnu,v lie told me in he •knew well, that he knew I spoke French, and that the Ansa:ins loved the in their hearts, arid ..wereour friends. At ull events Sir flew presumed that die letter of Sir Arthur Wellesley to the Bishop of Oporto, would threw a guilt on his view of the stipulation which affected the Russian squadron. lie did nut know the contents of that letter, hut that such a our esi.ten he was earll viriced, keen having in his possession the answer of the Bishop, acknouledging the receipt, and which came to hi, (Sir Ilrw'a) hands,• by being directed to the Commander of the British army. There were do•minents in the possession of Government. but which were not produced, that would prove the character the Government of Oporto bud as stunted. They would also prove, that such r.i an sutuption of authority was admitted by a Creder.- dal ; Arid from this 'country, provisionally, .with his (fur Hen's; assent. That assent he uniformly refused, mid to that determination he attributed the hostility and obloquy with which be hud been assailed from that quarter. Sir ARTHUR W ELLESLEY assured the • Board, that lie could not take .upon himself to ray, whe ther he had ever written such a Irtier or not. He was' sure lie had •no . copy of it. He had ,een a letter, pit rportim; to be written by hint to the Bishop of Oporto, in the Newspapers (vehicles of infor mation which appeared to ktiow every thing ton renting I • ). But even is that letter, if written by him, the passage of 8 , nothing reiharkable in the Contention," must apply solely to the Poitu guese interests, and not to ally other power. • In answer to a question .1. the President. Sir HEW DALItY If FIX stated, that he had nut received, previous to his departure from Li4Lais, say retail, of the state of the gatris,oii snot fort; on the Tai us. nurteeli howbeit Enineh know had arrived, after esacuatiiip:Fiyai; Zi . c hi: left Portugal. l le titvh.reeetved 4t4to , toberof • v.ritteit titteitiotts from the Court, to is Nell' he 14'0} affix iii.unoweya. Captain lib,;h, of thy Navy, was dims culled and examined. Q.ir.tiou—P;sire you cmplm.pfrin is.al4ing the 1 iitoing.iind movements of the British *tiny, wider the command ofSir .Aritturllesley, during the mouths of August mud Siptembet Answer—l was.- . . . Question—State if any .sit slit oc curred to yuu in the landing !ruin the Tagus to Oporto? - • -- - Atiswer—Thedifficultia - pilltie 6.l44ore:tit ell times very great, [roi l. the_ bt dry JAY rf. .but yard. eillarly during the time .I,warissaiiitsiig in the land- , tug uf the army, under tile vouresnod nar sit Arthur ellesivy .. Question—Between the..Ta- * -gun are-there any . protnoiltones ~which ships- might ancloso, .ui Ifrosiaterosts weather ? - Answer—None wlisitiker. • ' " queation—Could not boats rit a th?i country, ot - twined at Adondego Bay tic cm:ries:TO the southward, so as to beef tia) . . : Answer--They could be carried to the south .ward 'eritainly ; .but I' do tiot beliet-e that they would he of any use. Qiies7irtii-14 hat 41,1teittlenre could there he, in poiiit of fact, reposed on the laildin4 ~f prmiNioaa ur heavy artillery about the ioth• of August? Answer—To the best of my recollection, ou that day there was such a great surf otf the beaclr us would I.ave prevented the !mauling both the . bums. Earl Alot 11A—itate Your of two or three days previous to the 23th. Answer—For' the three doss after the 110, provi biour or stores could hare been landed, alter that time the sea rose sp much that it was attended with • extreme danger and tisk. Sir Aarnust %I'sr.i.stattv declined to put any questions to this witnes4. %Lr Hew DAtortsPLe—Will Captain lili It state what shelter the Moor'ego river affords to whips of greater clepth of water than eleven feet? Answer—Cape. Month -No *Wards a slicker from a northerly wind ; but the roadstead hes open to the south-west wind, the must dangerous wind that blows on that ILNINt. Captain then retired. arid General rer gallon was called in. 'lime President liande,l to him a 'lowlier of questions, which, when he had read, he would way whether he preferred giving ao oral ur written answer. The witness answertd, that, from the nature of tl e que,aions, he wished to enn,ider them, and would prefer affixing the. written answer. The Court adjourned at half past two, until ten o'clock on Thursday next, (to-morrow.) " Itet Ronal Highness the Princess of Wules, at tended by Catty Charlotte Lindsay, bliss and Mr. St. Leger, entered the Hall about eleven o'clock ; the was received by the !'resident at the bar, and she other Members of the Court, standing. In passing Sir A. Wellesley, she gave him a most cor dial shake of the hand. Countess 'fritiple, Lady Nugent, and the beautiful Mi.s Oliver, rat toge ther at i.onie distance from the.l"tisacess. This day _Exceeded pu_tbs_ reisdi u i "jai . ihe disylay of rank, !leanly, andliatiou. THE- BRITISH PRESS. LON DON, NVEDNESDAV. /14 4/lilillßEZ 13. - His Msarstes ship Senissitsrd, of 64 guns, Teo.. HARVEY, Esct. Cantaiu, arrived WI Monday lit Portsmouth, front Malta and Gibraltar, with a con voy- of about forty.sail; she left Malta out the _;a: of September, and Gibraltar on the .2titli of Octo ber. She was one of the ships which c.nnpo..ed the squadron under the command of Sir Joux TH0)1.15 DUCKWORTH. in .forring the castles of the DardaincllcN Site was attached to the rear division, commanded by At : SIDNEY SZITII, and was nobly led iota the midst of the enemy's ships (at anchor undoe their own formidable batteries), by Captain HARVEY. who had the honour of Striking the PaOlies flag. Iu repaasing the Cas tles, she was struck by a stone shot of nilbs. weight, w!sich killed and wounded 54 men. She • also fell in with, end reeonnoltrv.l t'o• and Toulon ininadloas, in AlureaLia, an,l had it not been 11. r her suiterio, have been inevitably taken, as sbe them several times. The Court of Inquiry, at t•:01.,.,, pally otvaspied.. yesterday, in tive of Sir HEW DaLaxtart.r, boast in their Paper', that it 11;;% merits of the Cosivtn.tion of Ci ;r,;,• lieve that General DaLnyxpLE did . and that he it a macl►.iujured IL , we wish to kunis,. if the General. p re blame, who made the disgraceful Gm,' eintra Hot °llly necessary but turiiturioli. Treasury Jourinds wit we ,ba t i,y t i,, thee bring the busiui s home to it is in Minister, they desire the publi t tin explanation. we lately not ieedsyloptoca s of tle•wilirt of the Troamory Sowroals. It required la , &nary sugmeitpto sin the (vibe. Ani l vermin always desert the sinking vts. a 4 nooneed it afraid of a change of , 'tlini,t nr , conclusion, we believe, has not liez!a It will require all Lord Cant CECIG:I.3I itod intnre't to preserse him in place. Th i to which•we ailtide, in its :Number of L s! &army " Lord MIL ILLE PS exptcteti i toii i BA Lordship's all have reason tut vtr, anxiously !nuked for." • Lord Mr.Lvir.t.s, the }Altaic well know, steady fricritl of Lord CASTICREAuII. The Sybille frigate has arrited in Roads from Conning. She sailed two the (*harlot, cutter ; and yet neither din nor any other channel, have Government any confirmation of the Victory said to hare obtained on the 7th, over the French, near E. nor of :My other military operations sub3 , lo the sth instant. We.are sorry to be compelled, by onr .tions to truth and to the public , which rre c s: anterior to all others, to state, that it decideitopiniou 'of many military men, 160 !•41 tithe. best means of information, that iksiPJ may, and not iinprobab!y will, be at Ni..tirid Christmas. It is in vain to deceive atm& The Spanish forces are by no means so nuo as we 4;mb beets taught to lielieve. Bt. 4VEI which had been represented es arnounfn I di ' 463)00 men, we not; find did not exceed • • th fu ilonto. These gross exaggerations insure cause whichibcy were, no doubt, mend to As to the force trader Sir Jon./ MOORE, tve prehensite that it cannot possibly hart Old CI before the eo,l of nest womb. The 71st li meat, we see, hwl otaly Badajos, the frontier city of Spain, in Estreinadara, on the of October. BAI RD did not quit Cornets 14th of this month. lf, 111 seems non , to is prevailing idea, the two corps of British sinei troops are to form u junction at Salm:mica, . Vnllaciolicl, in order to constitnte an army of serve; it follows, as we conceive, that i'la►al.. if he can vanquish the Spaniards under CA,..t.ts who are opposed to him south of the Ebro, tweets that river and the capital of Spain, way-d wards fall upon our army with hint victorious fa It is impossible to suppose that whenever the F. pith are bron A lit into action, they can suss to more than thirty thousand effective infantry, abunt 3,500 cavalry. We probably estimate I:1 at too high a rate. The Corsican Emperor% not attempt to march to Madrid, and to reduce Peninsula to his obedience, with a less number t!, I iu,ooo :nets. Many persons, well ° lieve, that by the 25th of the prta-nt will hive even n more numerous army than tl.;;1 Spanish ground. Eleven thousand waggon: ia been put in reiluisition, and actually provi,le , l. supply Isis forces with provisious. Ile lost though our Cabinet seems not to have known, tI nothing is to be procured in Spain. But from t rich and fertile provinces of France, to the No: of the Pyrenees, Gascony, Guy etine, and gurploc, he bill take, and send, every specie , provision, forage, and grain. Ile regards 01311 made for his erabition, and the French, 0"R" or intimidated by his genius, crouch under thii I lieu moldier of fortune, while they sent to the the yielding and inculpable Letts NI I. Even from the calamities and privations %M( 11 himself inflicts on the people of France, l‘se t lents derive new energies, and find in dam new sources. The total stagnation, or rather estincii and ouppresiton of all commerce, mercantile venture, aiid aavigation, compels the lipislinadnin the mechanic, and the artisan, to Iwcome a sorb ' Poverty acts as t., eu titare ardour, a reduces all the youth of France, ahem the r. scription has spared, to enter the ranks. Thpic this able Usurper convert the evils inflicted by own tyranny, to a weapall atreare ; and, li Rowe, in the consular ages, it way be said of N POLEON-- _ . " Per &nos, per casks, aL ipso Duch upcs susionsusquor koors. Those who refh.vt Joel:ly on thv prr-eat of anir* is Spain, are not aitbuist up;,rdn•mi for the pomade fate•uf tit*, gull:out urnoy, 10:0:6 Ilitire r:ut to march two I.ilbon t; r;UR'