The Statesman. — London, England, 1810-01-27 00:00:00

1 ' pi e WHITBREAD afeataideit, that . had -the Orders in Council been literally executed, instead or pro d ur eig an iiicrement of the national exports, h i .roilnced &decrement. lie than* t wouldilieve that liceuces had vry iproperly been granted as farours to person%e havi ng votes to give, and he bad heard rif an instance where a licence after it . h i d been obtained had sold so high as 10001.. He Te rollec ed the time when licences' to export bark were refused, on the groped that it was an article 0 1' which the enemy stood much in want ; but he afterwards heard that a Member of that House had fur a licence a cuerthark, but whether tic I n d oteeined one or no he would not say. ROTE denied that any liecuce to export bark hail been co granted. alr. 11'11.13ERFORCE said, that he perfectly undeDtood the argument at the period alluded to wile that if the enemy would nut allow our other commodities to he sold, they should not l il ac our bark. He admitted that licences would b „ v ,.ry improper under any other circumstances c a n those m which the country was at present r .Ol, and that the House of Commons should b e Ter% j .alous of them ; but he could not see ; w it there was any room for suspecting that any to t lir I reference had been shewn, when the ea. hurts e zereded by so large a bum as seven mil. Ii ois Owe of any fermer year. r JOHN NEWPORT contended, that the .if c.mcoi► ed as a greaardship s pite • ei.,se li merchants operat who resided at the t ou h t.posth • could nut obtain Dcences, while the mer. r h an ti residing in the vicinity of the metropolis l a d the means of gating them alnAst as they slanted them, or at least could he riverned in reefr specadatiens, whether they would be granted • or 110. Mr. SIMEON thought no partialities had ever b een s heen in the granting of licences. Mr. BARING said, that as the subject of com. race was before the Mese, he could not reo fain from delivering his opinion upon it. Ile veld not view the situation of our commerce in foourahlu a light as other Gentlemen were disposed to bee it in.: The commerce of the court. try was so shackled circumstances, that it was, t er esible for it to be in a very flourishing con. dation, Th• Board of Tilde was filled OIL with S r, it lords, greet naturalists, .and other extra. ordinary per,oneges ; but it was well knowa, that its duties principally devolved upon the w it h, floe. Gentleman who 'filled the situation of Vice.Presiderit. AVhethes lie sr:te in the habit of nbligin; his Calends with licences, he would pot take upon hint to say. His commercial ideas :sight seem old.fashioned ; but ho was free to cinfess he did not draw them from the Custom. filuie book of exports. While the rate of ex. c hew- pith foreign nations was so high against us, and the bullion of the country was drawn from it, he could not considey our commerce in a heal. thy or flourishiug condition. The :110.i.0i was them pot and carried, that on Monday noir, the House would resolve itself 10. to a Committee or Supply. Mr. RO'E gave notice, that on Monday next lie velidil move, That there be laid before the. Theisen Account of the Imports and Exports of the Country for the last year. INQUIRY INTO TIIE EXPEDITIOI4 TO THE • EC Et ELOT6. Lord PORCHESTER ruse to call the attention of the flimsy to this subject, and spoke to the fol. lowing etiret." When on the first night of the Session I gave • notice of a motion to be brought foe ard on this night, it was my intention to in at. for tie institution of a Committee, to whom should he r. (erred the inquiry into the policy and c induct of the %Jude campaign, and to this I was Induced under an impression that it would be need. less to examine th.. par separately, as the same want of •ys• •in, and tite same imbecility contri. heed to effect all those calamities and disasters which were alone predominant. I have since, how. ever, on recurs &liner ition, conceived that an inquiry ludo ec•li transaction, separately, may be elf•cted with greater facility, and that, by son. fining the 'inquiry into the policy and conduct' done, we shall not be precluded from attaining. ; full informati.in on the, state of Europe, and the prospects of this country at the present must eventful crisis. It is, therefore, my determination to restrict the terms of my motion to proposing a resolution for the formation of a Committee of the whole House to inquire into the policy and.conduct of the Expedition to the', S.heldt. My object in this motion is to ascertain whether the sentiments I have collected from the ; speeches of Rick Hunoutable Gentlemen ire in ; favour of inquiring or out. Front their general expressions, I am led to imagine they aro desirous of investigation; but this has net been evinced by their votes in favour of such a measure. I am ready do admit that s Nohle lord has protest. ad it is the duty of the House to enter into a se. lento, minute, and substantial inquir y; but the Justice of that Noble Lord's late colleagues does nut seem to incline them to afford his Lordship an opportunity of redeeming his pledge; sad these Gentlemen who, with Roman virtue, die. dained mercy, and even called down on their brads a penal sentence, should their conduct prom to deserve it, and professed their readiness to meet inquiry in any sha m e, and even boldly chat. 'toiled a scrutiny of their measures, now seem in. chned w throw every inipedimentia the way of at. %nue; that investigation they before is heroically.; called for. I shall now endeavour to anticipalll my objections which may be made to granting del object of my motion, as I am prepared to hair 4311 this, as the House has experienced on former oc. ; casions, some evasive plea, or some proposition, on the part of his Majesty's Councils to thwart that idt tuir y which will lead to their own condoms natirvi. It was to get rid of any objection of this nature that 1 was led to propose, that &Committee of the whole House should be formed, by which Fiey would have an opportunity of exercising their ingeisiteri.lfunctions, and this they could only do in the form of a Committee. Was the matter refer. red to a delegated few, without going into a Com mittee, to examine into the papers, the consequence that a garbled accoar.` A odd be givens sod a 2 satie;CtOrl Swag be foray; I . . • ' • likulibilitk...g. 11''1'''.,_ s o l o .: - , --- 7 - 4 ---- 7. -- - : sari . mittee, toey esselt exam - 7 41.1. 11e brat ev e i u tence itttheir )l ftr Y r the ." Cd abelefens..llre;lVOf proper state :.... rope bar, if deemed requisite, attract their information - 4 .411‘, = e Wee from whatever search , they thought whit it ' wet said B that only one sixth proper; aid 4 sh o t army had been : destroyed, that all the be enabled to forth a deaths o n Ai r iOR. oille $ • • "3rtitlery, cavalry, and hagg le had been saved Gentlemen mity probablynaStz.:4 teat; will you and that nothing had. been kft t o the em savt►J, move for *Committee b e f or e. t h e - pa p Ma ers are before • yet, notwithstanding this we fl en ndlis ; the House ? In answer t o thi s I say, we are int. army was auk to resume active ' service for six periously called on by our dudes, and I due regard months. Id 4 .....iAt4isb to draw comparisons. 'be. fur the interest of our constituents ' and I Preeume tween other countries and this ' more v especially ' Majest 's Ministers will n o t contradict me, .as I feel they 'cahoot be to our - dd j l / 4f .; seize the died opportunity for stultifying the in regarding the conduit of the a ‘Co a t i lo a ti g‘ er . ec yet Of public cries indignation and it will be in the , the World, wosee his polka , extremely different. power of the Offi cers of Government to submit The next apology that is made, is th a t t ransports the necessary documents before * the subject' is could not be procured to *collie) , troops to the opened. It is absolutely necessary at this early; North of Europe. It was the duty, however, of period of the Sessions, that in inquiry should be gintsters to have prepared a sufficient number of instituted, and thcise who object to such i met, .transports to answer every purpose to which the ex. sure cue only do so with the ultlasite motile of igency of the times might require the disposable stifling it. The magnitude of the case is sum. forces of the country to be applied. If we looked cient to establish the necessity of a minute' in. to the time when the Expedition was 'scut out, quiry, in order that the' weans may be afforded we cannot but pronoupee it ill chosen ' as its ob of extricating the country from the difficulties jest was declared to have been for the assistapce of which oppress ft. If we covider this Expedition *used', which had almost ceased to exist, ere the as connected with the whole campaign, we find troops left our shores. And as to the success, it that although they all differ, the same departure was impossible it could stand beyond the first from good policy, thesame imbecility, the same coup de main. Let us look a little to the man. gross inefficiency, and the same 'ltisgraceful sa. ncr in which , it was conducted. . The first object orifice of British lives and Prope . rtyls erident.— having failed, the nest important one (hat pre. Similar objections may with sufticalie made to sented itself was the destruction of the Navel every part of the veer;'' we recognite the same Arsenal at 'Antwerp. The Expeditiou atailesi. impotency ,in every Expedition-which hat Jeft-out on the 28th of July, destined for the reduction, I shores. In fact, if we look t o ever y even t o f th e o f A n t wer p, an d not Walcheren. And yet,' campaign, 'we find nothing but di sgrace an d dig. would the House believe, that it was only on the comfiture, every operation wa s t e d, an d every, 29th of August it was determined not to Mack' exertion rendered nugatory by the wretched - de. Antwerp. If Antwerp was to be attacked, it parture from all established national policy and should have been done without hesitation, and wisdom in the plans and proceedings of .his Ma- that city once in our possession, the reducti o n of . jesty's Ministers. With respect to th e Exp e dition the other fortresses must have followed. But to Walcheren, which was of the first magnitude, did they do SO No; they frittered away their I charge his. Majesty's Ministers in its conduct, time, and let the opportunity pass which might with having departed from every military prin. have beets attended by success: The only means ciple, and every established usage that experience that could be followed fur. gaining this object has rendered palpable and incontestiblu. I wish moult have been by surprise; but I leave it to not to prejudge any man, but if I prove that the ingenuity of any gentleman to try what the Gentlemen have acted ? , witb the book of wipe. effect of surprise will be after a month's notice. rtenee open before them, contrary to every prin. According to the common practice of military ca. ciple of good policy, I think to them only can be binets, it is 'beat to gain some information of the .imputed the inisfurtunes this unhappy country has destination of en army, ere it departs, more espe; so deeply to deplore. On inquiry we have but daily when the point to be visited is near; but one of two alternatives to adopt : if we find that the instead of obtaining information, they put Lord measures of Ministers have been marked with sue- Chatham, one of th.tr own body, at the head of one cess, and if we find that honour has marked their of greitest ..Expeditions that ever left the career, then shall we with pleasure give them full country, comprising .a force of 40,006 men. credit for their services : bat, on the other hand, ,Tow I come to the dosing part of the campaign, ,if we find that they have pursued an opposite which was the Mciat painful to advert be, the sa , course, and involved themselves in disgrace• by crifico of the firm s of ,so many thousand men. their shallow projects, then must our opinions be When Antwerp.wassbandoned, how did It.hap. directly opposite. If they had only involved pen, when it was known toall the world that it themselves in ruin, it would not be so material ; vim certain death to remota at Intshing 'at that but when the interests of their country have beets season Of the year, that tho.troops (fere allowed sacrificed, we can only regard them with the to remain/ Why did they not return ? Had they' strongest sentiment of indignation and contempt. 'done so, thousands might here been saved from To the discretion of the House,. however, I must the srosp .. pf, pestilence and death. Why, when leave the decision. When we look to the Ex- the ' fate of Austria was ascertained, were they pedition to Walcheren, we find they have set not vecalleo.ll.l,p to the very day of the cremation principle at defiance; of the propriety of their meat, of Walcheren, *Mead of showing 'a disposition to sures, however, we can only judge by the result. desert, knowing, as they must, the numerous mi. We have been told, with reference to this Expedi.' series . that must Opentailet by itareteutionialmy lion, that it is a matter of congratulation. rot - of Were- hinedtifed in Strengthening Its wall s the utmost service and serious importance to the erecting new fortifications. Supposing that you, interests of the country, that we have 'perfUrmed held it, by way of feint, could you for one me: wonders, demolished a basin! blown up a sluiCe l' went conceive that. such a measure could mite and destroyed a dock. But we have heard the preatrate Austria once again•to attempt her resits. accounts of our enemy: they have the insolence ration to hulependence; or that Bonaparte, from, to declare, that all these irreparable tfatnages are a mere impatience to attack you, would leaves but trifling ; that they can be remedied in a little Austria in such a situation as to enable her to time, and restored to their former advantageous rally ? Did he not know that .you had accom. state. But then, in answer to this, our wise plished all that wasin your power, and would be, Ministers queition whether it would be. rho po- dispute with you the possession of a place . licr . of France to do so ? When we turn our . " Where nature sieketid, and each gale was death?" eyes towards the affairs of Austria, we find, We know not what our real loss is, nor can we that although that unhappy country was making form a judgmeuffur six months to come, accord., its latest struggle, there was not a single attempt ing to the time Sir Jelin Moore's army took to to give them assistance, except the boasted de. be in an effective state; , what numbers may pine ! struction 'of an arsenal ! - Its order to decide, toddle in our hospitals, the victims of disease en. )however, on the real merits of this Expedi_ gundered in that baneful glimate, or how many' tints, arising with those eccentric Ministers, it will be fit once again for actual service. Having is necessary to see what was its objoct. They gone thus far, I confess, I cannot speak but with have told us, the first object was to give aid to displeasure of his Majesty's Ministers. Their Austria ; and the next, to consult the interests choice of a Commanoer to, conduct such an Expe of Britain, by destroying the °lisippitig In the dition was another mark of - their departure from Dock of Antwerp anti in the Scheldt. Before I policy—they should have chosen some hardy ve. , „ go further in the detail of the subject, if may be toren who in the camp and fighting field was tried! necessary to call the attention of the Home to he who had the confidence of the grmy, and where the events of the Austrian war. It was 'Mori. valour and experience might render him a fit con. ous long before the war commenced, that the ductor .for so great an Expedition.; 'wit not one Austrians were preparing to make one bold at. who on the stay of experiment had to form tempt for the redemption of their iadependence. his military character. I confess, however, I This, then, was the favourable time to afford should be extremely sorry that a brave man should thew assistance, and which should net have been tarnish his fame on such. a miserable occasion. wasted. On the Bth of April the war cOrnmenced, As the project originated amongst his Majesty's and on the 22d of May the battle of Aspern Council, no man was more fit than one of their was fought, which balanced the power of Maria own body to conduct it. There is ono other paint against the Emperor of France, and re-Militated which . eacaped me in making the detail of thoie the hopes of Europe.. Front that period, to the melancholy events, which, if . possible, adds to 6th of July, there was an awful pause, and the,the terror of the picture I have drawn—while the Conqueror of the World, so long victorious, *is tinforittnalp troops were dying in all. the misery obliged to rest on the defensive. Then was the ,et virtkleor disease, they were not completely des. time to render effectual service, and, by an et thole of that medium which was necessary , to al tinges assault in some distant quarter, alarm the leviate the pangs of their disorders. I sine pride of Bonaparte, and induce him to with.. cerely hope this assertion may be refuted ; but draw part of his force from that focus, to. nothing but. .inquiry can Clear the character of wards which he was collecting his utmost strength.' Ministers_ from that black stain 'Which involves The opportnnity was neglected, and the battle ' every Other consideration.. if ever there was e r.Wagrans was fought on the 6th, which do. a period when it was necessary for the House cided the fate of Austria. On the 12th fol. to exercise its inquisitorial functiona l it is the lowed the Armistice, and the 28th of July the present moment.. The period' is , most sty. great Expedition sailed from England which was ful. The hand of distraction is" held sus. to assist Austria, that Austria .whicb had fallen, pendcd over the destiny Of . a great nation, never to rise again. But setting all principle at ' the welfare of which has been too long trusted defiance, the Honourable Gentleman chose to to Os heeds of Ministers who have brought on administer medicine to the dead. We were told it all these misfortunes, which are so muck and we had not a navy to go to Trieste, because so deeply to be lamented. It becomes the duty of we had not specie to pay them, and yet wel every Member of this House, as far as he is able bad a navy to go to Holland, as If lellaisterS by his vote and voice, to support its character and wanted to make a Jewish bargain, whisk the indepoodence.., It isiapsential for our owe exist Ehstch were fully calculated to. accomplish-; and ence and ibitc;if AltecOuntry. The eyes of the although we could not Seed a navy to Germany, world aredivted toward* us. To us they look for we found one to send to' a neighbouring river.: the re-establishment of their independeuce,.and on If money was necessary,f bow came Ministers not' ha they rest their hope; of being rescued from to prepare bullion fur ths purpose? for . in ear. their perilous situation. I wish I could say, they, that was as necessary 'as could look to ios with as much reliance as in thentmen. yingonlytehewcaerempao, told, that we hid not an (hogged old time of our ancestors. Let us now OM thl rust of Sir Julia Hoop's' retrieve oug lost character, find Ist us no Groh aug - • longer 'be ditackled by the Impositions of iMpo. tent i nters. We may yet reitiptate our country on as firm a basis as ever, and place England! Jilin. in an enviable situation; and this may be dune by ilitreffeci of our vote this night. We can. not any longer uphold enfeebledWten ; and let ee no., by attempting to do so, Jost/iv...our owe and our country's duwnfal. Let us vote for th• inquiry,. and relive again the vital spark of all expiring world. My object for moving for the Committee, is to put this plain question, whether it is intendod to grant an inquiry, or to refuse it I if the inquiry is determined uu, I shall be regn. lated at to the time for moving for the Cutionitteej by the production of papers necessary to dud. dare the facts to be considered, and for the prs • sent shall content myself with submitting the fol. lowing Resolution That the Rouse do resolve itself into a Committee of the whole ltnuse i in consider of the cundoct tad policy if the late Eipcclitlou to the Scheldt." The Hon. Mr. QUIN, in a very neat speech, stated his reasons for setunding this motion.—. Among other faults which occurred in the eon. duct, or rather the arrangemenls fur this Ex. pe..alition, the Honourable Gentleman anentioned that a division of hOOO men, under the corn. !nand of the Marquis of Huntley, which was appointed to land at C.idsand, was unable to comply with the order, boost the. Naval Commander Criwitf-ftfrhish heals 'efficient only for the disembarkation of 600 men, which it was thought unsafe to risk, and therefore, that Part of the plan was abandoned. Now what wall the consequence ? Why, that after our army cues menced the siege of Flushing, aye, four er five ,nights afterwards, 3000 men were conveyed aeon frem.Cadsand to reinforce the garrison of that for. trees. Who, be would ask, was responsible for the gross fault which led to such a consequence ? and did not that alone furnish a snfficieist ground tojestifyikedernand for inquiry ? But every part of the treltsactimi sersed to enforce the demand. The Honourable„lifettibel animadverted in,forcim bit: terms epoe the estrawdinary ignorance of Minister arith.tespect to the state of Antwerp, and the absniality of supposing that Bon.tparte would have left, ht any thinglikea nefenceless state fortress which so long notoriously attracted his particular attention. After observing upon the want of judgment betrayed in the supposition, that our force could make its way to assist Atistria, through a Country biistled with rower:way the Hottout4ble ;Number begged to be understood, that the motion did not propose to prejudice in guy 'degree, but merely to given distinc. pledge, for the sake of the character of the douse, and for the satisfactipo of the country, that that irsquir? should take place, which, from his lvigjestyse Speech, and still more f r om the Answerle the ;Address df the Corporation of London, 'bete WI. two much reason to suspect Ministers smut tat eradv. Mr. cRQ.K.Eft expressed his entire difference of oPistioit .WitbliteNellle Mover of the keseletifts 116 hat } ft' complain, of this want of caftan*, with which that Noble Lord hail stated h 6 arguments. If such a , designation could 'be itimtsLeanmi.dias. drensigne {emits' Ichititti4rs own assent ptiOne, be Weald not go the length of saying, -that the tacks assumed by the Noble Lord were untrue; but. he could not suppreo, his ,cenvictioni that they were much exaggerated. Whilst he, there. fore, denied whXt the Noble. Lord WI inserted, that circumstance itself was sufficient to justify the postponement of the present . motion, until the House was in possession of the.informatien upon these points promised in . his Majesty's Speech. He (Mr. C.) had not such confidence in his own opt nions, as the Noble Lord appeared to have ; (rik lough) but where there was a question depending upon mere assertions, ho also had his. claim to s credence. As a proof of what he.must consider uncandid in the statement of the Mover, he begged the House to boar in recollection the points which the Noble Lord was anxious to establish frem'the Mate of the Continent, preview' tb the sailing of the Expedition to Walcheren. In mnak. lug his dedwetions, he wholly relict; upon l ivhat the situation of the Power, engaged io war watt at the ti :me of the battles of Asperne and Wagrans, and not what it was at the time when the in telligence of these transactions first reecheti this country. It was a melancholy proef of the bad taste of these firm.' when, be the waded! of. Military Comm milers what it may, they. were sure to be made the victims of unsparing ceopurn, and unmerited ohloqpy., Be they cautious, pr be they spirited, indiscriminate abuse was sure to ab.. tack them. In better periods of our Wilde?, - such was not the general feelings ; on the mantra% the actions of such, .men were viewed with ever,' possible indulgence, and their errors forgotten ' the zeal they manifested to support the country's character and interests. Rut, at esent,•let;• Ml. n litary Commander be co'nvicted of ,sibs original sin of having, taken an, 'office .1,40, their; po. tided opponents, and the ceneurCat the pekoe party was sure to be levelled Ott ..his repine. tient and servicas. He .perceived, from. the engagement of the Noble Lord, that his (Mr. Croker'a) observations. could make no impres sion. Having listened to hifi with attention, he -conceived that he WA fair claim to have it, / degree, bestune4 upon himself. However, from the course now ppreentby the Noble Lord, he flit ~ himself, disenthrwiltal lawn the 'ilblitiAtion aPasi any Adore occeiten.. WI was' the course, more. mended that ajiliiii7ablainted to answer its avow. ed purpose? ilk* Clairis of public juvtlee4a. mended inquiry, opourd Ilea object be attained by going into „fliounniika g agnd having witomell examined at the Bar? 1141drtbeY not lately in. (prides thus conducted/- end weretb• oblates of public justice antwded N.-(4laugh, gad trice of Hear!). He- never unit any Members o p" either side of thri.lionse,!•who were of vpi. Won, that the, late Inquiry ,produce d such .an effect. Ttip scc.onder (Mr.Quin)• had staed, "'nougat other grounds for supporting the motion, that there were not boats to land the troopsdes. tineil for Cadsand, and that that circumstance was one of the causes of the fail mire. This was a mat. ter of fact, of the truth or .certainty of whiny' the production ,9( papers wools; 'afford the. nether;. ..:,,may..: !‘' . :.~j.i'r..~.~e',~~~~ .. _. __~s