The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1810-04-13 00:00:00

stated there War more 4kaa 'one case of error'as a giuund for tio cev.sure ou either. but as a ground for providing against their recurrence hereafter, by t in Art of Parliament. Mr. H. Tunas Tort did not think the offence ti nder consideration deserving of the most severe CVOSOIT. lithe House were guarded iu bestowing prose, they ought also to he slow in pronouncing ceosiire. These errors in the Board of Ordnance hr imputed to the Constitution of the Board, which, from its numbers, threw the main part of the bossi ness upon the Clerk. The blame appeared to be itivided between the President of the 11 04 „1, and the Secretary ; and, in his opinion, the vote they had already come to was sofficient to mark their stove of the affair. Gal/1g any farthtr would be a step beyond what was nece4- F:tre ; yet, ay he was unwillstig, either directly or to negative the present motion, or get r d +•l' 11 by tile loressour question, lie wished the Gent. would withdraw it. If pressed, how 'tt,•r, between the two. he would vote fur the pre- qiivalle:). The Gallery was t'• en cleared for a division, oo which, wr übderstand, the numbers were— Fur t►e Motion is Apisist it Major ay agailist Mr.lerales Resuhatioti--36 Sir (~f l abit'•ititioittEti gave notice. •• That woo l.i, 10.morr.o.r, move for the productiosi of Carreiy,idenee treiw-en Mr. Davirlsoi: and the ti,cretary of the Board of ordn aue g." Mr. Lott Fr, alluding to a couvrreatino which h,4 ins .o.l while we were exclu Jed, gave notice. • That hr wr.ul:l ni.ike a motion to elucidate the charge this u'glit brought against him, on Monday neNt."_ Sir Joni NEWPORT postponed till to-morrow bi, motion relative to the grouts of Guveromesit sa moto iu Ireland. !INSTRUCTIONS TO MR. BATHURST. M e . Wncraasati, pursuant to his notice, rose to wave fur the instructions given by Government to Mr. Bathurst, with which lie thought it very im portant that the Ilciet.e and Country should be made acquainted. There were also instructions to Mr. Stoort, not by Government', but by a person con nected with them, which he would wish to be laid before the House. These papers relate) to the part taken by this country in the hostilities between Austria and France, and as he could anticipate no abjection to their production, he would conclude, without further obseivation, by moving. " That u.i humble /Wrens be presented to His Majesty, ptayia. that they should be laid before the H ouse ." The ' CILINCELLOI of the Exenatacaa regretted that he could not agree with the Hou.Geutlemau's motion, whtch could not he complied with, as violat ing every iirisciple on which the Noose had been accustonseil to act. These papers could not be grinned without disclosing to foreign nations the confideutiel instructions to our own Ministers, in volving th, must secret politics of the country, and the interests of individuals in other states. The II nise of Commons should be very cautious bow they culled for such diklusures ; and, indeed. though there were some few instances to the contrary, it was their general rule to avoid doing it. He could assure the Honourable Gentleman that the greatest public incouvenicnce would arim firm granting his request ; and, indeed, if the Hon. Gentleman would reflect for a moment on the state of the various nations concerued at the time, be mast be comiiiced that these communications could not be safely mode public. What he had said referred to the instructions to Mr. Bathurst with regard to Mr. Stuart, to hint there never were any nistroctions given. Mr. CANNING com urred with his Right Hon. Friend, that the papers moved for could not be produced without great public injury. 'lney would disclose Witten hurtful to persons iu Foreign coun tries; and facts, which could now be of no use to any one, hut the future historian ; but which might ire very pojudicial to the n airmail interests, by e premature disclosure. At the same time, he be lieved he could convince the Him. Moser that they would not answer his own object, with reg ad to *hewing the part this cauniry took at the coin menreinent of hostilities between Austria and France. The fact was, Mr. Bathurst did not ar rive at Vienna, till the 36,1 i of April, nor ha I he an interview or coinntunication with the Au-than Government till after hostilities had coin tnenc trl. As for Mr. Stuart. he was without instructions from the British Government, and had gone from Spain to Vienna, to he ready in case einumunica twits were opened between that city awl London. Su far (nen lasing sent by this Government, they HO sooner learnt he had gone there, than they sent his treat. N. fiber did he arrive io Germany till after the war had commenced; and, consequently, no so , ire than Mr. Bathuist, could hare been concern et in exciting the Austrian Government to war.— ' , isnot:nous sent to Mr. Bathurst were to re -115011 at Malta till the war took place, before he pre ss:lnd leniself as t h e accredited ',gent of the Bri tish Guyer 1111 l eat. With these instructions Isere tweed eonsiderationa of policy, in case circum stances should call fur his preaeoce in Vicuna, •11161 it' emelt' he highly iniroper to discover, Mr. Bitounnam gave notice, that if the pre- Wlit motion was wittidtawn, he would, on Tuesday, move for the production of so much of tfie cor ondebee between Mr. Bathurst, Mr. Stuart, aid the Gov. 'lenient et home, while theca Gentle men weer at Vienna. as could be produced with out injury to the public interests. Mr. 11 Htfalle•D said, it was difficult to in ner as•ertions of the Right Hon. Gentlemen "Pmsitc, as to the injury the public or foreign I :idenituals would sustaiu from the production of he papers he had moved for. As for as opinion rsuld go, however, he could see nu injury to the rahhc that could possibly accrue. The play was "'" "vet', Austria was annihilated, and France was sok the only nation in Euroi:e. He would be glad ',lie convinced, that this country did not unite in tiai war; and though he withdrew hi s 'notion oil inn assertio n o f Ministers, that a compliance with' it light injure iudivsduds , he would support the mo priimiseel ley his Moo. Friend (Mr. Brougham). The motion was accordingly withdrawn. The privately dealing in shops. SO wharfs. Bills, went serer.lly through Commit -1"1--The reports to be rretivrtl c.ti Tuesday. Pie bleat Militia rill was, on the moonlit' of ‘it. Benin. teal thini lime, and passed; with l eo .L 1.1104,114 clause, exempting Mt:tubers of Friend!, Societies from sues for nou-attendance, while r.ti duty. The Milithi Completion Bill was read a third time and parsed. Sir Jowl Ncwrotrr gave notice, that h• ooulil mote for the further cowitleratiou of the Einhitz 4;:inoit ISI I, on dloudar next. Mr. Lcsut.rGruN brsught up the papers liy the Rowse, rvlstive to the abolition of the Sltve Truile.—Liid on the table. , Mr. I.CsiIt•OTON also brought up the Report of the Committee 0:1 the cola of the kingdom, which was referred to the Bullion Committee. The Report of the Innkeepers Bill was also re ceived, and the House adjourned at nine o'clock. THE W.ILCHEREN EXPEDITION. The following n Arica of the speech made by Mr. Windham set the course of the. late adjourned Debate. upon the Inquiry into the Expedition to the Scheldt: Mr. WINDHAM— I shall not occupy the time of the House by commenting upon the theories and sentiments to the lion. Baronet, (Sir F. Burdett), the judicious argitioetits of the Hon. Gentleman who spoke last but one, (Mr. -Bragge Bathurst), having precluded the necessity of any observation of upon the subject. I Ann therefore pro ceed, as shortly a. 1 can, to offer to the House my sentiments upon the ilovistrous expedition to Wad cherea—thst monstrous child of presumption and folly—and in order to present to the House a full and clear view of the subject. I shall feel it uecee sary to take the 'natter is : , at en earlier period, and to ditkuss it upon Iwo tder grounds than the Gentle men, who have preceded me is this delette, have thought it expedient to do. In stating this, I beg the House toot to be alarined'at the idea that I in tesid to occupy any very material portion of their time; the mode in sylveli 1 propose to discuss the question, will probably be found to he the most concise which could be adopted; it frequently hap pens, according to an old proverb, that " the far thest way about is the nearest way home." I shall attempt to 'hew, not only that this expedition could not have succeed, but that ' Y e a success would not have justified the national force to the purposes of this expedition. I am aware that in suppoitnig the letter preposition, I shall havethe popular -• oice against me ; but it has frequently been my lot to contend against the senseless clamours of the popu lace. mid I have not unfrequently had the satisfse. bolt to find that measures which have been pro posed by me, in direct opposition to popular opt. ohm. have ultimately been sanctioned by that very opinion. Nothing, Sir, Cull lie more de rogatory from the character of a statesina than a perpetual hankering after popularity ; o . de-s e of this sort, ou the part of His Majesty's 31i instils. do I attribute this most calamitous expedition, mind all the disgrace and ruin which have intended it; and 'do say, Sir, that it the persons entrusted with the direction of the energies of the kingdom, con tinue to be militated by this sentiment, It is not difficult to foresee, that the utter (lest:ileum' of the country must be the inevitable conaequence. To denioustrahe the folly and iinoroctieoloitty of the plan (if plan it may be called) of this monstrous Expedition, it will pot lie necessary to go into a very minute detail of the inass of evidence which has beets )aid opoo the table. 1 shall contort my sal( with selectiag a few of the more prominent pounta. In snaking this sclection I shall have little difficulty; the whole conduct of the Expedition is so pregnant with ignnrrileellind folly, sod presents such a choice of blunders, that, haul it loom divided amonest ten administrations, it would have been sufficieut to condemn them all. The Noble Lord, (Castlereagh) however, in defending the conduct of himself and his colleagues upon this melancho- ly occasion, has expressed himself with a degree of callous indifference. intermixed with pleasantry, ill adapted to his situation ; for my . own part, I could not listen, without horror and indignation, to the arguments. so full of notiiiiigness, sad delivered wits sotto dippaocy, by which that Noble Lord at. tempted to defend himself for having wantonly consigned thoiniands of his countrymen to au in glorious grave. The Right Hon. Gent. (Mr. Con ejo!) has certainly conducted himself with greater propriety ; some part, at least, of his usual pre. somption seems to have forssken him; and it unquestionably does now become His Majesty's Ministers to be humble—their wings have been damped by the fogs of Viralchercu—they are like wasps in rainy weather—we may examine them with out fear of their stings. In disesissing the conduct of this miserable Expedition, title ettocatessation of lalupders, this lung lone of mischiefs, which has no turn except to destruction; the first thing to be observed is, that. according to all their evidence, the plailflClS of the Expedition could hive no hope of success. unless sill the chances turned out in their favour, utiles, all their cards turned to be trumps:, the wind must blow from a certain point, and it must blow with a certain degree of force ; if the wind changed, the Expedition could not arrive at the destined point, mid if the wind blew fresh, it would produce a surf, and prevent the landing. —Now, considering the proverbial eeriaisity of the wind, the exited:taboo that all there things would happen must be admitted to have been extremely rational ; lust, supposing that (lig Ma jesty's Ministers could have had sufficient influence to induce the wind to blow exactly as they wished it, moll, to insure any thing like a prospect of success to the Expedition, this mighty armas mesa must, in all its subsequent operations, have moved with the regularity and prevision of a piece of machinery ; one operation must be per formed in three days, another in four, the artil !fly must move through the sand oithout friction, ai:d there must be s. nu enemy to fight withal."— What a pity it is that our sober Muoi.tera have not hoen in the habit of frequenting the gaming-table; had they known how to calculate the odds, they would, never have sent out this expedition. But. Sir, the truth is, that this gallant army, this last hope of Eto4land, was committed to imminent ha zard and ultimate 4...enaction, without any thing like a plan for the giiiibiace of its operations. The Nolile Lord in•einv to have thought it quite suffi cient to rend out 411E411.111110n, ours I. arc the rest to chance. My Lord Chatham was sent met to try exile los. I re number a story of n man. who. being aske.l it he 0,41 play on tit- fiddle, said. 1. he could not tell, bet he could try." Such was precisely the situation of me Lord Hollaad—(s load /musk/ 1 must beg his .Lordship's Plird 4 P for having substituted his amuse fur that of my Lord Chatham; but his Lordship is always near my beam, sad his name has involuntarily slipped from my tongue. What did the military opinions amount to ? Precisely nothing; and how could it be otherwise. seeing that the officer, had op dots whereon to found their opinions? Ministers indeed tell us that they had information front their spits, that there were at many turn at Antwerp—so many at Litlo, and so many at Bergen-op-Zoom ; but it must be recollected, than it is the interest of spies to smooth the difficulties that lie in the way of their employers ; and, lade. pendently of this cousideration, bow is it possible for spies to form an estimate of the amount of the small detachments which are scattered all over the country ? It must also be recollected, that a greet part of the population of the cou n t r y consists of men who have been accustomed teethe Use °forms; aye, Sir, and who have seen 16 too. The very sweepings of such a country would biereteen suf ficient for the defence of Antwerp. But were Mi nisters, Sir, so very ignorant, as not to know that there are between YO and 30 fortified towns, within a few days march of Antwerp, iud that each of those towns has its garrison ? Nay, Sir, it is now known, that troops were Pent even front Paris to Antwerp, before our devoted army reached the point where its difficoltiels were to commence. Did Nlinieters think that the troops of the enemy were immovable? The insane calculations of these in capable* temitirl 13111 of a conatrywiate who, in di recting a traveller across the Downs, told lons, that he most travel 3 or 4 miles, said when he came to a flock of sheep he must turn to the right. But how if the sheep had ehanged their position. before be got there ?—(A lough )—What. would Gentlemen say of Bou &parte, it, tie receiving intelligence from his omits that there were only 7 or 8000 troops in or near Portsmouth, lie was to send au expedition of 40,000 men to take the place? W ou ld t h e y not say that he was intone? The Noble LorJ (Castle reagh) however, says, that it was intended to take Antwerp by • coup-de-ottim. What must the enemy, Sir, think of us, when they hear this stated? Witliwbat contempt said ridicule must they not treat us, when they learn abet the projector of this mighty ,expeditiou is acquainted with the terms of military science, without having the slightest ideas of tke meaning of iho;te terms F Cowl God, Sir, talk of a comp-de-mobs with 4),000 nets, nod thirty three sail of the line ! Geutlemen might as well talk of a cosep-de-testa in the' Conn of Chancery.— /Loud wed maligned Itstigkes.)-1 have no wash, Sir, to excite merrimeut upon this inelauclutly oc casion, but the whole of the conduct of Ministers is so pregnant with blunders—so full of risLcule, that it is impossible barely to describe it without pro ducing a laugh. But the Noble Lurd (Castlereagh) has had the modesty to assert, that the expe dition went on very well; that Bonaparte did nothing for the defence of Antwerp; and that when our Coin:minders gave no the enterprise, there were only 46,000 troops in and near Antwerp; aud of those troops, the Noble Lord has thought proper to speak in terms of the utmost contempt.— What was there in the composition of those troops to induce the Noble Lord to speak of them in terms of ridicule ? Were they Voluuteers, or were they loud Lanni& ?—/A IttatgA.)-.-.Thie assertion of the Noble Lord, it it emotions to any thing, amounts to is censure of the officers entrusted with the com mand of the Expedition. The Noble Lord end his collemietes' evidently wish to bare it inferred that the Commanders of the Expedition have been to blame. Why, then, do they Dot plainly tell us so ? They point their fingers sit the commanders, but they dare test name them. It is fortunate for the country, however, that thetotnmanders were not mad enough to attempt to proceed to Ant. werp ; calamitous and disgraceful as the result of the Expedition has been, our rein would, in that event, have been still more complete. If it be asked why Bannparte did lest send more troops to Antwerp, the answer is evident—his troops, though not under the walls of Antwerp. were in situatioes from whence they could be speedily sent either there or to any oilier pomt. likely to be attacked by us. The troops then in the garrison were sufficient fur proem defence ; and it, therefore, was not worth his while to seed more troops, until he ascertained that our commanders were desperate enough to at tempt the siege of the piece. He well knew (thiiii.:ll our Ministers did not,) what sort of an enemy our brave army had to contend with, in the pestilential • marshes of Waleheren ; and mach would he rejoice, when he found, that Ministers had been insane enough to send their armament to the Scheldt. When he first heard, that such was the destination of oar boasted expeditioe, with what a smile of sa tisfaction would he say to his. Ministers, " There Set them lie, MI famine and the ague eat them tip" Upon a, consideration, Sir, of all the evidence tai I upon your table, I feel myself bound solemnly to call upon this House for the condeumanon of those Ministers who have was toisly coniprousised the safety and honour of the country, by under taking an expedition, in which success was abso lutely impossible. I shall now, S:r. attempt to *hew, that even success would not have justified His Majesty's Ministers in putting to hazard the last army of the country, upon this expedition. The adnunistratibd, Sir, • ith whom 1 had the ho nour to act, made it their uniform study to hus band the resources of the country ; regardless of popular clamour, they deterinisied not to ex pend, in fruitless expeditions, that blood and that treasure, whielm, at no very distant period, may be required in the defence of all that is dear to use am, however, ready to admit. Sir, that there rimy be occasions which call for a departure from the rules of ordinary prudence; the Spanish revolution was, to my opinion, one of those occasions; amid haul I been in office when that event occurred, I for one would have concurred in the propriety of send ing to thy Peninsula. the largeat distr.-sable force which the country could poisibly spare. When I first heard that the expedition which was afterwards sent to the -Scheldt, was in contemplation, I did hope that it was destined to reittforce our gallant army then in Spain. I was at th time its the cnu .try, but, before the sailing of the expedition, I COMP to LOllllOll. where I heard, from persons upon whose inforrustion I could rely, tutu h ua account of the stato of the politic initial, and of the events them. mrims.ing aro the North of ucrmtiny, as to and tit art. to for u ms au opluicn, that to seed vur disposable Gate there would be preferableeiren sestljeg itteSpain: and Many othisr *bierPtisSig Mrs; had embarked in a Mimic, in *bleb their flies Isere at stake, and had they bees 'supported bye powerful British army, something might hire been *chivied to avert the sinking ROloPe• The hopes of the Continent were turned towards Hie Majesty's Ministers; but; slits him cruelly R. e thu,ie hopes disappointed : Ptiffed up filth the .ni ish expectatims of obtaining h little Moiniintary popularity, by the capture of 4feirr slept, the • destruction of aft' arseusi, t Meoloterg sent this mighty armament . (which might istemhly have decided the fate of Eardpe,) apes kitreda tory ezpsitition. How could the rkpednia to Antwerp produce a diversion in favour if trio ? If Ministers had realised the 'thalami hope of hiking Antwerp, what Vf 'old ,qllr twiny have done • next ? Most they not , isstently have turned their becks upon the enemy{ and got on boird their ships as fast as their Inge could carry them Would they not otherwise hint; been exposed to inevivrble destruction ? • . . might Austria complain, hod bitterly complain. of the selfishness aad meanness of our cunduil. But Ministers say, that they were prevented from scud. tag the liratpedition to the North of Getman) , by motives e( humanity; their humane minds cculd not brook the idea of exciting an lissom alias among the Get -autos, lest the hmargents Should afr terwards be butchered by the French ; and'thie * we are told by the vey men *hose tender morties went exhibited in the attack u'loo Copenbegtiel4 . that base and infamous litxpedition, by which the reps. tation of thie country leas received a slab, never,. be effaced, while the records of our history shall exist. But how dors it happen, that the hinder feelings of our Ministers . are reserved excluiirely for the inhabitant. of Gerinauy ? Why did not those feelings operate to prevent aim own brave soldiers from being consigned to that Wille'leren charnel-house, where their lives leave b. en teas. cui4hed ,(as an Hon. Member has said, with I fell. city of expression peculiar to himself) alike a can dle ha • vault ?" Where were theme feeliag...whee Ministers ordered to be 4' :posed to all the hae...rs of • bombardment, the inhabitants of Flushing.whons we pretended to have coma to deliver from the ty. rannytif the'French? Thus sWectetion,thia cent of bar. moody, is truly ridiculous. Minister, hare breeght evidence before the'House, to prime, that i 1 the Expedition had been sent upon a isertive sea cot quired protracted operations. they cionld, mot have found money to fay the teops—the Itswedisios, therefore. could not be of any use a' a absentia' is favour of Austria (even if the fate of Austria bed cot been decided, as it actually was, before the Expedition embarked.) But blisiieters, it seems, •ere deterniined to mud an expedition somewhere :he good folks of Margate and Rarnsirate, sad the rest of the watering-plates, moat have sontothitg to talk about—the Noble Lard (Castlereagh) meat have a trip to the coast m me the rotswan. of so embarkation; and, therefore. must the beate of the country be sent to aleolute deeenicti n m ;T: Noble Lord. however, says, that we roost a:t psi a censure upon him and his eigleagnes,becaus the es. peditioa he planned bus sot been tried—the telt mate objects of the expedition, he says, have cot bees attempted. tteo4, Sir, this is so wretched a qrsiblale, .that..l em inclined to.suspeet that it NM originated with the nisi pries pert of the achninistra.. tine.—/A Walcherea Expediters not tried !—Ana I dreaming. Sir ? Or. are we really Dow discensing the merits of a mighty expedition. which sailed to the Scheldt about eight mouths sgo, sad which returned about four months afterweide, defeated—disgracei—and almost annihilated ? I cry his Lordship merry, but I really did .= somehow or other that the Expedition to N' a l had been tried: Does his Lordship mean to deny that the whole of the Expedition, from the pegis. cling to the end, was under the direction of His 31.. it-lily's Government? And is that Government sot hoar to be called to account for its total failure? leave now. Sir, only to Observe. that if Ministers are not arrested in their career of folly, by the ren.ure of this House, the consequences to the country may be dreadful in the murtnae--the re. sponsibility of Ministers will be on empty sound— the aspersions which have been, thfown upon this House, by persons out of doors. frill receive con. fit mation, and the confidence of the people. (1 de ' not mean the peepte r in the technical sense of the word, but the soberand thinking part of the nation) in tie. it repreaentatires, will he lest for ever LAST NIGHT OF ACTING TILL THE HOLIDATIIi NEW THEATRE-ROYAL, COVENT-GARDEN. Tomorrow, SATURDAT e April 11, Isle, will be soled, libakspennes Play of RING HENRY THE FOURTH. (Part the Pint.) To Which will be added, a lissidal Warn, called, PAUL AND VIRGINIA. Tropic, Mr. Bellamay; Paul, Mr. Isckdos. Virginia, Mrs. H. Johnston; Jacinths, Mn. Liston. Os Easter Moodily, Kiss Rickard the Third; with Her. kepi's Pedlar; or, The Haunted Well. LAST NIGHT OF PERFORMING BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS. LYCEUM 771i.4 771 R. [Under the special Limier of the Lard aseseherialal Their Majesties' Servants will, To-sorrow. SATURDAY, April ta. perform • New Serlo-Counic Opera. called' THE MANIAC ,• OR, THE SWISS BANDITTI. Alter which. esti time, • New Monies* Farce, called HIT OR MISS! The Characters by Mr. Peaky, Mr. De Clasp, Mr. Ms thews, Mr. Neigh', Mr. Johnstone, Mrs. 'ruts, Miss Kelly, Mrs. Maul. be. Oa Easter Manday, George BemireMs New Cowie Bain called Tim Village Doebte, sad The Renew. THE BRITISH PRESS. LONDON, FRIDAY. Aram 13. We congratulate the Public on the restoration of perfect tranquillity in this Metropolis. We have given, in another part of oar paper, a sketch of Mr. AVtannata's celvl)ratad areal on the late debate upo.a the Expeditioa that:l4.64ldt. In consequence of the attack mode by Mr. Yorke and Mr. Windham. upon the respectability of New papers, and all person. connected with the% and • I 4 • II •