The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1809-01-26 00:00:00

what had been said respecting this not being a fit time for introducing any obscrvatioa respecting the conduct of those who placed our array in that si tuation where so much valour had been displayed, and where no service was etlected for the country. lle felt himself also disposed to wish that hi.: No -Ide Friecid (Moira) had omitted one exprmaion ; the expression he alluded to was "six/sing country." He was happy to think the natioa is not sinking, nor wee there much danger of such a catastrophe, while our army and navy were so transcendently su perior to those of the enemy. Lord Eusatse, with h i s usual eloquence anti animation, conteutleil, that however his Nob!! Fritters (Moira) conduct had been objected to, it was pertinent and parliamentary. With others he readily and most warmly acceded to the Vote 4 Thanks proposed for their consideration. But it was extremely ii aural, uud the suggestion arose of itself. that while the galluotry of the British army is universally admired, while the situation wai such, that it calls forth our greatest lamentation, we should inquire ittto the reasou of the causer which produce:l illy neeesaity of their being placed in that situation. Some allu*inn had been made to the proper feelings of Noble Lords upon this !vent; - lie had to say, t h at no one could be more deeply interested in this titian than himself. He Ism! 104 a fflUff valuable and a most of ectimiate friend, besides raisers with whom be was intimately acquainted. • Of all mete he might be oupprietel to feel properly upon this Motion ; for although he was a native of a country which, being united, all partiality was ta be laid aaitle, but possessing what belonged, in some measure, to every man—an attachment to his native roil, it was highly flatter ing to his mind to think that Sir Jolt,, Moore— that Sir David Baird—•that Generals Hope. M'Keuzie, Fraser. and Napier, were all natives-of North Britain; and this consideration a lo n e was 'sufficient to dispose hi at to feel anxions iu the Vote of Thanks proposed to the gallant survivors. But when he considered the particular circumstances which attended their prowess in Spain, and pro. ceeded to inveatigate how so small it number caste to be sent into that country, aftersloo,ooo French men had passed the 1", reeves, when he reflected upon the difficulties into which they were &d en, and what privations and lotolsinpa attended their retrea., harassed anti fatigued to the utmost de sree-i--to that degree, that neurly ei.ht thou sand of them were fumed to submit to de mructitei ; awl, at the same Bine, the others, enduring more than it seemed passible for hum an Ira ur r to endure, retreating in the meat orderly 'manner, roost witty beholding their brethren tall on - all sides; tool their track behind strewed with their dead bodies; and erth wasted mid exhausted a. they were, when arthael at Coronae. pursued by -a 111111711f0M1 eituitly, to whom they were obliged to give battle ; the decisive way in which they overcame the Freet-li fi,rce, immortitherti their names. It was more than lie expected ; at the tame time he had ..o hesitation in that he considered three brave men. who thus died, iinowilitted. he *nub, repeat immolated, 'tithe ianoraniv nod mid•otelact of Administration. Had thCy, before they lett this country, been shot on -the parade in st. James's . Park, the remit would have been equelly as bene leisl to the country as the battle of Commie. It was his humble kut firm opinion, that His Ma jority's filiothifers did not presses* sufficient ta lent to direct the vestry of a parish. %What had they done In all their ate-niers to assist others, they hal made themselves conteniptilite by their measures. fuel injured thrive they profess id to assist. The golden mtportuility of interest ing the nations of the Coutment in the cause of En tope was lost, ear could it he veer in our power to persuade them Haunt we could effectually give them aiy :elveatago tins support. The Ministers had done their utiirat to provoke America to war, Roil we should soon he in hosiiiity with every nation o f the earth. He ardently cameo:red in the ti ; but it was a melancholy emeatteration, that so much valour and heroism should be manifested by our brave countrymen, without the smallest benefit resulting to the welfare of the country. Lord (;MANVILLE lamented those eirenneitances which presented themselves when we reflected upon the valour and Bravery of our anny , before Co retina. It was an overwhelming grief, that so much praise was due to our officers and men, where, from a misdirection of their efforts, no na tional benefit bad been derived. No difference of opinion could possibly exist in respect to the great ness of their achievements on that day. But it was on the other hand equally lamentable, that our troops should be thus sacrificed to the ill-planned. illusory fond mad measures concerted bythe present Administration. The haul of Providence seemed to be upon t'iis tOnittry, moil it a as impossible to antici pate what was reservedto be the share of any of us. The evil day wasfastapproachingaind he trusted that Ministers 'meld prepare themselves for that scru tiny into their canoduct, which the past disastrous consequeners of such conduct might lead them to orefieet. Within three years we load lost the two great OtAteomett, to whom the people of this reentry looked, and not hi v.in, iu all times a Ity and alarm. A great natal character had also been snatched from us, alio had exalted the tome of British admen, to a height to which it had never before his time arrived. And now we hail lost a great military Commander, of whom lie would say, without any invidious distinction in regard to others, that he was one of them great characters that would have been • bulwark in the hind when we may most want his services. lie was sow.% lint surprised, that while different officers were justly named, no mention should have been made of a very meritorious one. General Anstruther. The Noble Baron very eloquently described his feelings as to the conduct of oar army, and concluded by au imurtioig the motion. The Earl of Wm it:maven addressed to the Douse a few observations upon what had been stated by the Noble Lords operesite. lie wished they would not have reemuse to their short-listoi hoot reiv•lio clap aruiiitteut. The Noble Baron (fir-eat-111e) seemed to attribute failure to a ant of talent in the Milliliters, but he was nut in the habit of reasoning in the same way upon former occasions when failures had taken place at Alexandria and Constantinople, and at a still prior period, when a failure took place upon the Conti nent. The Earl of Liverpool's motion was agreed to unanimously; after which Thanks were also moved to the Non-continissioned Officers and Privates un der the command of Sir posid Baird ; and also to. Rear-Admiral Sir Satnuel flood. .te., told the Officers on hoard the icet ; And a fourth Vote of Thanks was moved to the Seamen on board the same, and lik..wist- :mother Vote to the Officers and Marines. All which 'notions were uziattiluously agreed to. Lord At: moved di Tim% there he laid be fore the [louse, au account of all ex t orts and jet ports for three years, eliding on the 10th of Oct oher, 18103, and Also Cu account of all exports and nu ports, from that date down to the sth January, 1809, and of all exports and imports as to A 'aerie:4 for the time tirst mentioned, sticeirying the same, and this separate months, as soot: as they caw coo veniently be made out," antecedent to his report of the commerce of this, country. After some conver sation with Earl Bathurst, the Nolile Lord's motion was agreed to. Adjourned. HOUSE OF COAIMONB. Sir Tuna! Mtusa presented a Petition from the inhabitants of the Borough of Ports, tip, which was received and referred to a Committee to consider and report thereon. Sir THOU Isl 1 . 11 &TOM presented a Petition from the debtors confined io the King's Bench Prison, ainoinitiog to 267, praying relief. fie took the opportunoty of stating to the House, that he learned the serest gaols throughout:the kingdom ware erowilud to au uopre.cesbasted and alarming degree : li. , t he outlerstund that a Noble F..iirl (Moira) had resume I his usual WWI lions in favour of this most Calamitous deseripiiiiii of persons, iu another Mace, lie should content himself, for the present, with moving to brimg up the Petition now, reserving to himself any future opportunity of aiding so'ineritoriiitis u service, by airy exertion in his power in their behalf. The Petitton was to cordiugly brought up, read a first time, and order ed to he on the table. The Hon. Mr. LY GON moved, " That the Ilonse do on to-morrow se'tinight resolve itself into a Com mittee, to consider of the most effectual menus to prevent future dilapidations in the Plymouth Deck." Ordered.— Mr. Johnson, from the Office of the Cltief Se cretury in Ireland, presented at the • Bur of the House the Thirty-fourth Report of the Comismittre annotated to inquire into the•Pubfic Aetorwitts of Ireland. —lle also presented the Seventh Report of the Committee appointed to igigire 11110 the Fees of the Public Offices iis IrelauMys-They were both ordered to lie on the Table. . ViltlTlllteAD expremied a dire to he in formed of the nature of the communication. , winch he.i taken place between Sir James Srunikrtz auJ the' Ruvian Goverunient. Mr. ('a* in answer, stated, tb,t the gal lant Admiral had addres.arl hinincif to that Poser, but in very general nod quidnie I I.q111• ; hot that, such as they were, the communication lia4l been wholly unauthorised by His Majesty's and without their privity or direction. Mr. PONSONBY gave notice of his inten tion, to postpone his promised motion reveal:oz the conduct of foe war in Spain. from to-morrow fortnight to Monday fortnight. Mr. PLIWEV4I. inoved, "That the Rev. Mr. Cary do preach before the House ut St. Margaret's Church, on the Bth of February next, beim( the day appointed by His Majesty for a soleinis fast throughotst the kingdom."—Oidered. Mr. Secretory CAW mita, in answer to a question pot last night by Lord Folkston,. relative to the •p -potsitment of Mr. Barlow, Member for Poole, to l Consul-Geirral in Portugal. said, that Gentleman was he $111,401101 in the actual exercise of the four. tions of his office in that kinzdosn. Lli•fure that Gentleman went .ahroad, Ise hail applied to the Hoismorable Secretary upon the propriety or neves sity of vacating his seat, and he had seferred hint to the Sreaker. to whom the question, us he coa -1 eeived, properly belon g ed, to resolve his doubts ; I since which he hod hear d no more on the subject. Lord FOLKSTONa observed, the question ought to be put and derided. in order that if necessary I a new Writ might be issued for supplying his place. The Ciawctia.oit of the ExcitEemt moved, "That His Majesty's Speech, by the Lords Coin missioners. be taken into considitratioe." The title was accordingly read, pro forma. and it was referred to the Committee appointed to sit to-morrow to consider of a supply to lie granted to His Majesty. Sir. SAMtI6II. RUMILIA gave notice of Isis inten tion to move for lessee to bring in a Bill to extend the benefits of the Act of the 42d of the King, for the relief of persons confined for debt. to persons in eontein k it in Courts of Equity, for not obeying the osiers of those Courts. • Mr. 111:tstte M trcrtN inquired after certain Ac rooms frnin the Treasury, which had been ordered last year. Mr. Ilesaissos informed him, they. were tint as yet quite made, but they were nearly so, and %Wail Ile short!) Isid it fore the House, A N rit was °Mere,' be issued for the election of a Member to serve in Parliament in the rixou of Mr. Barlow deve:sseil. lilAlTLr. OF CORE 'CNA. Lord CASTLEREA‘N rci,e, lie stated, in punkt !Wee of a laudable custom, and, he doubted not, in strict conformity to the feelings of all descriptions of persona, to move the gratulation of that House on the glorious achievements of our arms on the 16th instant. In performing acts of this pleasing nu tore, it w•ns seldom, fortunately', we were under the painful necessity of mingling the feelings of regret for the fallen, with the expressions of grati tude for our success ;--in the pre•eut instance we hwl to lament the lo,s of 4111 e of the greatest cha racters that had ever adorned his country, of one who had fallen a sacrifice to the great came of which he had Iv•en selected as the champion.— There were, howeier, some tire 1111 l stidicer attend ing his ins., which could not but he highly grateful to his feelings in his last moments, us he ass ena bled to make his inquiries with the solicitude of a father, and to receive the consolation of leaning, that those exertions, which he hail so judiciously and perseveringly made, had been crowned with ultimate and complete success. If any thing could lee wanting to stimulate the House to the cxpressi 111 l of their gratitude and admiration of the fallen hero, it would be enough to learn, that, in his dying tuo►ttvuts, he declared, lie had but out remaining wish, that the gratitude of his country should mark the crisis of Ins fate. This wish, thus interestingly expressed. .his Lordship doubted not would be fulfilled in its utmost extent ; be cause, although he was unahle to rescue the country he was sent to protect, yet could not the failure be attributed to any deficiency of wis dom, valour, or exertion in liiin"—(llere there was a continued cry of Hear hear! from all sides ol' the House.) As soon as it had subsided, the Noble Lord continued—" If this vociferation were meant to imply any deficiency on the part of His :Neje.- ty's Ministers, he assured them they should have an opportunity, upon a future day, of discusting • hat question, more befitting than the present solemn occasion. His Lordship conceived it would be un necessary to call to their recollection the various points of excellence which distinguished the cha racter of Sir J. Moore; from the activity,vari• ty and number of services he had crowded into a narrow compass, they could only be weakened by :nay sts tempt at detail ; but there were one or two circum stances which distitignished this last campaign, that not to advert to would appear something like ingra titude. In the first instance, it was to be remarked, that after a march of the most arduous and difficult nature, upon the arrival of our %Tiny at Salainaoca, that force was f htobe in the most perfect and complete state, as far as the talents and super intending vigilance of a 4;eneriiicould effect ; in fact, he firmly believed that gag =Ora • competent to the service it was nitroJed to perform, nes/rept took the field. Amid here his Lordship thought it right to state, that the gallant General ht), fr o m • thorough conviction of it's practicable utility, selected to march by hind, in preference to going by sea; and that without tukiaig into consideration any. deficiency of transports; and to this prefierence his Lordship considered we owed, that our array was in it condition fitted fur immediate service, by collecting its resources as it proceeded; and thus far the gallant General was 'essay entitled to our gratitude. This army wonld'have View found every way equal to any force France could have brought against it. for all military purposes, if it only 'waved to withdraw the _French army from the career it was proceeding in, odd thereby giving the Spanish tooled time to rally; and his Lordship hoped, if it luol been found practi , /able to have attarkel 'Marshal Soak, • that thi event would not only have added to the ilivcii4on, but have given additional lustre to the British arms, awl have roused and kept alive the ardour of the Spaitish nation. With respect to the diversion, he would assert, that more prompt decision could not lie displayed ; and as to glory, although the •gallsiit General had sacrificed his feeliu s , lay abstaiiiiim in rhe first instance front seeking it, yet had he the melancholy opportunity of hespiesithiog it its utmost 'splendour in Use termination of his career; said a greater instance of splendid achievement, he would venture to say, was not to be found, thins in the victory of the 16th instant. When we see an army, wader all the discourage ment. of weather, making good its retreat, wilco we co ler the vigour with which it was pressed by a force so much superior, to find, after all, victory the most decisive crowning their efforts, and that not u victory in narration merely, but exhibit ing the indisputable proof of emburkiatiots iu the face of that enemy, without ttse loos of a man, or a single piece of artillery ; this, he was bold to as sert, achievement for which the page At his tory could find no lnirnilel. His Lordship would not detain the House longer, but moved, " That an humble address be presented to His fitticaty, pray ing that he would he graciously pleased to direct, that a monuineut may be erected in the Cathedral Church. of St. Paul, ton the memory of Lieute nant-General Mir-John Moore, who gloriously lost his life in his o weer, Killed by a cannon ball at the head of Ilia Majesty's troops, at the mo ment of victory, in the front of Coruna, on the ithlt of Jaisilai , 1:•oo ; and assuring His Majesty that they would make good the same." Lord Heti a I l'a rry trusted that no one would be found willing to divert the attention of that House from the melancholy duty they had to re cord. they heavy loss their casuistry had sustained ; but from the satisfaction with which be rose to join his tribute to the terms so just and emplistical just now expressed by the Noble Lord, he must stop to declare his ardent wish that these sentiments might go forth to the world; for he could not ex pre v. the indignation lie felt, when he found a venal part of the public press, supposed to be' devotee to his Lordship, striving, at such a moment as this, to strip the fallen hero of his lame! ; sod he trusted if any suchimagined they were consulting his Lordship's wis!tes, they would now Iliad their mistake. The death was said to sanctify and can onize mcit's actions; yet he did not consider it as precludiug inquiry ; but it was surely fair that censure shottlil be suspended till justice had de tailed awl ascert.ined etyma,. With these feeling. his Lordship expressed his entire concurreinie in the sentiments of the 'Noble Lon!. Tliv Motion was thea put from the Chair, stud agreed to nem. con. Lord C.ts ILEKEACII then moved, "That the thanks of tile 'knew be given to Lieutenant-time r:al Sir Mimi.] Baird, second iu conainalid, the Gem rals I li. e, Fraser, Lord Bentinek, Page t, Stewart, I NI, I.eith, Slade, Rumford, IVarde, Disoey, Nloottiot:lLtio, Font., nod the other Offi., cers cotnniatitins4 w the battle of the 16th inst. This Was also voted Hein. (Ott. His Lordship also moved a like Vote of Thanks to the Non-eommissioncil (HE( ers and Privates, to be communicated at the head of their respective regiments, which was ordered vent. cum. Lord CANTLFIMAGII then adverting to the suc cess attending the embarkation of our troops, ow ing to the e•crtions of our Navy, moved the Thanks of the House to the Admirals De Courcy, Hood, and the rest of the Officers, for the effectual aid they afforded in that necessary and important service. ()Mere(' nem. cox. and a like vote to the Petty Officers and Seamen was in like foamier :greed to. RATTLE 01 VDTEIPA. Lord CAtTLEREAGII now rose. pursuant to the notice which he was obliged to renew, in roma , wiener of the fai't!re of a House yesterday. to move the Thanks of the House to Sir Arthur Welledey, a n d the Officer,. :sod men engaged in the battle of Virneira. His Lord.hip was confident the douse would feel, that however a difference of sentiment might exist, as to the littler part of the business in l'ortugal, and as to the results of that battle, that nekr were services more a:equivocal, nor the public feeling build ioi th with greater farce, than upon the arrival of the news of that victory. His Lordship was meanies to as triuca as possible, till the proper time should ar rive, :iny general iliscursion as to its 'trivets, as the merits of the battle itself seemed to have bein fully and generally agreed on. If we ieferred to the most remote aerials of our history, it would hie found, that no greater triumph has ever beeu achieved than the victory of Viineirii. We have had our victories in E4ypt and Muida ; hut, not with et andieg the event in the present instance. might not, by some, he considered 101 fortunate, yet we had 110 W eleusly atiuced, that ti pun any fair comparison of numbers, victory was to be achieved, and that of a descriptiou winch , thou.;ll not need to the habits of warfare like our commie-, would. evince, that meet theist where we would, it would 'appear, that whether in infantry, artillery. or CV 'ally. our military character had itoesemert a tin which, if not as bigh as o'er nand ex.-nines, t'- want of opportunities, would prove that our eras: eats, in any,part of the world, must e'aittt the .O periority. His Lordship coosideled it i.ecessary to advert more particularly to some few of the eine canistanciss :attending thts stc , nry. The 'Butt ef the 17th of August we*, in the judgineat of the '• French theniselvee, cot interior, in skill mid bravery, to any thing to be mit with; but the battle of the -gist was upon a 'urger ',Ale, winch would remain as an example of military t re ties, and a proof that no arms ever did, or could accomplish, more than we del upon that occas.oti; and it was no mean pr: oe over the power of Frauct. to be Ode to say, that our army. after just land ing, was in a state of readiness to advance them ; that in the event, at least one-fourth of their force was annihilated aryl that out of 21 pieces of ordisauce, which they brought into the not more than right 14caped irons oat hands; tort I.e considered. that dwelling ea these topics would only serve to weaken their effect. His Lordship ex pressed an anxiety, lest, perhaps, the course w bleb he lilt himself found to take. might besubjected to misinterpretation. ' 4 , He could nut coiteral that lie beard a wish expremed that the minima Sir H. Bur rard should be included in the vote of thanks: and hr ellinnederedit in asserting, that hie feeling* were wholly adverse to any thing which might in the most r. mote degree appear to trespass ui,ol. his well known character; indeed the gallant General had linsseif suffcieutle rheisn his owe sen-c of the siiiess, be his mode of aiming, in not suffering his oatue tot he mixed %jilt that of Sir Arthur Wel lesley. His Lordship owner.' that whets it was nix thtty to submit the affair to Ili, Majesty for his directions, lie iiev.r thought of paying 60 bad a oniplititent to Sir Harry !torrent as to advise the convejing applause direct to him. but rather tl:ro' hires to Sir Arthur Wellealer; mid His Majesty himself was pleased to express his eutire apps tints of the &steer, for hiving given the credit to the latter, as having gathered the laurels wait upon that occasion ; and to niuke any alteratiou mei would be to reverse the natural order, by depriving Sift. Wellesley of what he had doer, and after Sir Harry Barran' leanag him in possession of the merit of it. His Lordship trusted Ott that House would not now be niggard in their prisoi when they recollected whet had been tbeformer services of the gallant General. it might be 'aid, those services kid been performed in another hemisphere, and where such resistance was net to lie m e t wi t h% yet there it weal(' be found that the Caine vigour arid skill had been exerted, as he brought with him to the battle of Vimeira, and that en army better commanded. or more ready to follow, never took the field. His Lordship irotielottpl with moving, " That the Thanks of this House I.r given to Sir Arthur Wellesley, for his nieritoriuus services, ic. the battles of Om 17th and 214 of August last." Tlie Right lion. LIMEY ADDING;IIIIC observed, that iii the vote he should-give this night, he was not indurated by any considennines of personal uttuchnicut ; he was willing to alien! his concur rence to the motion, from a conviction that it was due to the meritoriods officer, and the army that fought under him, and he felt cantioc:al that. if it ware passible to submit the question to the natives at large, it would be received with acclamation. His Lordship expressed a hope, that gentlemen would shit in from introducing topics into this debate, which might disturb utienimity, and pre vent the cordial concurrence of all parties in eon ferr,tig thanks so ei aa iaa hotly deserved. Ile stated, that great actions speak for themselves; end con cluded with retiarking. that Sir. A. Wellesley had' so distinguished himself on this important oecuaion, that we could look with confidence to his exertions at any future time, whether he was to appear as the avenger of his own country's wrongs, or the assistant of other nations protected by tied count y. Lord Emersion observes!, that, disagreeable as the task was. he must object to the Motion be fore the Home, at the ,saine time that he felt 110 hostile sentiment towards the gallant officer who was principally concerned in it ; he objected to it, because Parliament was not in the habit of voting he thanks under such circumstances, having alway. required some peculiar di-tiaction in the act which they selected for applause. Votes of Thanks, he obeerved. should only be given when some great military exploit was achieved, or when soave mete nal benefit rebelled to the reuntry. Ile could un dertake to prove, from documents, that midst r it those dunes existed in the preseut case. anti them fore be felt himself justified in the objection he had 'nude. Much strew, had been hid upon the greatness of the *idiom mill the cothusiasal ex pressed by all on the arritul of the intelligence ; that the enthusiam was great, he admitted, but in sisted that it was confined to the first intelligence, hilt extinguished by suirsecuent accounts and more authentic infornintion. It lead been stated that the English were inferior in number to the enemy ; bat the English were 16000 strong, while the forces of the enemy did not exceed 1000. As to any be nefit widish the country had derived from it, the Convention was all they could look to. If he agreed iu the principle of the Motion, he would object to it on the ground of the roe i of Sir Harrt Burr:11-.1's name ; but the action war net a suffieiently brilliant description to w;:rrant sii ( et- Rgitt.11111•111t : i.e therefore ohjected to the Motu ...; It was a bad precedent to *fiord these honours to Mr. 6.11r4. credit rotidi I playeti tht•. get he eat 1.3114:d cirdi in y t tht e Vrttn and ably coup W ell IS par,' a waiktia was al teen exam their Rviko of the the tt rard I of VII itister 1g (Jul( throu 1.0 !WI fervn , 01lit, wi,h condi I.n loan byU jtcti. whic g! tii 1.1011, VC! ills EMI in- Cd I 1) t QIN