The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1809-01-20 00:00:00

•1•.=• - • thin, it *no evident we could not go on Witlimit very considerable expenve, and though it was to lie regretted that that expense was not likely to be diminished, yet it was no small cotwirhation to learn, that it was likely to he supported without material addition to the present existing burdens. He was also glad to hem-stated, the pros perous situation of our r...9viine; lie had never sup l iused that Bonaparte had goy chance of suc ceeding in his attempts against uuryommerce; but fie colifesaaid he did not expect to Bud that oar re.; VelllW, instead of being at a stanil, was actually Mc:caring, awl he considered this as the.stroasnst proof of our-ability to re.iet to the uttermost. file lost topic to which he shoold advert, was that of our military arrangements. He was happy to find that the plea of. the Loctl Militia had turued• out so well ; he had always approved of the measure.— He repeated his opinion, that we most look to 'offensive measures as the must effectual mode of carrying on defensive war; and, although our dis. •raisolili•Torce was now found to be greater than ever, it it could he still fartlwt increased, we *tumid lie better enabled to sustain the contest in :veil we were engaged ; or how else could we rea *amiably hope fur r safe, honourable, or lasting peace. Impressed with these setitinients, he con cluded with moving an lismil•le Adelrese to. His Majesty; which , us usual. was an echo of the Speech. Mr. LtisttINGTON. in a low tone of voice, which reudereil hint not to lie heard very distinctly, se courted the motion. After expressing his satisfax tient at the eloquence displa)ed by the Hotionrahle litlover, he chained the courtesy of the. House iu shortly delivering his setittineids on the rice 4 sion.— &het iug; as he did, that no former period +tian eves more momentous than the present. he could not bat feel the necessity of a vigorous tutd active co operation. Amidst Cie gelerst desolation' slue(' had overspread the civilised world, Ereglitial alone remained unhurt, oral tnerefore she ins he more firmly bound to. pledge her faith to support the cause she had engaged in. Reflecting Oil .0 hit was passer:, and seeing how many natives had Leo sue. cessively alienated from us, be consitiere.l ter* as bound to adhere to such as mutated united with as for the comn:on preserrati , in, red he felt Government was untitled to the highest approbation for haviug resisted the laic insiJious attempt at Negoeiatime, convinced there did out exist one who would advise %brit treating uwler such eircuinstannsi ; sad this approlostion, woe convinced, irss equally general . , both is and out of that House. 'rite topic, which, oral' hided to by the lion. Mover, he einisiticreel us the strongest and most conseliog, was the flourishing state (*four amulet." ; while they continued thus to improve, we had not' gto apprehend. Ile alms recommended to the House to •coasider the best means to increase our military strength, sr a mea sure essentially necessary to a successful resist:Meth and a prosiwrous termination of the lirerett ardu ous contest in which we were engaged. Without detaining the house further, he begged limes to sed aond the motion for the Addruw. Mr. PONSONIV—" The awful circumstanees, Mr. Speaker, nuder which the present Stersion of Parliament commences, would in the,a,selvvs, withs out can His Majesty'e direction, hare called our attention to them, mad reduced, I tun sere, in trio mind of every Man, a wish to offer to the lloum such opinioas and counsels its are likely to Iced to the honour and security of the country. Ills Ma jesty in his Sperseh intimates to us, that the contest in which we are engaged has ad likelihood of being Bros; ht to a coucluston favourable to the interees of this country, or of oar allies, without a Vigerons and persevenug continuation of the eCiets of the mitten. I do believe that His :*.lajesty may have torment a very just e.stisoute of tke situation of this country, and of the rest of tiirepe, iu ers fraying ; but I cannot but lament haer deeply he is likely to feel the disappointment which nava pro bably ensue from the conduct of those to whliu he has entrusted the councils of the nation, If Ili. Mejtity think that a vigorous perieveraitee,in war exertions is the only means or bringing the present contest to a favourable' coiniusion, 1 do imagine that we can Ina form a fceltte hope, that the same seen who hitherto have so feebly tsegoeimed, and who have so iiieffeetnetly ebadttcWd the face of this nation, will gratitythc wishes of the countryt then future efforts, either its our own behalf, or in that or our tithes ; for nerer,. 1 believe, has oaf public force bean directed with so little skill, fore sight, use, or success. (near I hear ! Ara r !f— -ills Majesty last year concluded II treaty 10th - the King of Sweden, by which the country sitin,ht pledged to pay to that M o narch d i e *suns of . eter hundred thrissend pounds, widely stipidatint. the country haw port; weed with fidelity ; for'' I believe that in promises *lnch relate. to the Riving , ' sate the public mewl*, there are none who will thiuk of accusing those of His Majesti's Cdisneil tails' deer having been wanting. akar ! hear ! dad land lout !ling.) by that treaty it is etiestateri, that if the King of Sweden he attacked by this country shall . coricert with that Siivereikit as to sending out an auxiliary fbree to his'aid ; how far there has been any thing of enneert—how far there has been any thing of coansid —.how far these bah been say mutual communication, or common its.- deritsadirrg between the Government of thii coun try nod His Swedish Majesty, in conformity with th e treaty, we can form some judgnieuf by the e(pettition of Sir John Moore and hi. army, sent last slimmer, (Mar I hear ! hear !) Upon that 9cel.inni an army is brought tVom the south of . , s, • at the very Ismailia when Spain was avateel, and 'Via army is sent to the assistance of Sweden ; as after the ridiculous termination of inch an expedition, the seine Officer is entrusted with the matiagement of the array .sent into the south of Kum r e , thus entrusting into his hands the welfare of this country, and the fate of Europe. 13 not this a failure of ass expedition on the part of the Contmander-in-Chief, and whet was the result of it ? Sir John Moore, who proceeded, its eon fortuity, I suppose, with a separate article of the treaty, after waning a consider:dila time in Sae (lilt, and without seeing it innate musket tired, cc , y number of soldiers in array against him, re -1.. es to England, having escaped as it were in dis •ies.. This i I presume, to be deemed a proof nes valour and foresight of His Majesty's Mi l. .•e r.. This is a proof of what is to be expected the polder: force, when placed under the di icebox of *loch hands. When they undertook that hateful expedition 'wriest ll.kiniark—when they waged those hostifitier which have caused the g00..1 faith and character of the English nition to he called in question. more than ever any act did before, they ouglitto have secured, one would me luridly suppose, mime great and permanent benefit from it ; but yet, it this inatant, the Danish navv are snore active against tile Eng . lish commerce, than any couutry iu the world. In point of fad, this country I believe hits suffered ~tore since the capture of their fleet, than we could have stir freed if the. Danish ships of war had remained autiougst themselves ; for if Denmark inn) applied her hostile fleet to meet yon in open battle, there is an man that doubts what the result would have been. If she had kept her Beet, her pride might hare induced her to acts of bottility which might have enabled us to do MOO, LIMO Whit we •inave as yet accomplished; but having lekeii, ber fleet without depnviag her of her meativ, she •employs her renutiumg force agaiust our commerce, which she never could have done so successfsillv. These are institute...tint the vigour of the cum Alli of His Majesty's Ministers. Not only has this conduct produced much tido:bier to the iutereste of the country, hut ions materially affetted its rt•putatiou ;• fur I know not what that part of Europe, which Junk* oil at the coined betwixt Franca and Esig. laud, can thick of the expedition of Sir John Moore being *rut to Sweden, rem • g as it did. and returuing disgrarefully, not certimilehin to the commander or the eoliiierv—.‘ir if they haul remained, I have no doubt their gallantry would have been displayed ; lint the Ministers who plan ned that kind ofp.ant • ad movement, bye which the &dame, anuses of the reunify are conveyed from one eml of Europe to the other, without any hittait in view. After this expedition to !-.Medeii, the ull'airs of Spein twat eneweed the attention of the poll:it-4i world ; the eve•iit:tif the Gov,riiiiieitt of Fraiiee noshing the attack it did mein the ex. king Onsertiment of Spain, (whieh Imo deserreil all that •he lion. Mover oh the Address Inc , said of it, itesmuudi that I 'nut sore it is untieciasary for me to describe it,) did certainly give this country an opportunity, Web aS never occurred sieve the commeareuient of the Kevolutino in Eni.. • iu -, Pyep ; I mean au opportunity of co-orvereinig with the powers ou the confluent. This .vas an event of the weatest importance, an event big withe the. greatest consequeaves, and e - etch demanded the greatest attention of ti:e Tlingit Miatetere ; • they, and they only, mete capable of forming a jigs( opinion concerning it. it took plate very shmtly IsrlOre the fe.ing of the last Sc. nt - Par.- , busman ; nothing was comiiiiiiiieeted to Parfait went; ill that WAS known, and all that was dune, Was by Mmisters alone; they were the sole adviaere• upon that tarasiou, V. hen the Spanish nation tilt. denooji to resist the power of Fratier,it surely be came ma-emery fee these directing His Maje-ty'si .Ceuncils to consider well whit.. !alio war the most proper to be eilopted. I suppose the, nobody tv:11 say. that the deterinimed resistanee of such a power tee Vreglet war not an event that required the mast . matured consideration. before this eouinry at ail in. Mermaid ; because, if the resnontice of Spain were succewful, nut only was Staid, thrfehy Treed frown the contronl of a hostile pow.r, but the rel.ete power of France in Europe was to lie proprwitoti. ally ilimilieheel. If Spain was at all friendly to this meaty. I say that from hie moused alle see. evaded in her resistaile_ ! ,e the designs of Fran c e againstthe continent of Europa , elineet•eirtirely va uishte..l. la all countries vitiated as Spain was, it must, I presinoe, sever he matter requiring the deepest enitsideraf of tire stinist•cotapetent judger, what newle Of warfare should aw. adopted; whether it should be by sending armies into the field, to meet the eAleM;i by regale' , cainpitigns, or whether it shottid be by supplying the population of such . a couutry, with arms and ammimition. over the , whole auditor of it„thereby eticom aging its iiihabit- Hants to constainy and perseverance; or shelving' them whether they should desist from the contest. Which of these Haire was the most proper it was solely for Miaisters to judge ; but in fact they seen. to have formed no plan at all, lint to huve revisited occasionally either to one or other of them, jrist as the event of the moment sugeested. If any reliance Ceti be placed upon what has been stated in the news. papers as to the itroceedings of the Board of Inquiry. it appears that Sir A. 'Wellesley, who was the first matt sent to assist Spain, went front this country without any thing like saceitie instructions as to the best (node of . carryingain the wan he having, • as it were, a roving commission, to der whatever ht pleased for the interest of Simi% New, Sir, I con ceive that nothitig could have been inttehlers likely to ware the Spanish cause than that coOrse of pro. ge mt ag . Ta r - army which Sir Arthur Wellialey carried wth bite wits not large eiourgh to cope with the French antic, nor le-IS it like Mat which could be jawed by the specieti of three the' Spa. Merle had eu faot. Sir Arthur tVelkaley, we are in nnauttd, and, if I speak erroneously I ion perdnii *hie. as Government has published iinthing 1190:1 the NI/bit:et, what we learn Iteieg from the public prints, consulted with the Junta of Gallieir, and they were of opinion that he should not at St. Andero, but go to Portugal, to expel the French from that quarter, and _then to use his army as a point of itilien or conpectinii between the • Northern and Southern Army of Spain. That the Junta of Grille-is might wish to get rid of the Featch situated just behind their province, may be true; bat how the Government of this crenate could think that the best means of get. riJ of the enemy in Spaiii, is what I catmint uu.ler.taisd, and the reason is obvious. Even if we were in possemiou of Portugal, Spain iniulit leer lost ; but if We first possessed Spain, Portugal might have followed; for it is easier to occupy the smaller after possessing the greater country, than to get hold of the greater after first possessing the smaller. This has already beeu completely verified ; you have expelled the French from Portugal, and notiviih. standing that event, the French are at this moment ['waters of the capital of Spain, have dispersed the Spanish army, and are now, as we understand, in pursuit of oars. Such has been the benefit re sulting to Spain front the expedition to Portugal. The Speech tells us, that the campaign in Pm, fugal, although glorious to our Pries. bias neverthe less been sullied by a Convention, of which, 'nine of its parts. His klajestv has expri•ssed a formal disapprobation. W hat! has the Couveutiou met with the /brweal divepprobathw of Hie Ma jesty? This was to ties very rno•aeat a secret ,to the country. (Hear! hear! Gear') I never heard of it, HOC I believe has any'other person ; on ties contrary, it was presumed, from the proceeding* of the board of Inquiry, we were to hear no more df the subject; no mark of disapprobation was ex on the part of the Crown, and therefore'''. am at a less to cuactive bow the cenutry were to know of this formal disapprobation, fltutile tint yet to what that formal disapprobation refers, for it dote not appear whether it relates to the tetrue. I granted to the French army, or to the t tongue; of our Generals towards the Due tr.ibrautea; hut 1 1 when we have the authority Of I his 'Majesty for considering this Convention as improper in sue.: parts, and not being inrormed of whet they are, I do not think it is surprising is any man to endeavour to get a knowledge of that inysteriuus subject, so as to set the matter ri4bt throughout the country. The vigour of His Mejesty's Minis ter+ was eminent in regard to Portugal, also by the equiumeet of the army seat to that country. In eeuditig the um:muds given by the tictieruls them selves, awl all the dm:warring drat have yet Irma- Mred, one of the principal reasons Ibr giving the French advantageous term, in that Coileeutimaii, wreathe 'red equipment of the army, the wont Of artillery, slid, alrove all, the defect and neeitiness, in piney of number, of the cavalry. Such is time una ii i iii OUA account of the Generals employed, and . yrt we are to pre...lame that His Majesty's Ministers,. who sent that expedition from tine country (ourl who had nuthieg else to do at the time, except the sending tieat other notable our to Sweden) hare dies played wisdom and energy ha their Conduct.— . IViei the 'Noble Lord opposite (Lord Castlereagh) so stinted of force in this country, or was he ao ablated in time means of conveyance, its that he could not pressibly have sent a more arlequtite equip- inent ? I well remember when that Noble Lord used to get up and state to the ;Wow, with tears iii Isis eyes, the wretched situation and condition of the military department, when uuder time manage memo of. Ri t lit Hommnimmble Friend of mine, (Mr. imußmain) not now in hts pisce, ridiculing the saving of expense that Mel been observed in •reetard to transients. Now, could any Mir have i supposed that be • could have been 'Weep all this • time upon that very siilject, the sato of which he hied so much dechemed against, and th a t too a t a I time when tralis e ensi were most- easy to be g0t...-. I Tlicse declamatory speeches of his were. uttered niue or tea mouths previdus to sending oat .his est ped.tion. Ile might .have heard of transports in aliesdatee, for, thank Cod ! this coun try can, above all when., satiety thrum ; sod yet we find him senditie out this force mu such a wretch ed state us is represented by the officers. Is this the anode by which we ore to riles, to the world the wirdorn and vigour of our councils, mid time excel lence of our onliterrsystens? The amseounte given of the. state of the (ovally if it were not for its melan choly etreets, would he truly ludienrut. One of them says, thut mote of the horses were blind and lease, • stn of old age.....ealeegio—tind yet these a ere the anisette sent by the Nettle Lord into Portugal, to every en the wur against France. But. Sir, this is not 1111; when the terms trete grunted to the French army, how did our force bear upon the affairs of Spain? The secoad great reason assign ed for granting the Convention ens, that time hail then become aim object of the greatest itueortance, 'mold that it w<+ isetevery to disengage these troops from Portugal, in order that they aught he em ployed in Spain. 'Phis are the second reason as signed by all the Officers, and leirtieularly by the lest one who returned ; and it these Officer* be wrong, 1 hope 1w will not blame them ; us, by his Inane qemilnt, the Commanders-in-Chief were made to supersede each other in such quick succession, that it was impassible they could be acqviainted with the movements that Were going forward.-- Altisnuelm that Convention was signed upon the soth or Ang . htt. none of those, troops were ready for action mu Spain for more than two months after wards, and indeed many of them I believe did Lint qnit Portugal for utter tea weeks afterwards. What then could Me the object of granting such terms to the French army ? It could not be in era:l' to get expeditiously into Spain, for the French army were most probably us Spain before oars. It• is 'minty then for the puTt.iv of trans porting the French army, that the Nohlc Lord is anxious to pmvidetritesports, when he finds they never could have , 4ritlitel into Spain without s u c h .. assistant., and 'Ottr own army his to march five hu lathed miles litecerlithey eau much the French army, to beat %thefts 'y'eni the object of unirching . Mtn Strain. in Amite cireurnstance moteed- Mg this Convention cerhes with it an ignominy vmhich- it is almost impossible to overlook. We are now told, -His Mate Sty 'ex(mresses his formal disaps probation; intl . yettis %Masters thoughtpropre tie Are the Testes:6 . point' in approbation of •ite--rifeeer Arse; hear!) It thtis appears, His Majesty has a ditfereet notion of the honettir of an Englisharniy than his MiniAters havelby his redeeining his own elmracter, freeing himself from being a partner in such tninsectionti, and formally declaring his dis. approliatioe. Early in the month of July, or the end of Jane, there appeared a paper, pub lished in the public priats, perportiug to pro ceed from the Spanish Junta, 'older the title rmf " Precautions,". and to be the grand plan of warfare to he carried on by Spain against France ; •sm kind of instruction to the Spaniards how they shomild in general conduct them selves; aewinet their enemy. After distributing their - anus , under font t7oinmanders, it describes the Northern command as being the most important ; the great object being to guard the pa-sages Tutu Spain ortr the Pyrenees. Now, if His Majesty's (Ministers had erondeseended to hold a little inter • comerseevith theSupreine Junta, or have al-.owed the truly to - remsiii in England till they actiiali i kuew P soffietiting of the state of•Seaim. oi, if Sir Ar thurhad- even corresponded with the Junta. they tend we ton would learned, that time most im portant duty to he perforneri was the defeace of the North of Spain, mid the pe.sage of time Pyre. nets ; and then, instead of ',elite wonsted.the army so sent might have been wised far the most henefietel immirpoeee, so as to make the French retire into the frontiers of France. I am certain that was the plan of warfare which would hate been month essen tial to the safety of Simiu. The Convention of l'oesigal hariez taken place. amid Ilia Majr•sty's __-.-...Y1 fS t . .. .„ • * •,. • .! . • , ~ • • . Midisters having thought proper to fin theoriter guns in token of their autisfactioe, it did is tutu out 'that almost a!! Nis Majesty's inshjects Iwere of MO opinion directly contrary to slot of Ministers, arid the first city its Btitaiu, the, city of boson, ripproached the throL.e. with ele it sentiments, awl a "met etwowe eye/diva they ' did leret with indecd.—( Jeer .' kear ! !star !— They seem to lave i,ltentled to overthrew this /Lord • ghat or sod whole Court of Cotonou-Counciliiien of the City of London. That corporation tell :lit ltliefeety that they think the Comeution dispute- fel, diellocourable to the Drab!' atimenind kfortfel • to His Majony's iuterents ; they call for en In.VArtitt gation, and the piiiiishiaent of the guilty.—ln An- t . swer to this ,application. • Ilia Majeete's Militates . ^.4t* advise Ilia Majesty to tell the City of enindoil that :a it is toot consonant with the principles of British justice to pronounce judgment befere invesnig:, tion. A very wise • and consistent clechinitiou ! • . It is not consonant with English justice ! I should be glad to know with what kind of jun. tin, or with what country, it is comonaut ! I should wish to know the distinetine between British justice and that of any ether coon hy ! I thought that all justice was alike. hunt such an answer one should have eupprieed that the • . City of London had respeired that half a drizeii ie. diticluals should be hoard up, merely because the ' • Convention hod been eseeriel into. They were OfNi told, that it was not requisite that the et) of Leek° should state %hitt should he done in a ori lure of such a nature, as past experier.ce meet hate sliewn how retehly such inquiries lied been inset. toted. 'tenger, Sir, with the prOftmudest respeet„ Wrevery case wherein His Mujeety eppenni to act, I must say, that Hit Maijestis Ainivitcra have been guilt] of putting into his mouth an summer se Settle congenial with the spirit of the British Cousaitu tine, as cats possibly be conceived—(tinr ! Hear ! Hear !/—aid as little suitable to the - majesty and dignity of the Throne.. There iii a deities of -Sipe plumy in it. wind' may suit •Ministers to use its roue vereitinie but which must be contemptible sport such an occasion. The Noble Lewd, avid the Fight Hon. Orig. opposite, may pin, epigniassisatiee. they may sneer; 'or they may rematch, but it is not cols...mutt, I7think, to any kind of justice, to hear language limn our Soveieigis, unworthy of the Throne. If, unfortunately,. the Kilig ef this country shall lie at any time under the nect'.sity of hinting his displeasure to bis people, or rebuking their measures, the returnieg such an answer, upon soy oecusion, mutt tend to disturb that dignity, or decorum, e hich become* that situation, and !nukes the displeasure of the Throne more.felt by those who unluckily may. have faiien tiudUr it. -if Hui Majesty thought it proper or neciesary to •telnike his city of London, words could have been chosen of it ..very different .nature: from those which hliniiters.pleatted to use upon eat oceas.ori. for the purpose of • 'conveying riti4 diepleositte.— Bet, Sit, I meyweleNtand .wet ll that Miiiiatcrs i might be a little rrueitile and tint pleased with the Cite or Loinlon for nicking such remonstrance. When I consider the great complaisencygeurielly therm by that city no their measures, I must say, that they have forgotten a little what is due to the Majesty of the Throiw, when they accuse the City of London efeoodeuming before investigation. The most material consideration, however, is the employment of the force in Sp a in ; th e dil ator in t se of those 'directing it, and their total want of lit;lA city. If it Were wise at all toured the British army into Spain, we have lost that opportunity . whicit appears to hare been the roily favourable One that presented itself. In giving assistance to the Spaniards, there were, as I hate stated, two modes of proceeding. 11 hat the op - ' us of the Spaniards themselves are, I profess w 1 self totally ignorain. The fact • is, this ignoruece dots not proceed from any vomit of diligence on my part in snaking iugairees; but for want of an authentic source from which it could be procured. Did the Spaniards make application for a regular force to be sent into their country, or for 11110. :my, arum, ammunition, or clothing, and all other articles, to enable a maiva in their situation to kt-ip up the warfare neunist such armies us Fiance had the power of pouring into their country ? I Ask this, because, if Spain could not, with your as 'listener, carry this point, of keeping out fresh re. inforeementa from France, there was lithe probe- Laity of preventing their cou n try from being over run. 'ln investigating this meter, we should have considered what was the mount of the ibeisceable force of France. To guide us its regard to tLUI we hove a recent piece of information, In papers which were laid before the 'louse in the beginning of•the year Inoti, just after the tiniure of the Third Coalition, there appears to be a Moronic from the Court of 1 ienna to that of St. Peter - burgh, stating the urnousit of knee winch t raukv could probably bring aguiu s t th e Alli e d Poa.-ii. Front that document it appears the Fri eels force is estimated at 400,000 men, exclusive of the Im perial Guarde, estirdated at 1 6.00 0 . This is the opinicin of Vienne itself previous to France over. running GertuanY and Poland, and 11011161 of the other countries of Etnope, and before her connexioa with Russia. What then, I would ask, must he the force which France cite new einpley in the Spanish conquest ? It must evidently be greatly increased; and it was, therefore, most material fur this country, before adopting any measure what. ever, to consi.ler well the propriety of emploving leer force in Spain, where there was a lilelinoud of such immense numbers being brought against them. Never, I Relieve, was sympathy so strong, its that evinced in 'England in favour of tlw Span ish cause. Yet, although such was the esitlita lemon of the nation at large, and however anlerit the prueie might foe its lending assistance to sate eiet such a glorious struggle, it belonged to those who were entrusted with the management of the national force, to consider, in every point of view, the propriety or impropriety of oottplying with the popular feeling. That was, perhaps, the feel ing of the moment, but it was the duty of Mi. nisters to consider well %lot was the most cafe to do far the permanent interest of the public ; awl therefor* they were, by every mode, to Imes: tiger whether they ought to rick eta English army at all in Spite or confine their assistance to the supplies I have metitioneel ? •I do mot wish to bison' thein s for sending a force to Spann. if die Spaiiierds themselves applied for it, lied if it teem .4hasepinion oft:inept:tent judges there was a ,e true r