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 his 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, that 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 alone 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 human
Ira urr 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 of
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