The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1810-03-30 00:00:00

gem the aplaieta mein fencl by the 'Ointment of
*fuse tiara, when ti.ry theaght it requisite to it'-
ll:mire into the failure et' the Scheldt Expedition.
Itie wort.l not now ttaLin the House by investigat-
ing the policy of ties Kepeclition, or inquire into
the wisdom of ruakilig an attack upon Atitscrp,
or upon the ar,,elial shit clock at Fluehing, with the
hoe remain, of our army, and the most lavidt ex-
penditure of our money, and at a time when our
bled and twasure were so absolutely requisite to
our own defence. It was lamentable that by this
Expedition, and the badly-conducted measures in
the Peninsula, we were reduced to very grievous
comequenteo. Such had been our loss, that our
army are left with an effective force of not more
than t 3,000 men. After adverting to the con-
duct of Ministers, its their different expeditions,
he said, if there was one• inexaure worse than
another, it was the retention of %Nicht:rem—lle
would ask, did these failures take place in con-c-
-epience of dissensions in the Cabinet, into which the
House was not to inquire ? Why should they he
prevented from inquiring into tho,e dissen.iiins?
Were they of such a iti.gracefial complexion, that
they would not endure examivation ? This subject
was ate, of the most important maitre, for Ministers
*ere nor called upon to answer for the blood and
teessure which they had so uselessly wasted.
Mr. FITZGERALD said, the Noble Lord, who had
just sat down, had introduced many subjects, irre-
. levant to the matter under consideration„ particu-
tarty when he real the' work containing a mutative
of the expedition to Rochfurt. The analogy be-
tween the two expeditions, mentioned by another
• Noble Lord, (Castlereagh) was forgot on the pre- ,
sent occasion. He wet happy to think that it seemed
admitted by all, that the question did not affect the
•character of the naval or military part of the expeili-
Con. The object of the present Inquiry was, and very
fairly, how far the conduct of Administration was in-
volved in the policy of that undertaking? But, how-
ever their conduct might be implicated. it mss rely
fortunate for the country, that no imputation what-
ever resod upon the army or the hav).—(lkar.
Atitr.)—A considerable stress was laid upon the
propriety' of sending troops to the North of Ger-
many, if any intention existed to wake 4 dleen.lo4
ill faveor .of Austria. But the /ion. Gentlemen
opposite Militia recollect„ that it was not in our
power; we did not Isms-ens the military meatus of
sending an Expedition. at tile onninriune period,
for co-operating with the insurrection in the North
of Gertuttuy. With respect to the policy of the
tprdition, he would do Ministers the justice to
say, they had acted in the beet manner for the de-
fence of the country; for. to attack the force et
Antwerp and Flusiiiiig„ though attended with risk,
was an object of the first importance to our own
existence. Therefore, the Adruniistration had no
wish to throw any liability from themselves upon
the officers they consulted ; bat, looking at the ob-
ject as one of 'itch magnitude, they were resolved
to eterifier their own responsibility for the dele,ice
of the country, in preference to the minor ro in-
deletion of maintaining their station in office.--
(Hoer, £ear.)—la the first instance, it hail Men
represented. there were no soldiers, but burghers
and artificers, to defend Antwerp. Now, that in-
formation was or was not correct ; if it was not cor-
rect, then there was an army, and that army •
kept there for the purpose of defence, in-
stead of being marched to the Danube; and then
Were would be proof that the Expedition to the
Scheldt had openited as a diversion in favour of
Amara. He would put the question, if the opi-
Woos of all the officers consulted were unfavour-
able to the Expeditiou ? Was that of General
Brow origg and Sir Johu Hope to he denominated
advent be the enterptire ? Whatever respect was
due to the charat ter of Sir William Er.kiue, the
itaine.degree of respect was due to the character
auci-opiuious of General Browurigg. Looking at
the political situation of Etvope atone, or scuitig
aside that consideration, the Mioisters who planned
the Expedition to Antwerp, for the pureo.e of pre-
serving our vital interests, were entitled to a eon-
aiderable share of merit. (Deer. Ira?, hear.)—
He lamented, with others, the loss of our valiant
soldiers; but he could assure the Hon. Members op-
posite. they had not monopolized all the feeling on
thataisbject. He would not condescend to go into the
calcalation made by an llon. General. (Tarleton.)
that every man cost the country forty pounds.
This, or illy other suns of money, wilt a paltry con-
videvation, when put in competition with the hers
of our brave men. As to the retention of Wel-
cheren. it was evacuated time militia opportunity,
after proper measures had been pursued to render
Flushing • place not mailable in the hands of
France against this country. If it should appear
that the Scheldt Expeditiou was the best means of
aesisting•Auetrio. if it was, in addition. a great ob-
ject with respect to our /tort II .fety ; if every thing
was done which could he those it the time it was in
oar possession; if the evacuation took place as soon
as possible; aud If no disgrace had tarnished His
Majesty's soma, he considered himself bound to
oppose the motion before the Honer. However la-
. locatable the loss might have been, he should moat
heartily concur in the propriety of its being carried
into ext (fficio. .
General TARLETOR explained.
ClaatritaK rose for the purpose of submitting
a few observations to the House. In comparing
the Scheldt Expedatiou with those undertaken in
the seven years' war. by the illustrious Earl of Chat-
, hats, Ministers were pursuing the hest inode, of all
others. to bring themselves into disgrace. Minis
had been mid to magnify the importance of taking
Flushing; as if d had been the principal object of
the plat!, when it wei. devised ; whereas, it folly ap-
peared, that Flushing was foreign to the tint
avowed purpose of that expedition. Sir Richard
Strada.% opinion had beets referred to. given on a
former occasion, but he would oily notice what
thevallant Admiral stated, in gii MA his evidence
before the Home; and he was the more in-
clined to remark what he alleged on that oc-
casion, becan.e it was his last <minket on the
subject. To retain Walchereo with 5,000 mem,
if practicable, would have been a different con-
aiderabon from that which arose, to consequence
of its being necessary to retain it at the risk
of eS,Onn men. It seemed to be a doctrine on the
ether aiae Or the Howie, that if there was a dis-
posable force, it 'Host be applied to ionee ;rider,.
taking ; but, who tt,r iii,urious or beile!icial, whe-
ats or Weeded with lose sleety to our amy, Air