The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1810-02-27 00:00:00

witted to your Lordship, avid at what time ?—I
really do not recollect at what time; Ism, them
probably at the time they were tint delivered.
I-Lad your Lordship am col 1111 l unication with the
General Officers who hail given their ideas on the
subject of those opin'ons ?—I had some.
Will your Lordship have the goodness to stet:
with which officers, and what was the nature of those
conversations ?—The stature of the conversations
were very general ; they were not submitted to me
for opinion; the papers were submitted to the Ca-
binet. I had general cosiversatioas, from being ac-
quainted with all the officers, hut nothing more.
Did your Lordship a►k for any information re-
specting the difficulties of the enterprise which
are alluded to its those opinions?—l do not per-
fectly understand the question.
Had your Lordship any conversat:on with Sir
David Daudet' upon the subject of Ins odiuion ?
I had some g,neral conversation with him.
From the result of those conversations did your
Lordship nonirritant] that Sir David Mendes Marl
changed his opinion wish respect to the difficul-
ties that lie apprehended msuld attend the execu-
tion of this project ?—I had no reason to suppose
that he had changed any opinions he might have
given.
Did your Lordship require any more detailed
explau mon of the general ildficulitt stater( in these
opinion.. to ottriid the,. operation:-1 do not kilos,/
what particular dill'• titles ore aZiodeit to; the opi-
nion of S r Datiil Dundas I nadeistood to be di-
ret:ted to the betUreit taro different
opt Ica of 01/titiit 1011. „ r
Does
.your Lordship recollect lhe expression in
Colonel (Jordon's opi 1111 l ttiat'ese Expedition I/t•
the Scheldt, tliougn preferable to the other modes,
w•a% a desperate enterprize ?-41 do not recollect
ilt,t expression. I do nut recollect particularly
Co:onel Gordon's report at this immoral.

Your Lordship states in your narrative, that you
yoursell entertained great doubts of the prset,en-
bility of this ente►prise nalil you had seen the opi-
alone of the Admiralty ; will your Liirdship state
upon what those doubts were grahadeti ?--T.ey
were doubt* of a general nature. l had always un-
derstood that the moving a very large fleet upon
the enemy's. coast, and to enter a usysation that
was not perfectly known, was a very difficult enter-
prise, sad I bad great doubts whether it was pro-
bable they would arrive within a very short time at
their destination; those doubts were removed by
tat opinion given by the Lords of the Admiralty.
Hod also entertained considerable doubts with re.
spect to the practicability of landing artillery, ca-
valry, &e. upsu the banks of the Scheldt near
Santvliet, but they were removed also by the saute
opinion. . _

Were those the only causes your Lordship had
to doubt of the practicability of this enterpr.se ?
believe the doubts stated in my paper are con-
fined entirely to the progress 01 the arna.unent up
the Scheldt.

In point of fact, was that the only ground your
Lordship, as a rutlitaey man, had to doubt of the
plohebility of suceeedin4 m this enterprise?—
There weer many other circum.tatices of doubt
etrainly. For inst4nc.. %liether all the load&
race was strictly true; whether it turned
out that there was such, sa absence of farce;
whether the state of Autvrerp turned out as tie-
waved is that intelligence; certainly they were
all subjects of doubt: if they had all turned out
favourably. I should certainly have had a coulideut
opinion es to the success of the enterprise; but
there was great doubt whether they would ill turn
out to be perfectly favourable.
Then your Lordship did, at the time you sailed,
entertain coosiderable doubt whether that informs-.
tioa 11/1114 or was not to be relied upon ?—That
not whet I meant at all to sly. What I mear.t to
soy was, that it might be very doubtful whether the
enterprise would succeed, because it required the
concurrence of so minty favourable circuinstatites.
I de not mean to express any doubt as to the truth
of the intelligence; but it was a consideration to
make me doubt whether it would succeesror ;
whether ell those circumstances wood I turn out m-
eetly as was wished.
Did your Lordship conceive that the success
of this enterprise depended entirely on the con-
currence of a great many circumstances, which
in their own nature were very doubtful ?—1 appre-
herd that almost all enterprises in war must be
subject to great doubt ; it was itnpossible to know
before-hand how all those circuinstauces would
turn out.

Did the military opinions suggest no doubts to
your Lordship other than those which you have
stated ?—They might suggest some doubts, but I
do not exactly know of what de.cription ; they re-
pre.ented the enterprise as very difficult, which un-
doubtedly I conceived it to be.

It is sail in the report of Colonel Gordon, " that
this would be a desperate enterprise cannot be
doubted, and tit it in the attempt, whether suc-
cessful or otherwise, a very large proportion of our
naval and military means would be put to ins•
minent hazard," did that opinion suggest no doubts
to your Lordship's mind which in your opinion re-
quired further disetsssion ?—1 did trot conceive that
either the naval or the military of the country
were exposed by the Expedition to imminent
hazard,

Did yonr Lordship understand that the posses.
lion of Flushing was necessary to the ulterior ob-
jt.ets r.f Cie Expedition ?—I did.
IVill your Lordship have the goodness to state
what nitinlwr or troops were destined to the siege
.f Flushing and the occupstoot of Wrlcheren ?
The corps of troops, in the first instance, consistera,
I think, of twelve thousand men under Sir Eyre
Conte, that went frota Portsmouth.

Cat; your Lordship state what number of men
were destined to be disembarked at S•antrliet for
the attack of Antwerp ?—Nearly the whole of the
remaining force of the army.
Was taut a portion of the army destined to gar.
riman Cailsanil during the sic4e of Flia.laing
part of the army that was destined to have gone on
in advance.

Was that part included in the twelve thousund
men that mere destined for Waleheren ?—ft ens
never shsolotely derided that Cadsand should be
mann:lined during the siege of Flushing. it p
Sibly might have been necessary to have door so,
or Might have been advantageous to have done so,
but it was unt destined to be oecopied by any pat