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

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 180 W

the satne coruplinuoit to the British army. After
having made several observations, whottein lie re-
coonineteled the attention of that House to every
other subject communicated to them from His
Niajcst, the Noble Earl toovell—,, 'Hn an hum-
ble Address be presented to His Majesty," which
his Lordship them, read, and which, as usual, was
an echo of the Speech.
Lord SHEFFIPI.D solicited the attention of the
House to a few rentiorks which he was disposed to
mike in seconiliug the address. However discord-
ant opinions might prevail concerning the Armis-
tice, and the Convention of Ciiitra, yet their
Lordships would, unanimously, he had no doubt,
concur is giviiig the praise which was justly doe to
our brave troops that had been employed in the late
campaign.. Nor could any Noble Lord oli.ject to that
part of tie! address which testified their Loritslotw.
gratitude to i lie Majesty for not relinquishing
the cause of Spain; end it must tae higi4solti,ifile-
. tory to the House and the couutry,
, jests was vieterfaiiied; if the f'tiatm,iards would be
t.sue to thenisrlass, still to stfoed 'diem his ut st
support and asoistauee. The war we were maintain-
ing in that country was notouly the e.tiie of the
people of Spain—it was the cause of the people of
England. it was the cause of every nation of the
globe. lit every other point of vte.v. the Address
fully met with his approbation. fie considered it
a great consolation, arida very satistiactory one, that
our army in Spain was commanded by au acktiow-
ledged, able, and skilful General ; our from whose
exeitions we had every inducement toeepect much,
and a General whew pruceethogs would never he
succeeded by disappointment. lie also observed,
that in his opinion the measures pursued by the fore-
went Admisineration were fatly entitled to praise and
wow tut ndatioll.

The Earl of Sr. Viticene said, lie could not re-
frain from expressing his opinion upon souse of those
subjects which were coeutinued in the Address ;
for be should not fed satisfied ise his owls mind, if
he were to veinal,' shaft on such au important
coestion, The cousiuct of our army in Purtugal
had beets alluded to—the Convention of Coosa had
been mentioued; and it had also 114/Val said, that
praise was due to the vigoroiss measiires of the pre-
sent Arbuinistratiou. but, hr would ask, what had
the present Admmietratimi dime? It .e%er imbe-
cility and disiniima prevailed, they will he found
to have actuated all the Couneits of His Msjesty's
Ministers. It was strongly iusi.ress. d u;ron his
mind, and most be evident to the people at larg..,
that if the present Adraiiiistrition eonnnne to hold
the reins of Government, this ennutry will be lost
for ever. Vigour could net be perceived in one
individual act, miler; emiectiog a number of
transports ,iigether could claim the merit of such
an appellation. To seed out, by means of a pri-
va.e communication, white!' he should ever repro-
bate in a person filling an official situation, fluid,'
to the Chief in command, that stmt.:Kr:ascii all
his proceedings, and rendered his mind dulecons
how far it would be prudeut to interfere with the
opinion and conduct of a second isi command,
was a mark of great imbecility. It had been tic-
knoated,pal that seine of the swinge) of the Con-
vention of Cintot were liable to considerable dis-
approlestiou; but he would contend that,the Con-
vention of Char* was worthy of the moot severe
emultriumition ; for it had east an eternal odium
and disgrace on this country. Junot, and his army
of ruffians and plunderers, had been saved by
means of the British army from the fate which
was due to than in Portugal ; and after having
robbed the p,ople of all the gold and precious
atones, of welch they had iaosackeil Lisbon, these
devils were pat on board au Eughsh fleet, for the
purpose of•conve.„ -ing them, like friends, to their
native homes. Wasit not under the preorut Mi-
nisters that a great naval character was driven tr,
disgrace, a British seaman's fame sullied, by car-
rying on boevd his tleet the base enemies dins emu
country, and landing them on the side of France
which sris nearest to Spain, where they now
are, pursuing the very troops which WWI them
safely embarked ? It was on their account that
the British army remained in Portugal, to do
them offices of kindness, when they ought
to have been rosining the cause of Spain.—
Any rum who was asquainti•cl with the state of
Spain, and with the situation of Lae Spa-
nish armies at the time, must admit, that
nothing could be more ignorant, thao the direction
" given to our farces in that country. it sypeareil
to him, His Majesty's Miatisters did not know the
geographical situation of that kingiloia, anti His
Majesty would do well to dispose of them w soon
as possible, by pendieg them, like little boys, to
school, for the purpose el learning georaphy.—
He recollected a story being told of mile nets-born
Minister, who, amiJst the Privy Council, inquired
whether Port Mahon were an island or au harbour
of the Continent? That Was had enoagh—it
shewed confounded ignorance—lint the ignorance
of Ills Majesty's Ministers was still worse. When
he cast his eyes around in that (louse, he could not
help noticing the presence of several Princes of the
blood ; and it presented an observation to his mint,
in respect to the conduct of those who had direct-
ed the military operations in Spain--for it certain-
ly was unaccountable, that not one of these royal.
tiersonages, trairied to arms from their earliest in-
fancy, should hove had any share in the com-
inamil of the forces sent to that country. Next to
those he had already named, he should advert to a
Noble Lord then in his rye, whose kilowlesige in
military affairs was great, whose skill had been suf-
fieiently known and tried, whose exertions lied
' . • a hither!;, crowned with success, and *hose ta-
lents an.! nremers altogether, peculiarly ill:Alfieri
him to have hell the command ofour troopsubroad;
and he considered the Administration repreheu-
si:de for not having called upon hire for his ser-
vices. With respect to the Armistice mid Conven-
tion, he was induced to add, a /single observation—
! ha weer knew au instance of a military to Audi

being called to ether for any good purpose ; iu ge-
neral cos/notice was lurking at the bottom ; nor
did be ever recollect that • Court of Inquiry was
suitimomesi, but %here there was some blot, goitre
stain which heeded concealment. " If, mid the
Noble Earl, o your Lordships would seriouly re-
flect upon the present sitnatims of the country.
and the dangen which surround us, You wrogid
approach the thrum with all the becoming respect
firinnese which are due from ;he here-
ditary Comisellors of the king, and you would en-
treat His Majesty to dismiss his present Ministers ;
for His Majesty must either lost them, or he must
lose this conutr!. I have thought it my duty to
take np so enrich tittle of the House, mind in offer-
iiig an apology, considering my infirmity of body,
awl my having arrived at the With year of my age,
I may venture to predict that this protaibly may he
nearly the last time of my troubling your Lord-
ships; at least I atsall not gi re tinnier trouble at
preseut,• for I shall wish your Lordships a good
eight."
Emir! Gamier...eon observed, thut the conduct
of His Majesty's Ministers had been totally
differeet, in regard to tier Speech, bow the
mode of proceeding adopted by former Adminis-
trations. It lied been usual for, their Lordships to
possess information on the preceding day, sufficient
to enable them to consider well what kind of Ad-
dress might be most appropriate; and if any dif-
ference of opinion should afterwards arise, they
hall elw my., hitherto, been fully prepared to move
such WI amendment as would be most likely to
product their ottani:nous approbation. But on the
present occasion, if h', had been disposed to make
any partieular motion, it would have been, thut
their Lords:lips should adjourn the questiosi for a
hew days, until a greater oppor‘r nity tiad been en-
joyed of seriously considtring every pert ut' the
proposed Address. However, at thin time, he felt
inclined to make a few Comments upon some par-
ti tber which were contained in the Ad-
dress, anti thereby bronglit before their Lordships'
Iconsideration. He was not willing to dwell upois
the Armistice and Coisvention, about which he en-
tertained his opinion, end a proper time would sews
arrive, when he', with others, should feel it his duty
to declare his sentiments upon that:very important
ramisaction. Still he did not appiove of mar troops
being sent to Spain iii numbers not sufficient to
maintain their po,itiuu, if it acre advisable to
peuetmte into the iiiterior of the country, it
ou,;lit not to have been attempted by a small
number; it ought
.to have been effected by a
force adequate to the makieg of
stand, and stoppiug the progress of the enemy.—
Ilis teirolship expres.erl cinisiderable regret that
the &sot:ration of America should not be favourable
tnaavils titer country. but was nether inidined to-
wards the Hider of France. It most be admitted
bs all, that the Orders imi Council did not originate
iu the smallest degree of hostility ou die part of
Great Britain against America, but were only
framed for the sole purpose of coutiteractiug the
&motions Decrees of Bonaparte ; and these Orders
in Council, it was well knows' to the Americans,
were designed to cease the very moineut the enemy
reversed his unjust decrees. There was another
sithieet to which he would desire the attention of
the House 7 the necessity of looking into our inter-
nal regulations, for the sake el immediately re-
forming the abuses which may have crept into the
different department' of the Governtneut. In them
times, when the people *ere called upon to make
such weighty sacrifices, he did think that all useless
tees cod pensions should he speedily' ahtliahed.
"hen he imitituated the exiatence of such abuses, he
had no intention to say that this or any other Admi-
nistration were to be condemned, for he considered
they were what might be properly termed the rust
; of time, butt ought quickly to be done away, lest
. they Omuta corrode the welfare of the State. 80,
, naorte, from wicked and malevnleot motives, had
attended to the reni;oval of every abuse which could
possibly retard the success of his scherues ; and
although he did so from evil, it might well become.
this country to imitate his example, and do so
from time best of motives.

Viscount SIDMOUTH wee in order to say • few
words, fur he did not wish Noble Lords to construe
hid silence as un toireeervell admission of• the whole
of the proposed Address. No luau was inure ready
to concur those expressions which testified it
grateful sea x, on the part of the House, towards
His Majesty, for determining, is this time of ad-
versity and trouble, nut to abandon the Spaniards,
but to aid •ud assist them as mach as poss►ble un-
der all their diffieulties. But he conceived, that
in agreeiiig to one part of the Address, their Lord-
ships would he committing the proper condud.c of
the House, for th-y were culled upon to vote their-
thanks to His Majesty for having entered into an
alliance with the Government of Spans, before those
documents were produced and looked iota, which
might enable the House to consider such a mea.
sure advantageous to the welfare of these king-
doms. He was not now upon the merits
of that treaty, for circumstances had lately oc-
curred, which rendered it very doubtful how far
he shoold approve oa disapprove, until I►e had an op-
portunity of forming his judgment mail that ques-
tion. In no period of the hiatory of England could
it befouu.f.wl nsomuch public zeal's* much public
loyalty,and so much di.s►tisfact►ou,had been
manitCsted, us in the present times. Not that dis-
satisfaction which is caused by t tilt—not that
dis.atisfactiou which arises from a desire of change
—nor that which n►ay be produced by impatieuce,
after having submitted to the burdens of a long
war; but it was that dissatisfaction which was
caused by the disappointment of a people•'s just
expectations. After so miteli precious blood and
valuable treasure hail been *mod:nib:J, lie did ex-
pect, and the people of this county y hull a right to
demand, that Ministers would devise their mea-
SUICA with wt....10in, and execute them with ability.
His Lordship altogether attired bit seutitatias