The National Register.
London, England, 1808-11-27 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

hat as soon as the Portuguese colours should be hoisted at Lis-
bon, the Government there would have claimed for the Rus-
sians the neutrality of 'the Tagus;whieh would have obliged Sir
Chat les Cotton to send home for instructions. This would have
led to a protracted discussion between the two Governments,
and have impeded toe object of the txpedition. But there was •
one thing in the Treaty which he most decidedly condemned,
namely, that no conditions whatever were tttpulnted fur the
five thousand Spanish prisoners in hulks on the Tagus, whit
were left entirely at the mercy and disposal of the French,
when there might have been an exchange negotiate.: for them,
fibres many french prisoners detained in their own country, and
to which the Government of Gallicia would have readily ac-
ceded. As to the Convention of Cintra, he never saw it until
his arrival in England.
Sir Hew Dalrymple observed, that with respect to the nego-
tiation of toe. Armistice, certa illy Sir Arthur Wellesley dis-
cuSse.d the point for a considerable time in the French language
at the table with General Kellerman, and that in the. mean time
a Frenchman, who bad accompanied General Kellerman, anti
whom he (Sir flew) had seen in London some three years be-
fore, hut did not immediately recollect his face or figure, took
him aside to the window, claimed acquaintance with him, and
:n very had English, asked him if he understood French ? to
which he answered, yes, as much as he had occasion fur. Then
this cunning Frenchman, under pretence of aiding him in under-
standing the word.: of General Kellerman, who was in conver.
satioa with Ric _Arthur IVelle,ley. and to impress hint with the
idea that the Russians were friendly to the English, said that it
would be imprudent to insist on any terms offensive to them ; awl
that fr the terms proposed by the French respecting them were
rejected,. they would be armed against the English. Ile repeat-
ed frequently, like a starling, after Kellerman, the words, dear
vingt-quatce henres noes 11110)71 Id: milks lit“,es (in four-awl-
twenty boors there will be ten thousand Russians). With
respect to the intimation to Sir Arthur Wellesley of his intention
not to supersede him in his command, he had forwarded it to
him by an Aid-du-Camp, front on board his vessel, soon after
his arrival on the. coast, but he understood that Officer had not
the good fortune to meet with Sir Arhur, to communicate the
message.
Sir A. Wellesley then made some observations on the Articles,
elite'. which he differed in opinion from the Commander in Chief.
As to the Article which related to the French being allowed
their baggage, eke. it was perfectly understood at the time, that,
property belonging to churches, to libraries, and museums, or
galleries of pictures, did not come within the meaning or the
letter of the articles; as to property absolutely purchased, the
Military Commanders could not intertere.
Sir flew Dalrymple flatted that he was convinced that a great
part of the hostility. which appeared against him in Portugal,
arose from this circumstance : lite Bishop 01 0 porto, with hire
Junta, wished to be considered as the actual Goverument of.Pur-
top!, and the Representative. of the Prince Regent. This was
a claim which lie conceived it Ms duty to resist, and he did re-
sist it very early. Ile therefore had no correspondence with
he Bishop of blow° after the Convention, hut lie knew that
fir Arthur ‘Velleslcy had. because lie hint-elf received the an-
swer to a letter which he hail soot to the Bishop, from the acci-
dental circumstance of the letter being directed to " the General
in Chief of the British Forces." This letter he had now among
his papers.
. Sir Arthur said. that he always coincided in opinion with Sir
Hew, stbdut the claim of the Bishop and Alum of Oporto. lie
really could not recollect whether he had ever written the letter
Imputed to him or not. If lie had the written letter, and the terms
. were such ns the newspapers stated, he thought it might well he
'ustitied ; for if he had said there was nothing extraordinary in,
the terms of the Convention, it was what might very fairly be
Said as applying only to the Portuguese. As far as respected
be Portuguese, he would still say, that there was nothing extra-
ordinary in the terms of the Armistice, except that article which
elated to the neutrality of the port of Lisbon. •
Capt. Bligh was then examined, who confirmed the testimony
given on a former day by Capt. Malcolm, as to the great diffi-
culty of landing provisions, stores, or artillery, on the coast of
Portugal during the months of August and September, on account
of the swell and surf which is always upon the beach during
these months.
General Ferguson was then introduced as a witness, but the
President sheering him the written questions, put it to his optima
whether be would answer them, or take time to coasider oicw.
and seed to writtea aaswers.
;$
•
• f, eit,*

F.

...rrrrr

~.