The National Register.
London, England, 1812-01-12 00:00:00

31V. 11.

T.

Lord Moia* gave cordial and unreserved tribute of his applause to
the conduct of the Governor, and of the Army in India, but would by
no means have it inferred that he approved of the general system of Co-
lonial warfare. especially in the West Indies, which he considered as a
cemetery of our brave troops.
Tne Earl of BUCKINGHAMSHIRE expressed his ardent accord with
the motion.
Lord GRENVILLE declared that the frankness, explicitness, and man-
liness with which the Noble Secretary of state had spoken did him
• .t honour; and a more admirable speech, on such an occasion, had
never been delivered 11 Parliament.
The Motion being thrn put from the Woolsack and agreca to—
The Earl of LLYta POOL then moved severally the Thanks of the
House to General Abercrombie Commodores Broughton and Rowley,
Sir Samuel Auchmuty, Admirals' Bertie and Stopford, and all the Of-
ficers, military and naval, serving under them ; and also to all the non-
commissioned and warrant officers and privates, both European and
Indian, engaged in those conquests. All which Motions passed lief% dia.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

TUESDAY, JAN. 7.
At half
_past three o'clock the Deputy Usher of the Black Rod, sum-
. maned the House to attend the House of Peers, to hear his Majt sty's
Commission read for opening Parliament. Upon their return several
writs were issued for Members to serve in Parliament.
The SPEARER then informed the House that he had received a letter
from Lord Wellington, Including one from General Blake. The letters
were then read, and contained an acknowledgment of the gratitude of
the Spanish army for the honour conferred upon them by the Vote of
Thanks of the two Houses of Parliament.
THE REGENT'S SPEECH.
The SPEAKER then informed the House, that the House had been in
the House of Peers to hear his Majesty's Speech, (pr which sec Lords)
which was then read.
Sir FRANCIS BURDETT immediately rose and addressed the Chair.
Lord JOCELYN rose at the same time with the Hon. Baronet, but Sir
Francis Burdett having fist caught the eye of the Speaker,
The Seem( ea decided that the Hon. Baronet was in possession of the
House, if he claimed his fight.
Sir FRANCIS BURDETT mated that he was anxious to take the earliest
opportunity of laying before the Prince Regent suds an Address as the
extraordinary circumstances of the times, and the calamitous situation of
the country dictated. He had the greatest confidence in the magnani-
mity of his Royal Highness. and knowing his afqction .for the people of
Great Britain, it would be an act of iujustice to the country to witjshuld
at this time the suggestion of such measures as would tend to relieve it
under its present awful embarrassments. The House should certainly
concur in granting those supplies which the common exigencies required.
and he most heartily acquiesced in the opinion, that the character of the
army and navy of Great Britain was of that exalted kind, that its energy
could not be encreased, or diminished by the circumstances of glory or
defeat; hut he could not but lament that in the struggles in which her •
valour was engaged, there was nothing characteristic of the love of free-
dom which our ancestors maintained. Within the last 18 year. England
had been adding annually to her own humiliation—each year was worse
than that which preceded it—and he might indeed with truth declare,
that this defection was going on progressively for the Last fifty years.
that this had been the case was easily proved by a recurrence to the
history of the period at which the reign of his present Majesty com-
menced ; and if this was the case there must be something radically
wrong in the system which bad been adopted since that period. It was
easy to state the reason of the continuance of those calamit and he tx-
rcted to be anticipated be the 'House in the opinions which be was
shout to deliver. England commenced the present war•unon principles
or despotism, and site was lowt i;kely to be involved in a v....a
another country, vial wiali she might have been expected to act
in unison.—The French war was destructive to libertythere was a
proof of it even in the declarations of many of the former advocate of
the war. Mr. Burke. himself was an instance of it; but Mr. Burke was
a man whom he c,,nthl not quote; for though the possessioia Of dove:Dee
gained him admiration, his want of ptinciple ensured him contempt.—
The reason for carrying on the war, at the present time, was a kind of
pretence of defending Spain from the invading hostility of giance. Was
it for the purpose of benefiting the Spanish people ? The rights of. Sove- •
reigns is a language which Ministers understand, hut the rights of the
people is a species of dialect with which they are totally unacquainted.
The speech of his Royrd Highness hadthe peculiar characteristics of the
spirit by which Ministers are usually actuated. They had talked, and
they might talk for ever the language of anticipated success, but who
would presume to assert that there was the slightest chance of driving
the enemy out of Spain? Who would he.so absurd as to suppose it?
'The successes of the British arms were little better than so many defeats,
and why were those calamities so strongly marked upon a people so sit-'
per-eminent in every respect in the mouth of the ivUnister? Because the.
country is engaged in an attempt to support despotism. Wily are.otif
friendships acting upon a people to whom England is a stranger, while
her humanity is denied to a country whose heart's blood cherishes her s,
and by whom fihe has been stipyffied in her alight of *spi
as hailed:sod congratulated in her tiav of glory and enthatlcrit', as. well