The National Register.
London, England, 1809-01-29 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL RFGISTER.

these heroes, who so fondly, indulged themselves in the
hopes of reflecting new lustre on their country , and them-
selves, were dragged reluctantly to their own shores, be-
fore the battle of Spain was half over.

The Parliamentary business of this week comprised a
variety of objects, which have been already the subject of
much discussion and animadversion out of the House.
The Cintra convention, the conduct of his MAJzsTy's Mi-
nisters relative to Splin and Portugal, 'the Orders in
Council, and the Correspondence between our Govern-
ment and France and Russia, were referred to and
canvassed but as these matters are to come under
Future discussion, we will defer, until that time, any
observations on them. The object of most immediate
interest to the public was the motion made by- Lord
(.7.x5Ti.4:111.-.Aen, for an immediate augmentation of the
army. This measure cannot fail to meet the concur-
rence of every man who is in the habit of reflecting On
the awful occurrences of our time. The proposed aug-
mentation is to consist of 25.000 Volunteers from the Mi-
litia. if we fml any inclination to qualify our approba-
tion, it is on the ground that the number is limited to
29,000. We are sorry lie specified any particular
number, but had allowed the whole body, if willing,
to incorporate themselves with the reE,-ulac army. The
extraordinary emergency of the limes woulajustify this un-
common measure; and as the expellee to the public is the
same, whilst the superiority of regular troops is au:know-
lculwyd, we see no reason why We should not deviate from
the cautious spirit of our ancestors, and convert our whole
Tnilitary force into a regular army. Considered as a nur-
sery for the Wier, the militia may have its advantages ;
hat when unprecedented exertions can alone save the coun-
try. its armed force should be rendered as effective as pos-
bible, either for defensive or offensive warfare.

Mr. WAnnEes Motipn was made on Friday relative to
the mode of disposing of com Missions : A number of gross
abwes were alluded to on the occasion, which if substan-
tiated, skew to what an alarming extent corruption and
mis-nanagetnent are carried in the military department.
The public, as well as the Commander-in-Chief, owe the
highest acknowledgments to the Moyer for his wanly con-
duct on the occasion. The hasty rumours which went
abroad, have already excited so much disgust, that it is the
interest of every party, that their fallacy or malice he clearly
ascertained. Men, in high ostensible situations, arc ex-
posed to hare their conduct, perhaps too rigorously exa-
mined; hut this inqnisitorial spirit. hoy.e‘er painful it
is may he to the Iceliag:4 of the in‘lividnal, hoo.ever
tna:iciotis in its tendency, is )n.0111(16.1: of too many ad-
vantages to the public service, as that we should condwnn
it in told, in consequence of the partial evil it may inflict.
'!'hr loyalty, the ardent attachment of the country for the
Sovereign and Ws family, are too well established, too
onilersally 2.4 to appreheud that these rumours
oritin:lte in any disafrection to the present establishment.
The persons who are guilty of the unpardonable levity to
impute them to so unfounded a close, should hays made
themselves better acquainted with the sentiments of a Bri-
tish public, before they havarded so unwarrantable an as-
iiertion. We thought tb7 cry of Jacobinisin and conspi-
racy long since extinct. and that those unfortunate fords
and recrimination. which have so much dishonoured and
disturbed the conclusion of the last century, WOOld not be
L.-ought forward to alarm the wition in the present awful
incture of its affairs.. The greatesi unanimity, the exertion
power we possess, are warcely competent to save
and we have the mortification of hearing from men.
viao4e wisdom and gravity we suppose from the high rank
employments they hold, a repetition of those dreadful
r!lar4e;, ‘vhich had filled a considerable part of Europe
die);ll'.!r and misery, with infarmers, executioners,
:tad "Ir dd4. Public characters cannot be too cautious
t!wir ~r;ineisirms ; fo: what they may say inadvertently

JAN. 29.

or in the irritation of party debate, is received by many
as fact ; and the rhetorical flourish of the Senator, meant
only to irritate his opponent, or to glatify a patron, often
causes a degree of perturbation among the ?tuba/Lied, and
uninformed, which the orator may not imagine,

We are happy in beins hle to remove the public anxiety,
relative to the safety of that division of our troops, which -
separated from the rest at J4ugo, and took the road
, (ro They arrived there, and embarked without any im-
,
pediment, Major RAINEy of the 8' .?.:1 Regiment, sailed
from the Tagus On the 16th inst..and reached Vigo on the
Igth where he found General Ca.o u lt D, and the following
corps under command, embar4ed, and intending to
sail the next day : the second halt:thous of the 52d and
95th, the first of the Chi and two of thz.! German Regi-
ments,

The following is given as an abstract of a general return
of tie troops embarked at Corunna lur England :

Cavalry - - -
' Engineers, Artillery, Drivers, &c,
Infantry . - -

Total, sick included,

Raok and File.
2,872
%6Sti
19,534

aL j'~~(11

The corps, which embarked at Vigo, amounted, it is
said, to 3100: so that the whole force which has left
Spain, may be estimated at upwards of 28,000 men. The
united forces under Sir Jon N MOOR E and Sir DA yin Omni).*
previous to their junction, were computed at 33,000 etfec,
tive men ; which would make our loss, during the retreat
and in the different rencountres with the enemy, amount
to near 5000 men. Tins estimation Is supported b 3 the
authority of General STEWART, who signalised himself so
much in the affair near lleneNente, against a detachment
of BONAPARTE'S horse-guards. This gallant ()dicer stated
last night in the House,- that our loss did nut amount to
5000.

Government is said to have received advice from Mr.
Frere, our Minister to the Supreme Junta, stating that the
most vigorous preparations are making in the southern
provinces of Spain, to resist the progress of the enemy.
Private letters also announce, that as soon as intelligence
lind'heen received at Seville of the depaiture of Bonaparte
from Madrid, where he left a garrison of only SOOO men,
orders were immediately sent by the Supreme Junta to the
force under Cuesta and the Duke of Intantado, to march
to the Capital, in order to dislodge the enemy, who. had
strongly fortified themselves in the Retiro.
It is also stated with confidence, that the force, which
sailed sonic time ago, under General Sherbrooke, is des-
tined for Cadiz, and that Ministers have stipulated with
the Government of Spain, to admit our troops in the gar-
rison and ports of that City.. This force is to be followed
by the most formidable armament that ever sailed from
this country, to consist, it is said, of 60,000 men, who are
immediately to be equipped and embarked. His Majesty
declared in his Speech at the openin; of Parliament, that
as long as the Spaniards remained true to themselves, he
will continue to them his most strenuous assistance and
support. In conformity to this declaration, immense sup-
plies of , clothilerro provisions, tents, arms, and ammunition,
are to be forwarded to Gibraltar, Cadiz and the Balearic
Islands, which are to be placed in our hands, as depots for
our Military Stores. The preparations for the new Arma-
ment arc made with so much vigour, that the Officers, who
landed, a few days ago, from Spain, obtain, with difficulty,
a short leave of absence to visit their friends.
We understand that a Seville Gazette of a late date has
been received in town, which contains a letter from Gen-
Muria to the Supreme Junta, in which he strongly advises
the Junta not to suffiT the English to get possession of any
of the fortified towns in Spain ; on the contrary, he says,
they ought to fortify the sea-ports against them. lie also
states, that he has seen their new Sovereign, Joseph 80..
nalrartc, whom be represents as a man of the greatest saga