The National Register.
London, England, 1809-01-22 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

• 62

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT .

HOUSE OF LORDS.

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TIVZSDA Y, JAW. ID, MOS.
This dav the Rouse of Lords met pursuant to prorogation.
when the Lord Chancellor, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord
'Camden, and the Duke of Moistrose took their seats its their robes
upon the Woolsack as his Majesty's Commissioners; and the
Speaker and the Members of the Mouse of COMMODS being in af.-
tendauce, the Chancellor delivered the followiug Speech from
his Majesty ;
IVI v LIMOS AID GENTLEKEW,
• We have it in command from his Majesty, to state to you, that
bis Majesty ha's called riu together, in .perfect confidence that
you are prepared cordially to support his Majesty in the proses
• cation' ars war, which there is no-hope of terminating safely
sad honourably, except through vigorous and persevering ex-
ertiou.
We are to acquaint you, that his Majesty has directed to be
„laid before You, Copies.of the Proposals for opening a Negocia-
tion, .which were transmitted to his Majesty from Erfurth; and
alba Correspondence which thereupon took place with the Go-
vernments of Russia and of France; together with the Declara-
tion issued by his Majesty's command nn the termination of that
Correspondence.
His Majesty is persuaded, that you will participate is the
feelings %staid* . were expressed by his Majesty,. when it was re-
quired that his Majesty should consent to commence the Negocia-
tion, by abandoning the cause of Spain, which he had so recently
and solemnly espoused.
We are commanded, to inform yois, that his Majesty continues
to receive from the Spanish Government the strongest assurances
of their determined perseverance in the cause of the legitimate
Monarchy, and of the National Independence of Spain; and to
assure you, that so long as the people of Spain shall remain true
to themselves, his Majesty will continue to them his most strenu-
ous assistance and support.
His Majesty has renewed to the Spanish Nation, in the mos
orient of its dilicultie,s and reverses. the engagements which he
voluntarily epotraeted at the outset of its struggle against the
usurpation and .tyraurt. y of France; and we arc commanded to
acquaint you, that these engagements have been reduced into the
form of a Treaty orAllience ; which Treaty, so soon as the ra-
tifications shall have .been exchanged, his Majesty will cause to
be laid before you..
His Majesty. commands us tp state to you. that while his Ma-
jesty contemplated with the_ liveliest satisfaction the atchieve- I
meets of his forces in the commencement of the campaign in
Portugal, and the deliverance otthe‘Kingdom of his Ally from
the presence and oppressions of the French army, his Majesty
most deeply regeetted the citriiiinalion. of that campaign by an
'Armistice awl Colivention, of some of the Articles of which his
--Majesty has felt himself obliged formally to declare his disappro-
bation.
• We are to express to you hil Majesty's reliance on your dispo-
si.ion to enable his Majesty to continue the aid afforded. by his
-Majesty to the King of Swedes. That Monarch derives a pe-
culiar claim to his Majesty's support in the present exigency of
his affairs, from having concurred with his Majesty in the pro-
priety of rejecting-any proptisal for Negotiation to which the
.Govzrninent of-Spain was not to be admitted as a party.
• GY.NTIfEMEN OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS, •
'We are commuuded by his Majesty to inform'you, that he has
.11-e,cte,l :he esti:mites of the current year to be laid before you.
jesty relies upon your zeal and affection to make such
fustier provision .of supply as the vigorous prosecution of the
war reader necessary; and he trusts that you may be
carded to, ILA the means of providing such Supply without any.
great. O•i* ialdiedillte increase of the existing burthens upon bis
pop p
If is majest.y feels assured that it will be highly satisfactory to
yo 4 irvessists-iiptuititstanding the measures resorted to by
the cm- tay. f*A tr, e pu r pose of d.siroying the commerce and resour.
oc.hts Kipg,loing--44te public revenue bas continued in a course
at progrei4 at go vement.

EstEm,
you that the measure adopted by
for establishing a Local Militia,
It h the happiest success, and pro-
manently befieficial io the country.
AO commands most especially to
y weighing the immense Interests

tAN: gee

which are at stake in the war now carrying on, yogi should pros
'teed with es little delay as possible to consider of the usibst-effet-
tual measures for the augmentation of the regular army; in wee
that his Miijesty may be the better enabled, without impairing
the means of defence at home, to avail himself of the military
power of his dominions in the great contest in which he is en•
gaged; and to conduct that contest, under the blessing of Divine
Providence, to a conclusion cempatitable with the honour:of
his. Majesty's Crown, and with the interests of his Allies, of
Europe, and of the world.
The House adjourned till five o'clock, when the Chancellor
resumed the woolsack, and his Majesty's speech was again read.
The Earl of BRIDGEWATER rose to move the Address, but
spoke so inaudibly that.scarcely a sentence could be beard. His
Lordship concluded by moving the Address; which as usual was
an echo of the speech.
Lord SBLFFIELD seconded the Address.
Earl Sr. VINcENT said, that the Address just read was such,
that no man who bad a veneration for his Sovereign, or a love
for his country, could ever assent to. Whether he took into
consideration the manner in , which the war was carried on
in Portugal, or the way in which our troops had been sent there.
Transports were hired, and great merit was to be attributed to
the ingenuity of Ministers in providing these transports. lie
wished to notice their important services, 46 why, truly, they
were at last employed to convey the rascally ruffians whom
Junot commanded to that part of France which was nearest the
boundaries of Spain. So that these devils are at this moment
harassing the rear of our retreating army. The impolicy of send-
ing British troops to Portugal he always disapproved; but the
result of the star there he was disgusted with. In fact, continued
his Lordship, it would seem as if Ministers had uot even a geo-
graphic knowledge of the country through which they were to
pass, But their ignorance of that species of knowledge, one
would suppose was official; for a " Heaven-horn Minis-
ter,".. just after he first came into power, asked whether
Port Mahon was in Europe Of not; [we can but barely
suppose that his Lordship meant the late Mr: Pitt], and
the persons at present in power manifested just the same
local ignorance, whets they sent an army to traverse a wild
and inhospitable country, at the very commencement of the
rainy season, to drink new wines, and to he overwhelmed with
disease as well as fatigue. So little confidence did he place in
these men, that he was of the decided opinion, that unless they
were removed, the country 41,031 d be lost. The Convention of
eintra could not be considered, without feeling sentiments of
alarm, as well as indignation. There was a time when such
old-fashioned words as •• Sink, burn, and destroy," were under-
stood and exercised; but now we are to negociate to be ships
husbands, and we take possession by bargain and barter, instead
of by insoles, by bravery, and by balls; we are to hold in ships
trust by contract, and not in right by conqoest-- ( Hears! Hear 1)
Whenever he heard of Councils of War being celled, he al-
ways considered them as cloaks for cowardice. At Vimiera we
gained a victory, and in the moment that our soldiers are flushed
with conquest, recourse is had to a Council of. War; that, be
presumed, could only have beery necessary, or indeed apologised
for, in the moment of defeat. The same opinion he entertained of
the Enquiry,—it was a shield to ward off investigation from Mi-
nisters themselves; but he trusted that their Lordships would not
be prevented from making a sertipuleas investigation of it in their
own way. He knew the character of the Portuguese exceed.
ingly well; they, excepting the city.of Lisbon, were as brava
people as any upon the Continent, and, officered with British
soldiers, would have presented an undaunted front to French.
men. Vhy was not that expedient made use of? Ministers
ought to have known their value, and if they did not, their ig-
norance was inexcusable. If that House did its duty, they
would immediately proceed to the foot of the throat, and there
tell the Sovereign the hold truth, that if he does not remove
them he will lose the country. These were the sentiments of
his heart; he spoke them as a solemn duty, which he found
himself bound to express. It wits probably the last time be
would trouble their Lordships on the suttject, and with that, said
the Noble Admiral, I wish your Lordships good night.—(At
these last words the Noble Earl instantly walked out of the
House).
Lord SIDMOUTM adverted to the silence which the Speech
observed with 'respect to America. Their Lordships were calA
led upon to agree to an Address, approving of a treaty : but be
hoped that nothing so inconsistent would be imposed upon the
House, there was no treaty with Spain before them. The
turn which the war took in Portugal produced general dissa-
tisfaction, and ahcwed that the people nem would place coati.

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