The National Register.
London, England, 1808-10-24 00:00:00

OCT. 24.

bIH ARTHUV, WELLESLEY'S DIESENCE.
This General has circulated among a few select friends a
statement, authenticated by his own signature, detailing
the late Campaign in Portugal.
Ile assumes the motto of .S'uum cuique f and solemnly
repeats the declaration, so frequently made by his friends,
that he had no participation whatever, directly or indi-
redly, in the councils which lcd to the late Convention.
Atter the battle of Vimiera had crowned our brae troops
with victory, Sir Arthur suggested to those sent to take the
command, that it would be highly judicious to take up an
adrenced position with the v.hole British army—and he ac-
cordingly pointed out the most eligible locality for that
parpose. This suggestion was not acted upou, and, in
three hours, the French troops, with a rapidity of move-
ment peculiar to themselves, had occupied the point in
question!--The description given of this position states it
to have been of such a commanding; nature, that an advan-
Ligeous attack could have been made from it at any m'-
meat, upon upon the French army.
Om the subject of Sir Arthur's signature appearing to the
mignial Convention, he remarks that he was ordered to
subscribe his name by his superiors in command, and that
bis refusal would have been a breach of the articles of war.
The de:inclination on the part of his superiors to follow up
his suggestions, excited apprehensions in Sir A. Welledey's
mind for the fate of the contest.. Upon the occasion of the
Couveatioa being presented to him for sitnature, he did
Weinnly protest against it, in the name of the British army,
which he had a few hours before led on to victory ; he now
repeats this protest to his friends, and boldly challenges
his enemies, to prove his assent or participation in the
tern's granted to Junot.
The -terms of the Convention, however,ita, hip opinion, do
nut seem to warrant the animadversions so coptously te-
stowed upon it by the public feeling. Ile ascribes to party
sprit the abuse bestowed upon those who signed it, awl
upon himself in particular. In reply to what. has been ad-
vanced against setting :Junot and his army at liberty to
march against Spain, Sir Arthur observes, that we had, at
the same instant, a much more numerous and better ap-
pointed army set at liberty ready to act in Spain at a mo.
:tient% notice, and without having to watch over a numerous
body of prisoners of war in Portugal. lie Justifies the
terms granted to Junot with respect to landing his troops
in France, upon the principles of magnanimity, awl calls
iu the law of nations in support of his arguments.
He proceeds to state, that 38,000 meu, with a well-
appointed battering train, would have been requisite to
have bombarded Lisbon with success, and that the army so
emploed would have lost twice as many men as the-be-
sieged, besides the massacre to which the inhabitants would
have been exposed.
An allusion is made by Sir Arthur Weßesles in the con-
clusion of his address, to a newly-inventei method of
attacking our enemies, which was kg tried in Portugal
with the moat wonderful eftects. This et:mists, we believe,
in a new military projectile, invented by Colonel Shrapnel,
And hence called the Shrapnel bombs." They have been
alluded to in'several privateletters from Portugal.

MEETINGS TO ADDRESS HIS MAJESTY
RELATIVE TO THE LATE- DISGRACEFUL CON-
VETIOZI IN PORATGAL.
—.0811•
Thurui,y a, MeOrg wits c.onveried In Weitininster min, to
consider of ms Address fts ilh Polalettty, to promote a fnll'inVesti-
gation of the causes which led to they late Convention in Portu-
gal. A platform itrai erected for the Speakers,--and at one
o'clock Air. Sheridan entered the Hall amidst loud shouts of ap-
plause. Ile was followed by A. Morris, Esq. the high the lion. Mr. Mathew, Mr. if ishart, of (loventry-street, Major
Vartwright, Messrs. Thompson, West, Mills, Roberts, Gibbons,
tKigt, kawtiu, Clark,manj Jeoistion, Brooks, Pace, Puller,

,L REG:

and other public characters. The business comment..a by the
High Baililr readin., the requisition %igned by the inhabitant..
after altielt he stated the purport of the meeting.
Mr. T. Ntii,hart then proceeded to move an Address mid Reso-
lutions, which he prefaced by a speech to the f01i0.% Ing pur-
port :
- - - -

C TLEMEN 111.4 there is no person at this Meeting-tut
holds it to he the bounden duty, tic well as the rig4ts nod Pri-
vilege of the people, legally assembled, when events have oc-
curred by which well-grounded hopes of compleat success have
b-en blasted, or the high honour and distinguished character of
tte nation has been tarnished, to address his Majesty, that a
Full and efficient inquire should he made into the CaUSV4 of the
disaster, that those implicated in it, however high their situa-
tion, if found guilty, after a fair trial, might be brought to
speedy disgrace and punishment. Impressed with the idea that
the late Convention in Portogal was a trauma. Lion at once mys-
terious and disgraceful, I joined several of our Fellow-Citizens
in signing the requisition to the High Bailiff, for the pin-pose of
your being assembled here to take into your serious considera-
tion that transaction in all it, points and bearing-, that, after
mature consideration, you ,nn adopt such measures and psi
such resolutions as the imperious necessity of the case may
require. —Mr W islit:rt entered into a review of the events
w Will led to ih.! Conveution, paid many deserved compliments to
the troops employed, and then observed—the moment was aus-
picious fix our ancient and faithful All v, auspicious for all
Europe, and our Ninistry ordered large bodies of troops, origi-
nally intended for other services, to he sent to Lisbon. Whether
any unnecessary delay took place in their sailing, or whether a
more proper de tical ion might not have been thought of, it is not
our iosention now to inquire ; ti,at may form a subject of serious
discussion in another Assembly, which, unitittimatel, is not
now sitting. After a delay of some time, perhaps occasioned by
petty jealousies and disputes for patronage, our Ministry, by a
fatality unaccountable, appointed to the command of nits gallant
army a General totally unknown to military nine-. I am not
inclined to dispute that he might have done very well as General
of a district in peaceable or quiet times; but you is ill agree
with me, that it requires very ditirrent ingredients to form
a parade and a fighting General. !mired, he with great can-
dour soon informed his_ employers, that he was totally un-
fit for the appointment they had given him, and entirely
ignorant of the concerns they had entrusted to him.—
Whether the failure arii•es from the inaliilitiec of the Genet-41,
whether from the proper instnirtions that %veil. VPIr, or whether
from want of cavalry, battering 'cannon, and proper stores, is
immaterial ; in any of these eases a fall and eli'ective inqUiry
necessary. Gentlemen, the Citizen; of London have presented
an Address to His Majesty on this subject ; it is couched in warm,.
hut certainly constitutional language. Ilui.as to the Answer to
this Addre,s, as a warm w ell-wisher to the House of Ilanover,
read it with regret and surprize. 'No friend Of that Illustrious
Family but must read it with sorrow ; to I heir enemies if eta.-
mies they have, it must be matter of tritonph and gratulation
Many here present have lived in other times ; the late Kittg%
Minister, did not dare to advise him to return such answers oti
the unfortunate miscarriage at Minorca, by Admiral Rya,-
George the Second participated in the feelings of hiS People;
when his sun Williatn, Duke of Cumberland, made the Cori.
vention of Closter Severn, which reflected disgrace on the coun-
try, he would not see him tin his return from Germany. ; and
, though his victory at the battle of Cullodon had finally settled
the Crown nu the heads of his family, he was dismissed from all
military employments. 1 doubt nut that he felt as a rather,
but he acted as a King. Perhaps our Statesmen thought that
this. Answer would prevent future Addresses on the same subject,
or strangle them in their birth, or that many might he deterred
from attending the 'Meetings for fear of incurring the Royal dis-
pleasure. lam happy to see, from yoar numerous attendance,
that it has failed in this respect ; and I trust that this subject,
aided by this Answer, will rouse the freeholders and inhabitants
itt all parts of the kingaiont to come forward, to inform ilk Ma-
jesty of their sentiments. I shall therefore beg leave to submit
to pour attention several Resolutions on the subject, and which I
hope will meet with your approbation.
Mr. Einnertycomplaitted that the Resolutions about to he
moved were inadequate to answer the end proposed. The only
way to produce- a satisfactury investigation, was to address ills
iMajesty to Convene parliament.. A Court of Inquiry could oily
;discover, military misconduct, and as it was probable that Mi-
'nisters might be implicated in this diq.,,racefal Convention
a Milit,try Tribunal was incompetent to answer the end of jos-