The National Register.
London, England, 1812-02-23 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTEIt,

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18

easasamemon
."s , out,' -I.J. . Tor the memorial of
the rieisgoliii.d .o.lereltains was neg..iived a, ,touu! a division. The se-
cond rit:•-,.•, regarding the Importation of Spirits from Holland, was
acquieseeu and the Papers were ordered accordingiy.--Adjourned.

WEDNESDAY, TM 19.
The report of the Nottingham Frame-work Bill was , taken into fill--
111er c:,nsideration. Ag..ed to, and the Bill was ordered to be read a
third time tn-morrow-.
Mr. BaoLic an tvt postponed hi% motion on the Drotts of Admiralty,
Which stood for to-morrow, till Tuesday next.--Adjourned.

THURSDAY, FM 20.
The Nottingham Frame-work Bill was read a third time, and pasted.
The Local Militia Amendment Sill was was read a secoud time, and
tardered to be comtnitted on Tuesday. . •
Lord FOLKSTDNE, in the abs:nce of his Hen. Friend Mr. Creevey,
Vostponed the Motion that stood for this day, respecting the Foot! and a
Half per Cents, until this day se'nnight. .
Mr. CALCRAFT presented a Petition from the 'Shipwrights and
Caulkers of Woolivich, Deptford, Sheerness, and- eh/Lilian, praying
for exemption from the Income Tax. He said, he would move., that
the Petitions should he taken into consideration vhen the Navy Esti-
bates we' e 'brought forward. • The Petitions were brought up, and or-
tiered to lie on the fable.
Mr. fiteamaerree presented a similar Petition frouePoltsmOuth,
avhi.4l was ordered to lie on the Piffle:. . • •
Sir T. iTON moved for hccounts of all Sums paid,for Services in
the Penitttula, fQr tire troops both of this country atatePortugal, from
April 1808 to April 1811.
He made a similar motion with respect to the navy emPloyed onehe
toast of Spain.
The Cue ectetoi Of the Excureual thought thee would be
genie difficulty in the production of the latter accounts, nor did• he
think they could be of much importance. kavould be ilecessaty.to keep
tip those fleets eedn If the enemy were in po..session of thee coticetry. • He
would slot, however, tee any great objection to the productton of the
accounti in iluestion. The inetion w-at therefore agreed to. e
Sir T. TvaroN then moved for en Accottin of the Debts due to 'this.
bountry front the P. ince Regent of Portagal, and alte.the aesepertiteefor
those (trine. . •
Cu.ef;citiox of the ticiteievre said, ibet as k Was his
kntention to ascertain the 'expenses of our tifores on the .V.eeithitritlie.
there was *o occasion for tins MotiOn, as it seemed to be ieeleded
the former °he. . .
Mr. "lILKNEY said, that alter the Walcheren Expedition) a paper
Wit produced filen the Treasury, showing the aniaiiness of the ex-
tientlitare upon flea Occasion, and be believed a docennent of the same
sature could be preducee at present without mach difficulty. •
The CHANCELLOR of the ExCeleete tit had not the leaSt obkollon
to the production of any pavers that could throw any light. upon
the subject ; but the .any
Expedition, had not, in 14s opinion,
any bearing upon the subject. He wished the Hon. Geteleman would
furnish any plan for obtaining the object of his. motion. He. kti;:e.
Chancellor of Vie Excleeluer) was not •teeluainted With auy that cautd
be eatered sufficient for the purpose. The country was aware that the
'tar on the Peutnsula was attended with vast expense, and he did.not
Wish to insintrate that such was not the case,. hut the hratcheren Poe,
tiltion seemed to be introduced for the purpose of seeing What effect
they might both produce together.
Mr. TrtittlEt said, that. nothing more *as rnlied than an estimate
Similar to the- of the Walcheren Expedition, and he could ntit conceive
that one wat more difficult than the other. He could not conceive
eat the Rieht Hon. Gentleman felt so set e upon the !nation of this
Liteedition, terwien talkine of theewars'of the Right Hunt te'entteman,
it was natural enou to talk ni f one.
Sir Teel- N withdrew his motion, and then moved for the whole
'amount of the Funded and IJ:ifundetl Delos of Great Britain, up to
rehrtiary, 1$I2; also, the total amount of morel raised up to the sth
January, Itle, specitying the sums raised by taxes and those raised by
team, •
A motion was made for Accounts of Copper imported In 1806,- 1807,
iBOB, 1809, 1810, and 1811.

FZZ. 21.• . ,
EARL WELLINGTON.
'Upon the motion of the CriANCELLOR Of the to CREQ,UER, the
iiothe went into a Corntriittte upon the Prince Regent's Message to
the Hotise, relating to Lord We
The Caillsrek:l.Loa of tilt Emit:quit said, that he rose under the
itup'ression that the.metion which he was about to submit to the House',
would be tvc,:ved with that unanimity with which 4 grateful country
regarded enterprise of a great and heroical nature. the distinguished
tharacur which Lord Wtllington had attained by his, military skill,
inttepidity, and firmness, was too well known to the House to render
a circumitential of the successful contests in which he had been
engak.nl tunnetessary. Whatever difference t,f opinion might have ex-
ist,• an:l might still exist, with respect to the policy of our continen-
tat ziraign, they were not now to consider the question was, whe-
ther the liftofr seleeteil by Government to carry on that Oampaign
ih

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tEn• 03,

all its most important operations he'd rendered himself rernarlttaiihtlneihi)nr
ardour, valour, and skill. That Lord Wellington chieved.and main.
tamed such a character was not only acknowledged by. this oountry, bet
bistelaims to the gratitude of our Allies were also recognised by
the conduct which they had observed towards him. He trutted, under
such such circumstances, the House would, without hesitation, adopt the
suggestion of his Royal Highness, by making good the grant of the
annuity to Lord Wellitigton.—(Hear, heo r! )
Mr. KrENt and Mr. Feet MANTLE supporttet the nlotiote.
Sir FRANCIS Buttes Err conceived chat. he should .not do hie duty,
were he to give his assent to the proposition for so large a grant of the
people's money, for 'services which, in his estimation, did not merit
those high }rubes, and all that exultatian which had been so protesely
bestowed on them. With respect to the re`olitary character of the o.
cent proceedings of the Peninsula, be believed himself to be incree at.
tent to give ajudgment.(Loud cries of Hear, hear! from tie
teriat fetiches.)-i-l-le believed that the House also was incompettet to
judge, because they werearot in possession'of the circumstances in which
Lord Wellington Was plaeCd. If they were total truly, Lord Wel-
lington had at his disposal an inuneasely large military force—a much
greater one, possitty, that had ever been as-embled on a similar occa-
sion. Besides, there were different ways of judging of the merits of
any particularaction ; but in his estimat tan, the true way oijudging was
to inquire Whether great objects had been accomplished with almost
inadequate meant. Now, in his mind, it was impossible stn conceive
that less cou'd have heal done with ouch ample means.- Solite cries of
Hear, hems!)—What wet the means in the htuads of Lord Wellington;
at least what had they been described to be ? Why, they had been
told, diet there were 45,000 regular English troops in the Peninsula!
'Ile), would also rem. ember, that Englaad paid for thirty thousand
Pdtkuguese troops, tt number which had been doubled this yenta These
two forces then amounted 'to 110,000 troops of the line. In addition to
rhhe troops it was said that the Portuguese GoVernment paid logo
troops, and that the PortitoW Militia amounted to 130,000. • hus then
were about 200,00-4-troops at the 'disposal of Lord Wellington, besides
the Ordenentas, men with arms in their hands, who amouuted to
150:000. If theat. Means were actually in the hands of Lord Wellines
tott, Ire saw no cause for,so much exultation about the fall of Ciudad
Rodrigo": He wouldeontrast *hat had been done by Lord Welliaet
with What • Laid been performed by Massena. He' merely meant- to
glance et the general fact. Alassena, with 100,000 men, had penetrated
through 54:X) miles of 'an enemy's country; and he did. this without
'hunt -anyone advantage that it was of importance to retain. Nor did
he retreat till famine compelled him, though he was. in an enemy's cam-:try, and beget by difficulties and an " armed population" on ail sides.--
•Sut Lord Wellington, with all his means—with hundreds of thousands
'of men at his command, had succeeded in capturing Ciudad Rodrigo,
'and then _there was so much exultatiofi at the event ! By this success
no advantage had been obtained ; indeed, in bis estimation, no compiest
of less importance could have been made. Where was its value, tame
nothing was more certain than its loss, immediately On the approach of
of a French army Military men had thus informed him, atal they
also stated that sdch was the Weak state of the fortress, there Wag no
outworks- of any consequence, that it was almost indefensible. If such
was the wretched state ef the works, where was the great merit in cap-
turing Ciudad Rodrigo? To prove this fact •he would adduce Lord
Wellington's dispatch itself. ft stated that the divisidn meant for a
feint, and intended ultimately to support the rear rank, really succeeded
in taking the place.—e(LoYur clic, of Hear ! Bear ! frittm '!he Ministerial
benches !)_He would not question the valour of Our troops, but he
noticed this fact as a proof of the weakness of the plate. • He therefore
did not think there was 'SO Muth cause for exultatitta; and he was of
opinion, that there wee no.reason for calting on the Public for additional
rewards for stch victories. ff there. did exist such a necessity,, then it
would be a proof to him that the tountry was in a latnentable.altd fall-
ing conditioa. The lianourable Baronet then alliided to the mai-
-1 bet' of prisoners receetiy sent from Spain int) France (14,100,
together
with Officers); and dwelt on the comparative value of Badajaz and
C Ciudad Rodtigo. • The latter place was more than 300 miles from Lis-
bonaand•the passes leading to it were almost impassable; and the for-
tner was a most important tortress, and not more than la:0 miles from
laishon, and the pastes leading to it were comparatively perfett- He
then descanted on the 'proceedings against Badajoi, and the battle of
Allmeraa In that battle Lord Wellington failed to relieite. Itadajezt
and such failure cost him 14,000 amen.—(Ceies of Hear, hear ! froist the
'' 1111, ?stalel benehi.s.)—Did he not state the fact—.were the numbers ex-
aggerated ?—(Hear, hear !)—Well then, he failed to relieve Badajoa
•
He alluded to these facts to " balance the account" with Lord Welling.
ton. Certain he was of this, from all he had.heard, that Ciudad R 0
drip was indaensible; if the enemy chose to attack it; he therthire
could not join in the delusion thatwas attempted to be passed off on the
Country. With respect to the tired success of the war rn Spain, he did
not. think that Any Member of that House would say, that the object
was furthered by the capture of Ciudad Redrigo. Be that however AS
might, if the people of England were to pay such prices for these sort
of advantages, and for this species of victories, he thought the sooner
the war in Spain was put an end to theabetter. If he looked at the
"sham papers"..the sketchesnithe Constitution, and contrasted them
With existiug facts, he.shouldnot -net as became any honest man, if he
had not spokenasa-he bad .alone. We supported, it was said, the Spa-
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