The National Register.
London, England, 1811-03-24 00:00:00

,THE NATIONAL' RE-GTSTER.

to those numerous statements in which the enemy had been do-
scr:bed as occupying no more of that country than was cpvered .
by his armies ? ( Hear ! Hear ! ) He appealed to the recollection
of the House how frequently this declaration had been repeated?
The Right Hon. Gentleman had stated, that our success ought to
encourage us freely to unite in the prosecution of the contest.—
It was far from his wish to under rate the valour and achieve.
ments,of our army; but he must declare, that he was not aware
on what occasions this success had been obtained. Was it in the
fall of Rodrigo, or the -subsequent reduction of Almeida ? It
could not be denied, however, that we had now last the whole.
of that country, with the exception of Lisbon and Its environs.
Was this country to exhaust its resources in the hope, the vain
hope of drawing Buonaparte into an equally large expenditure
Ile Right Hon. Gentleman could hardly have well considered
the probable effects of such an attempt. Yet he could not, he.
conceived, be ignorant of the'expence of sending money to
bon at the present period. He spoke greatly within bounds
when he asserted, that upon every hunched pounds sent fix rn
this country, there was an immediate loss of thirty. In stating
this he defied contradiction.—(.blear ! Hear !)—Bu: this was
not all, when the money arrived, it was paid half only in cash
al.:d half in Portuguese paper, already much depreciated. HOW
long is it supposed that this country can sustain such a burder;./
Had they not already reached a period when an issue of Eiclie-
'cider Bills was found necessary to maintain the credit of their
merchants ? The Right Hon. Gentleman had himself told them,
that the EmperOr of France was reduced to the necessity Of en-
deavouring to succeed in his objects by a protracted contest.—
He feared the Right Hon. Gentleman, with all his knowledge,
knew little of the intentions of Buoziaparte. Ho believed his
own information was perfectly authentic,which represented the
enemy to have a disposable force of 400,000 men, over and above
the whole number zit. Spain and Portugal. Was it not known
to the Right Hon. Gentleman opposite, that he was also col-
lecting a great force in the North ; and if this was the case, be
could not see any subject of congratulation in the confinement
of almost the whole of our own troops in a corner of the Penin-
sula. He did not wish to divide the House, or to give any sort
of angry opposition, but he desired the House to reflect on a few
circumstances. The ex pence of transports chicfly.employed be-
tween this country and Lisbon was three millions, of the *army
fifteen or sixteen, of the navy four or five. By the estimates be,.
fore the House it appeared, that the whole expenditure was not
less than 23 millions. All this for the preservation of a few gar-
rison towns.
Mr. PEELE observed, -that if it did appear, that with one-
sixth part of our own military force we employed in Spain and
Portugal, one-half of the enemy's disposable strength, surely be .
might assume that it was the interest of the country to per slit hi
the struggle and trial for an honourable issue.

Gen. VARLET() N adverted to the sacrifices we have made in
the Peninsula. We had sent thither 53,000 men, and we had
lost the whole of the Peninsula, except that part which lay be-
fore Cartaxo and Lisbon; in addition to which, we had also sent
to Portugal.2,ooo,oool. sterling in bullion. We had, during the
whole. period we were eugaged in the contest, been nmking rk
trograde movements, and ruin alone could he the result. As to
the ttcestion before the House, he was deci,!illy of opinion 11.-tt
the (louse should noti in the present state of commercial di
tress, send two millions more to Portugal. Hti could demon-
strate that the Portuguese soldiers could have been had for one-
third less than that whiCh was now paid them. lle proceedt a
to chew that the Portuguese troops had r.ever been of any actual
service. They had never been what they ought to have helm— .
a manoeuvring army, such as our-Local Militia would have befit
with the same training. The present'war, if to be carried on in
the PeninsUla, must be a warfare of finance; and the fatiii truth
must at lengthbe told, that we could not maintain ourselves in
that country. The question Was 'ik now, how our army was
to get away out o:4 Plot titgal ;'but, when that should come to be
done, he was afraid it would be foinid to be a difficult matter.—
Gentlemen opposite agreed that this -country must go through •
the purgatory of invasion ; but he was afraid if ail-a:re went oil
in their present state.they must also encounter the purgatory of,
a revolution. He_ (General, TarletoP) looked to the matter it a
more manly manner than those on the other side did. They
viewed it in a dastardly point of,view. He was fur fighting with
full uuracrs Getitharien opposite seemed to wish to Wait till
the country had encountered every disaster, and till their means
were diugnished, and the spirits of their troops broken by 'de-
feats in other quarters. O.n these grounds he was against the
grant.
p• no- Resolution was then put, and agreed to without a division.
rhe P.epbrt w;ts ordered to be-received to-morrow) and the
Committee to sic arlin on Friday.
COM NIERCIAL CREDIT.
The Cann czt.r.ost of the -itc H writ .then moved the OrJer
of the 1)
of the-Ha-use gbink a Committee on the Bill re-
lating to Commercial Credit.