The Sun.
London, England, 1801-04-23 00:00:00

. eda He.disclaimed the idea that liis opposition to 1
this Motion was founded on a desire to save the
.Chataaer of His Royal Highness the Conarnaoder in
''‘'hief, for lie 'assured the Hoose, that there is
in this Letter which is not highly honour-
'able to the coaratter and condut of that I/lustrious
}verso,,. iivridicuicd the tirgurnents addat.ed against
'the EXpedition. to Holland, which had b4n used by •
General TARLETON. He next adverted to Mr.
t EKNE's description of what he conceived to be
his duties ,•as War Minister, which he thought a
most' whimsical one, 'for according to it, it was no
part •of'hji duty to devise or concert with the other
Ministers of the Crown any, plan .of Military
Operations, but merely, 'to attend •to to
take care that the .spatterclaShea of the Soldiers,
were clean,- that -their arms were.kept bright, . that
there were no holes in their clothes,. (S:q. He,con-
feased he. had had a very different idea of his duties.
But he did not mention thii'to exculpate
from any charge which might behrooght agaiost
him on account .of , the state of the,Artny, as from
the habits on which •he bad always been with the'
Commander in Chief and the-Secret:tar at War, and
the harmony and concert that' always subsisted
among theta, he would Constantly acknowledge
any faults of theirs as -his' own, While he would at-
tribute ao them exclusively their own merits. He
would not • carer into any discussion on the Ex-
pedition to Holland, but merely state, that on,
the return of the 'Army, .the,flower of it, con-
sisting of the regular forces, was immediately
sent to Ireland for the defence of that Country ;
and he would ask any man, . if His Majesty's Mi-
nisters were blameable in advising that -measure, at
a season of the year when the long nights, ren-
dered an attempt at the Invasion of. that Country
more to be apprehended, because more pratlieable ;
and at a time, also, when Great Britain expeded
a' supply of Ten Thousand. Men from. the Militia
of Ireland As to the force wanted. in February
not being disciplined at, that time, the Hon. -Bart:
(Sir Jamas ST. CLAIR ERSKINE) had clearly &hewn
that it was not to be expeCleti,-4nay, that it was im-
possible... As to the produ&ion of Coofidential
Lefters in Debate, in order to repel charges Which
may, be. brough( against' public men, he had, al_
ways 11:21(i, and would always bold, that it is the
duty of a public man rather to submit to any ca_
juninies which May be uttered against his con-
dtaFt, than .to. repel them by producing any thing
which may injure the .ehara&er of others ; and
he had ofteri so submitted when he had docu.
ments in his posse Asian which would have at once
&hewn that the charges brought against him were
totally false. Bur when no injury taany person can
be done by producing such Letters or Papers, he ,iid
not think that a public man was to be blamed for
using them in his own vindication. - But if' he
had suspeded that the produdion of 'the Letter
from 'his much lamented and, much loved friend
Sir CHARLES STUART, would -have hurt the.
most zealous friend of that gallant Officer, he would
rather, as he- had. often done before, rested under
the imputations cast on his condutia titan lave
used for his. justification: At the Sainte time,
he was sure, that there was-nothing in that Letterr
which eoutd in 'the breast of, any man, excite any
think hut raspea for the Charader of its writer. ,
• General TAttLa'rOta explained.
Mr. GEORGE PONSONBY spoke at some
length, and with considerable animation, in sup..
port-of the Motion.
The Gallery being cleared, adivision took place,
Against the question. - 151
'For it. _ . 45

• Majority against the question., io6
At half-past eight o'clock the House adjourned
till to:anorrow.