The Sun.
London, England, 1812-12-01 00:00:00

HOUSE CalpftieNS,

MONDAY, NOV. 30.: •
At one o'clock the Speaker took the fair, and
.ser ci,lMembers were.sworn..
-At' two O'clock the Usher of the Black Rod-
summoned the House to the Hou4 of Peers. " •
The SPE/OCER, accompanied by a great number
of Members," immediately proeeeded thither ; and
on their retuyia the Usual buSiness of form was
prOCeeded. in. The Clandestine- Outlalvry Bill
vas read a first and second tilae ; the usual Com-
Mitte.es were appointed, and the Standing Orders
read from the Chair. • • •
The Sl'A.K.Elt then informed the House; that
they had been summoned to the House': 'of Peers,..
for the purpose of 'hearing
„the Speech 'of the
Prince the,
from the Throne; of: 'whichhe
held a copy in his hand ..--2(1-ide Lbrds' Re-
. port) The Speech having been read froui the
chair,'
Lord CI:IVE rose to move the Address. lathe
liberty he then took of offering. himself to
.the no-
tice of the. House, it -was not, .he
said, his iriten-
tioi, nor would it be necessary, to trespass at
~.4ny great length upon their indulgence. With
respect to the first part of the Speech; he felt con
fideut that every perbo4 House, stud ig tb.

country, lamented not less 'than himself the sitta-
liOn.of the Illustrious Personage to whom it al-
:bided. There was no one who could avoid the
feelings of sorrow ..when he •reficed„that:. a life
F pent., as that''-: of, his l'ALje'.3ty had been,
In the practice of .eyery virtue that was ho-
nourable to our-...nature,., should,' towards the
-close, be deprived of that rest, and of that
repose, which -•were due to, his- -merits anti-to
his. virtues. :f ht next poiritin the-Speech to which-
he would allude was the sueces‘,i'al resistance that
had been made in the Peninsula to the—encroach,-
mews' of France. Often. as they had occasion,,
within the last four years, to commemorate, the
achieveinents, and to applaud the gallant conffact
of thearmy emplved 'ln 'the protection of Spain,
yet in no instance since the' conlmeneerneht
that struggle,was skill or valotir so greatly dis-
played as in the decisive and glorious-fititle of Sa-.
lamanca.. The consequences'ofthat victory were
as sodden as ilii ortautas.everfollowved froin 'con-
quest. The siege Of Cadiz was raised.; Madrfil
waS evacuated by the enemy;' .the south of
Spain was relieved from their 'oppressions ; and
what was -a‘ still 'more important ,cOnsequen,
Lord. Wellington was raised to the rank of' Gen-e",
.-ralissinw. of the Spanish -Forces,. Ir any. thing:
would tend- more powerfully than another to., give
-vigour and success to . the exertions of
,the Spa-
nish people, it was thus placing their resources .it
the disposal of a person.so well able to guide them
and vesting so able a commander with the uncon-
troiiled command of their, arinie. He would
next take the liberty of congratulatog the House
on the relation in which they stood to Russia.—
The circurnstandes of that e.ountry,",he was liappy
to say, wert't such as left :no ground for despond.
eney2 T 4 Russians, it was trite, had. met withsome
reverses, but they were :not sufficient to
damP:their ardour, or. quell that enthusiasm- for
country which should, animate every bosom. That
spark of resistance which had been lighted up in,
Spain,-was rapidly, 'spreading, and had already
extended to the North: He was doubtful to which
part of the prospect now held 'out by -Russia he
should first call the attention of the HOuse; Arhe-•
ther to the Emperor lionelf or his Generals, or to
the .valiant men who fought under theiricommand;
but to .whatever part they directed:their attention,
whether to the magnanimity of the Emperor, the
skill of his Generals, or the bravery of his troops, ,
they would find abundant Matter for exultation.
On these topics it was unnecessary to dwell: They,
were the admiration of ever person who .could:
know and appreciate them. lirom every part of the,
empire, there seemed to be lint'One object in view,
and that object was resistance to the:enemy. From
one end of it to the other, -there seeme=d only to
.beone-subject of contention; and that' was who
.shotild contribute' most to the..defenrm ,of their
laws,their religion, and their country. Such were
the men whoM, for their bravery and their:ze4l,
-E
the oppressor of urope would Stigmatize with
the: name 'of barbarians. ,If enthusiasm- in the:
,proteetion of every thing which was 'dear to our.
nature, cold Merit the name of barliarisin,,he;
far one, would wish that such barbarity may ne-
ver be removed "by civilization, . But this was- not
the first time that a conqueror, when he found
himself unable to, cotabat the difficulties- that op..
posed his progress, endeavoured to load "Ivith the
same stigma the,persons who had ihe boh.la&ss to
resist him. Alexander the Great, under much the
same circumstances, chose to desigryte as robbers
and barbarians the-ancestors of these,;Very 4ussians
who had, the courage to oppose his encroaehments.
To suchlangnage they answered as they-onght to
have done " that not -to them who .defended their
Country, but to him who came to' despoil it, the,
appellation of robber was applicable ," and, he
would ask, may not the Russians-110W' exclaim to
.Buonaparte as their. ancestors. did to Alekander
the-Great, "by what right do you design-ate us
as barbarians.; why cast upon a nation. whom you
are wantonly attacking, the Stigma of being: rob-
bers Our only crime was a wish- to 'track with
Great Britain ; but is there any crime in' Which
you have not Wallowed, even Without the excuse
of proyocation ?'"' Is there -a 'corner in Europe,
Asia, or-Africa, that has not witnessed your con-
toupt of every' oil* that is sacrefl among 'men, ?
Have you not carried your oppresSions so far as to
render them intolerable even to yottr 'own family
Bas not'the brother whom' you set: as a King over
the population :of Holland resigned his situation
to avoid your tyranny? Has not another brother
`thrown himself 'into an -enemy's. country, Where
he finds that security and that protection. which
you refused to'give him? -Which; then, niay the
Russian exclaim in triumph, is the greaterbarba-
riani, I who-defend my country from unjust hosti-
lity, oryon who wantonly attack it ?" He would
beg leave now to call the attention of the !Joust
'to Sicily, and he could not but congratulate' them
upon the result- of a negotiation with that power;
Which was likely to prove equally serviceableto
both Countries; one effectiof that, negociationwohld
be,"to organize a much more powerful force than
befortekisted for 'the defence of that island.—

Every person, he was' sure, would rejoice on bea'r-
ingtliat the Regent was desirous Q f bringing Si-
cily into such a state as would be most conducive

to its own interest and to than of Great Britain.
The'steady:iqttand warm attachment -to the mother

. --
country, lately displayed by the people of Canada
was another subject for congratulation, which he
could not pass over upon the present occasion.—
They had withstood every attempt which had been
made by America to seduce them fronr their
loyalty and'the efforts to invade their territories

were elnallynnsyccessfnl. In the first attempt
at invasion, the whole of the American force stir-

'rendered to much inferior numbers; • and in' the se-
cond, even the prisoners taken exceeded the Bri-
tikh army' mployed against them. -11ThereVer' the
British troops were emplOyed, whether in Europe
or in America, they never failed to display that
bravery for which they were always distinguished.
niey required uiithing but opportunity to display
their valour, and victory was sure to follow. With

respect to the renewal of the East India Com-

pany's Clarter, it would not now be necessary for
him to' dwell at any great length upon the sub-
ject. When the proper time should arrive, he
helie;ied the House ' 'would be fully prepared to
take that -important question into their serious
consideration. 'AllUSion had' beri made in the

Speech from the Throne;-,to the late uliforttidate-
distarbauces that prevailed in some parts of the

•
country. Ike Was happy to see. that. these distor!
bances were now put to rest by the salutary nlea'
sores Which the Goveroment had found it neees-
ssry to resors ro.i . Such-were the principal topiC'
of` the Address which'he meant to propose to the
eooshiietation of the House. -BeftSre sitting down,
he conlir not,. however, but once. more congrstg:
late them upon the favourable change that hila
taken ph:ce in the affairs of Europe. How-
fereot was the prospect _now, to what it was at
the meeting of the last Parliament Ile might sal
that-Great -BrititinswaS-aionb,and. unaided in did
- contest. The itithienee and the' arms ,of Erauce
were :felt •aluiost ,Withont 'resistance iii:•every
part of Europe: There was hardly 'ally part
of Spain in .which' its power Was not t!iC
felt: The resources of the enemy-were then tin'
broken. She bad a great and vittortous army 00
foot, comManded'hysamen of the first. -eharactet
for military-talent. ~ But hirsii'greatlk were things
altered for the better.' Russia .was now up 41
wails- against her oppressor,. and Sweden was not
unfriendly to hor cause... She had. driven froni het'
ries a -numerous and pOwerfuls host that
'tbOsitchied Ler with ruin ; andJ3manaparte, so }alt
%aim realizing the high and boasting promises
' with which he had eatered-rthat country, was notSr
'endeavouring, after defea't,and-disgraee, to secure'
a retreat to. Poland: -7p Spain alSo, Lord Wel
ling,ton -had teats'one of, the _most numerous and.
best equipped armies the French had ever broughC
into the field, and obliged- them to draw together
all their forceS for the purpose Of 'opposing his
yisstOrious.progress. ' What is it', he'avould ask,
'they may not hope from Such'a state of things 1
When EUrope Was.atlength convinced that Boas
naoarte-and his armies were not invincible, was
there -riot: reason to expect 'that the nations or
pressed by his poWer would rise to assert their
rights, and recover that honour they had suffered
him to tsienish ? Was there not reiisonto expect
that the descendants of the great Frederick would
again come 'forward to Oppose,- as he had often
dOne, the devouring power of France ;' that they
Would again come forward like the brave people
cif-Russia, and -exclaim, we also are men, and
1;itill not submit anYlonger to -the encroachments
Of out. oppressor: Ho would not trespass any
longer "upon the- time of the HOuse, taut- submit
to them the Address he meant topropose. The
NOble Lord then read the AddreSs:
Mr. Hata. DAVIS said; that in rising-to second
the Addreia, it was not his wish or his intentiom9
to trespass long' upon the indulgence of the House,
by a Trotractednofice of the tonics which it con-
tained.
They had 'been so ably elucidated its
the Speech itself, and the Noble Mover had so
well andso clearly detailed the reasons that ope-
rated on him in proposing the. AddieSS,' 'that ha
Would have little occasion to detain them veil
long. Though unwilling to iatrUde upon their
attention, he coold n hoWever; resist the mo-
tives that induced !sin to second the. Address,---*
At -a,Monientlike the present, when Europeloolv,
ed,up to this country as the principal" solace.
resistance to the power of 'France Was t*.
be expected, it Was superthious to 'state that his
11.Oyal
_Highness was. called to the :')Government
at d'iiiost important. crisis. In rev=iewing ate
events ti t had taken place since his,ateressian to
:power, it was 'impossible. not ta with hope
'and, with pride itpon the splendid succeiSsavhich
attended the riti-sh-iirms, in every- part 0,1 the
'avorlOri Which they were employed.. 'Spain bad
`Witnessed that success in eitry one.of it 9
provineeS. •it was not necessary tor-him to recur
to the 'lrravery by which Badajoz bad been reliev-.
:tai;-or to the splendid victoryalSalarnauca,-or the
cohsequences that` followed:froni that victors.--
Where;.-etsßritith .'soldierS Were hronght into ac-
tion, thq.- displayed •prodigieS of' heroism that
must have filled every person who beard him with
exultation. • But, cheering as 'was the prospect
-which:Spain. held out,. he was' happy- to Saythat
-the prospect was riot leSs eheering•in. the North
of Europe. When Buonaparte entered Russia,
.gardless of the lives-of those whoni he lid to eon-
'Omit; and of the rights of those whointe invaded,
be flattered himself that he .could, after entering
MOscoiv, dictate a peace to the Russians with the
same insolence as he had before-done at Vienna ; but
Russia, with a degree of firmness' and self &No-.
tian almost unexampled. in ,history, sacrificed
capital' to save atisempire, and by that means de-
feated the proud designs of her invader. • He was
now farther than. ever from the 'attainment of his
object, and obliged to have-recourse to a disgrace-
ful retreat. The Emperor of Russia shewed that
he was not -a person to be either. intimidated 131
threats, or deceived by negociatiOn.' to France
he found an implacable foe ; in 'Britain a friend,
upon whom he could place a steadyreliance. Of
his reliance upon British honour, he could not
give a 'stronger proof than his, determination of
:leading his fleets into the ports of this country.
s4With respect to America, every pei-son most lamenr
that.the endeavours for bringing about a peace had
been unsuccessful. The removal of -the Orders hi
Council naturally-induced an' expectation, both in
the House and in the Country, that America would
embrace that opportunity of removing whatever
causes for hostility existed between time two coma-
tries, and contribute her assistance against the
common foe of Europe and (if the world. 'The
event however, unfortunately, did not justify such
expectations; and the Americans Goyernment
.-thotight •proper to commence hostilities. War
was, he would cOnfess, ,a thing always to be de-
splored, 'but as the endeavours -to• avoid it had
been unsuccessful, he- Willingly anticipated, .on
the part-of this country, that union and energy in
the prosecution of it, which the enemy --would
not fail to .employ. on' their' Tart-. doubted
-not 'but the voice, both of the House and of
the country would concur in the determination
to prosecute it-with vigour. With respect to the
troubles that lately prevailed in the northern parts
of the country, he could not but congratulate the
House upon their renioval,'Which was to be attri-
buted to the mild and early measures adopted by
the Governmont, The time was now, he hoped,
arrived, when 'a more vigorous resistance may be
expected to the power and 'the encroachments of
France. It was by a resistance strong and perse-
vering, and by such resistance only, that they
could hope for a lasting and honourable peace.--
Such a-peace was only to be won by iumpressin,t,r
upon -the enemy a conviction of. their • power to
resist its efforts ; it was only by such a peace that

they could give to the, exhausted potverS otturope,
safety, independence, and prosperity,_•,
A consideeable pause efisiting, -the Speaker was
aboutto. put the qu6tion, wheat' . .
Mr. CINgING rose,,and spoke to: fhb follOWing
effect:— .. • 7 ,
„ •
Ste---Althottgli on the present" occasion I
have no intention whatever to interrupt the happy
unanimity. with -which the -queStion in your: band
seemed about to be carried ; and although- I have
waited until the very last moment in -the expecta-
tion that the rumour which' has been so currently
circulated -of an AmendMent to he proposed '(bay-
ing Myself nothing like an Amendment: to offer)
woilldbe realised; entertaining; as I do;
,rl.' re-
'spect and ..deference towards the quarter • whence
it Was imagined the Amendment; would pro
seed,. that always induces me to• follow ea,
tiler than.. to precede upon such an occasion, yet
I cannot allow the Motion. to 'pass without 'ex,
.pltkining_ at some length the- -grounds on 'which
concur .in the Address that. has: been so ably
. moved by the Noble Lord, 'and the qualifications
- by which I feel myself bound to accompany; that
• . concurrence.--Sir, whatever Amendment, if any,
,bad.been.proposed, I should have felt, that under
the -circumstances of the time and 'older the cir
tunistances in which the House and the, country
are Placed, it would have been desirable, that in
_ snaking our decision between any different forms
of .Address, we should have been swayed by one
distinct vkw of the subject—that we should have
tome that vc•te which :would, have 'least pledged
our judgment, andovhith -would have given: the
greatest scope to our future deliberations.=
This 'feeling Would have been produced by
the obvious. principle; that' in the first ses-
sion of a- new '-Parliament, a Parliament too in
whiely' there is a greater infusion of new Mem-
hers than ordinary,' in !a state of public af-
fairs so complicated as-that in which the coup--
, try is at this moment placed, 'when' we are
called upon -to answer a SpeeCh from the Throne,
touching on so many important topicS, it is not
too much to say, that on several of -these topics
much information is requisite before, we can coni-
pletely deter Mine upon theni- It -is.highly uncle-
airable. that this. House should at:, any titne, and
more p,artictilarly atthe present time, pledge itself,
in any way, by- a .precipitatc dicision ; and as any.
Amendment, had it been proposed, would in all pro.
bability have been•inore preciSe 'than the Address
ts, Oved. by the Noble Lord,' I sho;#ld undoubtedly.
have preferred-the Address to the Amendment, had.
an Amendment been offered to our consideration.
The Address, so far as I have been able to collect its
tendency, during the reading of it by the-Noble
Lord, and subsequently, -Sir, 'by yourself,- very
properly abstains from pledging the House to any
thing farther, than that, in the spirit of ivhichevery
* individual -in the House, 'and every individteal in
the country, must warmly coincide,
,namely, to
give every posSible support to the ExeCutive Goy
vernment in the-great contest in which we are en•
gaged. It goes no farther than to' rejoiceat the
fortunate, and to lament the unfortunate,'occur-
- reuses of the last six months ; to promise-every
aid that may be necessary to improve the' former,
to repair the latter, and to bring the whole to a
bappy issue, So far, Sir, I trust that every man
Axil() hears me, and "I am confident , that an incal-
culahle majority of the country at largeareTre-
, pared,-without hesitation, to --go. I3ut, Sir, it
. might have been thought, if 'the Address pros
posed by the Noble Lord, however unexcep-
tionable in its general principle, had been al-
-1 • hewed to pass without' comment or illustra-
-tion, that every -man who. concurred in it
was bound to the details --as well as to' the-,
genet al principles, and that . all doubt was pre-:
chided on points which required further informa-
tion. It is merely in that spirit, in the spirit of
wishing',to guard myself against such a sweeping
conclusion, and with no desire to interrupt una-
,
'nimity, no hostile disposition towards-the Address
itself, no anxiety to put, at the present, moment,
:
'interrogatories on points that, in 411 concep-
tion, require future elucidation, thatTpresinne,
Sir, to address-. you, and. to detain you and the
, House for a short.time; while I explain iny'Sen-1,
' timents --on several' of: the topics comprehended-
,' in the Noble Lord's Address. Sir, the, .general
-view of our -situation nathrally diVideS itself in-
.to domestic and foreign and the foreign por7 •
tion of that view into the contemplation of three'
.Lidistinct wars,: in which' .we, are principals or ao-
`cessaries;--The first 'is the 'war'in the North-of
-Europe; which we are eheering-wiih; oar encou-N!
-agement, but of which we are-deeply-interested
-spectators rather than active partisans. The se
' cond is the war in the, peirihsttla, Carried on prin-,
'pally from our own resonrceS, aided in some
-gree by those of 'our allies: -The third isthe war
with Am;_qica, svi:h we are -solely;' engaged,
and in the conduct of which; therefore,, our
, Government is subject to ,an exclusive responsi-
bility. With respect, Sir,, to the Watjti the-
. North of Europe, it was well said -by the Noble
Lord- who moved the Address,- that it. is the child
of that great- effort in the Peninsula -which has-
enabled Europe to reflect on its condition, and
has roused it to a struggle for emancipation.--;-
There can be.but one feeling of unbounded admi-
stati9n at the great eftbrt which has been .made by
• Russia. 'Noble has been the contest there—even
there,. where the tyrant of the world doubtlesSly't
anticipated an easy victory, and concluded, from
former experience, that•one decisive battle would
be theprecursor of an abject peace—there,
,where
' • *-.he thought he knew his lnan—there„ where
be forgot that
.a change -of circumstances
might rouse a whole - nation to contend, with
him— there, where imagining th*, having
• issued a bulletin anct taken a fort,! his: work
was done, he unexpectedly found a cohnilesspo-
,
pulation opposed to, the furtherprogreSs.of
desolating there is no man who'
can contemplate the. recent oecnrrences in the
. North of Europe without feeling his heart burn
• within him. There is no man who can contem-
plate them without rejoicing at the defeat of those •
principles of false philosophy which, having first
misled the world, have at length deceived those-by
• Whom they .were originally asserted. - The invader
of Russiallattered himself, as the Noble Mover
of the Address has justly observed, that a na-
tion, to which he affixed the appellation of barba- •
touS; and which 'lie imagined to be in a condi-
*it?* of slavery, could 'entertain no generous and

(•\\‘

noble sentinient, Ite rorgot that there is in every
country -a principle'of instinctiye.patriotism,which
prevails over the,vice,of positive, institutions ; for,:
. Sir, it is not:true, as it has been for theseJast 2Q
years so loudly asserted; that before the people of
• any country determine to resist an Invader, they
coldly-speculate on their own .statei.and enter into
a, comparative Niew of their condition, and that
of surrounding nations,—.(Hear, kar..l),--ir, the
invader- of Russia has --foetid" that the physical
feelings of man, his sacred attachment to. his home
the tics of customf,.of family, of kindred, were
enough to arouse.resistanceto an invader, corn-
ing with promises of freedom and improvement
not • because it was • imagined he might not.
realise those promises, but simply because he was'
an invader and a foreigner: Sir, ifthis were to
be the 'sole result of, what has taken place in the
North, it. Would be an invaluable addition—or
rather it would .be a revival of those ancient
maxims of national independence, which the.con-
vulsiOns of the modern world have , almoSt buried
in oblivion. But is this all ? Can any man who
looks at the present condition of, Beonaparte, with
what wonderful- ability. soever he, may have 'reS7
cued himself from former difficulties, .perhaps as,
great as those in which lie. ismow, involved, and
lam sure 1 am not disposed to deny hint the p6s7
session of great ability; but, I repeat, can • airy
man look athis present condition and so chastise his
ft lings as not to entertain some hope of events fa-
vourable to the cause Of Europe? , This, Sir, is-
the view which I take of this partOf, the subject,
and as far as I can be apprised of the circum-:
stances I give full credit to Ministers for the con 7
duct. which it seems they have pinsued ,towards-
RuSsia—a conduct influenced, as it appears to
by the soundest policy, as far As it ,regards
the commencement of the Nvar, and their inten-
tions to give w tife Emperor of Russia eyerypof
sible,aid in-the prosecution. otit. '.li,ut here, Sir,
. a question arises, 'whichi. do mat Wish now to
'be answered, butrespecting which some future
explanation seem S to me indispensable. How
has,ithappened., that having made treaties of
TrAcea„,upon which •we are called upon to. 'cop.:
.gratulate theTrince Regenta. and having for the
- last :six months. heard -notes of preparation in
every port of Su edenfthat the, power of Sweden'
,has not been brought to bear in aid of the coin-
Mon 'cause,. at a anoment'when, if ever,., the inter-
position of a third Power might have been..deci-
'sive of the ' conteso: To this. question 1 do not
desire an immediate--.reply; but 1 cannot:vote for
an Address containing a congratulation on the
conclusion .of a treaty„with Sweden,,: and, at the.
same' time observe. -Baonaparte retreating,
.and
in a situation which, an effective attack on hiS
rear might render doubly. ,perilous, without *re-
serring to 'myself', the- -right of asking, at
some' future period, -what impediment._ pre-.
vented the co-operation' of Sweden, which it
was hot in human. foresight. to anticipate, or
in human Wisdom to. remove ? I .do not blame
wish only to inquire. The treaty with. Swer
den i's not before .the noose; I -cap therefore ,
argue upon it only:from, the, general information
respecting its tenor,:' -which every one possesses.
But, Sir, it ought, not-to be forgotten, whenever
this subject may comet° he deliberately consider-
ed in 'Parliament, that in- cone-hiding this treaty,
the Court of St. James. and that of Stockholm, did
not stand on. an exact footing of equality: We
had' a boon to grant, for
.which -we had .right to
expect an equivalent. -In all diplomacy, at all
tithes, the acknoWledgment of a new dynasty
(to say nothing of an usurpation) entitles to an
equivalent; and if the treaty with Swedea simply
-restores peace :on- an. equal footing, it . is an hu-
'provident treaty : for the acknowledgment of a
-new. dynasty, and 'incidentally of: the French-
man who' now the. Prince, clearly gave 'tO
this country.;aright to demand an equivalent ad-
vantage;.- What that advantage ought to have
beenl will not:now•say, but 1 contend- that We
ought to have obtained some advantage. In. look-
ing at the conduct 'of the way in Russia, as
'arising out of and encouraged by the war in the
Peninsula, the view of it so properly. taken by.
• the 'Noble Lord, a fresh consideration,
pressed- upon us. Hitherto we, have carried on
the war in the Peninsula with no relation to
any other nations than those which inhabited the
'Peninsula itself. But if, on the faith of ()UVcon-
tiuuiiii our efforts, in the Peninsula, the Russians
have- begun • their_ war in ,the , North, then
.we
are. bound -to consider them nolonger, as sepa-.
rated,from the interests: of Portugal and,Spain,..
and our obligations •accumulate proseente vi
gorOtisly a contest im-the faith of -a continuance •
of which Russia involvedherself-inhostilitiestvith
'France. Ridging,- Sir, tronywhathas .occurred,
I uneptivocally ap.prove 'the language which has
been held towards Russia. I -believe our Govern-
ment has said to -the Court of St. Petersburg, '' if
you engage 'in a war With France with a view to'.l
. your own interests, -we will help you as far as
we may -be able ; • but depend not ~ion our di-
. rect- and immediate aid. • aur principal efforts ,
must be. made 'in the Peninsula, and in mak-
ing them there, we shall do , more towards your
assistance tlu by any pecuniary, or military
supportl that we should be able to afford
you." That take; Sir, to - have been the lan-
'gi:;:ge held to Russia ; .and. if so, I contend that
r it xv:,s wise language ; having held it, hoWeeer;
it however, it behoved us to strain.every nerve in
the- Peninsula. Sir, while I cordially join in
every word of the Address which congratulates
;his Royal Highness. on the splendid exploits -of
"our distinguished army, and-of , their gallant and
immortal leadei• in thateotintryi I must say, that
when in 'additiOn la am called -upon to declare. •
that the result ofthose brilliant exploits has
,sa-
. tisfied the hope and expectationS -of the coma-.
try, I must bar myself against
.being supposed to
concur in the. interpretation to • which that
part of the • AddresS is liable. Do I there-
-fore,. count the victory of Salamanca. as nothing,
even if its. consequences terMinated -on the plains
upon which it was fought ?' Certainly not. I, who-
held up the barren field; its it was4:alled-, of Tala-
vera, to the admiration of the country, could scarcely.
be expected to 'withhold -my applause of that of Sa7.•
lanianea, even had .no result proceeded from it but
the 'acquisition of rational glory, :But, Sir, I alit
compelled to take a:different-view .of th e question,
when I compare the hopes which the victory of SA-
lauiana inspired, limp the situation-Of our affairs

in die reniiNsuia, Which was presented to us at the
opening of the present Session. . It is certainly fin-
po6ii? e for any man not i wan official situation; and
consequently exeltilled from the most
sourees of information; actually to demozistrate that
we. could ha-vemade grater efforts in the Peninsu-
lar war, or, if we had Made greater 'efforts, -that
they: would have been successful. 'On it former
occasion, I studiously guarded •myselfagai list giv-
ing ,a decided opinion that the scale of the war'in
the. PenipS.ula. was 'not as great as cur means
Might enable us to make it'. But, Sit, this 1 will
say, i 1 there be in thepoWet Of Ministers anymeans
yet untried—any effort yet' unattempted—any re-
• sources yet unexploredany accumulation of force
.:yetomittedH-any increase of energy-yet delayed
not only that such additional exertion ought to be
immediately made,' hitt that . it 'ought to have
beep rinuielong agol. capacity' ~to do. more
at preSentt, is the test of the capacity to have done
more at a former periOtL •If .a...reirifoicement can
be sent but now, the onzi§.is ory. Minister's to
prove that it couldnot have been sent Out before:
If any measure can iieNir be adopted by which the.
disposable force of theeciuntry niayb6-augmerited;
the burden is on Ministers to_ prOve-that such a
measurecouldnot have been taken six Months ago ;
when, instead of retrieving reverses, it might have
ensured a continuance of success,: If Ministers
have it in contemplation at present to call on the
country to make, any extraordinary 'effort, why
was not that 'call made in July last ?• Why was not
the, last 'Session 'of the last Parliament prolonged
for that purpose ? I can, therefore, concur in the'
congratulation on, and implied, approbation. of
the condhct of the win. in-the Peninsula, only on
the Under Standing that it shall he, hereafierShoWn
to the House, that Government did not 'possess
the means of making that little additional effort,
.which seems alone to have been Wanted, in. order
to liring the contest to a favontable termination.
In this view 'of the subject, the higher-we esti.=
mate Lewd Wellington's merit; and no -man is (Hs-
. posed to estimate it more highly than' myself`, the
more must we regret any Misplaced-economy; and
, shrinking -from exertion that had a tendency to
cripple his means, and from attaining
those important objects which his great Mind had
in conti mplation. It is difficult for'uny Ulan:not
ib office to 'prove the affirMatiVe that More Might
have been done by, Gdirernment in the Peninsula.
But if I were put to the question, I must `say, that'
in nYconscience" believe-they might have done'
I believe that greater efforts • inight have
*been made, and I believe, that if thoS-eefforts had
been made, they would have proved etninently and
Conchisively successful. To thOSe; Sir, -Who
desnofid of the means and resources of the
country; svjro think that she has taken her stand
too high among the nations Of the. earth, and•that
she ought to .return .to a prOper level, shrink into.
bet shell, and avoid all attemptS at foreign-conquest,
I may exposemyself to the imputation of insanity,
when 1 talk of exttn :ling oar -Military eß"Crtions:
13ut I will ask. thOse Gentlemen,-Whether it the
efforts Which ye have lately' been Making-had been
predicted ten years ago, the prophecy would not
have been received with an air of absolute
bility ? Sir, ',believe that the resourceS Of the,coun
try, Ibelievethat the spirit of the 'countiy, arefully
,
adequate to a:Considerable extension of-the exer-
tions that have hitherto been made ;' arid there-
fore to justify my cordial, Concurrence in the ap4
probation_ which has been done, I must be sa-
tisfied that those ineteased 'exertions could not.
sooner. have been accomplished. This at .leastis certain, that the imagination of man can
hardly devise a situation of ittairS Ehrdpe so f•a.
vourablet6 a great effort as that which has recently
occurred. Not only since the commencement of
the present war,but since the eoininencenient of the
revolutionary War, the power of :FlatiCC Was never
so thoroughly occupied. Never has. she played so
deep a ganie, never has her hazard been so mighty,
~never has her ruin been so' near its, accomplish-
ment. While the strength of France was withering
in the INforth, oh that ive had had the means of
pushing to a successful extent the efforts which
. we must now make, to retrieve disaster ! With
'shell a General, and such a: cause, what might we
not have Justly expected Gencral of Whom
it is.: not too much.to say, that 'w-hate.Ver might
havebeeit the Means entrusted to him;they would
=have heenJised with the greatest effect ;. 'whatever
the scope opened to him on the Theatre of • Eu
rope hewould have filled with glory to himself and
his country—Wear, henr„o—a General,"ofvyhoM
it is not too much to say,. that looking at what he
.bas already done, nO one can deny that, with a
:comparatively. small increase of force, he might
have occupied Madrid, not merely as theextremity,
•but as tire centre of his operations ; that he might
have earried his army, not merely to. the Ebro,
but to the Pyrenees; and that,-considering the pre.-
.sent state of. France, and the general discontent-
,that must pervadethat country, considering thesitu-.
ation of Buonaparte, met hs} an unexpected'and
precedented rehiiit, the. lluisians clasping round,
-and gradually.climinishirig his famished legions, he
might have advanced to the:bohndaties of Spain,
and overlooking the French provinces', becotaing
insurgent, bave given, the, watch-word of libera-
Cori' from Oppression. --.-THear, hear 1) At all
events,
,Sir, this .is
.clear,-that that economy in
war, which restricts and husbands our efforts, is
the worst -description of economy; and that a great
exertion, tending to a sudden decision ofthe con-
test, although it may, be accompanied with a ten-
fold 'Cost, is:best calculated to advance the real
interests of this country. .If, Sir;" feel this doc-
trine to be applicable to the contests in RusSia,
and in the Peninsula, how much more 'applicable
Must 1 Consider it to that third contest in which
we are exclusively engaged-. 4 mean the war with
.America: I Will not detain the House with ex-
'pressing' that which every man in the country
must feel, in common with myself--.-an anxious
wish that tWo natiOns,,bound by so many ties of
consanguinity and =interest, .. should remain in a
state, 'not merely of •amity, but of alliance. But,
Sir, it is - with America as it must be With other
countries,- under similar circumstances. When
once the die waseast,
~when once war became in-
evitable, it beeithe' us to be prompt in our Inca
-siires,..and,i by vigorous proceedings; to bring the
-contest to .a speedy and successful termination.—
The. Address moved by the Noble Lord states,' -
that we learn from his Royal Highness, that the
dclaration of war hyAmerica was issuod at a time

_., . .
*heti Citentiistances had 10 him to hope that. tht
(. disputes betty eett the two countriea_ might be ami-
cably arranged: -If; Sir; the Address had stated
that to be our opinion, IcOuld not have assented to
it:We receive this opinion from his Royal _Highness.;
and•we must presintie that he ,speaks front ro.iirces
ot inteiligcace not (..;pen to us. As tar as that gene-
ral observation, ‘NII iCil all N Ora hear me •are enabled
to Make as well as, myself; -goes, 1 must say,
that,` at the moment when the declaratiOnof war
, ,
reacheu-staaa_ country from America, I' believe it
reachedals in the da-y on which the laift Parliament
was-prorogued. 1,
.for'Z'a., did not entertain the
slightest expectation, nor. wits itt'l%.: On the ft:a:a:of
document' the least justification of luty expectation;
. that what had been done in this country ;would
remove the causes which had induced Amertea to
go to war with us. For in fhat.declaration, the
rescinding of the Orders in Council. ,which had
been insisted on in America, . and
.still more by
those who argued in. favOur of America on this
side ofthe water, were studiously.postporied, and
other grievances.radyanced,avhich this country had
not taken any steps,' and which perhaps-aye could
not take any steps:. to remove. If -America ever
. • intended to close with us on the Orders in Council,
she evidently reviewed that intention, and delibe-
-rately; and .er aaiino,, determined that she would
go to war with us, unless we made every concesJ-
- sion . that she. demanded, It. • was evident, Sir,
that the revocation of the Orders in 'Council could
not be supposed, by any rational- mind, likely to
restore peace; and 'therefore, Sir; until-I obtain
- better information than that of \Aid] I ant at pre-
sent possessed,- I must continua to think that war
was certain, and that all that •remained to this
: country as, 'to determine hOw the war could best
be carried on. ,The hest way to carry on any war
is: the way that will-kali soonest to peace. Vigour,
not t'Orhearance; exertions to an extent calettiate4
. to' make the enemy feel - and dread our power.--.
Sir, 1 would' go to the extreme verge qt conees-
siva to -preserve peace - but when the preservation
of peace 'become. hopeless,, f 'would pot dilute my
. measures •of noStlitt- in the expectation that such.
l 4 ,
a regirpen.:vould,be.saluta.ry ; l'would not make
-war, which is, natttrally an 'acute distemper, -a
chronic 0n,2, and incorporate it with the habitual
-system of the country.—(hear, hear 1)-----This war
with' America, which vigour might ,s,oon. have
converted into peace, bus nursed up this,petty pa-
Licy" until it is probably fastened upon us for a con.
-. siderable periock I will..ask any man, whether,
-if two years ago, in the contemplation of. a war
. 'with America,. and with the :consideration of the
•character, the ;might, .and the grandeur of this
-country, it had been prophecied to him, that after six
Months of hostility,the onlymaritime trophies would
be ott the side ot the- enemy, and ,our only CCM.
solution that we had not been-conquered by land,
he .Ivould pot have thought such a prediction au
insult ? It is true, Sir, we have tiot been con-
quered in Ameritaity...land. 1 am sure I am dis-
Tosed to pay my tribute of admiration to our gal-
iant-troops, and of ielgret for their heroic leader,
with:as- Much sincerity of feeling-as any man ; fOr
individual heroism and self-devotion, under any
circhnixtances; -are glorious ; but really, Sir,
-what. has happened is not a matter of great tri-
umph. I really never did suppose that we should
:be conquered, It never entered into my mind that
.'wo should be:compelled to seek for such a consb-
- lation.• It never entered into my mind that the
Mighty naval power of England would, be .allowed
'AO-sleep While her commerce was swept
.from the
surface ofthe Atlantic, It never entered into my
mind that.at the end of six months war with Ame-
rica, it would be. proclaihied in a speech front the
. - Throne,. that the time was now come ,when the
. long-withheld thunder of Britain must be launch-
ed against an int-placable foe, and the fulness of
'her power exhibited.. It never entered my mind
that we should: send afleet to' our ports in North
America, and that ire should then attack the Ame-
rican towns with a .flag of truce. I have said,
'Sir, and 1 repeat,..-that when his Royal Highness
tells us that,' at the period of the American deela-
'ration of war, there were CircinustanCes which
lethhitn. to believe that peace might be restored ;
'it max be that those circumstances were of a tia-,
ture,:of AN hich -we and the ptibliaate wholly igno-
rant,
,blit which in due time may, perhaps, be
• diselbsed, and may then.bear out such a belief.--7,
But certainly, -on' the face of the. American decla-
ration', any Man tuust observe a studied mind to
prevent pacifieati4n; •or at least to defer it ; and
as to Canada,' the desire entertained by the Ante-
rican Government to posseSS:thatprcivince, is not
:nitwit frowned upon, even 'by thoSe Americans
who are this least disptised towardS this country.
As an additionalsproof of the true tone and cha-
racter of the Aineriean 'deeimation„ let it not be
forgotten, that 'l'M`nteiliately after the proinulga-
. tion of it, an. ArtilkalSatiOr to France .aa-rs-appoirit .
ed, .who traced' ifie, '-ie-O• of. the Gallic conqueror
' through the realms which he had devastated. An
Arnbasador, bearing- the homage of a re-
public, to sign; " athidst the . destruction, of
.Moscow, a treaty inim:,:al to the independ-
ence tif Spain ! - When such was . the effect of
'. republican virtue and love of- :liberty, faint
were the 'hopes that could :be cherished of a
.
disposition on the part of America to conc=iliate
Great Britain. Mitch.has been said of the natural
affection that Ought .to subsist between the two
countries. Sir, I admit 'the force of common
blood, of common interests, of common language.
But we are told by natural historians, that affection
descendS ; that parents love their children more
than children love their parents ; and I put it to
those who; in this country, speak -of America
with parental affection, whether they do not count
a little too much oil a reciprocity of feeling ,on
the part of America ? Before, however, I leave
the subject of. Canada, , I beg leave'. again to
guard myself against the posiihility of being so
misunderstood, as to be supposed capable of un-
dervaluing the heroiSM there displayed—the alle-
-legiance whiCh remained proof against all tempta-
tion. ,Let me also (adverting to a vote of Parlia-
:merit last Year) reminded fit e House, that these pr; -
iinces of Canada, so :assailed, and.So' attempted
to be sedueed, are the' single specimen in the
British :Empire, in which the Catholic is allowed
to legislate side by side with the Protestant in the
1-louae of Asserribly, and to fight aideby site With
him in the field. Sir, front this fact, I draW this
'inference if we cannot become wise .from'our •
own reasoning,- let. a at leaq derive 'a lesson of