The Sun.
London, England, 1810-03-31 00:00:00

'to maintain the Accusation 'that that 'loss was owing.-
to any miscondil- 61 Of Ministers. Gentlemen had
contended that Flushing•onght to have been given
up, when it was found' that Antwerp could not be
taken. Now he begged to- contend Most •confi-'
..dently; thza; so far from; its being his duty to
. recommend the- evacuation of Flushing when the
'ulterior objeet failed, that that very circumstance
-made it of infinitely 'greater iinportance to retain it.
. If we had taken Antwerp and the enemy's fleet, he
should- have thought our security had been etre6,led
- but having left such great,naval means.in The.hands
of the-enemy, the possession of Walcheren became
doubly valuable.' He entreated -.the 'Hansa to
- bear always :in memory, that in undertaking ' this
expedition, Govertment had two • objr,cts., in
view, viz. -our own• safety and the assistance of
.cour ally ; and that as long .as the war cOntinued,
- our possession of Walcheren was .perfcctljr secure.
The question he was now arguing was not whether
it-was- wise to send an Expedition to the .Scheldt;
but' whether Waicheren being ink our possession) an
island which had been the -object of puriuit to so
many Governments; Ministers would have
,been jus:-
-tilie.d in giving it tip without taking/every 'Means of
-ascertaining whether. it `Was possible to retain it ornot ?
Nothing; indeed, but an absolute -conviction in his

"troops would have been .destroyc d. And here he
would ask it of the candour of Hon_ Gentlemen,' if
the evacuation of Walcheren was that which could
be done as soon as it had been , resolved up0e....:-
If it was or could be made the -operation of a
day ? Supposing that evacuation to, have been de,
termined upon at a given- time—that it had been
determioed upon by his Majesty's Ministers, as
a wise measure to . evacuate that Island—was
there nothing worthy, of consideration as to the
propriety of the means by which that'desirable ob-
jea was to.be carried into effed.? The first objed ,of
their proceedings must be that of the removal of
their sick. leould the precipitate abandonment of
the 'island have been the. best way to secure that ob-
Je6t ? 'Or in order to secure the safe and tranquil re-
embarkationof the sick, was it not expedient that the
*healthy troops should be in undisputed possession of
the island ?.: Or would it have been a more summary
way to have called 'off the healthy tioops at once, and
abandoned the: sick to their fate ? Well, then it is ad-
mitted ahat 'We should have first brought home our
sick ; and .now let those Gentlemen who have been
so. fine in their random flights at speculative censure,
Come down for a moment to the simple sobriety of
fact.' The navy could not bring home our sick--
transports must of course have been employed in that
'Melancholy service. After the transports had arrived
they necessarily underwent the process of fumigation,
and after that, returned to convey the remainder ;
for we could not command the means of ton-
-nage to convey them all home at once.; and then
after the sick had been brought home, and not be-
fore, commences the evacuation by the healthy part
of the troops ; even this slight statement was, he be-
lieved, sufficient to shew that it was not pos-
sible to evacuate Walcheren at :the time that
it might have been thought expedient to evacuate
it. And this brought him to another question,
involving still mere conclusive reasotis for: the
sub Sequent delay in the retention,' than those
arising from mere practical difficulties. Would it
have been right, under the existing circumstances, to
have evacuated Walcheren so precipitately, rode."
pendently of the physical impracticability of doing
'so.? And now Ale would state to the House one
. fact—on the tOth of October the Government bad
received intelligence to their Minds satisfactery,
that hostilities ;were on the • eve of commenc-
ing between Austria and Frarce.—Now, sap-
pose Minister's,: after having received that. intelli-
.gence, had'nevertheleSs determined upon the aban-
donment 'of 'Walcheren, and that" hostilities upon
1 the Continent had actually • recommenced,' how;
.eaSily was -it to anticipate the torrent of invec-
tive that would have ponied -upon Ministers from
• the Hononrable Gentlemen opposite for abandoning
at such period a conquest' before so 'dearly bought,
and then so critically important ? Was it rash sup-
position to imagine at that time the breaking out of
hostilities between Aostria and France ? Was 'there
nothing in the wavering and uneasy alternations that
preceded the Treaty of Vienna, to countenance the
belief that the,contending Powers might again rush
to arms, and another battle be fought for the politi-
cal existence of the Continent? And if there were
grounds for an eXpectation so. anxious, would Wal-
cheren have been nothing in our hands against .
the common enemy ?—Or would it not have
been a most desirable, a most important means
of, annoyance ? But there is yet another ground
upon' which, conjointly with the preceding, he
thought the retention defensible. On the tOth
of Oeiober, for the reasons he had stated, it would
have been wrong to hate giyen it up, comparing
fairly the good and 'evil .arising out of the att
Of retention, The good effeas he had observed
upon—the bad was in one word, sickness—an
evil lessening every day. Look to 'the report of
Do€tor 'Blanc—the distemper uniformly abates in
Oelober; and terminates-in November. Here then
the risks of the evil were momentarily decreasing,
while the advantages reasonably to be calculated up-
on, rose With the crisis itself. At such a crisis, Wal-
cheren ought to have been kept at any hazard, but
at that very crisis the hazard porportionably de-
creased. And 'yet the ;Gentlemen opposite would.
have have it,. that it ought to have, been aban-
doned'. before the issue of that crisis which
might . have- made it 'formidable was ascertained.
As to the .conquest itself, as he had already
Stated, hejhad not ,been without 'Ws apprehensions
of its risks;• .But whete was the 'military operation
without its haZards ? Gentlemen opposite, would
have an expedition subject to no chances, and
secure of intermediate as Well as ultimate success.
Their theory, he must say, was more perfect than
their practice. Hut still it was insisted upon that
Walcheren was unhealthy part of the year—why St.
Lucia was Unhealthy—St. -Domingo was unhealthy.
We retained them • and yet, though beyond compa-
rison more, unheahly, they were beneath compari-
sbn with the acknowledged importance of Walche-
ren. Fle would detain the House no longer, weari-
ed as was their attention,. and exhausted as was
the subject. He had reluctOntly endeavoured,, as it
were, to drag them along with him through a length
-of 'detail that lent him no aid, and to tyhictehis very
'humble efforts could impart no interest. He thanked
the House foi• the candour of their attention, arid he
Should 'sir doWn with simply seating, that it was his-
anxious and earnest wish to retain Walcheren, if that
'retention cotild have been practicable ; and that-their
.greatest 'regret was,- that it was 'not possible to retain
a conquest, which, if retained, 'would have proved
invaluable: The Right Hon. Gentleman then sat .
amidst a cry of Hear; hear !
The House now became exceedingly anxious for
the question, when
_ _

mind that it was impossible to keep Walcheren With,
.buta greater expence of men and money than seem--
ed•to be within the .means of this country; would
have induced him to give
,it up. Men were
certainly alWays bad judges in- their own cause, but
be :felt no , difficulty. 'in stating, .that if Mini;•
steri had, upon the first knowledge of the failure
of the expedition, given up Walcheren; they
woald have been .the -objects of accusation
.by the
Gentlethen opposite, for having adOpted that
very • conduct -A;hich they. now blamed
for not having pursued. He entreated: the House
to consider what was the situation of Ministers

when they were in possession of a position of such
immense importance to the enemy, both. in a naval
• and- commercial point of view. He knew there
were' Gentlemen -who affected to treat commerce
• cial objects with contempt, - but his Majesty's
Ministers would' not have beenejtistitied in acting
uperLsueh a feeling. They knew the commec-
cial importance of Antwerp ; they knew that in
'lBo6' the- Custorris of that city were one-third
" more than ihose of • all the other ports of France put.
• together ; they knew, also; that by'retaining
cheren; the 'enemy would not only be deprived
• of that revenue, bilt of all trade from whiCh it pro-
ceeded. It was therefore' a question of irnpokance,
whether they should give up Ate key of that.cent=
mercial town. This" he admitted was a small .oles::
.t-%
je•compared with Antwerp, as a naval station ;
but Certainly it waS one which _Ministers would
• not have been just fied in leaving, out of their
_ Considcfration. Ti'. had been stilted by his Right.
Honourable Friend (Mr.. Canning,) that the last
advice . of Lord Grey, when he was going out
of . office,`td his successors, was, to attend to the
growing strength of the enemy in that querter. The
b3ITIO ,übiect occupie d Mr. Pitt's attention in his first
. and in hiS second Administration, and also that of
Lord Sidinouthe and the plan was abandoned; not
because the place was not healthy., but becauge a suf-
. 4eient disposable force could not be spared for the
purpose of attacking' it. If the plan of attacking
Walcheren had been given up by their different Ad-
, ministration's, becanse . the island was unhealthy,
they would not have recurred, as they did fronltime
time, to thb same projea, because that objection
• would have always applied. His Maje..ty's
rvTinis-
ters had therefore the 'authority of all these prece-
,: ding Governments in their favour, With regard to
• the importance of obtaining this object, and it cer-
tainly could not be supposed that Mr. Pitt, Lord Sid-
mouth, 'or Lord Grenville meant to have-taken Wal-
cheren and to have given it up irninediStcly ; they,
must have meant to retain it. In 'addition to theSe
authorities, lie might have qu'oted thbse of LordNel-
... son,LordSt.Vincent,-and indeed of almoSteveryNaval
Officer. It vt ouldnot be fdrgotten that the House had
bereyet hem the Letter of Sir R,Strachan, pointing out
the importance, of Walcheren, and pressing Mini-
, . • siers, in the strongest manner, not to give it up,
• until he had an opportunity of conversing with
them upon the subject. In what a situation would
Minister's, have Stood, if, after this: letter froM Sir
• R. Strachan, they had at once, without examination,
without consultation,, abandoned the Island. If such
been their• conduct, how loud ..would - have
been the accasation.g. of.' the. Gentlemen oppo-:
site to him. • He felt that against such a charge.
be should have been unable to make a defence.
Let it be. ecollected that
,liliniaters had an opinion,
befOie them that Walcheren was tenable, and for
that opinieii he referred to the evidence of Sir H.
popl)arn. _lt was also to be considefed that neither
from the dispatches" of Lord Chatham,•-•nor from"
any thing ,the Noble Lord stated on his return.
from the EXpetlition, could Ministers Collect any
thing to weaken the opinion they were induced to
adept, as • to the • practicability of .retaining this
island. The Noble• Lord, no doubt, urged the.pro-
• priety df furtUsning an aoeqeate garrison, 'but not a
'Word about-the indefenslaiiity of theisland. It would,
no doubt, be asked, . why abandon 'Waleheren under
all these considerations ? He would answer, in 'con-
s,!nnence'of the second report of Sir 'R. Sirachan,'
v, hick •‘va 4 . Iftnoug -the documents on the table.
In 'the first- Letter;' this gallant— Officer stated,
that Walcheren was quite tenable; that" a plan for
its coati:tete defence. was: drawtg up., and that it
•• ought not be _given up. But• in -the latter re-
port,clhe gallant. Officer communicated his opi-
.nion, that ,'in consequence of :the cei,,,ltion of the
war with Austria; the enemy would
,be enabled to
larinlT, such a' force to, aa asainst Walcheren 'as it
would not.. be in 'the, power- of this 'Conutry; with
• • any reastetable proportion of its means, to veil hstaride
: - IViinisters therefore determined on the evactiatton of
• the islend. •-• _

Mr. R. DON DAi arose, and after some time obtain-
eda hearing. He assured the Hopse, that at that late
hour in the morning (tour o'clock) he would not
detain them- long, but allusions of a personal nature
having been made, he conceived it his duty to reply
tb-t he n. His Majesty's Ministers had been charged
with intrigues and cabals, and with having sacrificed
by them to e lives: of many brave men. The. Hon.
Gentkarm, who. had' u,ed that language would not
be surprised it he (Mr. D.) should 'call. fdr some,.
thing inure conclusive than his mere 'ass.ation for
the truth of it. It my_ Lords Grey and Grenville,
•and all the Talents hart been in power; the Island
of WalCheren.. would not .gave been evacuated one
li,mr sooner thanit was. With-respea.to the. topics
which had been urged by 'the Hon. Baronet (Sir

If upon due consideration b had been found expei•
client 40 kt ep the Island,- means. might and would
bav6-been 'taken tp: secure th ealth of!ihe troopg!
would have been had to floating barracks,
fur' it w,ls to be 64served 41tat the -sailors were not
afflicted with 'bit sickness, Indeed, . with ont- naval
ine',„is, a considet,ble, part of -the garrison. of Flush!.
ing bave passed aist of year on the
)11c,:40., 'le.,-;t4.,r0 the. is to ap-
; ;lid, any

l*..);i

The Debate upon the Walcherei Expedition ter-
minated this morning, in the rejection of all the Re-
solutions proposed against Ministers. We have not
room to make any comment upon the subject at pre=
sent, except to. observe that on-the last division, the
majority for the Amendment was but 23, -though
Lord PORCHESTER'S original Resolutions had been
negatived by ai. This circumstance was occasioned
by many of the friends of Adthinistration having left
the House, under a conception' that the Opposition
would not have gone to another division, after the
rejection of their own main Resolution. The Op-
position, however, observing this, were glad of an
opportunity. of reducing, in appearance, the majority
against them.• In this last division Mr. CANNING S
party divided asainat itself that- Centloa-tan and
Mr. SfURGES BOURNE voting for. the question, and,
Lord GRANViLLE LEVESON and Mr. CHARLES EL
-
Lis against it.

. We yesterday gave some, of the contents .of the
Portuguese Papers that we had received, to the_ 18th
inst. The same Papers, in an article from Valen-
cia, dated the 16th of February, state, that positive
accounts had been received of new defeats of. the
French,- and that AUGERUAU, after all his boasting,
was shut up in. Barcelona. Another article, dated
Manresa, Feb..l3, says, the Spaniards had destroy-
ed, between Mallet and San Perpetaa, a whole di-
vision, which were coming from Barcelona. In the
first aaion,- at the latter place, only two of the
enemy, out of 400, escaped, the rest having been
either killed or taken prisoners. .In the .second,
fought at Mallet, only 250 escaped, out of 1500.
Five hundred aid twenty of the enemy had been
brought prisoners into Tarrasa, with sixteen .otfi-'

. !;) I.iLHAARD HARRIS, or No. 4, Al artlemcourt, Bovv..street ; and Prblished by WILLIAM A UMW, E R SCRIPPS, South Moltnn.street, Grovvenor .zq uarc,
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