Star.
London, England, 1808-11-26 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF TN STAR.

Sin—None of the accounts yet received from Spain
rest on authority sufficient to warrant the gloomy ap.
aehensions which many of the inhabitants of this me.
6polis seem to entertain. Thoy seem persuaded
that BoNnenare has already arrived at Madrid, sub-
ted Pordingg ortual, and made himself
worthy of credit, we
know that General BLAKE, after making a brave de-
fence at Zornosa, was retreating upon Reynosa, where,
with the united force of the troops of Asturias, and
those that had arrived from Denmark, he was to occupy
3 very strong position. We also know, that the ar-
mies of Andalusia, Castile, Arragon, and Murcia,
under the command of Castmcos, and forming
a total
of not less than between 9000 and 100,000 Men,
were posted between Sweguesa and Villafranca, oa the
confines of Navarre and Arragon ; that the army of
Estremadura had begun to enter( Burgos on the 7th
instant; and that the whole of its force Was expected
in that city within a few days after ; and that the
English troops, from Portugal, were on the 13th at
Salamanca, and those under General Baret at As.
torga.
Casting our eves then upon the map, observ-
ingthe oespective positions of these armies, and com-
paring ng them with that of the enemy, with the cer-
tainty which, from any thing which has yet transpir-
ed, we possess that neither CasTaxos nor &mice
have been routed, how is it possible to imagine that
any formidable body of the enemy can advance to
Madrid, or be in possession of Valladolid ? In this
case, the armies of Casrarcos and BLAKE would be
able to form a junction in the rear of the French, and
cutting off their communication with France, corn.
pel them to surrender, or to perish from famine, as
there would still be another army of not less than
silty thousand men. including English and Spaniards,
to oppose them. It is not impossible that a strong
French corps may have entered Burgos, and that the
troops of Estremadura, which had not all conic up,
were not able to maintain themselves there ; but it is
impossible that any considerableforce should penetrate
farther, without first defeating the armies on the right
and left; and this is not so easy a task as many think,
and experience will prove it.
BONAPARTE has placed himself at the head of his
army. He feels it necessary toJolind and deceive the
Powers of the North, and above all, to keep Austria
quiet. In all these countries, nothing but French or
Trenchified journals are in circulation ; and it com-
pletely suits his game that they should trumpet forth,
that, on his arrival in Spain, he defeated and totally
routed thelnsurgents—that his troops had already en-
tered Burgos; and that, in few days, they would belt
Madrid.
All this is necessary to maintain his great and only
strength, which is the opinion of the pusillanimous and
indifferent. But we shall see, or rather, in the case of
Burgos, we may already see, how far the determina-
tion of the Spaniards will carry them. He has already
had a practical proof that every foot of ground
ehich his army occupies in Spain must become a
dtart, where no succour is to he procured but what
he brings along with him. At the mere rumour
of the approach of the French, the General of the
army of Estramadura tells us, that the whole of the
inhabitants quitted Burgos, and the example will be
followed in every other quarter.
How then, with such patriotic conduee and dis-
positions, and with soldiers so brave as the Spa-
niards have hitherto proved themselves to be, can
we entertain the slightest apprehension as to the
final result ? the Corsican, by means of his veteran
troops, may obtain some temporary advantages ;
bet never will the fate of Spain depend en the issue
oia battle, nor upon the occupation of its capital.
Meanwhile, the further he advances, the more certain
is his destruction • for there he will not have to cope
with a King of Atussra, who quietly suffered him to
go to Vienna, nor with an Emperor of AUSTRIA, who
did not risk the life of his last man, to pi event his
return from the Vistula. There every province is a
formidable Power, where his forces be destroyed,
and his resources annihilated.

The Spanish :mules are still entire and all the in.
habitants of Spain are ready to replace such as fall in
the held of honour. Hitherto, the absence of a regular
Government, the great want of the most necessary
aticles, and the confusion into which all the depart.
tnents of Srate were thrown, have impeded any sys-
tem of vigorous operations. But every thing is now
settled, public authority is concentrated, and the most
active measures have been adopted—measures which
cannot but ultimately produce the best and most glo-
rious result.

You will forgive me for the length to which I have
gone upon this subject. lam convinced that what I
have slid, cannot but give pleasure to every good
Englishman, to whom I repeat, that he should enter-
tam no fear with respect to our fate ; but, on the
contrary, that he may confidently expect that our
struggle, however long and bloody, will have a
happy and honourable termination.
London, Nov. 21. A SPANTAR 1).

TEIE EV EN I NG 4'('A Et.

LONDON.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26.
PRICF. OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK.
IConsols for money 66—for Jan. opg. 6644-omnium 1,1,, die.
Exchequer Bills, 6s. is. prem.

No new arrival from Spain having taken place, we
have it not yet in our power to remove the apprehen-
sions that have taken place in the minds of many, re-
lative to the affairs of the Patriots. We must, how-
ever, repeat a remark which we made yesterday—
Hai disasters to the extent inferred from the Corunna
accounts, taken place at so early a date as to allow
the news to be known at that place on the 19th, the
.sune news might have been received from Santander
before this time. The wind has been favourahle, and
a vesscl would probably have been dispatched from
the latter place, as soon as suet/ an event should be
known.

The dispatches received by Government were from
Admiral de COURCEY, but they only mention that
Tl`nrs of the defeat of BrAnt's army, 8-. z. had just
reached Comma ; but this is very different from
that slie;ild hp considered as ofErial intell:gence.

The Admiral, we understand, gives no particulars
of either time or place.
The advices from General i3Atno are of the 18th,
at which time part of his army had advanced only to
the distance of three days march from Corunna.
General MOORE is said to have experienced innume-
rable difficulties On his march, having been derad-
fully impeded and weakened by the bad roads, the
torrents of rain, and the loss of men and horses.

It is possible that the principal part of the disas-
terous reports may have taken their origin from the
abandonment of their residences by the inhabitants of
Burgos, many of whom quitted that city on the night
of the '7th, in consequence of the near approach of
the French.--Nay more they may have received
other accounts on Which to found the rumours that have
been transmitted to this country, but were they true to
the utmost extent that has yet been stated, Spain is
not thereby conquered. On this subject we refer our
Readers to a letter to the Editor, signed, 44 A SPA-
NIARD" given in a preceding column.

MEETING OF PARLIAMENT.

BY THE KING-A PROCLAMATION.

G?°ROE R.

Whereas Sur Parliament stands prorogued to Thursday the Bth
day of December next : We, with the advice of Our Privy Council,
do hereby publish and declare, that the said Parliament shall be
further prorogued on the said Bth day of December next, to Mon
day, the 16th day of January next : and We have given order to
Our Chancellor of that part of Our United Kingdom called Great
Britain, to prepare a commission for proroguing the same accord-
ingly. And We do further hereby, with the advice aforesaid; de-
clare Our Royal will and pleasure, that the said Parliament
shall, on the said sixteenth day of January next, be held
and sit for the dispatch of divers urgent and important affairs:
and the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Knights, Ci-
tizens, and Burgesses, and the Commissioners for Shires and
Burghs of the House of Commons, are hereby required and com-
manded to give their attendance accordingly at Westminster, on
the said 16th day of January next.
Given at our Court at the Queen's Palace, the twenty-third
day of November, one thousand eight hundred and eight,
in the forty-ninth year of our reign.
GOD SAVO TIM XING.

COURT OF INQUIRY AT CHELSEA.

SEVENTH DAY. •

first Officer who gave his testimony to the
Court this mcrning was General ACKLAN D, who com-
manded a brigade at the battle of Virniera. The
questions put to him were similar to these put to Ge-
neral FERGusov, and General 4-1.-.lc.arit's details were
also to the same purport.

General ACKLAND declared it to be his opinion,
that the French would not have surrendered as Pri-
soners of War, after the battle of the 21st. The ad-
vantages secured by the Convention, he did not think
could have been obtained at a cheaper rate. He
conceived it impossible to have prevented the enemy
from crossin4 the Tagus and shutting themselves up
it Lisbon.

General SPENCER was then called. His narrative
was similar to those already detailed. He was of the'
same opinion with respect to the impossibility of pre-
venting the French from crossing the Tagus. He did
not think that if an English army had been in a simi-
lar situation to that of the French, after the battle of
the 21st, a British Officer would have been justifiable
in surrendering that army as prisoners of war. Further
operations would certainly have been requisite before
the French were brought into this predicament.—
Lisbon must have suffered materially, if further mea-
sures had been taken by the English against the
enemy. From the nature of the country, no heavy
ordnance could be brought against the forts of Lis-
bon, and he did not consider the nine-pounders with
the army as sufficient to carry these objects. He
considered the Convention to contain precisely the
same terms as those granted to the French in Egypt
in IAOI.

In answer to a question by Sir ARTIMR WEr.r.r.s.l
LEY, General SPENCER stated it to censist with his
knowledge, that Sir A. Wyr.t.r.stry had ordered the
ALFRED, of 74 guas, to be close in shore, ready to
supply the army with heavy ordnance, namely, 24-
pounders and suitable ammunition. He added, that
the ALFRED arrived on her destined station, long be-
fore the heavy ordnance could possibly be required.
In answer to questions from Lord MoIRA and Air
ARTHUILWEI.T.T.SLEY, General SPENCER said there
was no heavy artillery on carriages ;—there were
mortar: on carriages, but no guns.
General NIGHTINGALE next gave his evidence. It
was impossible for him to say how the French army
would probably have acted with respect to surrender-
ing prisoners of war. But this much he would say, that
Me whole French army, both men and officers, were com-
pletely broken-hearted and dispirited after the Battle of
Vimiera !

Captain PREVAL, who commanded the Artillery
on the expedition, was next called, and was proceed-
ing with his details when •ur express left Chelsea.

The Dukes of CUMBERLAND and CAMBRIDGE were
again present, and an immense crowd of spectators.
The female part of the auditory was more numerous
than usual.

Yequrday a Cabinet Council assembled at the Fo-
reign Office, at two, and continued deliberating until
nearly six o'clock. The following Members were
present :—The Duke of PORTLAND, the Earl of WEST-
XfORELANO, MI. CANNING, Lord HAWICESBURY, Lord
CASTLERTAGII, the CHANCELLOR of the Emaroivrot
and Lord MULGRAVE.