Star.
London, England, 1809-02-22 00:00:00

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ti ;411.0i •;' ..'4
There was a considerable Exlsedition at . este. 'e- - - eated, and then Sir }Thera Ilurisard toot IThe force under Sir John Moore could tot lis ,-Al
in a state of forward preparation, under: itiif eitieirit ee i . the commiids 'llL,,e *hid of the North: culated on immediately, as its getting free ot
mend of Sir A. Wellesley-, the d'estinationlfriallifs: tbi. Worn him thither for that par Pose. , and the next i :Baltic was uncertain. The estimate of the last pee,
wae then known to no one—he believed not ist-v*,-.4a the wind of the south Wafted Sir ,Hew Dalrytn- I...force had been referred to ; aird that estimate pee,
Ministers themselves. There was another under Vile isle to the shores of POttilk2l; and Sir Harr Bnrrard',• shewed,. that there were sufficient transports to oil
neral Spencer, of pout 3000, men, -intended to• tats ' was script of the commaadfer ever. The Noble Lord duct thirty thousand men to the T
agus in en esatei
possession of Ceuta • but it was soon - fonmi- that then-'stated the-ease of Sit' He* ThileYetiple intehin-4-tion r eotteentingserlriele lie was suthe country t a.;
Ceuta had got into thei hands of those who knew how his. (the. Noble- I..ortlts.Y opinion, a very hard one in- ! made up their minds, whatever might be the opi
to defend and take care of it, and, therefore that ex- deed. He -had been called from the goiernment of : ion of-the Noble -ieor4ean the suirject. Bus megl,
pedition was ready for any adventure vat ateter.--;-- GiSfaltai to command in 'Many he led never'seen, in lethey had that. foree then, it did by no means coleys
There was also a third expedition, consistipg of ehout a country of which he' knew teething ; and he most 1 that it was to be suppereed at A vast erpence, aej„.,
14,000 men, which had been dispatehed- into the , justly described his own situation in hiselispatches, in : np such emergency occurred ; it was not to Le ,:
Mediterranean, rose
.ach of a place •to te attacked, which he says, hefound all the responsibility vested in pectiii that the resources of the country were to I), ..,
but there wa
sr,
none to be found. That expedition him, andeall the information on which that responsibi- , trifled with. But it was objected that the es pee s,,
was obliged to return—the Noble Lord became rich lity must rest vested in others. The Noble Lord then . hed been sent out with !so de,ftete objeat. Noe s.
in his failures ; and if these forces had then been united read a letter fiom Sir Arthur Wellesley, RS to the situa- : instructions to Sir Arthur Wellesley, dated tie e.
they would hay. constituted a considerable army, and tion which led hitn to think an Armistice. necessary ; of June, had merely a general View.; but that ;,.
might have been sent with great effect te the assistance one -meson for which was the want of cavalry. Sir Sir Charles Cotton was an-advice not to tto :
of Spain. With respect to Sir A. Mrellesley, he assured Harry Bureardi in his letter to Ministers of the 22d, i Southward of Cape Fiaisterre, till it could be it;,,,
the House, that on his (the Noble Lord's) part, it the day after the battle* or Vimiera, says, i ho* he could be employed in Portugal. \\-;:
was no cause of complaint against Ministers that he army is in full health and vigour ; but the cavalry ,to be expected that Government were to give (i
was appointed to command., The -gallant General's were reduced to about 100, and the horses bad."— is finite orders toetheir Officers before they set
bravery, skill, and eminent military talents were so Sir Hew Dalrymple, in giving his reatons for a sus- ' considefing the circutristances of the case i e •
well known, that it was rather a source of satisfaction pension of arms, says, the enemy's cavelry gave him South of Spain bad not moved ; the North :.:
to every one that Sir Arthur Wellesley was appointed ; a decided superiority, especially after they should pass : Portugal had ; and he hoped if blame atl:
and in sending put in Expedition, it certainly re- Torres Vedras, where they would come into a more ' any where, that it would be cast upon Coy:,
quired that it Jtould be equipped for every species of open country ; and speaking of the artillery horses, ' ado and not on the Junta of Gallicie, es:
service. It required also,
if success were expected to •• he says they could not keep up with the infantry to • had ised the expulsion of the French from Pail
attend it, that whenn Officer was once appointedsupport them. If the object of the Expedition was to gal. He was particularly glad that the Noble 1 -
the cOmMand, he Should have it continued to him. ' drive the French army out of Pernigal, not oue of these had broached no new military plans, but hid le:
He thought no consideration in favour of our Allies Generals had been made acquainted with it. Even his Right Honourable Friend (Mr. Poesonby) el
could induce Ministers to take possession of Portugal, i Sir Arthur Wellesley, who had daily conversations credit of his original conceptions on that subject.
as it could be no assistance to them for us to hold with the Noble Lord (Castlereagh) previous. to his The qeestion, according to him, was, whether
Portugal independent of Spain. Bonaparte 'thew leaving Ireland, never heard a word of it. . Under Expedition was to do nothing, or to march strai
better, and therefore held it in contempt ; for, if once all these circuraitances--in want of instructions, ca- to the Pyrennecs, shut the French out of Spain
secure of Spain, Portugal must fall of course. There valry, and artillery, the Armistice was is
with . were in France, and shut those into Spain who u
was, however, at that time, a French army in Porto- 'an army that had twice been beaten, and with 30,000 out of France ? Such was the plan tit-those new
gal, and a Russian fleet in te Tagus—a French army English in the field. The Convention then followed, rary warriors, and such the alternative to which t,
cut off from another French army, and surrounded and, he thought, the House would feel it was such a would reduce the army. But even this plan pa
by a country, the people of which were hostile to Convention as deserved what his Majesty had said of med that there was only one pass in the Pyrennse
them : that army was also destitute of all means of it, viz. e athat it had disappointed the hopes and cx-
be taken possession of, whereas there were foreyei
assistance, either by sea or land. But it seemed the peatations of the public." He then adverted to the practical entrances into Spain through these mi
Expedition under Sir Arthur Wellesley was not at case of the- Russian fleet. Ministers had been ,in- tains. This Quixotic scheme also would have tl
first destined for Portugal : it was intended to act in formed by Lord Strangford that the Russian fleet 25,000 heroes set at defiance 100,000,French in S
different places in the South of Spain, as eppeared, he *as in such distress, he thbught that they might be and according. to its own author's calculation,
said, in varions parts of the instructions to Admiral prevailed on tosenter into a Convention for giving it hundred and ninety thousand in Frenae. This, h.
Purvio who was in fact Commander in Chief over all up to the English Admiral, on certain conditions. ever, the Noble Loed had not attempted to deft
the Expeditions then sent out, and after
Egonrovin out An instruction was. accordingly sent out by the Lords nd it was plain he considered the Pyrenee
for some time, the place of its destination the sof the Admiralta to Chaties Cotton, to endeavour dition a forlorn hope. It was objected, however,
30th of June, Ultimately fixed for Lisbon, by the ad-' to effect such a Measure.; notwithstanding which, in the letter to Admiral Pnrvis, Spain alcne
vice of one of the Provincial Juntas of Spain, who, he , though circumstances had - afterwards so greatly mentioned, as if it was necessary to tell the Ad;
believed, knew as little' as Ministers of the real state changed by the existence of a rebellion in Spain, and ; of the alternative, when the only object of the 1
of either Spain or Portugal ; but being animated .with : another in Portugal, no further instractions had been . was, that Sir Arthur Wellesley might get infc.
a sttone desire not to have this Evedititin among forwarded to Su. 'Charles Cotton, who had heard tion as to the state of Spain, which perhaps nr
b
them, and yet, finding that his Majesty's Ministers! nothing from Winisters till September, and who was have directed his views for the time from Port,
would have an expedition somewhere, were en' .thereby -induced to conclude a Convention on the , General Spencer, it was true, bed been sent a
that day tempted to advise the -gallant General, basie of his former ' instructions. The Admiralty ; first instance to Cadiz, and not to Portugal
1
to take his forces to 'Lisbon, in order AO expel the ifterwards wrote to Sir Charles Cotton, and did not plain rezon was, that if he. had arrived in the T
French from Portugal. This was otethe'merning ea blame him for making a Convention, but tor con- before the .main force tinder 'Sir Arthur "Wellesl
the at of June, and in the evening of that day, a eluding' it on a new principle of maritime Conven-- might* have been a signel to the enemy to con,
' dispatch arrived front Sir Charles Cotten, stating that tion, ..by which we had seen an enemrs fleet enterl trate his forces, and thereby present a greater
1
there were only 4000 French in Lisbon, ;and the Bri- our ports in such a manner,
cir
is had never before ,to us than he could otherwise have done. Te
fish might take possession It when they pleased. It been witnessed ; from which cumstance it wasa pitches pfthe SOth June had given a tone to t
tr
had since been pretended, that on this simple allege- fair to infer that the maritime Convention had also i pedition, because it informed es of the enemy's
tion the expedition had been dispatched direct for disappointed the hopes and expectations of the public. ' ness in the Tagus. Sir Charles Cotten's inform.
Lisbon. When, however, the Noble Isord found after- .-He then adverted to the sittration in which General ion this subject, too, might have been con ect
wards that Junot's army was 20,000, he assured Sir Junot, in his letter to the Grand Duke of Berg, had times for the enemy, at the particular Period a:
A. Wellesley, in a dispatch of the 15th of July, that -stated himself to bet on the -7eli of June, when he was :
rootigh have sent some of his forces into 6;
a proportion of cavalry should be sent as far as the applied to for asance, in which he told the Duke , of ' the country. The question 7,s to .tLe
means of transporting thenoexisted ; and it had Since of Berg that he could not, fram the verious insure; ment of the forces had been much narrowcd.sir
been proved; that the. whole of the cavalry sent out to reetions around him, spare him a single man. hat'W original enquiry on the subject. Au army ne
him ;mounted to no more than 700 orBoo menehough had intervened between that time and the signing of , very well provided on its setting oft, and yet .
the Nobl-Lord had some time before put a resolution the Conventio Britishra Junot had been twice de-: in possession of all its conveniences immediat.
on the table of that House, that he had provided trans- feat by the forccs, and yet, notwithstanding landing. This was a part of the business whi
ports for 4000 cavalry. He had, in vii, sought for a large reinforcement had arrived, under Sir John' quired time., Every expedition, since lie h;
an explanation with respect to the artillery ; but the Moore, the French army had, by the Convention, not knowledge
on board fc or controul, sailed with
ant at leforce.ast five
narration of Sir A. Wellesley told us that it was (for only been ;allowed to depart from Portugal, but it ; provisions r the attend
what 'reason he was at a loss to guess) found expedient had also been stipulated that they should be convey- j number andssa ies were to eccompen so g
to work the artillery with bad horses; and bad indeed ed to a port in France, nearest to the scene of action, ; army ; it could not be capable ew ryaf es
they seem to have been, for the account of Colonel in which the French armies were engaged in Spain ; ; march without a -consequent number s fcattle
Robe described them ai sick, lame, blind, cast off, and the consequence of which was, they ]tad arrived there' vey them, which, of course, required time.
unfit for service ; and this eras not by accident, but by as soon or before our own army, which had twice de-1 was an ihconvenience to which every expediti,
concert between Lord H:twkesbury and the Lord Lie- feated them ; and.the only French bfficer'who had by a naval power must be subject. When a
tenant of Ireland, before the expedition sailed fade- been taken at the battle of Corunna was found, to the . artillery horses was complained ot, the Nobli
that country. So instructed, and so provided with grief, shame, and disgust of our brave army, to be must have willingly shut his eyes to the lei
cavalry, with theadditien of artillerythht could not one who was also taken prisoner at the battle -of Vi- i ment which was immediately to follow flow
be drawn, Sir A. Wellesley sailed from Ireland, on miera. Warned as we had lately been, if we found t land, and which made all the artillery horses;
July 20th, and soon after reached Corunna, from these to be the only results from the bravery °lour ito 778. The badness of the Irish horses sent
which port, by advice of the Junta, he went to Per* troops, and the skill Of bur officers, after the most , Arthur Wellesley had been next complained 1
tugal, and arrived in Mondego Bay. Three days af- brilliant successes, and victories, he eunceived that ihe must beg leave to defend his countrymen (A
ter he sailed from Cork, another Chief was appointed; nothing less than humiliation must be the inevitable 1 These horses had been very much admired
and soon afterwards six more Generals were sent out, consequence—blame must lie somewhere, and it was French in Lisbon, and 100 of them had ken
all senior to _Sir A. Wellesley ; and at last Sir Hew -for -the House to consider on whom that humiliation I selected to pursue the campaign in Spain,
Dalrymple was appointed Commander in Chief for ought to fall. The Noble Lord concluded-by moving! one of the most fatiguing marches ever mad
army. Such were the fiats of the unjustly i
the present, not for a continuance, but a mere ere " That it is the opiniolt of this House, that the Convention of 1
tempre appointment. Sir Heßurrard was to succeed Cititra, signed On the
signedf August, that the -maritime Con- I fully abused Irish horse: (il laugh). It was, le
and supersede Sir A. Wellesley ; Sir H. Dalrymple vendon bf the Tagus, on the 3d of September, 1808, have I- a question whether an army was useless
was to supersede Sir H. Burrard ; and if the campaign disappointed the hopes and expectations of the public." I horses at :11. In Egepte our forces had I
had lasted, some one else was to have superseded him; . Lord CASTLEREAGH expressed himself happy ; horses, and in Holland Sir Ralph Abercron
and after all this, the Noble Lord concluded his letter that this was made a ministerial question, the.onus of ' none at all. Even Colonel Robe's report,
to Sir H. Dalrymple with recommending harmony to which was thrown completely upon Governmens, and which said the horses were defective, admit
and among them. A most curious and whimsical neither he nor his colleagues would deserve the con- . they did their work efficiently. The atelier
idea I The Noble Leader of the Band puts all his in- fidence of Parliament nor of the country, if they med wonders, too, though drawn by his Ciinr.'l
struments out of tune, throws them
en a strain of could not fairly meet it. He considered, comparing , rdiwisrh..
s Indeed, as far as he could nee
discord, and ill% conjures them to b harmonious.— the first part with the last of the Noble LotcPs speech, : tory of the Irish horses, 'to the hit thee et
(A cry of hear! hear ! from all parts.) By *this thee). 'that it was superfluous for him even to waste-thP ' effective. We had also 1300 cavalry in sr,
however, the Noble Lord was himself become corn-. ' few sentences he had upon the subject of the Board 'of the enemy neverhroughtento action, it we
eletely ignorant of who was the t ommander inChief; Inquiry, as it seemed he did not mean to press for by examination, above 1.200. As much c.tv
they had beim appointed in such rapid seceesairme he any farther investig.atiou, and of course in this. in- .
' ment. lie must,
certainly been sent as there were means o.
however in justice, sir-.
knew not to whom he should address himself as such, stance at least admitted the -propriety of Ministers.
and all his future instructions Were therefore directed He was prepared, however, to defend the course of .se
to the senior Officer fee the time being. ( Hear! hear!) inquiry which had been pursued. It was most consis- ',Lame were to be cast on any one, -it mutt be
i tent with the military history of the country, and he . self, as he could not give sufficient praise to
The Noble Lord then contended,- that the expedition
I was well aware, that if Ministers had recommended port Board for their exertions. 'With rape.
was not properly supplied with provisions, fortvhich
a Court Martial, instead of a board of Inquiry, then , question of command, it certainly was advi:
the Noble Lord had relied on Portugal's whereas it
'tealloble -Lord would have beee ready to exclaim,
the person who cosinienced the- operatic,
appeared by the examination of Sir A. Wellesley,
that the paiticular Officers concerned, and not the - .rtng it
'toto a conclusion but circumst• nc.
that no exertion could have drawn ftotn Portugal a
Ministers, had been put upon their trial, and that a ' arise render it advisable to adhere ;nv;
supply of bread or bullocks ;. arid 'in tiffs letter to Sir
narrow ground of investigation had been chosen, for this principle. He recollected an install,
H. Burned, he says, Portugal couldnever supply it
the purpose of screening the delinquency or negli. : Austrian campaign in the Low Countries, '
self for seven months, and yet the -Noble Lord had re- of forty-eight hours (A laagh). He did not
gence of Government- It was, he il iought, very command had changed hands four times in
lied on it for the supply Of the army he thought pro-
mean to infer that this was an advantage. H
`been
to say, that the swords of the country had
: highly ofthe abilities a his Honourable 1
per to send them. After the sure-ender Of elponte
the retreat of Bessieses, and the departute of Joseph ' been drawn in vain, after the events and victories we
had witnessed. It was a trite: retribution indeed to • Arthur. Wellesley) bet it was not possible to
Bonaparte from Madrid,- the Noble, Lord writes to
' hiteinges' in
nof etlirnepcioomyinmgaildanwyitohiliolcitelfser(e4ggoitietgat
tt.l7s
the brave soldiery concerted. As to the object Of
Sir Arthur Wellesley that hetes the fullest reliance
Ministers in sending Expeditions, as had been stated, •
or. his decision and prudence, and yet he bid at that 1
in search employment,wouldonly say, that he .
of'Sir Hew
of he
moment superseded him, and
.let hint down tO the
how- ! was sure the -Erpedititm sent to Sweden, and that experience. His Lordship justified the api
seventh in commands The gallant General,
preparing at Cork, were fully as —ln —2lrvmple, on account of his
ever, on landing, commedeed a bold system of opera- Of Spanish affairs, and- the great contideno
tions, and with that gallantly and skill which so erns- effects to the country, as those 'sent to Egypt or -the-
-beneficial. in their
Castanos and the Junta of Seville had in I
nently characterize hop, aided by the bravery.of our Dardanelles.. Ministers.. had a disensable forge 4f 'contended, that-it Vas a brilliant addition
troops, he, act the 17th, obtained the victory of Ito- 14000 men under General Spencer, at Gibraltar ; limeglory or this 1 y . .country to have expel]
leia. On the lfith, Sir Harry Burrard, the heit ' 9000 at Cork, under Sir A.Wellesley ; and he wow seouese of *short campaign' of three week
Commander in Chief, arrived on the COMit, and Sir asks was it not better to send these•f°mas toile int lof tweniv-five thousand.
French f Port
Arthur was intemipted in his career. On the 2Tst, 'Mediate aid of their tett*, thaw to dtslity Item 41161 meaty. , . Ire itte..,..
......._ hour.
uno dote for (lair aeon,
the gallant General was attacked by tketsemy. whop . additional succours could be provided in Ingland ? •
sags of the people broke loosi. and th ..y w
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