Star.
London, England, 1813-03-13 00:00:00

PARL LetMENT4Rt PROCUDINGS.

HOUSE OF LORDS, MARCH 111.
The Duke 'of NLIWCArrLe, Earl TALBOT, and Lord CAR.
RI N GTO N, took the moths aad their seats.
l'he Irish Butter Trade Bill, and several others, mostly pri-
vate, were brought up front the Commons, and read the first

time. -
The Vice Chancellor's Bin was returned from the Commit.
tee, with certain amendments, in which the Commons desired,
after the usual mode, the concurrence of their Lordships.
" The Curates' Bill went through a Committee, and was or-
dered to be reads. third time on Monday next.
Lord HOLLAND presented a Petition from the Catholics of
the County of Down, praying for a repeal of penal Statutes
against them.

.
EAST INDIA COMPANY. •
A petition from Ecilion-le-Moors was presented against the
renewal of the East India Company's Charter.
Earl GREY presented a petition to the same effect, from cer-
tain ship builders, merchants, acid others. '
. Lord HOLLAND presented a petition from the merchants,
traders, and others, of Newry, in the County of Down, against
the Past India, Monopoly.
The Duke of NORFOLK presented a petition from the mer-
chants, traders, and manufacturers of an extensive district called
lialtamshire, in the County of York, praying to be admitted to
a participation in the trade to the East Indiesi and to China.—
They stated, that it was well known that their manufactures al-
many tinted a partial admittaLee to those countries, by the means
of Germany and Russia, and they trusted they should obtain, by
the wisdom and justice of Parliament, an open, direct, and unre-
stricted commerce.

E4rl GREY observing the Noble President of the Board pf
COntroul (the Earl of I:tick.4bamshire) ih his place, desired to
be informed by that Noble Lord, whether it was his intention
or filet of his Majesty's Ministers, to bring forward in that
House any measure rAttive to !hat great and important subject,
the Government, Commerce, and affairs of India ?
'I he Eat BUCKINGHAMSHIRE replied, that it was his
intention to move certain Resolutions as the basis of some mea-
sure fur the purpose alluded to by the Noble Earl ; but that the
pruducti•:n of such Resolutions and formation of such a mea-
sure were :,:eestatily connected with the proceedings which
alto her place were likely soon to occur, in consequence of a
Petition at that time lying on the 'fable of the other House of
Pita tamest. _ _ .

Eat I GREY was of opinion, that when a subject of such vast
concern and momentous importance as the East lndian Com-
merce, and the system et government or political regulation on
which do interests and happiness of sixty millions of people de-
pended were at stake, not a moment should be lost in prom.-
ding to determine on it. He did not see why such a measure,
should not at once originate with their Lordships. Delays and
difficulties might present themselves to obstruct and retard uny
Legisia.ive measures which might be contemplated elsewhete,
until the Session would be too tar advanced for any thing to be
done ; and was that House (his Lordship asked) to wait to the
end of the Session without stirring in a question of such vital
importance, until the proceedings which might take place in
another House were known ? Suck a proposition appeared to
him by no means compatible with the dignity of their- Lord-
*lips' Houk, or the rank it sustained in the Legislatere.
Lord DUCKINGH4MSHIRE was not aware of any mate-
rial dt:lays which were likely to occur in the other House on the
subject alluded to : nor had he the least disposition to act in any
manner unbecoming the respect wit!ch be entertained for the
dignity of that House. But he believed that the mode pro-
ceeding which he had suggested, would be Nand to be perfectly
consonant to the genrial usage of Parliament.
WAR IN THE PENINSULA.

The Order of the Day being read for entering on
the consideration of the conduct and progress of the
War in the Peninsula,
The Marquis WELLESLEY rose, and asked,
what secret cause amidst the splendid scene that had
been exhibited on the Peninsula—what malign in-
fluence amidst the rejoicings and acclamations of
triumph, had counteracted the brilliant successes of
our arms, and had converted the glad feelings of a
just exultation into the bitterness of regret and dis-
appointment ? With an army in discipline and spi-
rit superior to any that had ever been assembled ;
uniting in itself qualities so various, as never to have
enteied into the composition of any other such as-
semblage of force—with a General, pronounced by
the whole world to be unrivalled in ancient or mo-
dern times, the pride of his country, the refuge and
hope of Europe—with a cause in which justice vied
with policy, combining all that was ardent in the
one motive, with all that was sober. in the other—
with the eyes of Europe fixed on our movemcnts—
with the admiration of the world excited by our
achievements—how was it that our hopes had been
raised only to be frustrated—how was it that we had
been allowed to indulge in expectations of an ap-
proaching completion of success, only to behold the
utter disappointment of our wishes ? Why had it
happened, that we had seen a system of advance
suddenly and inevitably converted into a system of
retreat ? Why had it happened, that when victory
actually sprung from the bosom of retreat, the glo-
tiout victor was compelled to relapse into his retro-
gression ? Why had it happened, that we had seen
the great Conqueror, who had chased the Trench
arnites, pursued in his turn, by those r; how he had
couquered, over those plains which had been the
some of his former triumphs ? Why, in conclusion,
44.1{'t happened, that a system of offence had shrunk
iu!ct,i,systena of defence ; andlhat our military ope-
ratioßS, in:the Peninsula had enclec! *byre they began?
11iese kveall.tioestioni eNsityint.of the most seri-
OUPI acis). &LAI 44:araidintithe lutist ample expla-
, 1.

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