Star.
London, England, 1809-01-20 00:00:00

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 1809

PARLMMENTARr PROCEEDINGS:

HOUSE OF LORDS, THURSDAY, JAN. 29.

The Session of Parliament was opened this day by
Commission ; the Commissioners were the Arch-
bishop of CANTERBURY, the LORD CHANCELLOR, the
Earl of CAMDEN (President of the Counsel),, and the
Duke of MoNrnosE (Master of the Horse).
A few minutes after three, the Lords Commission-
ers took their seats, and a Message having been sent
to the Commons, they appeared, with their SPEAKER
at their head, at the bar. They were informed by
'the LORD CHANCELLOR, that it was not convenient
for his Majesty to meet them in person, and that he
had been pleased to direct his Commission to certain
Lords therein named, to open the Session, which Corn-
mission they should hear read, and afterwards his Ma-
jesty's most gracious Speech.
—The Commission having being read by the Clerk
at the Table, the LORD CHANCELLOR then read the
following Speech :
" MT Lonna AND GENTLYMEN,

" We have it in command from Ilia Majesty to state to you,
that his Majesty has called you together, in perfect conidente that
you are prepared cordially to support his Majesty in the prose-
cution of a war which there is no hope of terminating safely and
honourably, except through vigorous and persevering exertion.
" We are to acquaint you, that his Majesty has directed to be
laid before you copies of the proposals for opening a negotiation,
which were transmitted to laia Arlaje.,ty from Erfurth, and of the
correspondence which thereupon took place with the Governments
of Russia and of France ; together with the declaration issued by
his Majesty's command on the termination of that correspon-
dence.

" His Majesty is persuaded that you will participate in the
clings which were expressed by his Majesty, when it was re-
quired that his Majesty should consent to commence the negoci-
tion by abandoning the cause .of Spain, which he had so recently
and solemnly espoused.
" We are commanded to inform you, that his Majesty conti-
nues to receive from the Spanish Government the strongest as-
surances of their determined perseverance in the cause of the le-
gitimate Monarchy, and of the national independence of Spain ;
and to assure you, that so long as the people of Spain shall- re-
main true to themselves, his Majesty will continue to them his
most strenuous assistance and support.
_ _

" His Majesty has renewed to the Spanish nation, in the mo-
ment of its difficulties and reverses, the engager.tents which he
voluntarily contracted at the outset of its struggle against the
usurpation and tyranny of France ; and we are commanded to
acquaint you, that these engagements have been reduced into the
form of a Treazy of Alliance; which Treaty, 60 soon as the rati-
fication shall have been exchanged, his Majesty will cause to be
laid before you.
" His Majesty commands us to state to you, that while his
Majesty contemplated with the liveliest satisfaction, the achieve-
ments of his forces in the commencement of the campaign in
Portugal, and the deliverance of the kingdom of his ally from the
presence and oppressions of the French army, his Majesty most
deeply regretted the termination of that campaign by an Armis-
tice and Convention, of some of the articles of which his Majesty
has felt kimself obliged formally to declare his disapprobation.
" We are to express to you his Majesty's reliance on your dis-
position toenable his Majesty to continue the aid afforded by his
Majesty to the King of Sweden. That Monarch derives a pecu-
liar claim to his Majeaty's support, in the present exigency of his
affairs, from having concurred with Ina Majesty in the propriety
of rejecting any proposal fornegociation to which the Cover:in=
of Spain was not to be admitted as a party.
" GtNTLEMEN OF TUE HOUSE OF COMN!ONS, _

" We are commanded by his Majesty to inform you, that he has
directed the estimates of the current year to be laid before you.
His Majesty relies upon your zeal and affection to make such fur-
ther provision of supply as the vigorous prosecution of the war
may render necessary ; and he trusts that you may be enabled to
find the means of providing such supply without any great ur im-
mediate increase of the existing burdiens upon his people.
" His Majesty feels assured, that it will be highly satisractory
for you to learn, that notwithstanding the measures resorted to by
the enemy for the purpose of destroying the commerce and re-
sources of his kingdom, the public revenue has coutinued in a
course of progressive improvement.
" My LORDS AND GENTLEMEN,
"We arc directed to inform you, that the measure adopted by
Parliament in the last Session for establishing a Local Militia, has
been already attended with the happiest success, and promises to
be extensively and permanently haneficial to the country.
" We have received his Majesty's commands most especially to
recommend to you, that, duly weighing the immense interests
which are at stake in the war now carrying on, you should pro-
ceed with as little delay as possible, to consider of the most effec-
tual measures fur the augmentation of the regular army, in order
that his Majesty may be the better enabled, without impairing
the means of defence at home, to avail himself of the military
power of his dorninions In the great coutest in which he is en-
gaged ; and to 4ionduct that contest, under the blessing of DiviNE
PROVIDZNCI, to a cenclusion compatible with the honour of his
Majesty's Crown, and with the interests of his Allies, of Europe,
and of tit:: world."
'I Commons having retired, the LOrds withdrew to unsobe;
and shortly after the House being resumed, the Earl of NlOlka,
as Baron HUNTINGDON, the Bishops of BRISTOL and Ft
took the usual oaths and their seats. A temporary adjournment
then took plaZe until fire o'clock, when the Lord CHANCELLOR
having resumed his Seat on the Woolsack, the Earl of Livxa root.
prereuted, pro forma, a Bill respectiog Select Vestries, which was
• read a first tin:et

. .
Lord SHEFFIELD seconded the Noble Earl.t
He expressed. great satisfaction with the conduct of
Ministers. The vigour and promptitude of Our ex-
ertions, combined with the efforts of the Spaniards
themselves, would, he trusted, ultimately contribute
to establish the independence of Spain, however ad-
verse appearances may have been for some time past.
Ministers, in his opinion, were particularly worthy of
praise for the firmness with which they sheaved them-
selves determined to maintain the maritime ascen-
dancy and the commercial prosperity of this country.
The failure of the measures to which Foreign Powers,
jealous of the superiority of this country in both these
respects, had recourse, to cripple the trade of Eng-
land, fully established the efficacy of that policy
which their injustice compelled us to adept in our
own defence. The Embargo in America, the chief
if not the sole object of which (however pertinaciously
it may have been disclaimed by that Government)
was to distress, and if possible to annihilate the trade
of this country, had entirely failed, and nut only
failed, but fallen with an insupportable weight upon
the United States. That measure, so far from being
considered as a misfortune, and a grievance to Eng-
land, operated as a boon. We learned from it this
valuable discovery, that our trade could flourish in-
dependently of America, that our colonies could be
supplied without her aid, and that we could obtain
those articles from other quarters which are esssential
to the support of our manufactures, and the construc-
tion of our navy, without drawing them from her, as
we formerly did. His Lordship adverted to other
points in the Address, and concluded with giving the
whole his cordial assent.

The LORD CHANCELLOR having proceeded to read
the Address,
The Earl of ST. VINCENT observed, that he
could not suffer the question to be put on the Ad-
dress, without claiming their Lordships' attention for
a few moments. Though he could not concur in
every part (t it, yet it was not his intention to pro-
pose any amendment. His principal motive for rising
was, to express his unqualified disapprobation of the
whole of the conduct of Ministers; of every thing
tney had done with respect to Spain, of every thing
they had done with respect to Portugal, of,almost
every thing they had done since they came into power,
and particularly for the last six months. The Noble
Lord who seconded the Address talked of the vigour
and efficacy of their measures. Vigour and efficacy
indeed ! when their whole conduct was marked by
vacillation and incompetence. If such men, so no-
toriously incapable, were not immediately removed,
the country was undone. There was one part, how-
ever, of the Address and of the Speech in which he
cordially agreed—that which condemned the Armis-
tice and Convention. It was the greatest disgrace
that had befallen the British arms, the greatest stain
that had beef[ affixed to the honour of the country,
since the Revolutior. He was not at present dis-
posed to enter into an examination of the manner in
which the naval part ,of that Expedition had been
conducted : opportunity would arise for discussing the
extraordinary arrangement that had been made re-
specting the fleet in the Tagus. He would not with-
hold from Ministers whatever praise might be due to
them. He would give them credit for providing plenty
of transports; but what was the merit of these ex-
ertions ? Any one who offered a little more than the
common market price might hire as many as he
pleased ; but Ministers not only offered that market
price, but a great deal more than they should have
done. And how were these employed ? Why in
conveying Junot and his runaway ruffians, with their
plunder and exactions, all the plate and precious
stones, and rare exhibitions of art, the fruits of their
robberies of churches, palaces, and private houses,
to France. It was with shame and sorrow that he
sax men of the highest rank in the Bi itish army and
navy superintending the embarkation cf this enor-
mous fund of rapine and confiscation, and conduct-
ing it, and the devils who had thus acquired a pro.
perty in it, to those parts of Frarce nearest to Spain,
who were thus enabled' to. enter that country sooner
than the brave fellows to whom they surrendered, and
were now actually engaged in chasing Sir John Moore
from the Peninsula. If they meant really to assist
the Spaniards, why did not Ministers send troops in
the first instance to the North of Spain ? Why did
they send one part of them to Lisbon, and another to
Gorunna, from which points no junction could be
effected, without being exposed to toilsome marches,
and such privations as could hardly be conceived by
persons not acquainted with those countries ? It seem-
ed to him as if they were totally ignorant of the geo-
graphy of the country they appeared so eager and
zealous to defend. He had, indeed, heard of a
" heaven-born" Minister, who, at the first Cabinet
Council he attended, asked whether Port Mahon was
an island, or on the Continent ? This, to be sure,
was bad enough ; but it did not betray half the igno-
rance that the conduct of Ministers did in every mea-
sure relating to Spain and Portugal. He would say
to his Majesty, that if these men were not removed, the
kingdom was lost. There was no part of the conduct
of Ministers liable to greater censure than that which
related to the command of the army. He would be
the last man in the kingdom who would wish to de-
tract from the professional character of the officers
employed ; but on so momentous an occasion, he
wished to see some of the Princes of the Blood, who
had been trained to arms from their youth, and many
of whom had seen a great deal of arduous and dan-
gerous service : he alluded particularly to one (the
Duke of Kent) who would havefallen the victim of his
zeal in the West Indies, had he not been forcibly sent
borne from that pernicious climate by himself and Sir
Charles Grey. These were the proper men to com-
mand the British army on this occasion. If it was
not thought-proper to employ these illustrious persons,
there were others to whom the country and the army
looked up. There was one (the Earl of Moira, we
believe), who, from his early career of glory, from
his princely munificence, and from the unbounded
confidence which the army would place in him, who.

[PRICE SEX-PENCE.

ther they were ordered to advance or retreat, who
was peculiarly qualified for a command of this d& .
scription—a man who possibly might prove a second
Earl of Peterborough—a man, in short, who would
have acted from himself, and who would have acted
vigorously and successfully. The Noble Earl next ad-
verted to the Court of Inquiry, Which he considered as
an expedient rather to cover some blot in their ownconr
duct,thanto do justice to the Officers who Were the osten:
sible objects of its proceedings, or to satisfy the coun-
try. The case of the senior officer on that occasion was
particularly hard: he boas to be responsible for every
thing, and yet he was to do nothing without consulting
the third in command. He was fettered by his in-
' structions ; he was; in fact, to have no will, no dis-
cretion of his own. This odious restraint did not, to
be sure, appear on the face of his instructions ; but it
was conveyed in a manner equally binding upon him,
in the suspicious form of a private letter, a later of
counsel and recommendation—a detestable mode of

proceeding, to which he never hadt or would have
recourse. An attempt had been made to justify
the Convention of Cintra4, by stating that the French
could have crossed the Tagus, and got into Spain in
defiance of any exertions of the army by which they
were beaten. The French cross the Tagus ! If they
did, he would be bold to say, that evair man of them
must have passed under the yoke.' They would have
to fight their way through as brave a population as
any m Europe. The Portuguese were not inferior in
bravery to the Spaniards, and there were no men
more gallant than the latter. He spoke of the Por-
tuguese peasantry, for he would admit that there were.
no people in the world upon whom less reliance for a
vigorous resistance could be placed than on the inha-
bitants of Lisbon. I4e begged pardon for having
taken up so much of their Lordships' time, but he
could not refrain from expressing his decided disap-
probation of the conduct of Ministers. If the House
would do their duty, they would go in that dignified
manner that became them to the foot of the Throne,
and irhplore his Majesty to remove from his Councils
those men whose measures would bring inevitable
ruin on the country. In earnestly recommending
this, he was not swayed by personal considerations.
In a few hours he would enter into his 75th year, 61
of which he had been in his Majesty's service. At
this time Of life, and under the existing and increasing
embarrassments of the country, he could not be sus-
pected of being very anxious to return to office. He
should trespass no longer upon their Lordships' pa-
tience. He thanked Gon for having given him strength
to communicate kis sentiments on the very critical
situation of the country, and thanked the House for
the indulgence it had shewn him. He would offer
no amenlnent, but content himself with expressing
his dissent from the Address.—[His Lordship then
wished tltem all good night, and immediately with-
drew.] ,
Earl GROSVENOR complained, that in conse-
quence of the mode which Ministers had of late years
adopted respecting the Speech from the Throne, No-
ble Lords were often betrayed into. an involuntary
approbation of the Address. Formerly it was the cus-
tom' to read the Speech previous to its being read from
the Throne, by which the Members of both Houses
were put in possession c.f the substance of it at lest.
That excellent custom had been discontinued, and any
Noble Lord who might disapprove of the Speech,
was thereby precludeat from offering nn Amendment
to the Address. He would, however, admit on this
occasion, that there was not much in the Address to
produce a difference of opinion. He cordially ap-
proved of that part of the Speech which expressed a
determination to give all possible assistance to the
Spaniards, so long as they should be true to th
ni-
selves. He did not despair of the Spanish cause,
provided the vast means of this country were em-
ployed in the manner best calculated to distress and
embarrass the enemy. He also concurred in that part
df the' Speech which expressed disapprobation of the
Convention of Cintra ; but he would have been better
pleased if that disapprobation had been followed by
an avowal that ulterior measures were intended.
Ministers having professed their determination to
presevere in the cause of Spain, he trusted that their
exertions would henceforth be made in a manner dif-
ferent from what they had beet
icrely censured that military
a British army was sent into
it should have been sent to
It should have been sent to a
not be exposed to the possibi:
retreat. He derived much
surance in the Speech that thi
try were in a state.of progret
also from the assurance of thi
conded the Address, that our
terially suffered from the effoi
parte not being able to °vent')
force cf his arms, was endeav'
success and his hatred, had
greatest pal t of the Continent
terranean, Africa, and the grex
were open to us. There wa:
ducesnent to perseverance, no
Odious as lionaparte's gent
were some parts of it that were
tation. No one could refuse '
'talents. These we had somi

operating necessary reforms.
mended the greatest ceconorn
and the abolition ofievery sin(
Viscount SIDMOUTH
one point upon which there
suaded, be any difference
Lordships, namely, the propriety
jesLy of the gratitude with
Speech. In expressing that
was employed, which to him
House to certain points upon
quately informN. For hims
of continuing to support Spain
remained ; but he was not prepared
jesty for a trefty, of the condi,

1 be made in a manner cid-
been. His Lordship se.
ary arrangement by which •
to the heart of Spain, when
a the foot of the Pyrenees.
) a situation where it could
ibility of being obliged to
h satisfaction from the as-
the revenues of the cowl.
;ressive improvement, and
f the Noble Lord who se-
mr commerce had norms-
fforts of the enemy. Bona.
verthrow our power by the
eavouring to sap it. His i
Lad shut us out from the
lent ; but still the Medi.
It, •
greatest part of America,
was great cause and in- ;‘,
no reason for despondence.
;eneral conduct was, there
were not unv.orthy of imi-
[se him the praise of great
)metimes seen employed in
Is. His Lordship recon.-
lomy in our expenditure,
sinecure place.
I observed, that there was
ere could not, he was Per-
e of opinion among their
opriety of assuring his Ma-
th which they received his
hat assurance, a language
im appeared to commit the
on which they were not ade.
himself, he would approve ti
Spain so long as any hkpe
t prepared to thank his Ma.
:auditions and engagements