Star.
London, England, 1810-02-13 00:00:00

, -
I Did not Lord Castlereagh at that tilt ' itiltrail
perhaps ti, oor three and twenty thousandlons in the you into the consideration of what amoutrof 100,1
vice v hen I received the order ; and other trans- nage might be drawn from foreign service, apprma:
ports in the course of the equipment arrived from dif- r ble to the proposed service ?- -Most undoubtedlyt wt.
ferent parts of the world, particularly from Spain and entered into every particular : his Lordship had gii.tes
ortugll, which I believe were ordered home with a directions, as I understood, to order home ships from
ew to some service that was likely to take place. ' different foreign stations.
At what time were you itstructed to provide ca. Did not you understand that upon the expulsion
v airy transports, and to what amount ?—Not till the of the French from Portugal, it appeared consistent
‘2oth of May ; in .fact, transports were wanted for I with the demands.of the service in that quarter, to
infantry, for cavalry, and stores ; the ships that were withdraw a considerable amount of tonnage from
tendered were reported accordingly ; such as were fit Portugal, and particularly cavalry tonnage, for three
tor cavalry were appropriated to- cavalry, the other thousand horses ?—I do not at this instant exactly
for infantry, and such as were St for neither infantry. recollect the number, but I believe it may be about
or cavalry were reported to receive stores. that number.
Do you remember any particular difficulty in pro- • Upon the whole, was not about forty-eight thou-
viding cavalry transports ?—There was more difficulty sand tons of transports withdrawn from foreign ser.:
in providing cavalry,. transports than in providing ships vice, as applicable' to the campaign at home ?—I be-
for infantry or stores. _ lieve full to that extent.
_ _

Do vou recollect at what time the cavalry trans- I
ports required, and afterwards made use of, were pro-
vided ?—About the 17th or 18th of July the cavalry
were embarked, all I believe, except the draft horses
:,r the battering trim.
W hen were the transports ready for the cavalry ?
The 17th, 18th, and 19th of July, I think the cavalry
were embarked.
When were the transports ready for the embarka-
tion of the cavalry?—The whOle were not ready till
about the time that they embarked ; a part of them
were ready but not the whole.
From. whence were the cavalry transports pro-
cured ?—Almost the whole of them in the River.
Then there was no delay in the preparation for the
embarkation of cavalry, arising from the expectatiqn
of transports from Portugal?—l think not, arrange-
ments having
.made by the Secretary of State
with the Commander in Chief of the Army and the
Lords of the-Admiralty ; about the 15th or 16th all
the infantry embarked at Portsmouth, at Dover, at
R Imsgate; at Chatlia,M, and. at Harwich, andviithin
two or three days afterwards the cavalry,yamle em-
barked, except a thousand. horses that.weremeant, as
I understood from the Secretiry ,of State, for the
heavy artillery ; when say nl4,
-I .beg leave to be.;
understood, the great body ; ,there. plight be a few ,
that did not tome in exactly on the 16th or 16th.
When were the heavy ..artilleri horses embarked ?
—We were ordered to provide for a thousand horses'
of the heavy artillery;. this servicesvas to be provided
for the last of all, and :we embarked I believe, in a
short time; Between six and seven flunked—l think
within a week- or ten days _after the other. If the
exact date is material, I believe I could furnishit ; it
was between six and seven hundred horses for .the
heavy artillery. nodorstood from the Secretary Of-
State, that the Expedition might possibly sail without
any of those horses, but that it would be very de-
sirable if we could only send Eve hundred ; in fact
we sent, I believe, in about a week after between six.

mid have been any diffi-
-able amount of trans-

timely notice had been
earlier in the spring, and
wernment we were con-
im twenty-one shillings
:s,.previous to this expo.
and Portugal.

•ansports were procured
.se of price ?—Most uu-

.e probably have had
period was in con-
'ships they did not offer.
fixed. Notice. is given
:w or no ships offered at
ice fixe,d for ships under
of seventeen shillings a
, twenty shillings a. ton
and twenty-one shillings

continually varied
on progressively since'
nan of the Transport
"rbm 'thirteen shillings a
year 1795) to the price
.hich in fact is the regu-

4 have been impossible
the spring if a suffi-
'—Most undoubtedly you
eland if you go to the
enough, ships may give
'r views to come into the
advantageous than the

e do you think would
it additional number of
'e to observe upon this
ions, and I believe that
decided the case. When
ice, many of them the
id, if they are paid at a
thirty or thirty-live or
great discontent, which
to the service than the
increased price benefit;
t, but the opinion of the
ic very experienced sea-

ak a greater number of
been taken up about the
ing the public to a very
r subjecting the Trans-
:onvenience ?--I do not
Auld have accrued to the
try materially, and I fre-
ion when called upon to

Were not the instructions of the Secretary of &ate
to you, to use every endeavour to procure the addi-
tional tonnage in addition to the twenty-three thou-
sand tans on hand, and the tonnage expected from I
abrpad, to carry on the service in questioa ?—They
were, and I consulted with my colleagues at the
Board on the most effectual means of procuring suf-
ficient tonnage, and they were of opinion that raising
the price beyond twenty-five shillings would be pro-
ductive of-more injury than benefit to the service; .
we engaged ships for six months certain, and in some
cases for one year, rather than produce discontent
among the Owners of the ships that were then in the
service.
Were not the exertions of the Board and of Go-
vernment so unremitting, with a view to the procur-
ing a sufficient quantity of tonnage in the least possi-
ble time, that the possibility of requiring the services
of neutral ships in the river, was a subject that re-
ceived the fullest 'consideration, and was only laid
aside upon • a conviction of the serious objections to
such. a resnirce being had recourse to?—Finding that
we could not procure immediately sufficient tonnage,
.1 suggested to the Sectetary of State the propriety of
taking-intri the service neutral ships, a great many at
that time being in the river. The Secretary of State
sent for me in the Chancellor of the Exchequer's
house, and this business was taken into full consider.
ation in my presence; and it was finally determined,
that it would not be proper to take them, as we could
not have them voluntarily, and they must be forced
into the service.
Do nor you recollect that a part of the cavalry ton-
nage which arrived from Portugal, and whiclt was
employed upon tl,e service in question, did not arrive
at Portsmouth till the infantry was actually embark
:ed ?—The cavalry, to the extent of near 50(X), were
embarked a few days after the infantry were embark-
ed, and sailed with them, I think about the 28th or
29th. of July; I think the whole sailed about that time.
Did not the whole amount of horses embarked
upon the Expedition, consist nearly of 6000 ?—Full
that, I should think ; some were embarked in men
of war ; I do not know the number.
With every exertion that could be made, was not
it-necessary to send about 300 horses of the battering
.train, within the next two or three days after the ex-
pedition had sailed from the Downs ?—The battering
train did not sail all together, there were 3or 4t that
sailed after the others.
In answer to a former question, you stated that
seven huPelrod horses of the battering train had em-
barked a week or ten days after the rest of the Ar-
mament ; I presume you mean after the first em-
barkation 4 theinfantrj at Portsmouth, which was
about the I lch of the nfonth ?—The general embark-
ation-as I mentioned before, I believe was about the
15th or 16th ; they all took place together, I should
think ten or twelve days before the battering train, to
the amount of six or seven hundred, were embarked;
the battering train sailed in two divisions.
Have yOu known on any former occasion a greater
exertion made on the part of the country and the of
to produce the necessary tonnage for the ser-
vice than on the late occasion?-4 certainly never did.
Do not you recollect, that exclusive of the demands
that were made upon the Transport Board with a
view to *this particular service, that between the be-
-ginning of March and the beginning of May, a corps
of infantry of about twenty thousand men, and &eve.
.ral regiments of cavalry, were embarked for the ser-
vice in. Portugal ?—I cannot now recollect the num-
ber, but 1 know great exariions had been made, and
numbers of men,- 'I dO not know the numbers exactly
at this instant, had embarked for Spain and Portugal,
in consequence of which the price, as I have already
mentioned, had been raised to 935. from the regular
price of transports, to provide conveyance for them.
Was not it the deliberate opinion of, the Transport
Board, that no increase of price beyond that which
was offered, could be prudentially offered, with the
view to the general interests of the public' service ?
It was, and if the Transport Board had recom-
menced a higher price, I think it likely-that. Govern.
ment would have authorized them to give it.
Considering the general arrangements necessary for
this Expedition, on the part of the Transport Board,
'are you of opinion that.the amount of force employed
could have LlZ:en sent on service earlier than it actu-
ally was ?—I am convinced it could not.
Do you consider that it was possibleto obtain 40 or
50,000 tons of shipping at the price of 255. per ton in
-the month of March, in addition to the 23,000 which
you have stated you had ?—I chi not think we could
have had -10 or 50,000 ton at that place in the month
of March.
Are you of opinion. that- in the month of March,
any and what addition to that price would have pro-
cured them ?—I am of opinion that as you raise the
price yon may-get ships, to what. extent I cannot say,
but the ground on which we objected to raising the'
price was, that it would produce great discontent
among the owners of the ships already in the sehrice. a.
and if we got 5 or 6 or 10,000 ton, it might not be
good policy to take them under those circumstances.
Had you in Fact any communication with his Ma.'
jetty's- Ministers as to the increasing the number of
tonnage for transports earlier than the '2oth May ?
Yes; in. consequence of whieh we iraised the price to
255. as I have already mentioned, from a guinea :
previous-withe 20t1vof we had many ships in
the service at `..4 ss. taken .itp a:-c,aisequence of orders
from the ..Secretary of 1- r the Portugal and
Spanish service.. . •
• Had. not Lord• Castlereagh-;t-ommunication with
you respecting the medical a;-::ingements for the

ports.
had not Lord Castle-
t you with respect to the
reference to the ensuing
trendy about that time,
during the time of the
iarticularly that we were
, for 10,000 'nen ; I bo-
as nearly as I can recol-
,s; the stores depended

le different depariments,
, and the other depart-

there on hand at home
. 23,000 tons of trans:
id, 20,000 and •upicaids,
23,000.

shortlithin a time;:t tkai or een six amlseavetrc
exact date is material, I belieim I
was between 'six raid 'seven hum
heavy artillery. I Mulerstood fr
State, that the Expedition might
any of those horses, but that it
sirable if we could only send fig
we sent, I believe, in about a we
and seven hundred.
Do you imagine there would
culty in procuring a considerabl
ports earlier in the spring, if tin
given i'— We found difficulty earli
under the direction of the Gover
strained to raise the price from
per tam to twenty-rive shillingsay
dtion, for the service of Spain an
Do you imagine that the trans
in 'consequence of that increase c
doubtedly.
Would not increase of price
the same effect at an earlier pen
sequence of the scarcity of 'ship
The prices for transports are rim
when they are wanted, and few
the regulated price. The price 1
the direction of the Treasury of
ton for s;.ogle-bottomed ships, tsv
fir ships sheathed with wood, and
for ships sheathed with copper.
Have not those prices .been cc
The regular prices have gone or
the time I first became Chairman
Board, and have increased from
ton (the regular price in the yea:
that I Nave just mentioned, Nellie'
lar price now.
Do you imagine that it would
to have procured transports in th
ciant price had been offered ?—M•
may have all the ships in.Englim
price : if the price is large enorr
up their engagements and other
king's service, if that is more ad
regular trade.
'What difference in the price r
have procured any very great a:
transports ?—I must beg leave a
subject I had many conversation•
my opinion in sonic measure deci
we have transports in the service
first coppered ships in England,
guinea and others are paid thin
forty shillings, it produces grew'
perhaps does more injury to t
ships you would get at an inert
this was not only my op nion, bt
Board, where there are some v
men.
In point of fact, you think a
transaorts could not have been
. Tait of May, without subjecting
ea-eat addition to the price, or s
. port Service to. a great inconv
think that any advantage could
service by raising- the price very
cpiently gave that as my opinion
increase the number of transport
A bout the 20th of May, haa
reagh a communication with yoi
transport arrangements, with ref
campaign ?—Certainly, irequen
and almost every day after dun
equipment, and I was told parti
to provide infantry transports foi
lieve cavalry to the extent, as n
icct, for six thousand horses ;
upon the demands from the d
t!e ordnance, the victualling, a
e • ments of Government.
:shout that time was not Ala(
applicable to service, about 2.
have already Said,
ad .lbe.ieve it may be about 23