Star.
London, England, 1810-02-23 00:00:00

jesty's Government, with
Portogal, now merged in
•
holrelTert t rat state the
which Bad been entettd
the papers gn the table
transactions,. by which '
was menaced, an arrant,
der whichan anny.Orl?o,6o6

mined by this country
though; expedient with
,tion of Portugal, to
with the Government.
an additional force of 10,000 men
tained there by this Government, the expence of
which was estimated as follows : for 20,000 men,
£600,000 ; for the additional 10,000 rnen,€2so,ooo;
and £130,000 for Officers whom it was thought ex-
pedient to employ for the purpose of more effectually
disciplining and training the Portuguese troops. It
was necessary tobe understWd, that no specific treaty
had been concluded, but that the arrangement which
had been entered into, left it to the discretion of his
Majesty's Government to act according to circum-
stances. This was thought the most expedient mode,
as from the distance orthe Portuguese Government,
if a specific treaty had been concluded, stipulations
might have been made, which from the continually
varying circumstances of the situation of Portugal, it
might have been impossible to execute, and which,
therefore, would have been most inconvenient from
their restriction, whilst by entering into an arrange-
ment under which there was a discretionary power,
advantage might be taken of every favourable cir-
cumstance, and his Majesty's Government were en-
abled to act in that way which the course of events
might render most adviseable. He was at a loss to
conceive what objection there could be to the policy
of the measures thus adopted with reference to Por-
tugal, and had he not heard a friendly voice talk
of entering into a discussion upon the subject, he
should have imagined there could have been no op-
position to the course pointed out in his Majesty's
Message. Was it to be contended. that any circum-
stances had happened which were on a sudden to
change that course of policy which for so long a pe-
riod we had pursued towards our most ancient and.
faithful ally, Portugal. A course of policy which
had been uniformly adopted, and to the expediency
of which ample testimony was borne by two persons,
one of them of considerable ability, now no mere,
and the other, perhaps, not far inferior in ability, he
meant Mr. Secretary Fox and Mr. Secretary Wind-
ham, in the measures adopted in 1806, when Portu-
gal was menaced with a French invasion, and in the
language used by the former in the declaration issued
upon that subject. A force was then sent to Portu-
gal, for the purpose, in the first place, of supporting
that country in its resistance against the threatened
invasion of the French ; if that was found impracti-
cable, to take care of the interests of the Portuguese
colonies, and to remove the Government thither;—
and lastly, in the case of there being no hope of resis-
tance to the French, to secure the fleet. Bonaparte
was at that time unable to accomplish his purpose,
and it was thought advisable, that the force which
had been sent should return without making any de-
monstration, in order that the attention of France
might not be particularly attracted towards Portugal.
The line of policy with reference to Portugal hav-
ing been thus uniformly marked out and supported,
he was at a loss to imagine what,the objection could
now be. He achpitted that the case of Portugal was
now merged in that of Spain : but was it to be con-
tended that the cause of the peninsula was now to
be abandoned as hopeless ? That would, indeed, not
only prepare the way for the usurper, but strew
flowers in his path. Much • as he deplored the cir-
cumstances which had lately occurred in Spain, still
he could not consent to give up the cause as hopeless.
Much might yet be done by the people of Spain.—
Their misfortunes were not to be attributed to them-
selves, but to the vilg Government by which they
were oppressed. Whatever use might be made of
the expression, he would assert, that the first breach
by which the French entered Spain was to be attri-
buted to the wretched Government of that country,
by which the efforts of the people were paralyzed,
and they were left almost without the means of de-
fence. Was it now to be contended, that after the
treasure we had expended, and the blood we had shed,
in the support of Spain against the most base and up-
principled attempt to deprive the Spanish nation of
their independence ?—Was it now to be contended,
that after all this we, were ta abandon this gallant
people, and leave them, without support or assis-
tance, a prey to their merciless enemy ? And yet,
unless this was to be contended, he could not see on
what ground the proposition in his Majesty's Mes-
sage was to be resisted. He had never heard it de-
nied by any one, that a position ought to be taken in
,Portugal, for the purpose of supporting that country,
if possible, against France. It could not, of course,
be supposed, that a British army alone, could main-
tain Portugal against France, but that every effort
ought to be made to animate the people, andiput
them in a condition the best calculated to resist the
enemy. Unless, therefore, it was now to be conten-
ded, that we were to give up the peninsula to the
enemy, to surrender it to him without making the
slightest effort at resistance, and to abandon, at once,
as hopeless, the cause, in the support of which we had
so nobly struggled, he could not discover on what
ground, a concurrence in the object of his Majesty's
Message, was this night to be resisted. His Lord-
ship concluded, by moving an Address of concur-
rence to his Mlijesty.
Lord GRENVILLE was aware how irksome a
task, and how painful a duty it was to call back to
their Lordships' recollection, predictions neglected
and scorned, at the time they were made, but since
too fatally -verified ; but irksome as the task was, he
felt it to be his duty to make an appeal to their
Lordships, when a proposition was made to them to
sacrifice, in addition to the money already wasted, a
million more, for this was the amount el the expence
they were called upon to'sanction although his No-
ble Friend had prudently abstained from mentioning
the total amount, and when, still more, they were
called upon, in addition to the blood of our gallant
defenders, which had been already shed, to send an-
other army to aid a hopeless cause ; to send assist-
ance where assistance could be of no use, to defend
that which was in itself defenceless. It was surely
time for their Lordships to pause when they corm.;
dered the burdens already imposed. upon the people ;
who they moldered the number of the brave de-.

_ object
Were -such an individual to be found, he should know
how to appreciate the talents and the capacity of the
person who could make such an assertion. He re-
gretted to hear his Noble Friend resort to a mode of
argument which some persons had practised, not of
considering whether any act was right or wrong in
itself, but of referring to the acts of some individual,
and then entering into a comparison between them
and a line of conduct adopted by others. He re--
grettcd that his Noble Friend, almost in his first
display in his official character, should have de-
scended to such a mode of argument. It was singu-
lar, however, that one of his Majesty's Ministers
should now panegyribe that very part of the conduct
of the late Administration towards Portugal in 1806,
which had until now been the subject of every species
of obloquy and censure on the part of his Majesty's
present Ministers ; and the late Administration might
now indeed congratulate themselves, that the wisdom
and expediency of their conduct had thus tardily been
discovered and acknowledged by their successors.—
The Noble Marquis had, too, dragged this forward
in support of a policy with which it could have no
connection, the circumstances being totally different.
The policy that had been thought most advisable
to adopt towards Portugal, and that which the
late Administration had pursued, was that of a mag-
nanimity which should delay as long at possible involv-
ing that country in contest with France, which should
delay as long as possible that fate which appeared ul-
timately to await her. He did not mean to dispute
the policy of keeping as long as possible a strong eO.
sition in -Portugal ; but in what view of this policy
could Ministers have acted in the conduct which they
had adopted in the Peninsula ? By the shameful Con-
vention of Cintra, by the events which arose out of
the unparalleled circnmstances of throe Commanders
in Chief arriving from different parts of the Globe to
succeed each other in the course of 24 hours ; a French
force was sent out-of Portugal only, to reach Spain
time enough to meet our army and to pursue it to
the very shores of the ocean • where the fatal victory
of Corunna was gained, for fatal he must always call
it,' since it ended in the death of the gallant Officer
who commanded the British army, which, contrary
to his ddvice, was sent to the North, instead of the
South. As if determined to set at nought all expe-
rience, a similar system was again pursued by his
Majesty's Ministers, and by the same misconduct on
their part, another British army was sacrificed. The
same criminal misconduct pervaded all their acts.
They talked of defending Portugal and organizing a
Portuguese force, and how did they de it s• They had
appointed a person to the situation of British Mini-
ster in Portugal, of Whom he did not wish to say any
thing harsh : their Lordships would judge of the pro.
priety bf continuing such a person there at such a
moment, and of the misconduct of Ministers, when he
referred to the documents on the table. The first
was a dispatch from Mr. Secretary Canning, dated
the 22d of November, 1808, desiring to have infor-
mation from the British Minister in Portugal, re-
specting the state of the Portuguese force. Their
Lordships would naturally suppose, that, at such a
moment, this was a matter of urgency, and that the
information would be transmitted with all possible
dispatch. How would they be surprised to learn that
on the 28th of February, 1809, the date of the next
dispatch, Mr. Secretary Canning states, he has no in-
formation respecting the state or condition of the Por-
tuguese force. But how much more would they be
surprised to learn that the date of the next dispatch
upon this important and urgent subject, was the 16th
of December; still more, that the Noble Marquis,
upon succeeding to the oreign department, was, on
the sth of February last, forced to apply for informa-'
tion upon this very subject. It was surely impossible
for their Lordships to consent to again placing the
blood and treasure of the country at the disposal of
Ministers, who had shewn such glaring instances of
misconduct—of Ministers, who, if they consulted Mi-
litary Officers about an Expedition, and the opinions
of those Officers were decidedly, that it was impolitic
and unwise to undertake it—or that it was impossible
to execute it, would no longer listen to them, nor
again consult them;—who, if they consulted Naval
Officers about an enterprize, and those Naval Offi-
cers assured them it was impracticable, would only
tell them in return, Go and try, and see what you
can do." The Noble Marquis had truly spoken of
the blood and treasure of the country, which had

been sicrificed in this hopeless cause in the Penin-
sula ; and now they were called upon for further
sacrifices, and still without the least hope of suc-
cess. The Noble'Secretary of State had also attributed
all the evils that had occurred to the wretched Go-
vernment of that country. And what had been the
conduct of Ministers ? The very Government in
Portugal, that was equally hostile to this country,
and oppressive to the people whom it ruled, was to
be supported by us ; and whilst a part of our army
was marched into Spain, another part was left to
compel the people to submit to this. very Government
which they detested, and under whose auspices no ex-
ertion on the part of the nation, no patriotic move-
ment, could by any possibility be expected, ade-
quate to the crisis in which they were' placed. The
Noble Marquis had said, that those who opposed the
operation contemplated in the Message, must be pre-
pared to abandon the Peninsula to the enemy. He
(Lord Grenville) did not mean to go the length of
asserting, that such ought to be the conduct of go-
vernment. Such a declaration would be premature,,and
was not called for. He would readily allow, that the
levies of the population of the Peninsula might dread-
fully harass the enemy, and might in a course of years
ultimately expel their base and cruel invader. But
what could be greater folly than relying upon their
levies as a regular army, and stationing them in
eituations where tube placed in line with the British
troops and opposed to the French army ? It was this
absurd reliance upon an imaginary army that formed
no small part of the misconduct of Ministers. Mi•


sacrificed twelve thousand Men,
to be called upon to sane-
twelve thousand more,
deeply :hew the misconduct of
resources of the country than
dispute, that in March last
Ad not be found fur the pnr.
therein contemplation, and this
militia and raising the peasantr7
the ranks of the troops of the
notwithstanding this —notwithstand.
army of Sir John Moore, of
, and of Lord Chatham's
zany—they were now to be called upon for the sun.
fice of another army, with the same contempt of all
experience, with the same wasteful disregard of the
resources of the country, and with the same hopeless.
niss of success that had characterized rill the expedi.
tions and enterprizes of his Majesty's Ministers. They
were surely then at least called upon to inquire, be.
fore they.sanctioned this new enterprize, if they could
at all consent to place again in the hands of Ministers
the disposal of any part of those resources which they
had so uselessly sacrificed. His Lordship concluded
by moving an Amendment, to leave nut all the worth
of the Address, after the word That," and to in.
--Neds intimating, after thanking his Majesty for
-•znn, that the House would proceed

them,et
I,
ytototheze
objectine tmheeadtiocounemdeniatshiLefi'‘oriadi
wwiiththoautvdieewla
Message.
The Earl of LIVERPOOL thought, that with the
opinionsexpressed by the Noble Lord, the more simple
and direct course would have been to have moved at
once for an Address to his Majesty, praying that he
would dismiss his Ministers. The Noble Lord, it is
true, bad not actually declared that the Peninsula
ought to be abandoned to the enemy ; but die send.
menu he had uttered tended directly to that poi •
nt;
and what else could be the meaning of that
which he made to those who were 'bearing the bur-
dens necessarily imposed for the wants of the coun-
try, and to the relatives of those who had been killed
in the actions which had taken place. 'The Noble
Lord contended, that the Tagus was the most eligi.
ble place that could be selected for the first landing
of our force, with a view to effect the end desired,
and to promote the interest of our allies. The enemy
was by our force driven from Portugal in three weeks
and a country set free, from which we had reason to
calculate upon receiving material aid for the commie
object. If disappointed in these calculations, that
disappointment was not the fault of the British Co-
vernment or the British Army. But the fact was,
that we had not any material or lasting disappoint.
MA to deplore in Portugal i • for the spirit of the pea
ple of that country was proceeding rapidly in the dis-
' play of its power and zeal.- A strong force, witless
than 16,000 men, was collecting, and disciplining
under the direction of General Beresford, and as to
the services derived from Mr.Nilliers, he was enabled
to state, that that, Gentleman was found to be ex.
tremely faithful, zealous, and active in the service cl
his country. He knew nothing personally of that
Gentleman, certainly not so much as the Noble Ba.
ron who had alluded to him ; but he could bear the
most satisfactory testimony to the performance of his
duty. With regard to the -question immediately us.
der the consideration of the House, The Noble Lord
thought there was no other alternative than to abut
don Portugal altogether, or to agree to the Address,
and thus enable his Majesty to maintain a force fa
its defence. That suchba force would tend to liberate
the Peninsula, he was not prepared to say (A cry if
/fear, Hear.) But although it could not accomplish
that desirable object—would Noble Lords, would
those particularly who, not long since, professed to
sympathize in the feelings and wishes of the people
of Portugal, recommend that they should be deserted
by this country, upon whose gratitude they had such
strong claims, while even a chance remained of ten.
dering them any service—while it was even possible
to afford them protection ? As to the assertion that
nothing had resulted to this country from its interpo-
sition In the affairs of the Peninsula, but disaster and
expence, he would ask, whether we had gained no-
thing in point of character ? Was it nothing to re-
fute the calumnies propagated throughout Europe
and the world, by the insidious industry of the com-
mon enemy, by the irrefragable testimonies of valour,
fidelity, and zeal for the cause of our allies, which
marked our conduct from the moment that interposi-
tion took place ?
The Earl of MOIRA said, that if the question be.
tween the adoption of the Address and the Amend•
went, were such as the Noble Secretary of State had
assumed—if no other alternative was left than the
abandonment of Portugal, or the rejection of the
Amendment, he had no hesitation in stating, that be
would be among the first to reject it. But the nature
of the amendment was quite misunderstood by the
Noble Secretary. It appeared to him to call merely
for inquiry, and the arrangement of a different system
of policy for the conduct of the war. If that system
had corresponded with his views, he should have con-
tinned to maintain the sentiments which he had on a
former occasion expressed upon the subject of Spain.
Every moment's reflection, indeed, satisfied him with
the justiceof these sentiments—But yet the Noble
was not entitled to call on him for support, because
the conduct of his Government did not correspond
with those sentiments. The propriety of interferers
in the concerns of Spain, and the manner of directil
that interference, were quite distinct questions; 2114
sorry he was to find, that much as he approved of dr
former, he saw nothing but what he must cosies •
the latter. Instead of encouraging and promotil
the cause of Spain, that cause seemed, under the at
rection of Ministers, but a secondary object. lusod
of taking such a position in Spain as might afford,noe
sol
only to the people of that country, but any of the'
jects of the enemy interested in the same causer
strong rallying point, our army was sent to an extre
point, Where, in fact, it had scarcely to calculate upoi
cause
meeting any formidable enemy. Was this the
.tt,
wisdom and valour ? What, he would pat
their Lordships, should we say of a Russian Gene
who,''being ordered to invade England, made
a Cher
ei
ing, and attempted even to establish himself in
hire, instead of approaching the centre of the cook
.t
,instead of venturing to the vicinity of the caplif
would the Russian Cabinet be likely to thin
itudran officer ? Yet the course which, under so 0
lightened 'Cabinet, the Commander of our Al Inv to,in the Peninsula, was precisely of a similar nature_
He entered Portugal when he ought to have Lando

-

a
... dinommeg•-- .
lodes al this country who hadiet2lreAsireeti. *iliac- sisters had duts sacrifice
, with reference to theoalliffenot
led in thai'of Spain. airsicoa, a, before they sanctigned a I ixpendtture of; and now the House was to
1
therMiii* of the ananin4Ot million& one tenth of-lh. amt Mitt. the Income Tag, lion them in sacrificing r
end irito, and•which apitireS*.tinvegt upon the PeciP.l4biforVitheY sanctioned the Nl4lothing could more deeply
table. t; lit. the early part 0f1,40, disk of another army w tat an adequate object. It Ministers in wasting the res,
rich the independence of Portugal i was this feeling for the- country .that animated his the fact which was end I
poses-of-di eroditimrthen.
rrangement was entered into, un: I breast, and urged hitn W make this ailipesl to their 16,090 effective me could
Of-420,000 inen.vrere to be main- Lordships. 'For what were they. ciAeil upon to
try inslbrtugaL It had since been make this additional sacrifice ? He did not believe after breaking up tb.! militi
with reltmence to the present situa- there was any man—he did not believe there existed of the country to fill up the
o enter. into a new arrangement the individual who would say, that if the whole Bri- line. And yet, notwithsta
ent of that country, under which tish arlpy in the .Peninsula. were now sacrificed its ing the sacrifice of the. aru
.! of 10,000 Men was to be main- could prevent the object of Franee being attajned.— Lord WellingtOn's army,
.. i •NT 7' _ __- -...1. ...., ;,,Avitittal robe found. he should know army—they' were now to b