Star.
London, England, 1811-06-08 00:00:00

Viand, to move a sirnaer titittatt to the Portuguese i furrith the Wives of Soldiers going abroad with the means of ire:
and Spanish Annie'. He concluded be moving l'ull'A hog".
A Message from the Ler& acquainted the House, that tbeb.
Thinks to General Boresford, and the British Troops I
Lorastea, cad agreed to several Bills without any Amendment,
under his command. i and to the Kent Road Bill, apd others, with Amentintents, to
The Earl of ABERDEEN toss and seconded the which they desired the concurrence of the Commons.
`motion. After expressing his sleep sense of the me-
BATTLE OF a LBLiERA.
Irits of this battle, and his general agreement with The CHANCELLOR of • the EXCHEQUER
what had fallen from the Noble Earl, he mentioned , rose, pursuant to notice, to move the Thanks of the
!some degree of surprise that no similar notice had House to Marshal Beresford, a duty which he felt
`'been taken of the great merits of Lord Wellington, pleasure in performing ; however, in doing so he
!in the battle of Fuentes de Honor ; an action which should bring under the consideration of the House
I his Lordship conceived, fully entitled him to a vote , that glorious victrry which had lately been atchieved
of thanks from that House ; which was distinguished by General Beresford. It must be grateful to him-
by a most masterly manoeuvre, and which the thanks , self and to the House to think, that whatever wish
of the House recently voted to his Lordship was no 1 they might have to heap applause and glory on any
!reason, in his mind, for preventing. 1 particular General, it was not one ar two Comman-
The Earl of LIVERPOOL explained, that the ders that were deserving of such distinction ; but that
thanks had been given to Lord Wellington for the I whenever the British army met the enemy in any part
'general system of the campaign. There would be iof the woild, the meeting always ended in glory to
no doubt of the disposition of Government to thank' them, and in defeat to the enemy. This was the third
Lord Wellington for his achievements; of which he was.; instance in which he had had occasion to bring before
certain, that noble commander was perfectly acquaint- I the House the gallant exploits of the British armies ;
led. No thanks voted to General Beresford could inter.! and it must be evident to all who heard him, that his
fere with the honour so justly due to Lord Wellington. I Majesty's Ministers were not desirous of bringing for-
The Earl of MOIRA expressed his sincere and ' ward any military exertions of equivocal merit, or
hearty concurrence in thetestimony to the valour, skill, any on which a difference of opinion was likely to
I
and perseverance displayed by General Sir W. Beres- ! take place, with any view of courting applause for
(ford and his army. Their thanks he should have con- I the wisdom of the Councils they might have given.
sidered most worthily earned had the battle been i•But he must say, that there had lately occurred more
merely a grand assertion of the valour and dignity of ' instances of successful valour, than in any former pe-
the British name and character. On the general sub.! riod of our history ; and so far from too much praise
ject of the thanks of Parliament, of which he thought i being bestowed on our Commanders, one would ra-
the value could not be kept up then suppose that the House had not been liberal too high, he observed,
that it had of late come too much into practice to aura .enough in bestowing that just tribute of its attention.
excise too great a latitude. There was a danger 4 Had Ministers felt any desire to drag exploits of lesser
this, because Ministers might make use ef them to importance before the consideration of Parliament,
gain Parliamentary approbation of expeditions of their they might be justified in noticing the capture of
own which were rash and improvident, though the tanda, which was a most distinguished and even a
officers employed displayed all those merits, which, romantic atchievement. They would also have
as far as they were concerned, deserved a grateful re- brought under the notice of Parliament the capture
turn. In the present- instance, however, there were of the Mauritius, an event so highly useful to our in:
no grounds of this nature on which suspicion might Wrests in the East, that it was destroying the last wea-
rest. It was another victory, which :.hewed to the i pon by which the enemy was able to annoy us in that
world that the gallant officers and soldiers of our army l quarter of the world. There was room even afforded
were the worthy comrades of those who, on every to criticise the abstinenciof the House in not voting
sea, had proclaimed our naval glories. He was happy Thanks for the glorious battle fought near Almeida.
to see that cordiality, as well as steady bravery, in During the whole of this campaign, the enemy hardly
the Spaniards—which cordiality, from some causes afforded any thing but the materials by which we dis-
or other, had, unfortunately, not been displayed on played our valour and glory. He should now briefly
any former occasion. He trusted it would lead to state the nature and the circumstances of those trans-
farther proofs of its efficacy ; and that the excellent actions, in which General Beresford was engaged.....
opportunities it must afford would not be lost, now While he was carrying on the siege of Badajoz, he
that the war was, in fact, beginning daily to assume heard that Marshal Soult had collected a great force
a more important appearance. It was with regret he and was coming to attack him. As soon as the Ge-
alluded to our not having taken more effectual steps neral heard this intelligence, he came to a decision
at an earlier period, to conciliate the Spanish mind, and which evinced the correctness of his judgment, and
to infuse into it a greater degree of confidence in us. his great military skill. He considered that the siege
The Earl of ROSSLYN mentioned his own for- he had been carrying on was a minor object; and he
mer experience of Portugal, and praised highly the determined that the one should be abandoned, in or-
merits of General Beresford in the disciplining of the der that he might be enabled to direct the whole of
troops of that country. his force against the meditated attack. He therefore,
The Earl of HARROWBY highly panegyrized without a moment's loss of time, collected the whole
the merits both of Lord Wellington and General Be- of his own troops, and got those of Generals Blake
resford. and Castanos to join him. With this army, he pre-
The question was then put and carried. ferred the position of Albuera to any other. So little
The Earl of LIVERPOOL then moved the thanks time had lie for collecting the whole of these forces,
to the Portuguese army. Carried. that the Spanish troops did not arrive until late in
His Lordship next proposed a similar motion re- the morning previous to the day when the battle
specting the Spaniards, on which took place. On that very day, the 16th, the French
Lord HOLLAND rose, and regretted that any forces made their appearance. Here the Right Hon.
Gentleman recapitulated the particulars of the battle,
circumstances, such as the observations respecting
Lord Wellington, should be introduced into a discus. as related in General Beresford's letter; and noticed
it as a material circumstance, that the Spaniards be-
sion on a motion of thanks to a particular officer and
hayed so bravely as to return and fight the enemy,
army. He had not had time to search the precedents
respecting the mode pursued by Parliament towards after being di iven from the hill on the right of our
Prince Eugene and Prince Ferdinand, but thought army ; and he hoped that the signal manner in which
that some better mode might be devised for rendering General Houghton met his glorious fate on that day
their tribute of approbation to General Blake and his would be duly noticed by the House—( Hear, hear.)
...-He believed there were few instances of a more
army, than by communicating it through an officer
in another service. On the general question of thanks dreadful carnage of the enemy, or of more successful
no doubt could arise. I valour being displayed on the part of our soldiers,
The Earl of LIVERPOOL said he was desirous than that which took place at the point to the right
of attending to the Noble Lord's suggestion, but cir. lof our line. This glorious victory was likely to be
cumstances had occurred' in another place (the vote , productive of the most beneficial result to the general
in the Commons) which would make it inconvenient. 'cause we were engaged in. The enemy might, for a
In the case of Prince Ferdinand, the Commons ex- , time, have an opportunity of imposing on a part of
pressed their approbation by a communication through i the world ; but the delusion could not long be kept
I their Speaker. He should, however, take care of the I uP• Here the Chancellor of the Exchequer noticed
mode in which the present vote was communicated, I Vie gallant conduct of Ensigns Thomas and Welch,
and should also provide that a proper notice of it . the former of whom refilled to surrender his colours
should be given in the proper quarter. I but with his life—and the latter, on being mortally
This motion also was carried, new. dir.—Adjourned.. wounded, took his colours and concealed them in his
_ I bosom. These colours were now in the possession of
HOUSE. OF COMMONS. / the enemy, who might, if they chose, display them,
s Mr. W. BOOTLE moved for the appointment of a Commit- ' and pretend that they were a mark of victory on their
tee to take into consideration and examine the state of the Parish part ; but the circumstances connected with them re-
;Apprentices sent out of the metropolis, and report their opinion •
I dounded more-than any other could do to the glory
to the House.
Sir S. ROMILLY seconded the motion, and dwelt on the lof cur army. Although the great press of the battle
: hardships to which young persons were subject, in consequence was on the right of our line, it was not to be supposed
lof being sent away trent their parents, and put to hard labour in that there was the least relaxation of ardour in the
manufactories. - other parts of our army. In every quarterour troops
Sir R. PEELE cap d his astonishment that the Learned
Gentleman, with all Ids experience, should talk of the hardships were engaged, and gaining successes. He hardly
of sending children away from their parents who bad no parents conceived it necessary to notice the circumstance of
at all, or were a burthen on the parishes. General Beresford being attacked by a Polish lancer,
Mr. w. GOOCH and Mr. GIDDY thought there was no who, in a fit of madness, left his party, and rashly
ground for condemning the practice of sending out apprentices,
who could not be beuereßsnosed of than they were. - . rushed against him, arid whose life the Geaeral wish-
Mr. M. A- TAYLOR said, it was• a common practice midi •• ed to save, threw him from his horse, after which he
to take apprentices for the sake of emolument, sud then was killed, while still persevering in his attempt to
=them, so that they became nuisances to society. ' kill General Beresford. He could not help viewing
The motion was, after a reply from Mr.W. Bootle, agreed to ;
and a Select Committee was appointed. this victory and that of Almeida, as the results of des-
Mr. W. SMITH presented a Petition from certain Malt Die- perate attempts on the part of the enemy to retrieve
tillers against the Spirit Drawback Bill, as a measure tending to their cause and their character ; and the failures they
give the Irish Distiller a superior advantage over them. Ordered had experienced must so lower their character, as to
to lie on the table. `titsp of all those who were defending
On the motion of Sir C. POLE, an order was made for laying raise the s
before the House certain documents relative to Naval Prizes. themselves against the injustice and oppression of
Mr. SHAW LE FEVRE moved for a Committee to consider such an enemy. It might indeed be said that the loss
the Standing Orders of the House, as to Notices and Forms of of men was no object to France—that their place ,
Applications relative to Private Bills.—Agreed to.
would speedily be supplied by more troops—and than
Mr. M. A. TAYLOR moved, that the Comilittee on the
Chancery Delays might have leave to sit notwithstanding any the Allies would ultimately be obliged to give way
adjournment of 1h: Howe. . to superior numbers. He did not agree in any such opi-
'i he ArtORNEY-GENERAL gave notice that he would nions as these. He believed it was not so easy a mat-
to-morrow move ter leave to ,being. in a Bill to imiennaify the ter as some imagined, for 'the Frenoh Emperor to re-
' Trustees of General Delancey.
The Trish Elec.:ion Bill was read a third time and passed. cruit his armies in the Peninsula ; and particularly so
Mr. ROSE moved for the Report made by hlin on the subject when it was considered that he was very soon likely
of the Prize Coprt.—Agreed to. . to have employment for vast numbers of troops in
Some paper+ relative to the removal of Mr. Petrie from the another quarter of Europe. And let him send ever
Madras Council were moved for and granted.
so many troops into the Peninsula, the Allied Forces
Mr. WALLAcz gave notice that he would mr.ve for some
other papers or the seine subjtct. . would be in a much better state of preparation to meet
In a COmmlttee of Surlily 11e0,(e0 was voted for augment- them than they had been at any former period of the
ing the Livings of the Poorer Clergy.—.Clo6o for the Veterinary war.—He concluded with moving, That the Thanks
Qiisllege, &c.
Mr. W. Safi CH said, that a fend might be formed from die of the House be. given to Lieutenant-General Sir
higher livings to augment the lower,
The Resolutions were then agreed tq.—Report on Monday. . William CAI r Ileiesford, Knight ef the Bath, for the
distinguished ability and valour dinlayed by him at
Mr. Secretary RYDER moved for leave to bring in a Bill to
the battle
of Albuera.
enable the Cornisk_Miners to extend then seryices as a Military
' Ltrouble ore CASI'LEREAGH said he had to
corps to Irelaod.—Leave riven.
1..0td PALMFitfiTONZ obtained leave to tring in a 131ri to the House with a very few remarks oa this object.