The Statesman.
London, England, 1809-08-02 00:00:00

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LORD G43111114.:1t's DEFENCE.
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FIF DA IY. -I ;
MONDAY, JULY 31. •
Mr. Peesiciews.—l thAnk you, Sir. and the rest of the
Members this 11 anounible Court, for having complied '
ith a: • request, that a store interval might be allowed's!
before I ealeied on my defence. I hair also to expreassate.`
s iti-facti. in. that the whole of my conduct mad
.procenlfions id
Basqu • naiads, is now undo' your coosideration, to name•
quAhe,- of my appUrd fUr this Coert Martial, The
ores-city of this moat he evident; either I had to adopt this
measu,a, or by a tacit acquiescence in thelnsiosations thrown
out against me by L .rd Cochraue, Kaye compromised tint
teal) an. tin a Honour, hut also that of the brave 016cers and
hire wider 11. y coisiniaad. The proceeding• of the Court
vs ill start% . villa-iota any misconduct has existed in the exec-s-
-not] of the se rsire and r consideration t if any has canted,
u: which l a n pertettly unconscious, i is right that the na-
tion should limn it ; not as restirg on the unsupported opi-
-111..11 /if all artiyadual, but 1111 the unprejudieed judgment of
this intuited. I was prepared, when I first came tether
you, with neat appeared to one a complete justification of
ms cooduct and proteedte-s as Commander io Chief of the
(' spooned Fleet, emplaned in Basque goads, between the Fith
oC alarch peal the .april last, to which sour inquiry
is diverted ; bat I could not be aware of the oral testtamay
Neat oast to he brought fereard in support of the (-harp
v. hies their Lordships hay at the instance or Lie a Coch-
rane, been induced to shake agaiest me; namely, L/Al /41 the
Nth nf. .•• prat. the eemy's ships bring then en shore, and the
signal having been made Crit they could be destroyed, I did
for n e ouith:rntle time neglect or delay takie., :fennel mea-
sures .'sir destroy ing them. I was ready to admit, that from
the time or soy otiserviog on the aserning of the 12th, the si-
taatiou of the eaemv, communicated to me also by, signal
frpm the lower so..te sin.- did elapse before the enemy's
• ships were attack, bet 1 was prepared to prove must in-
cuairovertibe that no neglect or unoireessary delay took
pl stela erectile, •he destruction of thieve ships; and 'I have
• now the sailialschon nt fi•-.4, that nal of all the °Ricers of the
'Wet whs• are summoned on this trial, toe charge rem on the
unsupported, said I may say already refuted, temtimml of
the rapt ii.. of the Laperiamie. I believe there is eat a pre-
cede:lU to oe found in tae naval annals of Great Britain. of
an °direr of tie rank I hove toe honour to hold, ma-
ma dote; a fiaet which has performed so important a Ne-
vi. e a. ta..t areounpl shed coder my directioo—approval OS
that sere' e has her,,, by the Board of Admiralty, shit enn-
side rcd b. hi, Majesty's Government even deserving the
thanks of both Houses of Parliament, being obliged, from
a sense os iv at is due to his own character and hatmer. as
aril as to the orofraiou to *bids he beitinr, to appeal to
anvil tribunal, eosins* the Ineweaadiadirect accusations darn
otticer so fiasco nit inferior in rank. lam warranted in say-
,.
in,, tut the esecution of this service was opproved fir
B gird Admiralty ; oecause in a letter frina their
Lord-
ships' aerreta dated Apr•l 43, acknowledging the receipt
of *a. pualle di-p woes u • the occasion, he says, be is coat-
iummleu h. their Loeb ips to congratulate me, at the bril-
li it .u. ton, of the force under my enuenand, in the attack
of the enenti- snip- in she Isle d'Aix Roads, by four ves-
sels, a..J sim.equently bs detachments from my Seel, whith
teraiiiettesi in the rapture a id deitructioo of four of the ene-
say'ss tp• ; a id to signals their Lord-hips' downtime to me,
to express their approaation of the great exertions of Rear-
A.inia al Stopford, air Harry Neste, and be several taker
Meters to aimed by use, is having urea most Arlo v •ly -
Flu • e.t, 30,1 having particularly distanguis .ed t Heelers up in
tins u iip•irs sit service. Lord Cochrane, however, wart...o
fat !mine Le I at the head of the Admiralty, that if this
summate 0.. e at.empied. he should, if standing alone, alp
yore it so Cif as era .rial toe Commander-in-Chiefs thus
w about jogai:wally (Loci tire; to die I:. inks beirg given for
lie service performed, duetting bin hostility peisimally 'at
me, 4:4 missal% his attack as publicly, t ough not so
as .f see had at owe exhibited f Aril diaries.
Lord Cochrane, as a Member of Parliament. may most
asauredla aupeort or app use public measures, as he 611411
think proper. In the present proemlongs, however, he
setae 1.. the situation why of an (Meer serving under my
c.. •aseoid, at appears b,, the following letter to roe from the
Fiat Lord of the Adoitralty:—
" Admiralty, May 29, 18 9.
ai MY Lose—
Lavine
in c.iiivemation oulonned Captain
Co• arise, teat it war the intention of 36 Majesty's
GOVeral•tair t 4 boar the tho..iis se bath Houses of Parra-
mat ta your Lora. sap, and t.. the Olken, ',tame., ai . Ma-
ria -e ing under your conunaod it. Basque Rolls, Lard
C.' %ROW drcl arid k/ me, :hat i., the &rot of men is measure
beihe roamed a.. Fa. tueuein, be should feel himself bound.
by Is • pa.• o Jut,, ti. on!, I. to the thanks, as far as they
shoe. • „via to the Canura.lader us Ch:e:. Curler these cir-
cumstaiier., it has beta deaiiel eypediest to upend the mos
don for lea Voir. of Thanks, audio cell upon Lord Cochrane
ta at h. tbe ground on which he has intimated to toe First
Lords me Admiralty his intention id pose the Vote of
Taroks, as facia respects your L wdship, that the !Inard of
Adanisalty lay !her, be enabled to- jade. h ."..i tue
graftage to be it fled by Lord Coebrar• • vary be a nature to
'use -al tee minion in Parlia.nent, or to c .11 for any Nether
iuvesaigatimi be she Cil_rd, or in any otaer ashy. I have
felt it due to your lordsnip tniti• e you the r vilest informa-
tion of tot- haw of and to acquaint yoo. Utast" letter
ilt An • I.y be written as Cap ain Lord Cischrase . in coo-
fortuity i ne abuse la:standee of Cat Boon! of Admiralty,
neer) of it hich together With the answer of Lard Coca-
rune, aal be without delay cassammicated to your Lordship.
" '. have, de.
(mired) " MULGRAVE."
Whether Lord. Cochrane /opposed he might with homier
dadeavour in lower me in the opium:. of my country bud dies
Sovereign, sign .I as els if .. home favour had at Cars instant
b. ex. haivea coeferred upon hint...elf—whether his Lord-
ship tonight he camel .salt his on a reputation al the espence
*rani .•—aud wnetaer h,. expccted that his threat mould in-
timidate rue silence, I %atm aut. Out if these were his
.Idreia, I assure myself tar resn't ,s ill prove to him that they
Isere fol. .ed in error; for I wiU never permit any mum to
proceed a. Lord Lochnuiebas dope, without availing myself
of the meat* %salmi the Laws of my Canary *ford, to chew
the futilais and ahustice of such an attack. By the Letter of
the .tieeretary of the Admiralty to Lord Cochraue, after
casaba; sty endeflued accaaatioo against his Admiral, he ex-
cuses itionself fame explanatioa by a general reference to the
log and signal bookies the den, is ithoat knowing, if I may
judge Irina .at. i..iperfeti Mate at his owe log, what that ae-
net al reference might produce. Therefore, because be does
not accord w tie toe in . pinion, Lord i ;octirane, whose extent
of r• spmeshility bas never exceeded the charge of a single
ship, and to w•-mat i i judgment I. will not reduce my experi-
ence is a curnparisna, becomes my accuser; whilst from my
situation, I am reap .nsibk f.r every act of my fleet, and for
tha Lae of every shop composing it. Jamie confident, and I
hope it hatreala evilest to tie Curt, that Lord Cochrane
bee an cause what• ver for accusing me of any d. reliction of
duty, that it might almost be supposed something had occurred
.fty personal imams t towards his Lordship waich had af-
forded 4tviertioodsof dissausfactioo. fhe coutrary, however,
ante lies. More li'oerelity could not have been ,hewn ,hate
Lama Cortwane received at my hands; and although a con-
Enable d. d ee of d6appoiottnent was nsauifesied throughout
the Bret nu his arrival to conduct the service to be p•afiansed
by ire vessels, yet every Oificer in tine fleet rendered Min the
most steads amistaaee, ant only in valuable saw stions, the
*mire credit of which seems to iiave been assumed by nis
Lordship, but b. every other means that zeal and courage
Meld ,sour i Lord Cnchraae, cm presenting himself to me
aft. r the action. was general is cotopMiat of toe Officers woo
commanded tile other ships Matted at the same time with
heasell, in the attack of the em-my; bet having equal means
with his Lordship ufjudgiag of the oviduct of those 0
I aye , it it was higaly nieritorinia. At the time
Came., a made this general complaint, I bad not the smallest
saspiri al that there existe.! in his mod those sentiments of
theta prelim ion of ma conduct, which by his proceedings since
his realm h s ac. 1 to suppose he then euiertained. It
.eld, an such case, has • been liberal, and, I think, also his
dais. to have made a cousinanication to me to that effect.
s'amed t... n have heea enabled to have guarded in some inea-
sore ag...ist his attack spoil my character, on his arrival in
Lagland. l scarcely need observe in this Court, that how-
ey nisiify courage ii to be valued in au 011eer, it is always
it onThlete use itt comequences without the equal exercise of
judgment and discretion; it being the duty of a Commander
lot soda to dests .y ills enemy, but to accomplish that destruc-
tion with lit lea t pinsible lea as his part ; submit to
the CORM N net et there ever Was a service, which, snider
all dice nstaisces. more reqldredite exercise of those spell-
sin than the oee in Rotation. Tbe effect pro sated ea:ceded
my most smarm expettatioas; and, I believe, the empeolne
tints of the wh-it fleet. Tbelhoints under the cousideratiell
of the Court, appear to be the following; Whether the.lapse
of tam. uet went the discovery in the aiondog of tie terns*
• ships being on shoat, and theantack,, is as nut. tinder allacita
cuteisiances, absolutely eecesaiiri fur the ads:mopes, brio e-
• pijabwees of the intended senieet.---wbettier it was not ray
tints, a- Connaaauer in Chief, AO be geversrd,by.a veers&
view of the whole of those eircismistaare... rather tha s yield
to the saggestioas of out., and that a very illeier Meer • —and I
whether an earlier attack would have hem attended with
&patter advantag, short, was there nut accomplished.