The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-01-09 00:00:00

" PORTO, Dec: 18.

" Not a word of news from the army—all is quiet. A large
quantity of musket., clothing, and Mores have been sent from
comma, for the use of the Galliciaa Army."
" MONTE VIDEO, Atm. 11.

gmenexn, Geir al of the rebel army, besieging this place,
"ever ay seat sih a flag of truce the Intendant of his army,
p .t. A. CILLXF IVA, who was received without the city by our
6 ,verror. The object of his nii;nion appeared to be to inspire us
• mittrust fit our worthy Allies the Portagnese, whom this
• ~,,ary of the en-my represented as men coining as auxiliaries,
via.) would themselves be our masters. He added great false-
bloc, respecting the Peninsula, assuring us,.that if it was not al-
ready 'obligated, it would soon be so, which so roused the
Governor, that he put as cod to so useless a eadereace."—(Re-
_,azter Corti-40

The more we contemplate the manly conduct of . I
Sir FRANCIs BURDETT in the course which he pur- 1
vied in the House of Commons on Tuesday evening, '
the more are we constrained to admire his indepen-
dent and patriotic principles. It was indeed a '
triumph which he obtained over the satellites of a I
proeigate Government, worthy of being recorded in '
the heart of every true friend of Liberty. The ob. ; 4
ject which Ministers have always in view, by taking I
tae lead in moving Addresses in both Houses of Par. 1
liament is, that these Addresses may be entered on '
the public Journals, and be thereby handed down '
to posterity as unqualified declarations, that the '
measures they were -pursuing, met the 'wishes
of the Representatives of the People, and, of , I
coarse, the approbation of the people them- '
selves ; while any opposition of the Members which i 1
merely appears from the Newspapers of the day, ! I
would not be regarded as of much importance.— , '
This is the true secret of Ministers always arrogat- ! '
ing to themselves the right in question ; but it is a ' '
a privilege which they have no title to assume ; and, I
in the instance before us, the worthy Baronet has '
rendered an important service to his country, by '
bringing forward an Address, not an echo of the
Speech, but exhibiting a faithful picture of the state , '
of the country, which it was the object of all pre- : I
vious Addresses to disguise. Although the present 1
Address did net meet with the support of more than
two independent Members of the House, it will ne-
vertheless stand on its Journals, and will, we are : I
persuaded, be resorted to at no very distant period, as ! '
a proof that there was, in these awful times, some , '
individuals to be found in our National Assembly,who '
I
had courage to oppose the torrent of general corrup. 1 i
tion which, in the prophetic language of Sir FRAN- II
CIS, must ere long involve the country in utter
ruin, if a barrier is net speedily set op against it.— ! '
The facts which the Address records, will also be
appealed to as evidence of the folly and ignorance of '
Ministers, in prosecuting a contest which must be I
attended with such fatal consequences. That they i
view the advantage obtained by Sir Famects Bun-
DM in this light, is evident from the way in which i
it has been taken up by the Journals under their inn-
mediate influence :---iii yesterday formed the leading
feature in the political disquisition of the Post—
every other topic was regarded by the Editor of that
Paper of minor importance, when compared with an
occurrence which not only overwhelmed the WEL-
I.Estrv's and the PERCEvAL'S with consternation;
but called forth expressions indictive of the deepest
hatred and malice against the worthy individual who
'has so successfully defeated their views. His Ad-
dress is denominated a " studied satire upon the
whole of his MAJUTY's venerated reign ;" and the
patriotic Conduct of the Honourable Baronet, is ;
sagaciously compared to " that of the ass in the I
fable towards the dying lion." The Courier, on
the other hand, affects to be jocose on the occasion,
as if jocularity were sufficient to convince the na-
tion that we are happy and flourishing. But who
does not discover in all this the chagrin and disap.
pointment which PERCEVAL and Co. feel at the
worthy Baronet having, in the discharge of a para-
mount duty to his country, so effectually exposed
the profligacy and cupidity of Government ? It is
indeed a mere farce to hear these hireling writers
attribute the conduct of Sir Fiume's, to an inimical
disposition towuirds the person of his MAJESTY.—In
detailing the misfortunes which have been brought
upon the country, the Honourable Baronet very na-
turally makes use of the expressions, " during his
present MeJerry's reign," to fix the period of which
be speaks. Ile could not do otherwise ; but in the
bitterne3s of their hearts, at such an exposure
being put upon the national Journals, Minis-
ters attempt to bring down the public odium
their own conduct merits, upon the head of Sir
Fawn's, by holding his up as an enemy to the So-
'ereiele But they flatter themselves in vain if they
expect their scheme to succeed ; for the whole na-
tion, who will have perused the Speech to both
Rouses of Parliament, and also the Address moved
by the worthy Baronet, cannot, tell to discover that
the deplorable situation of his MAJIIITY is very
slightly hinted at in the former, while it is not so
much as noticed in the latter. It would be some-
what singular indeed, if the situation of his 3IA- ,
31-I r, who is universally known to be totally ince-
pc!)le of attending to business, should be held " the
To°,t prominent topic," as stated in the Morning
Poi, for the consideration of both Houses of Par-
liament. We will venture to that the sub-
. assert,
3”ct would not be viewed in that light, in times of the
most profound peace; much less in the midst of a
ruinous and destructive war, under the Governmar.t
of a junto, whose chief aim is to destroy the Con-
stitution, and enslave the people. These are the
dreadful evils which Sir FRANCIS BURDETT'S Address
se clearly and distinctly points at; and as they have
originated in a vita" of interminable warfaret