The Statesman.
London, England, 1809-12-06 00:00:00

tended u an
cnnntry in
of the Emperor
with severil
sailing, con
taking of
tirdid for
tion at once,
noble persons

great armamen 'of Ping
to sea, an Baronet. (Sir Curtis)y
could give them the best account (a loud laugh).'
This armament was, be believed, the greatest ever
sent out from this country. Its object was gene.•
rally supposed, even on the authority of thine
who were believed to know something about it,,
to be certain of attainment. He might venture to
say, that it contained nearly 100,000 armed
tish subjects, soldiers and sailors. He hid re.
calved some information on those points, which'
he had good reason to think authentic, and'
he would (though it was a lower statement than
what had been given out, and had been made is
publications stated to be written by Officers on the
spot) take the military land force at 38,000 men.
Of these not more than 5 or 6000 men were ac-
tually necessary for the attack on Flushing on
the land side. He then made an enumeration, by
classes of the line of battle and other ships of
war ; the immense number of transports, &c. which
were actually engaged in the naval department of
this most extraordinary and gigantic Expedition,
and declared his belief, that a statement he had re-
ceived of the hostile force then in a situation to
oppose us, was one similar to what had, previously
to the Expedition, been pot into the hands of the
Government itself. Indeed, no one could suppose
that any Government would send out such an
Expedition without some considerable informa.
tion as to the state of the country in which it was
destined to act. As therefore his statement of the
enemy's strength was low, hc was acting fairly
towards the Administration in mentioning it, as
that formed, f o far, a justification for them in
sending it. He believed that the most part of
their force was composed of parts of Colonial
Regiments, 'is. 'of regiments of men that bad
deserted, bee. from others, and were destined for
Colonial service, or for the time to this service ie•
Holland, as a sort of Botany Bay ; also sp, Its.
lions, Dutch, and a. part of an Irish bri:Pde. He
mentioned the different numbers in thenouss
forts and towns, not amountieg in all to more
than Bor 9000 men, and said, that after taking
Flushing, and subsequent delays, there were not
more than 18,000 men. If Flushing only were the
object, there was no necessity for this numerous
and costly armament. If Antwerp was to be
Viten, and the ships there captured or destroy.
ed, what kind of a defence, or even of excuse,
had yet betas made for the delays which terminat.
ed in a statement that the great object of the
armament was impractible ? He then contrasted
the conduct and the opinions, as recorded, of the
military and naval branches of the expedition. He
never knew iadeed, that my Lord Chathanshad ever
before been entrusted, even as a Cabinet .31i-
mister, with the command of a great military
force. He paid high compliments to the British
navy, and to Sir Richard Strachaa's character for
experience and valour, from whose dispatches he
read extracts, which, he contended, chewed that
a different sense was entertained by the navy of
the practicability of our efforts, from that which
the Commander in Chief appeared to entertain.
The Admiral states, that he had, " in the most
suqualified manner, offered every naval assistance
to reduce the fortresses, and also in aid of every
other operation of the army." It was also stated
by the gallant Admiral, in a former part of his
dispatch, that he bad communicated with his
Lordship on the 2,4 th August, and found that he
had not come to a determination, on account di
the increased forces of the enemy, and the army
getting sickly, " and that de had sent for the
Generals to consult." Here Mr. Waithmais con.
tended, that it alas barely possible not to' sup.
pose that the Naval Commander was laughing
at the Military Chief. At last all this splendid
and costly preparation of warfare ended in com.
ing away without attempting tba attainment of the
great object for which it was intended, and with
only the precarious possession of Flushing, where
our army was to encounter the fogs, and damps,
and disorders of Holland; and which required
nut a third part of the expedition seat out. Could
any man say, that this did nut most imperiously
Jo/nand of the people of this country, and ape.
of the City of London, every constitutional
measure, by which a fair and full inquiry could
lie made into the merits of the whole of it, from
the beginning to the end ? Probably, this dis.
graceful and calamitous Expedition had already
cost this ill.usedcountry not less than 8,000,0001. '
of Diener, and six thousand of our 11108, without
reckotsing those who arc suffering or dying of the
diseases to which they have been thus improvidently
subjected. Could the people of England imosq
bear this wasteful and profligate expeeditonmtlimit
treasure and loss of their blood ? If they could do
so, they were already fit to become slaves. He
might express his sentiments sometimes with mono
freedom than prudence; but it was not ifs
his character, or his habits, to conceal his senti-
ments on any public subject, whatever might be
the manner in which he expressed them. The
whole result was the most disgraceful that could be.
well imagined; and yet, no inquiry had been-in.
stituted ; nothing like even the shadow of an its.
quiry had been mentioned by the friends of Govern_
meat. lie could not conceive how the Master
of the Ordnance, a Cabinet Minister, a Com-
mander in Chief, like the Earl of Chatham, could
bear even the ihfcrence that must be drawn
from the letter of Sir Richard Strachan.. Was
that Court to be intimidated into such mcauncss
such baseness, as not to address the Throne lest
they should be again told, '" The interposition of
the City of London" was unnecessary and imper.
tinent? Ile felt deeply that such a train of ill.
successes called upon them to do their duty to
the Country and to the King. After suffering so
much, he yet hoped, that they were not reduced
altogether; and broken down in spirit, and become
indifferent and callous to their interests and their.

II effectual diversion al t *part of this
favour, moms Iparticulaittgid.the arm.;
,yeror of Austria., pollitelf,tocatneuteti
ty upon tke haecentmloiratitiness In the
tsidering the objects it bed iu Tie‘ra The
Flushing modest not in have belle
the sendikoartst the whole &wadi-
unless iti lies thought necessary that
out should loft a full review of this
anent at onast*.of witick, and its going
o Hon. Baronet. (Sir William Curtis)