The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-12-08 00:00:00

ATATFSMAN..

his command in India—the next, after his return
from Copenhagen ; and six more for his unexampled
feats in the l'euitisula : so that, bringing his various
splendid exertions within one coop he might
truly be said to have accumulated the greatest portion
of national and parliamentary approbation and gra..
..ti'utle, that ever any individual had done before. 1141
I.srdship then enumerated the various splendid
vice
. ies obtained by the Noble Marquis, beginning
. h possoo, in which lie had opposed to him dOuble
th number of his own army, and enditig with the
ev --tuentortible•virtory of Salamsect : in the course
of • 'tich he had foiled and defeated all the most ce.
• lebrated Marshals of France who had taken the
Geld against him,—Masons, bonds (who was Mm.
self an host), Ney, Victor, Matmont„ lad lastly,
the King, and Jourdan. In *hurt, he had displayed,
in the coarse of four years, an uninterrupted series
of success, unchequered with any reverses except
ape of retreats, from which, when fairly and dia.
Ipeedonstely attended to, be might, perhaps, be en.
• titled to as much honour as a Military Commander,
is he derive') from the proudestof his victories. It
would be nimecessery for him to point out the means
of rewarding military merit. Be would only advert
to the means pursued by the enemy, which Wilt, in •
addition to titles of honour, to give cessions of land-
ed properth bat did not mention this in any way as
en example*, os to follow. lie wished, however,
to propose a nswardf which would he hottoorableja
the country lo bestowing. ma Lard Wellington 1I
receirieg. The Prince Regent of Portugal had con-
ferred on that illustrious General the rank of Field
Marshal, with the pay attached to that rank in the!
Portuguese army ; which, according to the informal. ,
tion of an lion. Gentlemen on the Boor below him,
on a former night, amounted to at least 80001. a I
year; but Lord Wellington, though he accepted the I
rank, had refused the emoluments attached to it, on
the disinterested ground, that he was paid by his own
Sovereign and country. These emoluments were,
• however, reserved and set a part for some years, in
hopes that Lord Wellington's delicacy might give
way, and he be prevailed on to accept them; but
when offered to him in a gross sum, he expressed his
surprise—repeated his refusal to accept them, and
begged they might be distributed among the Offirers
of the Army of Portugal, who had deserved so well
of their country; cot.toothog himself with accepting
the honours, unconnected with emolument. In
looking to the present transaction, he wished the
Nouse to view it in the light of an honourable remu.
. aeration by the country to Lord Wellington and his
family, for the most splendid and eminent services
performed by that illustrious General, and that the
provision should be such as would particularly mark
• the ooto4 of the llouse, and their wish to render it as
particular and permanent as possible. By an acci-
dental ottrorreuce of cireemstances rather extraordl- •
eiry, the Manor of Wellington, from which the
Noble Marquis had taken his 'Met happened to i .
at present in the hands of persons nne were stilling
to dispose of it; and it would be a theirehleconcur-
fence that it should be purchased as port of those
twit's, which it was his iutention to move should con.
'Mute the remuneration of Load Wellington on the
Mnt occasion. Wnder theu eircumaSarseas, he
d leave to moil* " That 100,0004 should h
testi} hi the hands of Trustees, to be iced but in
the purchase of lands of that value, to be settled en
Lard Wellington, his heirs, and successors."
On the question being put,
Mr. WHITSIIF:1) KEENE rose, and passed a
high enlogium on the character of Lord Wellington :
be agreed to the propriety of the grant.
Sir F.tANCIS BURDEFT said, that however
strong the claims of Lord Wellington might be,
.he could not think that they were much advanced
by the advocacy- of the Noble Lord or of the !lon.
Gentleman who had just sat down. The Noble
Lori had dwelt, with much satisfaction, on the pe.
cull tr advantages and blessings of our happy Con.
stitJtiutt, under w hich such opportunities were af.
forded of rewording merit ; but before taus praise
was entirly acquie,ced in, there were two cousi.
d. rations which presented themselves to those who
were appointed the guardians of the public pro.
petty—namely, the merit of the claimant in the
first place, and in the second, one of not inferior/
importance, out of what fund the proposed row
neratiott ought to come. On this last point he was
of opinion, that while such enormous funds were ice
the hands and at the disposal of Government, and
the amountof taxation was so great and so
complicated, as to render its collection in a great de-
gree impossible—while ell this was the cue, Minis.
tent ought to be ashamed to apply to the public
purs In the resources and the patronage they
fosessecl, there was surely abundant means of re-
muneration ; a• d it should ho recollected, that
when there was a general outcry against the num.
bee of sine-tir. 'daces. the ready and constant an.:
finer vtas,tluat the plat's in the lairds of Govern- •
'MN ellblettbefil to rtNiard time services performed
ht . 4.1 of the public. If i4is wore the de.
f firm could be no doubt that the funds acrid lig
fr in those planes should be appropriated as they
oeto said to bo. But there wits also another fund ou
which it would have been moro becoming in Minis-
ters to have drawn—he meant the Droits of Admiral-
ty, which strictly ought to be appropriated to reward
the services of Naval Officers, except where they were
applied to the purpose which had been stated the
other night, of indemnity in the case of American
catou,es, it. the event of a Peace with that Power.—
But when this fund was employed in grants to the
Princes of the Blood, who did not hesitate to accept
of them, and in other purposes equally foreign from
their original and proper dessitotios, he then thought
that it might also be found fit to apply them on the
present occasion also. With respect to the conduct
of the Noble Marquis who. was the subject of the
present motion, the Noble Lord had told them that
retreat ass no proof of demerit—unquestionably not
—and there were many histances on record of late
years, in which retreat had been conducted in such a
manner, and under such circumstances, as placed
. then. far beyond the most brilliant victoi ;—bot j
this was the first time he ever heard that there was
merit or glory in a most disastrous retreat Ile was
not perfectly sure thatthe military hospitals had not
le.ett abandoned, but from all that could be known
from returns, pritikte letters, 4c. there was reason to
10 twit' ti :at the losses incurred in, the retreat from Buts.
gos were not much less than in that of Gets. Moore.

su I Onlaillel, nv• •••• ••••• wlsr. —-•- _
or wounded had been left behind, except such as
must be left in all retreats, whose lives might be en-
dangered by removal, and he would not hesitate tw
assert, that no army erer took more time about a
retreat, or executed it with less precipitation. [Bear,
hear The loss had been very little, for there had
only been some affairs between the advanced and
rear-guards of the respective armies, and Lord
Wellington himself stated that he had not been
pressed in his retreat. The Honourable Baronet
was not more correct in his historical statements
than in his military oues, for it so happened that
the Duke of Marlborough had been granted 50001. a
1 year in 1701, long before the termination of his
career, and the battle of Blenheim was the first en-
gagement which that illustrious General had. fought.
The Hon. Baronet seemed to think that 100,0001.
was to be granted to Lord Wellington for the victory
of tialantasica alone; but his claim was -of a more
exteusive nature—it was founded on the devotion of
his whole life to the service of his country-7-net on
the achievement of one victory, however glorious
and immortal in the annals of British heroism. MI
claims were coeval with his , military career, and he
(Mr. H.) bras sure that the Reuse and the country
would agree, that of all ocoviions, this Wits the most
proper, to reeogalps and reward then.—rigenr,
hear!]
Sir FRANCIS 111/11XPETT said a. few- *ordain
Sir F. FLOOD ladled lard Wellington the Or*

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Lord W•lii-gton
Mane Generals whom fewil Wellington
• •a, kit um, Marment N • •
INAAINIMINPAUNAPINNIESIMIN- .
[Score
mormaril In sheet, it was, perhaps, a and ;leg of. holand, and the protector of this cootie;
fie-rs- time.' (s; l'au jour
la ln'at' 'lie
Kil;
h-----eti
weskit sum : that it was a maiden grant, and oeglit wnihgohntif,orbytto.t-
more happy remit in one point of view, taut not try. He said the grant should have been doublere. remitter
and though It did not amount to 1
to be vigorously execisted.—p lough:1-11e ap. h bye, his Lordship had .
'" more
ab ss
plaudod the circumstance of the money hatcrouned bile'
oolitinteasisoirteherof ;of demerit, it &feted no Wand
--ng vested might well have suppnsed that
for a Parliamentary claim. With regard to the bats
do of Salanianca itself, them were many military 10 land Hither than in Personality, by which meatte'eleid, wined have roused &Jain hi,
tis entrance into Zia.
Min of to mead reelitafloti, with *heat he had con. (be said) we mightg have a Wellington House as well 'venal epanisit nation ; inged, _, e spirit of the lute
erred, who were of opinions that it ought never
to as il Marlboro
uh House. gave to en address from tint city,
i 1 the first nem • I
...r se
Imre been fought ; and he weted like to know the ; • Mr. PRO ell EROE (in his first speech) said he rent plainly diet he expected he told .
them
rood consequemes which had reed r
should
~tnl front it. Then , Noble Hon. Bart, pertain onetime, than theyfrom them •
more ink
eo • • throu h their militate/ d tail • but he that W
witheespeet to the siege of Bulge/est was a wettest, g .e s , must sty,jj had hitherto made
hen be afterwards advanced to the 1
weldor it was a pieessof gorA miltary conduct to .he thought the Hon. Baronet had been guilty of the gos, he might have fairly colcuiateda attack
en if !lir.
have attacked it, and wheelie r the failure in that in- indiscretion which he falsely charged on the Marquis possessionofthat r on e.eae :
fortress ; but des dil*
' Wellington--he had made an attack
stance proceeded front want of skill in Lord Wet. where there was snide regular breaches, theyolo he lee
breech:— Hear hear !]--lied —Had lion. Baronet
liugton, or from the positive command of Ministers, :no . [ ~ ,i thes, were so Icri,ll e.r. pd
and seek powerful 'armies beget to press o'eutese"
who might have desired it io he attacked, contrary : considered the subject with more &Meredith, he that it became necessary for him to fill u-
i'll
to the opinion of Lord Wellington ? Indeed, that ; might have seen, that there may be a bold advance certainly hid in the coulee of this ra back. lie
General had said, in ono of his dispatches, that he ; withoutrashness,and a skilful retrest wi.:houtdisgmee. Spa in a great opportunity of tankingruNign all.°l.de4
had little hopes of succeeding at Burgos ; and again, [Near, hear !]—He thought the House should cheer- , its own cause. Hecould exerts-ins in
not eg et with the N
he spoke of the groat benefit which would reselt from i ully agree to the Message of the Prince Regent.— ! Lord (Castlereagh) in the suil •' • oble
! success, as decisive of the campaign. Whatever ; Even posthumous honours were useful, and were paid I other night, put ieo the i oquy smelt he, the
mouth of that gallant Co
°Sleight be said upon the subject, there was us illtli3.• to the great Lord Nelson, as a stimulus to naval es-' mender, beginning with "My '' - m 4
. great genius." bat
potable success, nor such brilliant advantagts, nor ertinn ;but with how much greater satisfaction should lie believed that the Noble Lord had ,• 1 '
coaeueed the
, decisive consequencee, as justified any one to come .we be struck, if we could see the Nelson of the campaign with considerable military skill ; and it
down te the House for remoueration. He had no army—the man whose name, like his, may become appeared by intercepted corn • :
mummery' recd
wish to detract from the merit of I. wd Wellington ; the common appellative of a hero, living among us, other channels of information, that th " ll
but he count not help preferring that a similar line and reaping the honeurs due to his services, in the ; Marshals themselves, entertained an ee•eeirenicj
of conduct had been pursued with respect to him as munificence, the admiration, and affection of his ' Rion of his Lordship's military skill, from c'''-.
to the Duke of Marlborough ; for he would remind • countrymen t—Ufenr, h-or admiration,
hoped no ill will manner to which he conducted his retr •
he
the House, that after the brilliant Vie-10es of that would interfere to detract from that munificettee, and across the Ague& lie was convinced that army
General, the fruits of which bad not lode offs it todhelitish theembniriteg atfectiott. The II
',.to —on. Berle House, and the country at loge, were fullythat
the.
was not until afterthe battle of Blenheim that 'these lied tolled of the distresses of the country. Be him. , that Lord Wellington had pertormee great sensible
which be received were bestowed upon him. self had ample opportunity of knowing them, and ; services • and and if the Crown thought propermiril"
Ile had heard it remarked, too, of Lewd Welling- he felt as deeply for them, and wished as ardently reward ;hem with the honour of a Marquisate, to
ton, that he often got into difficalties, out of which 1 to relieve them, as any of those persons who most , House and vote him
the public would think it right toi
he was extricated by the valour of his troops; and i indulged in lamentations over them; yet he thought, I immediately the means of supporting that dignity,
as a rod of the truth of this remark, it might be with respect to those distresses, that there was a without waiting for the discussion of what might be
urged, that at Ciudad Rodrigo, the troops succeeded ' time to speak of them, and a time to forbear.— spared from indirect and precarious funds, theael s
by storm without a breach being effected, it mode of [Hear, lunar!]—And he was sere, that tie cermet. cation of which might form a subject of distinctle)in.
a.
attack of a most destructive nature to the assailants, teal interests of the country would feel themselves' skleration on a future occasion. He did not le
and which, in this instance, was attended with; insulted, if their distresses were broughtforward as the comparisons which had beet mid b t le
e e Ween tss
as great a loss to the. British as to theenemy. The ian obstacle to the present grant. Economy, both Noble Lord and the Duke of Marlborough. lee
same had occurred at Badajos, where the fortress ; ;event and private, was a necessary and steel virtue, of these illustrious Commanders hail stelicient me.
was t'ok'en Ist General Picton, by en atttck on a ; yet it could not contain in it a more noble or useful Tits of their own, upon which tleir fame night
point which had been left undefended, after a con- 1 feature than well-timed generosity.—e[Heer, hear !] rest; but since the comparison had been made,
sidorable waste of life in an, attempt to seemed at Lord COCHAANE did not mete to find fault he would say • that it was precisely upon pecuniary
smother point. The next object was the siege of with the vote which was proposed; bat could not points that the character of the Duke of Mare
Burgos, which, after several attempts to take the avoid taking this opportunity of obserdng, that in borough was vulnerable; whereas open these pet,
place b' storm, was relinquished, with the loss of many j hit opinion, we should have done betterby applying the disinterestedness of Lord Wel iegton was pre
valuable men and Olilcers. He eras as little Inclined I more of our attention to the attack of the coasts of redly known 'Libor, hear ri : and in those peat
as any man to detract from the martial fame of Lord' the enemy, instead of conferring it tit the interior he was a troy meritorious servant of the public.--
Wellington. and he would willingly have avoided of Spain. lt wits his intention to call the attention We were teld that some great Statesmen were some.
thellitstroeuction of those topics, were it not that of the House, on some rehire day, to the gene- where to be found who would have done a great dell
other Gentlemen, as little acquainted as he was with rat situation of the war In the Penitsula. Heine more in. the Peninsula, if they had been 1.. mike.—
military matters chose to go into them. It wee not , convinced, however, that Lord Wellitteton had done lie (lid not wish to see those conjurors in office, ashe
his pus pose to divide the House, but he it ished for ! all that was iu his power to do, he shmsld •concur in thought that the resources of the cowetry were Ai.
such a delay as might give time for enquiry into the j the vote proposed. ' : retie, strained as far as they would bear in the pro.
intuie and extent of the services for which so high al Mr. WIII.TBREAD said, that tattoo* on some monies of this war. The Committer of the exche
' reward was claimed, for on the whole, it appeared to 1 former-occations when thanks were priposed to Lord quer had, in his defence of Ministers, told the Rose
lam, that the affairs of the Peninsula were in a more I Wellington, he had felt as the Hon. Baronet (Sir F. the other night, that they had Ririe stewards ef It
hopeless state than ever ; and that if Lord Welling-' Burdett) had expressed to-night, a doubt whether millions on this ivar, its the last it months. eee
ton had never fought the battle of Salnnetnea, nor : some further examination would not be necessary ; as he was sure that every thing confulee to Lore
marched to Madrid. there would have been better' yet, on the present occasion, he felt it incumbent Wellington had been etepioyed wte judgment,
(Duetted hopes of success than in any of the sanguine upon him to express his entire approbation of the he thought a vote of 100,0001. not too sleets to se.
alculations in which Ministers indulged themselves, vote proposed.-6 Hear, hear! from the Minis- , ward his great services in this war. Re, theiefure,
•The Hon. Baronet coo:eluded, by nsoseweethat the teriat benches:l e. conceived the present vote as entirely meowed In the grant of to
sum roposed,
Modest eitould be deferred till after the hoWeeei. I not involving a generals eppeobetien of the pease* and thought teat it should be given by a darer vote.
The CHAIRMAN suggested to the iton. Bart. lempaign, nor any opining, of the general situ. r Mr. CAelfeliNee &aired, ehee 9,.. Abc.../J.i.a.
,Nit the proper mode watt, to move that he should . etion of affairs in the Peninsula at this moment. an encreadinient aeon the time and a waste of the
leave the Clair. , ; —The question was only about conferring a re. attention of the House, if sifter the opieions niece.
1 Mr. ROBINSON said, that the Honourable Ha- : Ward on Lord Wellington, for great and acknowe ; red
,the the military critice ins delitered on statec
ronet on the present occasion, as on former ones, ! hedged military services. On a former occadon, he ; sion were to attempt to do more than to hoe
had prefaced his observations be professing his en. , thought it necessary to put some questions toe Right
,fully he participated in the admiration felt at .or
tire ignorance of military matters, while in the ! lion. Relation of his (Mr. W. Pole), before he , Wellington's achievements, and in a seisee of the
; midst of this avowed ignorance he indulged himself ; agreed to a Vote of Thanks; at a period subsequent ; justness of that remuneration which had been pro.
very freely its military censures—the stature of Isis to that, he had not hesitated to express his dissent to posed. He was inclined to concur most cordially
I
censures, however, skewed pretty clearly the esti. , the almost unanimous opinion of the House, for a . with the proposition, not only on those grounds
motion in which he held his own military knowledge. ! Vote of Thanks on the battle of Talavera. He had which had been adverted to, particularly by aa
—Pear, hear !I—ln entnneratitsg the faults at. I thought, that, upon that occasion, as the lion. ; Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Protheroe) who former! one
tributed to Lord- Wellington by the great military ; Bart. (Sir F. Bordett) had expressed it to.nie,ht, Lord ; example of the acquisitions which the new Parlement
authorities whom the Honourable Baronet was in the ; Wellington had got into a great scrape, but that his ' had made, but on others of a more general nature.—
habit of consulting, he was erroneous its stating, that ; brave army nobly fought' him out of it. lie then, He concurred in it from a feeling, that we had within
Ciudad Rodrigo nail been stormed without, for the ' however, and at all times, was ready to declare his the last few years raised ourselves to the same equali•
fact was, that a breach had been effected, which inadequacy to express a decided opinion on military !ty at land, more than which we had possessed at sea,
alone made the storm practicable—erleaT n —the ' operations. When, however, he had seen Lori' and that to the individual to whom we owed .his
same had occurred at Badajos, and the circumstance ' Wellington's plan of retreat into Portugal developed, ' augmentation of glory and advantage, no remuners•
mentioned by the Honourable Baronet of the cue- .by the subsequent retreat of Marshal Massenn, and eon could be too splendid or too generous. No man
my's desertion of one part of his works, was the ; still farther confirmed and crowned by the victory of ; who looked back at what
t our
it militaryour p
been in the other, which only increased thethe judgment and military skill of Lord Wel- ; views and character, but must see that tholes
tits of Lord Wellington, by whose skilful as.; litigton.--r flear!)—lt had been stated, that military , the success and merits of Lord Wellingtol
rangetneut, a false attack had been 'converted into merit ofted appearee as distinguished in retreats as "we had become a military people, east the
a real one—Ulcer, hear, hear q—aud notwith. !in victory. It certainly must be recollected, that' by a series of achievements, each rising shore
standing the difficulties to be surnmented, and j many Generals in Europe had increased their military ; the other in grandeur, he had, although yet is
the gallantry of the enemy, for that he was ready, reputation by well judged and skilful retreats. bias- ; the youth of his glory, Revive:l for himself a re
to admit, the place had been carried.—EL/earsena had been highly praised by the British Cont. I nowt' equal to that of the erst Glisten% of his 'ge—
ed back
At Burgos also, the plates had been regularly invest- ; menders, fee his skilful retreat from Portugel; and ' [Hear, hear, hear I—Whea the House look
ed, the wall had been breached and mines d
eli beets ~ he had no doubt but that his master was fulls. ;to teat period at which our wareke preparations
of
sprung, so that no blame could attach to the gant , fled with his conduct on that ocetiehie. Marshal ' confined to plaits of fortifying the Thames littered of
Marquis for ally improvident wasfe of the lives of his 1 Nay, who conducted the rear-guard of the Freech driving the enemy beyond the Tonnes end the If se
troops. The lion. Baronet then talked of the di3-: army, on that occasion (and whom the Noble Lord they could not fail, not Merely tore'cognise in 11
asters of the late retreat, and of the hospitals being ; had spoken of as one of the Generals beaten by ; Wellington the tkcus et Womenrk, ns o ie. ell
abandoned. This fact however he would venture Lord Wellington) had also gained great military"; had not morels- formed e sch lit wbich otters WI
9 ~
I-
lialliir4lbr eh. iabelli displayed besiviai 0 a-tble"eiellottetrirget 4t4tmitreed emi Wittehim it/ irla Teed
s same time the
' casino. lie, therefore, was not at all prepared toe but to perceive in him at the,
1 glory, led the thunder of las
, say that Lord Wellington's recent retreat tarnish.; I hero, who, weilst he wielded
ties of allied and
ed, ki any degree, the lustre of his former Military;
,native lend, vas the tutelar get
...
' fame. Certainty, the British army had displayed con- ! dependent States, the protector of oppressed et
hear, op
pre
i rage that was never surpassed, at the taking of Ciudad I prostrate Powers.—Clieur,
1, Itodrigo and_ Badajos. Ile believed it could not be !picture which history would trace, for the
w''
' denied, but that the latter place was taken by Ge.
e
struction ref posterity, would unite, therefore,
neral Picton and his brave soldiers, contrary to any. the figure of the successful Cremnsantler, the atte•
ttendiee a giant°
<tiolation or expectation entertained by Lord Wei. butes of a beaerolctst spirit, e
... . ,
r t If the assault, however, had nearly
i ing on. failed, influence over recovering, thouelt fallen elutes. Ai
it wits not for want of breaches having been made, must admit, that by t . ,
he exertiott iu eitai.e. burn!'
.
her cot,Oitioll , a'
i for there were breaches, but it was in consequence I had been enabled ens reflect on
note
of theie breaches being defended in the most able when lionaperte's dition, though reties;
1,
e,..
manner by Phaippon, and his brave garrison. The retrievable, was enntentpleted, we had not outs.
...
llustration of the tit ter •I
success, however, of those attacks, justified the. dente of this, but an 1 ..
w: es conducted. le.
General who ordered them ; and if there was a great principles on which the war was
succour and litter:lee
waste of human life in carrying those fortresses in Wellington advancing to the
,‘,,,teeelL
-that manner, It should be considered that this waste se' ipain--Bonaparte marching t?,theinthe
di
ort
of human life had, perhaps, spared a much greater Russia, exhibited striking to
.
(5
%overe direct sl 0
sills which might otherwise have taken place in the objects by which the No empires .
.....:1, 0
1 ' ign. (Ileac, heur!l Certainly much prnise their mutual hostility. At such a mower, when,
swas due to the General, under whose command the use the language of Shah- !seam—
; ioble daring of our army had achieved those brilliant Expectation sits in the nir.
the pont.
And hide. a sonto (iota nilt limn
.t._
conquests. Before the brittle of Salamanca, Lord
With crowns, t"
re
crown, iota Cell Illth .
Wellington was retreating. He never had intendedrewards whiel
be useless to compare rho i
le
to fight that battle; but after the French Marshal, it might not .. . ,
vest an s
4 asittOprOing if OM COOil ~l,
Maemont, had been, manoeuvring in the front of his Bonaparte wa.
e eteo ments which Lo • 1"
army for two dila, the very first mistake which be Wiwi, with
tome
Purti e tjulnowledgmeuts e a I
made, was immeiliatety taken advantage of by I old iocton sought for m t
A lien. Bar ‘' 1
eful country. .oes s v
Wellington, and a glorious Victory obtained. The elite seal grat peed to be ,°
wish that the sum Pre
Page Lord (Lord Castlereagh) bail recapitulated the exprea

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