The Statesman.
London, England, 1810-03-30 00:00:00

*4

I

I


4

• -7

Bernal', a short time after he came into office,
he declared that whenever a measure of policy
was recommended to him by bis predecessors.
in office, wherever he could trace their steps,
it would be a warning to him not to follow
in the same track. In calling the attention of
t'se House, however, to what had been said on
the former occasion by, Lord Howick (now Lord
Grey) upon the subject of Walcherett, lie had
forgot to state that the same subject had succes-
sively occupied the attention of the Government
of Mr. Pitt, of Lord Sidtuouth, of Mr. Pitt
again, and of the succeeding administration, u
well as of the presertt ; and that after the most ma.
tore consideration, all idea of an attempt upon
Walchvreu had been abandoned (Mar, hear
by each, until the fatal resolution of the adminis-
tration of the Duke of Portland. The ,Expedi-
tion thus undertaken had failed, and he therefore
bad to call nowt the House of Commons to avenge
the public upon those Ministers who had sub-
jected the nation to this calamity ; but, above
all, upon that individual who had declared to
the Duke of Portland, and afterwards, for fear of
mistake, had gone to declare to the King, that
the Minister entrusted with its contleet was In-
competent to his situation. The Right Honour.
able Gentleman bad favoured them with an ex-
planation of the vote which he intended to trOes
and taken credit to himself for voting against the
resolution, censuring the polity of the Expedition
to the Scheldt. But whine was the merit in that?
Was not the Right Honourable Gentleman, in
iving VW veto, promoting his own defence,. he
?taring imen one of the prime movers and abettors
eif the Expedition ? but it should never be for-
gotten, that on the day when the intelligence of
• Lord Chatham having abandoned the further pro-
',..ecution of the ulterior objects of the Expedition
iMd been received—on the day when the accounts
. were brought of the retreat of Lord Wellington's
piny; anti that, notwithstanding the battle
of Talavera, it could nut maintain its position,
—on the day when we were informed of the
result of the foolish and unprofitable Expedition
against Ischia and Procitla, a result which any man
of sense must have anticipated—on that day,
, When the Cabinet was overwhelmed with an accu_
. souletinn of disastrous intelligence, and grievously
perplexed about the best means of extricating the
country from the difficulties in which it was in.
volved ; on that vent day the Right Hon. Gentle. Gentl-
eman called upon the Duke of Portland to fulfil
bis promise respecting the removal of the Noble
Lord, offering the alternative of his own reslgna-
. tion. At a lime when the Right Honourable
Gentleman must here been aware that the Noble
Toectl who had planned and conducted tie Expedi-
tion, must be.the must proper person to superintend
the =awes necessary respecting the retreat awn
.oecurity of the army, one might have supping" tbst
..the abight Hon. Gentleman would have some re.
gard to the situation of his colleagues and of the
country. Rut no...the Right.. Honourable Gen.
.tieinaii had nu mercy for coltogues : in the pur.
.suit of h 0 own views•of ambition, be cared not
what topharrasstneut he broug.Ot upuo there or upon
the country.

• " Rat, cold, wet, and dry,
" au coa:ead for mastery
" he threw Ch 9 191."
The Right Mtn. Gentleman sought the highest of.
teial station in the Administration, in which he
was disappointed ; and the intrigues that followed
brought the MarquisWelleslay into the office n hich
that Right Ilbn. Gentleman held at the time when
lie wished to introduce tkat Isluble Lord into any.
thee. When the Right lion. Gentleman had so con.
dticl..d himself, he was not bur riled 'at the vote
which he meant to give. On the contrary, he should
bare been much surprised if he could have been
tempted to vote sexinst his former colleagues'.--
The Right Hun. Gentleman had quoted some pas.
sagas from the Moniteur, to chew that Antwerp
was not in a state of defence at the time the Ex.
pedition saile'd. He hadalso told them, that this
town was the darling object of Bonaparte's atten!
Lion ; that it had been made by him a grand em.
porium of cummerce, ands great naval depot ;
end then winding himself to an hyperbole, the
Right Hovionrable Gentleman asserted that *ie.
third bf the Customs duties of France were cot
*eta in the port of Antwerp ; that so mail
eapport was derived to the tyranny of France
from that city ; was it credible then that Bonaparte.
would have left so important a plice without
adequate means of defence ? Antwerp had been
acknowledged by the Honourable General, the
Noble Lord, and the Right lion. Gentleman, to
have been the best object for the Expedition ; and
yet the Right Hon. Gentleman had stated, that the
Ante repel! were, pekhaps, the only people in the
ciaminiou of France' that had moot reason to bless
the accidental circumstances 'that made them
proliver wider ttte GOveroment of France. It had
, contended that the Expedition' 'had •effected
a powerful drvetision in (avant of Austria ; yet
the evidence ogee ej that. 4 could sew .11orrelett
to pretrial() operations. the evidence of Mr.
Iluskisson proved Clearly that the Expedition
Could not 'have been sent to Germany or Italy*.
for want of money. So* that after all it was only
Antwerp, and the arsenals there and In Wal.
cliereo, jar:Wiling perhaps the retention of Wal.
cheren, that could have been the objects of the
Expedition. What diversion could arise from
!inch operations in support of Austria ? Th'e
Right Han. Gentleman had asserted, that we
were not bound to give assistance to Austria;
when that Power had 'determined to make
an effort against France, it was evident that
site ought to have been supperted.—But, no,
the Rigtit Hounivrahle Gentleman, . still acting
upon the selfish policy, would direct the force of
Zngliri:l for British objects to the Scheldt, where
could be directed in favour of Aus-
tria. When the lenible cf the sceptre, and the.
military force of Prussia, had been wielded 41
Frederic the Great, they were successful in evert
part of Europe; anti it was nut the_fault of at
prussian soldiers, but the want of mind to tom.
;lids th,ern maim( Bonaparte,that caused the *mil-.
biletleAt yf thePreaslan army. The British troops,
(he brave British army, would also prove a, bauble,
batil y commanded. ioet tie Rt. lion. event. abstain