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

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they not availed themselves of thalreat resources
of the country to engage in an enterprise of the
magnitude and importance of the Expedition to
Vie Scheldt, they might justly have been charac-
terised as fit andhereditary successors to all tho
torpor and iwbicility of their predecessors in.
nice.
Xarl GREY expressed his astonishment that tha
W.,hla Earl should anticipate any satisfaction from
the result of an Inquiry into an. Expedition so
completely disgraceful, so extensively calamitous
as the Expedition to the Scheldt, an Expedition by,
which the national honour had been degraded, and
which had converted almost every house in the
country into " a house of mourning." The No.
ble Earl (Liverpool) had declared that the Expe-
dition had failed in consequence of a departure
from the original plan. Why then advise his Ma.
josty to tell the City of London that no inquiry
was necessary, when, if there ever be a ground for
an inquiry into the conduct of any enterprise, a de.
parture from the original plan upon which the ea.
tcrprise was undertaken must be that ground ?---r
The Noblellarl had then stated the difficulty of,
instituting an inquiry its a case la which the mill.
tary and naval services were combined ; and in
which different Courts mast necessarily be resort.
ed to, To this objection he could allow no vali-
dity whatever. If nn the face of the original dis-
p‘tchea the utmost culpability had been apparent,
he would ask. the Noble Earl whether an iuqiiiry
• would not hair, been imperiously demanded, not.
withstanding its having been a joint service.—
" Bat," sail the Noble Earl, '6 the dispatches
themselves did nut contain any thing to warrant an
inquiry." The Noble Earl had, however, very.
dexterously omitted to notice the bearing of the
narrative of the Earl of Chatham on the subject—
s bearing, the force of .which had been se ably il-
lustrated by his Noble Friend near him, that be
conld not repeat his arguments to the House.
Lord MULGRAVE entered into an able do.
fence of the conduct of Sir Richard Strachdn,

which be considered as wholly free from the
slightest possibility-of imputation. lie bad been
induced to give the advice which he had given to
his Majesty on the subject of the Answer to the.
Address of the City of London by the conviction
—a conviction impressed on his mind by a must at.
tentive perusal of the dispatches, and which no.
thing had since occurred- to alter, that •no blame,
was imputable to either of the Commanders for the
result of the Expedition. He declared not-only
that he had never seen or heard of Lord Chatham's
surative until February 24, but that he had ne-
ver conceived the possibility of the existence of
such a document. He would admit, that had he
seen the narrative before the Address of the City
of Loudon was presented, be might have advised,
his Majesty to give so far a different answer, as to
_ declare that the result of the Expedition was in a
state of inquiry; for although he ieinceived that
le the original dispatches would be fumer a corn-
. pleteatiswir tb the imputations (far they did not
emount to oloarges)roniained in the narrative, yet
be thooseht• it would have been but justice to the
...gallant Admiral to retptire from him a counter
statement. It was this sense of justice to Sir R.
Urethan, which had imluced him, immediately on
his having !seen made acquainted with the existence
of Lord Chatham's narrative (even before he bad
himself read it), to apprise Sir R. Strachen of the
circumstance, although the rapidity( with which
the narrative was moved fur, amid produced in the ,
_House of Commons, would not permit him to
send a copy of it to the gallant Admiral.
Adverting to Sir Richard Straelian's• Letter,
bracing the date of the 27th of August, he de-
_clued, that in his opinion it by no means boils the
.characte: of accusation of the military department
of the expedition with. which it had been charged.
it simply declared-the readiness of the navy to
proceed ; at the tante time allowing that the ques-
,tion of procedure was purely a mllitaryone. He
. would repeat what be had said on the first day of
the Session, that in his opinion the want of suc-
cess was not attributable to any one. It chiefly
arose from the adverse winds and unfavourable
.weather, causes over which it was impossible to
.steititain any .cont reel. Ile declared the anxiety
which he always felt to maintain the character of
the.gallent officers in that department of the ser-
Nice. user which he had the honour to preside; and
he confessed that the narrative of Lord Chatham
,(the presentation of which to his Majesty was
certainty spa-irregular proceeding) had created to
him a personal inconvenience, by putting him-on
bid defence to the brave and distinguished officer
ho bad the command of the naval brancleof the
Nepedition, and by putting bins an his defence to
that house. Not conceiving, however, that the
Noble Marquis bid urged any just grounds for
ilia motion, ho should give it his decided nega-
tive. w.
Tho E. ,T of DARI4LEr declared he could no:
ys speak ;of lbw disgraceful Expedition to the
Schelde, but with indignation, sorrow, and dig_
gust ; tlsrei *aught, that nothing abort of the rer,
moral of tits prqsaitt. Ministers could rescue the
country from diem and disaster, or Cave it
from even tua I. destwaction.-
Lori, (OLEN VILLE was glad to hear the able
defence made by the Noble Lord (Mulgrave) in
behalf of thet gallant Admiral, Sir.ltichard Sere,
clean, upon whom so match blame had been cast
by the Noble General. Ceribialy in that defence;
the Noble Lord acted but rightly ; and indeed it
would hue been impossible fur any man, filling
such a situetioa as he did, .nut to bit tuitions that'
the honour and the unsullied. elseracted ad the
;levy should escape unjust imputatios: .Nu men,
he believed, could possibly entertain any doubt tw-
o!' the subject, that, with this Narrative•orpouno.
nicatad to him, it was not necessary to go into
inquiry, in order to ascertain whether. or.
11.0 t the charges of shame imputed to the Gallant'
Admiral and the Navy were well feuded. Is
:us opinion the Noble Lord seemed to center, it
,laeot opposition to the Noble Secretary of Stitt.
Safe he was Olt it would be quite impossibloOur
/IN Noble Secretary of State to recommend his
`NFriesty to give the iloswer be did to the City of
jelsay:outf be bad beets aware of the contents of
tap Gegread.s narrative. He blamed Mi..)
Ili pfrn Oelottnitted 'vino impart, be.