The Statesman.
London, England, 1810-02-09 00:00:00

Tag

Mr. WHITBREAD mid, he was glad to see Abe Noble
Lord weiso different from his late Colleagues. 21is deck..
Lion just made was most manly LA open, and tut happi tbsi
House woad support him, in celliag for such papers as be
might think necessary to be ptoduced in defence of his con.
du. t.
Lard CASTLEREAGH said, he apprehended alt. such,
pot;ser, as he should require might be produced, without any
prejudice to the public service ; and be wished for the must
an.ple inquiry and iroriooka lino. "
The motion was then agreed to. •
WALCHER EN EXPEDITION.
Mr. TIERNEY moved the Order of the Day, for going
into the Inquiry.
00 the qui.stion that the speaker do leave the Chair,
Mr. YORKE elide his Qua! motion fur the czclusiee of
strangers, and the Gallery war cleared.

HOUSE OF GOUNONS.

• MINUTES .OF EVIDENCE
Teiken before Me Committee of Me whole house,
appointed to consider of the Policy and Conduct
of the late R;pedition to the Scheldt, Fe-
braary 1810.
TWA& lion. Sir JOTIN ANSTRUTHEIT., Bart.
.. in tile Chair.

The Right 11*.Sir D4tzu DuNnAs; K.. 13. Con:-

Inairder in Chief of the iirmy, was called in.

Examine by the Committee. • .
At what time were you first made acquainted by
his Majesty's Ministers with their iutentien of.
sendine at, Eieditiott to the Scheldt ? It wee pa.
the 21d' of Maids that was desired by Ler4
Castlereagh lip mum Cahltset.thet .Wai to be,
held on the 24th, at •Darlingteo littaite.....,.on. the
ISrh of March I had been appointed Commence
in Chief.
What was the sta natore,d substance of the corn-
, .
meeication made .to ion by Liifit
It was to attend the Privy ttistool(tipturilic
ject of proposed Expeilitioe'..-iii:Wildiserei,:iiid
an attack on the Frenck...fleerthare; thMititig the'
:general information and pe that subject 'I •
;was desired .to attend," in bn asked. a gaiigtus
ibeConneil.
By ;he Privy Council do you mem *.
. ,
nit? 440; • •
•••'•
Did Toe,: to •Consecittence, 'tate**. tlitilt4thl
• •
Hale the goodness to relate ivhat ;ivied between
)rot, and his Alejesty'iMinistels, on.fhetdth, with.
tespent to this .Expedition hare 11-6%ifliilfail.
dun 'to that-effect, which I will read if 'I may ho
permitted, . The object was the. propriety eel pes.
sibility of an immediate attack on the 'bland- AU
Witicheren, and particularly on Flushing, anioli
'lite French fleet of nine or ten sail' of the. lint;
which was..at that time in the. harbOnr of that
place not in a state to ;wedged to no:* The at-
tempt was represented as from sissy considerations
most • desirebbs; .for the -Nihj lied then a large
4.l4l)Paabie.forcii.. and also that It should be made
Within a short limited time, depending. upon the
tides ; for it was to be apprehended that, 'on the
smallist alarm, the enemy„ would withdraw their
ships from Flushing, and carry Skein up the Scheldt
to Antwerp. Fifteen or sixteen •titOiland lend
forces were considered ai neseettairy for ape*:
(lop, and I was desired to statelltelhptch.
force could at that time be assenabbdt -• bit I va&
'not them enabled to do in this affitawitbrile,,.
witness was directed to withdraw.) v.--
The Chairman was directed ba. '144 pfetisip)ll
MO ask leave to sit again. • . . •
•-• ir L. • S
77*-4111010.:Nrit.Sir Dawn PONDAS, K.: 8..
Coriplaisde, in Chief of the Army) too Called
in. 1.
Exothined by the Contetiltee. •
Have the goodueis to proceed in stating.whit
passed between you and his Majesty's Ministers on
the 24th, with respect to the Eipitlition ? After'
every previous inquiry and report which hid been
made from the Commanding Officers at thAseveral
Stations pf the troops, •and from the well-known
shattered situation of the army after the return of
so large &portion of it from Spain, !loch a force
could not then be provided. Besides the very in.
different general state of health, there was net
one of those corps which returned from Spain
:whose cloathing, arms, accoutrements, and other
parts of militav equipment, were not in 'a Ms;
defective • state, and required tonsiderable time,
.tinder every exertion, to replace and repair.
7:•Dicl any thing more passletwiten his Majesty'l
Ministers and youraclf at that time relative to the
projected Expedition to the Scheldt ; and if there
did, • state what it was I recollect no debate or
discussion taking place, or opinion being called
fair; general conversation might pail while I re;
maineffalsere. As I considered myself sent for
to answer particular subject, I retired Soon':
After that was done ;"*lnsd as I took no nnteit at that
time, Vltava now no fartherleeellectioti of .what
passed at that meeting. .

period, being consulted tastiest to the expediency
of an Expedition to the Scheldt V. titillokro.
•
collect open the expediency, timt kat. a•gredt
deal of ctunmnnication, of course, with the Secre.
tary of State. after that, from•thet • 6214* tilkthe
Expedition sailed; I mean that I.never was celled
to a Council or a meeting., • • •
Was the Expedition suspended in consequence
of thadifficultiet you have stated in procuring a.
sufficient force ? Upon my word I Cannot say
it is not for me to judge of that.
When seas there any fresh communication upon,
the same subject with you ? From the Sfth of
March to the Sth of May, there appears.. to have
been uo peculiar communication on • the subject of
Walcheren from his Majesty's Government; I
mean official to me at Cetrunander in Chief; but
every exertion continued tp be made au& urged to
the several corps to eumplete them fir service.
What was the communication made to you on
the Bth of May, and by whom ? On the fah of
May, Lord Castlereagh Ipplied for the state'olthe
I infantry in Englendl and the date that each pat.
tgiioli might be considered as fit for service, a.nd in
&Vete for embarkation : on 'the 10th of May a
return was transreitted to Lod Cestlereijh of all
the hatfaliens now its:l:steam', with the elifecOe
Strength 4.esek; od the 120th of May, Lferci Gas-