The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-04-25 00:00:00

THE STATESMAN.

virtual accession to the Throne. If any such pledge
was given by that Illustrious Character, the persons
who had communicated it to the Roman Whelk',
had been guilty 'of a breach of confidence, had acted
with inconsistency and indiscretion, and ought to be
answerable for any consequences which that commit.
nication might have given rise to.
Mr. PONSONBY, though not lutending to de-
tain the House, could not pass in silence the obser.
rations of the Noble Lord, that the pledge o; the
High Personage alluded to, was au unconstitutional
argument. Lord C. had said, if such a pledge was ever
given, it must have been made known to the Catholics
only by those whose indiscretion made it public, The
Noble Lord seemed little acquainted with the sub-
ject; but whether he had stated this from his igno-
rance of the transactions, or the information of
others, the assertion was false and unfounded.--fit
was made public, not by indiscretion, bat by positive 1
command.—[Hear, hear!]—He, for one, and the
Noble Duke then at the head of the Irish Govern-
ment, for another, had it in command to make known
to the Irish Catholics, the sentiments and opinions I
of that distinguished Personage with respect to their
claims. He did not accuse this illastrious Person.
age—(recce murinurs]—he did not presume to no.
cuse that great Personage of impropriety and incon-
sistency. He might have since chauged his 'pinion;
but the assertion of tire Noble Lord Was without
truth. The Noble Lord had told them that he had
always been of opinion that the claims of the Catho-
lics ought not to be granted, but on condition. The
question now, however, was only for a Committee,
and the Noble Lord had not communicated to them
any of, those conditions he thought necessary.---
[Hear, hear!] •
Lord CASTLEREAGH still maintained that it
was unconstitutional to refer to any thing done by
the Prince of Wales in order to impeach his conduct
now as Regent. [Hear, hear!] Whether the °ore,
munication had been made from command, or indis-
creet zeal of the alleged pledge, appeared to him im-
material,
and it only remained for him to ask u hat
the Right Hon. Gentleman meant by saying his as-
sertion
was false ?
The SPEAKER said, the House certainly re-
quired some explanation.
Mr. PONSONBY stated, that he did not cer-
tainly mean the words offensively. He used them only
in a Parliamentary sense, and meant that wherever
the Noble Lord got the information, or whoever had
communicated it to him, it was false.
Lord CASTLEREAGH was satisfied, if the Right
Hon. Gentleman used the words only into Parlia-
mentary sense.
Mr. CANNING, in a speech replete with the most
brilliant eloqueece, which, in consequence of the late
hour intbe morning when he rose, we regret we
Cannotinsert arlength, supported the Motion, on the
ground that it did not ask for any unconditional sur-
render of principle. It was well known that there
existed in the very core of Ireland disappointments
and heart-burnings, and the question was simply,
whether these should be taken into consideration ?
IThe system.' the penal laws was not et a settled,
' but of a careless and desultory architql3wie; If a fa-
bric so erected did stand, it shewed that human skill
was worse than chance itself. If a proposition for
temporary arrangement was agreed to, why, he asked,
was that refused with scorn, which would give trim-
quillity to millions of people ? The blots in our code
of laws were to be taken away, not so much for the
relief of the Catholics as for the sake of clearing the.
reputation of the country. Ip the conclusion of his
admirable speech, he commented on the Petitions of
the two Universities, which he shewed to be founded
in a mistake of'what was desired by the Motion, and
ended with reading, from the Parliamentary Regis-
' ter, the last public words of Mr. Pitt, In favour of
i the Catholic Claims, declaring his entire coincidence
with that lamented Statesman, and of course that he
would rote for going into a Committee. After Mr.
Canning sat down,
Mr. STUART WORTLEY begged to ask a ques-
tion of the Right Honourable Gentleman (Mr. Pon-
sonby.) He had spoken of some instructions having
been communicated to him by the Prince of Wales.
He (Mr. W.) wished to know whether this had hap-
; poned while the Right honourable Gentleman was
Lord Chancellor of Ireland, and while the Noble
Duke he had alluded to was Lord Lieutenaut.

Mr. PONSONSY having answered in the affirma.
live
Mr. STUART WORTLEY said, then in commu-
nicating to the Roman Catholics what had been offi-
cially imparted to him, he (Mr. W.) must be allow.
ad to observe, that the Right Honourable Gentleman,
to say the least of it, had acted a more indiscreet
part.
Mr. GRATTAN did not think it necessary, after
the energetic speech of the Right lion. Gentleman
(Canning) to trouble the House with a word in re-
Ply-
-The House then guided,
For the motion
Against it

. -
Majority against theisoilist
Adjourned at Six o'Clock.

Sr, NtA ita.- Hails, et Ms Pubic Von.

NAPOLION is called to recollection, that his
object for procrastinating the war in the Penin-
sula was to exhaust our means of attack and de-
fence, where is the man that does not discover in
the military operations prosecuted there ever since
this declaration, a complete realization of BOWA-
PARTE% threats ? British soldiers have done all that
they dared to do, or that any other soldiers
! were capable of accomplishing ; but, alas ! their
ilimited number give us no room to expect
that they will ultimately prevail. It is said,
ani the expectation is very natural, that I the
taking of Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajos, must excite
a general rising among the natives to expel their in.
li vaders. We confess, however, Is hen we contem.
1 plate the past, we have little hopes of the future.—
!I The inhabitants of Spain and Portugal are as lases.
Bible at this moment to their wrongs, as they have
[been during the whole of the contest. Ciudad Re.
drign was left in ,their handsi after British blood had
been heroically shed in taking it. It is now known
that they have altogether neglected the defence of
that place. Badajos must also be delivered up to
them, because 41re-climate is too unhealthy for one
troops. What security then have we, in these air.
. cumstanees, that a fortress which has already cost us
so much, will not as easily fall again into the hands
of the enemy, as it did when it was garrisoned last
year by the Spanish troops?

By the arrival of two. Lisbon Mails this forenoon,
we have received Portuguese Papers to the 12th inst.
The following are their principal contents :

LISBON, TWO O'CLoCK, A. X. 137 n APRIL.
lima! Badajos is ours; it fell before British/1
courage, directed by British skill, between the hour*
of eight and twelve on the night of the 6th Init.
The particulars are not known.

9111 APRIL.

TELEGRAPHIC DISPATCHES, 7th APRIL, 1812:
Elvas, half-past two, morning—liadajos taken by
assault in the night between the 6th and 7th inst.—
Camp at Badajos—Lord WI LI.INGTOV.
ELVAS, FOUR O'CLOCK ATTER VOON.--PHILIPPOIL
is now entering with his Staff, prisoners—Victory.

&rig Aran*

ELYAS, HALF-P IST FOUR O'CLOCK AFTEttWOON.--•
Yesterday, in the afternoon, arrived here 117 Of.
fivers, and 2,938 soldiers, made prisoners in Bade.,
jos.—This morning P.HILIPPOV, and all the prisoners
set out for Lisbon.—( Liston Gazette, April 9.).
APRIL 10.
Yesterday we had the indescribable happiness oil
annotinciag the fall of llaclajos, after twenty-one
days open trenches, and thirteen days firing;
.aftei
•
contending for eight days against terrible tempeite:
wes weather, and many other difficulties. Lord
Ww.r.r.ruGrorr has, if possible, exceeded himself in the
conquest of this place: there are few examples of
conquests being made so rapidly as those of Ciudad
Rodrigo and Bleiltio6. The importance of this last
place is excessive : it covers the Alentejo, and is one
of the principal roads to Lisbon ; it will restore the
province of Estremadura, which is of the first import.
awe, on account of its fertility, and afford the mesas
of organising the sth army. Madrid, the centre of
Spain, on one side, and the Michrlusias on the other,
will remain exposed to be invaded, and the French,
will be in continual alarm. Its influence upon the
Spanish Government, and the protection it will hold
out to the loyal inhabitants is excessive, and will ex.
tend in its consequences to the mountains of Navarre
and Catalonia. In other ages the restoration of
Spain began from North to South, in the present it
!is destined to commence at the West and proceed to
the East.—(Lisbon Gazette, April 10.)

Arlin 11.

According to letters of the Bth, from Ems, the
assault made upon Badajos was dreadful. The
breaches were assaulted,and the walls scaled. The castle
appears to have been the first point taken, in conse-
quence of whisth the French, who defended the
breach, found themselves attacked from different
points, and were obliged to give way ; a dreadful
slaughter then took place in the streets and the
frightful cenfusion was aggravated by the dark:
ness of the night. It is asserted thatour loss
in killed and wounded amount to one thousand
:Aso immunised", among whearbpare five or six Galls*l
rats, all wounded slightly except one; some letio7
say, that two Generals were badly wounded, togs.
they with six or seven Colonels and many Officers..oi
It is said the French sprang two mines. As the 44,21
cial dispatches bare not yet been published, we caw.,
not vouch for these .particulars; all we know for
senates is, that the allied troops carried their valour
and boldness to the most heroic pitch, and that their
ateetion and sentiments of love for their immortal
Chief eve such as cannot be expressed by words.
Nothing can resist him; be will Always cnuquer,--
(Same Paper ' '1