The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1807-05-05

fbip wiz fabfantiste. In July, 1905, Ircceie.
ed an account of the veal. Rate of the carlton
Of the Cape of Good Hope, and alto learnt that
Rrong fquadron was expected there from
France.
Conceiviax that the capture ofthis fsttlemsnt,
while II would materially contribute TO prom, ote
the intereR Of my country, might ike wife af-
ford facilities to the projected conauett Of the
Spanith dependencies on the Eaft coat OF South
lAmerica-whfch was main object in the mind
ct Mr.. Pitt, I immediately propofed to him
that an armament Mould fail without de lay for
the attack of the Cape. This propofai was &C.
coded to, and, in the courfe of few days,
received my inarueaions to proceed in the Dis-
dem, as commanding officer of all his majefy's
fhips and vrffels defined for that fervce. Mr..
Surgis BOURNE, then one of the fecretaries Of
the treafury, was prefent at the conversation TO
which here allude, and will corroborate my
account of what paffed on the occafion. On
the 2eb of July, 1905, ffook faai have Of Mr..
Pitt, evitb cvbom bad long concentration on
The original p,ojea sfan expedition to Somtb H.
n'eriea. Mr.. Pitt informed me that, from the
negotiation then pending with Ruffia, it appear
ed that the emperor Alexander was extremely
anxious 10 attach Spain to the coalition, and
that until that matter Mould be determined, he
(Mr. P't') felt delicacy in regard to the COM
RIGA; but that, as foon poffihle after fuch an
overture Mould have Eeen rejected by the Span
iih coNr', il was his hxed intention to enter on
the original project, and attack Spain in that
ditant, bnt mott vulnerable quarter. lament
extremely that any proceeding fhoud have
made it oecenary for me to ftate thefe particu-
lars relative TO the calculations upon Spaoifh
alliance, but the fault is not mine. Any thing
that ierres to flew the value attached by thofc
from whom derived my appointment to that
otjste, for :he execution of which am now
brought before you as delinquent, is manifeft.
ly proper and requiiite for my juffi6cation.-
From what have ftated, it will, am confident
appear evident to every meu Der of this honor
able court, that if the attack on the Cape of
Good Hope preceded that on the Spanifh fettle-
msnt, the privity was the refult of my own
immediate fugGeaion to the late prime miniter
1t will likewite, am perfuaded, appear not efs
obvious to every unpreiudiced mind, that on
my interview with that luxurious ftatcfmau, he
fully and unequivocally strengthened the con-
vietion which entertained of his intentions TO
follow up the capture of the Cape, by an at
tack on the Spaniih fettements for at this final
interview, MIR. Pitt dcfired me to furnfh Mr..
duikiiion with memorandum of the names of
the gentlemen from whom he was likely to OBJ.
tain any further information he might want on
the iubJett. Mr.. Pitt was then leaving the fe-
cretary's room AT the trcafury, to go into the
board room and Mr.. HufkiiIon coming in at
the other door juf at the moment, infantly
communicated TO him the fubftance of what
had palied. The veracity of this allegation will
he confirmed to this hon. court by the teltimony
of MIR. Huxifon.
| When this cEain of facts fha.I have been COM
pletely ehablihed by the concurrent depofti-
ons of lord Melville, Mr.. Sturets Bourne and
Mr.. Hufkiiion, it will not be necenary for me
to urge this hon. court, that on my leaving Eng
land, failed under the ftrongeft convictions
that after having fucceeded in taking the Cape,
nothing would contribute TO effeetuaIIy to ac-
comPliih the views of thofe mnfers by whom
had been entruited with command, as to ftrike
a blow in South America, before the Spaniards
aou!d be prepared againR it. In faet, as there
was neceili'y for the iquadron under my COM
mand to touch AT ST.. Salvatore for water, on
ITS pafiage from England 10 the Cape, it was
naturally TO be apprehended from the conaant
communication between St. Salvatore and the
kIo de la Plata, that every information refpeet-
ing the naval and military force of the arma-
ment would be tranfmitted TO the governors of
Monte Viedo and Buenos Ayres. Therefore.
under every view of the fubjett, it was mott ad.
vlleable not to defer the attack on the Spaniih
P@iieihons. Urgent. however, as theie conf
derat'ons may appear, they were not fufficient-
~ powerful TO TX my attention altogether on
the immediate execution of the projett referred
to-. Various circumstances remained to be
weighed and examined, but none more particu-
larIy than the original caufe of delay ifated by
Mr.. Pitt, namely, the anxiety of the emperor
OF Ruiiia to attach Spain to The coalition form
ing on the continent of Europe, at the time
failed from England.
Early in February, SOC, received accounts
OF the termination of the war in India In the
courie OF the fame month, ALTO received the
news OF lord Nelfon's glorious victory off Ira
faIgar. and the account of general coalition
agaInft France, from an alliance with which
power 1t was evident the emperor Alexander
had not been able to detach Spain. Towards
the end OF February, Danifh veGei, which ar
rived at the Cape, brought Engiiih newspapers,
giving an account of the fate of the Auftrians.',