The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-04-13

having been refused. no option was afforded
him, bnt either TO take the official situation
which he had then the honor to hold, or to
leave his majesty to he dictated 10 by those
who differed from him IN opinion.-( Hear
hear !)-Hc had yet TO learn. that, under
such circum stances. he ought 20 have desert
ed his sovere,gh.-( Hear hear -
Vie believed. that there was not a gentleman
opposite, who, il he felt the same convict
ON OH the point to which he alluded, as
that which he entertained, would have a
bandoned the interests OF his royal master.
The honorable gentleman had intimated,
that his maJesty's present government did
not possess the affection and confidence of
the people. He might, perhaps. think him
arrogant in asserting, that without assuming
,he possession OF talents and experience e.
quail to those of the gentleman opposite, he
did conceive, that his majesty's present go
vernment possessed. in 4 much higher de
gree than they did, the affection and con-
SdeTce of the country and that under any
circumstances, they would be better calcula-
ted to conciGate the general good opinion.
What were the occurrences of their admi
Distration, which were SO disgraceful and
ruinouss And first, with respect to Russia, if
the gentleman opposite had been i'll power.
instead of his majestv's present government,
could they have effected more than that
which had been done. Could they ascribe
90 his najesty's present government, the
conclusion Of the treaty of 1ilst +; treaty
60 which Russia was in some degree Com
PEELED, by the desertion of Great Britain un-
der the late administration Did the gen
:leTeu opposite seriously believe, that that
treaty was the result of the expedition TO
Copenhagen. OF that it would not have been
calculated without any reference whatever
60 that transaction The events in Spain
aiss had been such, as would have secured
the interference OF the gentlemen opposite.
as well as it had that OF his majestv's present
government, and probably that interference
would not have been attended with more
heaeicial effects. The present state of
Spain was Infinitely superior to that in which
1t was when the existing ministry came into
power. Even were France ultimately to
subdue Spain, she might hold the country
in subsection, but she would possess dimi
nished means of annoyance to Great Sri
tain. She would not derive any revenue
from her conquest, hostile as the sentiments
of the Spanish people were to her. She
would not be able to withdraw a single Sol
der from the Spanish terri ory.--'' But %
said the honorable gentleman, "the address
does not pledge the house to any inquiry
into the Walch-ren expedition. Undoubt
eddy, the address did not pledge the house
TO inquire into that expedition neither did
it pledge the house not to inquire into that
stated, was, that information on the subject
would be laid before Parliament. 1t would
then be for Parliament to judge, whether
an inquiry should take place and if so, in
what form, whether AT the bar of the house,
or in a committee, or otherwiset So much
had been said, and that ably with respect
20 the tendency of this expedition by his no
BILE and honorable friends who had preceded,
him, that he would not trouble the house
90 any length on the subjsct. IF the house
would recol!ect the state of the French and
Austrian armies on the Danube, the state
of the Tyrcl, and the state of the North of
Germany. at the time when the expedition
TO the Scheldt was concerted, he was per
suaded, that they would concur in thinking,
that some attempt Of diversion was most ad-
visable; and unquestionably, that opera ton
which had been preferred, was beyond all
comparison, the one which promised most
effsctuaIly to benefit our allies, and TO secure
our own interests The honorable gentle
man opposite, supposed that the speech con-
tanned an estimate of the value of the ope
rations at Flushing, very different from that
formed by his right honorable friend 1t
was not so. If the object of the expedition
aad been solely the destruction of the basin
of Flushing, no ore would deny, that the
end was not equivalent to the means by
which 1t was to be obtained, But did it fol
low, that the destruction of the basin at
Flushing, was not a very desirable object,
and one Of no small Importance 1t had
been said, by a right honorable gentleman
opposite, that the damage sustained by the
enemy, would soon be repaired. Now, the
fact was, that the basin at Flushing had
been two or three years in constructing !;
and it had been SC completely destroyed, that
the most able engineers had given it as their
opinion, that it would be much easier to
build it anew than to repair it., Was not
this an important adyantages Was it not
beneficial to place 2 principal naval station
Of the enemy, in SUCH 2 situation that it
could not be Of use in furnishing the means
Of annoyance against IS SaT two or three
years! Still he was willing to allow, that
this would not have been sufficient obi ecs
for the expedition.
But the honorable gentleman has accused
his majesty's government of sending supplies
to Walcheren, after il was in contemplation
to abandon Is. Lett be recollectcd, howe
yer, that had the arDistice been broken off,
instead CT beinS confirmed, the evacuation
Of Waclieren would not have taken place.
The right honorable gentleman opposite,
asked of what value the possession Of Wal
cheren could be to Great Britainf Though
he (MT. Pcrceval,) consented to surrender
ii under these circumstances, 20 which he
had just adVerted. he was ready to avow,
that he thought IL q great value. Whether
1t was worth the expence Of g garrison how
ever, was another question AMI, on com
parative view of the subject, that question