The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-04-10

them, to have occupied the care and atteu-
tioas OF whole sessions of Parliament, great
cr, COB knows, each of them, than any of
the questions which have, at any former pc
riod. occupied the attention of Parliamen,
all these, in my mind, sink to nothing, in
| comparison with the duty which you are
this day called upon TO discharge. say,
this day, because i mean to contend, and |
shall show you before sit down, that this
duty Is not duty you can put off, under a..
| my specious pretences whatever. You are
called upon now, at this very moment, to
D! do justice TO your country and yourselves
10 dojusticc to the memory of those who
have talent your country's cause.
! You are called upon to do justice to the
memory of those who have persisted ingto-
riously, inlenterprizes, the utmost success
OF which, could have produced nothing like
~ tob be attended with advantage. Enterpri
zes, which, instead of succeeding, or even
partially succeeding, have utterly ard com
Ipletely failed for that is the true charac
ter; that is the true description of those
campaigns, planned by his majesty's minis
tiers, which have wasted the strength of the
country. Every one of the military opera
tons, IN which our armies nave been cngag-
ed, have completely, totally and irretriev-
ably failed. And yol, ,forsootb my lords,
are this day to hear from the throne aye,
| and to be satisfied, not, as the noble Baron
said, who seconded the address, with an as
surance, that his ajesty will be pleased to
! lay all the papers, upon the subjects refer
ed to. before you, for there is no such ASST
rance IN the speech Of the Kings Commits
sioners but you are to be satisfied with the
assurance of the Kings Commissioners.
| that his malesty's ministers will be graci-
ously pleased to lay before you those pa
pers which they trust will prove satisfacto-
ny. have no doubt, they mean. in this ses-
slons, as ID the last, literally to verify the
assertion-they will lay before you such pa
Pers, and parts of papers, and extracts Of
papers, as will be satisfactory 10 themselves,
| and they may trust, will be satisfactory to
you and those, my lords, be assured, are
the only papers you will have. l trust you
ere not to be SO deluded was prepared to
have stated, but the kings speech anticipat-
ed me, that there was not one man in The
country, who was not convinced that the
disasters OF the last Campaign had not been
made the Objects Of vigorous, immediate and
efectuat inquiry. l am glad to see, that,
| ny sense OF their own situation, aud by d
conviction oe their failures, those ministers
who had advised his rls ssty TO tell his Cor
lporaton OF lonGen, that no enquiry was ne
cess2rv, have advised his majesty not to wait
! TIL his Parliament informed him, what the
! circumstances connected with those failures
|
lpapers to be laid before us. It is not posi-
bic thaS Parliament can meet without going
Into an enquiry On this subject. Let not a.
ny argument be raised upon that part of the
speech for though we may thank his ma.
/ Jesty Cor laying those papers before us, which
neither are, nor can be expected to be, TO
our satisfaction, yet there is not contained
IN the address, one single word to the effect,
that we will proceed to the consideration
Of those papers.
There is no pledge in the address, OF
cur sense OF that duty we owe to our Country
NO pledge that we will discharge our du-
| ty IN different tone from that 10 which we
discharged it last year. None Of these
things are mentioned in the address, but it
is a mere complimentary address Of ihaaks
to ms majesty, for ordering these papers to
be laid before US. My lords, beg leave to
state that / consider you viii! i'll discharee
your duty to your country and yourselves,
IL you suffer this day 20 pass, without mark
inS to his mejesty's ministers, the broad and
PLAIN distinction, which no man can be igro-
rant OF, VINO adverts to the considerations
which arise out Of the facts with which we
are sotatally acquainted. Isay that not ON
ly with regard TO Walcheren--not merely
with regard to this boosted attack on siocl<.
yards and ships, but, say, with respect TO
the campaign in Spain with respect to
very part or the Campaign, there is an absO-
lutte necessity for imme date, vigol Gus, per
severlng, and efectual inquiry say, if
| you mean to maintain your own character
IF you mean to be handed down to poste.
rity as men sensible Of your country's wrongs
| and II you mean TO prevent the recurrence
OF calamities, similar to those which have
been already endured, you will give to your
country direct, distinct not insinnated or
| implied, but direct, distinct, positive and
uneouivoCal pledge, that you win enter upon
those enquiries without delay, and that you
VIII prosecute thsm with effect Something
has been said with reference TO the clIarac
| ter OF the officers. do assert that the fail
lures OF our ornaments have been of the
greatest magnitude, that our losses have
been unparalleled, and that the circum 4.
stances under which all our military enter
prises have been conducted, are Of such a
description as TO render inquiry indispensa.
Bile; But, having said that, ! desire those
who may advert to any thing which NAV ia
from me, viii he assured, that am persua-
ded, that every thing has been done by the
oAhcers that could be achieved by them. -
L hat, with regard to some OF the officers,
more has been done than the public has adj
] united and, with respect to others, what
the public may seem to have cause to la
uent in their conduct, is to he attributed
only TO the orders OF ministers, to their In.
structions, to their deficiencies, and not, as
trust in God, 10 any of the officers or com
manders.
say this. because a rumor went abroad,
Al