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

line intercourse oil that gallant Gener al
were either defective, or he had not the
me'.hs to carry forward his victorious ar.
my-and what is still worse, two great Spa
nish armies, left to themselves, have since
oeen cut to pieces, while a British army
remained Inactive in their vicinity. After
such scenes Of calamity, their lordships
would disgrace themselves, if they did not
take such a step as that in the amendment.
lhe country AT large, was looking to the
result OF that night, and the house ought not
to disappoint its Just expectations. After
the experience of last year, they had no.
thing to expect in the present one, but in
creased disasters, if in the same hands. To
reject the amendment, would be only to
make their lordships parties to the shifts
and evaslons by which ministers sought to
get rid of it.
Earl Grey, in one of the most eloquent
and argumentative speeches. we ever heard
addressed the house at considerable leugth,
Never, in the. whole course Of his parlia-
mentary life. did he feel so much concern
ed for the critical and disasterous situation of
the country. The honors and titles which
ms maJesty's government conferred on Lord
Niscount Wellington. were such as ought to
have been bestowed on Generals like the
i!lustrious Marlborough. Those who had
supported the conduct of administration,
this day, spoke in TONE different
from what they had formerly maintained
lie congratulated them on such change,
and gave them credit for having resorted to
a chastsed and humble tone If, indeed,
after all the disaster and disgrace they had
brought upon the country, after all the rivers
of blood, and the valuable treasure they had
uselessly lavished, they had still unfeelingly
persisted in their former principles he
should have conceived, that the hand of
Providence was about to take vengeance on
these kingdoms, and that their hearts had
become hardened in the same proportion,
that their understandings were darkeued
He reminded the House Of the opinion he
had last session delivered, that it would be
our best policy to husband all our resources
for our own country. If any operation had
been proper ON the continent, ministers
ought to have directed it in such way,
as to form diversion in favsr Of the Aus
TRANS. That diversion should have been
made with regard to time, to place and to
action.--It ought to have been simultane.
Gus with the efforts of our ally it ought to
have been made in that situation, most likely
to produce its avowed object, and to be con.
Quoted with every requisite ability, necessa-
ry for its execution. The noble earl here
showed, how the force of Bonaparte might
have been distracted on the Danube, by
powerful diversion of one hundred thousand
men in Germany.--The detachments of
our army amounted to that number, and
they had been employed by ministers, with
out producing any salutary effects. Whate-
yer might be the boast of lord Welington's
Victory, at Ialavera, 1t was attended with
all the disasters and consequences of de-
feat. His lordship, at great length, ami
madverted upon the rash measure of send
ing. while the fate of Sir John Moores ar
my was before their eyes, another body of
troops into the heart of Spain Henext con-
sidered the expedition to Walcheren, which
was one of the most absurd, ever underta-
ken by any government. He showed from
book of Sir John PrDgle, that the Island
at that precise period, was more unhealthy
than any other. Besides, the professed OBJ
ject of taking Antwerp, was pcXt to an mpos
sihility for ministers ought to know the
great care and attention, the ruler of France
has bestowed OH the Notifications aud works
of that place that it is situated amidst for.
tresses and that there was, at the time.
upwards Of 1000 artificers employed about
the arsenal, trained TO the use of arms, and
also, there were about G 900 more regular
troops, which could, for Certainty, be
thrown into the town and citadel, in spite
OF every opposition. This could not, in any
point of view, be considered as diversion ia
FAVOR OF the AustftanS.
In reviewing the whole conduct of admins.
tration. he was called upon by the most
imperious duty to support the amendment
which charged them with gross and wilful
misconduct. He called upon the noble Wis
count (Sidmouth) to reflect that there was
corJius deficit in the whole of their conduct
to think of the thousands Of poor men who
had died IN consequence, whose wounds be
spoke the commission of crime. The noble
earl contended that the expeditions were
founded in bad policy. and had disappointed
the expectations of the country and insist
ed that diversion might have been made
in Germany, which might have changed the
face of affairs on the contlnent but we re-
greet that want of room does not enable us to
do justice to his speech.
The Earl of LiUerfooi defended tho con
duct of ministers for although some objects
had not been attained, the expedition to the
Scheldt had not entirely failed of success.
With respect to retaining Walcheren, it was
at the desire of Austria herself they had
kept possession of it limited time.-Spain
was in better situation than before, while
the French had last / 20 900 men in attempt
ing to subdne the country, and yet the king
dom was not conquered; and the enemy, af.
ter all his efforts, had not gained possession
of more than third of that territory. The
Noble Earl concluded very energetic
speech against the proposed amendment.
The Earl of Carysfort considered the ad.
dress as containing delusipo language as
TO the state of the nation, and supported
the amendment a. proposed by the noble Ba-
ron.
Lord EHenborough, from the Woolsack,
then read the amendment, and upon the ques.
ton being put, the House divided,