seemed resolved to atone for that rectitude | British army in Spain, until the force of by being exceedingly wrong in its applica- the country should have been called forth tion. The state of the case called for and organized in such a manner as to coprompt exertion, and with that call ministers operate with it, because there could be no thought it their duty to comply. The other chance for the security of such an right hon. gent. had stated that he collect- army from the danger of being overed the facts upon which he argued, from whelmed by the superior numbers and the newspapers. But here he was under strength of the enemy. It was from this a mistake. For it appeared that wherever source, that all the misrepresentations had he found his facts, it was only his argu- arisen, which had constantly appeared in ments that were collected from the news- the public prints, from which the right papers, in which they were to be scen, hon. gent. had taken all his arguments, and pretty nearly too in the same order upon the subject of the demand of cavalry in which the right hon. gent. had just de- by Spain. Unquestionably the Juntas of livered them. The right hon. gent, was un- Gallicia and Asturias had applied for reder another mistake also, for he confounded inforcements of British cavalry; but the the system of precautions issued by the answer that had been uniformly returned Junta of Seville, in July, with the arrange was, that a British army would be sent to ments made by the Central Junta, which their support, but that it was intended. that was not established until the last week in it should act in inass, and under a British September. Here the right hon. gent. commander. It was not thought advisable would, in fact, have had his majesty's mi- to send a small detached force of cavalry, nisters to act upon the recommendations to eke out the army of Blake, or of Cuesta, of an Assembly possessing by no means a to send to them that which "not enriched paramount authority, and in pursuance of them, and might make us poor indeed.” such a principle to send a British army to An army was to be sent to their assistance another province where such authority was when they should have opened a theatre not recognized. It would be recollected for it to act in. Was it any thing disthat, although the whole Spanish nation heartening or discouraging to the Spanisimultaneously rose in the same cause- ards to tell them, that when they should that, although unanimous in favour of the have called forth their own forces, or essame object, they formed themselves into tablished some general system of governdifferent bodies, under distinct govern- ment, they should have the support of a ments, each watching the other, and as it British army? From this circumstance was natural, each retaining its own au- also had arisen the various mistatements thority and anxious to draw to itself as respecting the delay of the advance of the much power as possible. From these se- British army from Portugal, as if that veral Governments communications were had arisen out of the circumstances of the made to this country. The first which Convention. The fact was, however, that applied for aid were the provinces of As- the Supreme Central Junta had not been turias, Galicia, and from Seville. The installed till the last week in September, question which ministers had to consider and as soon as intelligence had been upon such applications was this-whether received of that event in this country, the they should promptly grant the aid re-expedition under sir David Baird had been quired, or by delaying until the Central Government (the propriety of establishing which was at once obvious) should be formed, expose those separate bodies, unarmed and unaided, to the attack of the enemy, and thus prevent their union altogether. From this consideration, ministers complied with the requisition of the Spanish Deputies, and every disposition had been manifested to supply all the Juntas with arms, with money, and with every means of military support; though it was not deemed desirable at first to send out an armed force in aid of the separate efforts of the respective Juntas. The policy was obvious of not hazarding a

ordered to sail, and a communication made thereof to the Junta of Gallicia, and the Supreme Junta, requesting an order for permitting the troops to land in Gallicia. This communication had been made in the week, in which the change of government had taken place, and to that circumstance was owing the delay of ten days in the transmission of the order, which had been made the ground of so much accusation here. But if government had waited till the answer to this communication, and a foul wind, which would be favourable for its arrival, but unfavourable for the sailing of the expedition, should in the mean time spring up,

to delay the progress of the expedi- all literary men to contribute their assisttion, then indeed would there have been ance with respect to the best laws to be serious ground of charge against his ma- enacted for the benefit of the state, it apjesty's government. What animated de- peared, that the Central Junta was not in, clamation, or rather what animated quota- different to the amelioration of their contions, would not the right hon. gent. have stitution. But, if the suggestion of these produced to the house if the newspapers good laws was to accompany, or be coupled had taken up, as they certainly would with, a subsidy, he doubted much whether have taken up, the discussion. It was it would meet with consent, but sure he was, then unnecessary for him to go into a that the Spaniards could not but dislike laws greater length of detail, as the question dictated at the point of the bayonet.would again come under the consideration As to the question respecting the military of the house; but he could not avoid principle, whither the first landing ought to touching upon these points, in addition to have been made in Spain or Portugal, he what had fallen from his noble friend, and should only say, that it amounted to this, in order to shew that every change of wind whether, as the Central Junta had not been had not produced a change of councils, established till September, it was prudent and that if the cause should unfortunately or politic to wait from July till Septemnot terminate as all good men wished, ber before the expedition should have it was not the fault of England. The cause been sent out. Though his opinion could was in that hand in which rested the deci- be no authority upon the subject, his consion of every thing in the progress of hu- viction was, upon the pure military consiman affairs, and however it may please deration of the case, that the course adoptProvidence to dispose of it in the end, it ed was most expedient. If we looked to was desirable to know that no human Portugal, and considered that country and means had been omitted to promote a Spain as one and the same, we should be prosperous issue. The right hon. gent. convinced that the Tagus, and not St. Anhad said, that in affording assistance to the dero, was the point to which the British Spaniards, we should have met Buonaparté army should have been sent; others may upon his own terms, but he could not be more bold and enterprising in their agree in that opinion, because he could plans, as well as have more of talents and not think it right to rule the country, we ability to carry them into execution; and should go to assist, as a dictator. Though if the right hon. gent. would look to the we were blessed with a Constitution justly authorities from which he had drawn his dear to us from the inestimable rights it arguments, he would find a very bold plan conferred upon us, we were not therefore of operations had been lately suggested to hold cheap the institutions of other na- in one of them, no less than to land a tions, because they had not yet ripened British force at Bilboa, and to march diinto that maturity of franchise and free-rectly to besiege Pampeluna. If the right dom which we enjoyed; neither should we convert an auxiliary army into a dominating garrison, nor, whilst openly professing to assist the Spaniards, covertly endeavour to impose upon them those blessings, of which they must themselves be the best judges. In the last session they had all appeared to be agreed, that, in any event, (indeed in case of the success of Spain it was not of any consequence,) they should make it impossible to be supposed, that the assistance of this country was given with any sinister view. He had no doubt, if they should succeed, that the Spaniards would certainly be happier, and he trusted freer than they had hitherto been; but that happiness and freedom should be of their own choice, and not of our dictation. By a proclamation, issued by the Supreme Junta, on the day after their installation, calling upon

hon. gent. should approve of this plan, he was sure he would not have any other support for that opinion in this country, than the file of the newspaper in which it appeared (a laugh).-Another fault had been pointed out by the hon. gent, in the conduct of his majesty's government towards Spain, for having concluded a treaty with the Central Junta, which he considered superfluous and unnecessary, in as much as the previous engagements were to the full as binding upon this country, as any treaty could possibly be. In this opinion, however, he differed from the right hon. gent, who had spoken earlier in the debate, according to whose doctrine no engagements, contract ed upon the bare authority of the government, could possibly be as obligatory, as a treaty sanctioned by the assent and approbation of parliament. Differing as he

must from both, as to the policy and pro- | the practice to make particular mention priety of the treaty, he was rather inclined of any state in the Speech at the opening to the opinion of the hon. gent. who spoke of the session. But he had no objection last, as to the equivalence of the obligation to give the right hon. gent. every inforin both cases. But it would be recollected, mation in his power relative to that questhat, in the last session, the whole house, tion. The right hon. gent. had made it as well as the whole of the nation, was matter of charge, at least so far as he felt agreed, that every effort should be made himself informed upon the subject, that in support of Spain, and every necessary the late offer of compromise from the engagement entered into, that could tend American government had not been acto promote the success of the noble strug- ceded to. Yet the right hon. gent. seemed gle in which that nation was engaged. to state the case much more ingeniously Yet, whenever it became necessary to add for America, than the government of the solemnity to such serious engagements, United States did, having stated it as be(though a distinction had lately been at- tween America and this country, whereas, tempted to be made between a solemn and he should have stated it as between neua serious promise, a distinction of which he tral and the belligerents. If the case were could have no conception) that solemnity to be considered as between the governwas only to be imparted to our engage- ment of this country and America, then ments by the forms of a regular treaty. the difficulty was an inheritance left to the But though we were bound by our simple present by the late ministers; for the engagements, there were other parties complaints of America were derived from who would take advantage of the absence the acts of the late as well as of the preof the sanction of a treaty; and it was the sent ministers; and he wished gentlemen more desirable that we should in any fu- not to suppose that the Orders in Council, ture discussion meet them with, instead of issued by the present administration, had the sympathy of engagements, the so- been the cause of the embargo. It had lemnity of an obligation. Another ground, been so argued, hypothetically, last sesupon which the treaty had been con- sion, but it was now a notorious fact that cluded, was, that, when one uniform go- no such ground had been laid for the emvernment had been formed in Spain, by bargo. The Order in Council of the 7th entering into a solemn treaty with that of Jan. 1806, issued by the late ministers, government, we might by the sanction of made a most conspicuous figure in all the our recognition induce other powers to remonstrances of America, and as a promifollow our example. Besides, no man nent ground of the embargo. At the time would contend, that the refusal by us to the application for a compromise had been enter into the treaty would not have been made by the American government, there taken advantage of by Joseph Buonaparté was an order in force excluding British to forward his designs upon Spain. He ships of war from the American ports, hoped, that it was not necessary for him whilst French ships of war were admitted on that occasion to go farther into detail into them; and consequently if the terms upon these general points; but he must offered by America had been accepted, be permitted to add, that as these were the our commerce would have been permitted principles, upon which his majesty's ser- to America without a ship of war to provants had acted, and as these principles tect it, whilst the French commerce would had received the sanction of parliament, be excluded, at the same time that French neither he nor his colleagues would be ships of war would be admitted if they considered as culprits, nor as suffering un- could succeed in getting there. The ports der an accusation.-There were one or of America would thus become so many two other points in the speech of the nests for French privateers against British hon. gent. which he thought it necessary commerce.-As to the tendency of the to touch upon, the first of which was, the measures in agitation in America, he could charge of the omission of America in the afford the right hon. gent. some consolaSpeech. He could tell that hon. gent. tion, by assuring him, that they would that the ground of that omission was, that not have all the ill consequences he seemno change had taken place in the relative ed to apprehend. A circumstance appeared situation of the two states since the last by the Report of the committee of Consession of parliament; and he always un- gress, though clothed in hostile language, derstood, that unless some change of rela- which, if made known to his majesty's gotions should have taken place, it was not vernment in amicable terms, might have

led to the acceptance of the terms proposed. | ment, he could not speak with any corThe circumstance he alluded to was the rectness, because no accounts had been resolution for excluding from American received from Mr. Adair, since he sailed ports the ships of war not of Great Britain from Malta, in September last. The right alone but of the belligerents. The Ame- hon. gent. had particularly adverted to ricans, in their character of neutrals, had Sweden. On this point he could assure unquestionably a right to exclude the him and the house, that if ever the period ships of war of both belligerents from should arrive when Sweden could make their ports, but could not confine their ex- peace with her enemies, no consideration clusion to those of one of the belligerents for retaining an ally in order that we without a violation of that impartiality should not appear to be altogether desertwhich is the essence of the neutral cha- ed, no regard to national interests or horacter. Yet, when that proposition should nour should be suffered to interfere with be disposed of, the whole of the difficulty that desirable object. These were not would not be surmounted; as much would new opinions with him or his colleagues, still remain to be accommodated.-Ano- but opinions, which they equaily enterther point, in which fault had been charg- tained last session, though the hon. gent. ed upon his conduct with respect to Ame- would be aware of the delicacy which prerica, was, his having stated, that the sys- vented them from making the avowal betem would not be given up whilst the fore. But he could assure the house that smallest ink of the confederation against neither then, nor now, nor at the time of Great Britain existed. It was somewhat the overtures from Erfurth, were his maextraordinary to hear such an accusation jesty's servants inclined to throw any imfrom those, who last session complained of pediments in the way of the monarch of the orders in council as a grievance affect- Sweden in making any peace, that would ing America alone. Now, when the belli- be satisfactory to himself or beneficial to gerents were diminished, it was asked, his subjects.-Another point upon which what was the ground, upon which the or- the right hon. and hon. gentlemen had ders in council were to be continued; and animadverted with severity, was the terthe right hon. gent. upon a supposition, mination of the campaign in Portugal, that the belligerents were reduced to which they represented as disgraceful, as France and Holland, triumphantly de- if they addressed people who were called manded what would become of these or- upon to answer these charges, or as if his ders in council in that case? To this he majesty's ministers were obliged to hold had a short answer; if our enemies should any opinion upon this question, other than be reduced to France and Holland, why that avowed by the hon. gentlemen, if let the orders be still continued against such a view of the case appeared to them these powers. Put he would ask, whether, to be just. They had thought it their duty if, when the number of neutrals increased, to take care, that justice should be done to the orders in council were repealed and dignified and honourable men, and when taken off, it might not then be charged, the subject should come to be discussed, that they had been originally issued the gentlemen opposite would find them against America only. There was ano- ready to state, without colour or disguise, ther country too, in the state of which the the sentiments they entertained upon a right hon. gent. had expressed a consider- transaction that had disappointed the able interest, Turkey, upon which, how- hopes of the nation. The right hon. seever, unfortunately he had no opportunity cretary then congratulated the house of communicating any information. He upon the temper with which the camcould only say, that in April last, an over-paign in that house had commenced, and ture had been received from the Turkish government inviting us to a renewal of the negociation; upon which, instructions had been sent out to a diplomatic gentleman, Mr. Adair, then in the Mediterranean, to proceed to Constantinople. The instructions crossed him on his return, but he was immediately dispatched from this country. Of the effect which the late calamitous events at Constantinople might have upon the sentiments of that govern

concluded by observing, that if it should be continued in the same spirit, it would be most conducive to the progress of public business and national interests.

Mr. Tierney. I cannot help doubting the sincerity of that congratulation of the right hon. gentleman on the moderation of his opponents this night, but I hope that will not be any inducement to gentlemen to give up any points which are necessary to be discussed. I totally deny that my right