the Spaniards would not accept our proffered assistance. But where was the question asked?-At the extremity of the kingdom farthest removed from danger. Supposing Scotland were invaded, would an ally anxious for our protection take an army to Penzance, and inquire of a council there, if he could assist the inhabitants? The evidence before the Court of Inquiry warranted him in saying, that aid was applied for, not for Galicia, but for the Pyrenean frontiers. Never was such an opportunity lost! Buonaparte had distributed his forces in small divisions all over Spain; and the natives, rising throughout the provinces, and indignant at the perfidy of their enemy, were competent to the utter destruction of these scattered legions. What then was our duty? It was to interpose 50,000 men between Spain and France, which, by the spirit of the natives, would soon have been increased to 150,000. This army, organized and disciplined as it would have been when blended with British regulars, should have taken possession of the passes, and the consequence would have been, that not a Frenchman could either have entered or quitted Spain, unless he had cut his way through this prodigious force. Then too would have been the moment to have called upon Austria, to have told her that her existence depended upon immediate hostility against France, to have informed her that the forces of Britain and of Spain were hovering like a storm on the mountains, and would pour onward in a torrent, to spread devastation in the plains beneath. These opportunities we had had, and these opportunities had been lost by the gross mismanagement of ministers."

In the Lower House, the ministry were attacked upon the same points.

"His Majesty," said Mr Ponsonby, "intimates to us, that the contest in which we are engaged has no likelihood of being brought to a conclusion favourable to the interests of this country, or of our allies, without a vigorous and persevering continuation of the efforts of the British nation. I do believe that his Majesty may have formed a very just estimate of the situation of this country, and of the rest of Europe, in so saying; but I cannot but lament how deeply he is likely to feel the disappointment which must probably ensue from the conduct of those to whom he has entrusted the councils of the nation. If his Majesty thinks that a vigorous perseverance in our exertions is the only means of bringing the present contest to a favourable conclusion, I do imagine that we can form but a feeble hope that the same men who hitherto have so feebly negociated, and who have so ineffectually conducted the force of this nation, will gratify the wishes of the country in their future efforts, either in our own behalf, or in that of our allies; for never, I believe, since Great Britain attained and supported its present rank among the nations of Europe, has its public force been directed with so little skill, so little foresight, or so little success."

In the same tone of invective he referred to the conduct of ministry towards the northern powers. "That part of the treaty with Sweden," he said, "by which this country was pledged to pay its ally a monthly subsidy of 100,000l., had been faithfully performed; for, in the expenditure of the public money, he believed there were none who would accuse his Majesty's counsellors with ever having been wanting in vigour. We had also sent an auxiliary force to Sweden,

-but either because Sir John Moore, its commander, had been kept in ignorance of the mutual counsel and concert of the two governments, or because there existed in the counsels of this cabinet neither method, system, nor design, that general, without a single musket being fired by his army, was compelled actually to make his escape from Stockholm in disguise. This was a proof of that energetic vigour on which the present servants of the crown ventured to plume themselves! and their detestable and fatal hostilities against Denmark had proved not less injurious to our interests than degrading to our reputation; for Denmark was now applying the whole of her naval force to a predatory warfare against our commerce, which suffered more from this single enemy than from all the fleets of Europe."

Mr Ponsonbythen passed to a more important subject. "In consequence," he said, "of Buonaparte's iniquitous attempt upon Spain, an opportunity of ardent hope to this country, and of probable deliverance to Europe, presented itself, such as we had not witnessed since the commencement of the French revolution. It was especially requisite that, on such an occasion, ministers should have been comprehensive in their views, and energetic in carrying them into execution. The first and most obvious question was, whether the war was to be conducted in the field, according to the system of modern tactics, or whether it was to be considered as a war of the Spanish people? By such a war, carried to its whole extent, the most powerful invading army may be taught that it is wiser to desist than to persevere in its attempt of conquest. One system or the other ought to have been pursued ministers had not decided

between them: one day they preferred one, the next day they changed it for the other; and having no system themselves, they sent out Sir A. Wellesley, without any specific instruction, or any directions whither he was to proceed, but with a sort of roving commission to do whatever he pleased!-He went to Coruna: the junta of Galicia recommended to him not to debark at St Andero, but to proceed to Portugal, and make that country a point of union between the northern and southern provinces of Spain. It was natural enough that this junta should be anxious to get rid of a French force in possession of a country on their rear, but how a compliance with their wishes could tend to the deliverance of Spain, was what all men were at a loss to understand. To Portugal, however, that army went; and the vigour of the king's ministers appeared not less conspicuously in its various equipments, than in its destination.-It was an army sent without plan, and without instructions; deficient in stores, and almost destitute of cavalry,—the artillery not fit for the operations which ought to have been pursued,—the horses blind and lame, and some of them even dying of old age! These, at least, were the statements of the general officers; and if the noble secretary at war was not satisfied with them, he alone was to blame for their inaccuracy, having appointed three commanders-in-chief with a rapidity greater than the relays of post-horses, -so that, of course, no very intelligent accounts were to be expected from them.

"It was impossible," he pursued, "to pronounce adequately upon the disgraceful convention of Cintra, there was so much of mystery and riddle in every part of it. The generals

said, time was obtained by it to forward the British army into Spain; yet that army was not ready to advance for two months afterwards, and some of the troops did not leave Portugal for ten weeks. Was it only for the conveyance of French troops that transports could be found? These the English secretary at war could convey in British shipping, to be, almost immediately on their debarkation, again employed in Spain; while, by that very measure, he subjected the British army, in a dreadful season, to a march of five hundred miles! We were now told that his Majesty has expressed his formal disapprobation of some parts of the convention, and yet his ministers thought proper to fire the Tower guns in approbation of it! His Majesty therefore," said Mr Ponsonby, "has a different feeling of what affects the honour of the country, and the glory of the British army, (and I sincerely believe it,) from that entertained by those ministers, who conceived it right to proclaim, with all the demonstrations of public rejoicing, this stain upon both! His Majesty protests against being deemed a partner with his servants in this disgraceful transaction, and has this night announced to his Parliament, that he has formally disapproved of it. His feelings have been in union with the feelings of the nation. The public displeasure was loud and general,-every patriotic heart felt the stain cast upon its country,-every tongue uttered its complaint. The city of London approached the throne with their sentiments, and a most rigorous reception they had met with!--The answer which his Majesty's advisers put into his mouth on that occasion was as little congenial to the spirit of the constitution,

as it was ill suited to the dignity of the throne. Ministers might talk with flippancy themselves; they might pun and epigrammatize; they might sneer, or they might snoutch,-but when unfortunately the king of this country feels it necessary to convey a rebuke to his people, there ought to be a dignity and decorum observed in the language of reproof.

"It was the duty of ministers to investigate, by every possible mode, whether they ought to risk an army in Spain, or confine their assistance to supplies. They cannot think themselves disgraced by a comparison with Lord Burleigh; and yet Elizabeth, under circumstances sufficiently like the present, did not hazard the whole force of her dominions, nor proceed to send any number of troops abroad, without some assurance of safety in case of disaster. She took care to possess what were called cautionary towns, and thereby assured herself of a retreat, and gained a safe point whither to send reinforcements, as well as a security that the United Provinces should not abandon her in the contest in which they were engaged. What had taken place between the Spanish and English government upon the subject," Mr Ponsonby said," he did not know; but it was stated in his Majesty's last declaration, that certain obligations existed, which were considered equally binding with the most solemn treaty. From what he yet knew of the matter, he could not agree in the propriety of any such sentiment. He should not, indeed, think of abandoning the Spaniards in the hour of misfortune, but he could not admit that the present obligations were to be considered in the light of a solemn treaty; for they had been entered

into in a moment of hurry and preci. pitation: they had not been laid before parliament, and were therefore as yet unauthorized by it; and parliament might approve or disapprove, grant or refuse the supplies for carrying them into effect. We were now told that a formal treaty had been negociated, which was to be laid before the House. Till that was done, he could not decide upon its propriety. When the promised papers were produced, he should be able to enter more fully into the discussion. On this occasion he had no desire to disturb the unanimity of the House at a future time he should call their attention to the disgraceful convention of Cintra, the conduct of the Spanish war, and the disputes with America. These subjects he meant to bring before parliament for inquiry; and having thus given notice of his intention, he could not surely be accused of making a factious opposition, in order to interrupt the progress of public business, without promoting the interests of the country." Lord Castlereagh replied. He began by recriminating upon the party of which Mr Ponsonby was the mouthpiece. "Whatever," he said, " might have been the want of vigour in his Majesty's present ministers, he be lieved the nation would not have much more to hope, if the reins of government should fall into the hands of the right honourable gentleman and his friends, who had given such ample proofs of zeal and anxiety for the welfare and interests of the country, by deserting all those who were then allied for the defence of the cause of Europe. The first charge against administration was, that they sent a force to the Baltic, to co-operate with the King of Sweden. Now this measure had happened to be most

critically opportune; for the Marquis de Romana, who was then in the Isle of Funen, distinctly declared in this country, that if the British fleet had not entered the Belt on the very day it did, his army must have passed over to Zealand, followed by that of Bernadotte. The expedition to Sweden was sent on the requisition, nay, at the entreaty of the Swedish ambassador. But the affairs of Sweden, and the petty warfare carried on by the Danish gun-boats in time of calms, were trifles in the present state of Europe; they were but collateral points to that great and overwhelming consideration which must press upon the mind of every man, as connected with the probability of producing the resurrection of the world. He was ready to admit, that on no former government had so heavy a responsibility attached,-that to no government had the wishes, the hopes, and the determination of the country in their support been more unanimously expressed,-that his Majesty's ministers had felt they had only to call upon the country, and their call would be answered with the utmost liberality:-They were controuled, therefore, by nothing but those natural limits to which all human exertions and all human power are subject, even in such an empire as Great Britain. Admitting, in the most extensive degree, the responsibility of ministers on this subject, he felt no apprehension at meeting the charges of their opponents.

"Early in the war, the Spanish troops were local and irregular; but this force was soon found to be ineffective; and it was not until they got a regular army, that the Spaniards were enabled to make an effectual struggle, and reduce the power of the enemy, by the memorable battle of Baylen.