The till the infantry could come up. enemy's infantry, amounting to about 1,200 men, though in much confusion, continued to march in column without halting, notwithstanding we were not more than one hundred and sixty yards distant from them, yet not knowing any thing of the 13th regiment of Dragoons, and the 7th Portuguese, I could not hazard the loss which would have necessarily taken place, even though successful, bad I ordered a charge by the heavy brigade, under the command of Colonel de Grey. The attention, firmness, and order of this brigade, composed of the 3rd Dragoon Guards and 4th Dragoons, merits my warmest approbation.-General Long manœuvred with great ability, and made the greatest exertions to moderate the excessive ardour of the cavalry, and regulate their movements. The valour of all was exemplary, particularly of Colonels Head and Otway, and their squadrons; and the only thing to be remarked is, that which is customary with our troops on their first encounter with the enemy-too great an impetuosity. The loss of the enemy was very considerable, not less than 5 or 600 men in killed, wounded, and prisoners. We likewise took a great number of horses and mules; in fact, the enemy abandoned every thing, but we had only means to bring away what is mentioned in the enclosed list, and some carriages, &c. were destroyed. We also suffered some loss, a return of which I have the honour to transmit to you. It was not my intention yesterday to have proceeded to this city, and I was only induced to do so from the prospect of capturing or destroying the force which the enemy had incautiously left there, and which would infallibly have taken place if our cavalry had not compelled the enemy to make a retreat so rapid that the infantry could not come up with it. After the long marches and fatigue necessarily consequent on them, I sent the troops into cantonments here and at Elvas, for rest and refreshment, and to make the necessary preparations for the ulterior operations recommended by your Excellency. Of the corn and provisions in the place at the time of its surrender to the enemy, the latter had not time to carry any thing away, and they will prove a very opportune assistance to us. The enemy left behind 8,000 rations of biscuit, not expecting so sudden a visit. I have the honour to be, &c.-(Signed) C. BERESFORD, Marshal. AMERICAN STATES.-An Act, supplementary to the Act, entitled "An Act concerning the Commercial Intercourse between the United States and Great Britain and France and their Dependencies, and for other purposes." Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States, in Congress assembled, That no vessel owned wholly by a citizen or citizens of the United States, which shall have departed from a British port prior to the second day of February, one thousand eight hundred and eleven, and no merchandise owned wholly by a citizen or citizens of the United States, imported in such vessel, shall be liable to seizure or forfeiture, on account of any infraction or presumed infraction of the provisions of the Act to which this Act is a supplement.-Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, that in case Great Britain shall so revoke or modify her Edicts, as that they shall cease to violate the neutral commerce of the United States, the President of the United States shall declare the fact by proclamation; and such proclamation shall be admitted as evidence, and no other evidence shall be admitted of such revocation or modification in any suit or prosecution which may be instituted under the fourth section of the Act to which this Act is a supplement. And the restrictions imposed, or which may be imposed by virtue of the said Act, shall, from the date of such proclamation, cease and be discontinued. Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, that until the proclamation aforesaid shall have been issued, the several provisions of the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, and eighteenth sections of the act, entitled "An act to interdict the commercial intercourse between the United States and Great Britain and France and their dependencies, and for other purposes," shall have full force, and be immediately carried into effect against Great Britain, her colonies and dependencies : Provided however, that any vessel or merchandize, which may in pursuance thereof be seized, prior to the fact being ascertained, whether Great Britain shall on or before the second day of February, 1811, have revoked or modified her edicts in the manner above mentioned, shall nevertheless be restored on application of the parties on their giving bond with approved sureties to the United States, in a sum equal to the value thereof, to abide the decision of the proper court of the United States thereon; and any such bond shall be considered as satisfied if Great Britain shall, on or before the 2d day of February, 1811, have revoked or modified her edicts in the manner abovementioned: Provided also, That nothing herein contained shall be construed to affect any ships or vessels, or the cargoes of ships or vessels, wholly owned by a citizen or citizens of the United States, which had cleared out for the Cape of Good Hope, or for any port beyond the same, prior to the 10th day of November 1810. FRANCE. WAR IN SPAIN.-Official Report Monseigneur In the early part of February, and during the whole of that month, a great deal of bustle was observed in Cadiz roads. The English had been, doubtless, a great while ready for the expedition which they meditated; but they were thwarted by the violent and continual rains which fell about the end of January and during great part of the month of February. These rains rendered impracticable all the roads by which they wished to approach us. On the 27th of January, a strong Spanish column, issuing from the mountains, attempted a coup-demain upon Medina Sidonia; it was repulsed. The enemy appeared to attach importance to the acquisition of that post; the occupation of which would have given them facility in manoeuvring on our rear, by concealing from us all their movements, and in freely communicating through the mountains with the parties which they would have been able to throw into the country between Xeres and Seville. -About the end of February, a convoy of 200 sail of transports, which contrary winds had long detained in the roads, set sait, and directed their course towards Tarifa. General Cassagne, who occupied Medina Sidonia, with three battalions, and the 5th regiment of chasseurs, informed me, on the 2nd of March, of the march of the combined Anglo-Spanish army by the valley of the Barbatte, upcn Casa Vieja and Medina. The 4th corps, which is not seriously employed, had it in its power to send me a part of its force. I entreated M. the General Sebastiani to manœuvre by Estepona, in order to alarm the enemy, and place him in danger, should he execute a movement upon me; that corps, so numerous and in such good condition, has not been of the least assistance to me. I ordered from Moron a battalion of voltigeurs, which M. the Marshal Duke of Dalmatia had placed there, directing it to march by Arcos upon Medina, where it would join General Cassagne.-A strong party of the allied army forced a picquet of the 2d dragoons, which was at Vejer, to evacuate that position and retire upon Conil. The intentions of the allied army being now completely manifest, I made the best arrangements which the feeble means I had at my direct disposal placed within my power, for opposing the effort which the enemy was about to make. After leaving the necessary troops for guarding the lines which are so extended, I assembled 10 battalions of the 1st and 2d divisions with which, on the 3d of March, I marched to take a position at the farm-house of Guerra, the intermediate point between Medina and Chiclana; and whence I had it in my power to bear upon the enemy, in case he chose to advance by either of these points.— From the 2d to the 4th there was some indecision in the movements of the allied army.On the evening of the 4th, I ordered General Cassague to march a strong party of observation upon Casa Vieja, a point where the enemy had strongly posted himself since his arrival. At three in the morning of the 5th, General Cassagne acquainted me that the enemy had evacuated Casa Vieja, and peared to be concentrated at Vejer.-On the 2d of March, the Spaniards had passed over from the Isle of Leon some troops from that side of the canal of Santi Petri. I ordered General Villatte to take advantage of the night to attack these troops, and drive them into the sea. Two companies of voltigeurs of the 95th regiment were ordered on that service; they marched at midnight from the lines of Santi Petri After overthrowing the advanced guard, they arrived without firing a shot at the téte-de-pont, on which the enemy were at work. Our voltigeurs scaled the works, fell with the bayonet on the workmen, who carried their muskets slung at their back, and put them into disorder. (To be continued.) ap Published by R. BAGSHAW, Brydges-Street, Covent Garden: Sold also by J. BUDD, Pall-Mali, LONDON:-Printed by T. C. Hansard, Peterborough-Court, Fleet-Street, VOL. XIX. No. 36.] LONDON, SATURDAY, MAY 4, 1811. 1089] [Price 18. [1090 SUMMARY OF POLITICS. "should omit many of equal n:erit. Hav. "ing taken, however, this general view, PORTUGAL. THE WAR.-In my last," and knowing the great acquisition of I had not room to say all that I wished to military glory to the Country, and the say upon the subject of the Vote of Thanks" small loss at which it has been purto Lord Talavera. Therefore, I resume "chased, I cannot help adverting, for a that subject now, and I am the more con. "few moments, to a few considerations firmed in the necessity of speaking freely" respecting the manner in which that and fully upon it, since I see, that the oc- "success is likely to affect our enemy and casion seems to have been seized upon for " ourselves, our Allies and the rest of the purpose of drawing the two hostile poli-" Europe. With respect to our Allies, no tical parties towards one another, an event of" man can doubt that it has given them an which the sensible and observing reader" additional year for the continuance of will want no assistance to enable him to "their struggle; and that they have reanticipate the consequences.- -Even MR."ceived a lesson from which they may WHITBREAD seems to have been afraid of" derive the greatest profit. With regard being thought to dissent in silence from "to ourselves, the campaign cannot, in the vote of Thanks; and hastens to say, "like manner, be without its advantage. that he claims a share of the honour of" For some time there have been two. giving that vote; seeing, that he should" parties in this country, who have enterhave been one of the loudest in behalf of "tained very different sentiments on the it, if he had been present when it was pro- "situation of the country. While the posed. But, I cannot say, that, after" one party maintains that our glory is set, what I have seen for some time past, this "the other maintains, that at no former much surprizes me.-- -There has been "period of our history was that glory such a mixture of praising and of blaming higher. To those who think that the in MR. WHITBREAD's speeches; he has so glory of this country never shone with often ended in complimenting those whom he" prouder lustre than during the struggle began in accusing; he has so often taken" which we have now so long maintained the word of those, whom he described as "with France, the present confirmation of totally unworthy of all trust and confidence; "their opinion cannot fail to be consoling. and, in short, there has been so much of" But those again, who thought the sun of backward and forward work in his pro- "Britain's glory for ever set, never more ceedings, that I, as well as most others, I" again to rise among the nations, those, I believe, have began to pay much less atten- "should think, would be among the first to tion to him than formerly.--Having" congratulate the illustrious glory with made these remarks, which, though I have" which their country has been crowned. made them reluctantly, I could not wholly "To those this glory cannot fail to be suppress, I shall proceed with my remarks" most cheering and consolatory, and inon Mr. PERCEVAL's speech, taking up the "finitely more so than to us. We all subject where I left off in the preceding" now know that we shall have a British Number. But, first of all, it will be" army to defend our country, if ever the best to insert here the remaining part of" battle shall be brought to our own the speech upon which I am commenting," shores, an army which has uniformly that I may leave no room for a charge of "beaten the army of the enemy, headed garbling.- I will not here enter into a "by Generals who have out-generalled "detail of the various distinguished actions" the Generals of the enemy. With rewhich have from day to day been ex- spect to that enemy, what must be now "hibited during the whole campaign, his feelings after all his insolent boast"down to the last act of valour of Colonel" ings, and what must be now his confu "Beckwith, on the banks of the Coa, for" sion, when he sees that he is without "fear lest while I distinguished a few I" means to carry his designs into execu "tion? What effects these events may "have produced in France it is impossible "now to foresee. They may be to that "country a salutary lesson, while they "demonstrably prove, that extension of "dominion is not in reality an increase of "strength. With respect to the effect of "these victories on other parts of the "world, they will at least point out to "them the rock on which they themselves "split. With these views, which to some "persons may perhaps appear too san"guine, I will own that it does appear to "me impossible to conceive that the world "should for ever remain enthralled under "its present degrading tyranny; and "that it does not appear to me unreasona"ble to suppose that we may be the instru"ments by which the delivery of Europe "may be effected; and that, in that "Peninsula, which has been the scene of "the most unprincipled acts of aggression, "of the most outrageous barbarity of the "tyrant, that there the power of the tyrant "should also find its grave (Hear!) What"ever may be thought of the probability "of these suppositions, we shall now leave "them, and revert again to the proper "business before the House, the thanks "which are due to those who have put us " in a situation to entertain such proud and "ennobling sentiments. As long as a "feeling shall remain in favour of valour, "so long as the hearts of men shall con"tinue to be affected by distinguished "military glory, a glory acquired not in "the support, but in the resistance of tyran"ny, in the most righteous cause for which "the sword can be drawn; so long shall the "fame of Lord Wellington stand em"balmed in the memory of a grateful "posterity, and so long shall be continue "to receive the thanks of mankind (loud "applause). The Right Honourable Gen"leman then concluded, with moving, "That the Thanks of the House should be "voted to Lord Wellington, for his dis "tinguished Military Services in Portugal "and to the Army under his Command." To read this Speech, who would not imagine, that the achievement to be thanked had produced a total change in the aspect of affairs, not only in Portugal, and Spain, but in the whole of the Continent of Europe? Who would suppose, that nothing at all had been gained upon the enemy since this day twelve months; and that, in fact, his situation was better, at the time when this speech was made, than it was reported to be at any time within the last year.The reader will bear in mind how often we were assured, that the French army never could get away from the trap, into which they had fallen. So fully were this credulous public persuaded of this, that the capture of the whole of the enemy's army was regarded as an event almost certain. And, yet, when no part of it, except a few stragglers, have been captured, when it has not only got away unhurt, but is presenting a steady front to ours; yet, even now, we are called upon to exult at the result? I am sure that this could not have taken place in any country in the world but this. I am sure of it. There is no people but those of this country, amongst whom it would have been attempted.But, let us examine a little more closely the grounds upon which this Vote of Thanks was passed.—Mr. PERCEVAL views the result of the military movements in Portugal in three lights: 1. As it may affect our allies. And, here he says, that these allies will now have had an useful lesson, and will, at least, gain another year for the continuance of their struggle. -Now, as to the utility of the lesson given them in the last year's campaign, and even up to this hour, I can not, for the life of me, discover it. I do not see in what way they can profit from this lesson, that is to say, favourably to us. And, as to their gaining another year for the continuance of their struggle, that gain may possibly prove a most dreadful loss. If indeed, Mr. PERCEVAL will ensure final success, I shall be ready to say, that something has been gained, by the Portuguese, with a proviso that that success is to lead to their being a free people. But, if there be no security of final success in the struggle, there is nothing gained by delay; there is nothing gained on the one side any more than on the other side; the French have another year before them as well as our allies; and what, then, is there to boast of upon this score. Suppose England were invaded by a French army, and the enemy after coming almost to the capital were compelled to retreat to the sea shore. Should we think it any great thing to boast of, that we had gained another year for the continuance of the struggle? And, let not the reader imagine, that the French being driven out of Portugal is the same thing that it would be to drive them out of Great Britain. It is very different indeed. To be on the confines of Spain is the same thing, as to all the purposes of hostility, as being in Pote tugal. The two kingdoms are, in fact, "be brought to our own shores; an army one country. The line of separation is "that has uniformly beaten the army of imaginary; or, at least, it is no more than" the enemy, commanded by generals the line of separation between Middlesex and Berkshire. So that, the expressions: "driven out of Portugal: evacuation of Por"tugal:" and the like, are mere inventions to deceive this credulous nation. I dare say that the French look upon themselves as being in Portugal as much as they did six months ago, in a military sense of the words. They may cross the line at any moment; and, if our object be to prevent them from doing so, we shall want an army that will not be supported by a few dollars every month.If the French are not to return again to Portugal; if they are out once for all; if there be no chance of their re-entering it and subduing it; if that is beyond the means of Napoleon; then, indeed, the driving of them out will have been a great step; but, if they can return if their return be not nearly impossible, the people of Portugal will not be fools enough to rejoice; for, if the French should return amongst them, it is manifest, that their lot will be much more wretched than if the recent retreat had never taken place.All, therefore, as to the Portuguese, and the Spaniards too, depends upon the result. It is possible, that the retreat of the French may be for their good; but, it is also possible, that it may prove to be the greatest of all the calamities that have hitherto befallen them. If they are to be a free people, then the having got their invaders out of their territory is a great blessing; but, if they are, from whatever cause, finally to be subdued, then the longer the hour of their subjugation is delayed, the worse is it, and the worse must it be, for them. We are not in the best situation for judging of the interests of the people of Portugal. We are very apt to think that whatever is our interest must be theirs. Turn the question as often as we will, our own interest is sure to be uppermost; and, therefore, it may, to some of us, appear a great advantage to have so safely secured another year for the continuance of the struggle in Portugal; but, I would have the reader bear in mind, that the Portuguese may possibly see the matter in a very different light.2. With regard to ourselves, Mr. PERCEVAL said that this achievement must make us all happy, principally because "we NOW know that we shall have a British army to de“fend our country, if ever the battle shall "who have out-generalled the generals of 1 |