38] 



ANNUAL PwEGlSTER, 1813. 



verted to the disproportionate in- 

 crease of foreign expenditure in 

 consequence of the course of ex- 

 change. 



Earl Grey, in a long speech, 

 supported the statements and rea- 

 soning of the marquis, and de- 

 viated to other charges against the 

 ministry. 



The Earl oi Liverpool i?L\A, that 

 of all the motions which he had 

 heard in that house, the present 

 rested on the slightest grounds, nor 

 did he ever hear a case for in- 

 quiry more weakly made out. He 

 asserted that the campaign, instead 

 of being a failure, was the most 

 brilliant achieved by the British 

 arms during a century. He asked 

 what would have satisfied us in 

 January 1812, as the result of the 

 impending campaign i and was it 

 not more successful than could 

 have been expected by the most 

 sanguine? He then adverted to 

 the particulars which had before 

 been touched upon; and addrd, 

 that the great object to which they 

 had been looking was, that the 

 whole force of Spain should be 

 placed under the command of one 

 individual, who should be the Bri- 

 tish chief commander, which had 

 been accomplished by the events 

 of this campaign. He denied the 

 possibility of sending out the force 

 required by the noble lord at the 

 time when he stated it to be 

 necessary; and affirmed that we 

 had upon the Peninsula a larger 

 force than could ever have been 

 expected, and that a greater wotfld 

 only have been an incumbrance, 

 unless the means of supplying it 

 were at hand ; and that they were 

 not, was no fault of the ministers. 



The Earl of Darnley spoke in 

 ftivour ofthe motion ; after which 

 a division took place, in which 



there were. Contents, 39 ; Not- 

 contents, 115; majority against 

 the motion, 76. 



Connected with the preceding 

 discussion in subject, as relating to 

 a part of the conduct of the war, 

 was an inquiry into the naval ad- 

 ministration, particularly with re- 

 ference to the war in which the 

 country is involved wilh the United 

 States of America. 



On May 14th, the order of the 

 day being read in the House of 

 Lord?, the Earl of Darnley rose to 

 call the attention of their lordships 

 to our naval disasters. He had 

 hoped that during the interval be- 

 tween giving his notice and bring- 

 ing forward his motion, something 

 would have occurred to compen- 

 sate the past disasters ; but, on the 

 contrary, another unfortunateevent 

 had been reported, attended with 

 circumstances still more melan- 

 choly than the former ones. He 

 alluded to the action between the 

 British sloop of war Peacock, and 

 the American brig Hornet, of equal 

 force. He should not now enter 

 u|)on any question concerning the 

 course or policy of the war, but it 

 could not be disputed that minis- 

 ters must have been long aware 

 that war, sooner or later, must 

 take place. This being the case, 

 how were we prepared to meet it ? 

 With respect to Canada, the events 

 there had greatly added to our mi- 

 litary reputation, but they were 

 events entirely unexpected. It was, 

 however, with regard to our naval 

 force that he should confine his 

 inquiries. It appeared that from 

 April to July in the last year, there 

 were on the Halifax station, under 

 ad m. Sawyer, exclusive of smaller 

 vessels, one ship of the line and 

 five frigates. TTiat suoh a force 

 only should liave been stationed 



