GENERAL HISTORY. 



[215 



iu consequence of the approaching 

 expiration of the charter of the 

 East India Company. It adverted 

 to the success of the means em- 

 ployed for suppressing the spirit 

 of outrage and insubordination 

 which had appeared in some parts 

 of the country, and expressed a 

 hope that atrocities so repugnant 

 to the British character would 

 never recur ; and ended with the 

 usual declaration of confidence in 

 the wisdom of parliament, and the 

 loyalty of the people. 

 MiThe accustomed complimentary 

 Address was moved in the House 

 of Lords by Lord Longford, and 

 seconded by Lord Kolle. The 

 Marquis Wellesley then arose, and 

 after an introduction alluding to a 

 passage in the speech expressing 

 the Prince Regent's conviction that 

 he should find no want of that 

 firmness and perseverance in the 

 prosecution of the war, which had 

 distinguished parliament on former 

 occasions, he proceeded to a review 

 of theevents in the war with Spain. 

 Laying it down as a principle that 

 the vTur was necessary in order to 

 check the ambitious projects of the 

 Fi'ench ruler, and divert his forces, 

 and affirming that the successes of 

 the last campaign, imperfect as 

 they were, had been felt in Russia 

 as the salvation of that empire, he 

 drew the inference, that whilst 

 France was engaged in the north, 

 we ought to have redoubled our 

 efforts in the opposite quarter, and 

 *• to have strained our resources 

 to the utmost extremity." " I 

 wish, my lords (said he) we could 

 fix in our minds some definite idea 

 of the object of our exertions in 

 the Peninsula. My own idea has 

 always been, that the true object 



of the Spanish contest was, the 

 expulsion of the French forces 

 from Spain. This is the clear 

 practical object at which we ought 

 to aim. With this, then, in our 

 view, let us inquire wliat has been 

 done, compared with what might 

 have been done. I have said else- 

 where, that it was my opinion that 

 the war in the Peninsula had not 

 been carried on with adequate 

 vigour for this purpose." The 

 marquis then went on to a critical 

 examination of the last campaign 

 in Spain, in which, while paying 

 a tribute of praise to Lord Wel- 

 lington, almost exceeding the mo- 

 desty of fraternal eulogy, he at- 

 tempted to show that his j>lans had 

 been continually cramped by a de- 

 ficiency of strength, that supplies 

 were scanty and tardy, that co- 

 operation was feeble and ill-di- 

 rected, and that thesystem adopted 

 by ministers was " timid without 

 prudence, and narrow without 

 economy ; profuse without the 

 fruits of expenditure, and slow 

 without the benefits of caution." 

 His lordship commented upon 

 other points touched in the speech ; 

 but concluded with saying, that he 

 should move no amendment on 

 the address, and that his chief in- 

 tention had been to press upon the 

 house the great subject of the 

 Spanish war, in which we had no 

 alternative between vigour and de- 

 feat. 



Lord Liverpool in reply ob- 

 served, that it was extremely easy 

 for the noble lord to sit down in 

 his closet, and wish for, or ima- 

 gine, a particular effort of any 

 given magnitude ; but must not 

 every exertion depend on the ap- 

 plicable resources of the country, 



and 



