HISTORY aF EUROPE. 



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the honour of the country and the 

 glory of the British army, and I 

 most sincerely believe it, from that 

 entertained by those ministers, who 

 conceived it right to proclaim with 

 all the demonstrations of public re- 

 joicing, 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 ke has for- 

 mally disapproved of it. Early in 

 the progress of the hostile opera- 

 tions in Spain, I believe in the 

 month of July, a document was 

 published by the Supreme Junta 

 of Seville, under the title of Fre- 

 cautions, which fixed upon a plan 

 of warfare, and also conveyed in- 

 structions to the inhabitants of 

 Spain, as to the manner in which 

 they were to conduct their hos- 

 tility against the enemy. Biscay 

 Castille, and Navarre were the 

 parts of the peninsula pointed out 

 as the most proper theatre for hos- 

 tile exertions. These were the 

 points most important to engage 

 the consideration of the patriotic 

 leaders, and, of course, of the 

 auxiliary force which was naturally 

 to be expected from this country. 

 Now, if his majesty's ministers 

 had condescended to hold a little 

 intercourse with the Supreme Jun- 

 ta, or have allowed the army to 

 remain in England till they actu- 

 ally knew something of the state 

 of Spain; or, if Sir Arthur had 

 even corresponded with the Junta, 

 they, and we too, would have 

 learned, that the most important 

 duty to be performed was the de- 

 fence of the north of Spain, and 

 the passage of the Pyrenees ; and 

 then, instead of being worsted, 

 the army 6o sent might have been 



used for the most beneficial pur- 

 poses, so as to make the French 

 retire within the frontiers of France. 

 I am certain that was the plan of 

 warfare which would have been 

 most essential to the safety of 

 Spain. The Convention of Portu- 

 gal having taken place, his Ma- 

 jesty's ministers thought proper to 

 cause the tower guns to be dis- 

 charged, in token of the satisfac- 

 tion they felt, until they found 

 that all the rest of his Majesty's 

 subjects entertained a contrary 

 feeling upon the transaction. The 

 public displeasure was loud and 

 general ; every patriotic heart felt 

 the stain cast upon his country's 

 honour ; every tongue uttered the 

 complaint. It did so turn out, 

 too, that the first city in the em- 

 pire, the city of London, sympa- 

 thising with the national feeling, 

 approached the throne with their 

 sentiments, and a most vigorous 

 reception they did meet with in- 

 deed. The right hon. gentleman 

 had certainly anticipated a com- 

 plete triumph over the Lord 

 JMayor and Common Council of 

 London ; but subsequent events 

 proved that his Majesty's citizens 

 could rally. The Corporation tell 

 his Majesty, that they think the 

 Convention disgraceful, dishonora- 

 ble to the British arms, and inju- 

 rious to his Majesty's interests: 

 they call for investigation and the 

 punishment of the guilty. In an- 

 swer to this application, his Ma- 

 jesty's ministers advise his Majesty 

 to tell the citizens of London that 

 their interposition was unnecessary, 

 and that it was inconsistent with 

 British justice to pronounce judg- 

 ment before investigation. Really, 

 though the gentlemen opposite 

 may think their responses not only 



wise 



