54 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1809. 



CHAP. IV. 



Campaign in Portugal — Motion in the House of Commons, by Lord 

 H, Petit/, for a Resolution of the House, declaring that the Con- 

 vention of Cintra, and a Maritime Convention concluded nearly at 

 the same Time off" the Tagus, had disapjminted the Hopes and 

 Expectations of the Country — And for a Second, declaring that in 

 the Opinion of the House of Commons, those Conventions had, in a 

 great measure, arisen from the Misconduct and Neglect of his 

 Majesty's Ministers. — Opposed, and the Conduct of Ministry explained 

 and defended by Lord Castlereagh. — Lord Petty s Motions supported 

 by General Tarleton. — Views and Motives of Sir Arthur Wellesley 

 throughout the Expedition to Portugal explained by himself— Speech 

 of Mr. Windham in Reply to Lord Castlereagh. — Lord Petty^s 

 Motions negatived. — Campaign in Sj)ain — Inquiry into 77ioved in the 

 House of Commons by Mr. Ponsonby. — Mr. Ponso7ibys Motion 

 supported by Mr. Windham— Opposed by Lord Castlereagh, Mr. 

 Canning, and other Speakers. — Negatived. 



LORD Hen)-y Petty rose in 

 pursuance of the notice he 

 had given on the second day of 

 the session, to call the attention 

 of the house to the termination of 

 the campaign in Portugal, by tlie 

 Convention of Cintra. He was 

 sure that in that house, it would 

 not be thought that any form of 

 inquiry relating to that conven- 

 tion, that had passed already, had 

 been of a nature to preclude the 

 expediency and necessity of that 

 Iiouse taking up the inquiry itself; 

 because, with whatever respect he 

 might regard the individual and 

 military characters of the persons 

 who composed the Board of In- 

 quiry, assembled by his Majesty's 

 command, constituted as that 

 board was, and it.', functions di- 

 rected, it was a tribunal more in- 

 competent to give satisfaction to 

 the country, more irreconcileable 

 with the known and received 

 principles of law and equity in 



this country, than any that had 

 ever existed. He held in his 

 hand the opinion delivered by my 

 Lord Woodhouselee on the sub- 

 ject of Courts of Inquiry. It was 

 there asserted by that able autho- 

 rity, that although there was in his 

 Majesty an inherent power to con- 

 vene such boards as courts of 

 advice ; yet still their decisions 

 have no binding effects on the 

 party accused. A court of inquiry, 

 held as this had been, opening its 

 doors to the public, calling upon 

 the very parties to give their tes- 

 timony, and drawing from them 

 information by which they were 

 to be subjected to criminal pro- 

 secution, was a tribunal calculated 

 rather to defeat than promote 

 the ends of justice, or give 

 satisfaction to the public. Even 

 by the constitution of the court 

 itself, it was impossible for it to 

 inquire into any demerits beyond 

 those of the officers. The opinion 



of 



