74 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1809. 



thrown in the way of any troops 

 they might afterwards send. The 

 Juntas in Gallicia and on the fron- 

 tiers of Leon, were apprized of 

 the expeditions then going out, 

 and letters to diflPerent English offi- 

 cers from our government, requir- 

 ing them to try every method to 

 secure the troops accommodations 

 on their landing ; and necessaries 

 for their continuing their march, 

 were laid before the respective 

 Juntas. But Lord C. was very 

 sorry to say, that the Juntas had 

 neglected to act according to those 

 communications. He did not wish 

 to censure, or complain of their 

 conduct ; but such was the fact. 

 Mr. P. had expressed surprise, 

 that the movements of the British 

 army had been so slow, and those 

 of the French comparatively so 

 rapid. But there was a difference 

 between an army fully equipped, 

 and one not equipped; between an 

 army that would seize every thing 

 on its way that could facilitate its 

 march, whether provisions or car- 

 riages, and an army that could not 

 have any such resource. Though 

 the Spanish armies under Blakeand 

 Romana, and that of Estrema- 

 dura, had, before the arrival of 

 Sir John Moore at Salamanca, suf- 

 fered severe reverses, still this was 

 not a fair test of the general spirit 

 of the people. They had at that 

 period the most difficult task im- 

 posed upon them, that could de- 

 volve to the nation in such circum- 

 stances. They were at the same 

 time to make head against a power- 

 ful enemy, and to make a govern- 

 ment. After the march of the 

 army from Salamanca, the only 

 object was to draw off' the force of 

 the enemy from pushing his con- 

 quests to the south. And surely 



never was a diversion more com- 

 pletely effected. 



Lord C. ridiculed the notion of 

 our military character being lost 

 in consequence of the late re- 

 verses, and asked if the disgraces 

 of Vimeira and Corunna were to 

 be blotted from the memories of 

 Englishmen. If gentlemen were 

 anxious for inquiry, they might go 

 into a committee that would oc- 

 cupy them three months. No- 

 thing, however, could be a greater 

 mistake, than the supposition that 

 those who called for inquiry meant 

 that they wanted information. He 

 left it with confidence to the house 

 to say, whether any case had been 

 made out to justify the motion of 

 the right honourable gentleman ; 

 and where no case was made out, 

 no inquiry could be called for. 



The speech of Lord Castlereagh 

 in answer to Mr. Ponsonby, was 

 animadverted on at great length 

 by Mr. Tierney. Among the most 

 important of his animadversions 

 were the following. He wanted to 

 know why we had not taken pos- 

 session of Ferrol ? If the govern- 

 ment of Spain had not sufficient 

 confidence in us to grant us this 

 much, why were troops sent to 

 that country at all ? Why had not 

 Sir John Moore fallen back upon 

 Vigo and Portugal, which, at one 

 period, he certainly would have 

 done, if he had been left to his 

 own discretion? Mr. Tierney was 

 followed by a great number of 

 speakers on the present most inter- 

 esting question, and the debate 

 was continued till half-past three 

 on Saturday morning. We have 

 already stated the principal argu- 

 ments ^j/o and cou. It is not to do 

 justice to the ability and dexterity 

 of orators, or to record the most 



brilliant 



