HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



that excellent officer, proved 

 clearly and demonstrably the man- 

 ner in which he had been treated 

 by ministers. Yet these ministers 

 were they who attempted to throw 

 all the blame upon sir John 

 Moore, which, upon the fullest 

 investigation, was found to rest 

 entirely with themselves. Their 

 lordships, therefore, ought not to 

 countenance any pubhc outcry 

 against the officers employed in 

 those expeditions, and the disas- 

 trous results of which such loud 

 and general complaints were so 

 justly made, but to point public 

 indignation where alone it ought 

 to rest ; to those ministers who 

 sent out expeditions either to 

 achieve objects impracticable in 

 themselves, or without achieving 

 any object useful or honourable to 

 the country. If any circumstance 

 should arise out of the inquiry, 

 during its progress, tending to im- 

 peach the conduct of any officer 

 employed, that would be a subject 

 for future investigation. But there 

 were blameable and disgraceful 

 circumstances in the conduct of 

 ministers, which were matters of 

 publicity and notoriety, and which 

 no inquiry could render plainer 

 and clearer than they were at pre- 

 sent. These circumstances lord 

 Grenville proceeded to point out 

 in a review of their conduct re- 

 specting the war in Spain, Ger- 

 man)', and Holland. In Spain, 

 their promise of co-operation with 

 sir John Moore were found to be 

 altogether silly, vain, and fruit- 

 less. They hud not afforded that 

 relief and aid to the brave Aus- 

 trians in different ways in which it 

 might have been afforded ; and, as 

 to the attempt of making a diver- 



sion in favour of Austria on the 

 Scheldt, instead of the vicinity of 

 Trieste, or in the north of Ger- 

 many, it was known to ministers 

 that a war was likely to take place 

 between France and Austria in 

 September 1808, and yet the im- 

 mense armament to the Scheldt 

 did not sail until the latter end of 

 July 1809. Before it sailed the 

 armistice was signed, which led to 

 the fatal treaty that prostrated the 

 Austrian monarchy: and not only 

 had this event taken place, but 

 intelligence of the signature of 

 that armistice had actually arrived 

 in this country. But if by events 

 not to be controlled, it was im- 

 possible to send this armament 

 sooner, why send it at all ? The 

 expedition sailed for this reason 

 only — because his majesty's mi- 

 nisters were afraid to avow, that 

 after all the expence which had 

 been incurred, it had not actually 

 sailed till its object was defeated, 

 and success was impossible. Lord 

 Grenville concluded with moving 

 to the introduction in the second 

 paragraph of the address, the 

 following amendment : — 



•' That we have seen with the 

 utmost sorrow and indignation the 

 accumulated failures and disasters 

 of the campaign, the unavailing 

 waste of our national resources, 

 and the loss of many thousands 

 of our brave troops, whose distin- 

 guished and heroic valour has been 

 unprofitably sacrificed in enter- 

 prises productive not of advantage, 

 but of lasting injury to the coun- 

 try; in enterprises marked only by 

 a repetition of former errors ; 

 tardy and uncombined ; incapable 

 in their success of aiding our ally, 

 but exposing in their failure his 



