HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



27 



CHAP. II. 



House of Lords.— 'Motion for the Thanks of the House to Lord Viscourtf 

 Wellington, and the Officers and the Armij under his command, for the 

 Victory over IheEnemijat Talavera — opposed — swpporled — carried. — 

 In the Course of the Debate fresh Discussions on the Affairs of Spain ^ 

 both political and militarij — House of Commons. — Thanlcs moved to 

 Lord Wellington and the Army. — Arguments pro. and con., aiid Dis- 

 cussions nearly the same as in the House of Lords. — Molionfoor l^hanks 

 to Lord Wellington curried tvithout a Division of the House ; — that to 

 the Army unanimously. — House of Commons. — Motion by Lord Coch- 

 rane, for Minutes of the Court Martial held on I^ord Gambler, and 

 the Object of this Motion. — Debates and Discussions. — Lord Coch- 

 rane's Motion negatived by a great Majority. — Motion of Thanks tQ 

 Admiral Gambler, Sfc. S(C. — The Motion for Thanks to Lord Gambler 

 carried on a Division of the House ; — thatfoor thanks to the other Offi- 

 cers, and Acknotdedgments to the Seamen and Marines, unatii- 

 mously. — Motion for Thanks to the same I^arlies in the House oj 

 Lords — Agreed to. 



HO USE of Lords, January 25, 

 Earl Grey, previously to the 

 discussion of next day, on an in- 

 tended nnotion for thanks to lord 

 Wellington, thought it of consider- 

 able importance, that some infor- 

 mation should be laid before the 

 House, by which they might be en- 

 abled to form some opinion with 

 respect to the propriety of the mo- 

 tion. It was necessary they should 

 know, whether the advance of lord 

 Wellington intoSpainwasthe exer- 

 cise of his own judgment or there- 

 suit of the instructions of ministers. 

 It was also of importance that they 

 should have before them the na- 

 ture of the information communi- 

 cated bylord Wellington, respect- 

 ing the action of Talavera, there 

 being strong reason to believe that 

 ministers at the time they held 

 out that battle as a victory, knew, 

 from what was stated by lord 

 Wellington, ia his dispatches, that 



our army must retreat ; and that 

 the battle, said to be a victory, 

 must be followed by all the conse- 

 quences of a defeat. Lord Grey 

 tlierefore moved for the instruc- 

 tions to lord Wellington ; for the 

 dispatches received from him, on 

 his marching from Placentia ; for 

 the dispatches which he sent from 

 Talavera after the battle ; and also 

 for certain correspondence be- 

 tween lord Wellington and the 

 Spanish government, respecting 

 supplies for the army. These mo- 

 tions were supported by the earl 

 of Lauderdale, lord Erskinc, the 

 marquis of Douglas, and the earl 

 ofGrosvenor. They were opposed 

 by the carl of Liverpool, the earl 

 of Harrowby, and lord viscount 

 Sidmoulh, on the ground that there 

 was no preccdenL for calling for 

 papers in order to inquire into the 

 general conduct of a campaign, 

 when the only object in cont.empIa- 



