28 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1810. 



tion was, a specific vote of thanks 

 for a particular service. The mo- 

 tions were put and negatived. 



House of Lords, January 26. 

 The order of the day being read, 

 the Earl of Liverpool rose, for the 

 purpose of moving the thanks of 

 the House to lord viscount Wel- 

 lington, and the officers and the 

 army under his command, for the 

 skill and ability, the valour and 

 bravery, by which they obtained a 

 victory over the enemy at Tala- 

 vera. In framing his motion, he 

 had, with a view to conciliation, 

 separated the conduct of the army, 

 and the officer commanding, from 

 every other subject connected with 

 the general management of the 

 campaign. Whatever opinion 

 might be entertained with respect 

 to the measures whicli led to the 

 battle itself, or to the conse- 

 quences which ensued, there could 

 be but one sentiment as to the 

 skill of the general, and the va- 

 lour of the army that fought at 

 Talavera. The thanks of both 

 Houses had been given to sir Jolin 

 Stuart, and the army, for the emi- 

 nent skill and valour displayed, 

 and the splendid victory obtained 

 by the battle of Maida ; though 

 the objects for which that battle 

 was fought, were not obtained. It 

 had been determined to make a 

 concentrated attack on the com- 

 bined armies. Although the Spa- 

 nish army was present, and par- 

 tially took a part in the battle, the 

 ■ brunt of the attack was principally, 

 if not wholly, borne by the Eng- 

 lish, not amounting to more than 

 20,000 men. The French army 

 fell but little short of 50,000. The 

 enemy, after repeatedly renewing 

 their attacks, v ere repulsed with 

 the loss of nearly 10,000 men, 



twenty pieces of artillery, and four 

 standards. It was of the last im- 

 portance, that such victories as 

 that of Talavera, should be re- 

 warded by every tribute of honour 

 and praise that House could be- 

 stow. It had been the good for- 

 tune of Great Britain to unite a 

 military spirit with commercial 

 pursuits, and every encourage- 

 ment was due still further to pro- 

 mote that spirit. No achieve- 

 ment was ever more entitled to 

 praisethan the victory of Talavera. 



He admitted, that if their lord- 

 ships were called upon to decide 

 on all the circumstances of the 

 campaign, it might materially alter 

 the question. But he wished to 

 direct their lordships' attention 

 solely to the conduct of the officer, 

 and the army under his command, 

 on the 27th and 28th of July. 



Lord Liverpool concluded with 

 moving, " That this House do re- 

 turn their thanks to general lord 

 viscount Wellington, for the skill 

 and ability displayed by him on 

 the 27th and 2oth of July, 1809, 

 at Talavera. 



The Earl of Suffi3lk said, that, 

 as a professional man, it was with 

 pain to his feelings he rose to state 

 his objections to the motion of 

 thanks to lord Wellington. The 

 noble earl had alluded to the bat- 

 tle of Maida. But that battle was 

 decisive in its issue, and did not 

 come in a questionable shape like 

 the victory of Talavera. He could 

 not denominate that a victory 

 where a retreat immediately fol- 

 lowed, and the wounded and the 

 prisoners fell immediately into the 

 hands of the enemy. As to the 

 capture of artillery, this was not, 

 in all circumstances, to be consi- 

 dered as a signal of victory. It 



