HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



85 



ticular notice of tlie ignorance of 

 sir Home Popham of the naviga- 

 tion of the Scheldt! To him was 

 intrusted the conduct of the fleet 

 up to Bathz. He attempted to go 

 by the West Scheldt until, by his 

 failure, he found out that he 

 ought to have tried the East 



Scheldt, &c At last they got up 



to Bathz on the S^th of August. 

 They had now come to the grand 

 point from which in future all 

 their operations were to proceed. 

 A council of war was called. 

 What did they do ? They set off 



home The commanding officers 



in both services were ignorant, 

 and ministers both ignorant, im- 

 becile, and presumptuous. Both 

 the military and naval commander 

 ought to be tried by a court-mar- 

 tial for undertaking to direct an 

 enterprize which, they confessed, 

 they knew nothing about. As to 

 ministers, they deserved to be 

 punished much more severely than 

 by a vote of censure. Nothing 

 less than the impeachment of 

 ministers, and trials of the com- 

 manders by courts-martial, should 

 satisfy the cruel effusion of the 

 blood of its army. 



The Chancellor of theExchequer 

 stated that, on the 10th of Octo- 

 ber, ministers had received intel- 



ligence to their minds satisfactory, 

 that hostilities were on the eve of 

 recommencing between Austria 

 and France. Now had ministers, 

 notwithstanding this intelligence, 

 determined on the abandonment of 

 Walcheren, and hostilities on the 

 continent had actually recom- 

 menced, what a torrent of invec- 

 tive would have been poured upon 

 ministers, from the honourable 

 gentlemen opposite, for abandon- 

 ing, at such a period, a conquest 

 before so dearly bought, and then 

 so critically important ? From the 

 report of Dr. Blane too it appeared, 

 that the endemial distemper of 

 Walcheren, uniformly abated in 

 October, and terminated in No- 

 vember. 



On a division of the House there 

 appeared. 



For the original resolutions of 

 lord Porchester, 227. Against 

 them, 275. 



Another division then took place 

 on the amendment of general 

 Crawfurd, approving the conduct 

 of ministers with regard to the po- 

 licy of the expedition : which was 

 carried. Ayes, 272. Noes, 232. 



The last resolution of General 

 Crawfurd, approving the retention 

 of Walcheren, was also carried, 

 Ayes, 255. Noes, 232. 



