he wished to point out in it some characteristic marks of British gallantry. Whether the skill of the commanderin-chief, or the bravery of his troops, were referred to, he defied any nation to produce an example of similar splendour, of troops so steady under arms, or so silent in attacks made under cover of the night. If the leader of any of our columns were disabled, the efforts of his troops were not relaxed. When what was technically called "the forlorn hope" was to be formed for the purpose of the assault, instead of 350 volunteers, which were required, no less than 700 men instantly offered themselves from only two regiments. He would not waste the time of the House by further dilation, since it was impossible for the genius, the eloquence, the research, or the memory, of all its members to produce an achievement, whose glory at all equalled the splendour of the capture of Ciudad Rodrigo." The motions were agreed to nem. dis.

But this was not the only form in which the gratitude of his countrymen towards the Earl of Wellington was expressed. A message from the Prince Regent was sent down to the House of Commons, recommending the grant of an annuity to this illustrious officer; and upon moving the resolution upon this message, Mr Perceval spoke in the following terms :-" I cannot think that it will be necessary for me to trouble the committee with many observations in order to induce them to give their most cordial consent to the resolution which I shall have the honour to propose, in conformity to the gracious message of his royal highness the Prince Regent. It is, indeed, impossible that the House of Commons should fail to recollect, or that the nation at large should fail duly to appreciate, the various great and distinguished services which have marked the brilliant career of my Lord

Wellington in the course of the late campaigns in Spain and Portugal. Although differences of opinion may exist with respect to the expediency and policy of the efforts which Great Britain has been, and is now making in the peninsula, I am persuaded, sir, that those differences of opinion will form no ground of dissent from the present motion. The question before us is, whether the officer selected in the first instance by his majesty, and subsequently confirmed by his royal highness the Prince Regent, to direct the military operations in the peninsula, has, or has not, conducted himself with such distinguished zeal, and such consummate professional ability, as, while it does infinite honour to himself, does infinite honour to the country, whose armies he was appointed to command ? Sir, the impression of the House on this subject is evident; and, under such an impression, I feel that it would be a gratuitous trespass on their time, to enter into any detail of those various achievements of the gallant earl, which have on former occasions received the distinct and repeated approbation of parliament. The circumstan ces under which his royal highness the Prince Regent has, for the last twelve months, exercised the royal authority, have prevented him at an earlier period from adequately marking the high sense which he entertained of the me

rits of that disinguished general. His royal highness, however, has availed himself of the first opportunity of conferring on Lord Wellington the honours which are so justly his due. It is a singular coincidence, that as the services of the gallant earl were the latest object of reward to the royal authority, which for the last year has been in abeyance, so they are the first object of reward to the illustrious sonage who has assumed the unrestrict ed exercise of that authority. Our own conviction of the merits of Lord

per

Wellington is well known. But the committee will observe that Great Britain does not stand single in the opinion which she entertains of his deserts. They have been the uniform theme of the applause of our allies, an applause peculiarly manifested at the close of the last distinguished operation in which Lord Wellington was engaged; for when the tidings of that great victory reached the Spanish government, they marked their sense of its value by a signal and honourable stamp of their high approbation. To the merit of this service indeed the recent dispatches of the enemy themselves afford ample testimony. Those dispatches declare that the occurrence appears incomprehensible. In the first instance, the French general speaks of the great importance of the fortress of Ciudad Rodrigo, and boasts of the preparations which he has made to relieve it, holding out to his master expectations of the most glorious result to the French arms. But when he subsequently learns that this fortress, which he had calculated that it would take nine or ten days to subdue, was reduced in as many minutes, astonishment and dis may took the place of confidence and elation.-Sir, I am convinced that the committee will unanimously agree with me, that we have but one duty to perform on the present occasion, and that is, to adopt the recommendation of his royal highness the Prince Regent, with respect to the proposed grant to the Earl of Wellington, for the purpose of enabling him to support the dignity which has been so richly earned, and so promptly conferred. I therefore move, That it is the opinion of this committee, that the annual sum of 2,0001. net, be granted to his majesty out of the consolidated fund of Great Britain, to enable his majes⚫ ty to grant the said annuity to General the Earl of Wellington, in addition to the annuity already granted by par

liament to the said earl, subject to the same limitations as contained in that grant, in consideration of the eminent and signal services performed by him in the course of a long series of distinguished exploits in the campaigns in Spain and Portugal."

Mr Canning declared, "that had he anticipated any possible difference of opinion on the motion before the committee, it would have been on the amount of the grant, which, in compliance with the gracious message of the Prince Regent, it was proposed to make to the noble and gallant earl who was the just object of his royal highness's favour and recommendation. In this view of the subject, had a suggestion to increase the grant been reduced to a formal pro position, he should certainly have voted for it, had he not been withheld by the wish that such a question should pass the House with unanimity. He did not pretend to be capable of judging with the skill of a tactician the conduct of military men and military measures, but it was impossible for any man, however ignorant of military affairs, to look at what had been, and what was to consider the former and the present state of the peninsula-to recollect the existing feelings of the country, and those feelings when that eminent and distinguished commander, Lord Wellington, was appointed to direct the energies of the British army-without paying him that homage of applause which his unrivalled talents and unwearied exertions so loudly de manded."-Some opposition had been made to the proposed grant on account of the distresses of the country. "Good God!" exclaimed Mr Canning, "let the state of commerce and manufactures be what they may, and no man laments the depression which they suf fer more than myself, is this a period when Englishmen are to be advisednot to purchase military glory, for that is already our own-but to ab

stain from expressing gratitude for such services as Lord Wellington has performed, because, forsooth, there is a class of the community whose distresses we pity-whose distresses we would most willingly relieve-but whose distresses, I believe from my soul, would be infinitely aggravated, if, by listening to such suggestions, we were to consent to degrade the national character.-He declared that he looked upon Lord Wellington as a pre-eminently able and successful commander. Let the committee recollect that Lord Wellington was sent out to save Portugal, at a moment when Portugal was in extreme dan ger, and that at the present moment there was no question with respect to her safety. Let the committee recollect, that when Lord Wellington was sent out to endeavour to save Portugal, he was empowered after that first service to extend his exertions to Spain, then in a state approaching to desperation, and that after having perform. ed that first service in Portugal, the noble and gallant lord did extend, and successfully extend, his operations to Spain. To the one country he had given salvation to the other hope. When such homage had been paid to this distinguished individual by the countries which he had so essentially assisted, was it becoming in his own country to doubt his deserts? For his part, he could not persuade himself that there was a man in the House of Commons, who, when he saw that the first act of those prerogatives which had lain dormant so long, (how properly he would not now argue) was to mark with distinguished honour the individual whom, by a singular and illustrious coincidence, it was the last act of those prerogatives to mark with distinguished honour, would hesitate to hail with joy the opportunity afford ed him of sharing in that general sen

timent of applause and gratitude which pervaded the whole community. What had been the conduct of the countries who had the most immediate means of ascertaining his merits? In addition to the title of Conde de Vimiera, conferred on him in Portugal, a revenue of 5,000l. a year had been granted him. As captain-general of Spain, Lord Wellington had a salary offered to him of 5,000l. a year; and as marshal of Portugal, 7,000l. a year. These sums, amounting to 17,000l. a year, were granted for services by the foreign countries in which those services had been performed. These rewards, however, offered by foreign gratitude, were declined by the distinguished person on whom they were bestowed. "No," said that truly noble lord, "in the present situation of Spain and Portugal I will not receive these rewards. I have only done my duty to my country; and to my country alone I will look for recompense." From the vote of this night no fair in ference could be drawn either in ap proval or disapproval of the war; the two subjects were entirely separate and unconnected. But, guarding himself from being supposed to ground the vote which he should give on that consideration, he might, perhaps, be permitted to say, that the last achievement of the noble and gallant earl, whatever might be its military merit, would have a moral effect, which, at the present critical moment, must operate most powerfully throughout the peninsula, by preventing those dazzling consequences which the glories of a rival general might otherwise occasion. It was an event happy and auspicious, and he was persuaded that it would be difficult to find its parallel in military history, out-running as it did, not more the sober expectations of those who were friends to its successful termina. tion, than the fears of a provident ene

my. With respect to the cause of Spain, of that cause he did by no means despair. On the contrary, he thought there were some recent circumstances, and more particularly the renovation and re-invigoration of the Spanish go vernment, which held out a brighter hope than any which could hitherto have been cherished, which called upon the British government not to contract, but to extend their operations, and which not merely justified them for the exertions which they had hitherto made, but reflected on their efforts the highest commendation. He repeated his wish, that the sum to be granted to the noble and gallant earl were larger. It was far from being adequate to the extent of his services, more especially when it was considered how much he had had in his power, and how much he had rejected; but being anxious to avoid any thing like dissent on such a question, he would not press the adoption of a larger sum. He was sure, how ever, that the committee would cheer fully and unanimously join with his royal highness the Prince Regent in the noblest exercise of the regal prerogatives, by evincing the gratitude of the country to a distinguished individual who had rendered himself an ho nour to the present age, and an example to posterity."

An event of considerable importance to the Spanish cause occurred about this period. The Spanish go vernment, hitherto so weak and ineffi. cient, was changed; a new executive was established, and the Duke del Infantado was placed at the head of it. The duke and his colleagues were distinguished by their warm attachment to Great Britain, and by their zeal and patriotism in the cause of their unhappy country; sanguine hopes were therefore entertained of the benefits which would result from this revolution. Every one had seen with regret that there had been hitherto neither

energy nor decision in the Spanish government. The minds of its chiefs did. not seem to have risen to the magnitude! of the crisis, and while the Spanish nation was full of patriotism and vigour and courage, bearing, and ready to bear, any thing rather than submit to the invader, they alone appeared. tame, unanimated spectators of the: struggle. A new era, however, arri.. ved, and brighter prospects began to

open.

On a motion respecting the usual subsidy to Portugal, a short discussion occurred in the House of Commons, in which the character and services of the Portugueze, and the prospects of the war after the late brilliant ever t6, were alluded to.

The Prince Regent's message respecting Portugal having been referred to a committee of supply, Lord Castlereagh rose and said, "that ir submitting to the House a motion on the subject, he did not feel that it would be necessary for him to tres pass om their patience at any considerable length, or to adduce many argumentsto shew the expediency of affording that assistance to Portugal at the present moment, which had been sanctioned by the approbation of parliament at former periods, when the advantages attendant upon it were by no means equally evident. Indeed, the question appeared to hina to be drawn into such a narrow cornpass, that it was scarcely possible for any one to doubt the principle of expediency on which the proposed grant rested, unless one of the following propositions were affirmed, viz. that it was so fundamentally wrong to subsidize any foreign power, that no application of that nature ought to be made to parliament; or that the state of the war in the peninsula was such, that, notwithstanding the treaties by which the two countries were so closely united, notwithstanding the glorious successe

of our arms, and notwithstanding the solemn faith which parliament had so repeatedly pledged on the subject, no further exertion should be made by Great Britain, but that Spain and Portugal should be left to the dreadful fate which awaited them. Unless one of these two grounds was taken, he confessed himself wholly at a loss to conceive how the present proposition could be opposed. It was far from his wish to reagitate those to pics which at former periods had given rise to such controversy. It was unnecessary to recur to them in order to sustain the motion with which he should conclude. Nor would it be politic to recur to them; for he was persuaded, that if the committee should agree with him in thinking, that the same pecuniary support ought to be extended to Portugal as was given in the last session, they would also agree with him in thinking that it ought to be done with as much unanimity as possible; for whatever differences of opinion might have existed in parlia. ment at a time when the experiment of assisting Portugal had not been tried, now that it had been tried, and proved successful, he trusted that a general disposition would ultimately be mani fested to mark, by an unanimous vote, the approbation with which the British parliament regarded the Portugueze in the common cause, and the fidelity which they had manifested under those numerous circumstances of extreme peril and difficulty, to which the various fortunes of the war had necessarily exposed them. Without, therefore, dwelling at any length on the topics to which he had alluded, he would just call to the recollection of the committee, that when the principle of the present proposition was broached two years ago, a great disposition existed in parliament to doubt whether any military exertions, which it might lend occasionally to Portugal,

could be ultimately successful. Many gentlemen of high military character seemed inclined to believe that the Portugueze army, which it was the object of that proposition to raise and subsidize, could never be brought into such a state of discipline, as to render it efficiently serviceable. The division, on that occasion, exhibited a strong feeling in the minds of a great number of honourable gentlemen, that the encouragement, in a military point of view, held out by the proposition, was by no means adequate to the expence of it. Those, however, who enjoyed more intimate means of judging of the probable result, pressed the vote upon the House; it was passed; and in the course of the year the efforts made in Portugal in consequence, were such, that in the next session of parliament, even those who had opposed the proposition in the first instance, candidly allowed that it had been productive of the most advantageous results. Accordingly, when the proposition was again brought forward, those who had voted against it in the first instance, abstained from a repetition of that vote; representing, however, at the same time, that although they admitted that the measure had produced great advantage, yet that, after all, the efforts of the combined British and Portugueze armies had ended only in shutting them up in the lines of Cintra, and leaving the enemy in possession of the remainder of Portugal. At least the committee would feel that this obstacle to an unanimous expression of sentiment was removed; for the vote of the last session had enabled Lord Wellington to drive the enemy over the frontier, and expel them wholly from Portugal. Parliament, therefore, was now called upon to contemplate a system, not which might lead, but which actually had led, to the most brilliant success. The committee, in coming to the consideration of