Mr. Secretary RYDER could not give any other than the general pledge he had given, qualified by the conditions he had annexed to it. Mr. CHARLES ADAMS hoped now that the Right Honourable Gentleman had promised every thing necessary to remedy the grievances complained of by Mr. Finnerty, that the object of the petition had thus been gained-since that was the case, he hoped the discussion would not continue the whole night. An Honoura ble Gentleman (Mr. Hutchinson) had fa Mr. DAVIES GIDDY admitted that the conversation alleged to have been held with the Prisoner by the Magistrates was, on their part, very reprehensible, but there could be no doubt, that even in say-voured them with a high and elaborate ing what they did, their motive could not have been of any base or unworthy description. Mr. Secretary RYDER, in explanation, stated, that the one hour's air and exercise had been at first enlarged to three hours, at different times, one hour each time, and that on certain gross and indecent improprieties having been committed by the prisoner, that time had not been lessened; but it was thought adviseable that he should take the three hour's exercise at once, from eleven till two, every daythe cold of the apartment had been remedied by a baize door. It was a mistake to represent Mr. Finnerty as under solitary confinement. He was under no such thing as to the complaint made by an Honourable Gentleman (Mr. Hutchinson) of the severity of banishing the petitioner to a gaol so distant from the metropolis, it was in compliance with the earnest applications of the prisoner's friends that he was not sent to a prison in the immediate vicinity of London, but sent to a country gaol, and one which is considered the healthiest in England. He understood that there the offensive smell complained of did not exist. He professed himself however, ready to recommend the adoption of every measure likely to promote the health and accommodation of the prisoner, and at the same time consistent - with the precautions necessary to prevent a recurrence of the same indecent irregularities to which he had alluded. Mr. WHITBREAD said, that it appeared from various statements of Mr. Finnerty, that the Gaoler bad acted towards him in the most brutal manner possible, answer, ing all his applications for redress by messages through the turnkey conveyed in terms the most insolent and scandalous. He hoped the Right Honourable Gentieman would engage to get Mr. Finnerty one of the front apartments in the more airy part of the prison. eulogium on Mr. Finnerty, and had certainly in the course of it brought merits of that person to light, which he had never before heard attributed to him. He hoped, however, now that the wishes of the House were known upon the subject, that there would be no necessity for any more eulogies upon the great services and great talents of Mr. Finnerty. Mr. HUTCHINSON said, in explanation, that in what he had said of Mr. Finnerty, he did not affect to pass any eulogy upon him. He had merely stated, what he understood to be facts; and if these facts were of a nature so praise-worthy as to amount in effect to an eulogy, he did not see why the statement of them should have been so offensive to the Honourable Gentleman's delicacy. He might, however, call it eulogy if he pleased; but while it was true, he (Mr. Hutchinson) should not be ashamed of it, if Mr. Finnerty deserved it. He (Mr. H.) did not think it ought to be withheld from him merely because he happened to be at that time an unfortunate prisoner, pining in a cell. His motive in saying what he had of Mr. Finnerty was to do away that prejudice which he feared had been but too active against him in this country, and which was, perhaps, in part the cause of the oppressions under which he now laboured, and which it would be to the disgrace of that House to have heard, and not remedied. Mr. C. ADAMS, in explanation, said, that he did not doubt the statement made by the Honourable Gentleman; but had said only that he had attributed to Mr. Finnerty qualities by which he had never before heard of his being distinguished. Mr. BABINGTON explained. Mr. BROUGHAM agreed with the Noble Lord who had expressed himself so handsomely on this question, that this was an application for justice, not indulgence, Marshal General was not mistaken in the nature and extent of the evils with which she was threatened, nor less of the only means of cautioning against, or of stopping its effects; which were, and are still, a firm resolution of resisting; removing and concealing all goods and effects that may contribute to the subsistence of the enemy, or facilitate their progress.-Near four years have elapsed, since the tyrant of Enrope invaded, with a powerful army, the kingdom of Portugal; that invasion had for its motives,-not personal defence,— not to avenge insults, or injuries, that the benevolent Sovereign of this kingdom might have offered to him ;-not, lastly, for an ambitious desire of augmenting his political power; for the Portuguese Government had, without resistance, condescended to comply with all demands of the tyrant ;-No, his object was an insatiable desire of booty, and of disturbing the tranquillity, and of carrying off the riches of a nation, which enjoyed the sweets of peace for nearly half a century. He wished to set the Right Honourable | Nation knows now, by experience, that the Secretary right as to one point-be was present when the sentence was passed on Mr. Finnerty, and the jail then mentioned, he perfectly recollected, was the Castle of Lincoln. He contended that the statement in the Petition amounted to an allegation of solitary confinement. A Learned Friend of his had applied for admission -he at first got a flat refusal, but on his pressing his right of access, he was told that Mr. Finnerty did not wish to see any body. This evasion would not serve-his friend insisted upon Yes or No, and intimidated them into their duty. The Learned Gentleman then proceeded to comment upon the great hardship and injustice of lodging in the hands of a Gaoler a power he may so easily pervert to satisfy the mean purposes of private pique. He insisted that the allegations of Mr. Finnerty respecting the dampness and noisome smell of the room were perfectly correct, Let the Magistrates or Gaoler who doubt them be treated with a night or two's lodging in the same apartment, and perhaps they might be then better-The same wishes occasioned, in the disposed to agree with him. A common sewer passed through the middle of the room immediately under the flooring, and emitted a most noisome effluvia. Sir FRANCIS BURDETT said, he now recollected another friend of his who had called, and had been refused access to Mr. Finnerty. He was however admitted to him at a subsequent period; and so dark was the room in mid-day, that Mr. Finnerty was obliged to read the letter he brought him at the grate by the light of the fire. Mr. RYDER repeated what he before said as to the advice he should give for the redress of Mr. Finnerty, stating at the same time, that he had understood that the persons charged with the custody of the Gaol of Lincoln, had in general discharged their duty with fidelity and attention to the general accommodation of the prisoners. The Petition was then ordered to lie on the table. OFFICIAL PAPERS. PORTUGAL. THE WAR.-Proclamations of Lord Viscount Wellington, K. B. Marshal General of the Armies of H. R. H. the Prince Regent of Portugal, &c. &c. &c. (Concluded from page 1505.) The Portuguese year 1809, the invasion of the Northern Provinces of Portugal; and the inclination to pillage and theft occasioned that of the year 1810, which happily has been just now frustrated; and the Marshal General appeals to the experience of those who have witnessed the three invasions, who may testify, whether, during those invasions, the conduct of the French army has been other than seizing, plundering, and perpetrating every kind of outrage that their barbarous and atrocious disposition could suggest to them; and whether, from the General to the private, they were not delighted in the practice of such excesses.-Those countries that did submit themselves to the tyranny, had not a better fate than those which resisted; the inhabitants lost all their goods, their families were dishonoured, their laws trampled upon, their religion banished, and above all, they were deprived of that honour, that manly resistance to the oppression, against which all the inhabitants of Portugal have given so singular and happy instances.-The Marshal General, at the same time that he announces the result of the last invasion, thinks it to be his duty to remind the inhabitants of Portugal, that notwithstanding the danger which threatened them is removed, it has not entirely disappeared.-The Portuguese nation has yet riches, which the tyrant will strive to lation, and their lives secured.--Vain plunder she is happy under the mode- | their women protected from a brutal viorate government of her benign Sovereign, and this is enough for the tyrant to endeavour to destroy her happiness: she has successfully resisted, and, of course, he will not leave any thing undone that can be done to subject her to his iron yoke.The nation must not slacken in their preparations for a firm and decided resistance. Every individual capable of taking arms must learn their use, and those who, on account of their age or sex, cannot take arms, must have previously fixed on a spot, the most concealed, and of the greatest security, to retire to; adopting at the same time the necessary arrangements to shelter themselves in it, whenever the dangerous moment approaches.-The effects of value, which tempt the avarice of the Tyrant and his Satellites, and which are the object of their invasion, must be previously buried; each individual concealing theirs, and not trusting the secret to the weakness of those who have no interest in keeping it. They must take proper measures to conceal or destroy the provisions, which they cannot transport to places of security; as well as every thing which may contribute to facilitate the progress of the enemy; because it is notorious, that the enemy's troops seize upon every thing they find, and leave nothing to the lawful owner. Should these measures be adopted, however superior the numbers of the enemy's forces may be, that the desire of plunder and of vengeance may induce the Tyrant to send to invade anew this country, the result shall be certain; and the independence of Portugal and the happiness of its inhabitants shall be firmly established, with eternal honour to the pre-trates, and persons in authority, which sent generation. WELLINGTON. Head Quarters, 10th April, 1811. THE period of time which has already elapsed during the stay of the enemy on the frontiers of Portugal, has happily furnished the Portuguese Nation with an experiment of what they are to expect from the French.-The inhabitants of some towns had remained in them, trusting to the promises of the enemy, and vainly persuaded that, treating the enemies of their country in an amicable manner, could thus conciliate and reduce the enemy to act towards them with sentiments of humanity, and a clement behaviour,that their goods should be respected shall remain in their towns or villages, Head Quarters, August the 4th, 1810. April. In consequence of the orders I with me, which I thought it my duty to parapets that were undermined; in short I believe that no precautions to render unserviceable all that might be useful to the enemy were omitted.-And here I ought to return thanks to the talents and activity of the officers of artillery and en gineers.-On the 9th all the cavities were charged, but the works for the destruction of the artillery were not finished, and I stayed one day more in order to leave nothing to regret.-On the morning of the 10th I assembled the principal officers of the garrison, I read them the orders of the Prince of Essling, I did not conceal that our expedition was full of difficulty and danger, that once out of the garrison, the fire set to it, we should find ourselves obliged to cut our way through to rejoin the army in the midst of obstacles of all kinds, or to fall with honour; that the place once destroyed the intentions of his Majesty would be perfectly fulfilled, that that sin gle object ought to animate us, that we were Frenchmen, and ought to prove to the universe that we were worthy of being so that if our expedition succeeded it would cover us with glory, whatever the effect might be to us personally. All testified the most courageous devotion. i then informed them of the dispositions I had pices of glory and honour.-I went out the last. I then sent orders to the Chief of Battalion Morlet, to place the fire in the boxes. It had been agreed upon that this single order should suffice, because it was to be a private signal, as soon as he had the certainty that the lighted matches were placed, in order that the fire should be set to the powder at the same time. Every thing was perfectly well executed. My two heads of columns began to be engaged with the enemy's posts at the very moment of the explosion. All were penetrated, and I continued my route rapidly, always harassed on my rear and flanks, as I had foreseen. The baggage was pillaged. I would not have any guide, because he could only shew me the ways which I would not take, and because he could only infuse uncertainty into my movements; not being able to find out by night the different points of direction which I had long studied by day, the moon served me as a compass. The different brooks or rivers which I crossed, and whose existence I was acquainted with, also contributed to insure my direc tion. I was harassed as far as Thurone➡ there they abandoned me-in fine at daybreak I was between Villar-de-Cuervas and Barba de Puerco. I took my way to the Agueda. Between those two villages, before I arrived on the summit, the ene determined upon, as well as the manner in which I reckoned upon reaching the enemy's posts, and I shewed them the route I meant to take. And wishing to march in two columns to have less depth, and to overthrow a larger front of the enemy, which gave me beyond their line more latitude for my movements, I gave them all the necessary instructions for the march of the two columns, and as a basis, I announced, that the left column should be the column of direction; the two elite companies of the 5th battalion of the 89th regiment were to march at the head of the left column, composed of the said battalion, to clear the passage for the column that followed them. The two companies of cannoneers marched at the head of the right hand column for the same purpose. This column, commanded by the Chief of the Battalion of Engineers, Thruiller, was composed of different detachments of the 6th and 8th corps. The Sappers were to remain in the town, part to set fire to the train, another part to hinder the inhabitants from deranging our operations, and to protect the sortie of all-they were afterwards to form the rear-guard-they were commanded by the Chief of the Battalion of Engineers, Morlet, who remained in the place till the train had been lighted, and who was obliged to cut his way a second time with his appers through the ene my's posts, which had joined in our rear.-Imy's cavalry had reached my right, and placed the baggage at the tail of each co- marched in a parallel line after me, to Jumn. I foresaw, that in any case it could stop me, or to point out to the troops that not follow us, and I was not sorry to place were on their march in pursuit of me, the it in a way to be taken in order to occupy route I had taken. I saw on my left the enemy.-After having agreed with all some elevations crowned with troops. I the officers about the preliminary details of manoeuvred to avoid them, and I arrived at our operations, I went, as usual, to walk length at a path which led to the bridge of about the town and the ramparts. I con- San Felices-The two columns which had versed with all the soldiers; I was ena- always marched in sight and within reach bied by an air of security and confidence, of each other, arrived together on the left to remove from their minds all doubt or bank of the Agueda in the same order in uneasiness upon the result of our opera- which they had left Almeida. They had tions, and I saw every body full of confi- always marched in order in spite of rocks, dence, and even enthusiasm-at night fall, rivers, and precipices. The rear-guard of 1 made all the garrison take arms to pre- the Sappers had joined some moments bevent any one from being absent, and to before the rear of the left column. I perready as soon as all the dispositions were ceived some troops on the other side, completed, for we worked to the moment which I found by my glass to be French, of our departure-at 10 o'clock, all being and we descended rapidly to the bridge. ready, I sent orders to all the advanced The enemy poured in on all sides; they posts of the half moon and covered ways, had reached the rear of my column; T to come in the greatest silence within the bad the grief of seeing some of my brave. Barrier whence we were to depart. At comrades perish. At length General Rethe moment of beginning the movement, nier, commanding the second corps, sent 1 gave, as a watch word, Buonaparté and troops towards the bridge and protected Bayard, and we all set off under the aus- our passage. He received all the wounded, |