bited, the Reformers have in MAJOR CART-gaged-the defence of the oppressed WRIGHT, the author of the Westmin-people of the Peninsula, against the most ster Address to the Prince Regent, the grinding system of tyranny and oppres publishing of which Address in the Ga- sion to which any nation had ever been exzette has excited towards His Royal High- posed. He had on this happy occasion ness the gratitude of hundreds of thou- to enrol upon the illustrious list of those sands of the best men in the kingdom, heroes who had signalised their valour men who will never be found crawling at and skill in their country's service, the his court, but whom he will always find names of General Beresford, who so ably ready to stand by him in the field. The commanded the allied army at Albuera, publishing of this Address must have been and of the other Officers, whose eminent the act of His Royal Highness. We re- merits contributed to the brilliant victory ceive it from him as an earnest of his dis- obtained in that part of the Peninsula. position in favour of Reform; and, for my To himself it was grateful, as he was con part, while I see marks so manifest of such vinced it would be satisfactory to every à disposition in His Royal Highness, I Gentleman who heard him, and to the shall not be disposed severely to criticise country, that, although they might feel a any of the minor acts in the exercise of pride in contemplating the accumulated his power, being confident that he will glories and honours acquired by particular never use that power for the oppression of Generals, yet the Country could reflect any part of the people. with exultation that it was not to one or two Generals they could look with confidence for signal talents and heroic achievements in the field, but that the Country had several Generals competent to meet any General of France, with an army nearly equal in numbers, not only with glory to themselves, but with defeat to their ene mies. It was remarkable, that, in the short period of the present Session, this was the third time when it had become his duty to bring the eminent services of the Army under the consideration of the House, in troductory of a vote of its thanks, the highest honour it could bestow. And here, he trusted, that the House would do his Majesty's Ministers the justice to al low, that they had not studiously taken the advantage of gallant exploits of any WM. COBBETT. State Prison, Newgate, Tuesday, 11th June, 1811. BATTLE OF ALBUERA. Report of Mr. Perceval's Speech in moving the Thanks of the Honourable House to Marshal Beresford, &c.—June 7th, 1811. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER observing, that, according to the course of proceeding adopted by the House in the present Session, Orders of the Day were to have precedence of motions on this day, still felt a conviction, that the motion which he had to make, recognising the merits of the General, the Officers, and gallant army engaged in the battle of Albuera, would be al-equivocal character or inferior importance, lowed by the House to take precedence of any other business. (Hear, hear!) He collected from this cheer an admission on the part of the House, and should therefore proceed. Now again he felt himself placed in the situation, in which he had imposed upon him the agreeable duty, which several times during the present Sesion he had had to perform, of presenting to the consideration of the House the eminent services of the British and Al-such paltry view. No, it was a duty in lied armies-services which had been so posed upon them by the blessings of Provi frequently crowned with the most signal dence, which enabled his Majesty's forces to and brilliant success. He had again to achieve in the short period which had bring under the notice, and recommend elapsed of the present campaign, more to the attention and approbation of that signal and glorious successes than had House, the meritorious conduct of the been heretofore obtained in almost any officers and men of that army, who had space of a tedious and protracted war. so nobly distinguished themselves in the (Hear.) Sure he was that upon this glorious cause in which they were en-point the House would be more disposed to call upon the House for its thanks, to censure the conduct of Ministers for having been too sparing in their applications, for having withheld the thanks of that House from meritorious services, than to complain of their having multiplied too much the instances in which they called upon the House to record their high approbation of the gallantry and good conduct of their brave officers and troops. He need not here allude to the capture of the island of Banda in a most romantic and chivalrous stile by a small but heroic band; an enterprize entitled to rank for decision and intrepidity with any to be found in the annals of military achievements. Neither need he point out the masterly, gallant manner in which the conquest of the islands of Bourbon and Mauritius had been accomplished; an object of so much importance, not only from the annoyance which they enabled the enemy to give to British commerce, but from the anxiety which every Minister of this country had manifested to obtain possession of them. The House would acquit Ministers of any anxiety to drag before their view services, however important, which may admit of doubt as to their claim to the thanks of Parliament. The occasions to which he had alluded particularly, as having submitted for the approbation of the House, were the gallant exploits performed in the Peninsula; from the glories of the victory of Busaço, obtained by Lord Wellington in his retreat to his lines, to what surpassed all-the important victory at Almeida. Under all the circumstances of the case, it would be admitted that they had rather abstained from overloading the Journals with Votes of Thanks, than unnecessarily squandered that proud distinction; and if any Gentleman were to criticise their conduct, his animadversion would be directed to their forbearance, at a period when scarce a day passed without an expectation of some victory; which expectation was uniformly realized by the next accounts. In short, such a tide and flood of victory flowed in our favour, that of our ariny it might be said, as of an army of old, "Hostis nihil aliud est nisi perpetua gloriæ mate ria vestræ." The enemy, by the incessant victories gained over them seemed to serve only as a fund to supply materials for the accumulating glories of the British army. He had only to refer to the manner in which the former votes had been received, to shew that he had not been lavish in bringing these votes forward. Having stated thus much as to the circumstances in which he brought forward the motion of this night, he should proceed next to state the circumstances of the action to which his motion applied. It appeared by the dispatches, that General Beresford was engaged in the siege, when he received intelligence that Marshal Soult, having collected from the corps of Victor, Sebas tiani, and from the interior of Spain, all the force which he could assemble, had broken up on the 10th of May from Se ville, to march to the relief of Badajoz. Upon receipt of this intelligence, it ap peared that he considered how he should meet the attack; whether he should raise the siege of Badajoz and wait the attack of Soult, or provide for both objects, He determined to prepare for the attack, lest by endeavouring to attend also to the siege, he might risk the loss of both objects. He then took up a position on the river Albuera, where he was joined in the evening preceding the action by the allied force under Generals Blake and Castanos, in pursuance of a previous arrangement with those officers; and it was not till the morning of the day on which the battle was fought that he was joined by the corps under General Cole, which had been left to cover the conveyance of the heavy ordnance and stores from before Badajoz to Eivas. The Right Hon. Gentleman then proceeded to detail from the official dispatches, the order of battlethe Spaniards on the hill on the right, General Stuart's division on the left of them, and General Hamilton's on the left of General Stuart's. The enemy made a demonstration on the left of them, and taking advantage of the weather, which masked his operations, directed the main body of his force and all his attention to an attack upon the position occupied by the Spaniards on the right. The Spanish troops resisted this concentrated attack with intrepidity and courage, but were at length obliged to give way to superior forces, and were driven from the hill. To the immortal honour, however, of these gallant troops, they rallied at the bottom of the hill, turned upon the enemy, and kept them in check by their fire, till the brigade of Lieut.-Colonel Colbourne came to their support. The brigade of General Cole was stationed in the rear of the Spaniards. The brigade of Colonel Colbourne, not being able to dislodge the enemy from their position by their fire, proceeded to charge them with the considered the effect that must necessarily bayonet and it was in this charge that be produced by the signal disappointment that brigade, consisting of three regi- of all the boasts of the enemy, by the frusments, suffered so severely from an un- trating of all their proud pretensions and anexpected charge by a division of Polish ticipated triumphs, it was impossible to decavalry. A small regiment, the 31st, scribe that effect in stronger terms than in kept this cavalry in check, till the brigade the language of General Beresford, who of General Hoghton came up; when that alluded to the impression that would be brave and distinguished officer fell, made by the return of Marshal Soult, cheering his men to the charge. Whilst after all his boasts, " to Seville with a stating this circumstance, he trusted the broken army, and what was worse, a diHouse would agree with him as to the minished reputation." But in the circumpropriety of marking their admiration of stances of this action there were some partithe glorious circumstances of his death, culars which might afford the enemy a pretext by erecting a monument to the hero at to claim a victory. In the charge which the public expence; at once a testimony the brigade of Col. Colbourne had susto posterity of their gratitude and his tained from the Polish cavalry, the three glory. (Hear, hear!)-In the course of regiments of which it was composed, unthis contest it would be observed that doubtedly lost their colours. The colours of every man did his duty. But it was one of them were afterwards recovered, against the right that the principal efforts one standard re-taken from the enemy, of the enemy were directed. In this and the other preserved for his corps in an point, the brigade of General Cole, and exemplary manner by the gallant officer particularly the fusilecrs, took the French who had the charge of it. The colours of on their left flank, and making a com- the two other regiments undoubtedly were in bined charge with the other troops, drove the possession of the enemy, and would in all them from the eminence which command-probability be made the ground of a claim ed the British line, and which was the of triumph. Whilst upon this topic, be great object of their efforts to acquire, trusted the House would excuse him for and of their ambition to retain. It was adverting to the very gallant and heroic upon being driven from this hill that the conduct of the two officers who bore the French were broken, and forced with colours of the Buffs, which had been pregreat slaughter down the hill. Never served. One of them was surrounded by had there fallen in so small a space so the enemy, and when asked to give up his many victims to the fury of war as on colours, answered, not, but with his life; the acclivity of this hili, after the enemy and his life was the instant forfeit of his had been driven from the summit to the refusal. (A call of name! name!) The bottom. When he stated that the name of this heroic individual was Ensign whole of the battle took place on the Thomas. The standard thus taken was afright, he did not mean to be understood terwards recovered from the enemy. The that no efforts had been made in any other manner in which the other standard was part of the line. The enemy had directed preserved was marked by circumstances serious attacks in other quarters, and if no equally meritorious and honourable to the other action had been fought but what had individual who preserved it, and equally taken place at the bridge of Albuera, that entitled to the applause and admiration of alone would be enough to immortalize the his country. Ensign Walsh was the officer glory of that day. Such had been the he alluded to. This gallant individual, circumstances of this glorious battle, the having the staff of the colours broken by a consequences of which were-the flight of cannon ball, which also severely wounded the enemy from the scene of action-the himself, fell upon the field of battle, and abandonment of their wounded: and the more anxious about the precious charge situation of the miserable remnant of the than for himself, contrived to separate the French army may be estimated from the flag from the remnant of the staff, and secured intercepted letter of General Gazan to it in his bosom, from which he afterwards Marshal Soult, which represented the produced it when his wounds were dressed force under him of wounded to amount to after the battle. (Hear, hear!) He was refour thousand men. But the usual conse-joiced to name these heroic individuals, quences of this glorious victory would and to give all the splendour to their reprove most highly beneficial to the cause putation, which the mention of their deeds in which we were engaged. When they in that House was calculated to confer. He knew not whether it might be permit- But even if he should be able to place his ted him here to mention also the case of force in the Peninsula on the same footing General Beresford himself. After the as before, he would find the Allies better charge of the Polish cavalry, which had prepared to meet him-he would find from proved so disastrous to the brigade of Col. the glorious example set by the Spanish Colbourne, one horseman, separated from troops at Albuera, far different enemies to his corps, and unsupported by any others, ap-contend with. When he looked to the proached so near Marshal Beresford, either grievous disappointment of the hopes of from the effects of intoxication or the the enemy, he could not think he enter phrenzy of military enthusiasm, as to aim atained any exaggerated confidence in the blow at his life. The General, anxious only operations of war: their issue was in other to preserve the life of the man, evaded his hands. Whether the pleasing hopes he blow by his dexterity, and, availing him- entertained were well founded, under all self of his superior strength, pulled him to the circumstances, he should leave to the the ground; but no sooner was he per- public to decide; but whatever may be ceived still meditating a blow at the Gene- the foundation of his expectations, he ral, than he was instantly dispatched by prayed God, in whose disposal the issue of all one of his orderlies. (Hear, hear!) He contests was placed, would grant that they mentioned this only to shew that this un- should be realised. He should move, then, foreseen accident might have deprived the "The Thanks of that House to Major-Gecountry of the services of this gallant neral Beresford, for the distinguished abiofficer. He begged the House now to al- lity displayed by him on the 16th of May, low him to allude to the moral conse-in the glorious battle of Albuera, in which quences which must result from this vic- he had defeated the French army under tory-such a victory occurring at such a Marshal Soult." time and under such circumstances. When they considered the attempt of Massena to relieve Almeida, and the almost contemporaneous effort of Soult to relieve Ba-Lord Cochrane's Motion, and Debate ther com VICE ADMIRALTY COURTS, in the Honourable House, 7th Jun 1811. Lord COCHRANE, in rising to call the at tention of the House to the subject on which he had given notice of a motion, did not intend entering into it at length, but he pledged himself to disclose abuses of almost sufficient magnitude to paralyse the energies of the nation. [He then read dajoz, they could not consider both in any other light than as a desperate attempt, undertaken in pursuance of orders from their government to retrieve the character and honour of the French arms in the Peninsula. He had also to acquaint the House, that it was now well ascertained, that Marshal Soult, on leaving Seville, in the confidence of anticipated victory, publetter from an Officer in the East Indies, lished one of those boasting proclamations for in which it was stated, that the charges of which the French Generals are so remark- the Vice-Admiralty Courts were so exorable; and that he had frequently on his bitant, that it required a good prize to samarch addressed his troops upon the cer- tisfy them, though nothing were left for 1ainty of their success. The utter disap- the captors. In one instance (his Lordship pointment of all these confident expecta-proceeded), a vessel had been condemned tions of victory must raise the hopes and increase the confidence of the Allies, at the same time that it must lower the tone and the pretensions of the enemy. He could not but consider it as opening new and flattering prospects to us in the Peninsula. He was aware that some Gentlemen were of opinion, that there was no limit to the means of the French Emperor, and that he could have no difficulty in sending three or four hundred thousand men into the Peninsula. For himself he should say, that he did not think it so easy for him to send any large force thither; particularly when there was a prospect that he might have employment for so many of his forces elsewhere. which was worth 11,000 rupees; the charges of the Vice-Admiralty Court amounted to more than 10,000. After some observations on the extent of the Commerce of France, and the erroneous statements made of English prosperity, his Lordship adverted to the charges made by the Proctor at Malta. His bill on one oc casion he stated to have measured six fathoms and a quarter. The noble Lord here produced a copy of the Bill, which was immensely long, and excited much risibility in the House while he unrolled it. Whatever credit he might be disposed to give that person for his integrity, he felt that something was due to his inge nuity. He had contrived to unite in himself the two offices of Proctor and Marshal, and in this double capacity, he feed, advised, instructed, and consulted himself, made affidavit that he had so consulted himself, and extracted his own oath for another purpose, for which also he was paid. His Lordship here recounted some of his (the Proctor's) charges for attendance on himself, and asserted an annual saving of five millions might be made by a reform of abuses in the Navy. When the Proctor's Bill came to be taxed, 50 crowns were taken off, and for the trouble of doing this, the charge of the Court was 35 crowns. He then instanced the case of the Britannia, which was valued at 8,600 crowns. The charges made by the Vice-court of Admiralty reduced the nett proceeds to 1,900. The Vice-Admiralty Court, he contended, had no right to alter the table of fees, nor to make one for themselves. In one instance when the cargoes were taken out of some small vessels condemned at Malta, which Could not cross the sea, the charges of the Vice Admiralty Court amounted to no less a sum than 3,767 crowns. Captain Brenton made a strong remonstrance on this occasion, and so desirous were they not to La ave the affair taken up in England, that consequence of this proceeding on his part, they deducted from the charge 3,504 crowns, contenting themselves with 236 crowns, four reals, and four scendii, in the hope of preventing any thing being said in this country. He charged the Judge there with a violation of his commission, and of the law, and he would also prefer similar charges against the Proctor and Registrar. The Noble Lord concluded, by moving for "A copy of the appointment or commission of Dr. Sewell, to officiate as Judge of the ViceAdmiralty Court of Malta;" for "A copy of the commission or appointment of Mr. J.Jackson, to officiate as Marshal;" for "A list of the Proctors, with the dates of their admission;" for " A copy of the appointment or commission of Mr. Locker to be Registrar ;" for "Copies of the several deputations of the Marshals given to their Deputies, together with the notifications from the Admiralty;" for A copy of the tables of fees established by the King in Council, and furnished to the Vice-Courts of Admiralty, under the 45th of his present Majesty, or any other Act" for " A copy of the table of fees by which the charges made on Suitors in the Vice Admiralty Court at Malta are re gulated;" for " A copy of the authority, by virtue of which the Judges alter the established table of fees or make a new table to regulate the charge made on the Saitors in the Vice Admiralty Court at Malta;" for "copies of all the official demands made, or copies of the official correspondence between Vice Admiralty Judges of the Courts of Gibraltar and Malta, and the Court of Admiralty, requiring proper tables of the fees to be charged in the prize causes;" for "a list of the number of vessels prosecuted in the Vice Admiralty Court of Malta which had been liberated, paying costs and damages;" for " a copy of the appointment of Mr Wood, late Secretary to Lord Castlereagh, to the situation he now holds, and which situation yields him £.7,500 a year without any services performed by him.” Mr. YORKE admitted that the Noble Lord had made out a prima facie case, which called for an inquiry. It was possible some reform in the Vice Admiralty Courts was necessary; and, feeling this, he was not at all averse to the mo tion of the Noble Lord. He objected to the production of the private correspon dence moved for. The Noble Lord must know that some of the other papers must be procured from Malta, and therefore the subject could not be gone into in the present Session of Parliament. He hoped the Noble Lord would bear this in his mind, and not impute to the House, from the delay which must take place, any disinclination to investigate the whole bu siness, and supply a proper remedy. Sir JOHN NICHOLL, while he admitted with the first Lord of the Admiralty, that the case, as it stood at present, called for inquiry, thought proper at the same time to state, in the absence of his Learned Friend (Sir W. Scott) that he had no controul over the Vice Admiralty Court of Malta in matters of prize. The Appeal lay to the King in Council, and his Learn ed Friend was not in the smallest degree responsible. If the abuses charged by the Noble Lord existed, they ought to be cor rected: but his doubt was as to the means. His Majesty in Council had authority to correct abuses as to fees, &c.; but no application, as far as he knew, had been made in that quarter. It was the fashion now to come to Parliament in such cases. As to the character of the Judge of the Prize Court at Malta, he (Sir J. Nicholl) not having been in the habit of corresponding |