Mr. Abercrombierose to make the motion of which he had given notice, relative to the general Orders issued by general sir John Moore at Salamanca, &c. in Spain. His sole object in moving for these papers was, that the character of that gallant and highly lamented officer might appear in its true colours. He did not apprehend there could be any objection to this motion, and should therefore mention the papers, viz. Copies of the general Orders issued on the 25th of October, 11th of November, and 23d, 27th, and 30th of December, 1808.
Lord Castlereaghsaid, he should be sorry to refuse any papers which might be thought necessary to vindicate the character of the gallant officer alluded to, but he must resist the motion; first, because the executive government could not comply with it. No such papers were in his office, nor did he know where they were, except they might be in possession of the adjutant-general in Spain. In the next place, he thought it a serious question of prudence whether such papers ought to be called for, as the orders of generals to the army under their command were conveyed in a tone which might be necessary to keep up discipline, and might not perhaps be quite consonant to the feelings of the house, and should not therefore be made public.
§ General Tarletonsaid, that if the noble lord would refer to the adjutant-general, he would easily find where the papers moved for were. As to the other objection to the tone of general orders, and their not according with the feelings of the house, he thought it very futile. They were always clear and concise, and so far not consonant with the long speeches in that house, but if those moved for were supposed necessary to clear up any doubts as to the conduct of the gallant and lamented officer alluded to, they ought certainly to be produced. He should therefore take the sense of the house on the question.
Mr. Abercrombiesaid, that as, contrary to his expectation, his motion was opposed, he would beg the attention of the house while he briefly stated his reasons for making it, and why he thought the objections of no weight against it. As to the first, it would be easy for the Order of that house to be directed to the adjutant-general, and if he had not the papers, then to the adjutant-general of the army in Spain. With respect to the second objection, of the tone of a commanding officer being different to what it would be if addressed to the house, it made, he thought, rather in favour of the motion; there could not, certainly, be any object which the house ought more to wish the knowledge of, than the state of the discipline of the army. As to the gallant officer who was the object of the motion, he was sure that brave general never wrote or expressed a sentiment relative to the army under his command, which he would not have published and wished to be known to the whole world. It was very well known, that a considerable alarm had gone abroad respecting the disorder and want of discipline in the army under the command of sir John Moore, which had shewn itself particularly in the retreat from Sahagun to Corunna, and that this want of discipline was not owing to general Moore. Now, if those Orders were made public, they would shew plainly and clearly that the fault was not with him. If the noble lord meant these orders should not be known to the public, and if it were true, as the noble lord had admitted, that every thing had been done by sir John Moore in the retreat from Sahagun to Cornnna, that could have been done by the ablest general in any service, then the argument amounted to this, viz. that you must not hurt the feelings of the army, but you may sacrifice the honour and character of the officer who commanded. If any thing had been done by the gallant officer alluded to, which was at all faulty, it was entirely owing to ministers; and as he had, unfortunately for the country, fallen a sacrifice to the situation in which he had been placed by them, or by their adherents, it was extremely hard to sacrifice his character, as well as his life, to screen themselves. The whole of these Orders had been published in the newspapers, and if refused, that house would be the only place in which they would not be known. He wished, however, to place the character of the gallant and lamented 262 officer, in its proper colours on the records of that house; and the production of these orders was the only way of effectually clearing it from the doubts that would otherwise be spread over it.
Mr. Taylorthought, as the propriety of sir John Moore's conduct appeared such that the public were generally satisfied, the production of the papers moved for seemed unnecessary.
§ Mr. Hornerthought, that whatever obstacle from a feeling of delicacy might arise in some cases to the production of certain documents, none after what had already been produced could be supposed to exist in the present He thought they ought to be produced, to enlighten the public on a question so important.
Lord Castlereaghbriefly replied, and gave it as his opinion, that such an inquiry at the present moment would be invidious and unnecessary.
§ A division took place, when there appeared, for their production, 37; Against it, 62; Majority, 25.