§ Mr. Secretary Canning presented to the house the following,
§ Copy of a LETTER from lieut.-general sir John Moore, to the right hon. John Hookham Frere; dated, Salamanca, 6th December, 1808.
§ Sir; I neglected to mention to you, in my Letter of this date, that the general officers and had been with me, who are mentioned in that extraordinary Paper* which you sent me with your Letters of the 30th of November, signed by The two generals seemed to me to be two weak old men, or rather women, with whom it was impossible for me to concert any military operations, had I been so inclined.—The only persons with whom such operations can be concerted at present, are the generals who command the armies; not men like these two, who had no information upon which such plans can be framed, except, the official papers, always incorrect, which have been given to them from public offices. Their conferences with me consisted in questions, and in assertions with respect to the strength of different Spanish corps; all of which I knew to be erroneous; and they neither knew that Segovia or Somosierra were in the hands of the enemy. I shall be obliged to you to save me from such visits, which are very painful. I mentioned to you in my Letter of this day, that I had had a Letter from the Junta at Madrid.—My Instructions direct that all my communications with the Spanish government shall go through you, and I should be very happy, on every account, to comply with them; but I do not see how this can be, if you continue at Badajos. I shall, however, send you copies of them if you wish it. I have the honour to be, &c.
§ (Signed)JOHN MOORE.
§ *Not transmitted.