§ Mr. Secretary Ryder presented a Copy of the Letter from lord Wellington to the earl of Liverpool, dated 27th of October last. On the question that the Letter do lie on the table, and be printed,
Mr. Canninghaving been prevented from delivering his opinion on the subject of the affairs in Portugal on a former night, begged to be allowed to avail himself of the present opportunity to say a few words on this head. He was the more inclined to trouble the House on the present occasion, from observing how greatly the expectations of many gentlemen had been, exceeded by the conduct of the Portuguese troops, to whose zeal, spirit and gallantry lord Wellington had borne such ample testimony. He could not but recollect that some gentlemen had been pleased greatly to disparage the efforts and services of our allies in the Peninsula, and had even gone the length of predicting that no advantage whatever was to be expected from their co-operation. How pleasingly and satisfactorily those predictions had been answered, and proved to be unfounded, it would be needless for him now to endeavour to point out. An hon. and gallant general (Ferguson) who had at one time been impressed with this unfavourable idea of the Portuguese nation, had, with that magnanimity which was natural to him, retracted his error, and done justice to the zeal and spirit of the Portuguese. He had gained a victory more honourable to him than twenty conquests in the field of battle; he had triumphed over his prejudices and prepossessions, and he was not above confessing the victory, and making every atonement: in his power. He hoped that other gentlemen would follow so meritorious a conduct, and also retract the opinions, expressed by them on this subject. The happy effects produced by the organization of the Portuguese troops had been already seen and felt. Let us hope that similar results might occur in another part of the Peninsula. To produce such a favourable change, nothing was more calculated than to hold out animating expectations, while on the other hand, desponding language was more calculated than any other circumstance to sink those to whom it was expressed deeper and deeper into trepidation, and distrust of themselves.
§ The Letter was then ordered to lie on the table, and to be printed.