§ The Speaker acquainted the House that he had received from general lord viscount Wellington the following letters, in return to the Thanks of this House of the 7th day of June last.
§ "Portalegre, July 25th, 1811.
§ "Sir; I have the honour to enclose the copy and translation of a letter which I have received from General Blake, in answer to one which I wrote to him, to transmit the Resolutions of the Houses of Lords and Commons of Great Britain and Ireland of the 7th of June, on the subject of the battle of Albuera. I have the honour to be, Sir, &c. WELLINGTON."
§ "The right hon. the Speaker of the House of Commons, &c. &c.
§ "Sir; the unanimous Resolutions of the two Houses of Parliament of Great Britain and Ireland of the 7th June, which your excellency enclosed with your letter of the 28th June, expressing the sentiments of the two Houses on the conduct of the Spanish troops under my command in the battle of Albuera on the 16th of May, must be considered highly gratifying to the mind of every military man; and, at the same time, that they are calculated to convince the common enemy of the esti- 17 mation in which the three allied nations hold each other, and of the strict, union which prevails among them: The high honour which these illustrious assemblies have conferred upon the Spanish troops, will be received by them with sentiments of gratitude and enthusiasm proportioned to the heroism which all displayed on that day in the cause; solely that they might deserve the approbation of its well wishers.
§ "Your Excellency is aware of the estimation in which high-minded soldiers hold such honourable testimonies of approbation, and therefore I will confine myself to request your excellency will express our gratitude to the two Houses of Parliament, and will take that occasion to repeat the wishes entertained by us, in common with the Spanish nation, for the permanence of an union which has already produced such glorious effects, and of which the consequences will be a period of happiness and glory for many ages.
§ "I beg that your excellency will allow me to add, that it has encreased our satisfaction, to have received the resolutions of The two Houses through the channel of a person who is already distinguished in military history, and most particularly in The annals of the war in the peninsula. May God preserve your excellency, &c.
§ "Signed, JOACHIM BLAKE.
§ "Ayamante, 6th July, 1811.
§ "His excellency capt. gen. viscount
§ "Wellington. A true translation,
§ "Joseph O'Lawlor."