THANKS TO THE MARQUIS OF WELLINGTON, &c. (Hansard, 24 March 1814)

The Chancellor of the Exchequer
rose, pursuant to notice, to call the grateful attention of the House to the recent glorious services of the marquis of Wellington, and his brave army. In reverting to the many occasions on which the noble marquis had received the thanks of parliament, it might appear that every topic of panegyric was utterly exhausted. There was scarcely a display of military courage and skill, whether manifested in the open field, in the assault of a fortress, or in that system of persevering vigilance by which the strength of an army actually inferior, was rendered equal in value to that of a force, numerically superior, in which lord Wellington had not, for his brilliant success, received the warm and unanimous approbation of his country. It was necessary for him to do little more than point out the distinguishing features of the late gallant achievements. The circumstances of the long contest in the peninsula, and subsequently in France, which lord Wellington had maintained with such increasing fortune, were as various as the qualities and resources of his comprehensive and energetic mind. In order to enable the House justly to estimate 350 the extent of the services lately performed by lord Wellington and his army, it was necessary to recal to their minds the particular nature of the operations by which those services had been preceded. It was well known, that the descent from the Pyrenees into the plains of Langnedoc was rugged, and in places almost impracticable, intersected here and there with little winding vallies and rivers, which presented the greatest obstacles to the march of an army. This was particularly the case at what was called the Landes de Bourdeaux. In this romantic and extraordinary country, lord Wellington conceived the great—he would say the sublime idea, of establishing himself from the foot of the Pyrenees to the very banks of the Garonne; and the rains having somewhat abated about the middle of February, the noble marquis moved the right wing of the British army towards the rivers which fell into the Adour. By a change of weather and an unexpected swelling of those rivers, that first movement was frustrated. Lord Wellington then proceeded to move the left wing of his army; but unfavourable circumstances of a similar nature rendered the passage of that wing wholly impracticable. This situated, lord Wellington again repaired to the right of the army, and laid the foundation of that decisive victory which he subsequently achieved. After having passed no less than five rivers, under circumstances which reflected the highest credit on the determined perseverance of the troops, the British army and their gallant leader found the French army posted in a very strong position near Orthes, in a country which, as he had before observed, was rendered almost impassable, by the number of winding vallies and obstacles of every description with which it abounded. It might, indeed, be truly said, that the position of Orthes was precisely such a one as the most skilful commander would have chosen as the seat of defensive operations. From this position, however, lord Wellington completely dislodged marshal Soult, one of the most consummate generals of which the emperor of France had to boast, and leading an army of nearly 40,000 men. The enemy were completely dislodged and repulsed with very considerable loss on their part. In the mean time, in conformity to the plan of operations which the genius of our great commander had suggested to him, sir John Hope, on the 24th ult. effected the passage of the Adour 351 above Bayonne, under circumstances of the most extraordinary and interesting description. To the astonishment of the enemy, and even of their own countrymen (accustomed as they had been to witness their heroic deeds), the British sailors boldly passed the bar of that river. Nothing could impede them: one boat after another upset in the tremendous surf of the bar; but at length they accomplished their daring object, and afforded to their no less gallant military countrymen the means of crossing from one bank of the river to the other. Extensive as were these operations, they formed but a part of that plan which lord Wellington had in contemplation, and which stretched even to Bourdeaux. Immediately after the dislodgement of the enemy from Orthes, lord Wellington dispatched a column of troops under sir William Beresford to Bourdeaux, where he was received, as the British army had hitherto been invariably received in France, with the loudest acclamations of joy. For it was a circumstance peculiar to the present contest, and highly creditable to the conduct of the British army, that after every nation on the continent had solicited the aid of British arms against the oppression of France, the British armies were received in that country, not as enemies, but at once as conquerors and friends. He did not conceive that it was necessary for him to occupy the time of the House with repeating sentiments which he was persuaded were cherished in the breast of every hon. gentleman who heard him. He would, therefore, conclude with moving, "That the Thanks of this House be given to Field Marshal the most noble Arthur Marquis of Wellington, for the additional proofs of his consummate ability, experience, and distinguished valour, displayed in the late battle at Orthes on the 27th of February last, and in the operations leading to and immediately connected with that engagement, which terminated in the signal defeat of the enemy, and in the occupation of Bourdeaux by the allied forces."

§ Mr. Whitshed Keene
rose to second the motion. Those who looked into the Journals of the House would know that its thanks had repeatedly been given to the duke of Marlborough, whose exploits he compared with those of the subject of the Vote of Thanks which had been moved. He then recapitulated the honours which had been conferred on the duke of Marlborough. In 1702 he first received the 352 thanks of this House; in 1704 he had been presented by queen Anne with the manor of Wotton, and a pension of 5,000l. per annum, in consideration of his conduct at the battle of Blenheim. In 1705 and 1706 he had received additional honours, for his exploits during that period. He took the opportunity to comment on the political as well as the military talents of that distinguished ornament of Great Britain at the beginning of the last century. Considering the circumstances which constituted the glory of military achievements, he thought that it would on all sides be agreed that there was no one in the military annals of this empire, whose character outshone that of the subject of the present motion. Although such a step had not yet been taken, he hoped to see ministers come to parliament, and recommend the erection of some such monument to commemorate his exploits, as had been erected to the duke of Marlborough. He hoped, that as the house of Blenheim had been built for the latter in England, such a house would be erected for lord Wellington in Ireland; as he was persuaded that the good effects of such a measure on the people of Ireland would be indescribable. Of this he conceived himself competent to judge, from being a native of Ireland, and having sat 50 years in the House of Commons. Alluding to the flight of Joseph Buonaparté from the battle of Vittoria, he said that his carriage had been taken and brought to England. In it there had been found concealed a number of pictures by the celebrated Spanish artists, Murillio, Velasquez, and others, which belonged to the royal family of Spain. These he thought should be returned to the Spanish government free of all expence; as during the reign of our Charles 1, a similar act of generosity had been performed by the Spanish government on a similar occasion.

§ Sir Frederick Flood
said, as an Irishman, and a representative of that country which gloried in the proud birth of the illustrious individual who was the object of the vote of thanks now proposed, he should not be doing justice to those who sent him to that House, if he contented himself with a silent vote on the present occasion. "And, Sir," said the hon. baronet, "it I had a voice" (the increased loudness of his tone removed all dubiety on this subject, and excited a general laugh) "which I could extend even beyond the doors of this House, I would exert every nerve on 353 such a glorious occasion, though it might end in a nervous fever." The country which had given birth to this great hero, had also given birth to a number of other illustrious characters—it could boast of the blood of a Beresford, of the brother of our noble ambassador, (lord Castlereagh), of a Ponsonby, and of a Cole. That was a country which could provide such a number of heroes. It had been often said in England, that Ireland was a clog to her; but instead of a clog, it was the best feather in her cap; for it not only produced the best soldiers, but the best captains, at the head of whom was the illustrious object of the present vote of thanks. When he looked around him, he saw many members on both sides of the House, in the first confidential offices of state—(laugh) he should have said, that those who held them were on the one side, and those who did not hold them were on the other. When he looked into the other House of Parliament, he saw the same thing. Was not that a country of which a man ought to be proud, and a country to court a connection with? It did not only send them men, but it sent them also linen, grain, cattle, butter, and beef. This was indeed a country for one to be proud of, and the people of it ought to be fostered. Government ought to extend the arm of its protection to the natives of such a country. There never was a period in history when the achievements recorded exceeded the benefits which this country had derived from that great man, lord Wellington.—Talk of an Alexander, a Caesar, and a Hannibal, (laugh) can those history-books boast of any general who did any thing to be compared with the object of this vote of thanks? He had said last session, that in the same manner as Blenheim-house had been erected for the duke of Marlborough, there should be a—(here the hon. baronet hesitated some time) Wellington-house built for lord Wellington. (Laugh.)—Ireland had already contributed 15,000l. far the erection of a testimonial of the merit of that great man; but there should also be a Wellington-house in Ireland—aye, not only in Ireland, but in Scotland also, and in Wales. (Laugh.)

Lord Kirkwall
said, however highly lord Wellington might appreciate the thanks of the House, yet he believed the highest gratification he could receive would be the exertions made at home to second the objects which he was endeavouring to accomplish; for on those exertions it depended, 354 whether his operations should be crowned with success. On them alone depended the tranquillity of Europe.