HL Deb 25 January 1809 vol 12 cc133-8
The Earl of Liverpool

rose to move the Thanks of the House for the defeat of the French before Corunna. The circumstances which led to the embarkation of our troops in Spain, were, his lordship observed, not now the subject for discussion, but the manner in which that embarkation was effected, and the victory which preceded it. He had always understood, that an attacking army had, even with no more than equal numbers, a tenfold advantage over the army assailed, the former having all the benefit of a preconcerted plan of operations, and dispositions made to carry that plan into effect. How much more, then, must the enemy have the advantage in an attack with greatly superior numbers, and at a period when our army had been harassed by a long and fatiguing march. Yet, with all these disadvantages on our side, the valour and good conduct of British troops decidedly prevailed, and the enemy were every where repulsed. The defeat was so complete, that the enemy did not venture to make another attempt to interrupt the embarkation, which was effected in the most perfect manner, not only the troops having been embarked, but also the horses, the sick and wounded, and the prisoners taken in the action. We had to regret the loss of some valuable officers in the battle, but we had more particularly to lament the loss of the illustrious officer who commanded. The whole life of sir John Moore had been exclusively devoted to the service of his country, and there was scarcely any service of importance in the last two wars in which that gallant officer had not been employed. Sir John Moore had upon every occasion displayed the same zeal and ability, and by his skill and science, and latterly by his experience, had acquired the entire confidence of the officers employed under his command. The fall of such a man was, indeed, a loss deeply to be lamented, and which, he, to whom sir John Moore was personally known, sensibly felt. It was, however, some consolation that the memory of such a man would remain; that his example, that the example of one whose death was as glorious as his life was honourable, would have the best effect in leading on others to emulate his conduct, to obtain the same honourable place in public estimation, the same strong hold of the admiration and gratitude of their country. His lordship observed, that in wording the motion, the precedent of Egypt, in which the gallant Abercrombie fell, had been followed, and concluded by moving the Thanks of the House to lieut.-general sir David Baird, second in command of the army in Spain; lieut-general the hon. John Hope, who took the command on sir John Moore's receiving the wound, which terminated in his much lamented death, and to the other officers employed.

The Earl of Moira

entirely concurred in the motion, and in every tribute of praise and gratitude that could be given to the army which had so gallantly achieved a victory, after suffering so much fatigue and so many privations. To sir J. Moore every tribute of gratitude was due for his able, skilful, and gallant conduct, and he deeply lamented his loss. But in giving this concurrence he could not avoid putting a question to ministers, and asking, how it happened that, so heavy and lamentable a loss should have been sustained, without any one object having been effected, except the embarkation of the army? What! did our troops go to Spain only to make their escape? What was now to become of those great interests the protection of which was the greatest boon that Providence could have bestowed on a sinking country. British blood and treasure, and the invaluable lives of British officers and soldiers, had been sacrificed to no purpose, and without in the least assisting the great cause which the country had been pledged to support. Thus were we doomed to witness the extinction of our hopes in Spain, and with them we could expect nothing but the extinction of every hope of continental alliance and co-operation. After the conduct we had displayed towards Sweden and Spain, we could expect nothing but a general confederacy against us. To what but the ignorance and incapacity of ministers were all these calamities to be attributed? The circumstances which had led to them must necessarily become the subject of grave and serious inquiry, but he could not avoid now taking the opportunity of stating his opinion upon the subject, and whilst he concurred most entirely in the motion of Thanks proposed by the noble earl, he owed it to his gallant companions in arms to call the attention of the house to that conduct which had placed them in a situation calculated only to produce an useless sacrifice of life.

Lord Mulgrave

expressed his surprize that any topic should have been introduced into the discussion, which had no immediate relation to the subject under discussion, and which he scarcely thought within limits of order. He should not now enter into the general question touched upon by the noble earl, with respect to the conduct of his majesty's ministers, but should only state, that when the time came for inquiry, they would be ready to meet it, and if they did not satisfy the noble earl, he had no doubt that they would satisfy that house and the country. With respect to the motion, he could add little to what had been said by his noble friend, nor with respect to the lamented loss of sir John Moore, could he add much to what had been said in the very excellent dispatch of general Hope, the sentiments contained in which must have come home to the feelings of every man in the country. His loss would be deeply felt, but he trusted his example would have the most beneficial effects. He hoped that nothing would be introduced foreign to the immediate subject of the present motion, and that it would be unanimously agreed to.

Viscount Sidmouth

thought concurrence too cold a term to use when stating his agreement in the motion; he viewed with admiration and gratitude the services rendered by the army in Spain, and by its gallant commander, whose loss we had unfortunately to deplore. Having his warmest feelings in unison with this motion, he must, however, reserve to himself the right and the duty of assisting in the institution of an inquiry by some means or other, into the circumstances which had led to the unfortunate situation in which our troops were placed. When that inquiry should take place, he trusted it would be proved that our army did not march from Lisbon at the worst season of the year to a part of Spain where their services could be of no possible use. He regretted to have heard one expression fall from his noble friend (the earl of Moira) that of a "sinking country." He could not agree that this was a sinking country, nor could it be so whilst we bad such troops to defend us as those who had achieved the victory, for which they were now properly and justly called upon to vote thanks; whilst we had troops who had now proved themselves superior to the French in infantry, in cavalry, and artillery, in short, in all the branches of service.

Lord Erskine

said, that whether the noble lord was out of order, in adverting to the misconduct of ministers in their plans of the campaign, upon a motion to thank the officers who had terminated it so much beyond the expectation of the public, was a question he was not particularly qualified to determine. But of this he was sure, that his observations were inseparable from every honest or rational feeling on the subject. Was it possible to deplore the loss of friends whom we loved, and of men whose lives were precious to their country in a most awful crisis, without lamenting in bitterness that they were literally immolated by the ignorance and folly of those who now wished to cover their own disgrace, by the just and natural feelings of the public, towards men who had died for their country? But for their immortal renown, it would have been better for them, certainly much better for their country, to have shot them upon the parade of St. James's park, than to have sent them, not to suffer the noble risque of soldiers—and in a practicable cause, but to endure insufferable, ignoble, and useless misery, in a march to the very centre of Spain, when they who sent them knew that Buonaparte had above 100,000 men before them, so as to render attack not only impracticable, but retreat only possible, by the noble, unparalleled exertions they were assembled to commemorate: and what sort of retreat?—a retreat leaving upon the roads and in the mountains of Spain from 8 to 9,000 of our brave men, dying of fatigue, without one act of courage to sweeten the death of a soldier.—What could, then, be a more disgusting and humiliating spectacle than to see the government of this great empire, in such a fearful season, in the hands of men who seemed not fit to be a vestry in the smallest parish—The noble lord said, he felt as much for the fame of the immortal officer deceased as any of their lordship could possibly feel. He knew him well. He lived in terms of intimacy with his family, and he admired his superior talents. He had another interest in the fame of the victory. Though the two countries were united so as to have long put an end to all national prejudices, he might be forgiven if he felt pride and exultation that his smaller country had more than contributed its quota to the glory of the united empire. He felt pride and exultation that sir John Moore was a native of Scotland; that Baird was a native of Scotland; that Hope was a native of Scotland; and that Fraser and M' Kenzie were natives of Scotland; that Anstruther was a native of Scotland; and that Ferguson was a native of Scotland. But this national pride only increased his indignation, to see such men and such resources utterly thrown away and lost, by the total want of capacity in those who misdirected their efforts.

Lord Grenville

also entirely concurred in the motion, and praised in the highest terms the conduct of sir John Moore. They were called upon, it was true, to vote Thanks for a success, which was followed by a retreat, but the success belonged to the army and its commander, the retreat to those who sent them and who placed them in such a situation, that a safe retreat could alone be looked to; for the folly and incapacity which dictated such conduct, ministers must answer to their country. It was, indeed, a "sinking country," if such mismanagement was suffered to continue, situated as we were in the midst of perils and difficulties unexampled in the history of the country. The hand of Providence appeared to be on us; within three years we had lost two great statesmen, in whose talents the country reposed the greatest confidence; a great naval commander who had carried the navy to a pre-eminence which it never before enjoyed; and now a great military chieftain, whose talents were of the first order, and than whom no one possessed in a greater degree the skill and science of an able commander. He trusted that every tribute of gratitude would be paid to sir John Moore. The last expression of that excellent officer was a wish that justice might be done to his memory, and he trusted that that wish would be complied with and carried into effect, and that his last dispatches would be published in order to do justice to his conduct.

The Earl of Westmoreland

recalled to the recollection of noble lords opposite, the expeditions to Alexandria, to Constantinople, and South America, and expressed his surprize that they did not at those periods state that all the blame of unfavourable military events was to be attributed to ministers.

The motion was agreed to nem. diss. as were also a motion approving of and acknowledging the services of the non-commissioned officers and soldiers, a motion of Thanks to rear-admirals De Courcy and sir Samuel Hood, k. b. for their assistance, and another approving of and acknowledging the services of the seamen and marines upon that occasion.