§ Earl Grey,referring to what had been said by the earl of Liverpool, on Friday night, respecting the impression made by the receipt of intelligence of the Battle of Talavera, and the General Orders issued upon that occasion; wished to be informed, who the Military advisers of his Majesty were; the noble earl made use of that term, in stating by whose advice those General Orders were issued.
The Earl of Liverpoolsaid, that the term military advisers, applied to the Commander in Chief and his Staff, but he did not mean to state, that it was solely by their 211 advice that the General Orders, referred to, were issued; but, on the contrary, he stated that his Majesty's ministers were responsible for that measure, it having been adopted with their concurrence.
§ Earl Greythought the statement of the noble earl not sufficiently satisfactory, as it did not explain by whose advice the General Orders were issued. If those orders were merely the act of his Majesty's ministers, then the impression, which the noble earl talked of, was merely that which they themselves had created.
The Earl of Liverpoolcontended that it was not a proper question to ask, at whose suggestion any measure was adopted. He had already stated, that his Majesty's ministers were responsible for the Orders alluded to. His Majesty's military advisers would not, of course, direct the adoption of any measure without the permission of his Majesty's government, nor would the latter adopt any military measure without the concurrence of the former.
§ Earl Greyobserved, that he must then be satisfied with understanding that his Majesty's military advisers and his Majesty's ministers had both agreed in issuing the General Orders.
§ The conversation here dropped.