THANKS TO GENERAL GRAHAM, &c. FOR THE VICTORY AT BARROSA. (Hansard, 28 March 1811)

The Earl of Liverpool
rose and said; I rise, my Lords, to bring forward the motion of which I had the honour to give notice on a former evening. In introducing it, I shall endeavour to preclude, as far as possible, all difference of sentiment, by abstaining carefully from any topic upon which a difference of opinion may have been formed. I shall therefore confine myself to the direct question to which my notice referred, and upon which I trust I shall have the unanimous support of your lordships. It is to pay the tribute of our decided approbation and applause, to the gallant army under lieut, general Graham. An army and a commander, my Lords, who have given the most signal and brilliant proofs of valour and skill, of 524 bravery, discipline, and intrepidity, in a manner, I had almost said unparalleled, but certainly never yet transcended on any other occasion whatever in the military annals of the country. The circumstances of this brilliant affair are known to your lordships; you are informed of the complete and successful repulse of a superior army of the enemy, by an army in numbers considerably inferior. You are aware of the attendant circumstances being all such as appertain to an indisputable victory. You have observed that, besides the cannon and standards which were taken from the enemy, and the great number of prisoners that were compelled to yield, that no fewer than three generals fell, a number greater than was attached to the British army itself. In addition to all this, my Lords, you will observe the very unusual and extraordinary circumstance, and I believe this to be the first time of its occurrence, that in an action so contested, there was, on the part of the British troops, not a single man lost as a prisoner, or even missing. It is also to be considered that the field of battle remained undisputed in the occupation of the British army. What I am now saying, is that which, I am sure, will meet the feelings of every one of your lordships, namely, that this action will tend to confirm the opinion so justly entertained by all intelligent and unprejudiced men in Europe, that when British troops are opposed to the troops of any nation whatever, in nearly equal numbers, their superiority is marked and decided. In the case before us, if any further proof of their great superiority were wanted, we have to consider that the full tribute of approbation and applause is due to every regiment, nay to every man engaged in the whole army.—Every individual was emulous, and anxiously active in the performance of his duty. In every point of view in which this action can possibly be regarded, it challenges the most unqualified approbation and the most unlimited applause. I feel assured that whatever other considerations may impress the mind of any noble lord upon the campaign generally, nothing will induce your lordships to withhold your cordial and unanimous thanks to those through whose labours and intrepidity this most brilliant victory has been achieved. The Thanks of Parliament, together with the declared approbation of their Sovereign, is the most distinguished and acceptable mark of favour—the highest boon that can 525 possibly be conferred upon military men. In speaking of this army, my Lords, it is impossible to avoid speaking more particularly of the merits of the General, who commanded it. We cannot avoid regarding with applause and satisfaction this signal display of the most perfect presence of mind, and promptitude of decision, those great and leading qualifications of a General. To his spirit and decision in the arduous moment of difficulty, the success of the day appears to be attributable. But I feel assured that your lordships are most willing to pay your tribute of applause to every part of his conduct. The Gallant Officer in question well deserves the thanks of his country, not only for the brilliant effort before us, but for his whole military conduct; he has devoted the last 18 years of his life to the service of his country, and to a great extent, under circumstances of a very peculiar nature.—The Gallant Officer in question never lost any opportunity in his power of distinguishing himself. He was always in the post of danger—in the post of honour, in every part of Europe where he has been engaged. It may not, my Lords, be improper to mention, though the circumstance is trivial in reference to the vote which I am about to propose, that the conduct of General Graham has excited the warmest approbation of the representatives of the Spanish nation. I shall only detain your lordships with one other observation:—I cannot without peculiar satisfaction consider that conjointly with the British troops, two corps of foreign soldiers were engaged, one a German corps of cavalry, whose conduct on this occasion has been praised in the highest and strongest terms; and the other a Portuguese corps, raised under the system your lordships have sanctioned by your votes on a former occasion. Of these, and I speak on the testimony of General Graham with pleasure, I must add that they were amongst the first to enter into the action, under all the disadvantages with which that action was fought; not even a British battalion could more honourably distinguish itself. With these observations, my Lords, I trust I shall be permitted the honour of introducing, for your adoption, the following motion. His lordship then moved, "That the Thanks of this House be given to Lieutenant General Thomas Graham, for his highly meritorious and gallant conduct on the occasion of the Brilliant Victory gained over the French army at Barrosa, on the 5th of 526 March, 1811." The motion being read,

§ Earl Grey
expressed his approbation of the candour, with which the noble secretary had brought forward his motion, and declared himself to be equally anxious to abstain from touching upon any topic which might give rise to a difference of opinion on such an occasion as the present. The noble earl had certainly adduced sufficient grounds for the unanimous vote of thanks in the relation he had given of one of the most brilliant services ever performed by a British army. He could not, however, deny himself the satisfaction of expressing his own most cordial concurrence in the motion. As far as the British arms were concerned, the affair was entitled to the most unqualified praise. If Cadiz was not relieved from the pressure of a siege, it was not for want of exertion on the part of the British army. The affair was of that nature in all its circumstances that promptitude and decision were principally called for, and it was impossible to describe, in adequate terms, the skill and energy with which that decision was formed, or the celerity and vigour with which it was carried into effect. It was never exceeded by any of those actions to which the glorious feelings of national pride looked back with satisfaction and delight. It was certainly a proud recollection for the natives of these islands, that not only their power at sea, when fleet was opposed to fleet, and ship to ship, was so decidedly superior, but that also on land, and on an occasion too, where British troops were placed in a situation, by circumstances not of their own creating, they had also evinced a decided superiority! The action, he repeated, as far as the troops under general Graham were concerned, was entitled to unqualified praise. But he could not suppose that his Majesty's ministers were so destitute of discrimination or of feelings, with respect to an effusion of British blood, as not to adopt such measures as would in future prevent the recurrence of such an event as occurred. He would not now introduce topics which might create feelings adverse to the unanimity that ought to prevail; he trusted, however, that firm representations would be made against conduct that so long had favoured the success of the enemy, and that such a system of vigour and determination would be acted upon, as would evince it was not yet too late for the achievement of complete success. He 527 referred to, and pressed upon the attention of ministers, the dying request of that illustrious officer, who fell in combating the enemy in the peninsula. He trusted that marks of signal approbation would be conferred on the worthy and gallant officer, whose brilliant exploit was then before their Lordships. Promotion with respect to rank was held among the most honourable distinctions in the army; and he hoped the great military talents and heroic ardour which general Graham had so unequivocally manifested, would be employed in a more extensive and important field than they hitherto had been.

§ Lord Mulgrave
could not restrain the strength and impulse of his feelings, without expressly declaring his heart-felt satisfaction at the vote proposed to their lordships. He felt proudly gratified in thus contributing his portion of applause to an officer endowed with such military talents, skill and bravery as general Graham. He had the happiness of experiencing the benefit of these qualities on the part of the worthy general, when he had his professional assistance on a former important occasion. He cordially concurred in the sentiment of the noble earl opposite (Grey), that the victory in question was gained under circumstances which rendered it equal in glory to any blazoned in the page of English history. He supposed the noble earl alluded to the glorious victory obtained by one of their immortal sovereigns. The gallant officer in question, had neither the choice of his ground nor of his position, as was the case in the ever-memorable action alluded to. His lordship then referred to some of the prominent circumstances of the action at Barrosa, for the purpose of illustrating the great and unqualified applause which was due to the gallant general who commanded. Every corps of the army, and every individual who composed it, seemed influenced by the spirit and intrepidity of their illustrious leader; his glorious example was every where seen, every where felt! It was unnecessary for the noble earl to draw the most favourable attention of his Majesty's government to the transcendant talents and intrepidity of the gallant officer in question. From his own knowledge of the worthy general, no rewards or honours could be too great for his professional merits. He was happy to see the perfect unanimity that prevailed, but could not give a silent vote on an occasion where he felt so strongly.

§ Lord Grenville
observed, that what had been enforced by those noble lords who preceded him, left him nothing to add in the expressions of approbation and applause. With the noble earl he agreed in the propriety of avoiding topics which might lead to a difference of sentiment. He could not avoid on such an occasion, referring to those particular circumstances of the action which rendered its result the more brilliant and glorious; and the more so, when the system of policy which tended to induce those disadvantages, was considered. With respect to the two battalions of foreign troops adverted to by the noble earl, as having greatly distinguished themselves, it was a circumstance which afforded him great satisfaction. He had never entertained a doubt that foreign troops of any description whatever, properly disciplined and headed by British officers, would, if time were allowed for the exertion of their skill and diligence, acquit themselves in action in a way very little inferior, if not equal to British troops themselves. This was an opinion which he had given, and acted upon long ago, and he fell additional gratification in the present confirmation of an opinion so long entertained by him, but he had to regret the system was not acted on to a fuller extent. In conclusion, his lordship adverted more particularly to the great professional merits of the gallant general in question, and lamented that the great merits of one who had displayed such extraordinary zeal, during so long an interval, in the service of his country, should not have been long since brought forward in a way commensurate to his deserts; and be afforded fair and adequate opportunities for the display of those talents, skill and intrepidity, which, on the occasion before their lordships, he had so decidedly evinced.

§ The Earl of Buckinghamshire
observed, that this victory, which so eminently deserved the thanks of the House, was one of the results of that state of efficiency into which the British army had been brought by the exertions of the illustrious prince who was so long happily at its head.