HL Deb 10 January 1812 vol 21 cc126-31
The Earl of Liverpool

, in rising to make his promised motion for a Vote of Thanks to the right hon. Gilbert lord Minto, governor-general of India, and to the officers who had acted under him, for the late brilliant operations in the Eastern seas, was aware of the difference of opinion which existed as to the degree of merit which entitled any individual to such high honour as that of the Thanks of that House. He was also aware, that such a mark of distinction should not be wantonly lavished; he knew, at the same time, that the House was ever willing to pay a due tribute of praise to meritorious services. But, in the present instance, he was not apprehensive that a want of sufficient merit could be urged, as an objection to the proposed Vote of Thanks. The House were not called upon to thank the Governor-General of India for a single service, but for a general system of operations, conceived in the most profound wisdom, executed with the most active determination, and attended with the most brilliant exploits. Those exertions had been eminently successful; and that success had been principally owing to the arrangements made by the noble lord, to whom he then proposed the thanks of the House should be voted. Considering the present system of aggrandisement on the continent of Europe, which France had too successfully practised, it had been thought advisable by the government of this country, to retaliate by attacking the colonial power of the enemy, in every part of the world. For it was obvious, that as long as he could retain a place of rendezvous, or shelter his privateers and fit out expeditions, our trade would be liable to annoyance, far exceeding, in amount, the expences of expeditions intended to deprive him of his last shelter. Under these cir- cumstances, it was thought necessary to make France feel, that the ocean was the undisputed domain of Britain; and that ships, colonies, and commerce, those favourite objects of the ruler of France, were at the mercy of this country. The system had been successfully carried into execution in the West Indies, and there the object was not to make new acquisitions, or even to retain conquests as valuable possessions; for the expence of keeping them would far out-balance any direct commercial advantage; but to drive France from those seas, and to give additional security to our old colonies. That policy so successful in the Western hemisphere, was applicable to every part of the world, and more especially to the East; for it was notorious, that with the settlements France possessed in those seas, and especially with the islands of Mauritius and Bourbon, a comparatively small force of the enemy might annoy, to an immense extent, the shipping of the East India Company, and the general interests of Indian traders. It was, therefore, thought adviseable to apply that system to the East, but it was not till December, 1808, that government came to that resolution; and instructions were accordingly sent to the governor-general to see whether the islands of Mauritius and Bourbon could not be reduced by blockade; and the island of Rodriquez was occupied in consequence of these instructions.—Here the noble earl gave a brief account of the operations which had taken place in consequence. But it was not till the month of June, 1810, that instructions were sent to the governor-general of India, to see if those islands could not be reduced by main force. The noble lord should add, in order to set the merit of the governor-general of India in its proper view, that the moment he saw what were the intentions of government, he felt all the importance of the object they had in contemplation; and finding himself no longer restricted by his first instructions, to a system of blockade, he, according to his own views and conceptions, and on his own responsibility, took the necessary measures for the reduction of both islands. Measures had, in the mean time, been preparing at home for the same object; but the governor-general anticipated them, and the merit of these captures at that time was solely due to him. In January 1809, the governor-general had contemplated the reduction of Java as the chief seat, not of the Dutch, but of the French power in India. He had called the attention of the East India Company to that subject, and government had come to the same determination, which they delayed only till they should have been apprised of the fall of Mauritius and of Bourbon, as the danger was more immediate from those settlements. The governor-general was, in consequence, authorised to take the necessary steps for the reduction of Java, as soon as the conquest of these islands should have been achieved; but the merit of the plan was solely to be attributed to him. The season of the year was to be consulted in all maritime expeditions, but more especially in those seas. Doubts were entertained as to the expedition being able to proceed with safety at that time of the year. But lord Minto, not relying on ordinary information, and knowing the importance of speedy measures, used his own discretion, sought among able seamen for the result of their experience, and on his own responsibility discovered a course of navigation hitherto unknown. Under these circumstances, and considering the extensive views, the consummate wisdom, and the manly decision so eminent in lord Minto's conduct, the noble earl thought him justly entitled to the thanks of the House. It was held as a general doctrine, that the thanks of the House ought to be confined to military and naval services; and, in fact, political services were more liable to misrepresentation. But every general principle admitted of exceptions for salutary purposes; and his lordship trusted, that what he had advanced, brought the present case within the scope of these useful exceptions. This was, in fact, to be considered as a military service, undertaken from the wisest political considerations, and with the most comprehensive and statesman-like views. In the consideration of lord Minto's merit, the House should not, however, forget the gallant officers who had acted under him. In the conquest of the islands of Mauritius and Bourbon, they should recollect the wise arrangements and spirited conduct of General Abercromby; and he had only to name commodore Broughton and Rowley, to excite in every heart sentiments of admiration and gratitude. As to Java, the governor-general wisely foresaw the danger of suffering the formidable preparations of the enemy to grow into maturity. He saw that a new empire was about to be created, which threatened the security of our possessions in the East; and sir Samuel Achmuty, impressed with the same ideas, in spite of the most disadvantageous circumstances, rushed on to strike a decisive blow, and pursued the flying enemy. To the merits of colonel Gillespie, and major generals Warde and Wetherall, the House could not be insensible. In short, those united exertions had not only wrested from the enemy the remains of an empire, but what was of more consequence, the beginning of a new one.—The noble earl, after recapitulating the praises he had already bestowed on the framer of those enterprises, and on the officers by whom he had been so ably seconded, trusted that the House would not refuse them the just reward of their services; he then moved, "That the Thanks of this House be given to the right hon. Gilbert lord Minto, governor general of the British possessions in the East Indies, for the wisdom and ability with which the military resources of the British empire in India have been applied in the reduction of the power of the enemy in the Eastern seas, by the conquest of the islands of Bourbon and Mauritius, and by the recent successful operations in the island of Java; and that this House doth attribute the brilliant and important successes which have crowned our arms in that quarter of the globe to the vigorous system of well-concerted measures so wisely adopted and steadily pursued by Gilbert lord Minto."

The Earl of Moira

rose to express his perfect concurrence in the praises bestowed by the noble Secretary of State on the governor-general of India. No doubt could be entertained but those valuable conquests were owing to his wise arrangements, and if a precedent had been wanting to vote the thanks of the House for political services, the present was a tit case to form one. His lordship then recapitulated the exertions of the officers employed in those expeditions so wisely planned, and whose services he considered not only as brilliant but as eminently useful. He could not, however, go to the length of approving the noble secretary of state, when he said that a system of colonial aggression was meant as a counterbalance for immense acquisitions on the continent; for he was convinced, that such a vast increase of European dominions, must sooner or later carry with them ships, colonies, and commerce. His lordship had always been of opinion, that it would have been preferable for England to employ her forces in resisting the enemy on the continent, than in conquering colonies, which only extended the already too vast cemetery of our brave soldiers. This was, however, the only observation he should make, and, as a soldier, he considered the noble Secretary of State entitled to his particular thanks, for having so manfully stepped forward to obtain for his fellow-soldiers the proudest reward of their exertions.

The Earl of Buckinghamshire

also heartily concerned in the motion, conceiving there could be no doubt that in this instance the thanks of the House were most justly due, and as a connection of lord Minto, he returned thanks to his noble friend the Secretary of State, for the liberal manner in which he had appreciated the services of that noble lord.

Lord Grenville

considered himself bound in honour to declare, that, since he had sat in that. House, he had never heard a more manly, generous, and statesman-like speech than that delivered by the noble Secretary of State, it did him great honour; and with that feeling, he would not delay the House by useless observations. He had himself frequently recommended to the House to be sparing of their votes of thanks, as it was the highest honour which could be conferred on an individual; and he asserted that opinion the more willingly at a moment when he most heartily concurred with the motion, than when he was reluctantly forced to oppose that reward being bestowed on otherwise meritorious services. But the thanks of the House were not to be the reward of easy victory, however useful; difficulties overcome would alone entitle the conquerors to those thanks. But, in the present case, as the noble Secretary of State had justly observed, success was not only the result of wisdom, prudence, and discretion, but also of courage and resolution. Success had been, in a great measure, owing to the noble resolution of the governor-general of India, to assume an awful responsibility, when every thing seemed to combine to deter him; and, in spite of all those disadvantages, he did not hesitate to step forward to serve his country. His lordship would even go further than the noble secretary of state, who had said that by custom, military and naval services seemed entitled exclusively to the thanks of the House; he thought political services of such a nature were eminently deserving of that high reward, but it would be invidious if the officers who had concurred in those noble achievements, were not included in them. Here the noble lord briefly adverted to the services of the officers employed in the various expeditions, but observed that it would be only waste of time to detain their lordships, as he not only concurred heartily in the motion, but also professed that the noble Secretary of State was entitled to his acknowledgments, for having so ably made out a case in which the thanks of the House were most legitimately due.

The Earl of Liverpool

then moved the thanks of the House, in the usual form, to lieutenant-generals Abercromby and sir Samuel Achmuty: to vice-admiral Albemarle Bertie and rear-admiral Stopford: to major-generals Henry Warde and Augustus Wetherall; and all the officers, both European and natives, employed underthem: to commodores Broughton and Rowley. He also moved, That the House do approve of the conduct of the non-commissioned officers and privates, and seamen and marines, employed in those expeditions.—All these motions were agreed to, nem. con.