to become a compensation to France, for the loss of her colonies-that in her hands it would create a great commercial revolution, and he had lately declared, to the Mi-. nister of Russia, that no consideration would induce him to relinquish that country. Positive intelligence had been received from various quarters, from the coast of Spain and Italy, from England, Germany, and France, that powerful armaments were preparing to relieve Egypt. Reinforcements under Admiral Gantheaume, had actually anchored on the coast; besides, it was possible, that the First Consul might attempt, by treaty with the Port, to retain possession of Egypt. In this state of things, the British General did wisely resolve, not to delay one hour the completion of this conquest. He had considered General Menou and his garrison entitled to all the honours of war, and he was not to be shaken in the resolution which he had early formed, of not unnecessarily exposing the brave troops he had the good fortune to command. However, in the opinion of the multitude, he might have add. ed to his military reputation, by a different mode of proceeding; at fame so acquired, he spurned, and he would have considered the rusty sword and the private property (at all times very inconsiderable in Egypt) of the French officer, dearly purchased at the expence of the life of the youngest drum-boy in his army.

The importance of expelling the French had been repeatedly stated by ministers in the strongest manner; and the Commander-in-chief, in direct positive terms, had been authorized by them to accomplish this in any way-in the field-by negotiation; in short, per fas et nefas. Such were the causes and inducements which influenced him to terminate, on the moment, this war in Egypt. He treated the French General, doubtless, with that respect which his obstinate defence, and the privations his troops had so patiently endured, fully entitled him to; but throughout, in the tone of a conqueror! Menou attempted indeed to return to France, not merely with his arms and private property, but with the manuscripts, sarcophagi, and statues, which had been collected by Buonaparte and his troops, and were destined to perpetuate in France, the remembrance of the conquest of Egypt; but this endeavour wholly failed. He evacuated Alexandria with 11,712 persons, which, with the garrison of Cairo, other prisoners, besides the killed in action, and those dead by wounds

and disease, since the landing of the British, made the whole French force, captured and destroyed, exceed 30,000 men.

The immediate consequence of the total conquest of Egypt was, that the General who had lately received instructions from England, to apply a part of his force, after the termination of the war in Egypt, to the attack of Corfu, was thus enabled, a few days after the surrender of Alexandria, to forward a corps, under the command of General Craddock, in execution of that service.

Thus ended, marked with every feature of victory, a campaign, greatly brilliant, throughout successful; in all its points and bearings the most complete, that had ever been achieved by British heroism; the only one too, in all respects perfect, during the last long eventful war. It commenced under the auspices of a gallant chief (Sir Ralph Abercromby), who, idolized by his troops, was, perhaps, more than any other man, the perfect hero in the fight, whose immortal fame, was far beyond the reach of bis weak tribute of applause; and it was conducted to its glorious termination, by the friend, who most loved and valued, because he best knew him; one, who notwithstanding his near affinity, he would proudly assert, united to the valor and firmness of the soldier, that scope of intellect, that mine of information, that inflexibility of prin ciple, requisite to the general, as to the statesman.

During the course of a tedious, painful, perilous command, his solicitude for the preservation of the health and lives of his soldiery, was as conspicuous as it was unceas ing; with the co-operation of the gallant and experienced officers, the highly disciplined and brave troops, whom it was his good fortune and honour to lead, with their assistance, to have brought to a prosperous conclusion, with the least possible effusion of blood, this ever memorable campaign, has been a perpetual source of infinite satisfaction; a reward, a blessing conferred on his arms, far more estimable to him than the highest favours, or the most enthusiastic applauses, which his Sovereign or his country could have bestowed; and he (Mr. Hutchinson) trusted he was not too sanguine in expressing a confident hope, that this campaign would be recorded amongst the proudest periods of our military annals, while the consum mate wisdom and humanity of British officers, the valour and discipline of British soldiers so eminently displayed,

shall be held up to all posterity as an example worthy of imitation.

He hoped that the House and the public would never forget, that in Egypt the enemy was, until the last moment of the campaign, more than double the number of the British, and possessed of every military advantage; that when beaten in the field, he retired behind his strong works, where he hourly expected reinforcements, some of which, under Admiral Gantheaume, actually anchored on the coast. That in Portugal he was, during all periods of the operation, inferior in number to the British; at the signing of the convention greatly so; and in the field, where, as it were, at the point of the bay onet, he dictated for himself the most favourable terms, though, from the total occupation of Bonaparte elsewhere, assistance to this small corps was, if not quite impossible, an event the most improbable. That, during the campaign in Egypt, Europe was in a state of profound peace; that pending the operations in Portugal, war raged in Spain; that the French soldier was removed from Egypt, where he was greatly mischievous to our ally, whence he threatened our own colonies in the East, and was deposited in France, where he immediately became inactive and harmless; that the Egyptian campaign preserved to the Turks the integrity of their empire, and is supposed to have rescued British India from the grasp of France. That the convention of Cintra released from Portugal a French army, where it was comparatively of little injury; where, if in no other place, it should have been enchained, and forwarded that army to Spain; thus furnishing reinforcements to the enemy, and accelerating the subjugation of that country in alliance with Britain. That the French General did not retire from Portugal, until, in the language of his master, the great Napoleon, he had erected on the shores of that country, by the convention of Cintra, a monument to the fame and power of his troops and nation. That the British army of Egypt compelled the enemy to regorge much of their ill-gotten treasure, and that having stripped them of the spoils of their boasted African campaign, crowned with their laurels, returned to deposit in the British isles the trophies of those troops, which their leader had, in his presumption, pronounced "Invincible;" which spoils and trophies (at the same moment when he, Mr. Hutchinson, could with difficulty Vol. 11.-1809. S

obtain a hearing, in behalf of the much injured reputation of that army) were exhibiting in this capital, to record and perpetuate the shame of France; 10 immortalize the glory of Britain over her rival mistress of the world!

He was sorry to have detained the House, wearied as it mast be, after a debate of so many hours; but he could not silently listen to a comparison, where there existed no assimilating circumstances. The conventions alluded to were, in every respect that affected the honour and interests of the country, diametrically opposite to that of Cintra.

The gallant General says, "That the French army in Portugal possessed advantages that the French garrisons of Cairo and Alexandria did not ;” the very reverse he, Mr. Hutchinson, had proved to be the fact, that "they who had to decide on the convention of Cintra were aware, that there were other objects for the British troops besides Portugal." Mr. Hutchinson had no doubt of this; but surely the generals who, apprized of an ulterior destinanation for their troops, signed a convention which deprived them of a mode of conveyance (their shipping) perhaps the only one by which they could have rendered their troops serviceable, acted whimsically indeed! who had to decide in Egypt, were also aware, that there were other objects for the army, after the conquest of that country, and, one of these objects they were enabled to commence the execution of, by forwarding, immediately on the fall of Alexandria, the corps already mentioned under General Craddock."

Those

He apologized for having entered so much at large into the detail of the Egyptian war; but he was obliged to do this, in order that gentlemen might understand fully the subject, and thus be enabled to perceive the correctness of his conclusions. He had made this statement, not with a view of condemning any oficer, but in order to rescue the campaign of Egypt from unmerited obloquy. The gallant General might have been satisfied with his own fame, deservedly high, without making allusions, tending naturally to depreciate in the public opinion an army, whose heroic achievements had till that hour been universally admitted; whose brilliant exploits in Egypt, notwithstanding the attempt made to sully them, shall live in the recollection of a grateful posterity, when every trace even of the disgraceful proceedings of Cintra, shall have been

for ages effaced. He desired to be understood, when speaking of the convention of Cintra, as wishing entirely to separate this part of the proceedings of Portugal from the operations of the troops in the field; no person in the country estimated higher, or more sincerely applauded those exertions; he had no hesitation in saying, that that army had performed a most important public service, by driving the French from Portugal, and securing in British -ports (though but for a season) the navy of Russia; nor could he consider it by any means fair, te estimate the importance of their services, either according to the terms of the convention of Cintra, or by the result of the campaign in Spain. Their victories at Rolcia and Vimiera, were not the less glorious, though they had been ultimately compelled to abandon the Spaniards; pursued to their ships even by those troops whom they had signally defeated in Portugal.

He hoped he had convinced the House, that the conventions of Egypt and Portugal had been made under circumstances totally dissimilar, and attended by results the most opposite; that the former, furnished to the troops abundant matter for pride and exultation; that they were perfectly satisfactory; essentially and lastingly serviceable to the allies; highly creditable to the national character, meriting the applause, and in all respects worthy the glory of this united empire; that the latter, the convention of Cintra, mortified the troops, disgusted the allies, elated the enemy, dissatisfied the King, and enraged his people, who, by acclamation, condemned the measure.

Lord Percy observed, that it was agreed on all sides, that the convention of Cintra had disappointed the hopes and expectations of the country; and he therefore saw no necessity of coming to a vote upon the first question. As to the second question, which went to censure ministers for their conduct, as connected with that transaction, he was not aware that any blame could be brought home to -ministers, though he could not help saying, that blame seemed to attach somewhere.

Mr. Secretary Canning then rosé. He should not 'detain the attention of the Honse to any length at so late an hour; indeed he had but little to add to what had fallen from his noble friend (Lord Castlereagh), and from his right honourable friend (Mr. Perceval). Yet without agreeing with either of them on some points, he should