till the 22d or 23d. It was effected without opposition; but when disembarked, our troops had to contend with between 30 and 40,000 men in arms, besides the peasantry. Even then another attempt was made to prevent an appeal to arms; but this also having failed, approaches were made against Copenhagen. The command of the army in the field was given to an honourable friend of his, major-general sir Arthur Wellesley, who upon that occasion displayed all that energy, zeal, and ability, which so conspicuously marked his conduct upon every occasion.

On the 1st of September the bombardment commenced, and on the 7th a capitulation was signed: thus, in a period of fourteen or fifteen days the whole object of the expedition was completed. It was under these circumstances that he called upon the house for a vote of thanks. He was perfectly ready to admit that so exalted an honour as the thanks of parliament, that an honour which depended for its va lue upon opinion, ought not to be made too common, but ought to be reserved for great occasions. He contended, however, that if in this case the magnitude and importance of the object attained were considered, and the skill and ability display ed in the means by which it was attained, it must be deemed one of those instances which highly deserve the thanks of that house, nor did he see on what ground it could be opposed. His lordship concluded by moving the thanks of the house to lieutenant-general lord viscount Cathcart, K. T., for the prompt and decisive measures a dopted by him in the attack upon Copenhagen, &c.

Lord Holland said he never rose to execute a more painful duty than

that which he felt to be now impo sed upon him. He trusted, he was indeed certain, that no one would impute to him any feelings of personal hostility towards the noble commanders employed in the expedition to Copenhagen; for with one he had no acquaintance whatever, and with the other a very slight acquaintance, for whom, however, from what he did know of him, he had a high respect. He was actuated by public principles alone in the opposition which he felt himself compelled to give to this motion. The noble secretary of state had urged the magnitude and importance of the object attained, as a reason for voting the thanks of the house; yet upon former occasions, when objects of equal magnitude and importance were attained, that alone was not thought a sufficient ground for the thanks of parliament. Thus, although lord Hood was thanked by parliament for the taking of Bastia; yet when he obtained possession of Toulon and the French fleet in that harbour, an object of at least equal magnitude and importance with the obtaining possession of the Danish fleet, the thanks of parliament were not voted to that noble lord for that exploit; and thus a clear distinction was drawn between those achievements in which difficulties and dangers were overcome by va, lour and skill, and those in which, although the object attained might be of magnitude and importance, yet there was no opportunity for the exercise of skill and science. It was in this point of view that he objected to a vote of thanks in the present instance, because there was no opportunity for the display of skill and valour; had there been so, there could be no doubt that these qualities would have been eminently

displayed.

displayed. Had it been proposed only to thank the army, he might, although in some measure objecting to it on the grounds before stated, have been induced to give it no opposition; but when it was proposed also to thank the navy employed in this expedition, he felt himself compelled to oppose it, because there was no opportunity for the display of military naval skill. He could not sufficiently impress upon the house the great importance of not rendering the high and peculiar honour of the thanks of parliament too common; in order to preserve its value it ought to be reserved for great occasions, for brilliant exploits and splendid victories, as in the Roman republic triumphs were never granted but for the most splendid achievements.

The earl of Moira thought that, in this instance, the house had only to consider, whether the service, for which a vote of thanks had been moved, had been executed with ability and skill. It was not for officers sent upon an expedition to judge of its policy; their only duty was to execute the service intrusted to them; and if they did it with skill, science and ability, they were fairly entitled to thanks. His noble friend, lord Cathcart, had done every thing that skill, and science, and energy, could suggest; and the required service having been ably and skilfully executed, he thought, setting aside all considerations of the policy of the measure, that was all that could be required in this instance.

Lord Auckland observed, that there was no information before the house to show the policy or propriety of attacking an unsuspecting and defenceless people; but with respect to the execution of the serVice, he was clearly of opinion,

that it had displayed great ability, energy and skill.

Lord Mulgrave contended that the manner in which the service was executed amply deserved the thanks of parliament. With respect to thanks not being voted to lord Hood, for obtaining possession of Toulon and the French fleet in that harbour, there was in that instance no opportunity for the display of naval or military skill, the town having been delivered up to that noble lord whilst he was blockading the port, by one of the contending factions in that place, which had obtained the ascendancy. He could not admit that valour alone was a ground for voting the thanks of parliament; were that the case, not a week would pass over his head, in the situation which he had the honour to hold, but he would have to call for the thanks of parliament for exploits of the greatest bravery. It was, he contended, the eminent display of skill and science, combined with the magnitude and importance of the object, that more peculiarly deserved that high honour. In the attack upon Copenhagen, skill and science had eminently been displayed in the dispositions made for the attainment of the desired object. The noble lord (Holland) seemed to think it possible that he might have been induced to consent to a vote of thanks to the army, but objected to one to the navy. He could not, however, see upon what ground any such distinction could be made. The most skilful dispositions were made by lord Gambier in the distribution of the fleet under his command; that part of it intrusted to rear-admiral Keates was extended for 200 miles, and had for its object to cut off the communication between Zealand and the continent.

By this means the Danish army in Holstein was prevented from pass ing into Zealand, which had they been enabled to do, the great ob ject of the expedition might have been of doubtful attainment: at all events it must have been rendered a service of difficulty and danger. Earl Grey supported the argument of his noble friend (lord Hot land), and could not admit that the magnitude and importance of the object attained were a sufficient ground for voting the thanks of parliament. Let it be supposed, that at the time hostilities commenced with Russia, a Russian fleet, larger than the Danish fleet, had been accidentally in British port, and that in consequence of orders sent down to the port admiral, he had stationed ships so as to prevent that fleet from escaping; Would it have been attempted to be contended that the magnitude and import ance of the object attained would have been a sufficient reason for moving the thanks of parliament for such a service? The magnitude and importance of the object attained were not therefore a suffi. cient ground for such a vote. He admitted, that it ought to be a service of some magnitude for which the thanks of parliament were moved; but, in order to entitle it to such an honour, there ought also to be difficulties and dangers to overcome, which required the exertions of skill, and science, and ability. It was upon this principle that he objected to the vote now proposed; because, however the possession of the Danish fleet might be considered an object of magnitude and importance, yet there were no sufficient opportunities for the exertion of skill and science, particularly of military naval skill: there were no difficulties or dangers to overcome.

Besides, why were parliament now to be called upon for a vote of thanks for this service, when it was stated in his majesty's speech that it had been thought expedient to send so large a force for the attain. ment of this object, as should render all opposition useless and unavailing? He regretted that so painful a duty as that of opposing a vote of this description should fall to his lot, but upon the principles he had already urged, he felt himself compelled to give his negative to the motion.

The motion was then put and carried; and ordered to be communicated to lord viscount Cathcart, on his taking his seat in the house.

Motions also for votes of thanks to the other officers were, after some conversation, all put and carried without a division. But in the commons, after a warm debate, the house divided,

For the motion

Against it

Majority

100

19

81

Jan. 29.-The house of commons having gone into a committee to consider further of the supply granted to his majesty, Mr. Ward moved the following resolutions, which were severally put and agreed to:

1st. A vote of 130,000 seamen, including 1400 royal marines, for the year 1808.

2d. That a sum not exceeding 3,126,5001. be granted to his ma jesty for wages, for the above seamen, for 13 months, at the rate of 17. 17. per man per month.

3d. A sum not exceeding 3,211,000 for victualling, at 17. 18s. per man per month.

4th. 5,007,000l. for wear and tear, at 31. per man per month.

Mr. Tierney here rose to ask, whether

whether it was the intention of his majesty's government to regulate the estimate now required in proportion to the accession gained by the Danish fleet.

Mr. Ward said, that the present estimate was made out without reference to any such consideration.

Mr. Huskisson said, that the present estimates were made out according to the best judgment of the persons whose duty it had been to prepare them, and that that judgment had not been influenced by the consideration of the capture of the Danish fleet.

Mr. Tierney then asked, if he was to understand from gentlemen that there would be no allowance made for these stores or ships; and that though they were public property, yet no advantage was to result to the public from them in lessening the estimates.

The chancellor of the exchequer said, that certainly government would feel it their duty, after a valuation had been set upon the fleet and stores, and they had been sold at that valuation, first of all to recompense the exertions of those who were most active in carrying that service into effect.

Mr. Ward took occasion to observe, that the estimate for wear and tear was for the current year 250,000/. less than it had been the preceding, in consequence of the ordnance department being indebted to the navy for wear and tear to that amount. He lastly moved 521,0001. for ordnance for sea service, at the rate of 7s. per man per month. This estimate, he took occasion to observe, was necessarily increased 2. per man this year, as the former allowance of 5s. per man had been found insufficient. The report was then brought up,

3

and ordered to be distributed on Monday next.

Feb. 1.-In the house of lords the lord chancellor communicated the thanks of the house severally to lord viscount Cathcart and lord Gambier, each noble lord standing in his place, whilst the thanks were delivered. The lord chancellor added, in each instance, that the high honour of the thanks of that house had been well merited by the services rendered by these noble lords to their country.

Lord viscount Cathcart and lord Gambier severally addressed the house, expressing their thanks for the high honour conferred upon them, and speaking in the warmest terms of approbation of the ability, skill, discipline, and valour dis played by the army and navy employed in the expedition to Copen hagen.

On the same occasion in the house of commons, the speaker acquainted the house, that he had received a letter from admiral lord Gambier, in answer to his letter, communicating to that noble admiral the thanks of that house. The speaker then read the letter, in which, after acknowledging the receipt of that from the speaker, of January 29, conveying the thanks of the house, the noble admiral begged leave to assure him, that this signal mark of approba tion of the house had made upon his mind a deep and lasting impres sion, and that his sense of it was so strong, that he was at a loss how to express himself in terms adequate to so eminent a distinction.

The speaker then proceeded to signify the vote of the thanks of the house to those gallant officers who are members of the house, and to whom, when attending in

their