dent of each other. This was a thing to be deplored, and it was a calamity daily growing on us.

Mr. Herbert explained. The House then divided:

For the re-committal of the resolution 10.
Tellers

For the original resolution
Tellers

Majority for the resolution

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HOUSE OF LORDS.

THURSDAY, MARCH 28.

Mr. Best, from the Bank of England, presented the notice issued by the Bank for raising the denomination of dollars, which, on the motion of Lord Grenville, was or dered to be printed.

Lord Grenville observed, that there were other papers. moved for, comprising the correspondence with Government upon this subject.

Earl Stanhope gave notice of a motion for Thursday, relative to the letter of Mr. Pole in Ireland.

THANKS TO GENERAL GRAHAM.

The Earl of Liverpool, in rising to move the thanks of the House to this distinguished Officer, was anxious to avoid the mention of any topic which might have a tendency to create a difference of opinion. Whatever were the circumstances in which General Graham had been placed, there could be no doubt of the skill and ability he had displayed, or respecting the character of the victory which had been obtained over a superior force of the enemy, and which had never been surpassed in the annals of our military glory. In this case there were all the testimonies of victory-cannon taken, standards taken, and three French Generals either taken or killed, more than the whole number of Generals in the British army. In this case also had happened, what had never before occurred, that not one man of the British army engaged in the action was either missing or prisoner. General Graham remained

master of the field for some days, and the victory was in every sense of the word complete. The difficulties of the situation in which the General was placed, had only served to show his ability in a more distinguished light, and that promptitude and decision with which he at once encoun tered those difficulties, and most gallantly overcame them. Nothing could place in a stronger point of view the superi ority of British troops, or more convincingly show that where the numbers of the enemy were any thing near equa lity, British troops never failed to be victorious. He was happy in this opportunity of speaking of General Graham, who had served under peculiar circumstances, and who had decidedly shown his eagerness to take the post of danger, and his ability to make the post of danger the post of hoThe services of General Graham had been most highly approved of by the Cortes of Spain. He had only one observation to add with respect to the foreign troops under the command of General Graham, namely, a detachment of German cavalry and a Portuguese corps, whose conduct was highly meritorious, and who were spoken of in General Graham's dispatches in the warmest terms of praise. His Lordship concluded by moving,-"That the Thanks of the House be given to Lieutenant-General Thomas Graham, for the distinguished ability displayed by him on the 5th of March, in the action on the heights of Barrosa, by which a signal victory was gained over a greatly superior force of the enemy."

nour.

Earl Grey praised the candour with which the noble Earl had brought forward the motion, and was equally anxious to avoid any topic that might produce a difference of opinion. All must concur in the ability displayed by General Graham, in the difficult and embarrassing situa tion in which he was placed, and in the bravery of the troops so conspicuously displayed in the victory so gloriously obtained. This distinguished Officer, who during eighteen years had been placed under peculiar circum stances of difficulty, had now had an opportunity of showing to the world what those who knew him were fully convinced of, that he possessed eminent ability as an Officer, and above all, that promptitude and decision which were of such peculiar value in the hour of danger; and it was no small testimony of the penetration and judgment of the gallant and distinguished Officer who commanded in the first campaign in Spain, that he had earnestly recommended in VOL. II.-1811. SM

his dying request, the promotion of General Graham. He would not now enter into any question of policy which could tend to disturb the harmony of the present discussion. Ministers must of course be fully aware of the circumstances connected with this subject, and to which he would not now advert, they of course must be convinced, that British blood ought not to be wasted in vain; and he trusted they would not be wanting in those calm but firm remonstrances which those circumstances required, or in the application of those remedies which the situation of affairs called for.

Lord Mulgrave could not suffer the question to be put without testifying the satisfaction and the delight which he, in the warmth of friendship, felt at the conduct of General Graham, whom he had long known, and who had formerly rendered him the most important assistance in his professional capacity. In the present instance, the most distinguished ability had been displayed by that Officer, whose merits could not be learned from his own modest official dispatch-he was every where present, animating the whole army, every man of which felt the influence of the spirit of his commander, and acted with the greatest bravery under its impulse.

Lord Grenville fully concurred in all that had been said of the brilliancy of the victory, and the distinguished ability of the Commatider, and also in the propriety of avoiding the discussion of any topic that could lead to a difference of opinion, the circumstances connected with the situation of General Graham forming a subject of consideration distinct from the discussion of the merits of victory. He could not, however, help observing, that General Graham had, during eighteen years, only met with humiliation, in return for the most ardent zeal in the service of his country; and he trusted that a change had now taken place, and that this distinguished Officer would be rewarded in proportion to the eminent skill and ability which he had so conspicuously displayed. With respect to the foreign troops under General Graham, his Lordship observed, that their conduct served to confirm the opinion he had always entertained, that foreign troops under British Officers, where time had 'been given for those Officers to exercise their skill and diligence in disciplining the troops, would scarcely be surpassed by British troops in the field."

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.

The motion was agreed to, nem. diss.

The Earl of Liverpool then moved, "That the Thanks of the House be given to Brigadier-General Dilkes, and the Officers of the Army serving under Lieut.-General Graham, in the action on the 5th of March."

"That this House doth highly approve of, and acknowledge, the services of the non-commissioned officers and soldiers employed in the action."

That the Lord-Chancellor do communicate these resolutions to Lieutenant-General Graham."

All which motions were agreed to, nem. diss.

COMMERCIAL CREDIT.

Earl Bathurst moved the second reading of the Commercial Credit Bill, which was read a second time, and committed for to-morrow. His Lordship observed respecting the Bill, that if the commercial embarrassment arose from over-stocked markets, the consequence of excessive speculation, that then such a measure could not be advisable; because to hold out that relief from Government would be given to commercial men under such circumstances, would be removing the salutary check that ought to exist upon excessive speculation. The commercial embarrassment, however, which at present existed, was not wholly attributable to that cause. It arose from the circumstance, that returns had been made from South America for the goods sent there, in produce, to be sent to the Baltic and the European markets, but which, from the circumstances of the Continent, could not be sent there, and were warehoused here. From this circumstance the merchants, and consequently the manufacturers, had become embarrassed; these goods could not be sold except at a ruincus loss, and in the mean time money was wanted by the merchants to pay the bills which they had accepted. The merchants, therefore, and the manufacturers, required time in order to bring their concerns round again to their natural course, and for this purpose it was that this measure was resorted to in order to give the merchants and the manufacturers that time which they required, by rendering them in the mean while assistance from Government,

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Lord King observed, that the situation of affairs now and in 1793 were extremely different: at that period, the great evil complained of was the want of a circulating medium. Surely no one could now complain of the want of a circulating medium of Bank paper. It was admitted by the noble Earl, that a measure of this nature ought not to be resorted to, to cure the evil arising from an over-stocked market; but if the evil was the want of a market, how could such a measure remedy it? At least it ought to be shewn, before such a measure was resorted to, that the evil was only temporary, and would, in all probability, cease in a certain and no very long period. The noble Lord then asked, what security they had for the sums so advanced; they could only have goods which are at present unsaleable. How could they be judges of what bills were good, and what not? This was entering upon a duty which those whose profes sion it is to discount bills, had difficulty enough to discharge, and to which they were totally unfit. He could not see the necessity of this measure. The Bank of England have of late years issued much larger sums than they have ever before issued; and one of the causes of over-trading is the excessive issue of Bank paper since the period of the Bank restriction. By this facility the old and established houses have been driven out, and the old and general mode of trading departed from. There has been a connection established belween the commercial interest and Government, not more dangerous to the true principles of trading, than to the principles of the Constitution: the West-India mer chants are in distress, and the general merchants are in distress, and they are assisted by the Government, and in turn assist the Government.

Lord Sidmouth thought the measure in 1793 expedient and necessary; and however much he was convinced of the truth of the principles of the noble Lord who spoke last, the nature of the present distress was such as to justify this relief to a great and irreproachable body of the British sub, jects.

The Marquis of Lansdown said that he could not con ceive any measure to differ more from that of 1793 than the present. Then a relief became necessary to the internal credit of the country, while at present that credit was not in the least affected. There was no want of circulating medium at this moment in the country, and the present distress was such as no circulating medium could remedy.