... Religious Ceremonies of the Tupinambas ... Anecdotes of the Mexicans, including a Description of Mexico, its Lakes, &c. ... ... NATURAL HISTORY. ... 598 619 619 Directions for taking care of growing Plants at Sea, by Dr. Roxburgh Account of the Mahogany Tree, and of the cutting thereof at Honduras 620 Memoir on the Tunis Broad-tailed Sheep, by Richard Peters, Esq. 624 Improvements in the Aqua Tinta Process, by which Pen, Pencil, and Chalk Drawings can be imitated. By Mr. J. Hasseil ... 650 Method of preparing Ox-Gall in a concentrated State for Painters, and for other Uses. By Mr. Cathery Method of procuring Turpentine and other products from the Scotch Fir. By Mr. H. B. Way Inquiry into the Composition of some Weapons and Utensils of ancient Bronze, by Mr. Klaproth On the Forcing Houses of the Romans, by Sir Joseph Banks Manners, Customs, Laws, &c. of the Mosquito Indians Account of the Salt Works at Namptwich, in the County of Chester 678 Ode for the New Year, 1810, by Henry James Pye, Esq. Poet Laureate 699. Ode for His Majesty's Birth Day, by the same The Harper from the same The Statue of the Dying Gladiator, an Oxford Prize Poem. By G. R. Chinnery ... ... ... ... Harp of the North, from Mr. Scott's Lady of the Lake ... ... ... 705 The Sacrifice, from the same The Wedding, from the same Farewell Address to the Harp of the North, from the same The Widow, from Crabbe's Borough The Alms-house, from the same Description of Africa and the Negro, from Montgomery's West Indies The Negro's Home and Country, from the same ... ... The Harp of Sorrow, from Montgomery's Poems ACCOUNT OF BOOKS. ... Account of the British Settlement of Honduras, being a View of its Commercial and Agricultural Resources, Soil, Climate, Natural History, &c. To which are added, Sketches of the_Manners and Customs of the Mosquito Indians. By Captain Henderson 733 The History of Brazil, by Robert Southey. Part I. 739 The Travels of Mirza Abu Taleb Khan, in Asia, Africa, and Europe, during the Years 1799, 1800, 1801, 1802, and 1803. Written by himself in the Persian Language. Translated by Charles Stewart, Esq. Present State of the Spanish Colonies; including a particular Report of Hispaniola, or the Spanish Part of St. Domingo: with a General Survey of the Settlements of the South Continent of America, as relates to the History, Trade, Population, Customs, Manners, &c. with a concise Statement of the Sentiments of the People on their relative Situation to the Mother Country, &c. By William Walton, Jun. 8vo. 2 Vols. THE ANNUAL REGISTER, For the YEAR 1810. THE HISTORY OF EUROPE. CHAP. I. Changes in the British Ministry.-Meeting of Parliament.-King's Speech-Addresses Moved in reply in both Houses.-Amendments proposed.-Debates thereon.-Involving particularly a Review of the War in Spain.-And the calamitous Expedition to the Scheldt. TH THE British ministry, from causes sufficiently explained in our last volume, had fallen into so much contempt, that changes might have been expected, even if there had not been any bickerings and fighting between lord Castlereagh and Mr. Canning. On the resignation of these two secretaries, Mr. Perceval, who had become first lord of the treasury and prime minister, on the retirement of the duke of Portland, set himself, to thin and weaken the ranks VOL. LII. of opposition, and to consolidate his own administration, by an amalgamation with earl Grey and lord Grenville, men of great wealth, as well as eloquence, and no common share of abilities, both acquired and natural. They were considered by their adherents, among whom were many persons of large property, and not a few also of great talents, since the death of Mr. Fox, as the chief leaders of what was still called the whig party. The project of Mr. B Perceval being rejected by the lords Grenville and Grey, the marquis of Wellesley, just returned from Spain, was appointed secretary of state for foreign affairs; the earl of Liverpool secretary for the department of war and the colonies; and Mr. Ryder for the home department.* grounds for hoping for aspeedy restoration of a friendly intercourse between this country and the United States of America-and his majesty's reliance on the zeal and loyalty of parliament for supplies. The commissioners were commanded by his majesty to express his hope that the lords and commoners would resume the consideration of the state of the inferior clergy; they had it further in command to state, that the accounts laid before them, of the revenue and trade of the country, would be found highly satisfactory. Whatever temporary and partial inconveniency might have resulted from the measures which were directed by France against those great resources of our prosperity and strength, they had wholly failed of producing any permanent or general effect.† The imperial parliament of Great Britain and Ireland assembled on the 23rd of January. The session was opened by commission. The king's speech was read by the lord chancellor, one of the commissioners. The three others were, the archbishop of Canterbury, and the earls of Camden, Aylesford, and Dartmouth. It turned, as usual, on the relations in which we stood to foreign states, the principal events that had arisen out of these since the last proro gation of parliament; and the views that had dictated, or continued to dictate, the conduct of government-the expedition to the Scheldt, and reduction of the island of Walcheren, respecting which satisfactory documents and papers would be laid before the Housethe situation of Sweden-the expulsion of the French from Portugal-the glorious victory of Talavera-the resolution of the Spanish government in the name and by the authority of Ferdinand VII. to assemble the Cortes; a measure which, he trusted, would give fresh vigour and animation to the councils and arms of Spain-and the considerations which recommended by the lord viscount Grimed continued support to the stone; who, among other arguSpaniards-the suspension, but ments in support of the address, In the House of Lords, an address was moved by the earl of Glasgow, in answer to the speech from the throne: of which his speech, as speeches always are on similar occasions, was an amplification, illustration, and confirma tion. Lord Glasgow having taken a brief review of the conduct of his majesty's ministers, with regard to their foreign policy and various expeditions, maintained, that whatever might have been the result, they were not only undeserving of censure, but entitled to the thanks of the country. The motion for an address was second For a complete list of his majesty's ministers, as it stood at the meeting of parliament, in January 1810, see Appendix to Chronicle, p. 324. ↑ See the Speech, State Papers, p. 430. said, that although the expedition to the Scheldt had not succeeded in its main object, considerable advantages were derived, and our own security strengthened, by the demolition of the arsenal and docks of Flushing. The address was opposed by the earl of St. Vincent, who introduced himself to their lordships' attention in the following impressive manner:-" My lords, when, at the commencement of the last session of parliament, I addressed a few observations to your lordships, I thought my age and infirm ities would preclude me from ever again presenting myself to your consideration. But, my lords, such have been the untoward and calamitous events which have occurred since that period, that I am once more induced, if my strength will admit, to trouble your lordships with a few of my sentiments on the present occasion. Indeed," his lordship proceeded, "we have wonderfully extraordinary men in these days, who have ingeniousness enough to blazon with the finest colours, to sound with the trumpet and drum, in fact, to varnish over the greatest calamities of the country, and endeavour to prove that the greatest misfortunes ought to be considered as our greatest blessings. Such was their language after the disastrous convention of Cintra; and now, in his majesty's speech, they have converted another disaster into a new triumph. They talk of the glorious victory of Talavera! A victory which led to no advantage, and had all the consequence of a defeat." Lord St. Vincent having illustrated the truth of this position, said, "there is no occasion to wonder at the If, awful events which have occurred; they are caused by the weakness, infatuation, and stupidity of ministers." After touching on the expedition to Copenhagen, which brought a country at peace with us into a state of inveterate and open hostility, and that to Walcheren; he insisted, warmly, on the madness of sending an army into the centre of Spain, unprovided with every requisite for such a dangerous march. said lord St. Vincent, sir John Moore had not acted according to his own judgment, in the perilous situation in which he had been wantonly exposed, every man of that army had been lost to the country. By his transcendent judgment, however, that army had made one of the ablest retreats, recorded in the page of history. While he saved the remainder of his troops, his own life was sacrificed in the cause of Great Britain and Europe; and what tribute had his majesty's ministers paid to his valued memory? What reward conferred for such valuable services? Why, even in that place, insidious aspersions were cast upon his character, and people were employed in all parts of the town to calumniate his conduct. But, in spite of all the runners, and dependents of administration, that general would be always revered as one of the ablest men of his country. The conduct of his majesty's ministers had led to the most frightful disasters. Lord St. Vincent, alluding particularly to the expedition to Walcheren, said, it was high time that parliament should adopt strong measures, or else the voice of the country would resound like thunder in their ears. |