deserted, and a considerable part of them destroyed on the 11th and 12th of April, 1809. " On this resolution being put, a debate ensued; but the resolution was finally carried by a majority of 161 to 39.

The second resolution was, "That the thanks of this House be given to Rear-admiral the Honourable Robert Stopford, Captain Sir Harry Neale, captain of the fleet, and to the several officers and captains of the fleet under the command of Lord Gambier, for their gallant and highly meritorious conduct on that glorious occasion, particularly marked by the brilliant and unexampled successes of the difficult and perilous mode of attach by fire-ships, conducted under the immediate direction of Captain Lord Cochrane." The third resolution went to thank the seamen and marines of the fleet, for their meritorious and gallant conduct. These two resolutions passed unanimously. To the last, no objection could be urged ; but, with respect to the second, had the words " glorious," " brilliant," and " unexampled," been terms less hackneyed and deteriorated, the resolution would not, we think, have passed as it did. At all events, had the house been aware that the officers, who staid with Admiral Lord Gambier in Basque road, had as little to do with the "perilous" as with the " gallant," measures which led to the whole of the success that ensued, the strong terms used would have been, if not exclusively, more pointedly addressed to Captain Lord Cochrane and the officers serving with him in Aix road.

But it was not on the British side only that blame was imputed for what had taken place in the neighbourhood of Basque roads. The captains of the Tonnerre, Tourville, Indienne, and Calcutta, were tried for alleged misconduct. The trial lasted from the 21st of June to the 8th of September, and led to the following sentences. Captain Clément de la Roncière was pronounced, by a majority of eight voices to one, not guilty of the loss of the Tonnerre, and was acquitted. Captain Lacaille, the court taking into consideration that he did not lose the Tourville, that he returned on board two hours after he had quitted her, and that he afterwards defended his ship against the enemy, and conducted her safe into port, was sentenced, by a majority of six voices to nine, to two years' imprisonment ; to be erased from the list of officers, and degraded from the legion of honour. Captain Proteau was unanimously acquitted of the loss of his frigate ; but the court, nevertheless, by a majority of five voices to four, condemned him to three months' confinement in his chamber, for having set fire to the Indienne without having previously acquainted the admiral with his intention. Captain Lafon was found guilty, by a majority of five voices to four, of having shamefully abandoned the Calcutta in the presence of the enemy, and was condemned to suffer death on board the admiral's ship, the Océan: a sentence which, at 4 p.m. on the following day, the 9th, was put in execution upon this unfortunate officer.

All the remarks, which we think it necessary to offer upon the

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