Star. — London, England, 1805-04-10 00:00:00

PARLIAMENTARr PROCEEDINGS'. HOUSE OF LORDS, MONDAY, APRIL R. Couutel were further heard relative to the Scots Appeal, Cathcart, But... the Earl of Ca lilis , via. Mr. ftrikine at confi &rah!: lengzh, as frond Countrl, for the itefpondent. The hearing of Counfel was rather earlier poikponed, in confequence of e.efurlden indifpotition of the Lord Chancellor, on account of win:t. an adjournment of the Houk, diving pleafure, took place. In th: courfe of about half an hour, the lioute retooled, and a,. Loa° C HAVCELLotc took his feat on the Woolfack; and the farther confideration of the Arpeal was adjourned till tomorrow. 'I he bills upon the Table were forwarded in their reverel itaz,et! among thefe, the Neutral Ships and Innkeepers Allow ance Bills were read a third tithe and paged, and the Nth Spirits P:niiit Bill sent through a CoMmittee of the whole Hoek. In the cour!;- of the private bufinefs, • great deal of which was difpo:cd of. a Petition was pretences! from Thomas and James k.fgrs. for a private Bill (the firft proceeding of the kod)—and read, and the allegations thereof referred lo the cen t, legation of two of His Majefty's Judges in Ireland. AFTOO4TMENT OF ♦ Tti4FOKARY SPKAKIR. he inilifpofition of the Lord Chancellor continuing, it was -rcvc.t a i i;arenrly in reference to the fame, that Hi, Majelly's ('orimiflion , under the Great Seal, be rail; authorifing and ap run;ing Edward Lord EllubJrough, Chief Jufticc of the Court of King's Bench, to a& and officiate as Speaker of the Houfe of Lords, during the ablence of the Lord Chancellor, &c. The fame was read accordingly. The LORD CHANCELLOR then put the formal Tuition upon the proceeding., and itched from the Houle, and Lord Ellen borough &only after took hi, feat upon the Woolfack, u Speaker, *""P"". MILITIA RIIDUCTMN BILL. Irni HAWKESBURY moved the Order of the Day far the third reading of the Militia Redudlion Bill; the Bill was accord inser read a third time On ti-r. qtieftian," That this Bill do pafs," Larl SPENCER adverting to the great number of officers, mbich, he conceived, would he left unprovided for through the op e ration of the Bill, expreffeil his with to know how it was in tended they thould be difpofed of Was it meant that they thould continue on full pay In the Milida no more than a given number of officers could he legally provided for. Lord 'rI.IWKESBURY &only explained, that it was not in tended the of, alluded to thould be in the leaft affeded, with rrft.edi to their pay, by the operation of do! Bill. 'fte qucltion was then put, on which a divifion took place, when there appeared, for palling of the Bill (including 23 Proxies) 35. Apinft it (including t x Proxies) 40.—Majority is. /lie doors were kept thut fume time; on our re-adiniffion intc the Honk, the queftion was putting on the fecond reading of the 'nth Militia RedoElioa Bill, which was forthwith read a feeond time. and committed for to-morrow. After which, an immediate adjournment took place. TUCSDAY, •PItIL 9. Comte! were farther heard, relative to the Scots Appeal, 'Cath cart, Bart. 0. the Earl of CaMils, viz. Mr. Erfkine, in continuation, ' aa'econd Counfel for the Refpondent. The farther confoluation of the cee was poPponed till to-morrow. The Bills upon the Table were forwarded io their retpettive Rage'. The Order of the Day being read, the Houle refolved Into a Committee on the kith Militia Reduetion Bill, and Led Wal finghana having taken the Chair, the various elauteS and pruvifions of the Bill were agreed to by their Lordthips, without obferva tirrt err setendment. The Houfe having returned, the Report was received, and the Bill ordered to be read a third time to-morrow. Certain Papers relative to the Appeal, Co% v. Olborne, Bart. Pom the Court of Chancery in Ireland, were pretested at the Bar, aid ordered to lie on the Table. An attefted Copy of the proceeding.' in the Eeelefiallical Courts, in the tale of Teuche v. Touche, being laid before the Houle by the proper Officer, A Bill was introduced by the Duke of ATHOL, to divorce liretlaick Touche, El 4. from Elizabeth Atherton, his sow wife, and to enable her to marry spin, and for other purpoks therein mentioned. Oa the Bill being read a fiat time,tlie LORD CHANCELLOR quitted the Woolfack, and called their attention to the prominent confideration of the Bill. It was a meafure originating with the woman; a eireurnitance which uniformly rendered that Houfe very cautious in entertaining Bias of the kind. There were, un doubtedly, forte precedents of Inch cafes, he belie7ed two, and tine of dick Co late as the year 'Sot ; yet theft were countenanced on the extraordinary eircumitances and peculiar fpeclalities of the cafes. Ile felt it appeared rather hard to ray any thing Unfavour able of a 1111) of the find, on the oecafion of its firft reading ; but be melt übferve the Bill was one which deferred their Lordfhips molt krious confide:scion and anxioui v auention when it should be read a fecond dote. . The Duke of ATHOL ebterved, that part of what had fallen from the Noble Lord on the Woolfack, in a great degree anticipat ed what he promoted to ofer. There were avowedly precedents for Bills of the kind, std be was aware that the pretest cafe muff Rand on its own particular merits. HOUSE OF COMMONS, APRIL 8. Mr. HUSKISSON brought up a Bill for amending and rendering more e&ilual the Property Bill, which was read a firft, and or dered to be read a fccond time to-morrow. COMMITTIS OF SUPPLY. The Houfe refolved Welt into a Committee of Supply. Mr. ALIXANLMIL in the Chair. Mr. FosTFR moved, that an account of the unfunded debt of Ireland be referred to the raid Committee.—Ordered. He then moved, that a rum not eicecding 80o,nonl. be granted to his fAajeft) for paying off Treafury Bill., for the year which wti agreed to, and the Report ordered to be received to-morrow. • alto moved, that the Houle will to-morrow refolveltfelf into a Committee of the whole Houle, to confider of empowering the Lord Lieutenant of Inland to pay money on. the prefenthtents of Grand knits, fur improvement of the Roads in Ireland. Ordered. And 'hat it he an infirudlon to the Md Committee to move for leave to bring in a Bill to mile money by Debenture. for making a new line of Roads, for the more fate and fpeedy conveyance of the Mr. Sru c Key „from the frxe:fe Office in Scotland, patented at the Bar an account of the Arrears and current Balances in that Department—Ordered to lie on the table. Mr. JOHNTONE begged leave to alit Mr. Sheridan, whether he had abandoned his motion relative to the Affairs of the Corsa tie f If he meant to do it, he would, Inadequate as he confeffed I'4 abifitics to be to a fulled of fuck Tall importance, bring It forward. Mr. SHERIDAN fall, though the matter had long lain doe mam, he certainly did not mean to abandon it ; etre-LOT as a Noble Lord onpofate had famed to hint, tome Ihort time back, that theft affairs bad been fo happily fettled, that all inquiry was tnneecitary. He meant, immediately after the holidays, to fix a padre day for bringing forward his motion on that fubjed. MOTION AGAINST LORD MELVILLE. [Our Readers are requefted to make :he following eorrealon in cur Paper of yefterday in Lord HillaT Parry's Speech, page 4, t, tine sa, For, " he could not help remarking with Pilo— Wka is more criminal tbau be who cannot either (peak or write Innielf guiity read, "he could not help remarking with Cicero, in his oration aztainit Plf•-t-Who Is more criminal than he who cautiot either Irak or write hinielfinnecent After Mr. Tim IlleS explanation, Mr. GEO. PONSONBY role, and (poke to the following etre4l:—.' Sir, I am fatisfied that the Right Honourable Gentleman (Mr. Canning), thisks, as he (peaks, that there is matter in this bufinefs, highly decaying of the moll ferious conlideration of this Houk. lam lure he thinks it a queffion highly de. !crying of a Committee, for the purpofe of proving the innocence and purity of Mr. Trotter; for, floc's all I hive heard of his charader, I am certain, if he did not think Mr. Trotter pure and innocent, he would not ccntinue him in office. I think it right, Sir, to quote the Right Hon. Gentleman's conduit, in proof of his fincetity ; for, I am fure he would not vote for farther delay, if not from a confcinuf- I.::: that it was neceffary to the exculpation of Mr. rtuttcr. He Purely would not continue him in of- nee, or att is any 161, merely for the purpofe of fcreening an accofed perfon from juftice. But, while I gave the Right Hnn. Gentleman credit for all this candour and regard for truth, there is one cir cumftance which ftrikes the as fome what extraor dinary. The Right Han. Gentleman, through the whole of his fpeech, tiles the phrafe, ski: champ, as if it were limited to one. Now, this is an error ; for there are feveral diftin& and feparate charges com prifed in the offence. For example, dile of • the heads of accufation is, that Lord Melville, the very man who propofed the law in queftion, and after wards Treafurer of the Navy, did violate the pro vifions of that law, by conniving at the conduit of his Paymafter, taking the public money from the Bank, and applying it to his own private profit and emolument. Is not this a Ingle, diftinet, and rub- Itantive charge ? Has that any thing to do, in the remoteft degree, with accommodation afforded to another office ? or with the charge of a participa tion of gain with Lord Melville ? Is not this, then, a diftinft and feparate accufation ? and, if fo, how does it become neceffary to its afeertainment, to en quire what office received the loan ? or whether Mr. Trotter divided the profits with Lord Melville ? The Right Hon. Gentleman, purfuing this errror, rays, as a reafon for farther time and enquiry, it is diffi cult to decide upon complex and intricate accounts, meaning thereby the accounts of Mr. Trotter. Sir, there accounts have nothing to do with the charge which I have Rated : I ark the Houfe, Will they, after ten years of confideration and examination, enable you to fay that Lord Melville did not con nive at Mr. Trotter, his paymafter, taking money out of the Bank, and applying it to the purpofes of private emolument ? You know they will not ; and, therefore, as to this charge, no delay is neceffary.— But it has been raid, that the accounts are not cone& ; as it will appear that the fume transferred to the Bank of Marrs. Coutts were only fevea mil lions, and not fifteen millions, as therein Rated.— But how will this, admitting the fait to be fo, ac quit that Noble perfonage of corrupt connivance at the breach of the law ? Is he innocent, becaufe he only connived at the mifapplication of (even mil lions oTthe public money ? The next objetion urged is, that the charge againft the Noble Lord and Mr. Trotter is fupported only by ex parse evidence. Why, this is indeed a curious oblation. The Gentlemen chore favourite terms for themfelves, and then they quarrel with their own phrafe. Iris indeedexporteevi. dence, but of what party ? Is it of the accufer ? No. It is the evidence of the party accufed Rating every thing be thinks proper in his own defence and juf tilleation. But it has been raid, that thefe parties have been hardly dealt with ; they have been taken by furprife, and have had no notice of what was gc ing forward. What ! I thought that Coturniffion &tied for the purpofe of inquiring into abufes, with a view to correction and amendment. Have I been miftaken, and was it then for the purpofe of inquir ing into the tranfcendent merits and virtues of the Treafurer and Paymafter of the Navy, and to after rain what farther honours and rewards they defery ed for their diftinguiffied fervices ? Thefe worthy parties, it now teems, were moll cruelly deceived. They attended the Commiffioners, never once dream. ing that abufes could have crept into their office, which the Commiffioners wilhed to inveftigate, but fancying it was to be only an examination, to afcer tain the degree of their merits and virtues, and con fidently anticipating a brilliant reward. Now, to come to this ex parte evidence, as it is called: Lord Melville being afked, did you permit Mr. Trotter to draw the money from the Bank of England, and place it in hi, private banker's hands ? his Lordfhip anfwers, " I never gave him a dire& authority, but I knew he did.it." Now finely, it would have been more manly in his Lordfhip to have raid at once— " I did," than to admit that he knew what was go ing on, and did not prevent it. It was fkulking from his duty. It was as much as laying to Mr. Trotter, make money of your office as you can, and 1 will prote& you. And who is this Mr. Trotter, with whom Lord Melville cannot be prefumed to have any fellow feeling ? Why, the general agent of Lord Melville. Why, knowing him to be ating in this illegal way, did he continue him in the make? Can any man believe it was exclufively for Mr. Trot ter's foie benefit ? But even though it were, Lord Melville would not be the lets rcfponfible ; as princi pal, he was as corrupt as if the a& of his agent had heeri done perfonally by himfelf. The next argument advanced is that no tors has been (Whined by the prailice. , This I can eafily conceive, without giving the parties much credit for their innocence. Mr. Alexander Trotter is ac expert calcillator. He might know very well, how far be might ufe the public money, before the demands for it Ibould come round upon him. It was only the common fcience of every Banker, who knows when his bills are payable, and to *hat itliount, and regulates his iffues in the mean time, accordingly. This argument, of no lois to the public from this pra&ice, is an extraordinary excufe from a Right Hon. Gentleman, fo well veil ed inthe financial fyftem of the country, and the laws that particularly relate to it. Does he recoiled the a& which prefcribes the form of the bills, and the mode of drawing them ? That a& rays, " any man Counterfeiting one of there bills, that! be guilty of a felony, without benefit of Clergy." Now, fun ore an expert forger, and many fuch there are, had forg ed a bill of sooasool. but bad the money to replace it, when it became due; and, fuppofing this trent anon to be afterwards dircovered, would or could i the Right Honourable Gentleman advife his Majefty to pardon that man, becaufe the money was made good ? To excufe, therefore, a public officer, guilty of mal-pratices, upon the ground of no lofts is monftrous language. It is language that puts an end to the definite provifions of the law, and the conftitution of the Houfe of Commons. What ! no lots ? Is then every public officer to (peculate with the public money, for private profit, and, if no tors enfues, is there no criminality ? What is the tale of your laws, if they may be thus difpenfed with at &afore I What becomes of the Houle and its duties? Is the Houle to vote a rum of money for one parti cular fervice, and may any Officer apply it to ano ther as he pleafes, and if no lofs follows, is be to remain guilders ? The Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Pitt) lays he knows of one rum of ao,oool. that was thus applied to a purpofe different from that for which it was voted, and be adds, judicionfly appli ed, of which I have no doubt. I afk, however, i 4 any regard were paid to the votes of the Houk why was not that Payment afterwards difclofed, and a Bill of indemnity demanded for thole that made it ? It is rnonftrous that any Miniffer fhould think himfelf joftified in taking fuch a liberty with the public mo ney, and not call for a Bill of Indemnity. It is (aid that the accounts are not cornea ; that the rums lodged with Mars. Coutts arc not fo great as they are Rated. This does not fignify. It appears that Mr. Trotter took all he could. He was a good cal culator ; and if he took only five millions, inftead of fitted) millions, it was becaufe he could not make free with more. It is a proof of his (kill, not of his innocence, and, perhaps, it is for that (kill he is re inftated in office. Great pains, we are told, have been taken to inflame the public mind. It is raid, that hand-bills and publicatiini have been circulated, for the purpofe of exciting odinm again!' the parties. If fo, it is bale. The Right Hon. Gentleman oppo fite (the Attorney General) will feel it his duty, I am Cure, to afccrtain the fall, and punifh thefe bellers ; but why are we to flop the proceedings of the Houle, becaufe offenfive and libellous publica tions have been circulated ? That was an argument which could not be relied on. The proceedings of the Commiffioners in 1782 had been referred to, but they had nothing to do with the preterit bufinefs.— The queftion was, whether the Mt of 1785 had been violated ? The condutt of the Commiffioners in 1782, he would venture to fay, did not fandion the conduft of Mr. Trotter. The gill of their recom mendations was, that none of thefe public officers fhould have public money in their hands, or be ex pofed to the temptation of private gain, that might end in public lots. He could not conceive why we (bould pollpone the Refolutiuns. Can you obtain evidence from a Committee, that the law has not been violated ? This is the firit inQance of an appli cation to Parliament in a grave bufinefs for delay, without Rating any grounds. If you have any ground, why not (late it ! I think the Gentlemen are not aware of the confequences of delay, if any is to take place. In fuch event, I think bills of in• demnity ought to be brought in to reftrain Lord Melville and Mr. Trotter from leaving the country. The proceedings of a Committee will occupy a great length of time. What is to become of Lord Mel ville and Mr. Trotter in the mean while ! If it (hall appear that the firms have been great, it will not be fit that they fhould be allowed to walk the ftreets at large, and be at liberty ,to convey in anti to their friends thofe funds from which reftitution ought to be made to the country. The Right Honourable Gentleman (Mr. Pitt) will therefore find it due to his charader to tollow the cafe of Sir Thomas Rumbold, and take care that any funds they now poffefs (hall be forthcoming to fatisfy the public demands. And now, Sir, let me tell you there never was a moment in the hillory of the country where the chars ter of the Government was fo effential to its welfare and fecurity. By a meafure, of which I own I did not approve, this Houle has received an addition of too Members from Ire land. I own, Sir, I am anxious that they fhoold give this night a proof of their fpirit and purity. Pub lic rumour Rated that at the time of the union many were induced by large films to part with their legif lature too eafily, and their integrity was not free from doubt a'ad fufpicion. They have now an opportunity of throwing from them that imputation. I fbould be deeply aided if that meafure were only to give the Minifter an encreafe of influence, and not of pu rity and virtue. I fhould be afhamed to walk the ftreets of London, if it were the general opinion that the Members from Ireland were not as clear from corruption as the Members of this country, and that there was any virtue in the one from which the other was !hut out. Sorry fhould Ibe were the two repre fentations to meet like two running (ores, wafting the ftrength and vigour of the body by their confluent corruption. This is the firft opportunity they have had of giving a proof of the virtue and in tegrity of my countrymen, and I hope they will not lofe it.— You are now engaged in a war alone, without an ally —with a great nation, led by the molt extraordinary man the world has produced. You have impofed heavy taxes upon the people. This Setlion you have followed the poor man's laft luxury into his cottage ; you have taxed his fah. Will it not then be wife to thew, that if you call upon him to make great fAcri &es, you will take care that they (ball be adminifter ed with integrity and ceconomy ? Is it not incum bent upon you to thew, that no rank, power, or in fluence, can fcreen a public malefador ? and that the man who would abufe his truft, and mifspply the hard earnings of the people, cannot be fcreened from the jullice of the country ? When you have eftablilh ed this charader, as I hope and trult you will this night, you may carry on the conteft as long as you may think it neceffary for your hanour or your fafe ty ; but, if the amendment be adopted, you will in cur a very different opinion. I put it to you, whe ther it will be confidered as a mode to afcertain the innocence of a man, who (lands coneided upon his own oath, or a Ilratagem to Ihelter him from punilb mem by delay ? I can make great allowance for private friendfhip. lam Pure, however, it is the fen timent of the Houfe that Lord Melville cannot be defended ; for I obferve that not one Gentleman has arifen this night to (peak for him, but Inch as have been his colleagues in office. I cannot find fault with that friendfhip—but lure I am, that if they cannot acquit him upon oath, of what he has admitted up on oath, they cannot acquit him of a corrupt breach of the law." Mr. CANNING role to explain the caufe of Mr. Trotter's continuance in office. He raid he had never feen him until he was appointed Paymafter under him. He reftored him becaufe he was a ufeful man. And he had not removed him from office, becaufe his cafe was lab jettice. The MASTER of the ROLLS argued very ably in favour of an enquiry, becaufe he faid it had ever been the principle and praoice of our jurifprudence to have the whole of a cafe before any man was pro nounced guilty. It was not fufficient to Rate that the law had been violated by Lord Melville ; but be fore the Houle could pronounce a judgment againft hint, it would be neceffary to Phew that he had vin lated the law from corrupt motives. The law might be broken, and the motives not corrupt. It had never been the objea of the Naval CommiffiGners to try criminals, or to convid men on their own con fcffion. Their objed merely was to inquire into abufes, and it was for that purpofe alone that they had put queflions to thofe who came before them. The limit then could not, on the report of men hay ing filch a , . rilieft in view, convia prrfon without healing eviclence at the bar. Such war the proceed ing in the cafe of Sir Robt.rt Walpole, the Duke of Marlborough, and various other perfons. He would not now fay one word concerning thc merits of the cafe ; but he contended that the whole of it ought to be heard before the Houle proceeded to •come to a decition upon it. It would be impolible for any man to be as capable at this moment i.fdetermining upon the various fhades of guilt belonging to the cafe, as he would be after an inquiry was gone into. From the Report now before the Houle, it was impotlible for any man to fay that Lord Melville was perfonally guilty of corruption—that he was corrupt for the fake of pi ivate emolument. In a Committee of In• quirt' he himfelf might find many things to alter his view of the fubjeet. Mr. FOR began by Rating, that he would be ex tremely unwilling to fuffer this queftion to he put, without exprelling his tentiments upon it. For, if . unhappily the vote of the Houf e Ihould b e oppokte to that which he hoped and withed, he would feel very uneafy indeed that his name Ihould partake of the univerfal odium that mutt attach to any decilion tending to fecond fuch notorious delinquency as the Report on the Table declared. He could never re concile it to his mind to be lilent upon fuch an occa len h!fhould be fufpetted of declining to mark, with the ttrongett reprobation, guilt of a nature fo glaring, that any man who gave it the fanttion of his vote, or attempted to protein it from punifhment, mull be viewed in the light of an accomplice, or one at lealt &poled to become the accomplice of fimilar tranfatlions. Before he would proceed to the merits of the charges under confideration, he thought it proper to notice the arguments of the Gentlemen on the other fide, not becaufe he confidered thofe argu ments poffeffed of any intrinfic force, but left from the authority of the perfons from whom they proceeded, they might have the drat of leading the Houle to a decifion which, if it firould correfpond with the willies of thofe by whom fuch arguments were ufed, mutt deltroy its character with the country, and with all Europe. The firfi Gentleman with whom he would begin was the latt who fpoke. The Learned Gentle man direEled the whole of his obfervations to thew, that the Houfe fhould go into a Committee, in order to afcertain whether the breach of the Atl of Parliament, not of which Lord Melville flood char ged, but of which he confelfed himfelf guilty, pro. ceeded from corrupt motives. If corruption confin ed merely in a man putting money into his own poc ket, according to the vulgar conception, perhaps fome deduCtions of the Learned Gentleman would be right. But he would contend, that nothing could be more corrupt, in his opinion, than to permit a man's own agent to convert the money of others to his own private emolument. This was the amount of Lord Melville's confeffion ; and although it might be pof fible,from a further examination, to prove the Noble Lord more guilty, it did appear to him utterly im poible to prove him lcfs fo. For the mon conclufive evidence of the Noble Lord's corruption, he would • only refer to iLat paragraph in the 149th page of the Report, in which the Noble Lord Rated, " that al- though he knew his agent Trotter was applying the public money to other purpofes than that for which it was legally intended, that he did not prohibit him from doing fo." What was that, he would ark, but complete corruption, even taking the cafefimplisiter ; bnt combining it with other circumtlances, could any man entertain a doubt upon the fubjea of his guilt ? What greater aggravation of his delinquency in to lerating the breach of his own Aft of Parliament, could be imagined than allowing his agent to milap. ply the public money, for the fate cuftody of which that Aft was intended ? But it is pretended that no lots had accrued to the public from this malverfation, and a very fingular argument was advanced, that as there was no loft there was no rifk. Now (laid Mr. Fox) it happened in certain parts of my life, which I do not quote with a view to recommend my example to others, that I was in the habits of engaging in certain fpecularions which are commonly called gaming (a laugh) 11 a man thould, in that kind of (peculation, win a large fum of money, I am lure that an argument would not thence arife that he had made no ri(k. I rather think the natural 'inference would be that his rifle was confiderable. Probably however in this cafe, Lord Melville did take care that Mr. Trotter &mid not lofe any money. Trotter was the confidential agent of Lord Melville, aril Lord Melville was the confiden tial agent of the State. Therefore, in this fort of fpc culations in which Trotter engaged, Lord Melville could guard againft much rifle. If two men play catds together, and a third perfon Rands behind one of them and throws hints to the other, he that receives the hints is tolerably Pure of winning. Jutt fo in this buftnefs ; Lord Melville knew when the Navy Bills were likely to be funded, and Mr. Trot ter could an upon the information he might receive. Will any one fay then, that from fuch aCtions upon filch information, no lots would accrue to the pub. lie? On the contrary, I maintain, that the public would fuller a lots of t per Cent. upon the difcount of fuch Bills. But, then, ohferved the Honourable Member, the Learned Gentleman defired the Houfe to go into an Inquiry, in order to obtain farther evi dence. He would apreal to the judgment of the Houle, whether any farther evidence could be ne ceffary to enable it to come to a decided opinion upon the breach of law, which the Noble Lord him felf eonfeffed ? That opinion the Houfe was called on to declare. The public had a right to demand it from them. It was laid, that the Houle ought not to think of ating judicially, of infliding pundhment without the lulleft examination into the merits of the ateufation, and affording the accufed the fulleft op portunity of vindicating himfelf. And fo far as the confelLun of Lord Melville went, he had been al ready tried. He would, however, defy thole Gen tlemen who relied their objeCtion fu much upon the queftion of punithment, to thew, that it was at all in the power of that Houle to inflift any punifnment on fuch delinquents as Lord Melville and Trotter.-- But if the Houle Ihould determine on profecution in any way with a view to punifbment ; whether by direiting the Attorney General to profecrite ; whe ther by moving an Impeachment, or preparint•, a Bill of Pains and Penalties, which perhaps woula be the more proper mode of proceeding, he would maintain that the confeffion of the party accufed, would be evidence to proceed upon, and that the Houle was now called on to a 9, as it muft in every fimilar cafe, as the Grand Jury, to pronounce noon the guilt of the accufed. it was ttrange to hea: it Turn rotr.