Star. — London, England, 1805-03-20 00:00:00

'therefore required an seems( of their balances on be was not, like the CaSiert, in the receipt of fees J or gratuities. of which they were then d e p r i ve d, i s what we cannot pretend to affirm; but we cannot fuppofe that the ufe of the public money was then con fidered as *pm:picks of the Paymafter, which would imply, that the rccqmmendetion of the Commiffioners of Accounts, the Refolutions of the Houfe of Com mons, and finally, the Alf of Parliament, were to tally ditregarJeci, and that an emolument fo fraught with evil to the public, which had been lately com muted with the Treafurer for an additional falary of more than two thoufand pounds a year, was, by thole entitled to con fi der of the ellabliffiment of e Navy Pay o;lice, thought jroper to devolve on his Deputy, the Paymafter. Mr. Trotter in his paper alto Rates, that he has no doubt, though he cannot prove -it, that advantages were enjoyed by his predeceffors from the ufe of the public money ; are that .t the exceeding [manna: o of the Nall of Paymaßer affords a prefumption, " that Such advantages have been conftdered as form s' ing apart of the remuneration of fo anxious and 44 confidential a charge." From all the information we have been able to ob tain, it does net appear that Mr. Trotter's predecef , fors did enjoy any filch advantage. If is pofitively Rated by Mr. Harmnod, Paymafter to Mr. Barre,that be did not ; nor did he conceive the di of the public money to form any part cf the emolument of his of fice. And it is flared by Lord Bayning, that he did not kisow, tint did he believe, that Mr. Douglas, while he rifled ai his Paymattea, derived any profit or ad vantage from the ufe or employment of the -public money, except the money iffued for the payment of Exchequer fees. As a further anfwer to the obfervation, that he nfe of the public money was conlidered as a perqui lite Co . the Paymatter, when the angmentation of fa- I.sries in the Navy Pay Office took place in Auguß, 1786, a e find that Mr. Trotter, in his examination on the 2d, 9:11. and t nth of Oaot:er in that year, before the Ccmanitlioners appointed to enquire into the fees, gratuities, petquitites, and emoluments received in the feveral public offices, contained in the Appendix to their fourth Report, depofes, "That be has at pre hot tome advantage from balances remaining in his hands, which were impretied to the prefent Treafurer for the purpofe of paying Exchequer fees. and tome other contingencies ; but the amount of filch advan tages he cannot pollibly afcertain. He is alto allow ed Rationary of all forts for his own ufe, but does not recoll,:ft any fee, gratuity, or other allowance or perrviifi:e whatever, which he enjoys as Paymafter of the Navy." • If Mr. Trotter - seers in the praaice of deriving ad vantage from the ufe of money applicable to navy Cervices at the time of making this dePolition, which was only two months after the increafe of the falaries in the Navy Pay Office, the mention of fo confider. able a fource of pmoltiment could not have been omitted. The Commiffioners before whom this de pofition was made, certainly did not colic& from it, that the ufe r I money applicable to navy fervices, was a pertinifire of the Paym4Rer ; for in detaining his income, after mentioning his falary, and his al lowances of coach-hire, coals. candles, and Ration: ary, they (lat.:, o he at prefent derives tome advan tage from the balance of money'retnaining in his baud, for the pimp .fe of paying Exchequer fees, and Some other crsntingencies, but has no fee, gratuity, or other emolument whatever." And they recom • mend that his Nary thouLl be inereafed from five hundred to eight hundred pounds per annum, to be in lieu of all contingensies c.r allowances whatfoever; and that he Mould 4 4 not be permitted to derive any advantage whatever from public money remaining in bis hands ; but that the money iffued to pay Bache - quer fees, &c. lhotild be paid into the Bank, and drawn from thence for the public fervice in like man ner as All other money for naval fervices now is." The Mary, provokd by thole Commiffioners, was , of crurfe shroud by them- a full equivalent for the labour and refroolibility of the fituation. When the Winds of the Navy Pay Office was tinder the contideration of the Seleft Committee of t the Houk of Commons on Vinance, in 1797, they - required, ail account of the increafe or diminution which had lakets place fince the year 1781, in the amount of War es and emoloments in the Navy Pay Office. The account farnilhed is contained in the appendix to their t7rli report. The increafe of the emolument of odd pence received by the clerks is Mentioned ; but no notice is taken of the advantage derived by the Paymatter from the ufe of the money iffued for the fervice of the navy ; although it mutt hate arifen fince the year 1782, as the paymafter at that time did not derive any emolument therefrom. Hence it mull appear, that the ufe of the public money was not conftdered, even in tygy, as an avowed emolument of the paymafter. Mr. Trotter (fates in his paper, that in drawing money from the Bank in . grofs, and retaining it hi his own hands, or lodging it with his private banker, he does not confider that he has departed from the letter or (pit it of the Aft for the better Regulation of the Office of Treafurer of the Navy : he fays, it was _direaed by that Atft, that all apes to the Treafurer of the Navy from the Exchequer fhould be placed to his credit at the Bank of England, and be drawn from thence by drafts, fpecifying the heads of fervice for which it is wanted; and he further Rates, that thefe dire&ions have accordingly been Invariably followed. We have already (hewn in what manner flee directions for the heads of fervice being • men. tinned in the drafts have been evaded; and in reciting the Act, he has not noticed the clanfe whickehreas that the monies illued to the Bank on account of the Treafurer, (hall not be paid out of the Bask, unlefs for navy fervices. It Purely cannot be advanced, that the money drawn by the paymafter for private nfe was paid out of the Bank for navy fervices. One of the rearms* given by the paymafter for keeping balances in his own hands is, the having of money in readtaefs to advance to the fubacconntants, when the demands upon them were greater than were forefeet]; and in his evidence of the 19th of October. he Rates, that he has made advances to them in calls and bank notes ; but this circumftance is contradicted by the fub-accountants • and it will hardly be con tended, that money Rat:ding in the name of the trea furer at the bank is not as much within his power as in the honfe of a private banker. In order. however, tojedge of the aeceffity of the cafe, we thought pro per to inquire, whether, as it was Rated to us by the paymater, the calhiers received daily advances of , mosey equal to one or .two day, expenditure t Wei 3111 of December in each year, and of the days in each fucceeding year when thofe balances were ex. hanged. By the following Itatement, drawn out from thofe accounts, it will appear, that previoufly to 18016 their balances were generally equal to between a week and fortnight's expenditure. [Here follows she table.] As we fee no reafon why the advances Should not be made to the Sub-Accountants from day to day, the balances left in their hands prior to the year Iliog, appear to us to have been.confiderably more than the public Service required. We think it proper, however, to obferve, that the Cafhier of theYittualling, Since his falary was raifed, in 1786, from one hundred and fifty pounds to four hundred pounds per annum, does not appear to bare derived any advantage from the life of the public mo ney. nor the prefentDeputyPaymafter, nor the Carrier of Allotments, Since their appointment in !vs. The Cafhier of the Navy, who was appointed in' 1792, appears to have b een in the pre/lice of veiling certain turns, which he rays were (mall, in Navy Bills ; but he has not done fo latterly. The money wanted for the department of the Ca- Shier of the Navy is at prefent drawn from the flank by one of his clerks. We think the Several duties of the Sub Accountants Should be performed by them in perfon, and this part of the duty in particular. Mr. Trotter, in his paper, lays much firers upon the fmallnefs of his falary, in comparifon to the re. fponGbility of his Situation. The office of Paymafter is certainly an important one, and conliderable con fidence mutt be repofed in him ; but if be regulates bid condua firialy by the provilions of the Aft of Parliament, his aaual rafponfibijity Is much lets than that of the Sub-Accountants. Since the time that the Payoufter transferred the charge of the Exche , quer fee money to the clerk employed in folicitinithe money at the Exchequer, there has not been any ne ceffity for the Paymaller's having in nis hands any part of the public money ; whereas, large ruins met necelrarily be trufted to the cullody of the Sub-Ac- 1 countants. The falary of the Paymafter has always been Supe rior to that.of the Sub-Accountants. When the fa ivies of the latter were augmented on the silt of May, 'Soo, from four bandied pounds to fix hundred and Sixty pounds per annum, that of the Paymafter was increafed from five hundred pounds to eight bun. dred pounds. With re(pea to the obrarvation contained in Mr. Trotter's paper, namely, that the amount of money iffited from the Exchequer did not depend upon him . nor upon the Treafurer, it is true that in his appli cations to the Lords of the Treafury for money, he was under the directions of the Public Boatds ; but it is certainly in the power of a Paymafter, by delay ing his applications, or not ding due diligence in fo liciting the money from the Exchequer, to create a neceffity for the different Boards to make earlier ap plications, and contequently to keep greater balances with the Treafurer. However this may have been, we know that the difburfemenis in the Navy Pay' Office might have been carried on with (mailer ba lances ; in proof of which, we need only notice the rums received from Mr. Trotter and applied by Lord Melville, thofe in the hands of Mr. 'Procter, and chore for many year& converted by Mr. leek to his pri vate concerns, of which we Shall fe4fr hereaftcr.— TIN amotuit of there funs (and at times they ryuit have been very large) need not have teen taken from the Exchequer, for it is evident the payments for the Navy fervices were carried on without them. We have entered in the Appendix a general Rate ment of the annual receipts, payments, and balances of the Treafuter of the Navy, from the year 1786 to . 1803, both inclufive ; and a general Ratement of the monthly receipts, payments, and balances, for the years 1796 and 1800. We hive likewite inferted an account, fornillted by the Navy Board, of the amount of the Treafurerit receipts, the affignmeats made on him by the differ ent Boards, and the amount of the unaffigned balance in eachyear from 1786 to i 800, both inclufive._ Upori comparing the above accounts, We obferre, that the amount of the affignments or orders upon the Treafurer, as might be expeaed, does not accord with the amount of the fums paid by him within the year ;* and confequently, that the balances at the end of the year by the two accounts do not agree. There is alfo a difference in the amount of the fums Rated to be received by the Treafurer within the year ; but this, we are told, has arifen from the manner in which the Treafurer has brought to account rums paid to him by individuals (who have had money imprefted to them by the different Boards) in order to clear their insprefts. Inftead of charging iiiinfelf with the fums fo paid to him 'he has recharged himfelf with the whole fun advanced upon impreft, of which he had pre viouily acquitted himfelf, and has difcharged himfelf of the turn 'dually difburfed by the party, by which he in fa& charges himfelf with the balance, but it materially augments in his accounts the total of his receipts within the year. We are of opinion, that all monies fhould be car. tied to account in the fame manner by the Trrafuiet i and by the perfons'empinyed in the public offices to check his account', in order that the tWo accounts may correfpond. • [Here follows a Ratement, drawn op from the above accounts, mewing the amount of the Treafurees'un• affigned and aaual balances on the 3 tit of December in each year, from 1786 to 1803, and the number of days fuch balances would have lafted, at the average rate of• expenditure of the fuceeeding years.) On eonfideringthe•above flatement, it will appear, particularly before the year 1796, that Much larger fums were left in the hands of the Treafurer than the publiefervice required: on an average, the undigned balance left in his hands prior to the above Oetiod, was equal to thirty-three days expenditure 'of each fuoceeding year, and hir aaual balance, during the fame period, would have been equal to forty-five days expenditure. , We fee no reafon why the money in the Treafurer's charge thould at any time beMore than equal to tui days probable expenditure, exclufive of the money lodged at the out ports to pay the wagesoffuch this as may unexpeaedly arrive in time of war. e practice of the public Boards, and particularly of - the Navy Board, in applying for rums under esa ante, heads of fervice, and of•coufidering fuch fume as appropriated to thole fervites, inftead of being applies:Ale to the general fervice of each department, 'tends vary much to Wank the Tuatara's balm* • • • • . be was not, Übe the Cafhiete, in the fteetpt of fees I therefore required an account of their balances on i or gratuities. of which they were then deprived, is 3111 of December in each year, and of the dap what we cannot pretend to affirm.; but we cannot each fticceeding year when thofe balances were • fuppofe that the ufe of the public money was then con- hanfted. By the following Itatement, drawn out fo • fidered as a perqnifite of the Paymafter, which would thofe accounts, it will appear, that previoufly to 18 imply, that the recommendetion of the Commiffioners their balances were generilly equal to between a w of Accounts, the Refolutions of the Houle of Com- and fortnight'aexpenditure. [Here knows the tabl nums, and finally, the Ad of Parliament, were to- As we fee no reafon why ihe advances Should tally di:regarded, and that an emolument Co fraught be made to the Sub-Accountants from day to d with evil to the public, which had been lately coin- the balances left in their hands prior to the year 18 muted with the Treafurer for an additional Glary of appear to us to have beenzonfiderably more than more than two thoufand pounds a year, was, by thofe public Service required. entitled to con fi der of the eftablifbment of e Navy We think it proper, however, to acme, that Pay (Nice, thoughtproper to devolve on his Deputy, Cafhier of thoYittualling, Since his Salary was rail the Paymafter. in 1786, from one hundred and fifty pounds to f Mr. Trotter in his paper alfo Rates, that he has no hundred pounds per annum, does not appear to b doubt, though he cannot prove it, that advantages derived any advantage from the ate of the public I were enjoyed by his predeceffors from the tire of the ney, nor the prefentDeputyPaymafter, nor the Cafl public money ; ar.' that " the exceeding fmallnefs of Allotments, Since their appointment in !vs. oof the Mara of Paymaßer affords a prefumptioa, The Callaier of the Navy, who was appointed a ' that filch advantages have been conlidered ise form- '792, appears to have b een in the practice of veil ing a part of the remuneration of fo anxious and certain turns, which he Pays were fmall, in Navy Bi 44 confidential a charge." but he has not done fo latterly. . From all the information we have been able to ob- The money wanted for the department of the lain, it does net appear that Mr. Trotter's predeeef- Shier of the Navy is at prefent drawn from the , fors did enjoy any fuch advantage. If is poGtively by one of his clerks. We think the leveret dutie, Rated by Mr. Harmood. Payrnafter to Mr. Barre,that the Sub-Accountants Should be performed by then be did not ; nor did he conceive the ufe of the public perfon, and this part of the duty in particular. money to form any part cf the emolument of his of- Mr. Trotter, in his paper, lays much firers to &e. And it is Stated by Lord Bayning, that Ise did the fmallnefs of his Mary, to coumarifon to the not kiow, tint did he believe, that Mr. Douglas, while fponGbility of his Situation. The office of Payma be acted ai his Pay:tuner, derived any profit or ad is certainly an important one, and conliderable c vantage from the use or employment of the -public fidence mutt be repofed in him ; but if be reguli money, except the money Weed for the payment of bid condua Aridly by the provifions of the Aft Exchteper fees. Parliament, his actual refponfibility is much lets tl As a further anfwer to the obferration, that he that of the Sub-Accountants. Since the time t ufe of the public money was confidered as a perqui. the Paymafter transferred the charge of the Exc Site of the Paymailer, when the augmentation of fa- quer fee money to the clerk amployed in Nicking larks in the Navy Pay Office took place in Auguft, money at the Exchequer, there has not been any 1786, a e find that Mr. Trotter, in his examination on ceffity for the Paymaller' s h av i ng i n n i s h an d s the :d, orb. and 2th of 04tober in that year, before part of the public money ; whereas, large fume m the Ccmanitlioners appointed to enquire into the fees, neceffarily be trotted to the cullody of the Sub-4 gratuities, petquifites, and emoluments received in countants. the leveral public offices, contained in the Appendix The Salary of the Paymafter has always been fu to their fourth Report, depofes, ' , That be has at pre- rior to that.of the Sub-Accountants. When the Ant fame advantiok from balances remaining in his larks of the latter were augmented on the silt hands, which were impreded to the prefent Treafurer May, tBOO, from four hundred pounds to fix hand for the purpok of paying Exchequer fees, and tome and Sixty pounds per annum, that of the Paymai other contingencies ; but the amount of Inch advan- was increafed from five hundred pounds to eight k tages he cannot laollibly ascertain. He is alfo allow- dred pounds. ed ftaei“nary of all forts for his own ufe, but does With refpol to the otifervation contained in o not recoiled any fee, gramity, or other allowance or Trotter's paper, namely, that the amount of mot peririfire whatever, which he enjoys as Paymafter of iffited from the Exchequer did not depend upon t the Navy." nor upon the Treafurer, it is true that in his ap If Mr. Trotter - vets in the practice of deriving ad- cations to the Lords of the Treafury for money, vantage from the tire of money applicable to navy was under the directions of the Public Boalds ; I Cervices at the time of making this delsolition, which it is certainly in the power of a Paymaller, by del was only two mounts after the increafe of the Salaries ing his applications, or not ufing due diligence in in the Navy Pay Office, the mention of fo confider. liciting the money from the Exchequer, to treat, able a fource of emolument could not have been neceffity for the different Boards to make earlier omitted. The Cummiffioners before whom this de- plications, and confequently to keep greater balan pofition was made, certainly did not tolled from it, with the Treafurer. However this may have be that the of: of money applicable to navy fervices, we know that the difburfemenis in the Navy I was a peraptifire of the Paymalter ; for in detaining Office might have been carried on with Smaller ' his income, after mentioning his rater'', and his al- lances ; in proof of which, we need only notice lowances of coach-hire, coals, candles, and Ration: fume received from Mr. Trotter and applied by Li ary, they Rao:, "he at prefent derives tome advan- Melville, thofe in the hands of Mr. 'Trotter, and th Sage from ;he balance of money remaining in his for many years converted by Mr. leak to his ; bands for the purpak of paying Exchequer fees, and we concern', of which we Shall fealr hereafter. tome other contingencies, but has no fee, gratuity, TIN amount of thefe Sums (and at times they :v or other emolument whatever." And they recom• have been very large) need not have Ism taken fro mend that his calory IhouLl be increafed from five the Exchequer, for it is evident the payments for I hundred to eight hundred pounds per annum, to be Navy fervices were carried on without them. in lieu of all contingensies or allowances whatfoever; We have entered in the Appendix a general Re and that he Mould " not be permitted to derive any ment of the annual receipts, payments, and halals, advantage whatever from public money remaining in of the Treafurer of the Navy, from the year 1786 his hands ; but that the money iffued to pay Exche- 1803, both inclufive ; and a general Statement of - quer fees, &c. Should be paid into the Bank, and monthly receipts, payments, and balances, for drawn front thence for the public fervice in like man- years 1796 and iBOO. net as all other money for naval fervices now is." We have likewife inferted an account, furniffied The Mary, propoled by thole Commiffioners, was the Navy Board, of the amount of the Treat ure of courfe deemed by them- a full equivalent for the receipts, the alignments made on him by the dift labour and refootifibility of the Situation. ent Boards, and the amount of the unaligned baler When the toutokA of the Navy Pay Office was in eachyear from 1786 to i 800. both inclufive. under the contideratian of the Seieft Committee of Upon comparing the above accounts, We obko the Houk of Commons on l'inance, in 1797, they that the amount of the alignments or orders upon t • required, a,: account of the increafe or diminution Treafurer, as might be expeSled, does not acco which had take', place Since the year 1782, in the with the amount of the fums paid by him within t amount of Ulu es and emothiments in the Navy Pay year and confequently, that the balances at the ei Office. The account forniihed is contained in the of the year by the two accounts do not agree. ' appendix to their r7rit report. The increafe of the There is alfo a difference in the amount of t emolument of odd pence received by the clerks is rums Rated to be received by the Treafurer with Aventioned ; hot no notice is taken of the advantage the year ; but this, we are told, has arifen from t derived by the Paymafter from the ufe of the money manner in which the Treafurer has brought to acccu iffued for the Service of the navy ; although it mutt (urns paid to him by individuals ( who have had mon have arifen Since the year 1782, as the paymafter at imprefted to them by the different Boards) in ord that time did not derive any emolument therefrom. to clear their insprefts. Hence it mull appear, that the ufe of the public Inftead of charging himfelf with the Sums fo pa money was not confidered, even in 1197, as an to him,. he has recharged himfelf with the wha avowed emolument of the paymafter. Sum advanced upon impreft, of which he had pr Mr. Trotter States in his paper, that in drawing vioufly acquitted himfelf, and has difcharged himfi money from the Bank in grofs, and retaining it in of the t u rn 'equally dilburfed by the party, by whit his own hands, or lodging it with his private banker, he in fad charges himfelf with the balance, but he does not confider that he has departed from the materially augments in his accounts the total of letter or fpiiir of the A& for the better Regulation of receipts within the year. the Office of Treafurer of the Navy ihe remit was We are of opinion, that all monies Should be co _direifted by that AB, that all iffites to the Treahree ded to account in the fame manner by the Trained of the Navy from the Exchequer Should be placed to and by the perfons'employed in the public offices his credit at the Bank of England, and be drawn check his account', in •order that the tWo aecoun from thence by drafts, fpecifying the heads of Service may correfpond. • ' • for which it is wanted; and he further Retch that [Here follows a Statement, drawn op from the abo' thole directions have accordingly been Invariably accounts, (hewing the amount of the Treafurees'u followed. We have already (hewn in what manner aligned and actual balances on the Sill of Demob the directions for the heads of fervice being • men• in each year, from 1786 to 1803, and the number tinned in the drafts have been evaded; and in reciting days Su c h balances would have lased, at the avant; the Aft, he has not noticed the chafe whicloshreas rate of• expenditure of the focceeding years.) that the monies iffued to the Bank on account of the On confideringtheabove Statement, it will apps Treafurer, (hall not be paid out of the Bask, unlefs particularly before the year 1796, that Much larg for navy Services. It finely cannot be advanced, that rums were left in the hands of the Treafurer than tl the money drawn by the paymaSter for private ufe public ferries required: on an average, the unaffigni was paid out of the Bank for navy Cervices. balance left in his hands prior to the above perm One of the rations given by the paymafter for was equal to thirty-three days expenditure 'of eat keeping balances in his own hands•is, the having of fuoceeding year, and hir actual balance, during tl money in readiaefs to advance to the fub•accouotants, fame period, would have been equal to forty-five dal when the deinands upon them were greater than•were expenditure. , foreken ; and in his evidence of the 19th of October, •We fee no reafon why the money in the Treafurer • he Rates, that be has made advances to them in cant change should at any time bentore than equal to n and bank notes ; but this circumitaace is eontradiaed days probable expenditure, exclufive of the mons by the Sub-accountants • and it will hardly he con- . lodged at the out ports to pay the wagesoffuch Shit tended, that money Sta nding in the name of the trea- as may unexpeaedly arrive in time of war. Curer at the bank is not as much within his power as Tele practice of the public Boards, and particularl in the honk of a private ba n k e r. t o o r d er , however, of-die Navy Board, in applying for (ems under at to quire, the aeceffity of the cafe, we thought pro- a nt e . h ea d s of S er vi ce , an d of•confidering Such fun per t uire, whether, as it was Elated to us by the as .appropriated to thofe (crakes, inftead of beim parmiller, the carriers received daily advances of; applteaple to the general fervice of each departmen mosey arta to one or .two data espadtture S Wei. t end o To ry muc h to i ota & t h e maiooces balauc . .• • • • • . . . . notteeefarlly.. The Impolicy and difadvantage of this prattiee were teen ,by the Comnaioners for taking and Rating the public accounts of the kinßdr.m, anti k was recommended by them, in their - third Report, that the prallice fhoold be alsolifhed. No meafures have, however, been adopted in con fequence of that recommendation ; and the Compt roller of the Navy Rates, he does not conceive that much benefit would be derived from carrying it into execution, as the Navy Board have transferred firms from one head of fervice to another, whenever it has appeared to them necefary, which have been replaced when money has been received on the head of fey. vice to which the advance was made. _ The applying of the money iffued from the Exche quer to the general purports of each department, would not only prevent the irregularity in the ac counts, and the unnircefftry trouble occafioned by the mode of transfer above mentioned; but the a- vantage to be derived therefrom in le ff ening the ba lance which it may be neceffary to keep in the hands of the Treafurer is fo obvious, that we think it expe dient that the recommendations of the Commilfioners of Accounts fhould be carried into execution. Mr. Trotter, in his jollification alferts, that the public has not (attained any fors from his ore of the money iffued for the rervice of the Navy. To thi; obfervation we cannot allow any weight ; he might have been unfuccertful in his fpeculations, or the per fons with whom the public money was lodged might have failed; and in either of there cafes the lofs wotiPd probably have fallen on the public; or, in cafe of Mr. Trotter's s dearh, it might havebeerme necefary to unravel his very intricate accounts in a Court of Law, before the balance in his hands could have been recovered. At any rate, the public money has been unneceffarily put to hazard; and that in de fiance Of the precautions taken againfi it by the Le giflature. It appears that by his Majefly's• warrant of the :6th of June, 478 z, the falary of the Treafurer of the Navy was increafed from zoool. to 40001. in full ta tisfadion of all wages, and other profits and emulu menu before enjoyed by former Treafurers. During the time Mr. Barre held that frmation, chafe conditions were flriftly complied with. He was (weeded by the Right Hon. Henry Dundas, now Lord Melville, who held the office from the 39th of Augun, 1783, to the toth of April next ye3r. Lord Bayning held the officefiom the I tth of April 1783, to the 4th of January, 1784, and during his time, " no part of the money ailed for the fervice of the Navy, was converted to his ufe or advantage. In reviewing the coildna of other Treafurers of the Navy, the Commitlioners fay," Lord Harrowby, the immediate fucceffor of Lord Melville, difapproved of the praCtice, as being incontinent with the lOirit of the Ail." " The Right Honourable Chatles Bathurn, who fucceeded Lord Harrowby,difapproved of Ole prac• %ice of drawing the money out of the Bank, and lodging it in the hands of a private Banker, in the funnmer of 1802, from a conviftion that fuch a prac tice was incontinent with the fpirit of the A& for the tegulation of the office of Treafurer of the Navy." " After Mr. Trotter quitted office, he propotid to the Right Hon. George Tierney a plan (which was immediately adopted) that put an effellual bar to the ctraElice that had prevailed during the Treafu rerfhip of LordMdville." The Report-likewife takes notice of a very confl iderable lofs fuflained by the public through Mr. Adam Jellicoe, who was employed in the o'Ece of the Ti . ealurer of the Navy, and who died indebted to Gbternment in the fum of 39,6761. los. 30.—0 f which A 8,i 4 .21. 151. 4 1. was during Lord Melville's treafuretlhip. On the agth of May, t 800, a balance of 2+Bol. (till remained doe by Mr. Jellicoe'seltate, and for this Lord Melville, in confequence of a mi nute of the Lords of the Treafuty, dating that he Ibould be exontrated, his Lordfhip was acquitted of the fame by a Writ of Privy Seal. _ _ Since the date of the Writ of Privy Sea!, no trou. Me has been taken for the recovery of any further tams for the reduations of the balance due by Mr. je'Luse. • The Commiffioners adduce the inflance of Mr. jellicoe as affording an example how dangerous it is tb fuffer individuals to turn the public money to their own fpeculations. ' The Report concludes with recommending various new regulations for the office of 'ft cafurer of the Navy. LONDON. WEDNESDAY, MARCH IA ?RICE OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK. Cool money 58U --for acc. 58if-..COmnium 31 4. The letters from Peter(burgh received by the Got tenbnrgh mails, which arrived yefterday after our paper was at prefs, come down to the s3d ultimo, at which time M. Novostwrzorr had not reached that city. &Ruffian meanger alfo arrived yefierday with difpatches of great importance. They relate to the prefent arrangements between the courts of London and Peteriburgh, and we fliculd not be futprired if it gtould turn out that tin fubfidiary treaty is now com pletelyadjutied. Indeed we know that the fubfidiary treaty with Sweden has been for Come time fo far fet tied as only to wait, for its final conclufion, the ar rival of dirpatches which were anxioufly expated from Ruffu. Refpeaing the tquadron which lately failed from Rochefort no certain intelligence has yet been re ceived, even by Government. The fubjoined letter from an Officer on board the Varaaaw, received by the Lifbon mail of yellerday, may be confidered as the lateft account that has been received on this fub jea : •VITILSAW. off Lfibon, March 4th, 1805. 4, Our denination is altered, and inftead of remain. ins with-the Ferrol fquadron we are, in company with five fail more of the line under Admiral Coc Haas a, rent in puffuit of the French lquadron which efcaped fame time ago from Rochefort, and which was gene rally fuppofed to hoe gotioro Ferrol. On our at= LONDON: Printed and pubillbcd by LEVEL KENT, ( o f ('an. teebto7-re. Lambeth), at the STAR Orme. Na a, Care, , ttnct. üblithed alto at the STaa Optics, Tamplio-Bar. Thal there, we found to our utter aaonithlnctt, that they had not been Peen in that quarter, and we arc now going the Loan knows whither in porfn it of them. Conjeaure indeed is ezhautled on this fubjeft. The Weft and the EA Indies, the Medi:ernmean, Brazils, &c. have been thought of, bnt nothing cer. taiq on this fubjett is known. In my opinion we are &Alined for the Welt ,Indies. Ido not fay this, however, in confequence of any particular informa Lion I have received." Yederday intelligence was received at the Adm.. ralty, brought by the Johanna Frederica, of Altona. which left Malaga on the 16th ult. Rating, that a French fiigate had arrived•at that port, with the crews of two Britith Chips of war, and a Merchant brig, captured by her end another French frigate ; that the two Britith !hips of war funk after the aftion, which tatted near four hours, and that the above brig was the only merchant veWel of the convoy from Malta, known to be taken by the French frigates, the ref} having efcaped during the attion. 'That but few of the Malta convoy fell - into the hands of the enemy, is farther confirmed by private letters received yefterday by the Liibon mail. • _ , . Accounts from Malaga, of the 23d ult. (fate, that the Hortenfe frigate arrived there on the loth of the month, with a number of Englifh prifoners, among whom were the crew and officers of the Acii Nothing was laid about prizes having been captured. notwithflanding the French Officers took great merit • to the;nfelves for their attack on the convoy. The crew of a Smyrna veffel, which formed part of the fleet, was brought into Mala . ga,with that of the Ac H g low. For feveral days prior to the above date, an Lien) frigate (we believe the FISGARD) had beers obferred cruizing off Malaga, fuppofed to be waiting for the Hortenfe, which (hewed nu difpofition to leave the port. Our advices from Carthagena, Valentia, and Ali. cant, which reach down to the 24th of February, are entirely filent refpeeting the Malta convoy:— The port of the latter place was opened on the 26th of January, and the town declared free from conta gion. The port of Carthagena remained (hut,. although the place was no longer vifited by the fever. . A letter of the 13th ult. from the Captain of the Lady Anne (one of the Malta convoy) to his own ers, Hates--that on the 4th day of February, two large French frigates came into the fleet. The Coat. modore made a fignal for all the (hips to difperfe in the belt , manner they were able, but being nearly calm all that night, they could not make arty way. The next morning, about five o'clock, an engagement commenced between the two frigates, and the ARROW and the bomb, which failed about half an hour. At day-light the anion was renewed, which continued about one hour and a half. The refuh is known. Nineteen fail (!retched to the north ward. in company with the Lady Anne, all of which were likely to efeape ; the ret of the fleet were get ting away in every dire ion. The Lady Anne loft fight of the frigates by half pat twelve o'clock. The nest day the raw two (hips on fire to the leeward, and obferved one blow up. A letter from Capt. Doitaita, of the fisitiorrs, one of the convoy, dated Malaga, Feb. so, (fates— that he had been captured by the Hortenfe French frigate, after a chase of two hours and a half ; asul that, after the crew were taken our, the enemy funk the (hip, and landed him and his men, together with thofe of the Ac a sacra bomb, at Malaga. Capt. Doe • MRII, adds, tliat his was the only merchant flip cap tured by the Hortenfe. The Incorruptible, the other French frigate, captined two of the vefels, which the alto deffroyed, and has landed the prifoners at Carthagena. An the others, we believe, have ef. cared ; and thus has come this boated Croke again& Brttifh commerce almoft to nothing. Captain Fee (ulnae, who commanded the ACHERON, has written to Sir RICII•RD STRACHaN, that he has been carried into Malaga by the Hortenfe, which ie now block aded up in that port by his Majelly's frigate Frs. GARD. The ACH RON had four men killed and eight wounded in the adion. By letters from Oporto to the sth intl. it appears that an Englifh Gentleman, refiding at Vigo, bas at trailed the notice of Government. He received an or der to retire thirty leagues into the country, or to quit the kingdom ; he preferred the latter, and is arrived at Oporto, on his way to England. H e reports, that the brig Falcon, from Newfr,undland, was captured by the Fama privateer, of Vigo, and carried into Marin, on the 14th of February. The Fama carries eight fmall guns, and fixty men ; flue alto capsured and carried in the Embden packet. Three row boats had failed, and more were preparing. There !Mali velrels, front their conftrudion and refemblance to tithing-boats, were calculated to deceive ; they are well armed. The Conful, on the 28th of December, apprized the Lords of the Admiralty how much the Oporto trade was expofed to the enemy's privateers, crinfidering the nature of the Bar, and vicinity to Vigo, and hoped fome protection would be afforded. One of the above row-boat privateers captured the Hope, MILLWARD, but fortunately the SERFw re captured her. The fame privateer made an unfuc. ceftful attack upon the Counters of Crawford, who was armed with four guns. The privateer, however, captured a Swedifh veil - el, and carried her into Vigo. Another letter, of the fame date, from Oporto, mentions, that ten English relic!. had juft come into port, among which was the Comm erce , C apta i n &SANDFORD. He hated, that . he failed in company with fix othe veffels bound to that port, undeocon voy of the AMBUSCADE frigate (who went *ward with Lifbon veffels), and that two brigs belonging to the convoy were taken by the row-boats, on the Sunday preceding the date of the letter, in fight of the Bar. The floop Mary, Capt. Duscas, of Aber deen, was alto captured about the fame time dole to the Bar. The coat (warms with privateers from Vigo, and unlers fpeedy atEflance be afforded, heavy loffes mutt be expected. CORN EXCHANGE, MARK-LANE, MARCH 207 ' Our frstili arrivals of Wheat to-ci y are but few. and the fupply is chiefly of Monday. Ens (ample.; re naining, which arc ttil ea• tremely difficult of (tie, at rather lets prices, and expedted cheap:[ —Floe Dantsie about nos. per quarter—a good fupply of Earley, which, with Malt,ioclines tauten—lle demand for Rye keep* up its price, likewile Beans..—Oats are herein large quantities, And ga off lowly.—Flour, from its late plentinefs, bakes downwards.— Other articles are dull, and have (mall Audit ition.