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

onderßood front the vote he meant to give this night, chat it was his intention to refill any appeal to the opinion of the Judges upon this important cak. Lord AUCKLAND rote to reply. The Noble Lord obferved, in forcible terms, on the cruelty of bringing the Learned Judge, whole cafe was under ennfide ration, with his witneffes, from above four hundred miles dillance, toanfwer fuchlerioiss charges as were alledged againft him, before the Houle had fully deliberated and decided upon the proper mode tuf rroceeslir‘g to invelligare thnfe charges. That erode wag oat, he maintained, as yet dikovered—and he very much apprebehded that Ihould the Hnufe proceed farther in the courfe recommended by the opponents of his motion, their Lordfhips would find themfelves in the aukward and degrading dilemma of being obliged to retrace their Reps. The LORD CHANCELLOR in explanation, hated, that ha did not mean to infinnate that the rib kit of this motion was to create delay, or to impede the progrs.4 of the invelligation to which it referred —but he would beg Noble Lords to be alfured, that whatever impediments might be thrown in the way, this bulinefs tbould not end until complete jullice was done between the country and the individual concerned. Lord AUCKLAND nbferved, that if the Noble *.ord who had MI fat down meant to fay that the °hied of his motion was merely to create delay, fuch LUlpage was not Parliamentary, and if the Noble Lord did not mean to larks, his obfervation was al. together.unneceffary. In vindication of his motives for the propofition he (submitted to the Houfe, he fhoold only,mentinn that he had nn kind of acquain tance whatever with the Learned perfon who was the obit& of this jnvelligation, and that he was adu ated folely by a fenfe of duty, and a defire to do inflict. The queflion being put, a divifinn was called for, and the numbers were, for the motion—Contents 17—Non Contents 29—Majority 12. On the re-admifGon of grangers, we found Lord Auckland on his legs giving notice of a motion upon the fame Cubic& for Monday next, for which day the Lords were, on the motion of Lord Granville, or dered to be fummoned. Ordered, on the motion of Lord Auckland, that the order for the attendance of witncires. &c. on the Rutter invelligation of Judge Fox's cafe, thould be poßponed till the 6th of May next. NAVAL smutty. The Duke of CLA RENCE gave notice of his in tention to move, on Toasty next, for the prodsidion of farther gapers relative to the Report of the Com =Moller* or Naval Inquiry. The Lords were, on the motion of his Royal frighnefs, ordered to be fionmoned for Tuefday. Mr. T. Srass.a becutiht up from the Commons Lard J n bn Thyane's indemnity Bill, which was read a firll time, and ordered to be read a fecond time to morrow.—Adjonrned at to o'clock. HOUSE OF COMMONS. Mr. Cavemen& beadfhaw took the oaths and his feat. gin Joan Wituase Aaronson brought up a Bill to aimed the Aft •f the it of Ms prekrit Malefty, for regulating the prices, aid the saltine of Dread, and for the more effedbeelly mailbag peldam alhodins wird the bloc—Read a kit time, end-anier. at to be reed a fecond time to-morrow. SAL How mos moved the order of the day for the third read tog Otte Save Drawback Bill, which paired, and wee ordered Nebo Leeds. Me Lomb premed a paper eattaining the commlnion of Jobe /Nam of Athol. as Governor of the Inc of Man, which was or dead b Ile upasi the table. Mr. 3v est e moved the order of the day. for the faced reading of Lord Phu 'fltynn's Indemnity Bill, which was then committed, Old ordered to be angeoged. The CAA reecwia of the Exemseto IR laid, as there was a no tice Sealing fur this day, 4y an Hon. Geotlemin oppofite, whom diaved in his place, and there were forced other orders to be dtlissfeel of, he wafted to pollpone his motion for the Staludtioa of tie Militia till Tberfday neat. • Mr Fez gave notice, that he &mid patent the Catholic Peti den on Mondry nest. Sir Wu. You sua moved, that the Papers relative to the extent If the Wet &Aare& with Ireland, and alto thek repedting the Weft India trade with Great Britain, which bad been lately pre kat•d to &sneak, fhoskl be printed for the WC of the Members. Dam& The fecood reading of the 818 for regulating the hi& Fledtion. leak on the motion of Colood bagwell, ponponed till Monday Arse The Repined the Exchequer Bilk Bin was received—Ordered to herald a third that to morrow. IRMO IMPORT DUTIES. The Irifh Sugar Drawback Bill paged through a Committee, and the Report was ordered to be reedy ad to-morrow. . Mr. FOSTER moved the order of the day for a Committee of the whole Houle oa the Ira Eacife Duty Bill • Sir JOHN NEWPORT rote to rugger' to the Right Hon. Gent!emu) the propriety of poßponing the further confider ion of this Bill, on account oT its being a meattire which bore peculiarly oppreffive on the Irifb, and from the (tort time which it had been before the.-Houfe, it could not have undergone that mature confideration which was neceffary in fax Bills. It had been introduced only on Saturday lel. a day on which the Honfe did not uftiallY fit, and when but few Members attended ; and it had been read a fecond time nn Monday, the (Olivet of the ' mitrou Saint of heland, who, though he might bare influence enough to deftroy the venomous 'nature of noximis animas ' had not the addicts to prevent the impofition of-rtedruCtive taxes. In this meafure, no protettion was afforded to the fubjeO, who was left expofed to the rapacity of Excife Officers. He had come down to the Houfe to-day with the exprefs in tention of taking the fenfe of the Heufe upon the fob jea, having bad no opportunity of doing it before, and be fuggelled the propriety of referring it to the fur ther conSideration of the Committee, who Should fi t at Such a time of the day , that it mighl have a fair op portunity of being fully dircuffed, before it pilled t hrough the Houfe, and was enafted into a law. The SPEAKER here called the Hon. Member to order, and obferved, that any order before the Houle, that was likely to produce dircuffion. Should properly be fufpended, that the notices of the day might be previoutly difpnied of. After a few words from Sir Jolla Newtorr, Mr. FOSTER agreed to withdraw the mot i o n till after the notices Should have been difpofed of. • Tilt PRINT'S° Sir JOHN WILLIAM ANDERSON prefented a Petition from a number of Matter Printers, praying for leave to prefent a Petition to the Honfe for the better regulation of their trade in future. The Peti • limo listed that in the year Oka, on the ground of the then high price of the necefaries of life, inn ad- I 'lance of prices was given both to the Compofitors l and Preffinen, the two dares of workmen employed in their banners. The Preimen, however, had lately declared themfelves to be not fatisfied with the ar rangament which had then been made, although there were no fuck grounds now in exigence to fup pnrt their pretenfions as thofe which had j uQified the requeft made in t Soo, wh e n th e kale of prices was lag fixed. Almon all the Preffmen in London had voluntarily left their work, in confequence of their demand being now refined, but which if acceded to, would greatly tend to difcourage, or materially in jure the Export Trade. In confequence of thefe men haying fuddenly quitted their work, the public butt nets was confiderably delayed, the publication of pe riodical literary works WAS for a time fufpended. and the revenue was likely to be materially inure& Upon there grounds th e P et i t i oners p raye d t he Houk to interpore its authority towards their immediate relief, and for the •prevention of the recurrence of limilar inconveniencies in future. The meafure which they humbly fubmitted to the Houle was, that they might be enabled to take apprentices of riper years than thofe who are in general bound to working bufineflet, and that they might be authorized to have them hound for a &otter duration in proportion ; and finally that a plan may be adopted for the future re gulation of the trade. The prayer of the Petition was granted. The other Petition, praying for leave to have a Bill brought in, was then brought up and ordered to be referred to a Committee, confining of the Members for the Cities of London and Weßminfler, and Gentlemen of the Long Robe, *o were ordered to prepare amdbring in the Bill. • am roitovea's ACCOUNTS. Mr. eREEVEY Paid, he rote to make the Motion of which he had given notice: He had been indcc ed to bring it forward in confequence of its appear ing, by documents before the Hot:re, that a very large fans of money was due from Mr. Fordyce to the Public. and that no Reps had been taken by Go vernment for its recovery. In the Firil Report of the Comnsiffioners appointed to examine into the public accounts, it appeared that, as Receiver-Gene ral of the Land Tax in Scotland, Mr. Fordyce was in arrear 64.0001. and in the Appendix to the Re. port, and the examination of Mr. Fordyce, it was hated that he was to pay off 30,0001 by Lady Day, to,oool. by the ssth of the next month, and the re maining 34.0001. by inn:rim:tits. This was in the year 1780, 25 years ago. The next mention of Mr. Fordyce was in the . eighth Report of the Finance Committee : inflead of the balance being reduced. it had increafed to ri,oool. and had ever Since remain ed a debt for which no intereft had been paid. In 1789, an affignment of his property was made to the Lords of Sefton, hut he was to remain in poffeffion, upon the goatod, that by managing it himfelf, he would render it more produaive. Flee experience of twenty-two years had brought forth nothing that was calculated to increafe the opinion of hit !kill.— From the year 1797, only Coool. had been paid.— Such was the Mort hiltory of the tranfadion. Here was 80,0001. due ►o the public for twenty years, and no Rep taken to recover it. He believed it could be proved that Mr. Fordyce was in poffetlion of a large eftate in Scotland ; it had been his coralification for that feat in Parliament, which he had only- 101 l by being over lavifh of his money. He was as unwil ling as any man to prers this matter with precipita tion. He believed there had been much misfortune in the cafe, but fill there ought to be limits to for bearance, and jultice thotild be dealt to all with im partiality. It ought to be recolleaed that the whole of this money was taken out of the pockets of the Public. Betides . . Mr. Fordyce hid been forced upon the attention of the Houle by his Majefly's Minillers having invelted him with a chars ter of public trait and confidence. He highly difapproved of his ap pointment as a Member of the Committee of Enquiry into the Rate of the Dock-yards. It was true thkt the labours of the Committee had been very loccelt fill in deteaing frauds ; and a Noble Admiral had laid, that if the Report of the Committee was cor rea, a third or what. was (pent in the Navy would be fufficient for its maintenance. This was certainly An important difecivery ; but what fecurity had the Houle that it would bz followed up ? Was it to be expelled thaw a 'man, whore exiftence was at the mercy of the Crown, would be the rigid and faith ful fervant of the Public ? After fome further obfer vations, he concluded by moving— .. That a Committee be appointed to enquire whether any, and what facority had been given for liquidation of a debt of 81.6151. as. yid. which, by the raft Report of the Finance Com mittee, appeared to be due from John Fordyce. Efq. and, whether an aflignmeat of his property and eftate was not made to the Lords of Salon, as a fceurity for fueh debt ? Whether any of_ the profits of fuck property and eftate were applied in liquidation of Such debt ? Aod whether any and what proceedings bed been initkutedagainfi him or hit /roperty r The CHANCELLO3 of the EXCHEQUER Paid, the HOnourable Gentleman had conceded to him, that the cafe of Mr. Fordyce was a cafe of mif fortune. Such was the opinion of Government, and had been the opinion of thole who had removed him from office. It had not been thought neceffary to difetualify him. as a perfon unfit to ferve the public. Nothing bad occurred which was at all unfavourable to his charaaer. Subfequent to the period whin he became in arrear to Government, he had been ap pointed to the laborious office of enquiring into the landed property of the Crown. The refult of that Commiffion- had introduced great pradlical reform; and had been attended with important advantages to the public. The lands of the Crown, which be fore.did not produce 6000). a year, were, by the skil ful management of Mr. Fordyce, railed to io,occol. a year. The circutnßancea that led to his becoming a debtor of the Crown were peculiarly unfortunate. They :strife from the failure cf his agents in there fucceffive it:fiances ; one of them, not felefted by lrimfelf, but recommended to him by the late Mar quis of Rockingham. An event which increafed his inability to difcharge his obligatiirs to Government was the failure of Mr. Fordyce's Banking-houfe, by which he la* 40,0001. No meafures of coercion had been adopted by Government againft him ; firft, becaufe he was confidered as entitled to compaffion ; and fecondly. becaufe adverfe meafures would have effected his ruin, and prevented the public from re ceiving what there was every reafon toexpea. There had been paid soool. prior to 1 .797 ; fublequent to that period 80001. had been difcharged, and 39,0001. was fecurcd to Government by Weft India bonds, which would become due the nth days of Match, July, ant Dee' ember, in the indent mt.— Flavisg Rated that Mr. Fordyce, by his induary and teeth. tad every profped of acquiring a confiderable additiotrlo his property, and urged his public fer vices, he intimated, that if the Honourable Gentle man withdrew his motion, ht fhould himfelf lay be fore the Houk every doenthent co nnefted 'with the fithjeft ; and he fubmitted that nothing further I could be neceffary than for the Houle to be n puffer fion of fuch accounts as would verity the rafts. Mr. FOX laid, that in Mr. Fordyce's fituation, he thought his appointment ought no; to have taken p l ace . He wa s one who difapproved of it, not be. caufe of a blernith in his eharafter, but becaufe he was in a fituation of dependance on Government.— The obje& of the Commiffion mi g ht h e precifely as had been Rated by the lift fpcaker, but when tome recent reports were confidered, it meat appear that Mioillers might have rearm often to with to pervade reports with their influence ; and was Mr. Fordyce in any fituation to refill or controul the will of Go vernment ? He had not the honour to know Mr. Fordyce—but how could he or any man aft with that (tardy independence, efeatial to the charader of reformer, if notorioufly in the power of the Govern. ment If any other man were to do fo,•it would be highly metitorious ; but it was cruel to place Mr. Fordyce in fuch a flotation. The Houfe was obliged to his Honourable Friend for bringing forward the prefent motion, and Mr. Fordyce had no caufe to complain. His Hon. Friend had moved for a Com mittee t- and the Right Hon. Gentleman propofed giiing papers. He did not care which of thole modes were adopted; either might well enough an. Aver the purpofe in view. He owned that the cafe of Mi. Fordyce was a cafe of pure misfortune. •He happened to know that the appointment of his fira agent (Mr. CockbOrn) was recommended in a very bong manner by Lord Rockingham. The other eireumilance, that of the failure of Mr. Fordyce the banker, many who heard him were old enough to re member the effeas of it on the country, and affored ly it made a great impreffion at the time- He re membered an anecdote connected with this fubjed.— The other day he was reading a letter of Mr. Gar rick's to a Gentleman in the Eall Indies where that great performer Rates that the confequence of Mr. Fordyce's failure was an adual defection of the two Theatres and the Opera Houk. This Brewed that the country was much richer now. If the died of , that failure was fuch on luxuries, the effects of it al. together mull have been very general; increafed. in. deed. by the many failures which were the conk quince of it. If Mr. Fordyce had done all he could to replace the deficiencies, there was much in the cafe to induce favourable feelings towards him. The cafe of Grenada was well known ; and if the profped of lenity would operate to Rimulate Rill further his z ea l; activity, and diligence, not to prefs invelligation or enquiry would not only be not mifehievous i but would be beneficial. But the f a d s oug h t to be be fore the Houle. The Hon. Gentleman had raid, that the'papers Ihould be laid on the Table, and under thole circumllances he was very indifferent which of the modes, Was adopted. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, in explanation. Hated that Mr. Fordyce, as a member of th e IA Commiffion, did not all generally, but fpeci fically, with the view of applying the belt remedies to cutting abufes in the naval department. That ap ilpointment he had received from the knowledge of the former beneficial curdle of his talents in the fame branch of the public fervice. The SECRETARY at WAR declared that Mr. Fordyce was nominated one of the fall Commiffioners at the erten efs defire of Sir Charles Middleton, whore profeffional talents rendered him the fitteß judge of thole who were. the moll qualified to be hit colleagues in an arduons and ntoil important talk. Mr. JOHNSTON thought himfelf bound to vote for this inquiry in the manner in-voted by his Hon. Friend, upon the ground of public duty ; and he thought that the Adminillration which had allowed -theft accounts to remain fo long in the (late they were, were guilty of profs negligenc e , an d a d ere lifti on o f their duty. "As far as concerns myfelf," raid he, " I feel the folly of what I have done on this occa lion, but, if the conkquence will be advantageous to the public. I Gall not regret the inconvenrence to myfelf. 1 think the mode prepokd by my Honoura ble Friend preferable to that prepnfeti by the Right Hon. Gentleman, and therefore I (hall vote for it." Mr.CREEVEY was fatisfied. for the prefent, to adopt the mode propofed by Mr. Pitt, as he might hereafter move for further information, if what was given fhould be defeltive, and therefore he withdrew his Motion. NAVAL Mr. GREY gave notice that his Hon. Friend (Mr. Kinnaird) now abfent, intended to fubmit to the Houfe a motion on the fubjett matter of the rcth Report of the Commiffioners of Naval Inquiry, next Thurfday fortnight. eh underffood front the vote he meant to give this night, vs chat it was his intention to refill any appeal to the at opinion of the Judges upon this important cak. in Lord AUCKLAND rote to reply. The Noble de Lord obferved, in forcible terms, on the cruelty of ra bringing the Learned Judge, whole cafe was under th confideration, with his witneffes, from above four Iv hundred miles dißance, tnanfwer fuchlerioiss char ges re as were alledged againft him, before the Houk had la • fully deliberated and decided upon the proper mode la , of rroceeiliog to invelligate thole charges. That de code was net, he maintained, as yet difcovered—and w be very much apprehetded that thould the Houle ju proceed farther in the courfe recommended by the IN opponents of his motion, their Lordthips would find I ne themfelves in the aukward and degrading dilemma of being obliged to retrace their Reps. th The LORD CHANCELLOR in explanation, th hated, that he, did not mean to infinnate that the rib- in jea of this motion was to create delay, or to impede at the progri.4 of the invelligation to which it referred in —but he would beg Noble Lords to be affured, that hi whatever impediments might be thrown in the way, be this bulinefs Ibould not end until complete inflict th was done between the country and the individual at concerned. Lord AUCKLAND nbferved, that if the Noble fie *.ord who had jolt fat down meant to fay that tie iv objea of his motion was merely to create delay, inch I,2lllplage was not Parliamentary, and if the Noble P Lord did not mean to fare°, his obfervation was al- at together.unneceffary. In vindication of his motives C for the propofition he fohmitted to the Houfe, he of . mould only,mentinn that he had no kind of acquain. L Lance whatever with the Learned perfon who was in the (+Ned of thisinvelligation, and that he was adu- ated folely by a fade of duty, and a defire to do inflict. of The queflion being put, a divifion W4S called for, ed and the numbers were, for the motion—Contents in 17—Non Contents 29—Majority 12. la On the re-admffGon of lb - angers, we found Lord th Auckland on his legs giving notice of a motion upon at - the fame fubjed for Monday next, for which day the th Lords were, on the motion of Lord Granville, or- Pt Atred to be fummoned. T 2 Ordered, on the motion of Lord Auckland, that in the order for the attendance of witncires. &c. on the Ix Rutter invelligation of Judge Fox's cafe, thould be al pollponed till the 6th of May next. 11 NATAL tauter. The Duke of CLA RENCE gave notice of his in- 1 4 tendon to move, on Tactility next, for the produeliou Fl of farther gapers relative to the Report of the Com. 0 asiffinners For Naval Inquiry. ha The Lords were, on the motion of his Royal ed Frisbee - 4 ordered to be fummoned for Tuefday. Mr. T. Sraaxa brought up from the Commons L Lprd Jnbn Thyane's indemnity Bill, which was read ill a firft time, and ordered to be read a fecond time to- we atorrow.—Adjourned at to o'clock. of we HODS!! OF COMMONS. Ft Mr. Camadith Bradfiew took the oaths sad his feat. St Ilk loan 1141.1.1A5T Amazasims brought up aDM to woad we Mt • the {7th of Ms prefen Malefty, for regulating the pekes, nc aid the making at broad, mad for the more effedieelly pealibing . Imam adhodies Doha the fame—Read a Grit doss, suborder. p r ad to be read a fecond time to-morrow. ef Mr. How mos moved the order of the day for the third road • hie err the Sugar Drawback Bill, which paired, and wee ordered b e maw Leak. I . Me Lusk prefeured a paper imatainfog the mmllll4ol, of Jolla Ipatts ARAM. as Governor of the We of Man, which seas or- tit timed to Se upari the table. in Mr. Sr est c moved the order of the day. for the record reading b e et Lard Pea Thyran'a Indamualty Bill, which was then committed, P 2 Sid mimed to be engrolred. The CITA reccwia of the Excuartolte laid, as there was a no. ^ f tics Sealing fur this day, an Hon. Gentkinao oppokte, whom Pt &braved in his place, and there were fermi other orders to be ill dtitioleel of, he caked to polipone hie motion for the itedudtioa of h a tie Militia till Tberfday next. •Mr Fez gave notice. that he &add prefent the Catholic Pal. an de o on Atones? neat. Plo Sir Wss. Ileums moved, that the Paper. relative to the extent ini If the Welt Podia wade with Ireland, and alto the& repeeting the d i Weft India wade with Great Britain, which bad been lately pre- f i ll food to the Mae, thud be printed for the ore of the Members. ;Ordered. tai The fecood reading of the BID for mutating the frith Fledtion, re was, or the motion of Colood Bagwell, poftpoocal till Monday be The !templet:idle Exchequer Bills NH was received—Ordered H ea bused a third tike to morrow. TRISM IMPORT DUTIES. CI The 'rills Sugar Drawback Bill paged through a ml Committee, and the Report was ordered to be reedit. ful ed to-morrow. ea Mr. FOSTER moved the order of .the day for a t : Committee of the whole Houfe oa the Ira Excife Duty Bill. • mil Sir JOHN NEWPORT role to rugger' to the an Right Hon. Gentleman the propriety of poßponing La he t the further confider etion of this Bill, on account of o r its being a meahire which bore peculiarly oppreflive on the Ira, and from the (tort time which it had ' been before tbe-Houfe, it could not have undergone fai that mature confideration which was neceffary in fax hit Bills. It had been Introduced only on Saturday lag. for e day on which the Honfe did not ufnallY fit, and ha, when but few Members attended ; and it had been fro read a fccond time on Monday. the (calve' of the dif moon Saint of ll'eland, who, though he might have Nc udluence enough to deltroy the venomous 'nature of to upshots animals, had not the addicts to prevent the bet impofition ofeteeruCtive taxes. In this meafore, no poi protettion was afforded to the fubjeO, who was left lax expofed to the rapacity of Excite Officers. He bad Co come down to the Houle to-day with the exprefs in- any tentioo of taking the fenfe of the Heufe upon the tub- to i jea, having had no opportunity of doing it before, and for be (uggelled the propriety of referring it to the fur- lid then confideration of the Committee, who th ould fit a y at furl a time of the day. that it mighl have a fair op- a c • prutunity of being fully dircuffed, before it palled Th through the Houk, and was enailed into a law. fuc The SPEAKER here called the Hon. Member to hi, order. and obferved, that any order before the Honk. qu that was likely to produce difcuffion. thould properly ins be tulpended, that the notices of the day might be we previouily difpoled of. wh After a few words from Sir Jona Newyorr, bet Mr. FOSTER agreed to withdraw the motion till bet after the notices Should have been difpofed of. are TMs PRINTISO RUSIIIISS. elf Sir JOHN WILLIAM ANDERSON prefented cei a Petition from a number of Matter Printers, praying has for leave to prefent a Petition to the Honk for the Or better regulation of their trade in future. The Peti- ast, • time listed that in the year Okra, on the ground of bus LEGACY SILL. ,The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved the Order of the Day on the Legacy Bill, which prodoced a Ihort converfation about poilpon h►g it, fupported by Mr. Grey, Mr. Pitt, and Mr. Fuller, who was afraid of being kept all the fornmer in town, if butnefs was to be thus delayed, and Sir John Networt, who wised for time for the difcuf flog of the affairs of Ireland and its taxation, which converfation ended in the Report of the Committee on the Bill being received, amendments read and agreed to, and the Bill ordered to be read a third time on Friday next. IRELAND. Mr. FOSTER moWiticebrder of the Day on the trial Excite Duty Bill, which being read, the Bill palled a• Committee of the whole Houfe, and the Report was ordered to be received to-morrow. The Ira Pottage Doty Bill—the Trial Malt and Spirit Duty Bill. went through the fame ttages. On the fubjed of the Itifh Cußotor Duty Bill, Mr. Potter contented to withdraw the fix per cent. duty on retail trade. &c. in Ireland, but perfitted in the duty on timber. Sir JOHN NEWPORT renewed his objeftions to this meafure, and tonk the fedi of the Houfe upon it in a Committee.—For the Duty 89—Againd it 34 —Majority 55. lIIDDLISSZ ELiCTION. Mr. THORNTON gave notice, that on Tharfday next he &told move for an exchange of lilts of ob. jedions on the fobjeCt of the Middlefex Election. Athalflaft fives the Hoek adjourned to this day. COMMISSIONERS OF NrArift TENTH REPORT. THE SECOND TREASURERSHIP Or THE RICHT ROHOIHt MILE LOAD •IfCOVNT MELVILLE. Lord Melville was re-appointed on the oh of tr.- nuary 5784, and continued in office until the skof June atoo. In (peaking of this T.reafurerfhip, it will be :tees= fary to divide it into two parts, as, from the t ;r. nuary t 786, the bufinefs was conducted ander re provifions of the 25th of his prefent 31, which inftitoted a new mode of Account for dr. Office of Treafurer. The old mode of Account of condi ceafed nn rl , e 35ft of December 1783, at which time Lord (tool charged with taro hundred and feverrtt-C thoufand eight hundred and twenty pounds 'billings and eleven•pence, out of which firm, others advanced to him, he has continued to rozi payments as an Es-Treafurer. The late Mr. Andrew Douglas having alio AOC. as Paymatter to Lord Melville during thi. his fecond Treafurtrfhip,we queltioned whether he had derived any profit or advantage fr ors the ufe or employment of the money ►lfued fcrrcarr on the current fervice of the Navy, between the tit fir Fel:unary 1784 and the 3111 of December 1785, witids. queaion his Lordfhip objeaed to, ani - wereng under the provifions of the fifth claufe of the Aa by which we are con (tit uted, and upon the ground before Mato alluded to in . his letter We hive entered in the appendix an account;, mewing the annual amomx of his receipts and pay ments, and of the balance remaining on the salt of 'December in each year, from 1786 to an. The balance of th : latt er p er i o d, amount i ng to t h e f ora c . five thoufand fix hundred and forty-feven pounds and, eleven-pence, has not been pais! over to Lord Melville. A part thereof, two hundred and twenty-nine pounds Ifne !billing and eight-pence, has been paid to peal,. nated feamen ; the fum of four hundred and fixoy fix pounds four Shillings is in the hands of the Sub- Accountant ; and the remainder, four thotsfand nine hundred and fifty-one pounds fifteen /killings and three-pence, 4 in the hands of Mr. Alexander Trotter, who was appointed Paymafter in January, 1786 by Lord Melville, and has held that office tin der the fevers! fileceecling Treafurers, except MT. Tierney. This difpofition of the Treafurer's Balance appears to us more exceptionable than if it were in the hands of the Treafurer, becaufe the Pays:miler has the general conr rou l of every branch of the. Navy Pay Office, and it is part of his duty to bring forward the Treafurer's Accounts, which the sae of the money may incline him to delay. The Accountant's branch, confiding of a Principal and eight Clerks, having been eflabli&ed by order in Council in Augur/ 1786, for the exprefs impure of bringing up the old, and keeping up the new ac counts of the Treafurers of the Navy. we were fit:- priced to learn that the accounts of the three Er- Treafurers before noticed had not long face beat made up and paired; hut we find that all the Clerks in the Acconntant's branch. as well as the Accost'. tans himielf, inllead of being employed in bringing up the old, and keeping up the new accounts ofte Treafurers t. had been engaged, by the di re cti on o f t h e Paymatler, to the current bufinefs tithe Pay Office; in confequence, as he (later, of the great increaft of bufinefi during the late war, and to avoid as much as poffible the neeelfity of applying for ads. tional Clerks. We difapprove this miftmployment of a branch ef; tablithed for an exprefs purpofe, and that of much importance to the public, as well as the fal fe econo my in not augmenting the eßablilhment of Clerks in proportion to the increafe of baffle& If the Accountant's branch had been employed for the purpofes for which it was eftablifhed, and the necef fay affillance had been rendered from the Navy Office, it is 'rated, that the accounts of the Ex•Trea torus ( , a hole balances on the 31(1 of December 181)5, amounted to fourteen thoufand nine hundred and eightylcven pounds fevcn (billings and twopence halfpenny) would have been made up at lealt tour Weary THE SLCOND PART OF THE SECOND TRISASVIMISHII. OF THE RICHT MOH. LOED VISCOUNT Mi-LVILLE, OFFI CIALLY ENTITLED " HIS •CT OF PIIALIAME.HT ACCnu NT." The AP. of the 25th of his prefent Majefly, cap. 31, hir better regulating the Office of the freafurer l‘fajefly's Navy, direded, That the feverxl provilion. therein contained timid take pleas on the tll of pily, 1785, but they were not carried into effca till the, tit of Jamul y, 1786 ; w e underftand the delay was occafioned by the neceffity of making form previous official arrangements. In that month, Alexander Trotter, Efq who htd teen lately a Clerk in the Navy Pay Office, was ap pointed Paymaster by Lord Melvill e , an d he flares, that he aged as a Deputy to the Treafurer, in all the duties attached to the fit*ation, except the appoint ment of officers and clerks. As the dirdtions -of the Ad are pofitive, that the iffues of money for navy fervices that! be made to the Bank, and that the money !hall not be drawn from thence but for navy fervices, it appeared to us, that if the dirdlions of the aft had been obferved, the cif cum fiance which we have before noticed. that the form Itanding in the name of the Treafurer at the Bank, were lets than his unappropriated balances, could not have exited. We theretOre deemed it our duty to enql:re mi nutely into the cat& of filch deficiencies, ..nd with this view we firit.examined Mr. Trotter, and after- wards Lord Melville. - Mr. Trotter, when firfl called upon to account fnr thefe deficiencies, faid he could not preciftly explaia the caufe of them ; hut afterwards acknowledged, that he had been in the praclicc of drawing- money from the Bank in large films, and lodging it in the hands of private Bankers, previonfly to its being if fued to the Sub-/keen() R tants for the public fervice. This practice, he Rates, was introduced about the year 1786, with the knowledge and approbation of the 'Creafurer. Lord Melville admits that he did permit Mr. Trotter to lodge the public money in his private Banker's hands, but not as it would teem to the ex tent underllood by Mr. Trotter. Mr. Trotter, on being quellioned whether he had derived any profit or advantage from the moneywit: - drawn from the Bank, refilled to anfwcr, under ti.e provifions of the fifth claufe of the Act, by %OIL !. we are conftituted, and he availed hitnfeli of