The National Register. — London, England, 1813-03-28 00:00:00

NAtIONAI, REGISTER. bed Huts . Ftiend . 4 . ould nor advise hum, at this time, to-trldte any addi slo to the war. tax's. The advantages which he c-ntemied would re sult from his plan wereimmedi.te and certain,• the .evils -apprehended ancertain and remote. .- • Mr: 13A RING wished the filan'ln be Postpofica. till 'next year, as the present was pregnant will great events, and perhaps we should not then stand in ;seed of such innovation. Mr. C. Long gave the Om his sin cere approbation. Mr. Rosa was in favour of the measure.. * Sir R. Akron and Mr. Tierney were hostile to. it ; the latter Gentleman con wdered the plan as one cf the ainstlFatid ever attempted against the public credit of the country.—The Itesolutions were then putt and agreed to,, l sud the repbrt" ordered to be received to-morrow.— Adjourned. • • • s• • rift • • SHOI. ) LIFTER.; 1311 ice. On the Order of the Day being moved for the third reading of the Ship Lifters. Dil4. , • The ATr ortNiv-GENEe. opp osed it on the ground thit it was contrary to the opinion of all persons conversant in the criminal law of the country. A long discussion folinwed; after which, the House divided, when there appeared, for the Bill 72, against i: 34 ; majority 58.—The Bill was then read a third time and passed.—Adjourlicd. SATURDAY, MARCH (27. CAPT. PIIII,IMORE AND MIL TIANCoCK. Sir F. Bullpenr said he had a ease fisll of hardships to submit to the House. It had been observed of him that he mita always the bearer of a tale of woe, but if it were known how many applica tions he received, the substance of which he did nist thick it his duty to bring before Parliament, it would be acknowledged that he had a deaf ear rather than a credulous one. That which he had now to state. affected the character ota clan ofunblemished reputation—Caps tain Philimore, of the Diadem. His ship was stationed at Chatham, Pear the Hulks, and he hail on board a young Officer of the name of Hancock. This gentleman t for Ire was born It gentleman and in every respect was entitled to that character, as he (Sir V. Burdett) was informed) had on various occasions so conducted himself as to do honour to the smith' mhe wore. He had been with turd Nelson in • the action off Trafalgar, and in that memorable battle lost a limb. This young gentleman having w rrnllV on board the Hulk's, was directed by the Master to go back to the ship in order to ascertain the cause of a disturbance which had occurred of some trifling nature, and to endeavour to settle it. Mr. Hancock hail unfortunately broken his • wooden leg, which supplied the place of the limb he had lost at Tra falgar, wheo the companion of Nelson in victory, and this made it • impossible for him to walk across the narrow plank which it was nes eessary for him to pass over to execute the order he had received. He represented this to the Master, who, however, still insisted upon his going, and observed " if lie did not walk he must hop over it." On his refining to do so lie eras ordered into confinement, and the next morning Wiwi' Capt.Phillimore came on board a formal complaint was preferred by the Master. The Captain on hearing the case ordered him , to stand in the rigging with his uniform (he was directed to put on his best uniform) wilted the wrong sidti . out. Me. Hancock remon strated with him on the severity of this punishment, and, at the same time. said it was impossible for him to stand in the rigging on account of his woodeo kg being so broke that there was not sun dent surface left to suqain his body. The Captain then called one of the head sweepers, and put this yonng•Gentlentan under his com plaint, to do (as he under food) the dirty work of the vessel, at the same time giving directions to the sweeper to " start hint welL"— Mr. Hancock requested that, before he was so disgraced, tic might be brought to a Court-Martial. This it appeared only served to irritate Capt. Phillimore still more, and he then ordered this young tientteneus, who hail lost a limb in the service of his country—who Intl till then !write an .exsellent character—who had distinguished hi ossli in the. battle of yrafalgar—he ordered this young Gentle- Item to be tie] up b...• eis arms and thislis (fur trom the loss he bad sustained he could not be tied np by his legs), directed Isis pantaloons- to be let (town, and °Hared the boatswain to flog him. • Three dozen and two. 'lash:s were ii::lieted on 'this young Officer, the Calstain staniling the time, ordering the boatswain to flog 11 viler. and threateaise; lnni that if he did not he should be flogged himself. If these statements were true, as he had reason to believe they were, lie tin might they were more vein enough to interest the House in thr else, and he though: the Gentlemen opposite would concur with him iii thiliking that sotnething ought to be done \to wards giving this much injured yoong man redress, and towards making a waroieg esaiepie of such atrocious conduct as that of which Capt. Piii;liniore was. stated to have been gniitv: • He (Si'. Francis.) understood, on a repte,putation of tlic its being made MARCH S'ES.,, . . by Mr. Hancock • to the Admiralty. his request for a Court Martial' was not complied with ; but, at last, a • Court of Enquiry was granted, consisting of Capt. Bolton, Capt. Ball, and Sir Archibald,- bkon. These three Officers formed the Court of Enquiry. What their report had been lie did nut know, as it had never been radish but he was afraid that no steps had been taken to punish Cipt. Phillimore, and he apprehended that since that reriod adtlitimial re wards had been - bestowed on him. The Hon. Baronet c o ncluded by, moving, " That.the Minutes of the Court of Enquiry on the con duct of Capt. Phillimore, of the Diadem, thy punishing Mr. Han cork, Master's Mate,, be laid before the House." Mr. Curia [:Ft was satisfied, that if there Was one snbject more than another, which ought to be approached by. that house with caution, it was the discipline of the Navy. It; bossever, sn o t abuses as had bren described by the Hon. Baronet caisted, he confident the House could have 110 ilidispoAtiO:i to interfere, in order to afford redress. He knew not where the Hun. Bartmet had obtained the statements which be had just bniught before them ; hot of this he was sure, that if the lion. Baronet did not know whether the Report of the .Court of Inquiry had beta pu blished, it would have been quite as natured a course for him to have taken, to apply for that Report, where he knew A was to be obtained, in order to ascertain if it were satisfactory, instead of coming down to that House with such a litatement as he had mark, without knowing whether or nut it was true. The lion. Barom t had brought forward a . serious charge nainst CaptiliA and when he (Me. C.) mentioned this Officer's name, he begged to state what occurred to his memory: • When, on a former occasion, the Hon. Baronet had brought something of this kind tiirward. lie believed about two years ago, when the discipline of the Navy was last tinder the consideration of the House, his Noble Col league, the other Member - tor Westminster, had then stood forward . and said, that though he was aware certain severities were nem %airy to the discipline of the Navy, he knew one highly distinguished Officer, who was able to carry on the discipline of the service in a proper manner, without having recourse to that punishment which he (Lord Cochrane) was 'obliged to inflict. He (Nlr. Croker) had asked the Noble Lord who that distinguished Officer was, and in answer the Noble Lord had given him the name of Captain Phil limore—(Hear, hear, hear!).--The Hon. Baronet had said Capt. Phillimore had on board his ship a young Officer. He (Mr. Croker) wished to state that he did mot find him there, but had in pity for the miserable situation he was in, received him in order to relieve his distress. The Hon. Bart. bad said he was a gentleman - born. His uncle was an old boatswain on board the St. Ildtfonso hulk at Portsmouth, and it was partly out of kindness to this aged officer that Capt. Phillimore had taken Mr.llancock. Captain Phillimore 41, transmitted to the department to which he (Mr. Croker) belonged letters . which he had received from the nude of this yome , wasp thanking him in the Warmest mails for his kindness in •verl ooking' the many improprieties of sihich Mr. Hancock had been guilty, and he had seen one letter from the young gentleman himself, in which he•lackno'wledged the great kindness of Captain PhiliillolC in this respect, and declared it would never be possible for him to be set:. ticiently grateful for his lenity. His Cults long over-looked, at last passed that point beyond which forhearance could not be extended, • and he was punished After this he had demanded, not a Court Martial me Captain Phillimore, as stated by the Hon. Baronet, but a Court of Inquiry on his own conduct, to sec if he bad merited the puniihment inflicted. The Admiralty on this directed a Court of Inquiry, not on the conduct of Mr. Hancock, but on that ot Cap tain Phillimore. It was sonic time before both parties could be brought to Portsmouth, but when Captain Phillimore's ship was there and likely to remain souse time, he (Mi. Croker) had been directed to find Mr. Hancnck, and had traced him from ship to ship (very little to his credit), and finally caused him to be brought to the Court of Inquiry at Portsmouth, where Captain Phillimore had been waiting for him. The result of the Inquiry, though many witnesses were abseet, whom Captain Phillimore could have wished to bring to speak to Mr. Haueock's•bad conduct, was, that the following Report was made:— " That it appears to this Court Captain Phillimere's conduct to Mr, Hancock was attended with great kindness and liberality, and that the statement made by Captain Phillimore is quite correct, and is not denied by Mr. Hancock ; and we are fiwther,of opinion, that lie fully deserved the plittishinellt he received." The conduct of the Adimraity having been slush, he knew not what other steps °mild have been t.,ken, nor w hat more even the. lion. Baronet could have desired. Be was coutideut the jjottse would feel the Motion ought to be negatived. Sir F. Iteunerr said the charge on which Mr. Hancock had been punished 1.4 d tot heett stated lq the Hon. Ceentleptau, It should 2t2 ) • VAIIC :....~~ be a strol to Mr. H bad brow; to iii. not rock %col what he Mr. Al v 4 iwt liad call ractcr ai ll:iin:z brim %(2 to Sir F. motion. 'llie ( be read A(lm letter rtporti of n►at bound Copy t . jesls Spit ' Comm bierra cunulr with t Tamal chase( paten island in a si his se ccrta these had II ft. I ve! that i ing It jest)•' the v gene crew 1111!