The Statesman. — London, England, 1812-02-11 00:00:00

STAITWAN. _ . . . . 'would field the excess did not afitibunt about 180001. a-year. He thought it ereuld be inde cent ha the House to commence such an enquiry at this . time. His present Majesty, during a long reign, ibtaitietl the' food opinion and the, blessihgs of his r pessplos. Skis)lithe House, then, proceed to make this enquiry; If: icould look as if they , wished, by contrasting hies with other Princes, to cast a censure on the lest years of his life for an excess io his Civil List expenditure which others had not incurred. Mr. GILES ;bought, that.without the power to send for persons, papers, and records, the Commit. tee would .be of no avail ; ind thacif tie Chancellor of the Exchequer meant to refuse that power, he ' had much better act with sincerity at once, end re fuse the Committee altogether.. Mr. W. SMITH said, if those powers were denied to the Committee ' it would be better not to grant it at all. In most of the branches of the Civil List, enquiry might go on without any infringements of delicacy.; and where delicacy was necessary, no doubt it would be used. Mr. BASTARD said, the patience of the country was already exhausted; and, if the people conceived this Committee was appointed merely for delay, it would greatly increase their discontent. The Motion was- then pot from the Chair ' and agreed to; and the following Members were named as the CeinteAttee • Mr. Baia. Mr. Bstherst, Mr. R. Wellesley, Mt. Sir J. Sebright, Mr. 011ie, Mt. t . I,oed Dlobing, Lord:S fri, Mr.Thiesey, , Mr. Buskissou, Mr. Mr. Verses, ' Mr. D. C. Giddy, C , Mr. Maseersilettfts, Berr m Mr e . . riseasedw Leek anspeek... Sir I.OIA. Melnik* Whew the molt were read from the Chair, The CHANCELLOR of the EXCIPX/UER pro : posed, that the name of Mr. N. Vensiftart should 'be substituted for that of Lord A. Hamilton. ' Mr. HORNER said, he would reeler have Mr. Vantittart's name added to - the Committee. • The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER because the Committee was to consist only of I St Members, and the additiou would make it 22. Mr. HORNER said, he had frequently been on Committees originally consisting only of 21, to which 'Members had been added making them 22 and 23. 1 Mr. WHITBREAD said the same ; and that if the I Right Hon. Gentleman did not consent to have the 1 , name added, he should take the sense of the' House l on the proposed substitution. A division accordingly took place on Mr. Perce. vats motion.—Ayes 81—Noes 26. We are informed, that it was afterwards moved by Mr. EDEN, that the Committee hate power to send for persons, papers, and recorde--zien• which a division took place.—Ayes 27—Noes 80. We understand that Mr. Tierney then declared to the House, that.he would not attend the Committee. Mr. Eden did the same. It was understood that all the rest of the Members en that side the House, who were named on it, meant to adopt the same line of conduct. SUITORS' MONEY IN TIIE MOH COURT OF AD MIRALTY. • • • On 'oar re-admission into the Galbry, Mr. 11. M &RIJN was on his legs. After a few prefatory remarks respecting the Office of Registrar of the Admiralty, which we could not distinctly hear, Mr. Martin moved, that there ha laid before the House an Account of the Suitom"-Money . us the CANulAof Admkaltj, fleeing. thm years,iSiO. mid 1811 specifying what sums were invested., in stock, in Elie.hequer, or • other securities, together with the proceeds and interest thereof. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER ob jected to the latter part of the motion - which re. quired a specification of the mode of disposal of the proceeds end interests. He thought it betrayed a curiosity to pry into the private transactions of the indirideal who filled the office of Registrar, who iiad, in his own conception, a legitimate right to in vest the interest of these sums at his discretion. lie, therefore, proposed to leave out this part of the mo tion. Mr. MARTIN denied the legitimate right claimed by the Registrar ; and said he should propose a mo tion, which he hoped to carry, respecting the trans+ actions of that individual. After a few words from Mr. Perceval and Sir Wm. Seott Mr. Martin altered his Motion to the fol lowing shape :—" That there be laid before the i se, Accounts of the Suitors' Money in the High ,Ceurts of Admiralty, ou the Ist days of January, 'llllO, lilt, and 1812, specifying the Sums laid out bryg e itof the Court." motion of Mr. PERCEVAL, several ac. fi gto the Royal Household were referred I List Committee. 'he Bill for the amendment of the late Act relative ,to 'dm Building of Drury-lane Theatre was read a , fact tti e ui e. The t of the Naval Stores Embezzlement Bill was received, the amendments agreed to, and the Bill ordered to be read a third time to-morrow.' Adjourned. • •••,. , idea TREASON: -••• rib.-- • • *FECIAIatOI4III.IION, HORS SOW sass-Laws. Fut. 10. This 114ern4ag the Court gm", in pursuance of tol. from itooday* list, for the purpose of giroospOlg to the trial of the twelve men taken pri. :toner' 'a it 4 . • isle of France, the particulars of whose nifinceshave Already appeared before the public. Traliism Cumitil, alias Connell, one of the pri. sonevs,. was put to the bat, but so great was the arum; from the crowd, in endeavouring to 4001; wny into'tho Court, which was not sofa ' spacious to bold one-tenth of those who at. ", to gate admittance, that nearly hair an hour the r Indict. . c_ 's ; • IM• It was ne atuiev i puwirr ay 31.711 U aua 17C. a , ...., -' 1 - 4 --- 1 .-- -• •.- .... ‘,... ~....c0m5.7.,,7 11117- , 77 - 77= the force which was i might be treeessary to calk 's* the 1..0rd ChambeefaisT b efore Mr. Laser,' the Clerk of the Indict- him also under arms, but he entirely adequate to , and Lnrd Steward pe to appear before -thi 1 , 44044, Inn enabled to call the Jury. At length, with side-arms. nt out. I Committee, audit it was to this confined, it would I lioneyar l , tbe.following Gentlemen took their places" Lieut. R. Percent Brereta td the expenditure of ibe uselesi. ' • Tahls Pt,/ 10 - .bean challenged by the Prisoners. , the Sea Flower by a French 1 what be saw himself i Mr. BANILFS agreed.", Mlatdraw his melon ; po„*„. , ~ •:, ! the Isle of France is Dace very great. - 1 w hi c h was, with i er ,01.0400 ww ww,... , it i lic . . i .iiii iir : or i ittenoluse.E . 4: , , , prisoner at' Bourbon, for tl WER explained the . cordingly. jihWtelocy. Esc '• , '%;'' . t • he had a perfect rocollectio, is name in the Civil Mr. COURTENA.Yzeid, tlastillf fhe•R weg eduldi, ---'..r...... ~„-,. ppenumetitreet, Bersetadsey,Gletsarkes. ed out by the other BriUtt; I was expended in fol• gated to this Committee* pewee? to 110edinee . • L • Drieldeeeft,'sf Darning, Reakeil dressed in a Tai - lietfOrea tnr • . . illaistartager, Combenvell.: • , through .l l l,.lLieff sbee i. a .nd: dimi : if , 7;: t .. ite llel ieu lr, attire . ta : noy Gant; , 4.. twat. wore i'flinicklim*ilel cod GeiZ ien 8013, on his . gestorma indmelsktf. * 6 'n i - * . • heeoleistrr !set witness hill ' ' llll4 -11114ei give berore~ Do: however On the whole he , salves. Ile should, theilntlillir clnxtes ttal t.... . o w kw awed, of Gestalten, ROW. . iu close= onitlibemenf, and •i vas no g i t jast fir ;Ise it ties* sawmill,* Id bot Startle& dna .. 1 .---•••"' " d r aw Sate, sf C . ‘ . ~. • .: , r . , B riadv e t i li woh is ia that of all tininseclP? 110011 1 1 1 Os, mail Wea.oNfrisoni !1.,f tit"; . iblinvt iinimegli , ot.Bir" --, , , i'• 1 ;. -.. . ' a Hid 14614.4611=64161111. eaduantmer**ool - irml#lll - . Ora* al" 1 1 40"OrR e tberWi;. • • Amillii 158.110 ' °( " 4/144 * **1116.6 " . the Prisoner said* the Fano . - tio~He would not say that his private hake had less likely or less inclined to shelter himself Whited , beer , re ined ; but this he would say, that If all the secrecy Connected with that station • thin the those gl um which he had spent from his private for. Marquis Wellesley. That Noble Lord went out en tune while employed in the public service, were put t a special commiasion; the. amount of the chaise toget h er , they would purchase an annuity at least ; against his name wee 16,0001. ; but when deductions equ al to any pension for past services that *odd be were made from that sum, which arose from the gr anted him if out of office.—[Hearf]-1t was tree 1 loss of several effeets, aud from other causes his t hat a Noble Friend of his (Lord Leveson Gower) i expencee would- be fpund reduced to 12,000 C: and, b a d declined accepting any pension for his diplomatic when it was considered that Lord Wellesley had to serv ices: but he would put it to the candour of the J keep a table for all the officers who had resorted to him, Souse, whether, having impoverished his fortune in 1 in a country where thearticlesoflifemere then e x t rem e— a te capacity of a servant of the _public, and at the ly dear, the Haase would judge whotber that sum was r i s k of injuring his own family, he should be moreeaorbitaet than hisstatiouandidteation required. expted to follow that example of liberality.— I The CHANCELLOR of the. EXCHEQUER jasr, hear, hear Tl—The last bead of expencli. , could not help remarking how reaseaable all the (a tm, was 7,9001. as a compensation for the losses ' pence, connected with the foreige missions h a d b een which he had sustained in consequence of his sudden • found, when they bad thus been subjected t o m i n ut e re moval from Constantinople • besides a sum of esanaination . There were, however„ ma n y secre t 7811. for similar losses of his Secretary. The It hole sources of expenditure, which it would be inconve. of his private elf , cts, which at that capital be va- Went to the public service, and ruinous to indivi hied as worth 21,0001. and the_ pillage, exposure, ; duals, to explain. As the object of the proposed and other injuries which they sustained till•the ar. Commiteee was to compare the expenditure with the rival of Mr. Adair; he could not estimate at.. estimate of the Civil List, he had generally no o h; ; ess than 7or 80001. This sum he had submitted to ;Isaias to such an enquiry ; but the Treasury at. " ai r . Canning, when foreign secretary ; it Wu ap counts, he , conceived, would be toile suifici eu t 'for ...ompanied with all the necessary vouchers as to the Hie satisfaction of the House, without calling for the njury his property had received ; and his Hon, ;Mots of the King's kitchen , ' if, An the coarse of , l uc cesser In the embassy had declared, that his ! the enquiry, any thing more particelenly thee the were perfectly just. The lion. Member (Treasury accounts should be feed pecemary, then . hen proceeded to state the circumstances which had inch farther particulars could he inoved for. The educed him to quit Constantinople in 1806, pre- I Right lion. Gentleman then said • few words eon • ious to our commenting hostilities with Turkey. l c'ruiug the expediency of &tins up Windier aid t was from Lord Grey that he then received instruc—i the other Paiute ; the expences attendant ea which ) sinus ; and it was due to that Noble. Leta to imforts I be conttulat,Jre unreasoneide,. the Rousts, *wimp .441 r. A.) esiformly stated to I • Mr. TIERN mid, h e wou ld no t hi b efett ifi n WI, that it was abselately necessary to pursue the Committee by what the Right Mon. Gentleman such measures as were then adopted, and that un- ; stated. He did not wish to push the examination lei i sepa.lron were sent to Constantinople, the of the Civil List Expenditure to an unnecessary et- Court of St. Petersbergh would never have believed treme; but if it should be found that a veil of se that we ;ere sincere in the common `canee. As " crecy was to be thrown over certain items, he should seen as Sebastiaei arrived at Constantinople, it was like to know whether these items were not included perceived that France had gained such an ascenders, y under the head lor Secret Service Money. The Right • with the Porte, thatthere waL the strongest tendency , •lion. Gatemen had asked, whetuer the House in the latter power to break with Russia. It was on , wished to poke into the King's kitchen, or whether this principle that it was thought proper to 'mite the they would - not be satisfied with the • accounts from intlueace of the B.i:ish gooerliment to that of Treisury? The very reason that be wished fora; sic. He then briefly .det , ited the se.eral dream- t particular examination was, that these Treasury ac stances that occurred to him in _his official capacity, counts were unsatisfactory. The Treasury accounts, from the time of the arrival Sebastiani, until the therefore, he would not take. As to what was said period when he demanded, and was rerused his pass. , about the Royal Palaces, be was not inclined to ports by the Porte. He was not eV' a allowed to cramp the Sovereign in this respect, but some hounds send dispatches to his own Court ; .od finding him- ot.ght to be established somewhere; for it might hap.' self, therefore, not in a situation to nJgociate with pen, that some artful builder might get a hold of the freedom, be resolved to quit Constantinople. Hav- Ro) al ear, and by utfdne means cause an eapence in ing understood, also, that it was intended to detain this respect quite unreasonable and.unnecessary. He himself and the British factory as hostages, he took should he the last man to deny ovary branch of the measures for their safety; and under pretence of in. 3 Roya! Family every convenience befitting their rank; siting them to a bauquet, had them all ceove j eft on but he thought, that there had been tno great an un heard the frigate in which he was. The squadron willingne's to cavil with Royal wishes; and he wished which bad arrived under Admiral Dlickworkh coati- that such an unwillingness had not existed. _ _ _ need three weeks below the Dardanelles ; and the Turks, In the mean time, set themselves about for tifying those passes. Still, 'however, he continued to uegeciate ; and to 'hew that he was actuated by no motives of regard to his personal safety, he went ashore, and had several interviews with the Captain Pacha. Every length which he could p for conci liation he went—but when all his efforts failed, that passage through the Dardanelles was effected, the particulars of which he .ves sore must be in the re collection of the Ruse. For every thing that hap paled esti. that pewage, be arowed liin;self retipon: Bible--but when once the squadron got into the sea of lliarmora, his respnusibility was at an end.— Of this he could assure the House, however, that it sever was in the power of the Admiral to act—ear ii it hod beets', be was: confident that that Limits', sad Ms squadron, would have done their duty. He concludo.d by Stating, that he was willing to ghe any farther publicity that might be revised to ever) tart 6f his conduct. Mr. It. ADAIR was happy to have it In his itipwpi to confit In th•rstatement just made to the Home, is every pe l t where he had been appealed to. As to the building of the Palace, he thought it was neces sary; and t at the expenses attending it ought very fairly to be defrayed ry the Government. Though no persn., was kss inciiited than biinself to revive the menthes tkf a forgot ,eis eontroversy, yet he beg ed to troutle the House with a felt circuinitences-connect ed with the departure of 'hit 'liononiable' Friend from Constantinople. Ik.eertnirify - confessed,. that if he Lad been in -Constantinople undei.the cirgum-,_ 'turn in %bid% his . 000ktmbia raeud was, he i could mat have acted ae roise thin ills Honourable t Friend did: but, at tie dame tiara,' in jestide to the Goverument which placed the squadron at the dis. pool, of the British Ambassador, be most say that that squadron was fatly adequate to the objects which it %Ili intended to accomplish. No blame, however, attached to the gallant Admiral, nor, as he knew, to any co I.n. person,althought it muitheahvays regretted that the ikitish fleet did net sail op to the walls of 7 Ntstantinupk. As soon as the fleet had effected 1 a pessnge of the Dardanelles, so great was the con etaat;on of the Turks, who thought the forts Un tenable ageinst any human-effort, that the Sultan eclarel to iebastiani his determination not to hare •is car.ital insulted ; and ordered • Sebastiar I to quitl •onstantincple. Scbastiani burnt his papers ; but he Sultan being somewhat re-assured by the Spaaish `lnhaF , ador, a negociation was artfully set on foot, :hi. h unfortunately succeeded, and to the success f %I:ich the circumstances which afterwards occurred ueght in some measure to be attributed. Mr. ARBUTHNOT said, he had one word more ? address to the House, of which his Honourable .riend had reminded him. Whatever failure occored vas to be attributed solely to him. It was be alone hat was responsible for it, as the f laced under his controul was he purposes for which it was sent Colonel BAGWELL j us ti fi e d , .oreign Ministers, which, from wi. n Sweden, must be necessarily very great. Lord G. LEVESON GOWER nature of the items against his List. The first item of 50001. toning the _Emperor of Russia I time. The second occurnedjo.lBoB, from the Court c.,f Petersburgli. ' so assure the House, that he. was elusions. Mr. R. WELLESLEY said, that 'ho ever endertook a foreign - t Mr. LONG said, he thought the House was de sired to take a different course to vrhst it ever did before. lie e ishal it. to be understood what the powers of the Committee were to be, and whether they should be allowed to send for persons, papers, and records. He thought they ought to consider Mr. Durke's Act, and whether the checks contained therein had been attended to. Fee his own part, it seas his opinion that they bad not been effectual, though they might be made so • and with that ender ' standing that they should endeavour >o asakeetweasse,i be would give every assistance to tho Committee In his power to give. Mr. TIERNEY saki, his object was to know how the exceeding' had arisen, which was not to be at tained by merely having papers before them. H. thought they ought to have viva voce evidence as to many very material articles, without the power of calling for which the Committee would be nugatory. Mr. BATIWILST thought this was a question of economy, bat not of such a nature as to give a power to the Committee to send for persons, papers, and records. lie thought the chief part of the enqeiry .would be in the department of the Lord Chamberlain and the Lord Steward ; and those 'eight furnish suffi cient vouchers to satisfy the Committee, without sending for persons. It was not like the case of a private person; great delicacy should be used -in in eestigiting the accounts of a Sovereign; There were various checks which the Committee -w ould. have to resort to • and checks were the best mode of ewer taiuing t he truth. Mr. EDEN said, the object he had in view in Moving for a Committee, was to enquire what had been the expenses of the Civil List, and to ascertain what part had been properly and what improperly I ;incurred. It might be necessary to sea: for persons; and without a power to do so, the object of a Com mittee would not be attiiued in the way he thought 4t ought to be. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCIIEQUIIR.. said, that when notice wag given of the present too tion for an enquiry into the expences of the Civil List, no one could sonceive it would be proper to go into extraordiery matters, or that larger powers should be given than were usually given to Consmite l tees. lie should suppose the House wou'Al sot pro ceed otherwise than tney have usually done. If . the Committee found the inforiastiou laid before them was not sufficient, they night come tothe House fbr farther powers ; but till they did so, there would be no occasion for those powers. As to the part which his Hod. Friend (Mr. Bankes) wished to add to the L ameiou, he thought he might better obtain his ob 4ect by an Address to the Crown. He, therefore, wished him to withdraw his motion. Mt. W. WYNNE said, he was at a less be cow ceive how the Committee were to proceed without a power to send for persOns, papers, and records'.' • It ' —.ware to nsll ise Lord Clperberfaie Previoui to their being sworn, Mr. BROUGHAII i Counsel for the Prisoner, put in an affidavit front Mr. harmer, the Solicitor of the-Prisoner, which stated— " That a Captain 'Willoughby, he* Incigitig Kt the Salopian Coilde-hpae ) was a material witness on behalf of the Prisoner, as well as on behalf of the other Prisoners charged with the same otlentie, as he could prove that force was used by the rteneh to duce the British prisoners of war to enter their serVire, and that one man was executed for refusing sti to do. This Gentleman, however, was so 111, that be would not be able to atter.tl for some time.". Mr. Bnoucuast ex pressed a hope that Opt toitti would, under these circumstances, allow . such a de- lay as would enable the accused re have the atkan& tage of this Gentleman's evidence, which he deemed actually essential to tlieir iriterestss Baron MAGDONAI.D said, the affidavit *its to itself so wholly defective, and of such a natura l . as.pot to warrant the Cuort in complying with the teggest of the Learned Couael. The . .lury waft, then sworn, and '.the indictment read, which contains the charges . thit 4t Already I been stated: ", That on the Ist of A,Ognstf la the 48th year of the reign of his Majesty, t ieng before * and from thence hitherto, a war existcdr between his Majesty and Frake; that the Prisoner r weil know& ing the same„ dirt, withdraw his allegiance from the Kingoi Great of, Wititin, he being oner °fhb' Ma• jesty's subjects, qnd did aid and assist, ,to olt,.ott • the Ist day , of December, in . the 49th par 4 Aul King, in the. Isle of France, the laid Isis hale( tit• possession of the French the said enemies, i 4 de& fente Or tbetaittstm - " , 'ltbsillvetisvert amseintrgoll was, that he-did unlawfully go from a prison, in Which he was confined, and did join himself to divert Frenchmen, and with them did serve as a soldier the service of France; nest, that he wore .the form of the said soldiers;. and, lastly, that; he did unlawfully assist in keeping and guarding dicers pri• soners, liege subjects of his Majesty, ce4hied a; prisoners of war in the•said Isle. • 1 Mr. Assort having opened thetas' on tb. pert et _ - - the Crown, The ATTORNEY.GENEILAL, in addressing the Jury, explained the. Law of Treason. He then stated, that the Prisoner was born in ellegiAnce to his Majesty, ' in the neighbourhood of Dublin, and was a subject of Great Britain. He entered'on board the Lintel ship of war as a sailor, and was sent with her on the ex pedition against the Isles of France and Bourbon. It so happened, that this vessel, after a tieperate engages meat with a French frigate, was forced to surrender, and, together with the crew, amongst whine nas tke prisoner, was taken into the Isle of France, where the crew was placed in captivity. Not tang after which, the Prisoner agreed to enter the French ter* vice, provided he was allowed to go at large, and was 'accordingly liberated upon these terms ; did enter as a French soldier, wore the French uniform, , consorted with the soldiers- of that nation, and actually acted as a guard over his own countlymen. This last fact was considered the grossest insult by the British prim soners, and in consequence of their application the Prisoner was-removed. The Learned Collate' then proceeded to call witnesses to prove the facts alleged. Joseph Worth stated, that he was a shipmate with the Prisoner, on board the Leivrel, when sfie was ( 'taken by the French) and carrW to tike ittnirbon. Vnireimed'him; that he was born at the Sheds of Clontarf, near Dublin.- - - He along with himself, and the rest of the crew, were put In 'conffnement at Port Louis, and in about three months afterwards, though'he did not see the Prisoner liberated, 'he saw him at liberty, dressed in a French soldier's uniform, namely, white turned up with blue. - The Prisoner continued at large in this manner doing duty as a French soldier, until the Island surrendered to the British forces. Witness himself entered the French service as a soldier and wore the uniform. On his cross-examination !readmitted, that, he was liberated at the same time with the Prisoner. The prison in which the crow bad been coefinea l was on the ground ffoor, and the crews of two sups were confined iu one room. They were very much au.' noyed with vermin. He twee( saw so much vermin in any place before. When he deserted to the Freacia service he was in a state of intoxication, and be was threatened, if he went back to the English, with something that would not be good for him. On his re-xamination by Mr. Gsnaew, he said that before he and the Prisoner had deserted, there had been French troops coining frequently to entice the men out of prison. He could not say exactly how long the Prisoner was at large, but the Lance) was captured the 12th of Septeutber, 1808, and it 'was about three months after that the Prisoner left ♦the prison. Mr. Bitooncam here interposed, and said, that this part of the charge, which imputed, to the Pri soner the fact of leaving the French prison at the time specified, mast fall to the ground ' as three years bad elapsed singe the circumstance occurred. .The agreeicg•that evidence to that point - c•cid not the Prisoner by taw, now desired, however 'that evidence to the rest of theovert ads charged against the Primmer might proceed. Thomas Mitchell, Master at Arms, proved, that he 44 heard the Prisoner say, on board the 11,hysi , William, when in confinement, that be. wag briar and born an Irishman. Captain Woollcombe, Commander of tbelaurel when she was taken by the French, proved that he saw the prisoner very near a hundred times in the =ret streets of Fort Louis, walking about with a French soldier's. uniform .upon him, in company with the rest of the French soldier!: He thought he had seen him also under but he was . sure he saw him Brereton was taken 'on beard -N frigate, and carried Into December, MOB. Maw the the first ties in hip life; pe r fect recent, ~ of hire; is Wires h st. •.- - .th e r Brijitk - Otficers to him; he was - turned op with green, sad cockade. The prissier had hithseif, wheni be via * had- frequently, by tie make hint and the other Aptibleim *sit& lc the eyes had• soldiers. lie had semi vreash Olken as they plea. • i '.. - I R frl < _ :~ 1~ Il' I