The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1810-05-01 00:00:00

ho founilntion for this suspaion; and it seems pro. Wile, that the generslity or the statements of ex penititure; nn the monthly accounts, unaccompanied as they necessarily were by any vouchers, may have servedi as a cover for lug , slum, of money, winch iu feet never may have bleu applied to the public service. Not deeming it essential to pursue this pert of the subject forther, your Committee applied them selves to ascertain want steps had beeu taken, upon the discovery of these deficiencies, to secure the public from loss; and they find that extents were issued to the whole amount of the Accountant's property; which, however. falls far short of the 111114.1111 T. fur which Mr. C. 'Villiers appears to be responsible to the public, unless there should be ar ticles of iliseharite unknown to your Coininittee, -or to the Navy Office, iu the present unsettled state of his accounts. The debt for which the extent was issued is 9.64,5071. ts. 6J. the value of the landed property " ebt"ll4te'l at 93.6071. 20. ntl. There is silso !..-1,6191. 10s. tOil....three per cent Consals, and the security :riven on his first hiking of the office, which was for 10,0001. The bond executed in 1792, iso however, not forthcoming ; and there is reason to think, that tin honerwesexecuted on his subsequent re-aiipoiscioesly in Iso3 ; altheingh it was made condition of his 'holding the (Ace. that he should give security in the s6nt of 10,0001. without refer ence to the security taken in 1„79.2. • Your Committee annot liVoitt observing upon it SP On omission of duty in the Board of Admiralty, by ,chum he was re•appointed, not to have take., a second boor]; and the loss of the first, which re mained in the Admiralty about the year 1806, thews is culpable carelessness as to the custody of such iinoortaut instrumeats. Securities ought to be taken more frequently than has hitherto been the usage, from all Officers, in every department, who hold situations connected with the receipt or espeod:ture of piddle money. And your Com mittee recommend that reulations should be esta blished to that e ff ect, tind err the directions of Ills Majesty in Council, ur of the Commissioners of the Treasury. Large issues continued necessarily to he made between the end of 1804, and the time when the late Paymaster quitted his office, amounting to 2,0045,8921.; hut though this sum swells most con siderably the Wailer of money to be accounted for, calculations which have been formed in the Navy Olfici• lead that Board to conjecture, that the whole of it has been applied to the service for which it was imprested. An Account, furnished from the Oificr of Paymister of Ma rines, o f mom" , p s id o n the Royal Marne Service, he. sweep, Ist January taw., to the latest period to which the same is made up. To paid from tat. Jan. to 3lmt Dec. illos, 1.339,001 9 11 The account of this year appears to be closed, but nut exannued by the late Paymaster. To paid limo Ist Jan. 1u 3151 Dec. 11106, L. 339,793 13 31 The etnitinefut expense of this year is nut made out nor included is this sum. To ptad from Ixf Jan to 31st Dee. 1807, L. 337,1199 14 61 The coutingent f %lirtis , , and salaries, mild in this year, :4re nut wade out Ili,. included to this sow. I-Itsib>393 9 111 By tht: b,oks of the late Paymaster, the accounts for tett* spilt ar eery nuptefect, and those fur I nog ate uut beguu to br made out The whole ainouit of balances in the hands of Sub-teecoutituritp,tyansferred by Mr. Villiers to the present Piyns , when he ►ucceeded hid), was no more than <20,1461. of which easel. was drawn for, or due for, service performed. The Suiwaecountalits were the Deputy Pay masters of the four division% of marines, seven iu• specting field officers, connected with the recruiting service; and more than one hundred recruiting officers. In the course of these imestigations, it became a matter of consideration how far the continuance of the Office of Paymaster of Marines may be neces sary for conduct* this branch of the public ser vice; your Committee hearing in mind, that all use less offices ought to be suppressed, and that every additional channel through which pithhe moue), flows, affords an additional hazard of the misappli cation, detention, or loss of a part of it. Recent experience, in the cases of the acts for regulatilig the Offices of Treasurer off the Navy, (25 Gen. 111. c. 31.) and Treasurer of the Ord nance, (46 (ho. M. C. 4.5.) iaducre • re.:sonahle mistrust, as to the efficacy of all legislative provi- MOW and directions; in cases where the temptations to a contrary practice are rent, the means of eva sion have not bee!' found sonnracticalile. The Commissioners on Fees, &c. 17A7.) in their third Report, p. 104 and S. referred to. and . . printed in the proceedings in consequence of the Finance Reports, 0. 11, pronounced an opiii.na as to the inutility of this office which, 4. besides he ing un unnecessary expense, tends to multiply Re counts, and disperse the public money; as there will always be a balance left in the hands of each offi cer to whom any portion of it is issued ;" they 1!..11.. tinne, that, •' this office ought, in their opinion, to be carried nu in the office of the Treasur er of the Navy, not only as tieing a branch of the pay of the Nave, but that the officers may be contiguous, to check the pay of the marines on ship board, the debts due from those who embark. and fur other purpos.4." There was at that time an Agent as well as a Pay master, the former of whom acted as Deputy. and transacted almost the whole of the business and the Commissioners recommended the continuance of the efficient person in the office, with a salary of dOOl. and the discontinuance of the Paymaster; bat the Board of Admiralty. deeming it mote ex pedient to reverse the suggested improvement. abo lished the first. and continued the second ; the great diligence and regularity of Mr. G. Villiers, who was represented in the Report from the Admi ►alt•, of Auglist, 1799, O. 11. as an able and at tentive Officer, by whoa], 'Mee his appointment in 1791, the business of nearly the whole of the Ma. rine Department had been conducted, being gi►en at • reason for disregarding this recommendation of the Commissioners. The removal of the Agent, after a seance of 28 years in the Marine Depart ment, sa g attended with an annual expense. in the nature of a compensation, paid out of the marine poundage and stoppages. end directed to be in serted in the Paymaster's •unnal arcount. In order fully to •.certain the expediency of car rying into effect the recommendation of the Coin• eatssioners oil Fees, as to carrying en the "business of this office, and consolidatio n , ' it Kith the de pertinent of Treasurer of the Nuvy, your Com mittee esatnined several persons, whose practical knowledge and experience, in various branches of the naval service, enabled them to farm the best opinions upon this subject. Sir Andrew Suape Ila miaow], late Comptroller of the Navy. gave it us his opinion, that the continuance of the office of Paymaster of Marines is of no advantage to the nubile service, as All intermediate office betwt en the Deputy Paymasters ;III(' Agents, and the Treasurer of the Navy ; and that the said office does not in terpose an etfectual cheek upon the expenditure of public money. The present Comptroller of the Nuvy, Sir Thomas Thompson, gave the same opi nion, hut less decisively, stating, that he did out perceive that any inconvenience to the public 'ser vice %API likely to arise, if the business of the Pay master were transact.ed in the office of Treasurer of the Navy, excepting 0101 . 614 'nigh\ arise from want of room. and some necessary augmentation of the estalilishutent. The Right l lon. Georgelteuie. Treasurer of the Navy. gave it se his opinion. thus no inconveni ence would occur to the public ber vi ce, if the pay uncut of the marines. while an shore. were i►sued directly hum his office, to agents. or deputy pay. masters. instead of pluising through the haudiof the Paymaster of Marines. It would of course require some additional 'establishment, probably the seine as uuder the present system, but err taint) not u larger ; et the seine time he represented that a difficulty would occur, toot want of issue ia his office. Mr. Rose further stated, that, excepting as to the want of room, the widow? pensions (rehit Mg, to the a ival service) might also, without iiicouveni,live, be paid at his office, either directly or by remit tances, instead of being paid by a separ.te inty master, appointed for that single duty. 'lite present Paymaster of the Navy, Mr. Smith, did not point out any objection to placing the offi cers now in the marine pay office under the onward of the Treasurer of the bisvy ; who, being in the course of paying about 1.30,000 seamen, could, in his opinion, without much inconvenience, my 30,000 mai ine.. Captain Vert°. one of 'lie four Deputy Paymas ters, concurred in the :me view of the proposed alteration, as nut !mini.; to ally s.ractical incoove nience, if the issues of limey to the Deputy Pay masters should be mad, directly to them from the Treasurer of the Navy. The only opinion received by your Committee, in ' contrailictien to this proposition, was that of Cap tain Kempster, an Agent fur several Officers of Mottoes ; who conceive,) it to lie es.ential that ei ther the Paymaster or Agent should be retained, and that it would have been much better if the lat ter had been continued, and the former suppressed. But the reason given by Captain Kempster did not appear to establish any grounds either of cheek up on the expenditure, or of expe.ilition in the passing of accounts, which would justify the continuance of this office ; and indeed his op' • was founded in a considerable degree on the ability and experience of the Officer who was the Agent at the time he spoke of. Your Committee, therefore, do not hes;tate in recommending to the House, that this office should be forthwith suppressed ; and that the business should be transacted in the office of the Treasurer of the Navy. under whose direction drafts may he prepared of such regulation". and au estimate of such an establishment, as may be necessary fur that purpose, which ought to be submitted to, and ap proved by, the Commissioners of the Treasury. It mai deserve consideration, whether some, of the houses in Somerset-place, as they become va cant, may not be applied to the extension of such offices as are at present cramped for want of room. Your Committee being of opinion, that official houses are (except in some special cases) an impro vident mode of adding to salaries. or of paying public servants, inasmuch as the charges ill the public, for building in the first instance, end for continual repairs afterwards, are out of all propor tion to the benefit or accommodation which is de rived to the olfieers who inhabit them. The discovery of Mr. G. Villien's default, led to the detection of another, of very inferior amount, but gritting principally from the same causes, in the Conductor's department, under the Trtasurer of the Navy. The bu•ines of the Conductor is to pay all coo• tingekt and incidental expenses incurred in the. Trrsc.urer'a Office (amounting annually to 13,000 or I 4,0n0t.) for which purpose money is imprested to bun from time to time from the Navy Ilo.srd, on the authority of letters from the Paymaster of the Navy, stating that the balance stands according to the certificate of the Conductor, which is inclosed in ea la letter. It is the duty of the Paymaster of the Navy to examine and certify, to the Navy Board, the Con ductor's half-yearly account, retaining the vouchers in Ins own office. These half-yearly accounts do exhibit the money iniprested to the Conductor, nor the balance due from him. The particulars of money imprested are kept in the books of the Navy Board ; but the applications for imprests pass through the Paymaater's hands, who keeps no ac count of those imprasts; nor did he conceive that it was his duty to compare the sums advanced to the Conductor with the sums expended by him. The Commissioners of the Miry pronounced, after full deliberation, that the Conductor w as no t an ari.ountant with their Board fur money received, as they had no rontroul over it, and as it was totally out of their power to aseertain,whether the baluoces stated in his application for money were correct, milers they were in posse , sion of his accotllliN and of the vouchers for his payments, up to the date of his applicsition. The letter from the Navy Board, dated February 16, 1810, from which this opinion is extracted, concludes, that •' in all probability it would never have occurred to us to compare the belance upon the Conductor's account with the balances stated in his application for money, unless the discovery with respect to Mr. Villiers's account had excited a suspicion with respect to all other Accountants." Mr. Charles Barrow (the late Conductor) was re sponsible fur the !Weise. of 3.7131. at the end of 1808, which was increased to 5,6891. in January 1810. Ao extent has Leen issued against him for the sum dye, but there is no probability that more than 5001. will be recovered. No security was taken for thy due discharge of his duty, sof has it been usual to require it in that department. A case has been laid before the Crown Lawyers for their opi nion, as to prosecuting Into crunivally. A mode of effectual cheek, with regard to the future balances, has been provided; and security has been taken in the sum of %MM. frow the suc cessor of Mr. Barrow, in pursuance of a winute of the Treasurer, dated 12th March, 1810. The incidental and contingent expenditure within any office ought anqat stionably to undergo a strict examination, is the tint instance, by tl►e superiors in that department; but its Rual audit and allowance ought not to rest there; as no office whatever should ha suffered to remain responsible only to itself ; and fur this reason, as well as for those which are before stated with reference to passing the Paymaster's annual accounts, your Committee consider, that the practice, which was established by the Order in Council, gth August, 38o1i, 4. by which the Navy Board, to whose examination and coutroul the contingent ex. 'senses mete formerly subject, are directed to allow them on the eertificute of the Paymaster,' (fourth Report Comm►isaioners on Fees, p. 136) ought to be discontinued; and that the vouchers themselves should he transmitted, together with each half. yearly account, for final examinution by the Navy Board. A default to the amount of 93.9261. in the ac could of the Treasurer of the Ordnance, would naturally have found a place in the present Report, if it had not undergone the investigation of the Consmissimiers of Military Inquiry, who have lately presented, iu their Twelfth Report, au ample and distinct detail upon this subject. Your Com mittee, however, desire, in pas4lll* to call again the attention of the House to the practical ineffi ciency of the late kit for the regulation of this office, and to enforce the observations of the Com missioners in p. 17, rr That upon the second ap pointment of Mr. Hunt, in lest), the not ticking ■ny security from him," was a great omission of duty. From the inconveniences and losses attending either an imptrlect or tardy examination of ac counts. your Committee are led to the more exteo sive subject of the general audit of accounts, and to the constitution of the present Board of Coin mi-sioners molt'? 46 Geo. HI. c. 141. It was noticed in their Report upon the Pay- Office ; and some part of their attention iii the too succeeding sessions has beets directed towards this most essential objet, while they were carrying on their other inquiries. The novelty arid untried effect of some of the regulations under which the Ltoard of Auditors were beginning to act in Iso7 and 1808, formed one of the chief obstacles which prevented your Committee from proceeding further to collect ma terials for a full Report upon the present system of examining and passing the accounts of all the great brioches of public expenditure, and laying then before the House at a much earlier period. Without an effectual and sprit tly audit, the House may rest assured that all other Om kii and provisions will prove ineffectual to secure the interests of the public against fraud o► negli:,elice. The evils of both have been long felt, rind fre nently exisrsed to view; and various attempts have been made to counteract thou, by regulations, which h:,er from time to time been altered, modified, and revised ; with what success and utility 3 "or Co iom iUre will proceed to consider iu the second part of this Re port. APPEN DI X . Your Committee wishing Its avoid the expense df printing a large mosso( evidence and documents, the substance of which (us far as it appears material), has been given in their Report. subjoin a list of the persons who have been examined. and a list of papers relating to this subject, with the numbers endorsed upon each, so that any of them may at any titre be immediately produced, if called for by the House Day Elandoed, The How Edward Bouverie . . Feb. 20, tutu John Smith, Esq. Paymaster or the Navy - Ditto. W. Gregory Davis, Esq. Chief Clerk in the Office of Bills end Accounts in the Navy . Otliee . . • . - February es. Samuel Gambier, Esq. - - - March a. John Smith, F.aq. - - - - - March 9. Captain Varlo, Deputy Paymaster of Royal Alarims - - Ditto. Sir Andrew Snape Hammond - Ditto. Mr. George Yeats, Secretary to the Com mittee of Aeroflot, - . - Mardi i 3. Right Hun George Rose - - - Ditto. Capt. Kempater, Agent to Marine Officers - March 16. Charles Bicknell, Elul - - • Ditto. Thomas Hind, Esq. first Clerk iu the Pm master of Marines' Office - - March 20. Sir Thomas Thompson - - - Diiiii. Captain Vado - . March :J. Mr. Mold • - - .. Ditto. W. Gregory Davis, Esq. - - - April a. Cheeks Bicknell, Esq. - - - Ditto. Osborne Standert, Esq. Chief Clerk its the Mace for examining the Accouists of Ike Treasurer of the Navy - - - April 6. Mr. S. Moss, late Clerk iu the Marine De partment in the Admiralty - - Dit tn. W. Gregory Davis, Eini. - . - April in. Mr. Teats - - Ditto. Mr. Muss - - - - - April 1,1. [Hem follows a list of the Papers.) A correspondent informs us, that several itinerant Jews are now prostlitig about the western counties, buying tip the gold coiu of this realm, for. evert"- lion. One of them assured our correspondent last week its Lostwithiel, that he had an order for iOO guineas for that purpose. We lament to hear that I duels have oc curred between the Officers of His MAJESTY'S and the Company's Army in ludic, arising out of the late tranbactions their. On Thursday morning last, one of the Lon Jon coaches from I.iverpool, unfortunately overturned by the breaking of a wheel, near t h e house called Nlock-lieggsr Hall, on the Present-road. The in side passengers escaped with little injury, but se are sincerely concerned to say, that one of the out side passengers, Mr. °WWI. *respectable attorney of Staffordshire, was bruised so dreadfully . by the coach falling on I.i• breast, that he siirsiveil aptly an 1 hour afterwards. Ile was t a k en m a i n a h ouse y t h e road-side, where be had just ti me t o declare 11 4 1 lie was, and to dictate a f ew li nes , as h is last w 1 and testament, which, at his request, was traustisiatd to his friends.. . NAVAL 11VTFELIGIE CE. PoItTsMoUTII, APRIL Sailed the Fly sloop of war, on a crui s e ; counter, with a few ships under Cftll% to li ft wt ,. ward, as fir as Plymouth ; Naritter, 011 a cruise. The Moho takes convoy to the West Indies. PLYMOUTH, APRIL it. Arrived the Valicnit slur of war, ho:u a exu i ‘t u g Rochefort. PLYMOUTH-0006 APRIL NI. Arrived the Zephyr, Cdptmili 51.1% illiatus, Lule a with sugar and carer, from Martinique. L k wor k tug into Catwater she missed "yo; anal raa wa shore on the rocks under the garrison, hut w et gat off again a few hours afterwards, without imstaimug any material damage. FAO !ROUTS, Aran g 7,, Appeared off here, the; tHorniog. the Gas. hawk, 18 gusto, to give ttivtrnetioos to the (revs& waiting convoy here fur the Nloditeirateenn, tee wheu the) followiue vessels ►ailed. v:z. the Lradva Packet, --, for Ito Janeiro; F t i ew b, for Madeira; Melia, —, Amts. Rose, --,ha; they were Ow e d t h e „f t , noon lsy the Eat-galas, 3(1 gun., flow Port.ire i a, l th, wi th about 70 sa.l, and proceeded down ekiuntt with a flue Emcee. Arrived this evening, the Active privatoef, of 1 t 'was, belonging to Plymouth ; she has (welt un tlo coast of Stidiu unit Frellete, sod , iu VIIC or two at tempts to cut out some veaselio, has lust several, of her men. The Walsiteghaus Packet sails to-morrow, with made for Lisbon. Arrived. laet eveliiitsr. the brig Fafte, Wrif4ht, from Yarmouth, with 6ittlr), for Bribtol, DEAL APLIII. This morning, the Formidable, of 913 guu, , Ca). tain Favernisu ; Jason, or Jzt guns, ('apt. th e n". J. W. king ; and the Dauntless, of IS guns, Capt. I%'itttnan, arrived from Portswoutn, and remain. Several coasters have 144 arrived, and passed for the liver. Sailed the Britannia, Segel, for Trinidad, is company with the Laconia, Nicolle, The following ships of war r,triniti in the Downs: The Princess of Diane, San Domingo, Marlburoork, Revenge, Defence, Audacious, Aboukir, Venerable. Belle rophon, Agincourt, Monmouth, Raven, Raleigh, sail tfo)ulist. TilK 3JAKK C%J. CORN EXCIIAN CURRENT PRP Wheal .......• 744. 9511 1 0 .55. Fine ditto lli. 115$ Rye 416 i. 374. Harley.... ..... 34 475. ad Malt ems 754. Matto Peas f 64.. , Os. I ( Ilmi:ers) $ •• • * th•ri, Prus. Ciii 4145. ;GC. APRIL 311. ICE OF GRAIN. titans (old; Got tin • tal Tick Besus'sild) 504 :,4)1.. Oats 21+ 2:4. 24t Poland. JO* 33. Putatue ditto to 361. ul Rape Seed 481..4. Eine Flour ...... _WS 94 , Seruingli• .......e.. yc•, SAM 1111 1 1F.LD MA To stok the (MAI Beef 4s. Pod to he. o 4 Mottos-4s. set to CND. 4.;. 1 Lamb 6s. mi. to ss Veal Ss. oti. to 7s. 04. Pogit ss. od. •... I 7s. ll lIAY.M Hay •' to . Stray • .. 21. to.. Clover ......tiL u.. RKE r, Nit d.o. per atone of alto. Head et Cattk, this day : Beasts She•p and Lambs.... I 4,50 U Calves 3lO Pigs 31.41 IRCET. nd. to 61. fo. Ogi. oal. to 31. lOf 1.14. ed. to 71. 1016 od. UXBRIDGE. Corn-loopeetor's Retern.—TorottOrtite, 4111 PI I 21.0. Wheat, per load gill --S. Is al l. Barley, per cpuarter. 341. •-•41. 11114:11. 9a.• ,• • •570. —4. to 4%5. —4. Brous Old Ditto • 64. --gl. WI. —d. —d. to 561. —4l WitICES Cot' HAY AND 81111tA%1. VLa i s t.litrAt. IT./ Aei lie's. Wel • • thy. 41 104. el CO 61. 164 'oil. Noy 51. lel. le 61. Ds. Straw, 41. 44 W. to zi IJ.. od. New, el. us. to M. 00. • . IClover, 71. us. to el. II s. Straw, of pus to st. les. Ntib%uATit AND LEA (ay tbe beef 4s. tot. to ss. W. Nation tA. u.l. to :is. $4 1.un,1) . DEIGHALL HARILSTS. C lVeal N. 44 to 6a. ii Pork 6•. sod. to 6s. - Go sot. to N. HIDES. - • RAW 1 lest Heifers awl Steers (per stone) Ja. o I. to 3s. ad. Ce mil to us. PHI. Sheep Skins - - Skins . - Ordinary as ad. to es 64. Market Calf 141. od. E.g. Horse tse od. to t 6. ad 44. 64. to 61. al. Is. fici. to a*. (Hi TALLOW: Town Tallow 7;, 64.1 —44 0 Yellow Uuuia 7'is J --s o White ditto .. Sony ditto.... 70i of --e MeitiOg Statl sss ud --s o Ditto rough 301 --s Graves .... Gouty Dregs Y. Iloiw Asap, alit—Uottiod 104e--Cur4, toer Price of Candles, per iitisits. irio6d—Sloolds, :3$ 6d 11111:E 01 St. JIIIRMeII Market as 5.1 Clare Market Wkileelsapel 51arkel as 44 per at. of alb. laa sd Average.... 44 414 COAL MARKET, sraz L ao Ships. Shi.; ad/. Poke. -.,,, .. Noweitotle Cool.. ti I Soo. A. t• gis 9. I ..Soollerland —. ...s nil. I. -S. “ I .1 . . Cinders ...... fr. , ••• tot to ...., 114. rRTt I% 0i• STOCkii TECITIRI)AY. Think Stork 3 per Cease It educed .. ..... •. • 09: I per Celli. Consols 7^l• 4 per Cent a per Cent. Navy 10...1 Lona Aanaities lo.lta lt , rolla. Exulicluer Bilis 11,6,1. Lottery Ti. keg,. 541. I. l.:uu.tab CA' T. NISH, Sl,wk-Ito-ker. 4, eornbill, aid 9, (baring ; p.s, BIRTH. On the 34th at %mil, at Battersea Aloe, the La, at U Thornton, Eaq M.Y. of aarao:. On Saturday ar'nniulit, at riescnithroont Trio. 9 1, lobe Bargua, lii Min M.G. Simpson, both of the Thoo . • Royal there DEATH. On Atonality, the oil' of doell, is consequence of an i Ilmnenation upon Ilse luuq, beneght on by (allot, and affectionate .li-charge of bet maternal duties to • loio , • • and only remaining dmighter, Teigialianth, Devoe. 11 - J‘se Parr, wife or the lies. Dr. Parr. of Ilsitow, War* it it shine so niece of the late Mows Maalovernr, ‘,‘ drnel ot iffe, in that county. .• 1, vA1 . 114 AT 11. In a-4 1 — Da3Rtheili. TUTS ua Munliwz It.. . 1J J Aflrroutie 40.. after.. LA/NEK)N .—PrOleel, by C S ITU. No, 1.-otort tool pobliolo-t1 et 11. No. 15, lbok of St t .r. , " (lurch, Struod, by J. %NH tiT., p 13..: •• kr for thi. Plttrr, test to do. Offyte, rui-p+o 4 ), to. T etiol The P. Xoto, End atCo , at h. al VMI lAN 1 Ca+ tie f Une Lope dirr, lid Fart, Ilf. I ply, (I 7 To •1 %Tr CrAtli 0 I;It C Urn vied •.ll* krah, L , 41i, nr t, ►:..,t, "C' *ll lt4 the u Caolii U. L, Prix! ths . 6 (lit& Lha, Han,;, Chard Atith t , WO/ 7k I Ted, wrd ; (hr atm :am the s 4,