The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1805-06-12 00:00:00

-- Rnr t . this subjea, and, on the eiiinination sif t 'is t a ulee, it appeared from the testimony of his son, that in the father's accounts be could find no trace pf any intercourse whatever between him and me. What now, Sir, chiefly remains for me to observe upon, is the application of tieo sums of money phial I objefied•to account for. Upon this stihjal I must remark, that In the whole course of the love dtdsteinistration in which I bortea Part. I was the confi dential adviser of His Majesty's government i t every measure which-had any relation to Scotland. 1 was so officially, from the first, with a very short interval ; Sat in general Was in the same ' , Twiner consulted to the last. Ia all the transeaions which occurred in so eget a length of time, gentlemen will see that stony things must hove unavoidably occurred for tiquiring the application of public money in a pri• sate and confidential Manner, to the amount of about 60,0001. which I now declare that I never will. and never can, disclose, withont a breach both pf public ditty . and of private honour. With respect in the application of 40,0061. for a time from the Naval money for the accommodation of the rea- tory under very delieste circumstances. I refilled to eve any explanation to the Naval Com.ats boners. I thought it my duty to have dune so at the these, ;ad i am sure that there were Cries when thn.e who afforded explazatioft of it small have us:tally thought ! it their duty to have &dined so doing. Mr. Trotter timid never hare meant t' sty, that he ever ad vanced for me such a sum as 2:40001. on the same day ; and I am termite flea if ho was asked the soration nose he sums]," sa teat I never had the sightest knowledge, of its 11:svicg, come our of the public Money. He tunas hive intended to gate. that this sum arose (hiring the *bole course of his agency, for which I think 1 ;mid ein e m 1,0001. interest. He stated that the, e was an account current between it:, and this inelefiled the sum of 20. 0 00 1 . upon the whole, I very well recoiled subscribing 10,0001. to the Loyalty Loan, and I did so from a know ledge that it was expeaed that all the chief .ser vants of Government should be sebscribers to a con sidemble amount. Two instalments of it were paid, as I well recollea, out of my remittances from Scotland. and so far was I from thineiug that share in the Loyalty Loan any part of my property, that 1 immediately executed a power to get rid of my :Pock in it as soon as an opportunity should offer. When it is considered that in his eonneaions with me ror forty years, upwards of 70.0001. of mine pissed through his bends from receiviag the salaries of my different offices , here, and my remittances from Scotland, it will not seem wonderful that the aceu tuulateZ balance. taking the different periods at which the meney was advanced, should be even 'OOOl. against me; but I never had any oc casion to require any thing like 20,0001. at one time, and it frequently happened that Mr. Trotter was in arrears with me, as was the case at the time of our final settlement. In regard to the 40,0001. advanced to the treasury, as already alluded to. I am ready •to admit, that I gave my colcurreece to it in common with the other su perior servants of Goveramest. and am willing to take my share of the responsibility. Upon the subjea of the conversation between Mr. Itaikes and Mr. Pitt, of a suspicion that more money was drawn for naval purposes. from the Bank, than was deemed necessery for the public service, I hare only to declare, that it did not occur to my memo ry, at the time of my examination ; and that the recolleaion of Mr. Pitt's having mentioned it to me afterwards. is rather excited or revived from recent circumstances, than from any distina impression which I retained of it. I now remember that I then treated it as an idle rumour. such u I had reason to believe it; and my tamer to Mr. Pitt • must have then been the same, which I have now to submit to the consideration of the Hoa.e. The next topic that suggests itself, Sir. is the loss snsta'ned by the public by the balances which remained in the bands'of Mr. Jellicoe ; and, I must say. that circumstance has given me lass orseesiams than any of the othees conneated with this lubjel. That debt, such as it nas, bad been incurred Were Clef I became Treasurer of the Navy. I used my best eleitions in entice enuring to recover it, and the failure of luting done se cannot be' attributed to any fault of mine. There is another inkjet.' Sir, to which I beg to call the attention of the House, because a great many y severe comments have been passed on it; and the matter has been so grossly misrepresented in every way that it was possible to conceive, and so Inclusniously citculetesl through every corner of the country, I mean, Sir, the release that was given between Mr. Trotter and myself, that it was impos sible fur me to pass it by without particular obser vation. In whatever way we proceed to consider that trensaaion, I think the nature of it is such, that it is scarcely possible for the mind of any man to be so perverse or so malignant, as to attribute it to any unfair or foul proceesfngs, or to any wish or desire to conceal from the woild any kind of transa.lion, which either or both of us were unwill ing should come to light. As to the thing itself, I assure the House that I knew nothing of it till I re ceived it at the distance of 400 miles from the me. tropolis, and of so little consequence did I regard it, and so very trifling was the impression it made on my mind, in point of weight or importance, that I really do not know hoar, or in what Manner it came to my hands. whiF: came to me in a cover. or whether it se a • rwured through the medium of any man of bustnese. I am inclined to Mink, however, this last was not the way, or I should have been apt to recollea it more particularly. All I remember is, that I was at my son's house in the country, and it is most likely to have been delivered to me by on t.f my two servante, and 1 signed it as a matter, they was in a manner necessary between two persons, bete (et: sdiont there had passed ac counts of so extousi..-.2 arid complicated a nature. Mr. Trotter had been asked the question by the Committee, %belie' ail particular conversation had taken place on it ? and he had answered, Nu. He was also asked, whether there was any tither person that could give any further account of it? To this he had also answered, No. Mr. Spottiswoole, who drew it up, had been dead these six months, and of course they were deprived of his evidence ; but they have that of his inn, and his partner ; and if there had been any thing remaining ac to this deed, they must have known of it. Tiwy neither of them did; and this I think is the strongest negative evidence Was cal be gives in such a matter of business. It . • e 'fled bent laid to he astonishing 'that tisere should so, let me a sk what would it have been had suet not be some draft of it. But the very sup, osition a proceeding taken place with a man in a younger was absurd oft the face of it, that because there period of lite, whose ambition WAS all alive, who was no dreft, he and scone other person had wished met only to arrive at the highest offices otthe been conc erned. in foal trateeetihns, which they State, but to cortinue in the enjoyment of them?„lle wished to conceal. Could not the parties, it cannot surely be denied that it would have been the there had been any such, have easily med read- highest and most severe punishment that could well ily destroyed the vouchers and other documen t s be conceived, to sti g matise him thus in his own per that roigiat lead to detection, without having any son, and with such opprobrious terms and marks of stetual release, by which they put a deed into the disgrace as would not fail to convey the most melan handa of a variety of persona, who might after- choly and cruel effects to his unfortunate, though in worde discover what had been done. Besides, such noeent posterity ? I would further ask—is i,ttt.er::int a deed, to be effeattal, must be recorded in some of mishretent that the Attorney Gen. should be or dered to : the Supreme Courts, and thus the deed itself would commence a prosecution against a man for the recta- - prove the strongest evidence against the parties.— very of a sum of money equal perhaps to the amount There is, Sir, another supposition, that this took of hi; whole fortune, because it is alleged only to have place immediately on the appointment of the • been unfairly attained ? Is it no punishment that in Navel Commissioners, which is equally absurd ; for the close of life, that interesting period, in which at the time that took place, I was at so great a repose, retirement, and tranquillity are mosu-peen• distance, as I before mentioned, that I knew no- . liarly requisite far its sustenance and comfort, - he thing of it; and if any such intentions had been should be harrassed by the institution of a process in contemplation, or any apprehensions entertained which is to make him liable for what be has not re on account of any discoveries that might ensue, such I ceived, and which may, perhaps, eventually reduce a deed as this would certainly have been resorted to him to absolute poverty ? If placing any person Os some antecedent period, and not deferred so long: in such circumstances as these, be not severe pu- Some persons have expiessed considerable surprise, I nishment, I know not what can deserve the that such a clause should be contained in such a i name. Besides, Sir, if I am to be impeached , I deed of release. as th at for the destroying * of vouch- I should be glad to know by whom lemto be tried ? ers or memoranda, hut, I believe, they are not The House will do well to consider that what ha : I uncommon as to loose papers, and there is nothing tilreoly passed in their proceedings has produced in it that relatea to books of accounts. I have the effea of stimulating a great number of Peers to dwelt longer on this point, Sir, than I otherwise stand forward is various parts of the country, and should have done, on account of number of re- to promulgate opinions on the subject of his combed ports and acrimonious observations which have gene in terms which shew forcibly and clearly they have abroad c Accruing it. It is not, however, my in- already prejudged my cause, and cannot therefore tendon to intrude on the time and patience of the think of sitting as my judges. These Noble Lords house much further, as lam conscious I have no could certainly never have dream -d of the word reason to be afraid that I shall not be able to con- Impeachment as applicable ro my cease, or they vine the whole world of the reelitude of my con- would never have taken the parts that many of duet and intentions. I certainly do not mean to them had • done. I beg leave to remind the say that I have not experienced, or do not feel at I louse of the proceedings that took place some present, the utmost anxiety on these various ac- few years ago at Maidstone. At that time a counts, and at what has been for some time passing man of the name of Raikes, who was one of in this House relative to myself. I should think, the jury, had uttered intemperate words against and freely confess, that I must be possessed of ez- some or all of the parties to be trie I. On traordintuy apathy indeed, could Ibe in,ensible to this being represented to the judge, he was not al. proceedings so highly interesting on a ssOjeCt of lowed to act in the capacity of a juryman, but his such magnitude and importance. I have felt, Sir, name was struck out of the pannel ; so careful and most keenly the many severe comments and obser- jealous is the law of this country of suffering any 'rations which have been made on transaftions that man to sit in judgment on another whose cause he have been said to attach to roe, but which I deny to has in his own mind slotermined before hand. The be the fan. I have, Sir, however, felt them like a same disadvantage will attend me in the case of an man ; and if there are persons who think thereoy to impeachment in reference to my accusers. A certain breek down the spirit with which I ought to defend number would be appointed by this House to ma myself, they will find themselves mistaken. I own, nage the proceedings, and to conduet the trial with Sir,that every mode has been resorted to.which could fairness and impartiality. Among these, in. all like have a tendency to that point, and I have been lace- lihood, will be found Gentlemen who have been Ite rated. not only in my own feelings, but from the re- tonguing the multitude, and inflaming their minds Ration that, in the wounds I have received, the smart against me in Palace-yard and various other places in was doubled on the recolleetion of some of the hands London, and through every p art of -the country, so that were obliged to infla the probe. I am, Sir, that if those be not idle reports, there is no fair notwithstanding, ready to meet the attack with that chance of my meeting an impartial Jury, before Sortitude and patience which ever attend on a mind whatever tribunal I may be tried. I have ano conscious of thereaitude and purity of its anions they observation, Sir, which applies to what has and inteodons. A Onto, however. may come, and been said, as to accounting under another charge. I hope it is not now far distant, when those who The Attorney General has, I understand, been now pursue my condua with such unexampled ri. ordered to institute a civil anion against me for gour will perceive their error, and become conscious the money which it is alleged and supposed I bave of the injustice that has beets done me, through obtained, from the public. Is it just that I.shall misconception and misrepresentation. This is, have two different prosecutions against me at the however, not the time to miter upon that same time, and that the Auorney General should theme ; but I feel the consciousness of my own have it in his power to bring the evidence Adduced innocence deeply implanted .in my own mind, in the civil aCtion before the Criminal Trihunal, or and I swill descend to my grave, with the pleas- Vier verse ? I Mink this a kind of procedure that it ing and heartfelt sausfaaion, that ' however the is impossible justice can allow ; it is such a mix :shafts of severity and cruelty maybe levelled against tupe of one thing with another as no words can de me, at the present moment, the future impartial his- scribe. It will be such a proceeding as, if allowed, torten will be able to hand down my name in the there can be no security for any person of rank who list of those wise have attenuously, and I hope not aas in official situations; they will always be liable ineffeetually, exerted, during a long life of public to this double mode of proceeding, and to he har service, their unremitted endeavours to promote reseed continually, whilst the lower orders will be the welf.ue, and the dearest and most essential free from any s u ch disadvantage. 'this is a rigorous interests of their country. I am sorry, Sir, jealousy of the aristocracy, which IJo not think it to detain the House so long, bat e A .cannot leave deserves; but which, atter having troubled the it without wresting to be heard- a few words House so long, I will not dwell upon any further." on the subjea, at present immediately fixed to oc- Viecontet Mteret Lee then made the usual salutations 1 espy their attention and consideration. If Use to the House, and withdrew. Motion intended to be brought forward this day, Mr. WHIT LIREA I) rose, and spoke to the fol or any like it should take place, I shall be placed lowing purport—" It must, Sir, be a great satisfac- In such a situation as no subjet of this realm was tion to the House, and is most particularly so to ever placed, before. It is very well known to the me, that the Noble Lord has at length had an op -House that the person who now addresses them has portunity of thus defending himself against the been employed in high official situations, that he is charges which have, as he says, unjustly been brought a person of high rank, and has been a Minister of against him; and it would stiil add to the setistac- State, and, as such, I should suppose, he would be tion on my part, if the forms of the I louse would I thought to deserve, at least, equal consideration allow the Noble Viscount to hear what I have to with those who move in, the inferior orders; I say in answer to what has just fallen from him. I should have thought he might have expo Red to have mast, however, confess, that I expected, after the been treated with at least an equaldeet ee of candour strong terms its which he expressed his innocence as to and lenity, and that some considerable degree of cri- these charges, to have heard him declare in terms minality would have been aanally proved against equally forciale, that he would be glad to embrace him, before this House, or any other tribunal, would , the earliest opportunity of vindicating himself by a • have consented and decreed, that he should be alto- trial against those charges which he has in the most ally punished in the severest manner. It may, per- unequivocal terms declared to be false, and against hap s, be thought by some, and I have no doubt but assertions which he maintains are most glaringly cone it is confilently asserted by many, that I have re- tradiaery. Instead of this, he tells you boldly, there ceived no aetuel punishment; but 1 would ask is no tribunal before which he can fairly be ti ie.]. If the House, and the world at large, is it no pu- you impeach him, the Peers, he says, have prejudg niehment to be stigmatised, as heing unworthy ed his case ; and if he is to be tried by a derv, there the confidence of my Sovereign ? Is it no psi- is not one to be had which cm be deemed im nishmeut to be dismissed from a high official partial. He is not content with his challenge situation, and to be branded with the odious charge to any particular array, but roundly arraigns of being no longer fit to continue in His Majesty's the whole country, and charges them with hay- Councils? If this be not punishment, and of the ing minds so influenced and prejudiced against severest kind, I know net what the word implies. him, that he can have no justice under any form —I will, Sir, put the caw, that an impeachment of proceeding. This, S;r, I firmly deny to be had alually been voted, when this subject the case; hut that part of the Noble Lord's speech was first brought before the house—l will even exactly remiods me of the question that was pat to go further, and suppose, by way of argument, me the other night, when I gave notice of the mode that the impeachment had succeeded, and that I meant to pursue, by a Right Hon. Gentleman op the charges alleged against me bad been fully pnsite (Mr. Canning), whether I spoke as the organ proved. The punishment, I have a right to sup- of the Committee? That Right Hon. Gentleman pose, might not have been more than what has al- must very well have known his question was alto ready been infliatsd, without my hiving had any gether unnecessary, and that I could not speak as opportunity of being heard in my own defence, and the organ of the Commitee, because the Committee upon evidence which, I have before said, and which had not given arty opinion whatever oa the subjea. I now repeat, has been misennceiveJ and mistaken. I had a right, as a Member of this House, to give I will not say. Sir, that your proceedings are de. notice of the Motion I meant now to bring forward, serving t! e chore:ler of harshness and oppression ; and I shell certainly aft upon that right. the Noble b ut ce rtainly the operation and effeets they have Lord, who has so boldly asserted his innocence, has produced mess be allowed to ha tantamount as objected to being made liable to two prosecutions, to myself. It is not perhaps ef equal importance one civil and the other criminal, at the ciele time. in the eye and estirnetien of the st celd at large, I say, Sir, these two modes of proceeding may be that such a punishment as this should have fairly carried on at the same time ; and in proof of fallen to the lot of a nun at my time of life, it I will only refer to the history of the civil and cri who cannot be supposed, according to the corn- minal prosecutions of the country. In faa, if it mon valise of things, to have held these honours were net so, the country would lie at the mercy of many years longer e but, taper:song this to be the Crown; fur, in almost every instance, tLc L town, by instituting a criminal pr, time defeat an impeachment. ask, are there never two I , ' on against the same r know there are v.:ry r ;ten the condat of the party though an aaion has been' in damages, an indilrn-t prosecuted for the same offence, different offences, the one l- tion of duty in breaking s eovery of the public money But suppose this to be the ca , lame offence, what would pre eeeding? Why, Sir, to cut the knot we can't untie, and order the Attorney General either to abandon wholly the civil suit, or to suspend it. The Noble Lord has Said, will you do by me as you have never done by any other subjeCt ? No, Sir; by this mode of procedure we should not. When Mr. Hastings was inipk!ached, there was a suit against Kitt in the Court of Chancery, S and Lord Loug's. • borough ordered it to be suspended till such time as the impeachment was determined. I would du the . same in the present case. With regard to the ap. peal made by the Noble Viscount, in the latter of his speech, so far as relates to his relatives; I, Sir, feel for his relations an unfriguell sorrow ; Lut I cannot suffer my feelings to interfere with me duty. As to the defence of the Noble V iscnttnt, falls so far short of my expectation, that I think it rather furnishes flew topics in favour of the resole- lions. The different degrees of punishment of which he complained were not the ass of the Heusi, as the Noble Viscount had asserted, but of the Right Honourahle Gentleman who had struck his name out of the al/Weir before the matter was moved.. In consentienne , certainly, ahis know d.at if he did not do so, he would again be left in a miliorit), as when the resolutions were car. tied originally, which made the Noble Viscount re. sign his station of First Lord of the Adaiiralty, of his own accord. As to the impeachment, the House cannot refuge it. So much has coma out be. fate the &lea Committee, that is new,•that not- withstanding we were retried froM investigating that point, I cannot help thieking the Noble Viscount was a participator; and what can the- House do, in point of fairness, but vote an im peachment, M order to prove his innocence, which cannot be done except by a trial ? The House must see it, and I call on them to impeach him on chive grounds—first. for hit connivance at adireet breach of the km ; secondly, I charge him with participa tion; and thirdly, with defrauding the public in getting a writ of Privy Seal to excuse him from paying the balances due to them from the affair of ellicoe. - It was proved by the evidence. contrary to the statements and assertions of the Noble Viscount, that Trotter hart unlimited authority to draw on the. Bank, and had mon tlly drawn a million in one day. A still strottgee accu sation against the Noble Viscount is, that he had put a beyond his own cnntroul, for as soon as it came into the hands of Mr Coons. it sees .in ot . his power; And if Trotter bad run away with the money, the Noble Lord must have made ii pod. which if be could ant de, the public must have ' stood to the loss. Bet s Sit, not only Viscount Mel ville authorised Trotter, Witt Trotter anthorieed Wilson, and so there rkas no end to it. Indeed, I am air ad this systemerf the deputy's deputy was tort common in the puhhc offices ; as in the sue) , of a foreign c tuntry,she King, visitin g some public oak es about his Court, founds little, squalid, mean look ing figtee, in a plain common dregs, when he es petted-to see a man dssed in gold or silver lace— " Hey day who are y'on ?" said the King, " Please your Majesty, answered the stranger, I am the page's page's page's page." I will just say a word here, Sir, as to %Viison, and I to blame the Right Hon.i Gentleman for continuing him in his place- With regard to Mr. Wilson himself, I have seen him before the Seidl Committee, and,he conducted himself in the most Is:l6*ft:tory mannei ; hot haring acknowledged this. I think he should not have been continued after a refasel to answer the Commis sioners of Naval Invirr, As to Trotter, whose led is private agent, the Noble Viscount has, in one part of his speech, given such an account of him, as to shew he was not to be trusted; that he had deceived him as to the interest of money at the banker's, and yet in a few words after, gives him a very good du ' reeler. Ile says Trotter nes not asked several quo tions, which it he had, he would have answered in his Lordship's favour,yet n fully appears thaffrotter was asked in a variety of ways whether Vise. Melville had participated, and he undo' nily said he would not answer the question. No man in his senses, Sir, can credit the assertion, that Tro.ter's account was so blended and mixed, there was n t telling how it stood. I do not believe it, I have fully considered it, and think the assertion fundamentally false, and at tit. rea variance with every part of his character. am ashamed, Sir, to trouble the House with so much of this weak part of the Noble Viscount's de fence. If the money had lemt kept at the Bank as the direets, it would, Have been so kept, at the re quest and risk of the p tblie, whose property it was ; it drawn from thence, and paced at Mr. Coons 's. it was at the risk nt V.sceunt Melville and Trotter. whose property it was not. The Noble Lord's ac count of destroying the earehers, &c. does not mAke the case strongt r than it was brfore, and oothieg but a trial can conv'nee the public of his innocence, and that it was not done for the purpose of concealing fraud; the vouchers v e.e n t o tly: the property of Viscount Melville and Trotter, hut of the public also, and yet they were destroyed without consulting the public. These circumstances are aggravated by what came out beim e the Seidl Commit.... Sums to a Urne amount have been advanced for which the Noble Viscount uablushingly told you he r. eeee wonlci ore. er will account. Sir. Trotter is asked by the Se lect Committee wheth. r there ere any hot Its of ac , ceunts or vouchers r He answers no—they were hue. al and destroyed ; and, what is very extraordi nary, the Conamissioeets pi ecept was tsititti on th e 17th of January, and the release signed the S eth. Viscount Melville says he never was constiltcd. Very liksly. Mr. Spottiswoode was agent for both, and soon after this sympathetic conflagration took place. The Noble Viscount tells you he rec eive ) the release at his son's house, without know ing whether it came from a ULM of business or for whom; but he does not say he did not rea d it, and that the vouchers were not burned in con ' sequence.. Mr. Sputtiswoode, jun. and hi, pAr.ner I ---- " I prosecution, • ',,ht at at; rnSir ent. P ,es, will kind* .. prosecasi fp, / . , ~ .y at the same to n ; and that i*cases wails y has been very atroabotiii. I brought for a compen.atiOW •nt has been allowbd to he ; TE Iffenee. Malt are I.r to being for ab t h derelie- the law, the;t o4B4. A6 t , )(ley illegally he case, and it watllstthi mid be the mode of pro- _ RGLII/ 1 itancotiltrA ions, has Lain has ( consider ii irge W l ' ly once : r. Trotter the publi [ ntiing id not tvtittel 6 alone s i ; Piave floe 011. Da rase, not of guilt ; um sums rotter c ! but, ial on ti if:s the e Loya oncerns *ion, I s 'sh to t •ille can Mr. Tro any otbg cipals n denti did whet Mel Mini fixes suing I;ut . 01r F32:s