The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1805-04-09 00:00:00

inummo.. . II - e" .. - ''''. --" " '• ''' ••'• I I I L'''''rjr 4 0 '"..."-''"..-v. Ca I g r Tp fq a • ••• . .11 0 ... w i P' , • .i. -4,-iO.. , - . 4 0 if Tiii vri ft i rare 0 gigi pzinf=_ „ , .. ..* 1. . , • • - . . s ,r . - I * .• . 14 -, t.• .. . . ~...... 1 1 •• / • • II ' tto. _. Speaking of, and Ave' ,ing to - the many most import been appointed by the ;lit securely say that none to the House in its forma• the country in its remits naval Inquiry, which was Lord, who stood must descry -7 of his couturv, who bad fought her battles, and most brilliant vi.flories, and Ime, endeavoured to dried' baneful corruption which itself ii.to every recess anJ Departments, and which, if however glorious, however or avail. When the Com instituted, he begged to remind himself moved for certaii. which he thought woula iskiarthering the imtitution, aesJ • ~ V ~ i ftivEEß 712 - .) IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. rioust or LOIII)SwAIONDAT, APIIIL 8. Counsel were further heard relative to the Scotch Apple, lac in, Bart r the Earl of Camila, viz. Mr. Eekine, ler.g.h, as rand Counsel, for the Responders*. The hearing or Couneele, rather earlier postponed, in conse- qu ence of the sudden indinsosition of the Lord Chancellor, ou a ccount of which an adjournment of the House, during plea. ogre, took place. In the eeriest. of about half an hoar, the lionise resumed, and the LORD CHANCELLOR rook his seat on the Woolsack ; and the farther consideration of the Appeal WAS adjourned till ti). , ll.”"‘'• The Bills upon the Table were fitwarded In their several sfa l eS: aiming these, the Neutral Ships and Innkeepers' Al. niflY were lead afford time and passed, and the Irish hodits Permit Bill omit through a Cumniittee of the whole fl,•ase. In the car ; e of the private business, a great deal of which seas dnjeneri ot, a Petition was presented horn Thomas and Jame/ r ng..in,,Eanrs. for a private Bill (the. first proceeding of the kind", ' ,resented and read, and the allegations thereof rd tr ed to the consideration of two of His Majesty's Judges iu Ireland. APPOINTMENT OF A TEMPORARY SPEAKER. The intlnpontion rat the Lard Chancellor continuing, it was moved, arpareittly in reference to the ,same, that His Majesty's Commission, under the Great S, al, be read; author. dog and appointing Edward I rod Ellenburough, Chief Jug. of the Court of King to act and officiate a • Speaker ' dice 's of the House of Lends, during the als , enee of the L or d C han . &c. The same was read acenrdingly. The LORD CHANCELLOR then put the formal question mon tire proceedings, aad retired from the House, arid L or d sin.nly after took his ;eat upon the woolsack, as Speaker, pre temper,. ?mum REDUCTION BILL. •Lord II AWEEnlie RY moved the Order of the D a y foe tie wird reading of the Militia Reduction Bel ; the Bill was accordingly read a third time. On r he questloll, e 1 That this Ell do pas,;" Earl SPENCER adverting to the great number of. officers, abs.,,. he conceived, wound se left isitwovided for through the rerrion of the Dill, eaprened his 5e,..11 to know hoe it wa s intended they should be disponed of? Was it meant that they rhoold continue on hill par? In the Militia nn more than a • given member of oTmerst , llll4l be legally provided for. I.ord II AWKESKUKY shoal) explain , rl, that it was not issumil , al the offions alluded to should ire in the least af• tected, with respect to their pay, by the operation of th • Ell. The goertinn sera then put, on which a dorbion took place, when there appeared, For the na,,ing of tl.e Bill (including 23 Proxies) Against it •,iticludrog 11 Proxies) Majo , The Joan were kept dud vonse time ; 011 our re adin'asion imo :he House, the questioo was potting no the second read erg of the fri•li Mr ilia Red,iction Bill, which era , f .• • I a wean! lime, iii committed fn trimiurrow, After whieli, au immediate adjollfriment took ;.lace. HOUSE OE COMMONS. HUSKIcSON brought up a Rill for amending and ern dein more elf raid the Property H4ll, which Was read a find, aril ordered to be read a scrotal time toinio.row. COMMIT TEE OF SUPPLY. The House reoinrod Ore f into a Commetee of Supply, (Mr. ALT:KANDER ia the Chair). qtr FOSTER moved, that an acentint id the unfunded el. it of Ireland be referred to the sand Coraminee Ordered. tre then moved, tint a runi tint etiCes , l6:l4 510,0001. be eriated to Hie Majesty for paying rift Treasury 14.:1s for the 4 yes 11110. s, which was a4r,ed to, nod the Repot ordered to be "r rineis int to. morrow. He also moved, that the horse win to morrow re , olear misc . ( into a Cimmittee of the %Aerie Home, to rowed, of ern• • powering the Loot Lieutenant of I•elarul to pay r 1111 l ey on the presentments of Grand June., fur improvement of the roads inn li•elaed Ordered. And that it be an instructima to the said Commitree to move frr leave to brine in a KM to 'arse money by D •hmuirre, fur making a new line of road, fin the more ode and speedy con. • 11 vevance of the mails. Ordered. Mr. Stuckey, from the Excise Office in Scotland, presented at the Bar an account of the arrears and current balances in that department. Ordered to lie on the table. Lord H. PETTY gave notice, that he would soon after tine holidays muse for leave to briny in a Bill fon tiv• better protec- tion of nor trade on the Coast of Africa. lie then metiti,med Tu Wlat three weeks Mr FOX gave notice, that it was his irate ition to move the consideration of the Catholic Petition, on Friday the 10th -1 May. Mr. JOHNSTONE begged leave to ask Mr. Sheridan, whether he hid ahandinted nis motion relative to the Affairs of Ir the Caimatic ? If lie Immo to do it, he would, inadequate as he. • confessed his abilities to he to a subject of such vast impor . a.rurc, ▪ bring it forward. Mr. .511 ]DAN said, though the matter hail Nag lain dormant, he certainly did wit mean to abandon it: especially ill a Noble Lord opposite had seemed to hint, some short time back, that these affairs had bees ar happq settl.el, that all bran' Was unnecessary. Hs meant, immediately after tire Doha to fix a precise day tor bringing hnward his motion on that subject. di LORD MELYP-LE AND THE TENT'? REPORT. Mr. WAITIIREAD rose to make the Motion of which he brad given notice, relative to the Tenth Re- ;ant of the Commissioners of Naval Inquiry. He ea began by saying that it was originally his intention to move for a Committee of the whole House, to as a's t.:te into consid e rati on t h e contents o f t h e tenth Re- is. p.:t, and the charges contained therein; bin as he. So onsidered there must be considerable difference in the opinions of Honourable Members relative to the roceedings to be pursued thereon, he had changed hat mode of bringing forward the subjetft, and he .ow intended to propose to the I louse to adopt cer- ▪ :in reso• lutions which he had framed for the pur- - Set and would beg leave to submit to their consi- .eration this night. Speaking of, and Ave] to ace Le various commissions on the many most imp,rt- ues :et occasions which had been appointed by the louse, he believed h e might securely say that none as ever mere honourable to the House in its forma• inn, or more beneficial to the country in its te:tilte effods, than this of Naval Inquiry, whit . h was , instituted by a Noble Lord, who stood must descry- , • ray high in the confidence of his country, who bad of rassely and gloriously fought her battles, and row'ned her with the mostYitflories, and so- 410 on • his teturning home, endeavoured to detect grhe Id root out that foul and baneful con option which La L'4 found had insinuated itself it.to every recess anJ alt a venue of the Naval Departments, and which, if riolto 'leered to exist, battles, however glorious, however l ed:ire, were of no use or avail. When the Corn n I,i t e.t.a% first instituted, he begged to remind ser i he House that he had himself moved for certait. . r aper s 'anti Documents, whi c h h e thought would serviceable in furthering the institution, thad Olt I 3" SlAii sa.. - '• 4 neer . 1 014: - - •es= •• • - TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 'sos. had asked Ministers whether the Report was to be duly fullowedup? from whom he received for answer, that such was certainly the determination. An Al of Parliament had passed on one of the accounts brought forward by these Commissioners, relative to the chest at Chatham. from which there . was every reason to hope andexpea the most advan tageous and heeelleial results. If, said he, these Commissioners have met with many more and much greater difficulties than any other Commissioners ever did before, the greater merit is attributable to them. If they have met with more rebuffs from the different offices, Clothe proceedings of which it was their daty to examine; if, instead of information being readily given them, it was most studiously evaded, and they were reproached with ailing more like Inquisitors thaa Commissioners, it redounded so much more highly to their honour that they had been able to fiiiish.their labours with so much suc cess, and with web beneficial effeofts. If they had brought to light twitters in one particular depart• ment which had chided the utmost vigilance of other Commissioners, of which the present Speaker, he said, was at the head, he thought any words he could use, to shew the great care, skill, firmness, wisdom, and industry, with which they had aged in discharge of the important funaions entrusted to them, would he unnecessary : they mast he apparent to the House and to the public, and he would not therefore trouble the House any further on that point. It now remained, he said, for him to endeavour to bring to punishment those delin quents they had pointed out—and, in doing so, it would be necessary to begin with one who was the most important, as being, at this moment. the very first and highest Officer in the Naval Department ; who, in another situation of that department, of the highest trust and importance, stood charged by them with having connived at ct imes, such as men, entrusted with those high official stations, ought not only to blush, but to shudder at. If it should ap pear, that this Noble Lord (Melville) should have connived at iniquities, such as those mentioned in this report, he could have little doubt hat the House would think it necessary to adopt the reso lutions he should propose ; and, as he wished to ex plain laid) to ihe House the mode of proceeding it was his intention to pursue, he would then inform them, that if the House should agree to any nonsures, he should deem it his duty to follow it up !searcher proceedings, and to shew that public more rally given, should he prudently and economically spent by those into whose hands and care it is especially entrusted ; and that if they, in any degree, abuse or betray the sacred trust reposed in them, that House will evince to the public and to the world at large, that they shall be punished. If the coetrary should ever unfinaunately be shecaw, and great delinquents like these should bs suffered to escape with impuni ty, the people will most naturally say, they in that House are all contending for offices, nterely and solely for the sake of those benefits and emoluments that are attached to then; ; that they have lost sight of all that is honourable, noble. and high spirited in man, all those generous feelings and patriotic emotions which have formerly roused ram to aaion in the service of their country, and mind or attend to nothing but filthy lucre, self interest, and sordid gain. He hoped, therefore, the House would seriously contemplate the immense importance of the subjea, and agree to the resolu tions he should have the honour to propose. In the lOth Report, not only Lord Melville Was charged with those delinquencies, but Mr. 'Protter. Mr. Wil son, and Mr. Sprott, were all equally and criminally implicated ; and, from what he had heard and un derstood on the subjea, there was some blame at tached even on the Beek of England itself. There WAS also an imputation thrown on the Right Hon. Gentleman opposite to him (Mr. Pitt), which he could not avoid mentioning, though he should do no more. The sole objeCt of this night's consideration, he said, is Lord Melville. Mr. Trotter may, and he doubted not, would be an ohjea of future con sideration; and that he, Mr. Sprott, Mr. Wilson, and others, would be deemed deserving the notice of the Attorney General, to deal with them according to the nature of their several trans.-talons respecting the use they had made of the public money. If the evidence given before the Commissioners he true. the Bank are certainly not justified in parting with the public money entrusted to their care, in the easy and careless way they seem to have done in the very teeth of a positive Ad of Parliament. 'lhe charge against the Rt. Hon. Gent. opposite is, that he had been some years ago informed, that sums of money were drawn out of the Treasury, which ought not to have been, and thathe, ai the first officer of that department, had suffered it to go on unnoticed, and without a check. In bringing forward an accusation against Lord Melville, he was not interfering with an indi vidual of inconsiderable consequence. He was one who, during the greatest part of his life, had en joyed and filled places of honour and emolument for upwards of thirty years; and. certainly. if his ta ' lent, were adapted and adequate to those places. he WAS entitled to his share of the profits melting from them ; he had also enjoyed more extensive patronage than any other subjea had ever been known to possess ; he must, of course, be surrounded by numerous conueaions, both in and out of the House, and it WAS a great satistaaina to him to think, that as hiss Lordship could not be present when this charge is le ought against him, he has relations and friends I who are preient, and who will have an opportunity of saying every thing within their knowledge and capacity in his defence and exculpation. Fey his own part, in proceeding nn this business, it should be his endeavour, as it was always his wish, to condua it with that mildness which is best adapted to obtain the ends of pubhe justice, but, at the same time, with that ed, needy, and inflexible firmness, which is best suited us the charaaer of a.public accuser, attested by no other motive, than solely that of the common wel -1 fire of the.publie interest. There are circumstan ces, said Mr. Whitbread. which show most forcibly .4 that Lord Melville, of all other men in the king dom, WAS most blameable for rafting the part he has done. At or immediately after the close of the American war. it was found that the expenditure had been so lavish, and WAS sr) enormous in its amount, that petitions were sent from every quarter and corner of the country, praying for a reform. At this time, Lord J. Cevenslish held the important office now filled by the Right Hon. Gentleman op posite, and, in a Committee appointed by the House, certain resolutions were agreed to ; one of which especially relates to the regulation of the Treasurer of the Navy. These Resolutions, by Commission. ers of the House, were so well known, that it would be almost ridiculous to state them, only that in so serious a charge, no material circumstance should be omitted ; and he hoped he might beitrmitted to trespass a little on the time of the Home, in order to comment on such matters as hatittormerly taken place, fur the purpose of spewing that Lord Melville could not be mistaken or ignorant of what was the in tention of the Legislature, in respek to the discharge of the office aid duties of Treasures of the Navy, and in those of the persons employed under bine especially those who were appointed to their places by himself. One of the greatest complaints of that period to which he was now alluding. was the very great balances left in the hands of the Treasurer and Paymaster of the Navy, and when that subjed came under the consideration of the Commission ers, they declared that the public ought to receive the interest accruing from their own money; and the Report concludes, that to remedy these griev ances, the Treasurer of the Navy should, from that time, become the mere accountant of the public, and not its banker. Immediately, or very soon after this resolution, a reform was made in the office of Treasurer of the Navy ; the salary was increased. and certain fees and emoluments before taken, were abolished. Mr. Barre, the then Treasurer. received 40001. a-year, in lieu of all fees, emoluments, Arc. What did Mr. Barre do? He begged pardon for en• tering so particularly into this part of the subjefl re lative to this office ? bat it was necessary to chew in what Lord Melville differed, and how very widely from Mr. Barre. That Gentleman, on coming into the office ot Treasurer of the Navy, sent immedi ately all the money and balances in the office to the Bank of England ; and it bad been proved to the Commissioners of Naval inquiry, that neither he nor any person whatever employed under him, ever received the smallest emolument from any part of the public money that passed through their hands. Lord Melville succeeded Mr. Barre in his first trea surership, and whether he suffered the money to re main in the Bank, or placed in a sttong chest of his own, or sent it to his private Bankers, he could not tell, as there WAS no proof of what was done in the first treasurership of Lord Melville. Lord Bavning succeeded Lied Melville in the office ; and it was proved totheCcrnmissieners that neither he, nor any persoriernployed under him,ever received thesmallest advantage or eneihratent from the use of she public money. In 1711, Lord :Melville once more suc ceeded to the nth' ee of Treasurer of the Navy, and continu-d is., during the course of sixteen years. In coming thus into the office for the second time, finding that the grant of money had not been com pleted to esanly 4,0001. a-year, he obtained an ad dition to the salary, in order to make it that sum net, which be accepted in lieu of all fees, emolu ments, and other small contingencies, that had for merly been attached to it. In 1785, His Majesty, in his Speech from the Throne, especially recom mended economy in the administration of the pub lic finances; and the Right lion. Gentleman oppo site (Mr. Pitt) then tendered to the Howe the pro positions of the Commissioners, and held out the most splendid promises to the country, of the ad vantages that would certainly result front them ; but he happened to be unfortunate in having named .Lord Melville as the most proper person to carry them into execution ; who, as if for the purpose of screening the transaflions to be carried on in future, had cunningly and dextrously put himself into the foremost reek of the band of reformers, fur the sole purpose of defeating all their aims, and pre venting the execution of that which WAS nearest their hearts. Mr. ‘Vhithread then adverted to the Aft for the better regulation of the Navy, which be said was so worded, that no person he thought could possibly mistake it. If, however, he should endeavour to shelter himself under any looseness of expression, or prevarication in its meaning, he was happy lathe idea, that no lawyer, however dextrous in the art and science of finding out flaws, would be able to find oat there. By this aft, it was clearly and evidently meant and intended that thenceforth the treasurer should be the accountant and net the basher of the politic. He would not then trouble the Huuse, hesaid, se go over the aft; the House knew, and the Speaker would recollea, that Lad Melville had flown di real), in theism of it, and had rendered it amine nullity. The ad says expsessly. that the mosey should be paid immediately into the Book. Lord Melville contrived in Abe first instance to post pone the operation of the Act from July 1785 to January 1 786—.f0r what purpose? The excuse set up was the distance of the Bank from the ot- ' fiat; but dna was amt .the tine cause; and when • i a oause ever assigned for a thing which is ast true, it leads one very naturally to suspect that faldity is impulable.to every thing which follows m inim to the same tmaiailion. On the 21st De , cashes., .1784 4 he .had 71.0001. and upwards, ba lances in his hands. sad in July following he had upwards of .113 6 0004. ; so that he bad increased the balances-in bis hands. in defiance of the Act of Par hinhent, upwards of $ll.OOOl. in six months. and the commission's* state itzpreesly that this was done for.the privateemeleasasts ef same parson er.other. In the mocesdpart of this acessation will be CM mined twro•eharies. The •Arst is. that Lord Mel ville, 'Wain .having the einem of Parliament, dad at lha. viniatiost °this daty, has employed the pahlie Matey for the private advantage -of indivi deals- Mrs lld,shat h: connived st.the speculatioas r - -•- • (PRfCt SIXPINCS. of individuals, for whirr he is •,:oswerai.... To these a tws he should confine himself this night ; but there was still a further charge against Lied Melville; and, if what was said in the evidence be true, he .: thought it would appear pretty clearly to every impartial mind, that there is the strongest aid i pearance of p inicipation in the profits. In breig- mg forward so serious and important a charge as eia.O. o i this, it was necessary the accusers should stand as lir-V fair with the House as p o ssible; and in order to .".' do so, he should endeavour to shape his condu& in such a way as to obew them ghat he was aOu ated only •by a sense of duty, and that in the exe cution of the painful task, that sense of duty had imposed on him, he would state every circumstance with the striaest impartiality and regard to truth. To the honour of the cliaraaer of the various Com missioners employed by the House, and of those who, during a long lapse of time, hate held high offices of great trust and profit, no such charges as the present have been brought forward against any one; :mil, it is indeed somewhat .emarkable, that the very last charge of the kind that was brought before the House, was brought by Lord Melville himself, against au officer of high rank and station abroad. He meant the case of Sir T. Rembold. The mode of pro c e e di ng on that ocra. ' ".' 'fi sion, adopted by Lord Melville in the first instance, he would not follow at present, as be thosight it was marked with certain features of severity he did not feel himself inclined to copy. His intention was to move certain resolutions, which were nearly similar and consonant to the tenor of the report, and of the sentiments of the commissioners olio drew it up. In adopting this mode, it would be necessary to consider atte.rtively the nature of the evidence, and the condua of the commr.sknters consequent thereon. In the firo place, then, it is to he recollefted. that they found deficiemeies to 4 very large amount. It is of little erm.equentr., in tie way of osettmeut, to be exact as to thepret kr sums : wh ther they were a high as t o or 500,0001. at a tine, or more or less, signifies hut little ; it :s the direct violation of the law which constituter :he criminal ate, and not the magnitude of the sum. The Gs ant truth is, there were actual deficiencies to a great amount. Mr. Whitbrired then observed, that as he should Nave frequent occasion to mention the name of Mr. "fro:. ter, he did not then do it in any degree byway of charge against him; but only to speak 04 h;rn As the agent or second to Lord Melville. The report cf the Commissioners first describes the Treasurer of the Navy as not requiring, as aceouatant of the pub. lie, to have balances in his hairdo as the directions cf the Aft are positive that the issues of money for Navy services shall be mole to the Bank, and that the money shall not be drawn from thence but ler Navy Services. Secondly that he is responsible for the public money. It appears hither in the ho tory of the office of Treasury of the Navy, that ma t.::e bob of August 1756, Lord Olelville procured an Or .11.-r of Council, authorising a new regalatiou in the Office of freasurer of the Navy, in-,contorrnity with the provisions of the Alt of Parliament, end direetly confirming them. Mr. IV hittlitool here read the Order of Council to that erica, and then observe.i, there were two stages of proceeding in this busi ness on the part of Lord Melville, whiehavere, in his opinion, highly reprehensible; firstoan actual and direa breach of the Act of Perliamermand then brine-. ing, as a mere mockery, the order of council, though he never, in any shape or in any degree whatever, iie tended to pay the least deference, attention, or r espeet. either to one or the other of them. He had, he said, attended to the evidence given, and that which hail been extorted—for there was a material difference ; that which was given, was what was all in their own favour ; and that which was extorted, only against them. He had, with very much surprise, heard this called ex parte evidence; but, for his part, he could not see with what reason or justice. It they were not guilty, had they not an opportunity of defending themselves ?--the Commissioners only asked them particular questions, and if they were innocent of the charge implied, could they not, in answer to the question, whatever it was, say no! That single word would have instantly cleared them of every thing. Mr. "'tenet was firs called, and he did not know how the deficiencies arose—then he did know the AR of Parliament had been violated ; the money had been taken from the Bank and was become his own, and he would sort answer a word concerning it. On the Bth ofJune he denied any knowledge of the matter. but in a short time after he found oat that he did, and he should base to contrast his evidence with that given before e other Commissioners. A precept was then issued Iry the Commissioners to Lord Melville. on the 96th June, requesting an account of the motries received by him, or any person on his account. Mr. Whitbread then made several comments on Lord Melville's Letter on this subjed to the Commissioners, dated June 30, which he thought a most extraordinary one, especially that he should not be able to account, front memory, as to many of these transaCtions. What, however, is the reason, said he, that Lord Melville is compelled to resort to his memory Why, truly, neither more nor less than that which constitutes in itself a high misdemeanor ; his having destroyed the public papers which crm tained the information, and so had put it out of the power of the public to investigate their own accounts. Some years ago, the Hight Hos. Gentleman and bis colleagues had called the attention of the House to the conduct of Officers in the Public Offices, and on that occasion the Aft was pawed, that when any officer quitted an office, the papers should be left ; Lord Melville also states, "that independent of not being able to give the in formatitm required in consequence of the destritetion of papers, he begged to remind the Commissioners, that during the ume be was Treasurer of the Navy, be held other very confidential situations under Go vernment, and was intimately acquainted with others. So situated, he did not decline giving oc casional accommodation front the funds in the Treasurer's hands to other services, and if he bad Ibe • A , --'..--- ~