The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1806-04-23 00:00:00

e >er Li e , it beer , %lore oir ; VP' a iev• .poce ilkd 'pin: :11 11 gnat• tt 11, .k:i: intr . 111 IV: other expenses, atneunte Ito 30,0001. sterling ; that ' he had expended 920,0001. by the ereelion of a government-house, and for the same useless and extravagaut purpose had laid nut 15,0a01 for a park and pleastire-gerden at Barakpme.—That during the administration of his predecessor, Sir John essee, a redo Rion had he, n made in the Bengal ca valry; and, to save expenses, a regulation had taken place, by which they were to ael as the body guard to the Governor-General ; but in the year 179:). the Marquis Wellesley made a total alteration in that system of economy, and instituted a body guard, which cost the Company 40.0001. annually ; and continued this till the arrival of Marquis Cornwallis, the expenditure for which amounted to 4 250,0001 ; that in the month of July, 1805, he did authoriz e the taking up i f money for the purpose of building a town-house, and erecting statues to the memories of hlarquisCnrnwallis and himself, the said Marquis Wellesley ; that on taking possession of the province of Onde, in 1801, he did, against the law, appoint his brother, the Hon. Ilenry Wellesley, Governor there of. at a fixed salary nt 6,5001. a-year ; and that, aware of the illegality of such unprecedented mea sroes, he did keep, in his own !lands, the sum of e 518 . 42331, a-year, for the purpose of paying such Vi lifies, Sm. as he had thus illegally. and of his own authority, established. That the salary of Gover nor-General was fixed, by Aft of Parliament, at 51.0001. a year, and that he was not to have any railer salary or emolument whatever, for executing that high and importent office ; hut the said Mar quis Wellesley had, notwi: hstanding, expended large sums of money for the luxuries et his table; and other ostentatious art ides, to the amount of 120,0001. a-year. That such enormous extravagance and pro digality were, till that time, unparalleled in the an nals of history; and that to defray such wasteful expenditure, he had been obliged to borrow money at 16 per cent. and thereby had largely contributed to the embarrassment and injury of the Company's affairs." Here Mr. Paul, having come to the end of his charge, requested the Speaker would inform him, as he was not conversant in the form of proceeding, what he should do nest. The SPEAK ER said. the regular course was for 1 the Hon. Member to deliver the Charge in at the table, where it would be read. Mr. Paul did so, and the charge was pro forma !'tad by the Clerk at the table. 'lie SPEAKER then said, he would state what be took to be the form of proceeding. By the Jour. mats of the House, and other information he had received on the subject, he believed there had not been many instances of impeachment in this way— there were, before ihe Revolution, three : the cases of Lord Lovat, Lord Danby, and Lord Ponings hg. Since the Revolution, those of Mr. Hastings, and Sir Elijah Impey ; which, in the language of the Journals, seemed to have been simply delivered in and read The Howe, however, had always e nitrired some praftical question, by which they 'breve enabled to proceed ; such as calling evidence to the Bar, as in the case ,f Lord Caningstly, to reCistantiate the charge. It was, he said, his wish to preserve entire, the privilege of every Member to present articles in all cases ; but, it was his duty also to consider the privileges of the wente Houser Ind of their right to decide, whether such charges ..ab d ric4 Ise received or not. He thought therefore the Hon. Membu r should move, that the Charge be painted ; and then, on some future day, to mover that it be taken into further consideration, by a Committee of the whole House. Mr. PAUL then moved, , 4 the: the said Charge he printed," which was ordered accordingly. Mr. PAUL said, that, on a future day, perhaps in the course of next week, he should bring forward his Charge, with respett to Oude ; and afterwards, that relating to Ver , ekahad. The SPLAKER reminded the House, that there Vas then no question before them. Mr. PAUL then moved, "that this charge should be flitch into consideration this day three weeks." Mr. PDX said, there had been laid before the Ponce a charge, which, as he understood it, charge i Marquis Wellesley with the illegal expenditure of the Company's money; but the Hon. Gentleman who produced it, had not mentioned a single word of any documents by which he was to prove it. He had also stated, that it was his intention to bring for ward two other charges against the Noble Marquis, but to Happen these, not a single paper had been prince i, or delivered out ; and be learned, from per. sons better informed on the subject than himself; that, in feel, there were none to substantiate it. The Right Hon. Secretary thought that it was the right of every Menther to produce any charge in that House ; bur if the Member producing it, should name a day to take it into consideration, and afterwards not be able to substantiate it by documents, he would find i himself ill a very implement. and in a very awkward situation. The Hon. Gentleman was to judge for himself, he proceeded at Iris peril, and if he had at pt osent no documents to support his charge, he Fluiuld lose no time in moving for theca, as, with out them, he would stand in the place of a person who bad on evidence to produce. Mr. PAUL said, he had moved for papers, and if they were nut produced before the end of the three weeks, it was his intention to move, that the consideration of the charge should he postponed.— lie 114 d in his hand. Lc said, a list of the papers necessary, which he wished to lay before the House. The SPEAKER reminded the t lonourable Gen tleman, that that could not be done, as the only question before the House was, st that this charge should he taken into consideration this day three weeks." Mr. Lin , . did not think that the charge could be substantiated, nor that the House should consent to take it into consideration, as the slighest evidence bad not been produced. The Hon. Gentleman then noticed the cases of Mr. Ileitis:gee Sir E. im pey, and Lord Lovat, the latter of whom was taken in arms, and against all of whom some evi dence was produced, as a ground for the charge. lie contlnded, by begging of the House to consider, that they were going farther in the present instance, than in any other since the Revolution ; and, at least, that they should hare as much evidence be fore them, in the first instance, as a Grand Jury would require to find an indictment. Mr. FOX, alter stating that he did not think ap 12irinting a d.ty to take this charge iuto cansidera- Xieur was, in 110, countenancing it, moved, " That the debate should he adjourned until this day week." In the mean time the Hon. Gen!lemaa might have an opportunity of moving for papers ; add if they were not produced, a further adjournment of the question might take place. The SPEAKER said, that, in point of lot mi there could be no ohjeainn to this motion Mr. ROSE conceived, th it it wa• irsnitely too Great a concession for the House to agree to an ad journment of the question, when there was not a single docnm,•nt to support the charge; and though: the table WAG loaded will' papers. Sir W. GEARY said, he had but one motive in seconding the motion made by the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Paul), namely, that he thought it inconsistent with the charaCter of the Home, that such an ap parently serious charge should be dismissed in such a manner. Mr. R. THORN CON was not prepared to go so far as the Hon. Gentleman who brought forward this charge, but to a certain extent he disapproved of the conduct of the Marquis Wellesley ; and if the motion had been for a Committee to examine into it, he would have had great pleasure in seconding it. He then entered into an argument nith respect to the production of papers, and said be believed the lion. Mover had more grounds fur making the charge, than was generally considered. Mr. PAUL explained. Lord TEMPLE was in favour of tlae amendment proposed by Mr. Fox ; but he thought that the Hon. Gentleman who brought firward the charga, should first have commuoicated his intention to the Noble Marquis. . Sir ARTHUR WELiF.SLEY thought if this mode of proceeding were allowed, that the proofs, if there were any, should be brought forward as soon as possible. Mr. HAWKINS BROWN, and a Gentleman whose name we could not learn, spoke against Mr. Paul's motion, but agreed to the amendment. Mr. ROSE, on understanding from the tipeaker that the charge on the table of the House would certainly be printed in the Journals, expressed ae apprehension, that by giving such counter ince to it, the House would be sanctioning a libel. Mr. FOX thought it could not bear such a con. art:Akin. being merely the precursor of an investi gation, which it waf competent to every member to move. Mr. ROBERT THORNTON explained. Mr. GA R ROW said, that on the occasion of his then rising, for the first time since he had had the ho nour of a seat is Parliament, he felt himself under no small degree of alarm for the situation of the House, which, he thought, had afforded more countenance to the mover of this debate, than a moment's consideration sheaved him entitled to— lithe proceeding of adjourning the debate should he adopted, the House would be pursuing the ex traordinary course of acceding to the proposition of A Member, who, rejeeting all the milder modes of inquiry, embraced at once the measure of en ins peachnient, and preferred a long list of harsh accu sations; and :Mr, without the House having on its table a single document, which coul ' be pointed at AS warranting, or contributing to niake out, one of . the many accusations preferred. Any Member was certainly competent to bring forward a eiarge ; but it should be borne in mind. that, in the language which had been used by a Right Hen. Secretary ( \ fr. Fox), he did it at his peril : his charadter was the pledge of his justice. It was no light thing thus to arraign persons who had held high public stations ; and in the light in which the Hon. Gentle man (Mr. Paul) now stood, he had much to acquit himself of. The Learned Gentleman proceeded to animadvert upon the conduct of an Hon. Director (Mi. R. Thornton) in adopting the foundling which h id been thrown upon the table of the House ; and said that it reflected a higher com pliment upon his charity than his prudence ; for that he anticipated the time when both be (Mr. Thorn ton) and the Hon. Member who had become the accuser, would wish the string of charges had not been preferred. as it seemed all that was to sup port it was an es port , facto opinion of a set of gen tlemen in Leadenhalbstreet. The House ought to be careful not to suffer the valuable privilege of Im peachment to become an ins , rument for the ends of calumny, however short the duration of that calumny might lie ; and, before they entertained the question of adjournment on this subjeCt, ought to have the strongest assurance that the charges would ultimately be substantiated. The Host. and Learned Member spoke at considerable length, for which he apologised, and concluded with hoping, that the sanction of adjourning the debate would not be eff tJed to the charges before the house. Sir JOHN WROTTESLEY said, that the House WAS in the most extraordinary situation he had ever known it. If he had pursued the dictates of an opinion he had previously held, he would have seconded the motion of the Hon. Mover (whose manly hostility he thought much better of than the less open conduct of the Court of Directors, with whom he conferred), for the purpose ot having it negatived ; but in the stage to which things had then arrived, he thought the Howse should feel it to he due to its own character and to that of Marquis Wellesley, to entertain the discussion hereafter. Mr. R. THORN CON and Sir J. wßarr ES LEY explained. Mr. S:IERIDAN thought his Pon. Friend (Mr. Garrow), who had spoken, for the first time, to night, had been far from pointing oat to the House the way to extricate itself from its present difficulty. tie (Mr. Sheridan) did not look to the rank, con nex.ons, and experience of the lion. Gentleman who preferred a charge, or those of the person who might be accused ; but when an accusation was made, he was friendly to investigation : and, io the present case, the Marquis Wellesley was not ar raigned by the Honourable Gentleman (Mr. Paul), but the Court of DireCtors bad, by three of their members in that House, joined in 1111 patgning that Nobleman's conduct. The Right Hon. Gentleman thought this impeachment was at present in the nature of an incline-nem. and in• slanted some cases in which similar charges had been entertained by Parliament in the first instance. and evidence called for afterwards. The course he thought adviseahie was, that the Hon. Gentleman should withdraw his motion nutil he had documents ready to support his charges. It was a subjeet, however, of great regret to him, that the Marquis Wellesley, in the interim, would suffer from the prejudice occasioned by newspaper, and other re p: r:s, all ovtr the kingdom ; and tli? emr) nu the Journals of the douse W 4 A liAbty proceeding, which he could not hut lament. Mr. G R ROW explained. Mr. GItANP briely vindicated the condol of the Court of Directors from the censure which had bem cast upon them for not themselves appealing to Parliament. Mr. WELLPSLEY POLE expressed his great satisfaction that the Honourable Gentleman had at last made a fixed and tangible charge; and relieved him from the severe trial he had experienced dui ing all the shiftings that had marked the couslust of the Honourable Gentleman, in this House, during the last twelve months, or ever since the second day of his taking his seat, when he declared, in pretty inteliigible terms, that he came for the ex press purpose of criMinating the Marquis Wellesley. When he looked upon the condu9 of his noble re lation during 40 years, lie felt proud of his consan guinity ; and he experienced the sincerest joy that his vindication, from the charges that had so long and so injuriously impended ever him. was its a stage of promise. It had been trolly said, that a vast responsibility now rested with his accusers. lie • (Mr. Pole) had a long time admired the candour and justice of the Court of Diredors towards Mar quis Wellesley; but an Hon. Director to-right ( Mr. Robot Thornton) had gone even farther than his brethren. He charged that Nobleman with high crimes ; uith sranandestng the public money, and breaking the law: and yet, when an impeachment was proposed, he confessed that he disapproved of it, oniy because it would lead to the acquittal of the party upon whom these heavy charges were thrown, and lead to a great public loss and disappointment, by purging him of the guilt attributed to him (how ! hear!) Such was the candour, such the generosity, such the justice of the Court of Diredors. Could fairness or honour abide with those, who entertained the sentiments, that a mall ought not to be tried, lest he should be acquitted and justified ? On the sth Apol, 1805, the Court of Direftors sent a letter to the Board of Controul, complaining of every a 9 of the Governor-General of India's administration, and criminating bins for his condud from 1798 to 1804 ; although, in the last-mentioned year, when he offered to resign, the Court requested bins to re main in India, and never expressed a syllable of dis approbation about the treaty of Dude, until the month of April, 1805. Indeed, in a letter of the Directors, dated on the 9th of September, 1803, the measures which had been adopted with resped to that province, were most unequivocally approved (1 hs lion. Gentleman and tract part of this letter, ~s ronfrrnation if what be said). He concluded by expressing a hope that a full and fair discussion would result from this night's debate, and apologised for any warmth that his feelings on this interesting subjeci might have betrayed him into. Mr. GRANT said, that the view of the proceed ings of the Directors, taken by the last speaker. WAS not alto:lather accurate. When the Court of Directors wsose the dispatch, an extract of which had been read, the particulars of the transactions in Oude were uuknown to them, haying been trans mitted to and kept by the Secret Committee, with out the slighest knowledge on the part of the Direc tors, until 1804; and the letter which had been qeoted,bad no solereuers-to rho proceedings respect. ing the forcilde possession of Oude, and which, on being made known, was immediately condemned by the Court. It was at the strong solicitation of Lord Wellesley's powerful friends in England, that the Director, were induced to request he afoul I stop one year more in India, in °relit- to prosecute those retrenchments of expenditure, which it was represented he had commenced.-The Hors. Gen tleman expressed his perfect confidence, that Ethe Court of Directors, when called upon, could ad duce solid and satisfactory grounds for the opinion they had expressed. "11r PERCIVAL thought the best mode would be for the Right Hon. Secretary ('alr. Fox) to with draw his Motion ; and also the Hon. Gentleman ( Nr. Paul) to withdraw his proposition and charges for the present ; and when the proper documents to substantiate his Charges were laid on the table, he might with greater propriety bring forwards his ac cusations against the Noble Marquis. Mr. Secretary FOX had no objection to withdraw his Motion ; but as to withdrawing throe Chasges, he considered them now the property at that House, and the public bad a right to call for sit investiga tion of them; and whether the Hon. Gentleman movisd for more documents or nor, tile sulsjed, at all events, mast be taken into consideration. Mr. SIIERI DAN shortly explained. Mr. PAUL replied, that although he had moved ten months ago for these documents, yet not a single criminal paper, on which he could ground isis charges, were in the possession of any one member of the House. He had had the sanction of twenty nine of the Directors in respect t, his proceeding, although not one of them now came forward to sup port him. When he applied for those papers, he was told that he was fishing out charges against Lord Wellesley, and moving for papers from day to day without any set ious intention of bringinp for ward those charges ; he therefore found himself compelled to lay them on the table in their present form, and pledged himself, when the necessary pa pers should be produced, to substantiate them. Mr. FOX shortly explained. Mr. FRANCIS said, he was drawn in to make a few observations; he denied that he ever had said. Lord Wellesley ought not to be impeached ; on the contrary, he thought there were very good grounds for it. Mr. HUDDLNSTON made a few observations in exculpation of himself, with resped to the letter sent to Marquis Wellesley, so frequently alluded to in the course of the debate. Mr. SHERIDAN, in answer to some observa tions of Mr. Francis and Mr. Paul, observed, that from what had fallen from hins, on a former occa sion, on the stabled of the Carnatic, he had re ceived notes front these Gentlemen from day to day; his opinion upon that sullied was still the s ime, and he thought it a most atrocious ail ; but he by no means pledged himself to support the charges against Marquis Wellesley, nor did he mention the Noble Marquis's name at all ; he only charged the Government and Council of Madras. He felt more evidence necessary, and he thought he had . a right to complain, in consequence of hav:ng, taken the privilege of friendship to mention the inhjeCt to the Hou. Gentleman ('slr.. Francis). —ll , :it Gentleman was still possessed of fire enniiah to b' log forward his accusations will spirit. The Hon. G ent l eman w h o now complained of weariness and weakness, would have taken Mr Government of all India upon his shoulusts ; he would have gone out Governor-General to Beogalt he did not mta t , to Say, however, that he now aCled from weakness, or personal disappointment ; but he the Hon. Gentleman AVOlllii le..ve hie: to use his own discretion respettnig h., own conduct. Mr. FRANCIS explained. "after much destiltory conversation, in which Sir Theophiins hletcalle supported Martinis WellesleY ; Mr. Grant spoke against the question ; and Mr. Hiley Addington for the produstirm of more pa pers, and in favour of withdrawing the present 1 motions ; Mr. Secretary For and Mr. Paul both agreed to withdraw their respective minions. And the ori7- nal order for printing the. charge. remained AS before. • Mr. Sheridan then gave notic:s, that to-morrow he would move to tescind that order. Mr. PAUL then md-.41.1.10r She produttlion of a •• • I I vast number of accounts, respeCting various capon ditures by several Gov,rnors previous to Marquis Wellesley, and also expendi.ures by him and his successors, which were accordingly agreed to. The Committee on the Property fax was nor, poned till Friday, The Irish Bank Note Bill was committed, and ordered to be read a third time to.nuirrow The Report on the Ir;ssi lionse Ditty Reduftion Bill, was received, and the Bill also ordered to be. read a third time to-morrow. 11 tie other Orders of the Day were then dispose./ of ; and at twelve o'clock the House adjourned. ••• The Foreign listelligen,e is m the tau pat. THE BRITISH PR.SS. i LON OW:. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23. , The Ilarnburgh Mail due on S un d a y, arrived • yesterday with letters and pape rs to t h e lG t h. W e also received, l ast n . g h t , T wo E xpeisses from France and Holl an d, w i t h P ar i s P apers to the 16 and Dutch to the lg t h i nst . Th e extraord i na Session of their I - Lou MIGN T I NISSIS , which wad opened on the Ist, closed on the 14th inst. and at. Committee of four persons was deputed immediaily to Paris, with a report of its proceedings. The holi ness is unisersally supposed to relate to the new plan • of Government proposed hyßona ea ere ; and the se crecy in which it has been involved, confitms the sus picion that some difficulties have been suggested to its; completion. In addition to the aetion at legonero, of which the Hamburgh Mail, of WednOsclAy last s brought an account, the Paris Papers I mention 'lli - Other between the French 'and Calakians, Campotenese, and also admit that the little plase of Civitella del Tronto, as well as Gaeta, holds oat against the French forces. The Commander of Gaeta is resolved to maintain the plan to the last extremity ; and we are happy to rind that he has begun to receive assistance from Sicily.— The force in that island is stated at 30,000 men, in ? eluding iEnglish and Russians. • The accounts from Naples are dated the 2.:th March. 'There is no further intelligence tespeeting the Bocce di Ca !Aro ; but report states, that the Russians save also taken Ragusa. The marriage of the Eleeloral Prince ot 8A1:77/4 with the Princess STEPH•IIII, was solemnized on the 9th at Paris. The Paris Papers are almosi fill.,d with the details of the civil code, and arrange ments for the re-organizationof the bank of France, in which few English readers would find any interest. The consideration of till MAJESTY'S Message was yesterday pristpened in the House of Ccm mons until this day. The Pomole frigate, with a fleet under convoy, from Lisbon and Oporto, is arrived off Plymouth. His MaJesvv is expeaed in town to-day to lige! a Privy Council. Yesterday morning, His M•Jestt, the Duke of Consomme, Princesses Auoust• and So►sti•, ac companied by Generals Ho fiCOIIIIT. M ANN tits, and Fitzetov ; col. TA Y Lox, Lady •r. Y MTGE. drc. took an airing on horseback, in Windsor Great Pat k. J 1 Her 111 s,tesr v and the other PRINCESSFS took as' airing, in a Carriage and Four, by Winklield. Yesterday, the canopy used for the ROT AL FP, 'my at State Trials WAS removed from St. James's Palace to Westminster-hall. Letters from Dublin announce the death of the Earl of Lanessonouost. At a Court of Aldermen held yesterday at Guil,l - the Price of Bread was increased two Ass:zer, which makes the Quartern Loaf Wheaten. Is. lid. and Household I I id. The Thanks of the Court were voted to the Bishop of BRISTOL. and the Rev. GEORG/. Ga g ooey, D.D. for their Sermons on Easter Monday and Tuesday last. The lorepid, French privateer, which has made several prizes off' Scilly, sailed from Saint M..locs *bruit thirty days since, in company with tire other., which are reported to be cruising off Cape Clear ; their cruise was to extend 50 days. It was reported yesterday io the cirs, that BONA P A lire has apin put himself at tae heed of . his army, for the purpose of forcing a pass.,ge the Austrian ter: itury, to attack the Itussiaus