The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1806-05-24 00:00:00

, g i ts N in dIWM flour His stores for the army these fifty years b e e His charges at first were of a moderate eillanuat, but bad of late years swelled to such a megnitude, thin the late Secretary at War (Mr. W. Dundas) for the purpose of checking the extent of his mercantile profits, made an order that he should give in first an accurate statement of the prime cost ; and, secondly, of the expence of labour ; after which he was to be allowed ten per cent. for his mercantile profits. Such was the conduct of the late Secretary at War; but he had lately heard, though horn a quarter which he would not quote as accurate authority, that the Right lion. Gentle man, his successor (General Fitzpatrick), had given his full and ueceralified approbation to all Mr. Trot ter's arrangements. It would be irregular in him to put a question on that subject to the Right Hon. Gentl man now, but to Auteuil' the tad, he mean, after this question should be disposed of, to move for a copy of the letter which he understood was tent by the present Secretary at War to the Board of Treasury, in approbation of all Mr. Trot ter's arrangements. He then concluded with moving, " that there he laid before the House a list of the names of all the principal public ac countants, to whom money was issued from the Exchequer, and transferred to their sub.account- Saes ; as also of those whose accounts we:e yet outstanding; distinguishing the ordinary from the extraordinary accounts ; together with the n imes of those who did and did not give in their accounts ; distinguishing the balances yet outstanding, from those that were accounted for." Lord H. PETTY said, the Right Hon. Gentle man, in the long speech he had just made. had not denied or combated any one of the statements he had made on a former night, truly with the excep tion of Mr. Trotter. The Right Hon. Gentleman had stated that the greatest part of the unsettled and unaudited accounts which he had mentioned as forming a vast mass of arrears of accounts, were front the Pay Office ; and that the Gentlemen of that Office were respeffahte men. of the most un blemished and honourable characters. That one or the Paymasters General of that period, was the Noble Lnrd now at the head of the Treasury. Certainly, said the Noble Lord, from the political situation and conneaion in which I stand with the Noble Personage now at the head of the Treasury, and the individual friendship and esteem I have long entertained for him, it is impossible I could mean to cast the slightest insinuation or imputation on the honour, integrity, or attention to business of that Noble Lord, whose character bas always stood as high as any man's its the kingdom ; but, I am sure I can, with great truth and . justice, appeal to the House on that point, if I did not expressly state, that I did not mean to cast the smallest imputation on any public accountant; and, as a proof of this, I particularly mentioned the case of Lord Macart my, a Nobleman of as high character and honour as ever lived, and who was universally allowed to be so, and the peculiar hardship he laboured under, in not being able to get his aaeount settled. It un fortunately happened. however. that when I have stated nothing of which the Right Hon. Gentleman can directly complain, there is nothing that can de serve his animadversion, but the two in which I pole—this, I own. is a &Scutt thing to answer— an expression may be explained, a mistake may be careened. but, as to a tees. I really am at a loss What to say on the subject. If. in speaking of moo *OM in which dins Melt Ho& wisest. himself was concerned, I adopted a tone not pleasing to him, I may be sorry, though I do not feel disposed to apo logice to him personally for it; but if. en that, or any other occasion, I had adopted atom which was disagreeable to the House, I should not only be sorry for it. but would be ready to make the most ample apology for having done so. The Right Hon. Gen tleman had said, that he (Lord H. Petty). bad attri bated all deltas in the non-settlement of public accounts to that Commission, whereas, nothing had been said of the defeat of that, because Lori; Gren ville was a Teller, when that Commission was ap pointed. His Lordship denied that he ever stated, that a great part of the arrears were likely to be re covered. Did the Right Hon. Gentleman mean to say, that there was no possibility of fraud in the public accounts not being submitted to check ? Did be mesa to say, that they ought not to be spoken of, when they had for so many years been wholly unattended to ? If not, then the House would agree with him, that there has been a great possibility of fraud, that a wide and extensive range has fps many years past been given to that possi bility, from the accounts being so long unsettled and unaudited; and it was, therefore, absolutely ne cessary, something effeaual should be done, to in vestigate into their true state, and to prevent such gross neglea from being repeated in future. In stating what he had done with regard to sr. Trot ter, he never intended to impute any blame to him, nor did he impute any; but he should be glad to know if the Right Honourable Gentlemen approves of the various relations in which he stood with respelt to the articles furnished by him. As to the articles themselves, be had understood, that in their several kinds they were really good, and as such he had great merit; but was he.thesefore, to approve of his being manufacturer in the lest place, then Purveyor of the article, then Store-keep er, afterwards Comptroller, and lastly Auditor of his own accounts; be the bye, when he said be was auditor of his own accounts, he did isitt mean to say be was appointed to that office, but that there was no person to audit his accounts, and there fore he was the auditor of then ; and as they were of such vast amount, it required to be particularly attended to. With reaps *I to the 10 per Cent. he had on a former night only stated, that Trotter laid a general charge of 10 per Cent. over and above the tradesman's reasonable profits ; but he found. on examining the matter more minute ly, that there were other charges, via. 51. per Cent. for credit, 51. per Cent, for extraordinary charges, 51 per Cent. in addition to that, and then St. per Lent, for extra charges, for Clerks, dtc. arr-,untoig in the whole, to 201. per Cent. This continued during the last war; but he understood, that since that period, Mr. Trotter had taken 71 in stead of 201 per Cent. He understood, on all bands, the articles were however allowed to be good, and he never did attach or impute any blame to Mr. Trotter, for endeavourir g to obtain as much for a good article as be souls ; nor did he naro. duce ban, as the Right liostoswable Gestiesoan had said, for so frivolees a pitrpose as stage effetft..,- All the fault he found with was, the transaction itself, and that it was independent of all check. The general statement he had made, the Right Honourable Gentleman could not contraclin ; and he had now only to add, that he was obliged to him for moving for the documents to-day, as they could not fail to substantiate the statement he had made. He should, therefore, most cheerfully se cond the motion. He added, however, dist as the accounts were numerous, and many of them very long, it would necessarily be some time before the information could be laid before the House ; he had particularly *eared what can be laid before the House iu a sis Art time, and such papers he would take the earliest opportunity to move for. The Noble Lard concluded by seconding Mr. Rose's motion. Mr. PF.RCRTAL said, that as no ohjellion had been, or was to be made, to his Right Honourable Friend's motion, there were but two points no which he would trouble the House with a very few observations. From the manner in which this business had been stated by the Noble Lord in that House, an idea had gone abroad, that the sum of 440 millions, which the Noble Lord had men tioned. was for the greatest part, arrears which were recoverable, and it had caused a great sent icon in the mind of the public. Ihe Noble Lord had raised a great expeClation in the public mind. that there are great balances due, which may give se lief to the public Widens; whereas, those vast sums were no more than arrears of ACCOIIII.S not se tied, and the mistake was owing to the Noble Lead's talking of arrears, and armor, to be recovered Übe Noble Lord had found fault with his Right Hon. Friend, for having com a .,lained of the tone in which had delivered himself; he ha i said, " au expression might be explained, a mistake corr.rdri, nut as to a tone, he could not answer lot it ;" he (Mr. Per cival), thought, on the contrary, a tone might be explained; for when a person was speaking, either sarcastically or ironically, of another, a great deal of force and energy might be given in addition to the words used, by the tone in which they were ut tered. The second point was, he thought Mr. Trotter had reason to complain of the Noble Lod, who had described him as the manufacturer, pur veyor. storekeeper, comma ller. and auditor of his own accounts; and that alter all this accumula tion of relations, he lad tne ntad.rty to charge ten per cent.—(H-re Lord H. Petty said, across the table— No. 1 deny the mcdeare). —He had, however, at this time, no profits on these several beads ; 1. r. from 1801, these pi..ftts a 4 1 1e1.11 cut down by the Member for Cambridgeshire (Mr. Yorke,. then Se cretary at War, to ten per cent. only Ole Nohle Lord bad since explained, eta: ssliat he meant by Auditor of his own accou n ts was, that there was nobody to audit than ; he subrniited to the Hods* that there wigs :great difference between the state ment and the explanation He wished the Noble Lord to give a more correct statement, in order to give satisfaction to the public mind on so important a subject. Lord H. PETTY was surprised that any such mistake should have occurred, as that of taking ar rears of accounts f.r arrears of balances; and in a speech of considerable length. whoa talking of ar rears, which word frequently occurs. that the in stant arrears are mentioned. without the addition of accounts, that it shall immediately be taken to mean Wean of balancer. It wint,rlt* theuet.thit kind of mistake, which no one could well make, who did not wish to fall into it. Mr. PERCIVAL, in explanation, said,* Morning Paper had stated the arrears to be aimed' of ba lances to a vast amount. Dr. LAWRENCE thought the House was very much mis-spending their :time in so long debating about two mistakes, the one relative to an indivia dual, and the other the most absurd that could be imagined, about arrears of balances. The Noble Lord had been complained of, for casting impute. tions, whereas, no imputation had been thrown, but on a vicious character of office, and the sooner such was expoped, the better, for the purpose of cur resting the abuse. Mr. WILBERFORCE thought accounts long outstanding might create numerous abuses, and pin duce the worst consequences. He gave the Noble Lord, therefore, great credit for the attention he had paid to the subjedh. and the plan by which it was proposed to check abuses of this kind in futuie. Mr. PAUL differed with those Gentlemen who thought these arrears were no More than arrears of accoutres. He thought, on the contrary, there were arrears of balances also, and he believed the Noble Lord was of the same opinion ; and he had best little doubt that large sums would be recovered. la the Barrack Department alone, an scree; ei be lances had been lately discovered by the Cdremiele.s siun appointed for investigating military amounts, and that no less a sum than 93,0001. of the public money was in the hands of General Delancey. There were unquestionably many more, when the accounts came to be fully inquired into; and, there. fore, Lie thought there was tio such great mistake as had been imputed. He hoped the Noble Lord would never lose sight of that part of hie plan for making the Auditors account every year. Lord HENRY PETTY said, he had expressly stated that to be his intention, and he should not depart from it. Mr. W. DUNDAS entered upon a justification.) of the Clerks of the War-Office, who had done *very thing in the power of man. to expedite the business of the eae, though it had become too much for all their election!. Mr. ROSE said, nothing wh:ch had been stated by the Noble Lord affefted him, as applicable to himself, but he thought many parts of the Noble Lord's statement aimed to throw an imputation of Lee evils arising from the ppblic accounts remaining so long unaudited, on his Bight Hon. Friend, now no ]tore, who he (Mr. Rose) well knew had done every thing in the power of man to remedy the mischief. As to Mr. Trotterlhe never had an opportunity of knowing the relations in which he stood, till he came to be Paymaster. is which capa city he could only at; as a banker to pay the dis counts drawn oil trim—and happening to see one .1 Mr. I'i-stores, tor 4 very large amount, his cm itoity prisminsd him to iiiqu re who it was for and, on being told, he asked for a bur,.ile of his bats, by which, to hi. peat surprise, he t‘tviti the accounts amonnted to ten millions a year. he Rigio Gentknish then replied generally to the arguments urged; alter winch his motion was agreed to. Lord H. PET l Y said, he begged the House to recollett, that in all he had said. oil this or any other *idly& he had never mentioned the name.of the Right Hon. Gentleman, now no more, with any degree of disresoes9, or that could possibly cast the smallest imputation on his memory. In the course of his life, he had sever had the least political hos tility with him ; and no man could have 4 higher opinion than he had of his preen•inent talents. He thought it necessary to say this, in consequence of what bad fallen from the Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Rose) in his concluding speech ; and having done so, he would now move-.. T.tat there he laid before the House a List of the Accounts not d cliv,red into tho Otlilo of the Conscaissioocrs tc.r ArnlA , i..g the Public Account..-.Orders'. His Lordship thee moved a long list of other Accounts of a similar nature, all tending to the same point, wheels were severally ordered. The SECRETARY at WAR brought up a Bill for the regulation of Chelsea Hospital, and making a better provision for Soldiers, which was read a first, and ordered to be read a second time on Mon day se'nnight Earl dIrIMPLE moved the order of the day for the third reading of the Tortola Free Port Biti ; on tide Fto.!-IE brielly adverted to the disadvatvages which, he cooceived, would result from it, and en rreated that the Noble Lord would consider it in every point of view, before he pressed it throngs she House Mr, CIIIIICTES BOURNE ' aid such a measure had been m ire than once Udder consideration before, but had been rejected on examination, and he conceived that the Board of Trade had under taken the business through the solicitations of cer tain interested persons, seithout being aware of the consequences. He therefore would oppose the third reading. Mr. PERCIVAL did not think it decent to press this men we on the House, without a single argu ment being made use of by the Ministers in support of it. The lorarned Gentleman then repeated se veral of the arguments he had before urged against the 13111. It would be impossible, he said, that the Island of TortolA could ever he in the same situa tion as the Island of St. Thomas, the latter being in the possession of a neutral powt4, muthaving a privilege of trailing all over the world, neither of which advantages Tortola could have by virtse of tho Bill. He then adverted to the difficulty that would arise from the signature of the officer in the Island of To tole not being known in all the dif terent ports in England and Ireland; and concluded by calling on the Ministers not to suffer the Sill to pass without breaking through the silent dignity they had maintained in all the stages, and at least stating what grounds they had for bring i ng for ward the measure. No answer being made to this demand, the ques tion was put, and the House divided, when there appeared. For the third reading, 33. Against it, 12. Mjority, 93. Mr. ROSE moved. sr that there be laid before the House a copy of a Letter from the Secretary at War to the Lord, Commissioners of the Treasury, espeBing the supply of military stores by Mr. Trotter." After a short connotation across the table, the pager was_Ceticesto.., - -• • - • The House having resolved itaHE into a Com mittee of Supply, Lord HENRY PET TY moved, o that the sum of 300,0001. be granted to His Majesty for the use of the officeraand seamen who had been erg iged in the late glorious battle off Trafalgar," which was ordered, and also, that the report should be brought up on Wednesday. Sir JOHN NEWPORT moved the Order of the Day for the House resolving itself into a Com mittee on the Irish Customs Duty Bill. Me. POSTER hoped the Right Hen. Baronet did not mean to press the Bill at present through a Com mittee, as the house was extremely thin, and there were many Gentlemen *verse to the Bi ll. Sir JOHN N&WPORI' said, he certainly did intend to persist in his motion. The Bill was fully debated last night. but it fi nally went o ff on an allegation of the Honourable Gentlertian, that the schedule was not to the Bill. and it was since found on the Table, where it had by chance fallen. He was surprised at the vexatious system which Gentlemen adopted. It could answer no other purpose, but to mate delay ; and be did not think, 'in the present state of the country, Revenue Bills Attuld be retarded for a longer time than was inbiolutely necessary. Mr. FOSTER spoke to order. The paper, he said. was not in the Bill, nor could it -have been there ; and whets he first mentioned it, the Right Honourable Baronet acknowledged it, and thanked him fur the suggestion. Sir JOHN NEWPORT denied that be had ace knowledged that the schedule never was in the Bill. The Hon. Gentleman, he said, had the Bill in his hand, and stated, that it was not in it ; not doubting, therefore. what the Honourable Gentleman said, he (Sir Juhn Newport) said, he thought it had been there, and thanked him for the suggestion. The BiU theu passed through a Committees and the Report was ordered to be received on Wednes day. The Irish Malt Doty Bill was read a third time, and passed. The Irish Additional Force Ad Repeal Bill was committed, and ordered to be reported on Wed nesday. The House then went into a Committee on the Irish Stamp Duty Repeal Bill. Several clauses were brought up by Sir John Newport, and after some short conversation, agreed to, and the Bill, with arnendMents. ordered to be reported on Wed nesday. The order of the day having been read for the House to resolve itself into a Committee, to consi der of the Irish Mail Coach Road An, After a short conversation, Mr. Foster obtained leave to bring in a Bill for more effeSually krepios in =pair the Post Roads in Ireland. Mr. Alexander brought up the report of Com mittee on the Customs Duty Regulation The Bill was ordered to be engrossed. and read a third time on Wednesday next. The third reading of the Property Duty-Bill was deferred until Wedseeday.—Adjourned at half past eleven o'clock. I Fdr Irailiosibi. Newt, Lew lsadqtevir, Itt. nobs P. THU . PRSS► LONDON, SATURDAY, mAy 24. • Both Houses of Parliament *loomed yesterday, tatil Wednesday, for which day the Lords are sumo moned to attend in the House of Peers, upon the -consideration of the CAS, of Viscount WlCL'ltt,Lli• • Two Gnttenburgh Mails arrived yesterday : die following is the only article of intelligence 44 , they bring oorraessaci, lacy: IS* It is reported here, that although the Profilist army has marched to tire borders of Sisadish.ro i ' met Arne, they have received orders not to coramenee • any operations till further adeiets base been sassier ed from Paris, with which a Courier is . •Ls , peeled at Berlin. .onewevniermasaran . ' _ Their MAJetrias had a set' party on Tharb. -, day, to celebrate the Birth-Day of the Priocers' Among the Company wens— r, _ F. 8.1 en..lutossiest ; Countesses Choi/sonde* and West. morelmid ; Losnil Cathcart t 4.34 Vlra!elellssive ; Qweeale Vapor e thede. sea Plase..tirt ; &glades awed, Tayine, tad uses. tmoo/;ags4 She Hoflolfabit M. Villiers On Wednesday. Her Islaaurre and sloe 1 1 / 4 1110 c curs dined at Frograose. On 'Phorsday, at One o'Clock, a Cahlort Cannel was held at Lord Casey' ti.t's House, which wise attended by Earl Seismal.. Mr. Fox. and Laid H. Pfirrv. Lord and Lady GanaVtLf.s returned to .; l'own on Thursday Night, artist dining at klamp A stead. The eleelina of a representative in Paella for the county of Coeiatr, iu the place of the Mr. Ear RTOI4 commenced on Thursday. Thr3l•,'- init. at Northwich last week. was Is the tatiniaatios of a proper person. and the shame' hat* was • favour of 1). Dar career, Esq. , WLItYOI3I) ELECTIOO.—Thin ELedlions as . 6 744 ed in a former Paper. comMcamd es Thafulay 13th instant. Stara or TIM POLL 3 Thursday—Mr s k.sseassi dough. I ; Mr. W. C. Aleock , 1. Friday—Mr,, , Coiclough. 44; Mr. Aleock. 19. Saturday—Meist Colclough, 123 ; Mr. Alcoek, 113. The Mariana. COTTLE., from London, for the Routh Seas. is captared no the Coast of Pero. by her crew. The ifiltam, HAsTt{.fromTesteril'e,fn Lessem has beets captured near killYs by i GIKIII.I Pr ratter. and since lost. The General Siewert. from B. London, parted From the Caravasthen, (arrissedol 11 , :lena) on the 21st of December, leaky, aosi tended going to Bencoolen. The Cawaseree, Ecrtsr cis. from the South for London, is condemned at St. Helenas the is put on board the D. Bee. From the local observation of a respatiable s- Mercl,o 6 .-wbo passed through tlal.aver a few ... .. ...- by arTive;S:k mama we are by no won* eequaletlqk>rp what' *eat the dissatisfation awe I prevails all orders in that Eledorate ; cormt. imam cite vet. a few days ago, the iahs• %sluing %yeti . ..NM/led, one morning, by seeing the frogmen., Of the Prussian Eagle suspended upon gala,a"tthe galreete), near the 00 Stadthouse. whence the effsgracettil ensign had been tore dnwq doting the night. The Prustict Officers them, - selves, are so far conscious of the injustice of their possession, that they rake. no scruple of publicly observing —" Nasser 'Tierra: bake tierce& !"—.. Our Government is in the wrong. The Senate of Ham'aurgh are nn the point of be. ~. iog involved in a setious dispute, upon a very trifling subjea, with the King of SwEssam. His ItLiosr has required, that she Declaration in his name, and 1 . tt.e letters of Count Lowinnt asps. shoeld be ihsers• ed in the Hamburgh Pipets. The Senate, or rather , the Deputation from it, who exercise the censurate : of the press of that city, have demurred to this, for fear of offending Prussia, or France. The Kipp of ; SWISDIN, hovrever, persists, and has, it is said, peen orders to his Minister to withdraw from that city, is case his demand should continue to be refused, Of the various Institutions which have lately been offered to public notice, none seems more deserving of the general attention and support, than the Plan explained yesterday at the Londe. Ta vern by Mr. LUDLAM ; and from the number of Subscriptions immediately set dowa, little doubt • can be entertained of its success. On Thursday evening, a boat belonging to OM Grand4unaton Company, arrived at Mr. Hours's, Paddington Wharf, which has been fitted up in Northamptonshire, for the purpose of bringing, at once, near 100 live fat sheep to the London market I did being the first attempt of the Lind, sine* the opening of this Canal, it eacited considerable cu riosity, and many spedators were assembled to ere this novel sight ; which consisted of a common canal boat, which had in its bottom, by way of ballast, lading of ten tons of a sort of lime-stone,trom South• ern, which is in great repute for water-works ;oq this there were two slight decks, at a proper dia.. tapes above each Other, and a roof of thita above, to shoot of the rain ; the spat each of the decks was divided by sliding to near fifty separate pens, so that each a distinit eine is itself, in which it could stand or lie down at pleasure. Mr. Atte* Salesman, from near Beaunston in Northampton* shire, accompanied the barge from that place, in charge of the sheep, and in °edit. to sell them at market. On the arrival of the barge close along. side of the wharf, the sliding boards At the side of ' .the boat, and between the pens, were taken out, and the sheep all walked or jumped on to the. ' the wharf in the coarse of a tea. minutes • after , `which they were driven to a field of grass for the: sight. The boat left Btaunston on Tuesday tart at three o'clock. and in 53 hours it arrived, after a journey of upwards of 95 miles; it is expelled thi.t a similar boat, lad:n with sheep. will now weekly win in future. 1 -.• I ac/ Yet the [p a s obis Med lt♦ the ,