The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1805-05-03 00:00:00

LIIPARI.4I.

•
FirMSP OF LORDE—fwca.n•v. fal•r•lL
C-.ansel aroe fualart cestd relator to Me Roves' Atha
'_Catlinart Dart c. the Iltarl of-Cassilis, eta Mr. Clorlotatietw
..i4erable length in reply, on the part of the Aping'NW eta
further conarleratiota of the can en asiljoornevi 1.41
Several Pro•ate ton; R Mont Bills were brnught Bone tie
Commons, by Mr. asleterin„ h—l.ersd Alyncett of Ittediarl„
General I.l..rgan , Bran rdh gettelemee, u.i lortraff *Seth
were ker.-rally react. lint. tune. •;. • `-•!'
The further eon.ideration of hdryttre'frfiannte C.Rw'watpoote
poned. .
Thn Bills, aspen Um Table, all of • pr
iiite nr looßdoetlep-
ticosexceo feirsairded in their ntspeelise meld ; diem okrn
ritowly third whitdttlteir Lortialazdradottental
.till ti-rnorraw.
;w-wweensiiew
HOUSE OF COMMONS.
Mr. G't Arr NM ea & the saes an.. hie Stet, as hepatic
Yenta... fur the Moore Malaen,tn Yucicaltin..
A new Writ web entered fwr Hals:erie, in the nannt of John
Penn, Eve. who hat accepted the Chetem Hnndreet.
on the Mohan of Mr. Ft)STF.R, the !nth Loan 11l wag
read a locoed trne, and eoninitratto to. to-niam. He &U. ob-
tained lawve to bring in a 11l for the better preventive's! mins.
terfeittng the ;deer sem of
Mr. PARNELL presented some Accounts from tlte Leh
Treauery, wit eh were °Meyer! to he on the Table.
Mr. BARER obtained leave to bring in a ZVI, to alfeetfi the
AN of the chit of Geo. 111. aothorithei rannt,Aets far toe Lek.
tog, Maietenancv, and flestiong of the hoe. •At
Mr. LEICESTER (of the Naval Couttnittee) moved, riot
a Mimsge be sett to the Lords, re..,:testicg Clair ireipsetelen
that boil Vr.enrint Me:ville nsay I's ..emitted Ly them td at.
od, and be easininert before the Coattnitsee for toonvi4bag
tro. Tenth Report of the Comm 11104 M *ei Naval Uwe.
rhkb *a. agreed to, and Mr. Leicester Scr,O DUNI W. 40014
bearer of the sail Me.sege.
0, the olthe ATToßxry GENERAL,theistqn I
read ns. Mine Stipendiary Curate's Re,idenee Bill was def:nsnol
to Monday de. \t.
Ist• no the Setter Supply of Market Towers ila
was 'cad a retold unto, and °tarred to be youttrd,
LORD VISCOUNT NIELS. ILLE •
Mr. WHITBRKAD said, that in consideration
of a motion of con.iderable importance, which aa
Mors Frieod of his (Mr. Sheridan) was to brini
ward os this day. he should, a ith the leave of the
House. defer the mation of which he gave Lotice,
namely, as address .to Its Majesty., ptayog
hirff
.1b strike out the nave. w Visie-..Aa. MeirjeLus
from the list of the Privy Council. till Monday—
and.he hoped that a Learned Friend cf his 11411 r.
S. rjeAot Best), ish.i had given notice of motiorps
if at day. respeifling the Eleventh Report, wouid
hare no obj?Ztion to give wRy robin). as it appeared.
from the non-attendance of yesterday. that taw-
bet, felt themselves too much fatigued to Attend to
any, discussions, on two or three nights succewircly.

ANTVIPATION SW Pri41.14: M)NLY.
• Lord lihiNftY PET FY said, that as the Howe
had, much to its honour. shewn a disposition tofu.
vestigate the accounts of public expenditine, he
made no doubt of their wacurreom is the motion
be had now to propose Au abuse had long prevailed
of drawing money in advance from the colleaor• of
the revenues in Scotland, by warrants or precepts
direaed to him by be Commissioners of the Ex-
chequer in that country. From 1797, to the year
1800, it appeared that sums to the amount of ti,oool.
bid been drawn in that manner ; and. in the fore-
going years, money was similarly anticipated. This
abuse had not escaped the attention of the Finance
03—mittee, who suggested an atter:l:ion of that
mode ; which, however, was not attended to nor
a&d upon, as the same practice continued to pre-
vail. Teere was now on the table of the }louse.
the copy of a -aarrant from the Commissioners of
the Treasury, of an increase of 1,5001 a year Ila y
to Lord Vecount for his !i.e. such
proceeding eras a violati.ev of the Appropriation Att,
a..d also of the commonly felted Mr. Burke's Att.
which Limited the power of the crown in granting
peusions, sales leg for life, to 1,2001. Wheu.
therefore. it was proposed that Lord Melville
should have an increase of 1.5001. which was 3001.
more than the limitation. it could sat be legaily
done but by an application to easliament. and the
authority-of Perlionsent upon a statement laid before
them of the merits which were supposed to entitle
him to it. Upon these gromeis it was that •he
mowed for a variety of papers, consisting of " a copy
of the warrants or precepts from the Commis-
sioners of the Exchequer to the Celle tors of Customs.
in .:cotland, for grants of money ; distinguishing
the sums, the names of the persons in favour of
whom the grants were made, specifying the time
when the grants were made out i their respeaive
amounts; the grounds on which they were granted.
whether paid out of the hereditary revenue, or out
of the civil list in Scotland, It=. Scc. from the .21st
of September, 1787. to the latest period :" which
were agreed to.
Lord 11. PETTY
Gentleman (Mr. Bot
give him inforneeion.
Se ask, whether
*Tsar for life to
ported. in a sure
IND the Lords of
Mr. BOND
of the qeestion,
dietinctls as to er
tuition or ditScolty
tranetetion.; when
meat, it was dude

rry then said, that seeing an Hon.
err. Bond), who he supposed would
mation, in his pine, he begged leave
the assignment of the grant of 1,5001.
;co Lady Melville, was made, as re.
rreptitious marne►, and unexplained
the Treasury ?
) replied, that ro' being at all aware
n, ha was not preparei to answer it
every particular, but he bad no hesi.
shy is stating all that he knew ot the
then he put his name to the assign.
awl: in ttte utnal tassarry by the 41•
_ _ -

.'~

eft, of the %rows of ih• tzelequer, swills bad
so scruple to say. that neither he, nor, ne believed,
any of his colleagues, who signed it, knew at the
tints that there were any arrears that signified, or
any thing like the sum of 20001. and more, Which
was now known to be the amount of them.
BREACH 0? PRIVILEGE.
Sir H. MILDMAY presented to the House the
following Petition from Mr. Stuart, in the custody
of the Serjeant at Arms, by order of the House ;
" ro rot HowouitAsos rag mouse or COMMONS

tx TAILLIANIttiT A seem stip,
" The Petition of Peter Stuart, Printer and Puhli.her of a
Morning Newspaper, intituled the Daily Adftrtiber, 0, sett,
mid Trot Annus,
ss MfAt he i.bly shewctb,
" That for the publication of that part of his Paper of Thurs.
lily last, deemed highly offensive to tlyo Honourable Hiniv,
be fe,b the deepest regret; and that, although certain ex-
pressions in that Paragraph be indiscrcet and unguarded, and
Nth u have incurred the displeasure of :is important a blanch
of tae British Constitution, yet that Your retttioser humbly
hopes, on this acknowledgment of his sincere sotruw, that this
Honourable Flouse, in the plenitude of its contescention and
liberality, will be pleased to panion him for a transgression
solely attributable to the hasty composition of • Newspaper,
sad not to any deliberate design of offending this Honourable

}louse. '
" That your Petitioner is emboldened to solicit your indulg •
Sues and f,,igivettete on his well f 'untied assurance, that,
during the several years in which he has conducted a Newspa-
per, it has uniformly been his principle and pride sealoudy to
styport the character and dignity of the House of Coalitions:
airl that it Was frequently fallen to hi: 1,4 to have vindicated
both from the charges of Societies ezpressly instituted hi bring
dawn Cato pubic disrepute sad ermuunia.
" In any observations which your Petitioner may have pub.
Sated on the conduct or Lend Melville, he could not but
year in mind, that the views amine Societies, abetting domes
sac Tteaton, ar.d valued by the co op,:ratiou of the Revolu-
tionary Power of France, would, lir verily believes, hate eitcted
the destruction of the British Constitution, had not the wise
and efficient measures brought taeward by that Administratinn,
in which Lord Melville held isri conspicuous a situation, i
bees adopted ; and thi.Hoorniralale Homo would nut, in that
tap, perhaps, have been now in ewiwence, ether to amine
tied Mol"Ilos ts. to Pardm you: Pelt tolle.
o That if any thing could. crease your retitiOner regret,
dtarould be it. being snisgosed that the Ohittetthhlble Paragraph'
was directed also against the Right gonourable the Speaker of
the Howse ei Corn it'll" j that ~.car Petitioner has no hesitation
to declare, that nn .d •a was ever more remote from he mind i
and that your Petitioner would be site very Tait person to in-
sinuate any thing disrespiwtfol of a character whom he, in co -
inaction vita say whole Nation, highly esteenis as a privvte.
Gentleman, and nowt peonstwadlf venerates as the head and
public ocean of this Honourable House. •
" That your P a ai.,..ei sheirtore most humbly hopes 01*
H In.. • '' ,-. tt ..,... if 111 consent to his release; and
your Pemba.: widreer pray, der,
atliesy 2, 1815. " l'. STUART "
Which ne.og read by the clerk, the Hon. Baronet
moved.' that the said Peter Steart be now brought
te the Bar of the House and discharged.
Mr. WINDHAM said, that if he, in common
with the rest of the House, felt any resentment for
the language of the original paragraph, he was now
Week with indignation at the insolence of what
purported to be a petition. The writer of it had
certainly. “in the plenitude of his own condescen-
sion and liberality," thought proper to apologise to,
•and profess his esteem for, the charafltir of the
Speaker, " as • private Gentleman,' but he dal not
condi:it-cid to make any apology to the Hott,e.—
With whatever apathy and indifference the House
of Commons had hitherto suffered publ cations of
this nature, its dig.ity, he trusted, would not re-
ceive a petition refiaaing on the nsaj ifity which
seated in condemnation of Viscount Meiville, as
persons aarng in concurrence with the disaff!aed
people of the country; and every particle of the
petition was accusatory of the House. I'o chew
that this charge was implied in the instrument be-
fore them, he moved that it be read again by the
clerk : which beingaccordingly done—
Sir H. MILDMAY said, that hu did not think
the words of the petition warranted such a crmstruc-
tioa, nor referred to those who voted against Vis-
count Melville ; for if that were the case, he would,
of course. be ,me of those implicated in the censure
Mr. FOX thought the petition a very improper
one to be received He had no objeainn to it, as
far as regarded the panegyric bestowed on a former
Administration ; and if it had stopped at that point,
he should not have opposed it. Bit the Petitioner
added, that, in writing the offensive article, he bore
in mind the services of Viscount Melville, in the
conspicuous office he hell under that Administra-
ti .n, and excused himself on the score of the sup
port he gave It. He did not see how it could be
accepted, unless it was meant, that any support to
that Administration was to justify him for any of-
fence he might afrerwarcb commit.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
did not conceive that the petitioner stated that pas-
sage in the way of a general defence of his conduit,
but sp stir of his support in that spirit of arrogance
and importance which was very generally assumed
be all persons cosine led with the press. It was no
offence in him to state his general behaviour, and
for the opinions he expressed of the bad tendency
and objeas of the clubs and societies alluded tu, es
well as of the measures adopted fur their suppres-
sion, he certainly had the sanaion of his Right
Hon. Friend himself (Mr. Windham). It sac
true that there may be some persons who might dis-
like such opinion, ; tint it certainly was no insult in
him to say that he lied those opinions in common
with both Houses et Parliament. Though the
Petitioner, as was customary with persons in his si-
tuation, gave more consequence to his support and
testimony than they were worth. he did not see that
his doing so would be deemed offensive to the House.
As to the tesolations against Visc. Melville. which
were carried by the single casting vote of the Speaker,
whose eh:trader and condua no man had a greater
esteem and respell for than himself, and who did not
stand in need of this person's testimony; he could
not think that those Resolutions were entitled to a
greater, for baring that majority of one, than
if they were carried unanimously, or by a great
majority ; though in any way he read,ly admitted
that they were entitled to respea. It these unne-
cessary expressions of assumed importance, which
were worthy nothing, were taken out of the Peti-
tion, he could see nothing in it but contrition for
having incurred the displeasure of the Itouse.
Mi. WINDHAM, in explanation, observed, that
the contrition referred to formed the smallest part of
the Petition. The topics adverted to in it might be
In themselves very good, but nen era hie locust. This
was not the place to introduce them (a try of Order!
Order! deli Spoke! Spoke! lions reveal Isar-
tees). In whatever charefler he viewed the applica-
tion, he c-,uid net consider it otherwise than highly
inch cent and insolent (tbe cr., of Order ! and Sroke I
Spoke Mc! reumeid). If_ be was oat pettedly in or.

der in saying so much out of the shift line of expla-
nation, he would bring himself right by concluding
with an Amendment.
Sir W. SUR ROUGHS here interrupted the
Right Hon. Gent. and appealed to the Speaker
whether there was ground for a second Speech in the
same Debate on the part of any Member who had
before spoken on the subject ?
The SPEAKER thought it his duty to apprise the
Right Hon Gentleman that he was not, by the rules
of the House, at liberty to make a second speech
for the purpose of introducing an amendment.
Mr. GRF.Y expressed his regret at finding him-
self obliged to trouble the House again on the sub-
ject of this libel. After taking notice of the para-
graph, he was not disposed to press it any farther,
if the original cifence had not been so grossly ag-
gravated by the aisolence and charader of defiance
in which the present Petition was worded. Nothing
could be a stronger proof of this defiance, than the
defence set up fur the Petition by the Chancellor of
the Exchequer. who took his ground under the dif-
ferences of opinion that prevailed between different
sides of the House, upon former topics. The Peti-
tioner himself ventured an attack upon all those
who resisted the measures of a former Administra-
tion ; and in respect to them. instead of making any
apology, put himself in the situation of an accuser.
When ho first thought it his duty to bring this sub-
jed before the House, he could not but feel some
uneasiness and anxiety on hearing an lion. Friend
or his (Mr. Sheridan) describe the paragraph as
harmless milk and water statement ; though, for
his own part, he was convinced that, whatever free-
dom might occasionally be taken by the newspapers
with tlo.ir proceedings, so gross a libel as that
he referred to upon the conduct of the House of
Commons.had never fallen under his observation. It
was not an effusion, such as may be provoked in the
warmth of debate; hut a deliberate condemnation,
stating, that the House of Commons had not given
Viscount Melville a trial, but that their vote was a
stung and presumptuous negative to the amend-
mentoomposed by the Right Honourable Gentle-
man (Mr. Pitt). After the House had resolv-
ed that the article was a gross libel, he was dis-
posed to go no farther with it, and did not oppose
the motion made by an Hon. Gentleman (Mr. A.
Wright), that the Printer should be immediately
called in and discharged. He was contented with
the, punishment, if punishment it was, 51 bringing
him to the bar ; and it was the Right Hon. Gent.
(Mr. Pitt) himself, who stood in the way of his dis-
charge, and moved for his being committed to the
custody of the Serj••ant at Arms. The same Right
l ion. Gentleman, however, now thought proper to
defend him, when he came before the House ex-
pressing his den ince, instead of shewing any contri-
=n for what h.: ha.i done. He knew not, he said,
wnat may be the amendment intended by his Right
I lon. Friend ( Mr. Windham), had he been permitted
to do so by the Orders of the House. It would pro-
bably have been to transfer him from the custody of
the Serjeant at Arms to Newgate ; hut he should
content himself with opposing the motion for his
being now discharged, and upon that subject he was
determined to take the sense of the House.
Mr. CANNING thought that if the Hon. Gent.
(Mr. Grey) was really satisfied with the milder
punishment proposed before. it was scarcely com-
petent to him to oppose Mr. Stuart's discharge now
that he had already undergone a severe punish-
ment. For his part, he certainly did not think the
paragraph worth the notice that was taken of it;
but having been brought before the House by that
Hon. Gent. its dignity required that it should not
be so lightly passed over, and it was on that con-
sideration his Right Hon. Friend (Mr. Pitt) aided
in moving that he should be detained in the cus-
tody of the Serjeant at Arms. The unfortunate
person now under consideration had no right regu-
larly to know of the aggravations that were then
urged against him of having offended the dignity
of the Speaker of the House of Commons ; hot
having since been informed of them, he had a right
in his petition to endeavour to obviate any unfa-
vourable impressions that might have been made
against him, and by complimenting the charader of
the Speaker particularly, in his Petition. it would be
too much to infer that he meant no apology
to the remainder of the House. lf, however,
the House were inclined to treat this with
severity, and that a new era was to commence
of prosecuting discussions of this kind in the news-
papers, the same rule must of course be ex-
tended to all the daily and weekly publications, and
he begged of the House to bear in mind in what quar-
ter this new system originated. In his apprehension
it was perfelly fair in the petition to icier to the
former services of Viscount Melville. at the time
when, in conjunction with the other Members of the
Administration to which he belonged, he fought
the battles of the Constitution against the mischie-
vous attempts of the societies to which he alluded.
However disagreeable those topics were to sonic
Gentlemen. they were recorded in the history of the
country; and lie was sorry the Hon. Gentleman
(Mr. Grey), in particular, should take notice of it.
Mr. SHIRIDAN spoke against the motion.
Mr. Darr spoke in favour of the motion.
The ATTOnlitY GENERAL, the SOLICITOR Ge-
senau, and Mr. &ltion Rouses, several sup-
ported the motion.
Sir JOHN NEwroer, Lord Dc BL AqUEIREs Lord
MA RIM AM. Su* HENRY MILDM AY, Mr. WHIT.
yaw), Mr. GREY, and Mr. Wit searoace, spoke
against it.
The question being loudly called for, the House
divided, when there appeared—For the Motion,
142—Against it, 121—Majority, 21.
The Printer was then called in, and, after receiv-
ing a reprimand from the &PRAISER, was discharg-
ed, upon payment of his fees.
THANKS TO THE COMMISSIONERS OF NAVAL
INQUIRY.
Mr. SHERIDAN rose, in consequence of the
notice he had given, to make his promised motion
for the Thanks of the House to the Commissioners
of Naval Inquiry for their past services. lie as-
sured the House. it was not his intention to have
said many words upon the subject, had it not been
for the strong insinuations, and repeated declara-
tions of the -Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Pitt) re-
spelling the condo& of these Gentlemen, who, in
his (Mr. Sheridan's) opinion, had done so much for
their country. He would even now state every
thing as shortly as possible. •I'he Commissioners
had been appointed not to inquire into the trifling

peccadilloes of men in subordinate situations la pub-
lic offices, but into the crimes and offences of those
in the highest stations, and most exalted anfithculoriiyties
that they had to encounter the greatest dif,
and had met with the most extraordinary opposi-
tion and resistance of various kinds. He adverted
to the Aft brought in some years ago by Mr. Pitt,
for the inspeaion of the public accounts ; and
in that Aft a power was expraa Ay given to the
Commissioners to examine every officer or person
situated in an office, and to compel them to answer,
or to dismiss them from their places. This Com-
mission, on the contrary, had been much opposed,
and, in spite of every difficulty, worked its own
instituted
this During the Administration wiuch
this Inquiry, the Right Hon. Gentleman opposite
had made an attack on the official condita of the
Earl of St. Vincent, and threatened a prosecution;
but the Commissioners still persevered in their
course, and did not hesitate to do their duty, by a
stria scrutiny into the condua of those in the high-
est official situations. The sth Clause of the Alt
which appointed this Commission had beau much
perverted, he said, for it was impossible it could
ever have been meant by the Legislature in the
way in which it had been construed. It would,
therefore, be most expedient in future for the House
to define what those persons they may appoint on
Commissions of this nature are to do. His Hon.
Friend, who was at that time Treasurer of the Navy
(Mr. Tierney), and who was looked upon as the
black sheep of that Administration, had paid no
attention to the application of theCommissioners,who
issued their precept in July, and no notice whatever
was taken of it till the 2d of 011ober. If a person
possessing so large a share of amenity of manners
and gentlemanly behaviour, as his Hon. Friend, had
thrown such obstacles in their way, and treated
them with so much indifference, it was easy for the
House to form a judgment what immense difficulties
they must have to encounter fiorn the numerous
class of persons they must have to apply to, who
were interested in keeping from them every circum-
stance, which, by militating against themselves,
might throw a light on the Inquiry into the abuses
of that Department in which they *fled. The
Commissioners had shown their zeal by persisting
in the inquiry, and not relaxing in their duty after
they had experienced so much resistance from per-
sons in office. He considered, that the Hense had
thrqe great duties to perform ; the first was, to grant
supplies that were not prodigal; the second, to pro-
vide ways and means for making good ands sup..
plies ; and the third, and most important of all,
was, to lo.sk after a due application of the money so
raised ; the two first, in a manner, exercise them-
selves by the custom try sues and regulations of the
Manse on that subjea , the third has sometimes been
delegated by the House to other persons ; and, if in
any instance, a C m'nittee should be appoints(' by
the House for those ; u poses, and not supported in
the execution of their d ty by every means the
House could affo: d them, it was the same as if that
power had been kept in the. hands of the House in
order to do nothing at all with it. It might be
asked, perhaps, whether this was the most tit time
to thank the Commissioners for what they had
done, and whether this was the most fit time
for giving them the thanks of the House, in order
to encourage them to go on with that zeal, ability,
and persever.ince,with which theyhad, solionourably
for themselves, and so much for the interests of the
ceuntry, commenced their labour: > The Rig! t
Honourable Gentleman oppos'te has given notice of
a gill he means to bring in for the purpose of re-
newing this Commission, and surely this must be a
most fit time to give them the thanks of the House,
if the Commissions to he teteseeci t the sarneCoM-
missioners. When the House eekeed men to per-
form such high, important; and dith.tilt statues, they
in the Aa itself demand from them a due perform-
ance of those duties. If these Ce airmen, who have
been so appointed by theft use, ha re re tfly done their
duty in a manner that has given cm vers it satisfaltion,
and gained the general sivrobaeen, nob only of
that House but of the country a. la ge.they certainly
merit in an especial degree the thanes of that House
who so wisely appointedeherns ai.d on that ground it
was he wished to meet all the arguments watch
the Right Hon. Gentleman might be as sated to
urge against it ; it was not by any means his wish,
by the motion he should mike. to provoke any com-
ments, criticisms, or opposition, from the Right
Hon. Gentleman, or those who *fled with him, to
the terms in which it was drawn up, the substance
was a Vo'e of Thanks to the Commissioners ; and
here it vas neces sty to consider in the first place,
what they have d .ne; and, secondly, what remains
to be done by the n. As to what they have done, it
is very toe, the Tenth Report strikes at the very
highest g.ime ; hut still he would venture to say,
the same pood e `'ens had been found to result from
ever' otht r pre 'ding Report. The First Report
relates paiticula ly to the West 'a lies, in which a
Mr. lack la ss...ed to have eitorb t Lady charged for
naval stores tsh,Oool. for which only 98,0001•
ought to have been charged. The Hon. Gentle-
man then shortly gave a sketch of the leading t :a-
ttires and impositions Jett...Red in the several leiter
Reports, from the first to the tenth ; the contents of
which have already been so frequently discussed, and
are, of course, now so well known, that it is needless
to make any farther comment oil them. The next,
he said, was the Eleventh Report; in which,
among other matters, was laid open and brought
to light. the shameful and illegal praltice of
issuing fifhitious navy bills. As this would be
a matter of future and more serious discussion,
he would not then trouble the I louse any farther tie.
on it. Having shortly stated what had been done
by the Commissioners, he would now endeavour to
touch as briefly what remains to be done by them.
They have to go through and overhaul the immense
accounts of money lavishly expended in the condult
of the last war ; they have to investigate into the
anions and expenditure of the Navy Board, the
Transport Board. and the office for the Sick and
Wounded. They have been all tepte,eated Ai very
enormnus in their waste of money but an It:moor-
able Admiral (!Markham) had told the Haus on
lot mer occasion, that this last Board was the worst
of any that remained to be scrutinised into. After
they have travelled through all this, they have to
examine into our different foreign yards, colonial,
&c. where plunder was said to stalk with sti'd great-
er and holder strides than those in this country. in
the Mediterranean, when Earl St. Vincent was there
ass asediately atter the Aaiun he had with the Spanish

fleet, and since that the different Admirals who had
served on that station, had all found the prices charge
ed forrepairsmnst enormously eztravagant ; they have
then to examine into the purchase of arms by the
Transport Board, in which it was said, an enormous
sum had at one time been pli#fer arms, which were
afterwards, on due examination, found to be good
for nothing ; and they had also to enquire how far
the Officers in the Treasury kvw of, or had any
feeling in this transaction ; and, last of all, they had
to enquire into the expenditure and abuses of the
motley which ought to be appropriated for the bene.
fit of Greenwich hospital, thar noble and beneficent
asylum for our brave and gallant seamen, after they
have lost their limbs,exhausted their constitutions, or
worn out the best part of their lives in the service of
their King and country. If they have such mate.
nal business still to perform, which cannot be done
without a continuation of that zeal, firmness, abi.
lity, and fortitude,which they have exerted on every
former occasion ; after the slurs and insinuations
which have been thrown out against their conduct,
it became peculiarly incumbent on the House
to convince them on the present occasion that,
in continuing them in the perforneince of those
arduous duties, they had yet to %listen', they might
depend upon receiving every encouragement and
support which the Howe could give them. Reform,
he said, was a thing which, on all occasions, hal
been most odious ; but at present there was such a
host of contrailtors, jobbers, and other descriptions
of persons, who were used to derive advantage from
the improvident expenditure of the public money,
that the outcry against the Commissioners, and the
resistance made to their efforts for the public see.
vice,were such as had never been experienced at any
antecedent period. On these considerations, he
thought that if any material objedion were brought
by the Right Hon. Geetleman, or others, ager.ot
the Vote of he wars about to move, the
House ought not be any means to encourage the
idea of their re-appoiiitment en the same Commis-
sion. But if there were no such objeekirms, it was
the duty of the House to stand forward, and to say.
with that commanding force which shookd be heard
from one end of the kingd im to the other, that these
Commissioners hare hitherto nobly and honourably
executed the high and imeortant trust reposed in
them by the House; and that in what they have
hereafter to do, the House will chearfelly support
them to the utmost extent of their power. He
would not, therefore. detain the House any longer
than to read his motion, which he did accordinglg
to the following purport :
That it spriest to thiv Home, that the einsetimiArtins
appointed bs an Act of the 431 of the K.ag, to aliqiiite into
the inegulatiewas and abu es co wetted by Gerson' enipLiyed
in the veveral Naval D .aartinetitii, have, et fat a.. aunca.-9 bon
their Reports hitherto made, ex=erted themeolecs v'i'n eel •:•.
ligence, ability, a.i.l firtituie, amt that tits *hubs al (bar cu.
duct, in the execution of the a•diaoto. duties pittnete.l ro 44.5.
is I to the typriabatiun and tbanks of this llos 4J
The Question being real from the Clair ;
The CHANCi..LI-Oit of the EXCHEQUER
rose, and said, that before he 'peke to the mode.
just made by the Hon. Gentlem in, he mist beg t' e
attention of the House to a few uremia he had -a
oiler, as to what hail been said of that A 8 ended hie
for the inquiry into the expenditure of the melt
money ; and, he had only to soy that, with regard
to the clause allude,' to, he never conceived the AB,
at the time it passed, possessed such a power. Out
left it to the provisions of the common kv. How-
ever, after such a clause had bees introduced, and
fom! its way into the Rill, it became necessity to
he CAUtIGU4 'whether such classes should not lie
goarde.! against in future. With regard to the
motion itself, he did not rise to objet to it,
if the sense of the House should appear to be in
its favour; bur lie felt it his duty to make soire .4-
:mations on the subjeet, In doing which he ste tOI
endeavour to trespass on the House as short a time
as possible. The rirst was that lie thought the H use
should rather have waited till they had gone ::roach
all the r •pt r s which have already been made; :,e
thought this case of the present Commissioners dif-
fered fr en the Commission farinspecOing public
counts, fee there the thanks were remitted to the
Cornm-ss'oners in consequence of a due live
tion idea the reports they had made. Without mean.
ingrn Fess any; hing.urther on the present subject, he
thought it necessary to continue these Commission-
ers in the execution of that trust which has already
been confided to them; but from what he had sea
as to some parts of their conduB, there awe
cumstances on which he had formed an opinion.
which, notwithstanding all that had been said is
their favoure.he could nut give up, admitting it to
he the duty of the Committee to investigate every
circumstance. to scrutinise into every part of d e
public offices with the keenest rye, and, allowing
ail their merits in taking care to the utmost ol tleir
power, that enrol y man employed in a public office
shall do his duty, they should not step further, aei
prematurely teveal circumstances, the etas ti
which may operate so as to cteate prejudices
against individuals, before they can have an op
portunity of saying any thing in their own defence.
When it appears that any thing rellertner
miner how severely, on any individual, that re
quires report, they have made that report without
giving any notice to the party of thee intentions so
to do ; he did not at all mean that they should give
any such notice as should enable the party to loaf
himself of it so as to defeat enquiry, but he thought
that betore they made their report to the House. chef
should give them an opportunity of explanation.
adverted to the circumstance which occurred ia a
late debate, relative to the conduet of Sir Andrew
Hammond. in which that Hon. Gentleman had e
pressed a wish to be further examined by the C
missioners; but was told by them, in answer to
application, that they could not enter into any et
planation, h tving already made their Report to
8+
Hoes: whereas. had this etplenatian b
lowed,; it wools! have ptevented all of theeen dcbd
which had ensued upon it, and all the nesapto_
Mention of tOe several parties which had given n!
to that debate. Another circumstance there se
which chews a great impropriety in their mode'
proceeding. in winch, speakiet a pers.o
a id a bill was thrown out in his case by the
Jury, they, on the mere single authori to a ?."`„,
citor, assume, that the Grand Jury mo o!v7i
tampered with t sus ely snore better authority Mow
have ;seen resorted to, before such an insitmatioe
hi.en 13 rashly made. evis alleged. ba.ra
th.t there wits a MAlt) point nst the Navy 170-1
as to the high price given ice MOIMPIS the