The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1805-05-25 00:00:00

le My other !ittarter, or io*go any thing whatever
personal against any Members of His Majesty's Go-
‘rernment. His sole ohjetet was, by investigating, to get
at the truth, and to bring before the House and the pub-
the real state of the case. ina subjeet of the lestim-
portance to the safety and prosperity of the country.
In diressing this, he should he necessaiily led into a
emiNarative view of the merits of the late and present
Nasal AdMinistrations. And in this view, the fit st
thiPg that presents itself was the systemetie practice
on the part of the later Board of Admiralty, of pur-
cliasing vessels almost useless as ships of war, and
their aversion from building, from repairing ships of
War in His Majeity's dock yards : the investigation
he proposed, would enable their Lordshiphto decide
Whether this system was praietically wise, or whether
the reverie of that 'system, AS ailed upon by the for-
mer Board of Admiralo,e was, or was not, more to
the advantage of the country. And even the papers
do the table, def.:Clive in sonic respeas as they were,
afforded strong grounds for going into the inquiry
he should propose. In considering this very import-
ant subjea, he should have frequently to recur to se-
veral of the documents upon the table for purposes
of illustration. He should, however, fatigue their
Lordships with detailed extraas. One of the most ob-
IssaienaLle parts of the system of purchasing vessels
from the merchants, or building in their yards, was
the imesense additional expense which attended it.
In some instances, the enormous expenee of 341.
per ton was incurred. He partictilitrised, in re-
ferring to eh, papers, the cases of the ships flindere
Ws, and, as we understood his Lordship, the Me-
dilter. Of the ill state and condition of these ves-
sels to bear [hit sea, &c. he quoted certain parts of
the documents as proofs ; and he observed, that
nearly in a similar condition were found the greater
number of the ships purchased. Most of them were,
in Ira, toteily unfit for the purposes for which they
were bon, st; ins' yet, to fit out such crary hulks, it
WAs.,le.rned proprr to dismantle several ships of the
line, and to turn over their crews, which, in point
of fait left the country in a worse state of defence
than it had been in before. Such an immense expense
had been incurred, with respeCt to the naval force
kept In the Downs by the Noble Earl at the bead of
the late Board of Admiralty, and which was so ex-
claimed against, he contended, that, though the
number ut vessels were not so greet as those colleaed
there afterwards, yet the former force was so 01,
gsnised as to present a much more efficient force.—
In comparing die merits of the two boards, he would
desire their Lordships to look at events, and judge
them by their fruits. Did they not then know, that
two distinct squadrons of the enemy were riding
triumphantly in the seas, while some of the most
valuable of our ledia Wands mere :eh ex-
posed to their ravages? Nothing of this sort
happened durieg the administration of his Noble
friend. Their system likewise, with respea to
the internal minAgement of the naval concerns,
was equally reprehensible. No less thin 170 ship-
wrights had discharged themselves from the yards
of Deptfad and Woolwich. Referring farther to
the documents, he instanced the case of the purchase
of a certain number of vessels, which, with proper
management, might be built new in the King's yards,
for a sum of 24,0001. less. This gross inattention
to economy was perceptible in many instances.
But one of the most important considerations of the
whole WAS.. the departure from the plan, by which
the shipwrights were arranged and set to work, in
&yin@ clesws, so that every neon could work ac-
ceding to his ability ; instead of which, the prac-
tice was now to, blend them, the good and had
hands, psemilatunu..ly together. Continuing to
ahernadvert upon the plan of internal mehape
meet. adopted by the Board of Admiralty, on.
snediately preceding the present, he referred
copiously to the Reports of the Naval Commis-
siuners, which, perhaps, the voluminous nature
prevented many of their Lordships from perusing I
end from this, with pain and regret it was, he
canceled instances of the most gross inattention and
neglea, with respea to the expenditure of the
pahlic money. Indeed, he thought it impossible
that such lavish profusion could be suffered to
exist in any department whatever, as appeared
Ls the Shoal Report ; the Naval Commissioners,
who unmasked these Practices, deserved the thanks
of Parliament and of their country. He particu-
larly called their Lou dships attention to instances of
charges made at certain distinct times, for the same
proportion of work. &c. where these charges
were widely different in the amount; and yet
they were allowed and suffered to pass without
investigation, by those officers, whole express duty
it WAS to watch over, and correct such abuses.
He particularly instanced the case of the repairs of
the Amelkyst frigate, of 24 guns, for which the
charge was immense ; yet, she was reported by the
carpenter, in a short time afterwards, as unfit to ride
at anchor in her then state. He was nor the pane-
gyrist of the Noble Earl at the head of a former Board
of Admiralty; yet, it was with indignat ii in he heard
of his having been calumniated, and in a certain
quarter described as the greatest enemy the country
ever saw. In his mind, those who supported those
enormous abuses which the Noble Earl to honour-
tidy exerted himself to reform, were the real ene-
mies of their country. He wished merely to render
'Justice to that Noble Earl ; one who had been vic-
torious over the foreign enemies of his country ;
but who had the virtue and the courage to at.
tack that more dangerous, that secret cud lurk-
ing domestic foe, who, by his malversatioes, under-
mined the strength and power of the country ;
perhaps he might have, with too rough and
seaman-like hand, tore aside the veil which
skrreued them. Drawing try.cirds a conclu-
sion, he pressed the consideration of the great im-
portance of the 'Oka to their Lordships, one
which involve! not only the wellies and prosperity.
but even the safety and independence of the coon.
ley ; arid, even in justice to the Noble Earl to whom
he had frequently occasion to allude, an investiga-
tions:mold be entered upon. Ile then moved, that
" the various Papers, documents, &c. relative to the
state of the Navy. upon the Table, be referred to
the consideration of a ticket Committee, to consist
of a number of persons," whose names were hastily
run over by the Noble Eari ; but among whom, we
massed those of His Royal Highness the Duke of
Clarence. the Marquis ot Buckinkihann and hall
VOI test. ue.
Oil the Question being put ;
Lord Viscount ILLE rare and observed,
that by what fell from the Noble Ear 1, it was to he