The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1805-06-06 00:00:00

WEST INDIA ACCOUNTS.

The Earl of SUFFOLK, seeing Noble Secre.
tary of State in his place, expressed his wish to
learn in what state of forwardness the accounts
were respelEng the drawing of bills from the West
India Islands upon His Majesty's Treasury, which
had been ordered to be produced upon his motion
upon a former Jay ; or, when it was probable they
would be laid before the House ?

Lord HAWKESBURY observed, he believed
the papers were in that state of preparation, that
they would be ready in the course of a few days.
He had, however, to repeat his wish, that the No-
ble Earl would particularise some taO or circum-
stance which, it was his wish, as the object of his
motion, to coiled from the accounts in question.
With respeO to the case of a particular Bill, to which
the Noble Earl referred on a former evening, be
had reason to think the faits were misrepresented to
him ; each proceedings never obtained without the
permission of the holder. There was an allowance
of five per cent. but from this no person could de-
rive any profit, because the bills were only paid at
toe Bank. However, to bring the subjeft fully to
the view of the !louse, he would move „for an Ac-
count of all Bills drawn from the West Indian Settle-
ments upon His Majesty's Treasury, beyond a cer-
tain amount, from the Ist of December, 1798, to
the Ist of December, IRO2, with the dates, amount
of interest paid to the holder," &c. should be laid
lat.fore the House.
The Earl of SUFFOLK, in explanation, con-
tended, that he had been well informed as to what
he stated on a former evening. In one of the cases,
the party agreed to the proffLred accommodation ;
in the other it was refused : he had his information
from the ben authority ; he had also ink rmation on
the subjed from some of the principal West India
houses.
Lord HAWK ESBURY havirg moved to the
foregoing effea, it was ordered accordingly.
On the motion of the LORD CHANCELLOR,
the farther consideration of Lie ham's and Moore's
' Divorce Bills was adjoureed tilito-nrcrrrow.
The Earl of SUFPrOLK expressed his intention
of bringing forward a motion relative to the St.
Pancras Bill, which stood committed for to morrow,
in the course of the evening, should he not see a
certain Right Rev. Fit:late in his place.
The Bills on the fable, cliitly private, were
forwarded in their resre:ve stages.
On the mozioa of Lord Atcat, a so, the order
was enforced for the exclusion of stringers ; at. 1,
in consequence, the doors were kept shut for about
half sill hour.

Almost immeLEarzly after our re-admission into
th- House, their Lordships resolved inn a Com-
mittee (Lord %VAL:It:Gum& iu the Chair), oo the
CASS of—

Mr

MR JVSTICr FOX.
The LORD CH ANyELLOR stated, that from
the best attention he could give to the suhjea of dis-
cussion in the Committee, the List evening of their
Lordships' meeting, he was led to conclude, that it
was impossible, consistently with the forms of the
House, to give effect to the motion then made.
This opinion of the Noble and. Learned Lord's gave
rise to a short debate, or rather conversation, in
which Earls Spencer and Carlisle, Lords Auckland,
Mulgrave, and Harrowby, and the Marquises of
Buckingham and Abercorn, took a part. The
Noble F.atls above-mentioned expressed their re-
gret, that it should he deemed preferable to ad-
here to form, in a case where the most important
interests of justice were at stake. The Earl
of CARLISLE, in particular, adverted to the advan-
tage which he conceived the accusing parts must
derive from the proceeding which took place in the
former Committee, and observed, that if these were
not to be communicated to the accused, their Lord-
ships would be metamorphosed from their former
capacity of grand jury finding a bill, to a petit jury,
whose function it n as to try the cause.
Lord AUCKLAND called to the rccollc,uion of
the Committee, his doubts on a former evening,
that the Motion could not, consistently be aaed
upon. He regretted part of the proceedings
which had taken place, as contrary to his sense of
propriety, but had to express his hope, that no copy
of proceedings had been communicated.
Lords MULGRAVE and HARROVs'BT con-
tended, that full and substantial justice may be done
to the parties, notwithstanding the proceedings that
had hitherto taken place ; these made no difference,
and could not affeet the proceedings now in train,
in which the case would be openly and regularly
canvassed at the bar of the House, and evidence
heard on both sides. The Noble Secretary of
State observed, that if the officers of the House had
done their duty, no communication of the proceed-
ings in question could he made.
fhe Marquis of BUCKINGHAM made a few
observations in support of what fell from Noble
Lords at his side of the House. He considered,
upon the whol-, the Learned Judge, as being placed
in a worse situation, in consequence of the proceed-
ings hitherto adopted. He then adverted to the
elfea of certain proceedings which had taken place,
which called up
The Marquis of ABERCORN, and an explana-
natory conversation ensued upon that part of the
subjed.
After the LORI) CHANCELLOR had shortly
explained, it was ordered, that Counsel and Evidence
should be called in.

Accordingly Mr. Romitt v, for the Petitioners, in
,support of the accusation, and Messrs. ADAM and
Nowt. AN D. in behalf of Mr. Justice Fox, appeared
at the bar. The Learned Judge himself took his
seat below the cent-e of the bar.

Mr. Ito.4tt.t.Y immed,ately entered upon the fats
of the case. He stated he was Counsel for Mr. John
Fawcett, and ten other persons, who presented one
of the petitions, complaining of certain parts of the
conduCt of Mr. Justice Fox in his judicial capacity,
while on the North-Western Circuit, in the Sum-
mer of the year 1803, in Ireland.
fhe pecal iar importance and delicacy of tFis Cue, and the
nature of Ow proceedings, combined with certain considerations
arisihg from its novelty, induce us to decline entering into a
stitement of what transpired iu Evidence, orut those dscusaions
twhich occasionally took place, inconsequence thereof, among
heir Lordship, ]

The first witness brought forward was Mr. John
Fawcett above-mentioned. He was very shortly ex-
amined, when Mr. Johnson, Clerk of the Crown, for
the county of Fermanagh, &c. was brought for-
ward : this gentleman was examined in brief by
Mr. Rootlets/, and afterwards at greater length
cross-examined by Mr. ADAM, on the part of Mr.
Justice Fox. He was shortly examined by Mr. Ito-
se teLY. and was asked several questions on the part
of their Lordships.
Mr. William Armstrong, another of the peti-
tioners, was the third witness called. After some
arguments between the Counsel, and discussion
among their Lordships, he was examined in part ;
when an adjournment of the proceedings, chiefly
on account of the lateness of the hour, was moved
by His Royal Highness the Duke of CL A R ENCE.
This, after a short conversation, was agreed to; and
the House resuming, the Committee were ordered
to sit again at four o'clock to-morrow.

ST. PANCRAS POOR BILL.
The Bishop of ST. ASAPFI moved that the
order for referring this Bill to a Committee of their
Lordships, to-morrow, should b. discharged, and
renewed for Tuesday next ; which being ordered ac-
cordingly, the Reverend Prelate acrainted their
Lordships that be still persisted in his ,nt •ntion of
bringing forward a Motion respeaing the measure,
of the nature and die& he had stated on a former
evening ; this he should do on Monday next, for
which day he moved that the Lairds be summoned.
Ordered.—An adjournment took place.