The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1805-04-11 00:00:00

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litikon felt by the pabile at the vote or
wan, night, and the Tian "kit of the emus.
bad excited in the breast bf that Right Ho-
oostrable Gentleman, a spirit of indippbsqpb which
rents itself, irrelevant. and destiatto of &sr grounds.
Among other things, it allergia art .Honentrabbe
Friend of mine (Mr. G. Ponsonby). with advancing
tyrannical and unconstitutional principles. Now,
sir, what are these principles ? My Floes
Friend,
after plaWy and candidly stating the ease of Lord
i
olen
that a man, thus conviaed by his
own l' awl, that
should have been suspended from
office.cl
There are innumerable cases in which this
course has been taken, and there is not one prece-
dent of the contrary way. What, in the name of
God ! when our Stewed has betrayed our confi-
dence, mid been, upon his own corifession, guilty of
gross mismanagement, must we continue him in
ilest we should prejudice his
hra
situation,
to he told, th-it it is uncon-
r ;li and,
d ar
clsa at trettie s t
stituttonal and tyrannical to observe that caution
which is necessary to prevent the continuance of the
injuty and the evil ? A contrary course may have
s.itisfi: I the Right ! lon. Gentleman, who thought
c..ntione Mr. Trotter in ogee, lest his dismissal
r•'g , reju lice his charader ; and this, after Mr.
totter hal confessed his ow.i miscondua, awl was,
t the knowledge of the Right Hots. Gentleman, 1
th o,‘ log every obstruelion in the way of an enquiry,
n ,sessa y to the atta'nme-t of the ends of justice.
But, if the Right H n. G ntleman thought it right
to continue end filename Mr; Trottel under =eh
circumstances, has he d smissed him now? The
vote of the Noise, on Monday night, only related
to Lord Melville ; bite, with regard to Mt. Trotter,
iliac sub. judtce its est. His case is now precisely in
the same state in which it Was then, and requires
the same tenderness and delicacy. To account,
then, for this change of condtn, I can only sup-
pose that the Right Hon. Gentleman, seeing the
impression which the vote has made, and the SAiIS•.
fdlion which it has given, has yielded to the public
voice. Having said thus much, in justice to my
Hon. Friend, I will now add, that, however I may
subjelt myself to the same censure, and shall be
chuged with bitterness and rancour, I cannot sit si-
lent iu the Huum, ant bear unfounded panegyrics
bestowed upon Lord ',Wyllie I know nothing in
the charaeler of Lord Melville that should entitle
him to tenderness, in a case of cnnvieied guilt. Is
It because he has enereased the emoluments of of-
fie to an extent beyond any of his predecessors ?
Is it became he has obtained a grant to Lady Mel-
ville, of the Fears of Fife, with the arrears due at
the time, without considering how these arrears
-toad at the tim,, and whether they were not the
. hlic mcney ? for it is now understood, that the
amo tnt of tbese arrears was not known at the time,
and that the grant was made without knowing its
extent. Is it because he has added 4.5001. a-year to
his salary at the Admiralty ? Are these his claims
to tenderness, and his titles to panegyric ? But, t
is said Lcrd Melville never was a bitii't adversary;
that he has employed in the army and in the navy,
persons who differed from him in political principles.
Ia %hat case have Ministers, is his situation, not
done so ? Could herefuse to employ such men as
Sir George Saunders and Admiral Keppel, because
they differed from him in political sentiments ? I
-trilinefil/frlc Iterwewr; that; at a time when this
country was in great danger, when its very existence
was at stake, a pcnposititm for the defence of the
, country, the most ceconomical for Government, and
the most liberal and spirited, on the part of the per-
son pivot-sing , I mean an offer from 'Favistock, to
raise a boy of men, as reietled by the Noble
Lord, because he knew the late Duke of Bedford

was to command them. Id i not mention the cir-

cumstence in com ph mentte the memory of my much-
lamented friend. I have related the anecdote only
to slew how unfounded air& panegyrics are upon
the liberality of Lord Melville. There is another
CAW, which proves how little his Lordship deserves
the praise of never suffering his conduit to be influ-
enced by party feeling ; I mean the dismissal of the
Dean of Faculty of Advocates of Edinburgh (the
Hon. Henry Frskine), the brother to my worthy
friend who sits near me ; two men, to whom. if any
extraordinary exertions ut virtue were necessary, I
do not know any to whom I should look with more
confidence. Hot Pie eases of Sir CliailesGrey and
Sir John J. ry s (Lord Grry and Lill S . Vincent),
have been referred to as instances of the great liSe-
ratite of Lord Melville. I have taken the trouble of
looking over the Imirrals for this ease. in which
t'se Right Honourable Gentleman has made so much
parade of the support received by the parties from
Lord Melville. Did he do so not knowing their
cause to be just ? These two meritorious Officers,
iela• on service in the West Indies, had
.0 1....141 tic blenders of the Administration, of
the Noble Lord was a pan ; but, in so doing,
had made themselves responsible by undertaking
•r measete not exaely within their in•treClions, and
si:s the sit nation in which my Lord Melville makes
a e.teit ut his support Now, Sir, having made these
ob,ervitions, I nine. 'abide to what has fallen from
a Bank Director ( Mr. Thornton). That Hon. Gen-
\ tleman admits that Lord Melville has been guilty of
negligence and Mattentinsi in office. Sir, I can only
say,thatthe voteof Mceiday night west much farther,
and if the Hon. Gentleman thinks it did not charge
a greater offence, he ongja not to have supported
it. Now, Sir, 1 have no ribjesnion to say, that in
conies: pence of what has fallen from the Right
Hon. Gentleman opposite (Mr. Pitt), and from the
Hun. Gentleman who sits upon the sanie side of the
'liise with me (Mr. Banks.;, I have no wish to
eress the I louse to a division. The Hon. Gentle-
man ~‘y., we may do hereafter what is now pro-
Poied. 1 thick so too; and. what is more, I think
we must do so. He adds, that we cannot yet know
how the buiness may turn out, and that it may
some to an impeachment. In this also I agree with
him; but I fear some Gentlemen do not discrimi-
nate as they ought in. the troi:eedings, which the
case demands. If the Attorney General is to be
direCieti to take legal steps for the recovery of the
sums which have been made from the public money,
that is a civil process. if also several grants have
been made to Lord Melville, it may he necessary to
4 enquire on what grounds His Majesty has been in-
• Alticed to make them; and if they have been made
iepon missentations. they ought to be re-
however, are all civil proceed-
hag:wand very distinct from the course that should
his condna, considered as a breach of
11110 law- Whatever course then may be takes

, .
•
upon the eitril: aide of the inestar; I think
the address is the hest mode of finishing the
criminal proceedings. HoPever, sifter the de-
claration of the Right Hopoarable Gentleman
(Mr. Pitt), and 'made in the wat it is. I have,
no objedims its delay it; 14Catise, after such
an assurance, .and from such a quarter. I think
there can be nis stinger of Lord Melville being
placed in any office of trust. With regard, Sir, to
the punishment sought for, I find that, during the
45 years of His present Majesty's reign, there have
beeri but two persons upon whom the punishment of
removal from His Majesty's Privy Council has
been inflided ; the Duke of Norfolk, and nip
self. Now, Sir, I may venture to say, for bosh
of as, that we want no such 'companion as Lord
Melville. In Ireland, no doubt, some instances
have occurred. There is one case particularly, I
mean that of my honoured and esteemed friend,
Mr. Grattan. In consequence of the union, he
comes into the same situation as the Duke of
Norfolk and myself , and, therefore, though, for
our own part, we did not objeß to the company of
Lord Melville, we do not wish to introduce my
esteemed and revered friend, the prosecutor of pub-
lic abuses, the supporter of public virtue, pre-emi-
nent in purity, as he is in talents, to the company
Of Lord Melville. Atter the declaration of the
Right Hon. Gentleman, he admitted it was not pos-
sible that Lord Melville could be restored ; and In
that case the motion not heist pressing, he had no
objet"Con to its being widsiessrn. But admit-
tin that, and supposing this course to be taken,
it may be worth considering how the case stands.
supposing Lord Melville resigned, and the business
to proceed no farther. On Monday we voted the
premises. Does, then, the Hon. Member (Mr.
Brakes) mean to negative the conclusion ? Is that
the course which the accerate mind of the Hon.
Member approves; that we should pronounce Lord
Melville guilty, but refuse to call for judgment
upon him ? Such would he the inconsistency which
the motion, if negatived, would involve ; but if it be
only withdrawn, the case will not be so aukward.
There may be also this further reason for delay, that
something may be expelled te be done In the mean
time. The question has made a greater impression
upon the public mind, than any case that h aalocc tined
.for many years. The public were gtatetul to the
House for their condue, and looked up to them
with joy and thankfulness. but, was the House to
be anxious onh- for their own charasler, and to lie
inattentive io the honour of the Government and
the Crown ? The House of Commons have proved
themselves the true representatives of the people, by
expre.iing their indignation at the conduek of Lord
Melville ; but not a sile mark of disapprobation
has been expressed by his Majesty. No such dis-
approbation can be implied from the resignation of
Lord Melville. The resignation of a Minister may
be the most honourable ad of his life. It has fallen
to my lot to be in office, and to have resiy,ned more
than once ; and I went next day to Court, feeling
myself neither punished nor degraded, to pay my
respells and duty torn; Sovereign. May not Lord
Melville do the same ?. Dearly as 1 love this House,
a.. the source of every great truistic benefit and ad-
svantage futile country ; dearly as I love it, as the
caner-A-me of the . Cons, lotion, and the founds-
of out liberties ; i will not say that
it is more dangerous that the natio; should
lose its confidence in the House of Commons, than
its confidence in the Throne. Anti is there not a
,danger that such may be the case, if it may sail
that, upon a great question like this, the House of
Commons have done their duty, but His Majesty
has been satisfied in a different manner ? Sir, tl is
sill not be a nine days wondes% From the impres-
sion which it has made (upon the public, and the
state of ferment in which the atchation of it may
long keep the public mind, will at be right, I ask, to
enable those persons, who may not be the best dis-
posed cowards the Monarchical part of our Constitu-
tion, to draw a line between His Majesty and the
Parliament ? I warn Ministers of their duty to tate
care that no such language shall be held, by leav-
ing ne pretence for it, or implicating the true late-
rs sts of the Throne. Trusting, therefer, s, that Mi-
nisters will do their duty, I have no ohjeftion that
the Mot'on should he withdrawn, in the confidence
of a more complete and satisfaCtory explanation and
conclusion at a future day."
Mr. WILBERFORCE did not apprehend any
danger at the present day, but times might hereai ter
arrive more liable to danger, and favourable to
abuses, and it was the duty of the House to aa with
diligence a .d attention in conteo plation of such tu-
Doe times. At the saute time that he was satisfied
with every thing that he had said upon the last night,
he agreed with those Alio wished the motion to be
withdrawn for the present. He owned that he con-
ceived the del.ty was granted for the purpose of
affording an opportunity to Lord Melville of with-
drawing, and he left the Floue without any ex-
peetation ef the present measure being brought for-
ward. So far as he had an opportunity of convers-
ing with Gentlemen upon it. he thought it came
by surprise. He would not say that he should
vote for it, hut he would not say that he she uld
vote against it in the detail, and after he had an
opportunity of giving it a more mature consider-
ation. The House were bound to alt upon prin-
ciples of independence ; but he could not help say-
ing, that, in circumstances like the present, they
should not exercise a legal justice, but proceed upon
the eternal and univetsal principles of right.—
' He, s therefote, regretted, that party prine
!'were adverted to in the course of the night. ilek:s n-
tlemen upon such a question ought to divest them-
selves of such principles, and aft only upon the
• broad basis of justice and liberality. He agreed
that this would not be a nine days wonder, nor a
transient feeling, but that the vote of Monday night
.would be recorded in the page of history, as one of
the brightest events of the present day. Looking
at it therefore in that flatteriug point of view, he did
not wish to takeaway from the effea which the vote
of Monday night had produced upon the public mind.
For this reason he wished the Hon. Gentleman to
withdraw the minion, at the same time wishing it
to be understood, that he gave no promise whether
he should vote for it hereafter or not.
Mr. FULLER expressed a hope, that the Hon.
Gentleman who had moved the Resolution, would
slit the matter to the bottom. The public mind
was greatly agitated by the subjeff, and he trusted,
that if it should be found that the Noble Lord bad
made any pelf by the business, bviiiuld get a