The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1805-05-01 00:00:00

credit on
considio it as
lion. Gen-
tile, been
• greatest.
aside after
mijoricy
, he retro
Aquiry, and
pure Noble-
with his
wore very
we Came
nominat-
however
be greatly
Inlay. When
icated, and
moment ; but I
own Jury ; and '
ins," it looks
'ivides his vo-
himself, as
to situation,
upon . farcical He
tells us, that nothing 'tithe Tenth Report has any ten-
demos to impeach his charader, though to every
other human being it must be evident, I.',at he is di-
reOly involved by that Report ; first, in the secret
and confidential transattions of Government. which
Viscount Melville pleaded ineectoefor his misapplica-
tion of the public money ; secondly, in the gaiesse
which he gave to Viscount Melville ; on the arrears
due by Mi. Jellicoe ; and, idly, in the knowledge
he must all cling have bad of those different trans-
editors. thoogh his name was not expressly men-
tioned by Viserunt .Melville, %ben he refused to
explain the natter.- of the secret and confidential bu-
siness of Government. Under these cis cuinstances,
any man must see how necessary it ought to be for
pim to clear htroself somewhere, aid answer can-
didly, whether or not any application had been
made to him in the progress of all these illegal trane-
adions ? Ido not question that it has Leen usual
under other Administrations, to circulate soch
Treasury Lists, but I have to complain of it pe-
culiarly under the present circumstances. In the
list of this Committee, I find the names of some.
who, to excuse themselves from Eleition and other
Committees, have been in the habit of smearing at
the table of this House, that their attendance upon
such committees would be productive of serious
inconveniences, and inconsistent with the discharge
of their public duties. In this number I put Lord
Castlereagh foremost, and after him the Master of
the Rolls, and Sir Wm. Scott, the Chief Judge of
the Admiralty, who are disqualified upon oath from
sitting in committees ! (ii teal cr, of hear Afar !
from Me Treausry sale ft- Me &Rise ) I again repeat
that they have sworn themselves to be disonalified
from sitting on elation petitions, many of which are
determined in a day; and none of which, except a
few, such as the Middlesex committee, occupy so
much time as will in all probability be required for
the present enquiry. One Right Honourable Gent.
Sir William Scott, even gave it last session as a sea-
son for not bringing its a bill, that he could not
spare sufficient time from his other public avoca-
tions. In such a case as this the general sentiment
must undoubtedly be, that all the members of the
Committee should be efficient and attending mem-
bers. Ihe Right Ilenouroble Gentleman would,
no doubt, v ish that some of his particular friends
and associates should attend very punctually ; but
he wished also, that their report should have the
sanction of other highly respedable names of per
sons who could not be expected to attend. Is it
not a so one ground of suspicion, that in the form-
ation of this Committee the Right Honourable
Gentleman takes care to have them all of his own
nomination! (a ay of no! no ! ) Well the n, surely
I may call it of his own recommendation--(Nu!
No! ) Is it denied then. and are they afraid to go
to the proof ? If they pet mit me to do so, I en•
gage to prove it by even the testimony of th.•se
who are crying no at the present moment. The
Right lion. Gent. has thought proper to screen Vis-
count Meleiiie fioni this committee, and put loin in
the back ground, while be himself stands forward in
his place ; but he does it after the manner of people
playing at cards, and choosing their own trumps, so
that, in this nay, there is no possibility of loss. He
looks round him to setoff his colleagues, and the
most intimate of his several conneCtions ; but when
a charge of such a name is made against a man
higher in office, and that prefers his friends to his
adversaries, as judges, he certainly takes the safest,
though not the fairest method. A man of high
honour and feelings, when accused in this manner,
one should think, would peculiarly avoid the selec-
tion of his poiiticai fr irmds, associates, and, perhaps,
dependents; and, on this ground, I consider Lord
Castlereagh as particularly objeetionable, from his
intimacy with that Right Hon. Gent. for such a se-
ries of years ; from his being a member of the Ca-
binet, and holding a place at the will of the Crown;
Lord Dunlo is ohjeCtionable for the same reason,
of Ills being a Fineman. The Master of the Rolls
was also an Officer of the Crown, though in a situ-
mien of greater independence. Lord Castlereagh in
paricular seems to have obtained for himself a per.
po ual place. When the Right Hon. Gent. resign-
1.,s office on the ground that he was not able to
carry a Measllre which he thought essential to the
interests of the country, the Noble Lord resigned
along with him ; but soon disliking a state of inacti-
e la• joined the Administration, which declared
i.tt adverse to the principles on which he before
resigned, sn that when Mr. Pitt returned to office, he
found him there still, and from that time retained
him. 'the Noble Lord is not to be shaken by any
tempest or storm ; nothing less than an earthquake
can root him from his firm station. Either here or it:
Ireland he is equally immoveable fromofEce. Ido not
• *cense the Noble Lord of not aaing upon the princi-
ples be professes ; bat I contend that he is the most
unfit person in the world to investigate the crnidua of
man who has ever 'hewn himself to be his fiat
feiend, whether in or out of Administration. Friend-
ship I admic to be the best bond' of union between
mean and man ; but nothing can be more disqualify•
ine fir a Judge. There is also another reason which
hats( disqualify the Noble Lord for such an office.
Tie report charges the application t . Naval money
4. In purposes not Naval ; and as the Noble Lord has
himself been charged with an improper use of the
public niusey in Irelaud, he cannot be expeaed to

_

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P •
.ikr‘l
, .
.• I .
, oikk
ajopted on thlts ri )efiefts great et
It •r-iself . itile i. 01`,eit- !land, consid
tillily discredit.'. . •11. The Right tic
tleman has, foi .I.le ' ttr.t pi-A t of his lii
the political associate,
_Auld in habits of the
intimacy with Lord iTiscount Melville ; as
the guilt of the lair was declared by the
........a this House, wih yon, Sir, at its head,
It:rely steps forwakil, and boldly braves emit
•still maintains, Lat. the hands of that punt
roan
oil
are clean. This condo& together
challenging en iry into his own conditd, vi
mu 7li the air magnanimity ; hit, when
to ballot for a nmmittee, and he ttiiists on
ing them him lf, he may be assured, that.
he may succeid here, his conduct will hi
discreditable, in the opinion of die country
lie boldly tell us, .1 Yeu say I am implico
lam ready t go to trial, at any women
must have th appointment of my own di
Isti
for that pu -, shall circulate my lists,"
like a kind sham fight, where he divid
lunteers in o bodies, and maucettvres hi
Major, at die bead of rime of them. The
upon the whole, is truly ludicrous and tar