The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1806-05-15 00:00:00

pillow
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$ 314 i

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CELDIN4I, revs old, and raster of any aright ;
eanditilteer. &rode and • ha:f high, is a rery fag trotter, with
a roc,ior A 0... in all his rar, sod writ 're found a drawable
seoui.itino to any G.-ntleman that may want a better !force
than common, ler two ;unveils, as be is perfectly .teddy In
bloom. Price S i+.ty e. 131101,04.
A 1.,, a 131.tiCK MAILP, fifteen holds and an inch high ;
• capital rem no the rui,i, and .111 make au excel uit mere to
attr C:r•otlmoes rh•r I o ot• She r •rrir Speedy.
Maki her action on.l•LidO.y gird in all pert Price Thirty-
de.• Go Orr. Both wirratard snood, and free from eke.—
T.isL. showed.
To N wets et the Wlika Horse Livery Sta;ilr, Finns-
etreet, A 14evegval Own.

NKW itoo%th, I.llsitJir Etr-SMUnttk:
AIR, 13A ItTLENIAN ronst respectful', ae-
-1 vaults the eentry. and ltd rit•rnis in gr.
.lot bit ANNe.M. CC/NCI:11T will be perforated on
FittilkY NFYT, M. IG.
IThe rildatl4lll,oll Wiii boon the seine yrenrisrsle as lamyear
r., • rrukcipa Vocal Pert. by hi H. P.akz, Mrs. Vaughan,
1 .14m.ltin.eh. ; Mr 1114grporr. Mr. Goss, Mr. V.tuitt.tn,
LL !qr. Wale, Mr. Hors ly, acd Mr. 'Seiko-lan.
Litchi-Ind (which will e twiner. romnleic),
Mr Wr;etsel —tires., and Gran., Piano Pone, Mr. Grrtioreit.
Artosg 4e Principal iiinr.”.te •t.l l'erfnroie,,re !ties rs.-
Unillry, sloe: I, ‘l,ii•:t, Ling, Helmet, Kra ori„ re.
t4rll, Anew, and Signor lira,: •ocut
Mss-n. Ws* wog Can Double au, Mt,
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Ihr Ch.rnewa will ha supported by the Young Goutlerwin
of His Idajestv't Ctialiel, St. Paola, wet Wir,tiviiiiwer Ab-
T; iii 4 the Perfoiiiier. hciungiiii to the Ancient and Vocal
Caner its.
Act I. rim movement rot Grand Te Drone i-- Graun. Trost
*vie. fiont King Arilir, Mr.. Vsuitian, Mr. Kaitleoian, aril
4.'°•w --Pitmen. Sig, Matta.. Shuichi, " Row; ewe tidi
:.!'*--Iltaliu,a Re ittei to •` ULady Fair," with additional
". Pia.. iiiii4 Arc i woonirnmr., by Mr. Creatures-I'.
'Anse, 1.:..1 The F::th ll•and Codzerto.-1 Linde,. Duet,
ilfr• liat,t ,n and Mr. Sortie:last, viol Chow*, i• Tel eve
:IWw• IS ranee bred '"i—Sir J. Stor-n.on. Soo I, M a r .. ke,
. ,illo ee,to dointua to reotli."—aGufirl^ll• 4.1 - "r*
:!'"Wera. "Ti. well! out ti:weii t ie Lniii bath Itird n:iet'il ;"
"' 4 ik4,,e), • Mr • and litar.d (.11efe., ''. Glory to G.d,"
(141.00.;--tia'nr:e.'
'n t. the tine to Iterenit-e„ In whieh will be introduced
as calibrate. alr front Haruki% loteurs arranged fur a f.
t 4.114 11 Mr. (;reatyre ~ .a ode( ereert at the lain Cemeart of
..•Test Mursie—Harxial. Rae a AI Snag, Mr. Hareem.,'
''.'l lire, be.zin t'i.r•rin.".--Harshry New Gist," My
' ' '•" bog ma b ne Rye hoar," harnion!sed :or foiii .m-e..
—A, (4eatorox. Chores, " Gloria in euciil."- ''—iiltergo-
it' , ~11. Miss Parka, " ADRIAN Wet bright and f.ir "—.
S'- ''''' Weer " Daisantaoice sweet of v sod aii."•inriehho.
r S eg, lir. Sattle.iian, (so inaitat.on).—t G.r.,rar. (irani
(P""i.. !Sapp,' will.ll we le•;* rßefeele).--8e144.
I :.. 44°'S .4.1 bat Apes. as wpm. and she Coaxal cerinenea
40,:aile at ',wilt o'cliicie
.4
'l!ketti Half-a-Guinea es-h, en be had of Mr IFlrlleniao,
'''
* , 343 .4 e-irc : al. a, ire Mosic Sh•url of Mr. 1ti,•61.
, '.4 Cb-tr.-..t, and Co.
.....** No ' • , Ti.. 6. 1, v.ll 'e ie•iell timid the r00m,.l ..n We'l
5.2111111.414.
I ' T4auscali 11..1 be at the Head •4* t!..e P4ics Othi.ont. 1

ciple upon which the 1311, in the first instance, pro-
ceeded, was highly objectionable ; namely. that the
gaols were overloaded with prisoners. Were this
the case, be had reason to suppose it must be in a
great degree owing to the numbers of those,who had
voluntarily thrown themselves in, in contemplation of
such a bill as the present, and not of those who were
actually immured by their creditors. With a view
et ascertaining this, he had some time since movedfor
an account of such persons as were held in CAC/ is-
tinn, in the pi isons of the metropolis, beforeandsince
the Ist day of Michaelmas term ; and the appareot
was, that a large proportion of those persons
had been o• or rather put themselves, into prison,
for the benefit of an Insolvent Ad, since Michael-
term. Out of 204 persons confined in New-
gate, 1'27 had been committed since the Ist day of
Michaelmas term. Iu the prison of Ludgate, 23
persons, of whom 16 were committed since the
Same period. In' that of the Poultry, 31, out of
v..itim 20 were in the same predicament. In the
Fleet, where the residence was more convenient,
and where many may be said to be dvrnirilad, there
were 286, out of which 194 were put in since Mi-
chaelmai term. In the King's Beach, 603, out of
whom 927 had thrown themselves in since the pe-
riod he had mentioned. In this view of the case,
their Lordships would have seriously to consider
the situation of the creditors ; the injurious cense-
queareseltich must ensue to them by such a measure
as the present, and which, in many instances, must
bare the effect of placing them in the very situation of
their debtors at presets,. It was not only the cre-
ditor who was injured, but even the debtor himself,
by the natural consequences of frequent enactments
of this kind, as leading him into a habit of contract-
ing debts from time to time, which otherwise he
would avoid: and were the consequences consi-
dered on a larger scale, especially with reference to
the very frequent passing of insolvent bills of late
years, the measure must be regarded as still more
objectionable. In thus expressing his sentiments,
he meant not in the slightest degree to attribute
any improper motives to the Noble Lord who pro-
posed the present bill; on the contrary, he thought
him actuated by the must lo.tiourable and humane
feelings.
1 he Duke of NORFOLK argued for the pro-
priety of the Bill going into a Committee. There
nose many creditors, he observed, who gave credit
with suds a degree of facility, that they were not at
all to be pine& That numbers of those who had
petitioned, might have voluntarily thrown them-
selves into prison, may he true ; but then it was as
certain, that many of them were put in by their
creditors; and the situation of these should be dis-
criminated (ions that of the fraudulent debtor. In
every point of view, he thought it preferable, that
the Bill should go at least to a Committee.
Lerd HOLLAND, in defending the measure
then ,under consideration, adverted to what trans-
pired, shortly ravines to, and et the first bring-
ing in of the Bill. His Noble Friend below him
(tee I.arl of Moira) who, much to his honour, had
so frequently come forward oo occasions of the
kind, had stated, that from the pressure of his of-
ficial avocations, and the period of the Sessions, he I
could not with propriety undertake to bring for-
ward any aruelkosatiot of the system of these laws,

which on all hand• were allowed to be incomplete,
and, to want revision; but had agreed with him in
the propriety of bringing forward a temporary Bill,
to remedy existing grievances, in the interval. Un-
der these impressisins, he came forward himself
with the present Bill ; it was drawn up according
to preceding Bills, generally; but care was taken,
that no novel pros isions should obtain in it, espe-
cially in favour of the debtor ; it was far from an-
swering all those purposes which maygbe ripened
even from a limited measure of the kind. It was
the duty of their Lordships, on such an occasion, to
coosider not the situation of the creditor or the
debtor singly, but to consider thelituatitto of both.
He denied that of Late years Bills of the kind were
remarkably freq.seat e in an eedy pose of the pre-
sent reign, they certainly were; in the years 1764, 66,
7t, 74, 76, 78 and 1781, there were insolvent debt-
on' Bills ; they were then not only more frequent,
but more extensive in their provisions, than ot late
years ; the present contained a clause, subjeßieg the
future property of the debtor to the payment of his
debts. Stress had been laid on the consideration of the
fraudulent debtor ; but the debtor who was not
fraudulent, but unfortunate, was lost sight of. They
should consider that this person was placed in a si-
tuation where he could never exert himself for the
purpose of liquidating his lawful debts. Stress was
also laid upon the frequency of Bills of this kind ;
it should be considered, however, that for debtors of
a very different description, there was a code of
laws of a very different nature ; he meant those ap-
plying to the cases of opulent merchants, trades-
men, Bcc. Those laws afforded to a man the means
of declaring himself insolvent, paying a certain
poundage upon his debts, after which his future
property was cleat, and exclusively his own ; and
these laws were not only perpetual, but more ex-
tensive in their operation, than any temporary Act
of this kind ever professed to be. In this point of
view, he meant not to cen•.ure the code of laws to
which he alluded. He believed they contributed
more effectually to preserve the credit of the
country, than those laws which regarded the con-
cerns of inferior debtors could do. With respect to
the idea, that the operation of the Bill would drive
the creditor into the present situation of his debtor,
be contended, such an argument, if worth any thing,
cut both ways, and eventually would prove as
favourable to the objects of the Bill, as it could
possibly operate against them. He did not con-
ceire it fair to go so far back as the Ist day of Mi-
chaelmas term, as a period when debtors probably
had the prase •t measure in contemplation :—No ;
he thought the Noble and Learned Lord should
not have gone fezther back than the day Rios
the intention was leee spoken of in that
House; neither did he conceive the re-
levance to the state of the prisons in the
capital only, to be a fair criterion of judging
in those respeAs. The measure proceeded upon no
limited or contiseed principle, such as had been
retorted to, but one which he could as safely sub-
mit to the cool judgments, as put to the hearts and
feelings ot the Noble Members of that House.—
I•hey could never think of continuing the punish-
ment of a number of innocent persons, because
there might be All espial, or possibly greater num-
ber of guilty ones blended among them ; they
should also retied, that the greater the number of
persons immured, whether guilty or not, must in-
crease the hardships, the sufferings, and the miseries
of those who were innocent. On these various
grounds, be trusted their Lordships would be in-
duced to ..11ow the Bill to go into a Committee,
when any Noble Lord who might conceive any par-
ticular provision as bearing hard against creditors,
might argue for its modification and amendment ;
and in a discussion of this kind, he should cheat-
fully contribute every assistance in his power.
Lord ELDON observed, he must have been
greatly misconceived, if he were represented as
being always an enemy to Bills of this description.
At one period he was rather forward in supporting
them, but acquired experience had convinced him ut
the injurious tendency And effeAs, generally spear-
ing, of me.tsures of the kind. One great consider-
ation was, that some general rule stonild be suffered
to obtain, in order that the creditor may know,
what, in his dealings, with respect to giving credit,
he had really to depend on. When looking at the
situation of the unfortunate debtor, no man could
feel more compassion than he did ; and sorry should
he be, were he instretnental in gratifying, on behalf
of any person, any feeling of revenge. But in a
commercial country like thiS, general principles
should be considered, especially with respeA to
Bills of this kind. But what did the preamble set
forth i A principle, referring to the mere state of
the prisons; a false principle in any point of view,
but especially so in a commercial country; to
him it appeared monstrous. With rasped to the
effen of the bankrupt laws, alluded to by the
Noble Loud who spoke last, there were some
considerations, as comparative with these laws of
creditor and debtor, to which the Bill referred,
which seemed to be overlooked. The merchant or
opulent trader cannot expzrie ce the protettion of
tee lows adverted to, without the consent of a cer-
tain number of his creditors. The insolvent or
fraudulent debtor may voluntarily go into prison,
in the contemplation of such an aft as die present,
while no execution could diminish his property out-
side, as long as he remained in prison. In the sys-
tem of the bankrupt laws, the party may give up
clearly all he possessed, and yet be prevented by one
or tw•o individual creditors from taking the benefit
of the bankrupt laws. In saying this, he did not
mean to speak in approbation of that part of the code
alluded to. He agreed with the Noble Lord, it was
their duty to consider both sides of thequeation ; but he
could not help thinking it a false bonnty,were the I.e-
gislature to say to the creditor, that, without his coo-
sent, after acting under the protection, and in the
confidence of those laws which tended to secure the
payment of what was due to if rn—withoot you
consent, we w.ll oblige yea to liberate your debtor,

without any consideretion ; fot it costs thee Lord
ship, no money to f re such detect fr m his debts ;
and the consequence of such a measure may be, that
agaiust the test Insolvent 11.11, the lot user crederr
may endeavour to take the benefit of it heniselt.
He believed that before th .se insolvent bills became
frequent, many debts, deemed hopeless, were at
length paid. He thought a general principle should,
in such cases, preponderate ; but that they sever
should proceed upon such a false pi inciple as that
held forth by t'se present Bill. Suppose, were the
property vested in assignees, and proceeding upon
some general piinciete, brit ever that should tee
dune piospeflively, they should procivd cautiens:y
in a case of the hind. It a regulation could. be sug-
gested under the principle to which hr allude.;, he
would give his best assistance in digesting and ma-
turing It. N., man could feel more than himself
with respell to cases of real misfertune ; and he ad-
verted to the consideration., that p debtor once
taken in execution, the circumstance of his being let
go, operated as a satiataftion for the debt ; that Ilia
remedy against property and person were bat gone,
it he were once let nut of prison ; with resp. ft to
these, the Noble and Learned Lord seemed to think
it a question, whether a principle should not obtain
so as to amend the law us these repefts
The Earl of MOI RA observed, it had been an
objeft with him, for many years, t•o ert.cere some
general legislative provisions, whet Would obviate
the necessity of recurring, as a temeorary. or par-
tial remedy, to these measures, the effects of which,
the Noble and Learned Lords complain of His
Noble Friend behind him (Lord Holland) had cur-
reelly stated the chcumstatices which gave riser°
the present measure. With respell to the principle
and object on which he theught arid wished the
measure should proceed, was that of inquiry and
discrimination ; the motive was the desire to relieve
those who.e situation precluded the capacity of
paying their debts from absolute inability.—Did the
insolvency arise from causes founded in orolligneys
or dissipation, it would be a principle of false
humanity; nay, recta of dish. may, to e. dea-
your to relieve it. Alt equal attention should
most unquestionably be paid to the interests of
creditor and debtor. Much was said respeitins
the majority of the persons confined, the, eine -
themselves into prison, to participate the benefit
of an Act of the kind. As to the real fact. 1.
knew not; but if they had done so, thee did no
only that which was natural, but •hat which was
just ! The principle of inquiry mid discrimination,
should above all thirsts obtain in a measure of this
kind ; not only the amount, but the nature of the
deist should be considered ; the prospect of being
able or unable to pay, and the causes of ruck ina-
bility, which could only be found by an investiga-
tion into the conduct of the pris•titer. If unai..e.
and such a result to proceed from einevotelrblo
misfortune, it was certainly repugnant to every
principle of humanity or of 1411', that such a
man should be kept in prison, mere v for his inabia
lity to pay ! He would ask the Noble and l.eained
Lords what interval they thought should tike
place between Bills of In•olveucy Aud also
their notions respecting the length of coafine-
ment such a debtor should suffer? What prin-
ciple was to arbitrate. its cases of the kind ?
Length of imprisonment, in such a case, brought
into his mind two cases of criminal law, an accunnt
of which he had lately seen in the newspapers ; the
verdiels in both were manslaughter. One was
case where a man, by kicking or beating his servant
maid, incuced her death ; the other was the case of
the serjeent, who wcundrd a soldier so severely with
a halbert, as eventually to deprive him of lite ; its
both these cases the charge was murder, and the
prisoners narrowly escaped cenvinion ; but the ver.;
dins were as he had stated. In both cases, viewing
the intention, lie believed the decisions of the jury
were just. fhe puirishment for these off.nces of
manslaughter was one year's imprisonment. He
would ask. whether or not one year's imprisonment
was thanght sufficient for debtors of the description
ta which he alluded ? lie again insisted on the pro.
ptiety of examination into particular cases: if the
d-tnor we, e found to be guilty of fraudulent prac-
tice., let him be punished for it 1 The obs-rvation
of the Lammed Lord oepost,e, with respect to
the powers of individual creditors, under the
Bankruet laws, was, he contended, a stromt argu-
ment in favour of of his conclusions, that the pre-
sent Debt-e Laws wanted correchen, upon a gene-
ral and permanent principle; but until such could
be brought about, ssould it be just or humus, to
tell the innocent and unfortunate debtor, that iset
must remain in prison till next session? To say ,hat
the majority of persons confiaed,were guilty or f. ets-
dulent debtnrs.was asserting too much ; but, on the
other hand, /se was justified, equilly UA at, princi-
ples of Christian cberity and of Briti,h jurispru-
dence in saying, none of them were so, because h•
had a right to assume that all men were toe
nocent, until they were proved guilty ! To
keep an insolvent and unfortunate Deotor in 1
prison, merely for his incapacity to pay, was as
insult to, and a mockery of, all justice! %Vial re-
spect to the petitions against the del, from their
tenor and import, those who framed them, must Kaye
misapprehended its principle. It was even the in-
terest of the creditors themselves, that the Bill
should be no longer deferred, as so much the longer
as the consideratiors to which he referred were
postponed, as much the worse it would be for the
creditors. Upon the whole. he should not consider
himself as voting justly, it he did out vote for the
Bal.

Lord ELLENBOROUGH, in explanation, con.
tended, that the Bill went to set all at urge, in the
grass—that it contained no principle of dr.crimina-
tion in the respects alluded to.
The question was then put, when a division rock
place, and there appeared, For going into a COM.
Mee 10 - A aea • t it-s—Majority 5.
Their Lordihips then went into the Committee. p'
forme ; and, after a short cwersatiun ACless ald

t i 7 le, between stime of the Veers, the llonie re- 1
,•,,med, and the Committee were oidercd io sii again.
t.;..rnorrow.
•
An attested Copy cf the proceedings '1 lithe Ec-
C. - iastical Couits, touching the case, being duly
i .. 1 before the House. a Bill to dissolve the mar-
- -

iage.betvreen Henry Simpson, Esq. and Henrietta
ke..7bara, Its now wife, was read a fist time, and
:ered to read a second time to•morrow fort-
: 1-,
4cht, and the Lords summoned thereon.—Ad-
torue,d Lill to-morrow.
-

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
s—wori
A Message from the Lnrds informed the Howe, that their
1.:,-,l,•isna would proceed further in the Trial of Henry Vis-
e-noir etas Ile, to•mnerow morning, at ten o'clodc.
A from the Excise presented, at the Sir, an Account
Quantity of Spirits distilled in Ireland, pursuant to the
lTd .r of the House.
r Minnie Continuance Biil went through a Committee,
the re:.int was received a: el agreed to, and the Bill ordered to
be read a third time to-morrow.
Lord How ick brought up the report of the Consmitree en
r Lord Nelson's Artbruty 13iii, which was agreed to, acrd a Bill
[ • ordered thereon.
The reports of the Irish Debenture Eill and thee Irish Tree-

soil Bills Bill were severally brought up, read and agreed to,
and !sash Bills ordered to be read a third time to-morrow.
COMMITTEE OF' SIMPLY.
mt. VA NSITTAR V inctircd the Order of the Day for the
Ilmase to resolve itself into a Cumniittee of Supply, which
being reed—
Mr Aldarmas ANDERSON moved " that the report of the
CniTlOlitteo on the Petition of the Trioees of Bethlem Iles-
, pital, be referred to the said Committee."--Ordered.
The Howie then resolvent itaerf into a Committee of Supply
' (Mr. Alevander in the Chair), in which it was resolved to vent
tho mint of to,on I clear et all totes or de.duCti.ns, towards
%she Maintenance and Repairs of the said Hospital —The report
was e. defied to be iscsovial SO lilOllOW.
The Irish Stamp Duty Bill, the Irish Distillery Regulation
B 11, and the Irish Sugar anJ Tee Bill We ISAAC/11y read a first
„ and wileree to be read a second time on Friday.
It was ordered, on the motion of Lord H PETTY, that so
much of His Maanty's Mensal/a as relates t.. the SAM of
120,0001. to be granted to the use of the Family of Lott' Nell
eon be referent so the Committee of Sh,)ply en Friday.
The Irish Bank Annu.tv 8.11.e/sot through' Committee,and
the repott war radercd to be received to.n.,rrow.
Mr. rABNEI, moved for a.l Acco:int of at Ir'sh Bank
Motes in cireulation (torn the lot of Feb. Ighb, to the Itt of
IFeb. 1606, th4tiaighishing tl.orre under .51. A;.o for a similar
Arc,u't of F.ngtvit Busk Notes during the same period, and
with the same distiniSion —Oodered.
ito the motion of Lord 11 PE ITY, the Committee of Ways
and Means was &Ferrol to Frulay.
EARL OF ST. VINCENT.
Mr..TKPFEBY (Poole) slid, he new rose in ppm-
suango of the notice he had given, to call the atten-
tion of the House to the papers he meant to slab-
:Mr -to them, in order in substantiate his charge
arakilse Earl St. Vincent for culpable negleEt and
mismanagement, during the time he lately pre-
sided at toe head of the Board of Admiralty, for
doing which, he some till% ago pl.dged himself to
tie Howe and to the country. At the time he first
g i.v • notice, of his intention to bring forward this
ehargelshe had informed the House, ,that he did it
without baring had any consultation with any per-
son whatever cn the subjefl, and was solely itn-
yelled to what he did from a sense of duty, and
I added to that, the repeated very extraordinary, and,
I he Oilseed, ill-timed panegyrics, so copiously be-
-1 stowed omhim, by those who called themselves his
friend', in that House. He thought it the more ne-
.cessary to do this at the time, as the country was
1 threatened with an invasion, and every neglea and
mismanagement in a department on which the most
iimportant and vital interests of the counts y so crili-
• cally depended, could not be ton soon pointed out,
nor toe soon seriously attended to by that House.
He did, therefore, from a sense of duty, cheer-
fully undertake the task of- bringing for ward
an investigation into the condua of the Noble
Earl ; though, when he so undertook it, he
was by no means aware the subjed was of
.
such magnitude, extent, and importance, as he had
since found it to be. He had frequently wished this
!treat cause had faPen into hands more able to do
justice to it ; hut, having once set his shoulder to
the wheel, he had given it the utmost attention and
eansicit ration. and, as Le proceeded, lie found he
- bad been daily acquiring addition-. 1 strength, and
hoped and trusteil he should be able to Make good
his charge, to tl.e entire satisfatlion of the House
and the public. Before he proceeded to addsce
any positive and aflual charge against F:arl St.
Vincent, for his negleti cf keeping up an efficient
and powerful navy, he begged leave to refer to
what had been done by his predecessors in office,
and from thence to shew whether he had at all fol-
lowed their steps, and whether he had done all in
his power to contribute to the maritime defence of
the country, according to its particular nature and
.situation. It appeared, then, that during the peace
before the last war. the predecessors of Earl St.
Vincent had made the greatest excl.:ions to build
and repair snips is His Majesty's dock-yards,
as well as the 51trehants% yards t that there
were, immedia•ciy before that war broke out,
100 sail of the line. besides friptes ; and many
more could speedily have been provided for
*final service, an the year 17r3. rhai-in thl:
course of Oat time, 42 ships of the line and 45
frigates ha 3, been actually built ; and that out
of the 45 frigates, the Admiralty had been in-
debted for 37 to merchants' yards. He then
stated, that from 3an'.1793, to 1801, there had been
built 113 sail of the line and 43 frigates ; that during
the same period, there were 31 sail of the line and
36 frigates, all captured ships, which had been put
in commission; and that, on the 18th of February,
1801, when Earl St. Vincent came into office, there
were 13 sail ef the line on the stocks; torte in the
King's yards ; and six in the merchants yards;
that he had neglected every mode of foslwarsling
• their completion . that he never launched one single
ship of the line is the King's yards, from 1301 to
1304, and had totally forbidden every kind of con-
nection with due merchants' yards; and though his
predecessors had left him so many ships of the line
and frigates, he left his successor only 10 sail of the
line and 9 frigates, which was not one half the num-
ber left him by his predecessors, tho' he had a time of
peace to do it in. He made a similar statement
respecting frigates, 4 in the King's yards, and 7 in
she merchants' yards, all lett oa the stocks by his 1-: r-
' he - ' - 'lg, have equalled
ny degree; on the
ing at ail: and his
exertion, neces-
tooting, as to keep
ikeiet efforts of

our enterprising and inveterate ene!nr. Hew, he
ailttiovould the House and the country view the
culp
° neglea pf the Noble Earl, when he stated
to thllin that in three years and three months, ha
had only added' three ships to our navy, when he
should have added thirty-nine ; and when even
those he had laid down, were owing to the clamours
rlised within that House, and without its walls,

through the whole country, in consequvnce of the
visible negle.:l of the navy, and the alarm o;:ca•
signed thereby. When he qiitted the situation of
First Lord of the Admiralty, he left only one fri-
gate on the stocks ; nine indeed were ordered, but
there was only one in any degree of forwardness ;
when the country was fortunately relieved from
this state of alarm and anxiety, by the Noble
Earl's going out of of ice. Having thus shewn that
Earl St. Vincent had not made all the exertions he

ought to have done, for the purpose of increasing
and adding to the strength of Oe navy, it ;night
not be improper to inquire whether he had not the
same power which his predecessors had ?—whether
there were any pzrticular impedirneats which pie-
chided him hem doing so, more than they had to
encounter ?—and whether our enemies were, during
that time, employed only in building those cockle-
shells, of Which an Hon. Admiral (Markham) had
then spoken so facetiously ?—and whether all these,
taken together, were not deserving the attention of
the House, and of the country ? There were added
sixty-six sad of the line between 1793 and 1801 ;
and during Earl St. Vincent's Administration only
fourteen sad of the line were added, which bore no

kind of comparison ; and he appealed to the House,
whether, under the circumstances in which he

found the navy. and the circumstances the country
was in, the Noble Earl had any reasonable ground
to suppose that no exertions on his part were neces-
sary to increase and strengthen that part of our de-
fensive syszeux, which was.univer,ally looked on as
the natural bulwark of the cotintty ? What was
most extraordinary was, that the Noble Earl ac-
tually thought the reverse of this—he owned, from
his first coming into offi.:r. that there was the most
urgent necessity for the exertion of every effort to
increase the navy, and to add to its strength, by
every possible means; and, in the various convet-
setions he had with the Comptroller of the tf.tvy,.
and other official persons in different departaiims,
he endeavoured to impress nn them ele neeeitity Of
building ships as speedily as possible; and if than
appeared in them the smallest doubt or difference
of 'opiriou, I.e always combated them with a
considerable degree of reproach. Here the Hon
Gent. read a very long letter frorriSir A. Hammond
to Earl St. Vincent, his Lordship's answer, and Sir
A. Hammord's reply, dated the Ist of January
1802, upon this suhjeeti; by which it appeared that
his Lordship had formed a strong opinion in favour
of increasing the navy by building new ships. The
, House weuld then be astonished, he said, after hear:

ing those letters, to find that, even after the war bad
begun, his Lordship did not endeavour to build -.lay
ships, and he continued to pursue t'at culpable neg-
ligence, during the whole time he remainej in office.
It had been asserted that his objections were confined
to the Merchants' yards ; but, supposing those to
have existed formerly, he koew what they were M
1802 ; and if he had changed his mind, why not build
as speedily as he could in the King's yards? By the
papers called for by an Hon. Admiral, there will
appear a speculative argument used as to ships in
the King's yards ; in which they go so far as to
say, that .50 ships may be built in the King's yards
in a year; but those arguments he kneiv to be fat-.
lacious and deceptive. 'l'his, however, was not the
cause of our navy not being increased ; there Was
no want of ships ; the want lay in another curter.
His Lordship had wantonly discharged the work-
men from the different dock-yards belonging to
the King. and great numbers of them had gone to
obtain employment in the dock-yards of our impla-
cable enemy. His haughty and overbearing conduct
had disgusted all ranks, and sent them awayby scores;
so that in a short time after Le came into Office,
there were in our Dock-yards neither shipwrights,
to work, nor timber to work upon ; which Mr.
.leffery said was another, and.' further proof of the
Noble Earl's criminal neglect. There was,.
within a month of issuing presswarrants, a letter
from the Dock-yard, requiring various articles of
timber to complete the Hibernia, Impthieux, War-
rior, Terri 34 and Ftspiard. complaining heavily,
and seriously that they were altogether destitute of
m any, very important and abseilutely necessary ar-
ticks, and -particularly that very essential one of
.knees. This was also the case in almost all the other.
King's yards ; a lack of every necessary article pre-
vailed every where. Great stress, he said, had been
laid on many occasions on the Deptford Yard, which
was said to be the standard, for order, 'regulatity,
' and every other requisite for well providing the
navy ; but there also the same s7sttm of poverty
was predominant, and by a letter from that yard,
it appeared, about that time, there was not timber
enough .to answer the repairs requires for the 'lean)
.Sferi'ie. Such was the state of the different dock-
yard;, with respett to so essential an article to the
maintenance and prosperity of our navy, as tim-
ber, even after the war had commenced ; and he
thought he I ad sufficiently proved that part of
the charge. He then stated. that owing to the
unfortunate and capricious temper of the Noble
Earl. he had negleeted various opportunities of
making contrads in the Merchants'yards, till he was
at list compelled, trim the absolute necessity of
baildsng, to give .!3tii. a ton, which was 21. .51. ex-
ceedia4 the estimates of the Surveyors of the Navy,
by which there was a loss incurred to the country
of upwards of 200,0001. ; and in many cases, the
Noble Earl had changed his mind so often, and
aeled with such extraordinary caprice, that his con-
due" in several instances was chargeable with a
breach of faith. In short, his negkets and mis-
managements were beyond what had ever been
kni,wn in that must important department, and`had
plated our navy in such a state, as made it a most
arduous undertaking for hi. immediate successors,
who had Wand an absolute necessity to strain every
nerve, and to use their utmost exertions, in order
to recover that dreadful state of debility and weak-
ness to which our navy had been reduced. That
great statesman, Lord Melville, and after him Lord
Barham, had, by pursuing plans of unremitting
v .;ilance and atilvity, revived and increased, and in
tai aCtually saved our navy, by their uncommon
exertious. If Earl St. Vincent's contrafted nancnr

system bad been persisted in, the of this
country would not•have had s the gtroud and pre-
eminent gratification of congratulating themselves
the 'glorious viaory obtained over the Combined
Beets, in the ever-to-be-remembered battle of Tra-
falgar —ot en the subsequent noble exploits. cOtfafl'f-
! honourable to those who achieved them ; he meant
the vi Tories of Sir it. Strachan and Sir J. T.
Duckworth—the taking of the Message end sins-
Belk Poulc---and our blockading squadrons riding
triumphant, and proudly defying our combated
enemies to come out of their blockaded piirts. In.
stead of these noble achievements, instead of the
complete demolition of the Combined Fleets, there
is but too .much reason to dread they would; ere
now, have been able to,aint their united efforts
against out own shores; and we might, perhays,
have been obliged to submit to must degrading
terms. He did not mean to condemn the plans
of reform or economy which the Noble Earl had
set on foot, nor that of Naval Inquiry ; but
only the narrow-minded schemes which he had em-
ployed for the increase of the navy, which had been.
approved by none but the brother of the Mater of
Plymouth dock-yard, and not by the Commissioners
of the Navy Board, or any other official depart-
ment. They had offered to second his endeavours
by assisting tam in any thing he should suogest ;
but he declined to suggest any thing, as he would
not render himself liable to the least responsibility.
Strange, however, it was to tell, that the Noble Earl
Cid not build more than two ships and a half of the
line, during his White administration. He could
not, he said, leave this part of the subjeat, without
informing the Haase, that the state of the navy re-
quired the utmost vigilance and aaivity of exertion,
both in building and repairing ; and he could not
help cautioning the Noble Earl, now at the head
of the Admiralty, to beware of treading in the
steps of the Noble Earl who was then the subjea of,
debate, if he wished to add to his own reputation,
or to the efficiency, strength, and glory of the navy.
He next adverted to the repairs, which, lie said, un-
der the Administration of Earl St. Viucenr, were
going to ruin, thougn he must have been swam c of
the necessity of great repairs at the conclusion rf so
ter, Active a o ar. He then stated the several
degrees of repairs, which were 7 in number, begin-
ning with the higher, under the title by which it
ages known a: the dock-yarils, of o very large
repairs," and were; on with the gradation, to the
seventh, under the head of tt very little repairs."
He stated the average prices of eases repair, And as-
serted that Earl St. Vincent had ordered no repairs,
except of ships which required little er nothing to
be none to them, and only 80 sail of the line in all,
though be knew there were 120 in want of them.
Taos. ships which required " very large repairs,"
would cost, on an average, 13,00111. while those re-
gairing " very little repairs," would cost only 25001.
which was the reason that in that branch of the Na
val Service the Noble Earl expended only 118,0001.
whereas, had he repaired all the ships that stood in
need of it, the cost would amount to 918,0001.
which vras,upon the whole, expending no mole shim
one-eighth of -what was requisite for the service id a
year and a 1141 f. The Noble Earl, he said, was
so supine in the execution of his duty, that he was
not awakened to the danger to which the Navy was
exposed by his condua, till two minithkbefore the
press-warrants were aflualty issued. This he con-
sidered to be the more inexcusable, as from the roe-
respontleoce of our Nliaisters with those of Franco,
he might have anticipated the certainty of a new war.
The sondua, however, of the Noble Earl, in these
circumstances, wag to put the navy in ordinary,
to disband the sailors, and dismiss a number of the
anthicers, who were at sally at this time in the dock-
yards of the enemy. Ile also ordered several ships
to be broken up, and the materials disposed of ;
particularly hemp, to the *moons of 700 tons,
which was sold for 101. a ton ; though in the done
following, we were obliged to buy hemp of the some
quality, at the tate of 521 a ton ; and what made it
worse Was, that all the hemp that was sold went to
supply the navy of the enemy. It might naturally
.be es-paled that the Noble Earl would have taken
care that our naval prepatations should be in pro-11
portion to those of the enemy, but that also was
negleEted. At the conclusion of the last year of the:-
war, we had in commission 100 ships of the line ;
and in a tear and a-halt alter the Noble Earl came
into office, it was true that we bad l'2o ships cif. the
line ; but, fur that, no credit was due to the Noble
Earl, as we were i .debted for them to Lord
Spencer, who very prudently proposed them in•
contemplation of die rupture which afterwards
took place with the Northern Powers. Nothing,
however, could more Cully prove the neglea of the
navy Snider his administration ; than that, when he
quitted the Admiralty, we had no more than 86
ships of the line ; and he was informed from such
authority as he could not doubt, that the represen-
tations made by the officers 'dative to the state of
many of those ships, had not been attended .
His successors, Lowevet, soon alter found memsa to
increase their number to ItsB ships of the line. The
uext subjea whisth the Honourable Gent. dwelt
upon, was the state of the supply of timber. All
the predecessors amid successors of the Noble klatl
made such arrangements as never allowed any to
be wanting, but he alwed time quality of the timber
to be employed in the dock-yards, in such a manner,
and so great a quantity of that brought in was re-
!used, that the umber-merchants openly declared,
they found it impossible to obtain a sutliciency of that
which would be taken. It may indeed be said, the sup-
ply in the former war was managed in A collusive
manner, but that he totally denied. fir admitted that
before the Noble Earl's time, thete was snore bad
timber in the yards, but it was only paid for a:-
cording to its quality, and was found very applica-
ble to the use. for which it was employed. Even
the Navy Board itself declared. that the clock-yards '
would have been better supplied with timber, but
for the interference of the Board of Admiralty. Such
was the state of things when Earl St. Vincent
quitted the Admiralty ; and he maintained, that it
was only by that event that the Navy of Great Britain
was saved from total destruaion. He had farther
to add, that while the Noble Earl was :n office,
the annual average consumption of ti.--*ter was
34,000 loads; and, in the last year, it was reduced
to only 17,003. As he had haslet to confined him-
self wholly to a statettsent of teds, he hoped the
'louse would now' pet mit /limn to add one or two.
observations: Never, in his °planar, did the naval

..-'~..

•
history of this country exhibit such instances of
criminal neeleCt and mismanagement, as during
the admit:it:molt-in of Earl Sr. Vincent ; and lar
was convinced, that had that Noble Eart rem:tined
much longer in office, the glory, honour, and since
of the British navy, must have sunk fur ever. So
far from laying the foundation of the navy, as
his advocates ostentatiously pretended, he had done
-wore to injure it than any other man whatever ;
and, therefore, it appeared extraordinary, that ever,
%%bite such charges were impending over him, he
war elevated to the highest and most extensive cow-
ma:,d that was ever given to any naval officer of
this country. In saying this, he was very far from
calling itt question the qualities of the Noble Eat],
it, his pi etcssion, as a naval officer; but he did not
think that any professional merit, however rare,
could he pleaded as a set-off against misconded
such as his, in his civil administration. If the laurels
of the Noble Earl were blasted, it was nut done ly
• him ; he owed it to the rash precipitation cif his own
cnndurl. He was satisfied that the Etas he sub-
mitted to the House could not be disputed ; and t!
the House should not agree to his motion, he
consider it to proceed from an opinion that the sub-
jed Mti• not in itself of sufficient importance to be'
discussed. He then concluded with expressing his
acknowledgments to the House for the patience and
indulgence with which he was heard, and atter hay-
ing read 4 very long string of resolutions, embracing
every topic adverted to in his speech, moved," that
these motions be referred to a Committee."
The SPEAKER asked him what was the motion
he meant to make?
Mr. JEFFERY replied, that he took up this rAtt-
jeCl in corsmon with the merchants conne&ad with
the supply of the navy. With the opinicup he en-
tertained, when he heard the panegyrics bestowed
by the advocates of Earl St. Vincent, in his admi-
nistration, he was led, before he was aware of the
magnitude of the undertaking, to commit himself.
iu bringing forward this charge. He did nut wise
to press the matter further than was necessary for
his own consistency and justification. lie did not
think the Noble Earl deserving of the encomiums
bestowed upon him ; and he had moved tor pa-
pers which would justify his opinion. Not beicg
conversant with the Corms of the House on such oc-
casions, he should follow whatever courseithe House
should think proper to point out to him. If it wet •
thought to be the proper measure, he should MoVe,
•• that these Resoiutions be referred to a Commit-
tee."

lhe SPE A K ER acquainted him, that no question
could be put in that way, as what his called ICAJ-
lutions," were not yet upon the table.
Mr. JEFFERY then moved, .• that the soleral
papers presented to the Hearse respecting (he cc,.-
duct of Earl St. Vincent, whilst he WAS Fr -t,
Lord of the Admiralty, be referred to a Com-
mittee."
Mr. DEN I' seconded the motion, but wished re
haie it underatood, that in doing so, he did we
pledge himself to any thing. His only wish VA(.,
that the coleation should be before the House Lill).
and set at rest in one way or other.
The SPEAKER said, that before he put ..7e
question, he wished to call the attention o: the
House to the forms of i:. The Nun. Get-tier/lan
made a long Speech, not bearing upon his present
motion. It was not the pleasute of the House t a
interrupt hno but the conduct was highly improper ;
and his reason for mentioning it at present, was, to
express the hope that no such practice sho-uld
continued.
Vise. 1-10 WICK said, he did not rise to enter ir.'o
any debate, but to observe on the course of the pro-
ceedings ; he should, perhaps, have no objection to
discussing the resolutions now, and only wished to
know of the Hon. Gentleman, whether he meant to
move his resolutions in the Committee, supomiag
the House entered into it ?
Mr. JEFFF.RY replied, that he was not so well
acqoainted with the forms, as to know praciody ho
what course he ought to proceed. He had already
discharged the duty he had undertaken, an.i dismiso
ed the load from his shoulders. It now : eitiaiced
with the House to dispose of the subjea as they
may think proper, as he would acquiesce in what-
ever may be suggested to him.
Vise. HOWICK lamented that the Hon. Geol.
did not set out with telling the House what it ,••,
he meant to du. He had adopted the unusual
estraordidary mode of reading a written speech, aai
making a motion to which his speech had IsJ threat
application. He said he was content, d with geu:.;,.;
A %wallets off his shoulders, but should remember iA
himself imposed it on them. As the Speech was
already written, and in a state to be published, per-
haps that may be the design of its delivery, and for
that reason, he should recommend to the friends of
the Noble Earl, in whose character he also felt a
high degree of interest, to take the debate upon the
present motion, that the charge and the answer
mayago forth together.
Mr. JEFFERY said, that if that was the wish 6
the Noble Lord, he should be well pleased to
immediately into the discussion.
• The que.tion being then put,
Admiral MARKHAM said, that in rising tc
repel what he conceived to be a most uafounded
charge, he had- principally to regret that it had
not fallen into abler hands. In the task he under-
took to perform, he was sensible that he laboured
tinder many difficulties, of which it was 'not the
'cut, that, before this night, he knew not in what
channel the attack would rum Had he been-ap-
prised of it, he should have saved the House the
trouble of moving for voluminous papers, which he
did not now consider very essentially necessary. Ile
had not these resolutions communicated to him till
about 12 o'clock this day, and had not since time
to read them, as he vas generally engaged in Offi-
cial duty in the espartmeat to which he belonged.
from 9 e'clock in the morning till 6 in the evea•
ing. In his comparative statements, the Hoe.
Gent. had told the House, that no less than t`ti
sail of the line were either built or taken, fraa
the year 1795, *hen the war commenced,
the end of April, 1801, when Earl St. Viticoa
bec •to Fine Lord of the Admiralty, and that se
equal portion had not been built or taken duria
his Administration. The House, however, 'v.,'
see, that nothing coals' be more unfit'. than to ie
elude, in this general estimate, the number of ca`
tuned vessels. There could be ao comparisoti b
tween the former years and those in %%Licit

she merchants' yards, ail lett us the:
decessors, and he mighr,by building
c so cut
tu, rA
rbyi t t t
he had
hl
dd
done
done so
next
t o ins n
co
tahi
successors found all their possible
sit y rut tl.e navy en such afa
race w.. 11 au ca.ra.:sliaary Assl