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

R !Ire gr ail, uSe of the Country.
rer i.cd a greater rnistortur.e befal the ci,nivny
thin that the aimiiiistrat-it wh;cli Earl Si. Vin.
cent w:s a prorn,nent member,. did not cortinue
lerng enough to cone& a'l the abuses of which they
ha.; temtemplated the remedy. (Row: kr. r
The last two appointments made by a Noble Lord
(Barham) in the naval depaittnent,lie was very 'crry
to find, 1!I accorded with the swam of E• 01 St.
Vinceint, of puttirg cotore•ent perschls ;ru,.
which rtad placed that Nobleman on an rnint•nce,
*here he wns not to be iijured by the Attacks of his
tspotmerits.
Lord C.kRETES and Mr. DENT explained.
Mr. BAS PA RD vindicated the condua of irl
M. Vincent, as to the discharges which he had
occasioned in the docktyards, where the artificers
bad arrived to a pitch of licientitntsntss which was
above all law, civil or military. Those Then, he
said, on being discharged, went to Brert, is French
principles were nintn accnedant 16 their n*n ; and
he thontrht thanks were due to three who effeeted
the reform, and relieve I the country from a nest of
inarchs. He thougl t there was no ground for any
of the charges against the Noble Earl.
Mr Tyßwiiyr said, more work hid been done
in the dock-yards, since the administration of Earl
St. Vincent, than ever had been done before. He
wished, however, that the idea should not be suf-
fered to go ahroid of Earl S. Vincent having
established a system of terror, as the only terror he
had ever inspired was in the enemy, and which hid
continued since the 14th of February, 1797. He
hoped the reform so happily begun by the Nob:e
Admiral, venuld be persisted in, as the most effeaual
• step to reconcile the people to the burthens of
taxation.

Mr. OSBORNE MARKHAM said a few words
to disprove the assertion, that a scarcity of timber
existed in our Naval Arsenals.
Mr. BAjIKN said, he dtiapproved of the manner
lin which bis charge had been preferred by the
Hon. Mover, who, having once given vent to it.
• bad said, he cared not to pursue it farther. He
thought the House would be fruitlessly spending
time, by entertaining a long discussion on the Motion.
(Meow! Henri/ He must remark upon an obser-
vation which fell tzom a Noble Lord (Viscount
Howick) that the Board of Admiralty ought to have
unlimited contents' over the wbnle Naval Depart.
ment ; and he was therefore surprised to hear him
say, that that Beard was purged of the charge ea
the subjee of a sctrcity of timber, because it was
the particular province of the Navy Board. With
respea to the condua of Earl St. Vincent, he
thought there was little to blame, and much to
com.uend.
Viicoant GREY de HOWICK explained. The
Admiralty, he said, certainly had predominant con-
trail); and if he had been suppoted to state wher-
eon., he had failed in clearly expressing himself.
Mr. FOX said, if in any branch of the naval
ipantment. abuse, negligence, or incapacity, was
aservabit. it was indispensibly the province of the
.card of Admiralty to correct it ; and he thought
'le administration of Eail St. Vincent, in cases of
enwranee and unfitness, had been too delicate in
nrsuirig their system of reform. He thought it
sras a wrong principle, that persons should only
se discharged from offices for which they were unfit,
.n case a criminal charge could be proved against
diem ; and he was glad the Noble Visct. (Howick)
did not intend to be fettered by it. The country
:night be little less iiijured by having ignorant and
escapable parsons in responsible situations, than
by having ill designing persons. He did not think,
with the Hon. Ce:aleinan (Mr. Banks), that the
''charges against Earl St. Vincent should be lightly
/passed over; one good end Was At least likely to be
/ reduced by discussion, namely the exculpation of
root Notieman. There was not an article of the
sharp preferred supported even by probability.
The qaestion now was not whether Kiug's yaids or
merchants' yards should be used, but whether the
administeation of Earl St. Vincent merited cons-
-wieudation or censure ? and he would now state his
intention, when this ebate was disposed 01, of
mewing the thanks or the House to that Adminis-
trating.

Nit. ATKINS made a few observations upon the
supply of timber, and tspeessed his approbi.uon of
Earl St. V neeritts mcasuics.
Mr. JEFFERY, in a reply of great length, ad-
verted to the statement of an lion. Admiral (Mark-
barn). which be insisted was not authoris. d by the
documents spun the table. lie next enuracrated a
number of ships, which were built, and required al-
ir• t iasmediatti repair, in thl Adm;aistration of the
Noble Earl ; some of them were t trill fcr mere ex-

petiment, and in to in.utEcient a nanner, tlr 1 tLey
sL7nn !ell into ruin and disuse. He particularly al-
lu led to the Ajax, which, soon after 0-,e. "sat built,
required repairs; her b6ttom, and all other parts,
being comoe:ely rotten. lie was p:ocee hnz to
state some calculations, from pipe::, when Chair.
,Lwar! was loudly called.
fbc SI'EAKEIi rose, anJ said he wished to take
the sense of the House whether it was usual for any
Hon. Member en read his ',leech.
Mr. CANNING observed, that when an Hoe.

Member had to state Lets from an intricate calcula-
tion, it was generally uttiai to refer to any axes he
might have made upon the subject. If this pranice
was to be disallowed, it would certainly curtail the
proceedings of the House to a very narrow eons-
,pass.
Mr. Secretary FOX said, if it was any thing like
a calculation, lie certainly would accede to the Right
Hon Gentleman's observations' but this was a set
speech, and might have beau written by some per-
son nut in this House at all.
The SPEAKER observed, that the paper read by
Hoe. Member, appeared to him to be a written
argument ; he thought the House was not in the
habit at receiving such, and therefore felt it his duty
,to interfere.
Mr. JE.FFERY answered, that, although he ad-
mitted the paper was out hit own hand-wining, yet
it was vopied from his writing, by his direttions.—
ittur a iew observations, he coittluded with stating,
that he Lad fally made out his charge against the
Noble h.arL
The question for referring the papers to a t'orri-
.
a di-

very

elegant panegpi.7 noon the eonditift and seer.:is of
the t.al of St. Vincent. adverted An several rlP-
cedents, both of N4v4l and hlilitat y Officers, against
whom charges had beef. brought in bunt Houses of
Parliament w;tlicut any foundation, when the
Holm immediately alter agreed to a Vote of
Thanks. Ile crncluded by moo fug,

That tte ermtl.ket Ba. Kt Vin-tut in hi, tare Naval Pt
added lustre. 1.18 ex,-81 dia.:BB:w, and en-
t::1e81 11.818 to the avprobatior !hit HM:Se.
Mr. WILBERFORCE perfeflly agreed with the
Right Hoar. Secretary iu his exalted character 'cl
the Noblest/en-I ; he considered his services to his
country, the most bnlliant and lasting, and his con-
dtrA upon all occasions, that of a brave and gallant
office% ; but he could not agree upon the principle of
this motion. No charges had been brought against
the Noble Earl ; it was only a motion for referring
papers to a Committee. No man had a higher opi-
nion. or greater esteem for him ; lett the House
go into the Committee, and dispose of these papers,
and then no one would be more forward in voting
his thanks to the Noble Earl than he should be.
The Hon. Gentleman olio brought forward this
motion had stated falls with great perspicuity,
which, in his opinion, had not been answered ; up-
on those grounds, theretore, he opposed the motion.
Mr. YORKE enerely differed with the Hon.
Gentleman ; he considered the charges as frivolous
and vexatious ; and he most heartily agreed in the
motion of the Right Hon. Secretary of State. The
very meritorious services of that Noble Earl, and
the endeavours he had made to correct abuses dure
ing his short administration, deserved the thanks of
the public at large.
Mr. CANNING warmly opposed the motion t he
referred to the case of a Right Hon. Friend ; upon
going out of office, a' censure was proposed to be
passed upon his condua, and when the thanks of
the House were moved, the Right Hon. Secretary
of Sate very warmly opposed it, and seemed to
forget all the cases Ise had this night cited for his
own purpose. In the case of Sir Home Popham, it
was never dreamt to pass a vote of thanks on his
conduit. He confessed, that he had very grave and
serious doubts in his mind, from the statement of
the Hcn. Gentleman (Mr. Jeffery), which had not
been answered by any arguments on the other side.
He concluded by muvink the previous question.
Mr. Sec. FOX said, that when a Gent. brought
forward such a business, he ought to know what
he meant to do. When the Honourable Gentle.
man was pressed, he said,)he did not mean to move
the resolutions for which he now contends. It
would have been better, no doubt, to have made
his motion in a Cominittee of the whole House, but
the diretlion of the charge against the Noble Earl,
made the recnlution necessary. It was objeaed,
that no thanks were voted to Sir Home Poaam,
but the reason was obvious. The service per.
formed, though he admitted its value, was not of
a nature or kind that called for it. The spirit
with which Earl St. Vincent entered into an In-
vestigation of the abuses in the Dock--yards
was as meritorious as the most brillieut naval
achievement, and when he was so get:m.ly and hi-
volously attacked. it became the House to speak
out. Had such unfounded censure been cast noon
Sir Home Popham, he should have moved a simi-
lar vote to him, because the unfounded attack made
it necessary. His objeft was the honour and cha-
racter of the House of Commons, as well as the
honour of the Noble Era, which requited thit it
should not hear an unfounded attack without afford-
ing prntelion. The present attack never would
have been made, bet fur the inspirits ea° abuse.
instituted by the Noble .Earl (a tAid cry et
bear! amp n. His meriturieue e,ettions to
put an end to the most scendalous His that
ever disgraced a state, had provoked this hosti-
lity. When he saw a man attacked for his me-
rit and his virtues, he f-lt hintself called upon to de-
fend them. The Hiuse were bound to protea this
meritorious officer and statesman, against an un-
founded attack, and should pithbely express their
approbation, of his merits and his virtues.
Mr. Canning, Viscount Ilowick, and Mr. Jeffery,
severally expliinert.
Mr. STURGES BOURNE had no objeaion to
the vote, provided it wes coofined no the ;eel of the
Noble Earl for reform, and did not extend to a
general vote, comprehending the dockyards, naval
stores, and his naval atipunistration in general.
He would allude, and that relueuntly. to one fact,
he meant the impressing of a naval officer, in the
Hall of the Admitehy, by the order of the Noble
Earl ; and he contended that unless the House ap-
prosed that fact, without consideration, they could
not agree to a general vote.
Mr. 'TIERNEY expressed his most hearty
cone's, rents in the motion of his Right Hon Friend
(Mr. Fox), and asked, Was it because a Gentleman
hid thought proper to move for papers from month
to month, aed from day eo day, which, when pro-
duced, could not subsanthee a single charge against
the Noble Earl, that the Noele Earl was to be still
held up to the. public, as a suspicious character
e
With respect to Bartholomew, he was not an offi ccc
be had only passel examination for a Li. ute rent,
and acted with insolence, for which he y. as chas-
tised. As to hirre.elf, he certainly spoke with pre-
indite upon the subject, because there seas no man
he had a greater regard for than the Noble tart,
mad all teat had been proved against him was, that
he had been guilty of some mistaken ceconomy.
Was it to be said, that after his meritorious services,
the public have not some claim on the House,
has not the Navy a claim on the Horse, to have
the question decided one way or the whet? and urn
every ground he would most cordially vote for tee
motion of thanks to the Noble Earl. The inference
to be.drawn from the case of fir Home Popham,
did noti.he considered, at all apply in this instance.
Mr. BANKS thought that this motion came
quite by surprise upon the I louse, and after a few
observations, declared he should oppose it.
Sir CHARLES POLE considered the charges
alleged against the Netle Earl as frivolous and
) vexatious, and riot confirmed in anyone single point.
Earl St. Vincent, he observed. never knew Bar-
tholomew had been pressed ; and the meritorious
conduct of the Noble Earl, in endeavouritee to sup.
press abuses in the Naval department, dears aee
high public approbation ; Ite, therefore, should
hearth,' concur in the Right Hen. Seerete:y's
enotien.

Mr. rk.ituvAL sail, trz certaioly ,ote

against the previ,4 ,stion ;he was Mos arleesse
to referrhig those &oars to a Committee of the
whole House, as hr thoegLit no public good could
possibly Win Irons it. lle confeksed he could not
speak on this subjzfl without partiality. as hewas pre-
judiced in favour of the Noble Earl, having had the
honour to aft with him aud appi eve of his measures.
He thought the question should have been gone
into is some shape nr other, and really wished the
Vote of Thanks had come in some better way, as the
manner in which it was to be carried, would certainly
deprive it of that value, which the Noble Eall
would otherwise have set upon it.
The question being loudly called for, strangers
wet e ordered to withdraw. In their absence, the
previous question was •negatived, and the original
Vote of Thanks was carried without a division.
The other orders of the day were then disposed of.
Adjourned at HALF.PAST THREE O'CLOCK.

THE BRITISH PRESS.

LONDON,
THURSDAY, MAY 13.

After the Levee yesterday, His NI aizsvr held a
Privy Council, at which Sir J. NicsioLs, the King's
Advocate, attended, and laid before His MAJESTY
and the Council a Declaration of War, and Letters of
Reprisals and Marque against Prussia, which His
Mai CST Y and Council were pleased to approve, and
they will accordingly appear in Saturday night's
Gazelle.

The Prinrew :Very packet is arrived at Falmouth,
with a mail from New York and Halifax, in 27 days
passage from the latter place; the letters will be de-
livered this day.

The Totrrabend Packet, arrived at Ealmootli,
from Lisbon, on the 11th last.: the d.sy before, in
lat. 47, 53. long. t, 45, at 4p. tn. she saw six sail
of the line and a fleet ; at half past 5, spoke his
NI a.; crr v's brig Di4patch, which informed her that
the men of war were tinder the command of Admi-
ral Stiltxtuw ; and the ships, part of theWest-Indi:
fleet which sailed from Portsmouth on the 4th ins.
who had lost theii convoy, and that the Admiral
had dispatched the Sawa Afargaretta frigate with
them.

We received, yesterday, Datch Papers to the
I lth, and Paris to the 7th inctant. In the latter it
is officially announced, that the whole kingdom of
Naples, except Gaeta, has submitted to the French.
The loyal and brave army of Naples, appears t'
have jlined its St.iereign in Sicily. The orz. i.a
report admits, that upwards of 50 transports with
trots sailed from Reggio for Messina as soon as
the French made their appearance.

Their Maatiftes do not leave town for Windsor
until Saturday. Their intended stay is attributed
to the trial of Lord Maxvlt.t.a; which is expeCted
to conclude on that day.
Mr. PLOILLIt concluded his speech yesterday,
after which, the High Court of Parliament ad-
journed to this day.
Yesterday, Sir Jostrut BANKS transafted business
with Mr. WINDHA te, from two till three o'clock.

On Tuesday, soon after the arrival of Mr. J C
son, in London, from Berlin, Ministers had a M.
natation with him, the result of which we it 4 a
dip itch to His MAJESTY, informing him of tlfeir
proceedings; likewise requesting His MAJESTY'S
permission to hold a Privy Council on yesterday,
to which His MAJESTY was pleased to consent.
Ministers likewise sent instructions to the offices, to
prepare the necessary documents for a declaration of
war, and letters of marque and reprisals against
Prussia.

_ -----
Admiral Sir J. SAt, MAI= is arrived in town from
Jersey.
The Lord Nehen and the Jamie of Liverpool,
which were captured on the coast of /alien, by the
French squadron, consisting of the Re.f,u/its man of
war ; S.:4We ani Pre.irdent frigates ; FavottrPe and
Sqrvediente sloops of war ; have been fitted rmt
cruise's, the former with le, and the latter with I :
guns : the squadron was at Cape Palmas, nn the
31st of January, and intended to proceed to Ca-
meroon:.

The lick frigate, from Portsmouth ; Pere,.
Dar IDSON , and the Swan, SMITH, from London,
Were all well on the coast of Africa, en the 16th et
January last.
A letter received in town yesterday, from Wey-
mouth, states, that all the bullion shipped on board
the Adergar.lory, except eight chests, has been re-
covered. Twenty-six chests were sent off from
Weymouth, on Friday, for London, ond will arrive
at the Bunk to-morrow morning. A confident ex-
pedation is entertained, that the remainder will be
recovered, but with much trouble, as a great mass
of broad. &c. guest be removed before Mr. BRAITN.
WAIT& can reach toe aests. Great praise is due to
that gentleman for the intelligence and aeivity
which he has successfully employed it. recoveting
this great property.
The Sadden Drab, tender to His Majesty's ship
has arrived at Plymouth with the flags an.l
bath that were taken a few days ago, on Inner
Terra Firma. by our brave tars, as mentioned in our
paper of Monday. The cargo of this small vessel
cs•nsists of the spoil of seven Signal Towers, which
were all destroyed,with the adjoining houses and the
Telegraphs. The crew of tne emilas had also a
skirmish with some French troops whom they beat
off. taken the Sudden !hark left the Pallas, they
were about to attempt to cut out about twenty sail
of vessels, with a gun-brig their convoy, that were
lying at anchor under the guns of a battery, and it
is expeded they will succeed in the attempt.
The following remai kalJe occurtence has al-
ready taken place in the present Lottery : Monday
morning, before the Drawing commenced, a gen-
tleman called in at an Office, to purchase a Share.
Among those presented him, he noticed two of the
same number, and purchased one of them ; the
(Mice-keeper advised him to take the other also, as
he seemed to fancy the number. The gentleman
declined it. In less than half an hour afterwards,
the number came up one of the five of 'WI each,
so that the Offi::e became poise oed 01 tie Share
loft.

.;er.

-'-~_.

...

. .
mittee Was then put, and negatived w::huat
vt,, 45$ )4 ' 8L qT
I - ' , A:IJ -::cr
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