The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1803-06-29 00:00:00

a,
twist eves be, intiteeniees trith the
of a coast? y which v. nrindrul lif VIC *VC nee
eetabliebed rights or natives. The genial office*,
he complained of had duties to perfiwas and pro-
teltion to afford to the eights of neutral nations, as
well as our own officers, if we wished io ,avoiel, be.
iseg involved as :grew. rs in wars which fnighe
ever threaten our existence. The appeals of neutral
vessels must be pirsued by his Majesty's officers,
and it had often been a subjeet of complaint amongst
these neutrals that our own officers had the mono•
poly in their power of all the qualifications which
led the Crown Officers to their eminent situations.
The Hon. Gein. complained, that on his return from
America, he found that some proceedings had been
taken without his knowledge, and others had been
omitted. These omissions, however, he believed
would bt found unavoidable and proper ; and as to
the proceedings taken, it was sufficient that notice
had been served upon the Agents ; for it would be
hard indeed, if neutral vessels nnder claim, were to
wait till personal notices could be served on Officers,
in ail, and even the most distant quarters of theworld.
—As to the charges n corruption and secret agency
brought forward against some most respeetablGen-
denten, he need only say, that it was not in their power
to be exempt even if they had the disposition ; for the
proctors were only the channels through which a
case came in the first instance, nd was afterwards
brought lief°• e the,Council, when their funetions al-
together ceased.
[The remainder of the Learned Gentlemen's
speech was a zealous defence of the condua of in-
dividuals, which it would be idle in us to report, as
we abstained from entering into the nature of the
particular charges against them.]
The SPEAKER begged Captain Cochrane would
confine himself to explain the particulars contained
in the papers, and not to reply to the arguments
used by the Honourable Member who spoke last.
Captain COCHRANE then said a few words in
explanation.
Mr. JOHNSTONE said, it was the duty of the
House to redress any instance of flagrant wrong,
and to appoint a Committee for that purpose. If
what the Gallant Officer had advanced, appeared to
rest on parliamentary ground, an investigation
ought consequently to ensue.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
said, he did not, when he made the motion, enter-
tain any other opinion than the appeal did not rest
upon parliamentary ground, therefore did not see
why it should not be discharged.
Sir NVILLIAM SCOTT spoke in behalf of the
King's Proetor, and the proceedings which took place
relative to the prize causes. He observed, that those
who turned out to be their own lawyers, frequently
found themselves deficient in talents. A greater system
of justice had never existed in any tribunal, than in
that wherein the present complaints were derived ;
complaints which might create suspicion in weak
minds, to the injury of respectable persons. The only
consideration the Hon.Memberhad forsupposing that
collusive measures had been used duringthe trials of
the causes, was merely because the same were de-
fended by the King's Prodor. It was not upon the
information to be derived from the hangers-on about
a Court, the Hon. Member was to form suspicions
so injurious to persons of the highest charaders.
Suppose even there had been an undue interest
used, there were other means of redress than an
appeal to the House of Commons. If a gentleman
found his attorney had overcharged his bill, he could
not reasonably make appeal to Parliament ; there
were other ways to procure justice, and justice in
all instances would undoubtedly be found, if properly
sought for. Was the Honourable Member to bring
in a bill like a taylor's bill, and beg the House to
cut the same short with their shears ? The Hon.
Member had complained much respecting the ves-
sels called the Black Joie and Pew Jack ;he had
only to say on that point, that if they had proceeded
longer than they did in the business respeding those
vessels, there would have been added some feet
more in length to the Honourable Member's bill.
He was surprised that a person possessed of the sense
which he knew the Honourable Member was, should
have doubted the honour and justice of such a re-
spedable Court. If the Hon. Member was not
safe in their hands, in whet hands was safety to be
found ? He observed that he should dismiss the sub-
jed with giving a piece of advice to the Hon. Mem-
ber, namely, in future, to repose his prize interests
in the hands of those whom the Government of the
country had appointed to that, and without ap-
prehension. He described the pureness with which
prize causes were conducted, and concluded with
observing, that the good sense of the House would
see the impropriety of the appeal, as one of a mis-
chievous tendency.
Captain COCHRANE in explanation said, he en-
tertained the highest respeCt for the Honourable
Member who spoke last ; his complaint alluded to a
Mr. Silk and others.
Sir STEPHEN LUSHINGTON spoke in vindi-
cation of the King's Proctor, with whose condud, he
observed, the whole navy were highly satisfied.
Mr. HURST said, he- believed there did exist
a time when the Honourable Member had same-
thing to complain of, and that was when the prize
causes were tried ; but every one who krew any
thing of the persons who presided at the time of the
trials would conclude, that had an application been
made, every abuse would have been remedied. We
was against the paper being laid on the table, as
tending to asperse established characters.
Colonel BASTARD said, if the Honourable
Member could prove there had been a collusion,
every person who had been accessary to the same,
. ought to be dismissed from His Majesty's service.
. He was of an opinion that the papers ought to be
laid on the table, in order to make an inquiry whether
there was truth in the representation. He way. inclined

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to think there was ground to suspea collusion, as he
had received a memorial on the same subjeft, signed
by no less than forty °dicers of His Majesty's navy.
On talking with those persons some time after, he
found they did not wish to proceed in the business,
—he advised them not, as it might be the means of
their ruin, from the resentment they were likely to
experience on the part of the Admiralty. If the
Honourable Member could prove that justice had
not been done in the trial of one cause out of the
IN, he was entitled to the consideration of the
House.
. Sir WILLIAM WYNNE expressed his belief,
that the conduct of the official persons in the Court
of Admiralty had ever been fair in the distribution
of justice. He bad seen several of the, ceases eon-
dos:-ted which the Hon. Member complained of, the
whole of which appeared to have been legally do.

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