The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1808-02-12 00:00:00

Lusuteerox.said, he was not so satisfied as
the Hon. Bart. who had just sat down, of the pro-
priety and correctness of the manner in which thme
slroits of tlie Crown were disposed of. lie would
state a fact to the House, which was upon the re-
.cords of the Court of Admiralty, which would thew,
that in aim instance, at least, those droits of the
Crown wera,vaproperly, and, he would say, whet,
eafeitukaposiad• was this. of au Has.
(meaning Sir Hone- Poenau) who some
years past went from this country to Ostend, where
he purchased a vessel of the name of El Thieriot,
and under the Imperial flag sailed in her for
Cardin), in the East Indies. On his arrival he dis-
posed of this vessel, and purchased another, which
he loaded with tea, for Europe, sad sailed from
Canton in her, under American colours. He
touched in his voyage home at the coast of Ire-
land, and from thence procte':ied with the ship WA
cargo to this country. On his proceeding up the
English Channel he brought the ship to au anchor
off Dungenaess, wh,re she was seised by His Ma-
jesty's ship Brilliant, Captain Roaissoa, when in
di,e jet of smuggling a part of the tea on shore.
Theitransaction was brought to trial, in the Court
6f Admiralty, and claims put in on the part of the
Holt.liart. (Sir Hoar Forman). The Court, after
a NIP hearing of, the whole business, condemned
the ship and cargo, and they, accordingly, became
droll, of the Crows. It was strange enough to re-
meek, said the Hon. Gentleman, that some few
years past, His MAJRITY was advised to make a
grant of 35.0001. to the Hon. Baronet, Sir Hose
Poruast, and that not a single :billing was received
out of-this property by the captor, Captain Rooth-
Son. This was an act, continued the Honourable
Gentleman, so glaringly improper, that he was
radislied the House would feel the ucceseity of au
investigation into how thee-: droits of the Crown,
arising out of ca?tures, were appropriated. The
lion. Gentleman concluded by expressing his
asse-t to the Motion.
1101511 PopHAM said, lie never felt himself Ile
imperiously called upon as on the present occasion.
Tne Honourable Gentleman had assailed him in
the most violent and personal =saber. It was
true that he did go to the East Indies, where, be
was proud to say, he had reudered the most toseti-
tial services to his country. His services, he would '
say, must have been great, and very extraordinary,
(a &Ws) to induce the Governor-General in
India to reeommend him so strongly to the Go-
vernment of this country. He thought it rather
strange, that the Honourable Gentleman should
have singled him out as an object for such se-
vere and unmerited obloquy. He assured the
Honourable Gentleman he had no connexion
with either smuggling or smugglers. If His
MAJERTT had thought proper, in consideration of
the peculiar hardships of the case alluded to by
the Honourable Gentleman, to have made him
such grant, in remission for the serious loss sus-
tained in that transaction, he thought it rather odd
the Hon. Gentleman could fihd no other instance
of the improper disposal of the droll, of the Crown
than this one. The Honourable Baronet concluded
hyy expressing his hope, that the House would
fed that his conduct did not merit such harsh and
sevem rebuke es the Hon. Gentleman had thought
proper to deal met against it.
Mr. SHERIDAN mid, that he agreed with what
the lion. Captain had said as to the probability
that he would have been better able to make a de;
fence against the attack that had been made by the
How Gentleman near him (Mr. Lushington), had
he had previone notice of his intention to do so;
but he could not agree with him is thinking, that it
so happened for the purpose of taking that Hon.
Captain unawares. It come' not be said to have
been precipitated, as it entirely arose out of the de-
bate. It was only this morning that his Hon.
Friend had read the papers upon which he had
grounded his statement and observations, and
therefore he could Dot, by poenbility, have made
that attack sooner. It was, however, the more ne-
cessary that the whole matter should be sifted, and
fully investigated, as it had hitherto escaped the
public notice. He was the more convinced of this,
after hearing the defence that had been made; and
it was necessary for the House to be further in-
formed upon the subject, even for the lion.
Captain's own justification. The Hon. Captain
had told the House, that he had made use of a
neutral flag. He (Mr. Sheridan) had indeed
Ismael of Officers making use of a neutral flag in
a esainient of irritation, but how was it made use
of 1,..k was in tightanig the battles of Great Britain.
Hato bod that Hon. Captain employed it ? Why,
be has employed it for no other purpose than that
of lanchog teas at Dungennesa. Meow! far!
hear! from the qoposition Beeches.) Mr. Sur-
MOAN was proceeding to enlarge in ammadvenrions
upon the Hon. Captain's defence, when he war M-
terrupted by
The Caawcz ',Loa of the EXCHEQUER, who mac
to call the Hight Hon. Gentleman to order. Ho
could not hear an attack made upon the Hon.
Baronet behind him, arising under circumstances
which rendered it impossible to be consistent with
those rules of justice which had ever been ob-
served in that House. It was inapplicable to the
real nature of the motion before the House, as it

was totally uuneccwory, at prosiest, to call for a

nity.
Mr. Surefoto added, that he was diVlsed flo
thank the Right lloomarable Gentleman megovisyg
called him to order, as be felt the farce of ids
(the SPEAKER'S) observations. althaug% he could
not help thinkmg that he was strictly Oreler../.
ilieagpint.to wilds he skeane to mask. worths
amettion of an Honotinohle and Learned GROW-
Man, that there was hot a single iustance 'of fla-
grant misapplication of those sums, and there-
fore the statement that had been made by his
Honourable Friend (Mr. • LusniecTon) of an
instance to the contrary, was cutely a proper sub-
ject to animadvert upon. If these droitp of Adnai•
ratty were granted as droits of His Marron-, at a •
time when their amount woo comr aratively insigni-
ficant, but afterwards grew to such an extent, as
far exceeded the original intentions of Padiameat.
it was not only necessary to know the amount, but
to consider whether it would be safe to entrust
,oath a large sum into the hands of Goverument
'for their sole disposal ? -It was sn act of bounty on
:the part of His MAJESTY, which no person could
dispute', when properly applied ; sad he thought
that it he had extended it even be yo.ad the younger
braoches of the Royal Mundy, it w iuld only have
-been a proper application of it, to compensate fur _
a, claim His Royal High Leis the Prince of WALD*
•Imad for the loss of what formerly arose from the
Ouelly of Cornwall, which bad never been compels-
Sirsated Jonx Nicaon.-(the Advocate-General) rage
in explanation. Tie said, the particular grsuts
alluded to by the Hon. Gentlem in opposite, . (Jr.
Lusitrnavrox), were such is he himself had report-
ed in favour of, under the 41lowing eiretimsta ices:
The Honourable Capt. in,!tlie time of Peace, woo
motioned at Ostend, and went to India npon a
mercantile expedition (which. he, the Aile•Fstlf-
Geller'', was neither &feuding nor coodiosiond,
and was thereby liable to a prohibitory
applicable to P.ritisli subjects tradiing to tip'
quarter of the wertd, as it was in violabon et'
charter a the liiitiodia Ca --

hawever, that aliiTe there, peisioni, high VI sites
tion, and who represented the Company them-
selves, showed him every respect and protectim—
Here Mr. TISILNEY called the Right Hon. sad
Learned Baronet to order, as he was not coufinins
himeleif to the question, but entering upon a josh-.
fiCation of the Honourable Captain's conduct.
• The SPrAILIta again inairfered and said, that go
isr' as the Learned Gentleaum's exploration was a
jirstification of his own conduct, it might be deem-
ed regular ; but in order to make the discussion
more applicable to the question under considera-
tion, he should again state that question, and the
subsequent amendment, to the House, as upon that
amendment the debate now rested. It would be
for the Honourable Baronet to say, what it was Its
should now consider as t is motion.

Sir FRANCIS BURRS' T said, Oat am it Win =atter
of notoriety that a large mu money was swam
treaded by Parliament, he considered it his duty to
make the motion he had originally proposed ; but
that an apparent fairness on the part of the Right
HonouralAe Gentleman opposite (the CifincELLe
of the Excnrouza) had induced him to think of
acceding to his amenament. Since this debate
had arisen, however, and since he had heard the
statement of the case so strongly put by his Ho-
nourable Friend near him,e fel. his 'nind changed
upon that point, and should in is: u pou his original
motion.

Sir Jews lkitcnor.t then resumed. It had been
stated, that the HonouraW.e Captain having ren-
dered himself %meritl to the East India Company,
by his conduct at Prince of Wales's bland, h.: 4
certain privileges tacitly conferred upon bin',
and in consequence thereof bad purchased a
cargo of tea, which was seized by His Mar
resav's ship the Brilliant, when at llungennem.
The captors proceeded against that property, part
of which belt nged to a French supercargo, anal
was finally ccndeatned to the captors. With m-
inted to that I sat of the cargo wllieh belonged to
the Hen. Caw. aio, the Court of Admiralty could
not coutletnn it as prize to His Kai twit, as 1
WWI not effendi: g ag tmst the rights of war : but it
was left to a Coot of Justice, on account of its be-
ing an illegtl transaction. •In that Court, he could
nut regain that property; and it fell accordingly to
the Crown as a for&itnre. • As the acquiescence, eta
the part of the East hidia Company, went so fiir
as nearly to equal the authority of a license, it um
doubted whether it was lit for the Crown tktakr
advantage of that forfeiture, and was ultimatA
termined, that it should not be taken advantage ot;
and lie (the ADVOCATE-GENCZAL,) had made a
report accordingly.
Mr..Luttutlexott said, i; explanation, that
had been infipmed the. Right Hon. and Le
Gentlemen had iatlnctantiv made that report, and
hearing that those drafts lied been so dispost.4
he gill'. L) had gene that-morning, and caamired
the aloctements. From the farts, as they f cut
that& appeared, be thonght.it was utterly intro,
siblf• tint to Unties the circomstance b« 11.;c1 suited,
whetber the Won: Captain was in the House or net
upoh this occasion.
Iltlo.llmorn observed, that partial and coloured