The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1805-06-12 00:00:00

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tkitlCl. StYPIt::Ci.

Bathurst, reversed it, from an opinion that it w
not consistent with the stria letter cf the law.
shall, for many reasons., Sir, row abstain from g
ing into any detail of the minutia of that offic
which, perhaps, like others. may be the subject
future regulations—but I muse maintain. that d
method here condemned is much preferable to d
former pradice, of leaving the money in the Bank 1
England, in the name of, and subjca to, the respor
sibility of the sub-accountants; nor can I conceit
how, in that manner, regularly to pay, and faithfull
to administer the discharge of everydemand made m
from the out-ports, I knew.that it may, and has,
believe, been said, that since the praelice was chats;
ed, no inconvenience has resulted to the public. T
this argument all 1 shall answer is, that there 111
been hitherto but a very short experieuce of the el
leas of a different system, and that, in the pnaßice r
so many former years, the plan of lodging money a
private bankers was found productive of very beirefi
cial 'Meas. In justice to myself, I be leave to state
&rod:at my intercourse with the NavalCommissionet
commenced on the 2tith of April, in their letter t
me, calling for an explanation of :t variety of trans
aCtions. They had, as I already observed, befoe
them at the time, all -the account, between Mr
Trotter and the house of Messrs. Coutts, of which
was altogether ignorant. I was obliged to answe
off-handed, the several questions which they ha.
ready, in an arranged and digested form, and ha.
not within my reach any materials which coal.
assist my recollection. I own that I felt rays,'
disagreeably circumstanced on account of a pre
vious communication from Mr. Trotter, that hi
accounts with Messrs. Coutts were so blender
and confused that it was impossible distinctly ti
I separate them ; but this difficulty I distinctly ISSA/t1
to them at the time, with the impossibility I felt t
giving from memory the explanation they required
I however answered every thing as far as I WAS in.
formed, and only objeded to explain those mat
, tars of private and confidential communication
which I thought my duty would not suffer me
10 disclose. lam thoroughly and clearly•conviucec
that I never allowed Mr. Trotter to apply any par
of the public money to my private use or benefit,
and might safely have said so in the first instance,
though so much sarcastic eloquence has been dis
played, and so much acrimonious wit employed or
the subject of my having said the words " 4
/.4c test y" Ivy/ erred f son." It has also been
brought as an auxiliary argintent apinst me, the:
I preferred holding the office of 'treasurer of the
Navy, together with the Presidency of the Board of
Controul for India Affairs, to that of Secretary of
State with the same emoluments, which, it was said,
I should not have dor.? if I had no private interest
in doing so, and that interest. of course, of an in.
dire& or clandestine nature-. I can, however, con-
scientiously declare, is the presence of mane, but
more particularly of one Right Iltn. Gentleman,
.mho very well kaws it, recut 1-vmov., ia sty life Weft!
into the Secretary of State'. Office by my own cam-
sent, even for a single moment. At. the time
I accepted of it "sy Hie Majesty's command, which
my silty or inciention voirld not suffer me to die
obey, I was told I was to hold it only for a few
months, until the retern of a certain 'Noble Lord,
who was then upon a foreign mission. I very cheer-
fully and gladly resigned it af rerw Ards, when another
Noble Lord received his appoinoneut. 1 then held
the office of President over the political admini-
stration of the affairs of India, and retained with it
the office of Treasurer of the Navy—and, atter
all, I fancy this preference will pot appear very
extraordinary, when Gentlenidn consider :now much
these two offices were always knowu to be inti-
mately conneaed with each othet. I have a right to
apologise to the House for intruding so long upon the
attention they have been pleased to shew me; but
trust, I shall be excused trespassing on them with a
few more observations. Gentlemen wiil, no doubt,
feel the necessity a man in my situation has for doing
sn, wnen they reflea, that, after retiring from the
spot I now stand in, I shall have no opportunity
whatever of inn rtering in any debate that may at ise,
and must, therefore, he extremely desirous and
anxious, hat, what their indulgence- has now al-
lowed me to offer, should be distinaly underitood.
Every one, Sir, must he conseice., that there are a
vast number of per sons, who will be fully satisfied
with the partial report of the Commissioners of Na-
val Enquiry, who declinecHreariog any further ezpla-
nations from me, and that these persons have not
looked to any thing like a justification. I am, there-
fore, I think, very justly imitletl to state, ;old even
to press upon your consideration, that I *ever had,
either directly or indirealy, any' means or op or.
tunity of seeing the private accounts between Mr.
Trotter and NIT'. Coutts. till found th . in tut* Ap.
pentlix to the deport of the Cominissi era I am,
therefore, complex:ly at the mercy of r. Trotter's
I
accounts, which I never NU the means of reading or
correaing. Many th:rgs in ere evidence of Mr.
Trotter, both before the Commissioners and the
Committee, rested much mote upon the rteollealon
of events long past, than on any present account'
which he could :It the time resort to. Mr. Trotter',
evidence confounded both teas and persons. Whoa
he said that he had been at one time from 20 tc
23,0001. in advance for me, and bed drawn for it
in the course of one day. hr "as as much in mistake
or error, as he was in stating that he had known and
considered Mr. Tweedy as only in the subotdinate
office of 1 Messenger to the Pas-Office, hat had trust.
ed him from his being in indurate confidence with me.
So far, however, from that having been the ease, Mr.
Tweedy was only known to not Officially es a ones-
sehger, and, it never haprned that 1 had aver .occa-
sion to see or speak to him alive once or twice its
my life. The man, thertfure. 'could never FAIN
been with me in habits of intercoii, se or co. fider.ae ;
and, upon these pmnts, I have to l amen! that the re-
colleenon of Mr. 'Trotter is not now by any :room-.
the same which his friends krone it to be fifteen or
twenty years ago. The Commissioners, however,
thought it right to proceed upcn ark =Omar, ear