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was to be construed into criminality, then, neither
the common law of England, nor the clause in the
Ael of Parliament, could be said to operate as any
proredion whatever.
Mr. ROSE said, he did not mean to objeft to
the attendance required by the present motion, but
wished to make some observations on the charge
against his Right Hon. Friend (Mr. Canning) for
not dismissing Wilson. In doing this, he would re-
fer to a charge made many years since of pecula-
tion.; and deliberate fraud against two persons
(Messrs. Powell and Bainbridge) in the office of
the Paymaster-General of the Forces. They were
dismissed by the person then at the head of that de-
partment. The death of one of the parties occurred
in the progress of the enquiry, and the other was
convided in one of the Courts below. The survi•
vor had been reinstated by another Paymaster-Ge-
neral (Mr. Burke), and when his dismissal was af-
terwards demanded, he well remembered the ex-
clamations of the Hon. Gentleman opposite to him
(Mr. Fox) to be--1, Goo I God! what, would you
condemn a man before trial ?" In fal. no one was
more strenuous or eloquent than the Hon. Gentle-
man upon that occasion. Having been at that time
possessed of a situation in the Treasury, he ex-
pressed himself confident of the accuracy of the
statement. The Hon. Gentleman alluded to was
then successful in resisting the produdion of the
minute of the Board ; but should his statement be
disputed, he was willing to move to-morrow that
the minute should be laid before the House.

Mr. FOX explained, that the reason for resisting
the motion referred to by the Right Hon. Gentle-
man, was, that the legal prosecution against the
parties was then depending in a Court below. He
knew, he said, that it would be disorderly to go
into that subje& but he should be very ready to
discus it whenever the Right Hon. Gentleman
should move for the production of the minute of
hug Treasury.
Sir CHARLES POLE, in answer to an expres-
sion made by a Rioilit Honourable Gentleman (Mr.
Canning), that the Commissioners of Enquiry were
satisfied with the answers they received from Mr.
Wilson, said, that so far was such a statement from
being true, that the Commissioners were absolutely
ashamed of not having committed Wilson to prison,
in consequence of his refusal to give answers, or
make any explanations. It would, indeed, be very
hard foi the Commissioners to complete their en-
quiries, if tae officer, afterwards his treasurer, and
next a confidential clerk, were allowed to say that
they would not give either answers or explanations.
What added still more to the difficulties of investi-
gation, was, that though the Al of Parliament in-
vested the Commissioners with power to call for
papers, even these had been refused them.
Mr. CANNING explained his meaning to have
been, that papers had been gig n to the Commis-
sioners, which were never mentioned dl their reports,
and he wished now the Honourable Baronet to an-
swer, whether or not the Commissioners had or had
not reported the whole of the answers and explana-
tions given them by Mr. Wilson ? au/Jr.-Iterat-
ed tries of Hear! hear ! ecypondedirarri each .Ide of the

Mr.-PLUM ER called to order on the groand
that the Right Hon. Gentleman went beyond •the
line of explanation.
Mr. CANNING then said. to avoid further
doubts, he should to-morrow move for the produc-
tion of the whole of the answers and correspond-
ence between Mr. Wilson and the Commissioners
of Nav il Enquiry.
Sir CHARLES POLE, in answer to Mr. Can-
ning's question, said, that the whole of the corre-
spondeoce with Wilson had been given. as would
also have been that with Lord Melville, but that
the Commissioners were not willing to crowd their
report too much.
Dr. LAWRENCE said, that from the beginning
of this di cussion he felt a wish, on the other side,
that the power of the House of Commons should not
be degraded. The exaft question was not between
one individual and another, but between one person
And the whole body of the House of Commons, which
consisted of the estratied essence of ever thing
in the state. The vote of the Late majority, he
conceived, ought to be particularly protelted against
insult, when he perceived, that upon this individual
point more libels had been published against the
condua of the House of Commons than on any
other that came within his knowledge. He contended
that the alleged case of Powell and Bainbridge was
set up merely as a Wrile' te Within decoy the House,
but that it was by no means applicable.—The pro-
ceedings against them were efforts of party rancour,
direr ed against our great reformer ; whereas, in the
present instance, party had nothing to do, though
the proceedings of the House were direled against
the acknowledged violators of the law. lie con-
chided by animadverting on the strange conduct of
Mr. Canning, in paying more deference to the re-
presentation of an accused individual, he to the
authority of the Commissioners of Inquiry.
Mr. CANNING in explanation said, that the
whole of what he said went upon the information
communicated to him by Mr. Wilson.
Mr. ROSE again explained.
The SOLICITOR GENERAL spoke at some
length in reply to Dr. LAWRENCE, when said he
should be sorry to be put into such a situation as to
be frightened by a Will o'th' Wilt.. He fancied the
lion. Admiral (Pole) was under a mistake, when
he said the Commissioners took shame to themselves
for not having committed Mr. Wilson to prison,as he
surely had a right to avail himself of the protection
of the clause, and of the common law of the land.—
Without this proteflion the clause would have been
nugatory, and with it he did not know how the
Commissioners could have acquitted h;m. He con.
tended that the late vote of the I louse of Commons
had never touched Mr. Wilson ; and if so, he would
ask how any member could he justified in asserting,
that, by retaining him in office, his Rt. Hun. Friend
(Mr. Canning) had braved not only the report of
the Commissioners, but also the opinion of the House
of Commons?

Mr. FOX here interrupted to explain his ex-
pression to have been, not that Mr. Canning by his
conduß had braved the opinion of the House of
Commons, but, that he had braved the Legislature

The SOLICITOR GENERAL, in continuation,
appeared to triumph in the i.4e made of the word
Itgidetare. He could not see how the Legislature
was braved, he raid, by any mart's availing himself

of the proteCtion which
him. It might be called
that was the most unappi

.~._."

ail"

737-

Mr. Serjeant BESI' d that Wilson
might have been compe ed to explain, d' his re.
fusal to do so was contr to law, and the express
meaning of the Al of Par meet. It was true, that
his remaining ir. office walla° fault in him, bin it
certainly was a great fault in those who kept him is
it. He concluded by animadverting on the strange
impropriety of a person in Wilson's situation bein
allowed to proted himself under the opinions give.n
him by such high law Officers of the Crown as the
Attorney and Solicitor Gen .ral.
Mr. WARD wished the Noble Admiral (pole)
would rise again and explain some part of his speech
he had heard him say that the Commissioners of
Naval Enquiry had taken great credit to thernsel,.„
because they had not committed Mr. Wilson to
prison : he would ask, why commit him i because
he would not answer questions in which he might
criminate himself ; he insisted no man had, by the
Law of England, any right to answer cpiestimis
which might have a cr;mioal tendency agail.l him.
What ! was it because a man held a place under
the Crown, that he was to be called a corrupt
man ? He held a situation from His Majesty, and w.is
he to be told he vas a corrupt person ? It demon-
strated a party spirit, and WAS a very dangerous way
to carry 'on the hy-iness of that House. Then ad-
verting to the he said he had not been in
the House at the time the paragraph was
read, and therefore could not comprehin l the
tendency of it, for which reason he mowd
the whole paragraph might be read by the Cltr:
of the House.

The Clerk was prceeed n 1; to read it, when
Sir ROBERT fit. X I'ON rose. Ile vrishedthe
Members might have an opportunity of fairly v.
rusing and considering the paragraph at home, a. d
he hoped the Hon. Mover would defer his =tics
for that purpose.
The SPEAKER said, that the Clerk was the:, I,
ae course of reading the paragraph, as AA
Member had desired.

The paragraph was then read.
Mr. WARD recommended that the enquiry
should be proceeded in with temper, moderation,
and impartiality.
Mr. SHERIDAN assured the Honourahle Gen.
tlemaa that he would enter into the subjel with per-
fed temper and moderation. If he understood the
Right Hon. Gentleman opposite (Mr. Pitt) rightly,
be had said he would, on :Monday nest, move :.)1 4
renewal of the Commission for Naval Inquiry. Ile
thought the charafters of those Commissioners shnutd
be treated with all resped and regard, and be par-
ticularly noticed that of the Noble Baronet who pre-
sided at the head rf the Board ; he considered :hat
some distinguished mark of respeS should be paid to
those Cattlemen ; he therefore gave notice that ite
would, on Wednesday neat, move the thanks of ihe
House to the Commissioners of Naval Inquiry. for
their upright and impartial conauet in the discharge
of their duty.
Mr. PE I'ER MOORE said, he should detain
the House with only a few words, upon two points ;
first, with respell to Mr. Wilson's not giving ,evi.
dente before the Commini,,iters of. Navel Inqulrt ,
he conceived his refusal arose, not from a fear rt
criminating himself, but from an appeaser:slue th.n
be might criminate others; and upon theta grounds,
he thought the Commissioners would have aced
perf-knlly right, had they. committed him for his c.
stiaaey. With respect to the second point, as to the
delay given to the Commissioners, in their inrest'-
gation and inquiry, he observed that the first appli-
cation made to the Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr.
Canning) fcr that purpose, was on the 10th oflnly,
but no answer ; the second application was made ca
the 17th, no answer; the neat on the 2.1 of ()Rohe-,
but still no answer, when at last, on the fourth, he
sent a lawyer's opinion, without any date, saying at
the same time, that he had consulted the Attorney
General, the Solicitor General, lie. who had advi
him according to the opinion sent ; for *hat pur-
pose did he send this ? certainly as • instification to
not answering their enquiries. Looking es be thra
did to the responsibility and digaitv of that House,
as the guatdia s of the pub k rank an! the rep :-
Tentative: of the people, that v hik they granteu abe.
nail,, they should _ee that pant nsed ecnnomically,
and in the inve,tigation of public accounts they
should have at 1-ast every suit.' t• e from public
offices, and the persons adting in them, he could not
help observing upon the obstinacy of the Rizht Ho-
nourable Gentleman. He heartily agreed with
his Honourable Friend, in voting the thanks of
the House to the Commissioners of Naval Inquiry.
He farther begged lerve to observe upon a third
point, which era. that the etense of the Right 11, r.
Gentleman for not discharging Mr. Witrni
grounded upon that Gentleman's bare a.sert •
and not upon oath ; whereas the Hon. Cent:ane.,
who made the invesugation were upon oath.
The Motion ••,r Mr. Stuatt's attendance at t-.c
Bat aol the House to-morrows was then put and
carried. _

Mr. WHITBREAD then moved that the An-
swer of His Majesty to the Address lately laid be-
fore him upon the present subject should be read.
Which was read accordingly (see the proceeding
part of the Debate).
Mr. WHITBREAD said, he had expdted some-
thing further would have been done upon this limi-
ness: a great length of time had elaps 'd since that
Address was laid at the foot of the Thr.,ne: several
Gazettes had been published ; and it did not appear
by any of them, that the books of the Privy Council
had been laid lief .re His Majesty, in order to strike
Lord Melville's name off the list; he therefore beg-
ged to know, fr .m the Right Hon. Gentleman
( Mr. Pitt), wh,her His Majesty had been advised
upon that subjeel
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCIIIVIIER
said, that hom the proceedings which had hi, rt
taken place before the House, he did n,t fcer him.
self authorised to give His Majesty any such advice.
He understood it WAi the general feeling of the
House not to pursue the business any further. in
Point of form, the vote of the House was laid lerors
His Majesty in the usual way. and he folly acqui-
esced in that Resolution; but he understood th it the
general and received opinion was, that it should re 4
there. lf, however, he had misconceived tl e
Inten-
tion of the House, and that it was found to be the
sense of the House that the Resolutions should he
.
followed up, he should readily acquiesce and shs•