The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1808-06-01 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

Mr. FLLt.ta brought up bit Bill fur pre•entin; the
spisadiug cf the infectiou of the Small-P.m. Mead a first
time, mid ordered to be lead R second time to-mot rim

from the Lords wee slivered by two of the B.
roes of the Eschegner, staring, that their Lordships hart
agreed to the 1./schen of Broutwick's Ammity Bill.
Another message was delivered from the I,mik, by tiro of
the Musters in Chancery, muting, that their Lordships had
agreed to the Assessed Taxes' till, and coma other poldic
and pr;rate
Mr. Rose obtai.md levee to !bring in a Bill, in pursuance of
the rea.lutioo ut' a Committee of the whole lloose, to penat
auger mil collet: to be exposed from auy of His 111:.iesty'e
totalities and colouies, ta bartain ports south of Caro rt-
... The Woollen Manufacturcreatesulation Bill was read •
tertiwar, and, upon the swgiestilm of Mi-. Kos; Cu ur-
r be refined WA aehmtkummittee.
bani Evil wax a hruggit. lap the rip .rt of the C,ornai.tters
•Path the petitiOstof the Wont ludia planters, which, after
aume•l•ervati,rtta from Mr. IiARNLY, wee w dared to be
laid upon the table,winfto br primed.
The %VIM* Herring Fishery Bill was brought up, read •
first tints, and ordertd to he read a second time to-morrow.
The Cita 38 C I. MAR of the Lacartluen FIDA• Roller that
be should, in the Committee of IVa, s nod I.leans,to. morrow,
state the term+ opou a hid, lie had transacted the LASiifind
alias chew the appropriatiou of the Si ur 'laces nod the gruw-
iug pfO4;UCe of the Corisolidated Yowl
Mr. He SS assort 'obtained trace to vest ell the relates nod
property Li longing to the Barrack Departsaieut in the Com-
soissiinst reuf.
(ti the INIUIII/11 of Mr. WARD there were ordered to be
pi-uttered mi asscomme et' the pekes at •titsu the kiag's
Cvnran Legiuos Uri! clothed in the year cud also
that ut the !torte anu Foot Artillery.
Iructur Lawn r ti t: r. brought up his Bill fur preveuting the
Impositions practised timid Caputo:a and Masters of Vessel.
kir persons .g cab:is and madam to the shore within
the Clique Ports. Read a tint, cud ordered to he read a
second lIWe W-1130171,W.

:11r. Ht,awusuv brought up the Stock Annuity Bill for
the wore speedy rcdvatiuo of the ustinual deLt. Mead &lint
lane, awl, after some uhirstlaus by Mr. Tiesta IT, urdured
to be read a secuatl tuns te-taurrour.
litl3ll BANK.
Mr. Fosrta brought up the Bill for renewing
the Charter of the lr►sh bank. .On the motion for
lti And
tic.Jontt Nxwroax rose, and stated that he
could not help expressing It surprise at the man-
air in which this Lill hid been introduced. He
had strong objectioni to theienewal of that tharter
in its p►cseut form, conceiving it to be oue of the
worst barg4ins that could ever be made for the
public. lie also should object to it on this ground.
that the Finance Committee being at proictit occu-
pied, and having applied their regulations to the •
Bonk of England, be .shonlil think that the sinus
regulations might be deemed proper to be applied
to the Bank of Imlauil„ before their Charter should
be renewed. lie therefore wished much that the
renewal of it should be postponed until the Finance
Committee should have an opportunity of consi-
dering how far arrangements, s►milar to those re-
commended for the Bank of Etiglaa, could Ise
practicably applied to the Bank of Ireland. The
measure proposed by this Bill seemed to have
principally in view tbe object of raising money for
Government; but he rotted not cee why that should
enter into consideration upon grautitig the Charter.
as he could not conceive that the Government of
Ireland were in that state as to be under my difs
Acuity of raising money at the usual interest.
Mr. FosTi.a thought it decassarronly to obsess,
that there would be a sufficient opportunity of dis-
cussing this matter ill the Committee upon the.

SIT JOIIIN Newroite further stated, that it surely
would have liven better to have
.given the House
that opportunity previous to bringing it in.
Lord Haultli P try gsve notice, that he should,
upon the text stage of the Bill, move that there to
an instruction to the Committee to introduce a
clause for the purpose of removing religious clit.-
tinctions in regard to the choice of theidank Di-
rector*.

The Dill was then read a first time, and ordered
to be read asecond time to-morrow.

lift HOME POPHAM.
Mr. LOsitistrrox stated, that before he pro..
ceesied to state the grounds of the motion of which
he had given notice, restive to the E Effuse°, he
should request the atteution of the House, while
he recoiled to their recollection the mangier in
which this matter had formerly been brought be.
fore them. This, he thought, the more especial :7
necessary, u he had bees unfairly repreventeel to
have br..uirlit forward It giound!ess charge 'against
the lionou %title Contain opposite, (moaning Ste
Wove withcrir has-in...agiven any previous
itutio; weiftg%ei. It wuuld berer:unveiled; that as

canteentubla 'PesOsnet neat hire (Sir Fettle's Bars
slate) brought forward a gni:Atoll relative to the •
drain of the Atli:ulnae:toad gOrthoich he thinned
Teo knowledge of uaatL lionuuwble 811113ati.4 yet,
when he heard it „stateclon Me other wide, that
no tnisapplitaitiote of tlAesa sums of moiety had
taken place, he certaiula tbouakt it ateuidletut
upon him to state what immediately titerESl to
him relative to the El Etrinsei, to whew.
coutrary was the real state of the fact. Such, then.
hteina the circumstances uuder which this subject
was first intrudued, he slusuld now enlarge mom
particularly upon it. lie should not, however.
upon this occasion, euter into a coasideretion of
the legality of a British subject trading to the
Ewa Indies without license ; the regulations upon
this matter being already sufficiently underetood.
It was well known too that Osteud enjoyed great
advantages ever this country, in point of trades'
laying no duties to pay either inwards or outwards;
awd against this the legislature had thought pro-
per to guard. by enactments, preventing British
'subjects from trading themselves, or lending money
to others, trading from that poet to the East Indies.
It might, perhaps. Ise supposed, that the subject
be was going to allude to was now iminew het unti-
e/tatted, cud that it was, therefore, odious and ma-
levolent to revive it at the present raeincia,. He
begged, however, to observe that the great of
money in question took place so late as the year
leus, although the subject matter of it was of a
date long antecedent to it. The eiol of the trans-
action, it wouldalipear from the documents he
should refer to, was much worse than the be-
lle should, in the finot place, observe,
that Admiral ltobinson, who took the vessel al-
luded to, had not received from the Admiralty
what he was entitle(' to from the capture, while
Sir Home Popham. the person engaged in the
illicit trade, had received no loss than 23,0001,—
In 17e7 that Honourable Captain applied to the
Admiralty for leave of absence to go to the East
Indies, by a letter dated the !tali day of Febru-
ary,- 1787, addressed to Mr. Philip Stevens, their
Secretary. The answer returned was, that it was
necessary he should have the lease of the East
India Company to do so. Another letter informed
them that he had no intention to visit any of their
settlements. but was going to visit a Danish settle-
ment named Tranquaber, upon his private atfairs.
Sir Howe accordingly procured leave of absence for
two years, upon his relinquishing his hag pay, but
the Admiralty were cautious in refuting his 'mph-.
c.o.:tilt.' for pet mission to trade to the Fast Indies.
Notwithstanditig this., there was scarcely scsettle-
mem iu which the Hon. Baronet did not greakith
to reside and to carry en trade. Sir floammapil to
Bombay in the ship mailed Ville ate riatied. of be-
tween fear and five hundred tons harden,
sell it appears from the Records of the' Ring's
Bench, that he was also at Calcutta. Ile had
previously formed a connection with a Com-
inercial Company of the firm of Chamock and
Co. who were the owners of the ship called
the British Lion, which afterwards fought with
Admiral Thorieborough. In feet, it was the most
notorious houec in all Ostend. After trading
to these places, Sir Home returned to Ostend, and
then meditated another voyage upon a similar plan,
Lot applied fur no fresh leave of al.p..eiice from the
Admiralty. Upon this second eepedition, lie took
with him various sorts of colours, for what purpose
could not he known or enneeiled, unless for that
of deception. These colours were purchased for
the sum of 611. toe and this agreeineet, or private
charter-party, was somewhat curious, as it sheered
the Hon. Captain was then perfectly aware lie was
violating the laws of his country, although lie had
afterwards stated, in an affidavit, he lielievetPhis
eonduct upon that occasion to be perfectly innocent
and legal. The noiniiial bill of sale stated that
Mr. Popham was only concerned to the amount of
3.0001. sterling, while in fact the whole ~go was
upon his account sled risk ; and alien -Ode out-
...ad-hound voyagel, . be appeared somairnils as
Captain, sad sometimes as partly Owner demi talus
:meet of Cie ship. tledid not state this by Way of
accusation, but melety that as such a report had
gone abroad into theagorld, it was proper that the
('aptain hanself should have an opportunity of de-
nying it if he thought proper. There appeared to
have been amongst the carafe 40 casks of iron
ns, and various cases of smaller arms. It would
lee unnecessary for him to eeumerste all the places
Mr. Popham went to, but he should merely state,
that lie arrived at Calcutta. aral afterwards sailed to
Prince of Wales Island with a cargo of rice, in
consequence of a storm which prevented him from
going to Bombay. There was a letter, which
skewed lie had sailed upon that occasion without
any papers on board, so that if he had gone to any
place where a regular Cultorn-house had been
kept, his ye mel and cargo would have been seised ;
and from that letter too, it appeared, that he must
leave known the whole transaction was illegal. At
Prince of Wales Island he sold this cargo, as well as
the vessel, and purchased unother,called El Ettore°,
of pSO tons burden, which is more particularly the
subject of the present charge. It was first trans-
ferred, by** hill of sale, to a person of the name of
and afterwards. en the 24th of November,
17P2, to another person a f the name of George,
who signed himself Captain and Master of the ship.
The Hon. Captain proceeded to Ostend, and en-
tered into an agrerineut with Messrs. Constance
and Piero'', in which lie stiled himself Captain
and owner of the El Etrwsco, and sailed again to
time East In Upon his return to Outetid, lie
put into the Core or Cork, where he landed mine
of Isis triode(' and soot' afterwards the ship was
captured by the Diadem. It appeared that there was
a Prise-mister oa board the El Einar°, who was
willing to take oath as to the want of the neces-
sary papers--M v. Constance too stated that there
were afterwards papers made ont ; ea that it could
be only with an intention to defraud the raptors ef
that vessel. I 'poet sailing towards leaned, a trans-
tectici. took place which he hail formerly deno-
**Mated annealing, and which lie 11110111(1 Still.
on. by the ti stimona of persons who eau 'peak in
that point, and erase that bulk v.as broken, send five
boats came from the shore for various chects of
ten and rhubarb. (Here Mr. Ltrehingron refie•red
to various ports of the docunteute bc.forr the license.
as well es other: evidence, to prove -the nature of
the smuggling he alluded to.) The ship was after-
wards brought into the river Thames by Captaia
. • teshauson, who had Meyer yet (Ace Ten arded for

the capture he had made, nor teen got his ex-
penses paid.. Mr. Lushington then proceeded
to expose the appareut klieg of Sit Home's own
affiduvrt, which he did not wake till the year 1797.
It ended, that he was formerly a merchant, but
now au officer in His Majesty's service; that having
obtaiimid leant of abseace Bout the Admiralty to
mil to the Fatst Indies, be had accordingly pro-
ceeded there, and had been allowed to trade by
those then.in authority ; that he was intenate'..with
the Marquiti Cornwallis, &c. Now it sippeeredt
that Mr. Popham waskin Loudon in the mouth of
August, 1793, although he did 'not thiuk proper to
make his appearance, to submit to an examination-
upon the.eubj.eeL The ship was condemned to the
captors' and it' WO thought of such consequence,
that the Court, of App*i was five years in deter-
mining it. They at last determined, that Mr.
Popham appeared to have been ill advised in car-
rying ou this trade, which lie did not know was
illegal. There wait, however, evidence to the
contrary, and that ha was perfectly aware of its
illegality. Here Mr. L. read several letters from
Messrs. Constance and Pieron, to 'thew that Sir
•Home knew the trade to be illegal at the time he
carried it on. He redly felt somewhat indignant,
when he saw that the captain, in his Memorial to
the Crown, eudearoured to vindicate his character
by critnivatitig the Marquis Cornwallis, and others
in power in India. (Mr. Deter here spoke to order,
alleging that this was uuparliatnentury language.)
Mr. Luautwoworr continued, and said, it could nut
userefy be thought right in the Captain to asperse
the character of thnt Noble Marquis, which stood
so fair and free from blemish, by saying that he
connived at an illegal trade. lle then read a letter
from Mr. Stewart, Secretary to the Murquis,
in which he positively 'denied any know ledge
of such trunsactions, and felt indignant at hear-
ing such an assertion had been made. The
result of the whole was, that, by a warrant front
the Treasury, the Captain'. 'Aare of the ship
and cargo was restored to him, amounting
to e 5,0001. ; while Messrs. Constance and Pierou
had never received a single farthing; nor Admiral
Itobinson, the captor, even received his expelmes,
although he had presented a Memorial to the
Treasury, stating his right to the prize-money and
expenses. Such was the reward accruing to this
Admiral, who had served in His Majesty's navy for
no less than 40 years, and his father for A 7; while
this Captain Popham,. who had only served in the
nary fix: 15 years, had a large sum bestowed upon
him, althmiglilie had been actually engaged in art
illicit trade. lie was unwilling to attribute im-
proper motives to the Treasury ; hut must sup-
pose that their determination must have arisen
from misconception. Mr. Lushington then pro-
ceeded t i instance sever-al eases where vessels bad
been condemned as droits of the Crown, and yet
liberal rewards given to the captors. Admiral
Robinson, who had been 'put to expense, real
rau the risk of making this capture, hail received
nothing. Another strong evidence, us to the known
efthe transaction, was, that he could prove
that no less than forty thousand pounds had been
offered to the Admiral, if he would release the ship
and cargo. (Here Sir Home Popham expressed his
doubts as to this fact). He, Mr. Lushingten, further
added, he should be glad to call Admiral Robin-
son to the liar of the House, to prove what he had
stated. Ile need not enlarge on thepernicious clients
which a ;remit of this stature toast have ttpon•the
Navy of Great Britain. This was almost the only
method in which an Officer of the Navy had it in
his power to retire from the service. The Hen:
Gentleman concluded by moving the following
resolutions :
" That it appears to this House, that by a decree of the
Lords Con tttt issioners of Aypeals in Prize Causes, dated the
I I th day tit AIM'S% )110% the ship Etruseo, seal tacit parts
of the cargo as *eve chimed by Home Riggs Popham, Esq.
now Sir Home Popham, were condemned sa 'rad and lawful
prise to the King, se the property of one urine Majesty's
subjects, engaged in an illegal trade.
" That try a Treasury %Tarrant, dated the 24th of Septein-
bee, isms, the proceeds of the 'mid ship andeargo, amounting
to 25,9551. qs. 7d. subject to certain espeoscs, not exceed-
ing Itiooo were granted to Sir Home Orphan', who had bees
detected in prosecuting sorb illicit trade.
" That this grant is a misapplication of public money ;
Inasmuch as, contrary to all custom and precedent, thine
Binds, which have in pert always been appropriatedl to re-
ward the exertions of Captors, were hanitowed-wholly upon
Sir Home Popham; who, being &Lieutenant is His Majesty's
saes had been detected knowingly carrying on illicit trade,
in contempt of the laws of his country, contrary to his duty
as a British saliert, and to the disgrace of the character of a
B • h Officer, operating at the same timer a discourage-
ment to Hit Majesty's naval forces, by depriving them of
the accustoined rewards of their zeal and activity ; and as an
incitetueut toile contempt and disregard of the laws of the
land, by bestowing reward and Impunity as those who had
bees detected is the violation of them."
Sir HOME Pornast hoped, that no misrepresent-
ations which had, since the agitation of the pre-
sent question, been made in the public papers,
would have any effect its that House, though cer-
tainly not so much could be expected from the
public, who were so very credulous in mutters of
this description. Of late, so flagrantly unpist had
these statements been, that lie had felt himself ex-
tremely incommoded in his private trunsactions,
in addition to the unpleasant nature of the threat,
so loudly denounced, of an impeachment, by some
metahers of that House. As soon as the lion.
Meenbees-hallsopened his masked battery, the whole
tribe of literary assassins had attacked him flank and
rear, Ile read a paragraph, in confirmation of the.
jtutice of his complaint against the treatment he had
received iu thrptablic prints, from The Times news-
/over, stating, that he had been employed in ear-
!Ting bums and ammunition to the enemy of his
conntry. Tipport
..This was a crime of the
most ungrateful and odious kind, and he had hoped
that !setter then us it were before the House, he
should loner. enjnyed that protection a Court is al-
ways supposed to exercise over the persons before
it. With respect to another °Seer, lately tried ire
a mititnry court,.lt far different and more honoura-
ble course had been pursued, and that officer had
even been necessitated to acknowledge the for-
bearanee of the newspapers on the subject of his
impeueliment. He denied, in the most positive
terms, that he lied ever furnished the enemy with
Innis, and felt peculiarly indignant at the charge...-
Whoever had been the author of the accusation
hail lieut., guilty cf the most horrid outrage against
his character, and it remained for the House
to determine vim.: paws:anent he should iroffer
for thus violating •:te protection it slionla always
afford. The temper of the House itself had
been tried by the motion which had beeu

made by an Honourable Member in 'that House,
ou a questiou not, at allyonuecte.l with the present
whereat) he stated in his speech, relative to the
Ituchfort squadron, that the appointment of Sir
hone Popham to be Captain of the Baltic fleet
had given the greatest disgust, and excited the
most undisguised reseuttnent. (hear! Hear!
from the Opposition). That uo such reitentuient
or disgust existed, he could prove, by reference to
most respectable authorities, Captains of His
nary, and men of great professional, as well
as private, integrity and virtues. Prior to his ap-
poratraent to that situation, he had received two
letters, one front Admiral Hamilton, congratu-
lating himself and his country upon his uppoint-
meat, and prognosticating that success which ul-
timately folloWcal ; the other from Admiral Grenves,
acknowledging his professional talents; and stating
that his appointment had given general satisfaction.
He read also extracts from the letters of six ur seven
officers of line of battle 'ships, stating their satishic-
tiou at his promotion in the warmest terms, but
wham names he did uot think proper to mention.
He would give the lion. Member the wide range of
both army and navy, to produce one testimony of •
contrary description. The chary, divided itself
intomvoral distinct heads; let, that he had dis-
graced the character he held as a naval officer,
24, that be bad carried ou a smualiag trade, in
Ireland and England, and lastly, that he had ab-
sconded to elude justice. He should appal for
his justification on all these points to a recital of
facts. It had been his original iutention to set out
for the Danish settlements ; perhaps tiouchingit
Calcutta, from Ostend, where -he had taken ship;
lint on coming into the Indian nes, he had been
compelled, to save the vessel, to go iuto Bombay,
where, contrary to his expectation*. he had found
drat vecsels under those colours lie bore were treat-
.s) with till civility, and permitted to trade with
freedom. This altered his resolution, and he !me-
n.; traded there for some time, set nut to Madras,
where he found the same facilities in trade, and
the tame attention. From tlMiwe he proceeded,
not in his ship. to Calcutta. He became acquaint-
ed with the Governor-General, Lord Cornwallis,
from whom he received several civilities, and by
whom he was appointed to a service of cousiderulde
difficulty. Dunng this period he was considered
by the Best India Government as t native of Bri-
tain, though commander of a foreign vessel. It was
true helical traded contrary to the restrictive laws
of the Company, but he hid committed no offence
against the law. of the lead ; say that particular
law of the Company hail 'been expressly violated
for several years before and since, and by various
nations, and even by officers of his own rank and
circumstances in the British navy. In such a case
as this, his conduct was entitled to that species of
liberal construction which he had in vain looked fur
in the speech of the Hon. Gentleman, who seemed
only to have sought this as an opportunity of bring-
ing himself into public notice. Ile was aware the
East Indian Government might have taken hint
up, and sent hiss back to England, as their
laws then stood; but no such disposition appeared
to exist, for he had been politely and favourably
received, and at his departure recommended by
the Governor to the East India Directors, statipg
his services in surveying and sounding the straits
near the Prince of I.Vales's Island, and the new
harbour of Calcutta, and regretting that he was
without any public employment. When be hsd
purchased the Washington, lie was no British of-
ficer, as this letter proved, having been struck off
the list in )791. There had been a charge made
against him, as not having discharged the debt
due to Captain. Robinson, the captor. His charges
of travelling and ether expenses were enormous,
and stated at 1,1001. fur merely going backward
and forward to Deptford, where the vessel lay, and
the expenses at law had not continued for the
fire years preceding the demand. On that appli-
cation,. he had offered to let the matter be adjusted
by arbitration, or had offered to pay the anus, ex-
cept 2001. which was the addition of interest on
the original stun ; this he thought extraordinary
and extravagant. As to his having absconded
from justice, he was totally surprised by tire novelty
of such a charge; the vessel had been taken in the
roads of Ostend some hours after he himself had
set out in LI boat, anxious to join his family, and
bringing with him some few present* to his friends.
He was extremely sorry he had not taken the ship
and all it* cargo along with him. But the charge
of his having absconded was singular, when it was re-
collected that he Lad been for 3 years with the army
in the Low Countries, and had procured, by his
exertion, the favour and approbation of his -bro-
ther officers, and particularly of His Royal High-
ness the Commander iu Chief, by whose inter-
ference he had beet? relied to the office of Poet
Captain. The vessel he denied was ever offered
to he purchased at 40,0001. he at least never heard
of such an offer. 'Fite charge of smuggling in Ire-
land he could disprove, by the letters of the Rev.
Mr. Timbal, of Crookhaven, where he had, while in
port, prohibited all intercourse in trade with the
inhabitants; and though three or four boxes of tee,
at Dangenuess, hod been missing out of a cargo
consisting. of 3,900 chests, he had not been
able positively to ascertain what had become
of these chests, but he believed they were
given to the pilot, who bad conducted them
over some veuy dangeruos 'amis.—but auk an
accidental occurrence was fur from giving to the
voyage the character of a smuggling tremor:non, '
nor justify the charge made against him of running
a cargo. They were at most worth hut 91. per
box, and were to him no object to get off out of a
cargo of such magnitude. He proceeded to defend
the statement in his Alemorial, respecting his having
acted in conformity to the laws of the land, since
lie had at most only offended against the prnvisions
of the Company's restrictive law. He added, that
he had offered to make remuneration to all the par-
ties concerned in the loss, so far as he had been re-
imbursed. The foreign Captain, the necessary
companion of a vessel sailing under foreign colours,
had bees left on shore, in consequence of a favour-
able wind rising in his absence. The Warrant of
the Treasury had only reimbursed him in the sum
of 1110001. ere he trusted the House would not
conclude he lend acted unfairly, nor would, he hoped,
the Hon. Member again object, should he with-
draw, according to the custom of the House lit
cases of personal impeachment, that he had ab-
sconded from justice.

T
ELLea
lre
kn
it sails
sho
d
its 17truiloi fn
is re,:t withdraw
necessaryfs
itBl. is supported te
tired friend r'lhE. °ttpsCull
idt:d characterel
t'eSdee :ezaArt the
ti
Ba
ted well of
Isis country ; such had been stso the lege/mut
of
which would have its due e eigl:t on the House-.
The Hon. Baronet's merits had been such us to
secure him from any apprelieusion on the a harxr4
of isinugglinit, and that of disgraciug his pr f • ebwoo;
and from the statement made by him, it outdo
appear, that he bud been a considerable sufferer,
although he had heels in part reimbursed, as the
resselmuci cargo were worth to bin and the persons
engaged iu trade with hem, upward* of silty
meet pounds.
Sir Joao Nrcuot.t felt anxious to ascertain
from the Uemourieble Member, wlwther it was in-
tended by the present motion to yaw. cohaute
Sir HomePopham, or upon the Administration be
which the grant was made? If it was against the
individual, it surely was for the House to recollect
that this act of offence had been committed years
ago, that before aud since that period the galluat
Captain had performed great advantages and sighal
acts of service to his country ; but if it was 'ought
to make such a rant a censurable act, in come-
quence of any misapplication of the public moues
on the part of Government, the House hit•JULII
understand that the fund iota "of which it was
paid, was solely the property of the Crown.—
Beside, it was not a donation or grant of our
sum of money out of the money either of the
state or of the Crown. It was merely a re-
mission of a forfeiture; and it certainly was COM.
potible with the brightest and most litudulils
characteristic of the Crown, to inte:pose i
such a ease, and towards such a deserving ob-
ject. It also was on unprecedented cares anal had
ten Other illicit temicisey, but as it went to violet,:
the East India Conspassy's monopoly. Much had
been said of the injniy sustained by the captor.
Still it should not Le forgotten, that the case of the
El Etrworo was one where no right or claim arose eni
the part of the captors. There was no valour, ho
enterprise Misplayed in the *Memo. It was sokly
and at most an illicit act on the part of the Bri-
tish subject, front which the captor deified no
right of reimbursement. either out of the pro-
ceeds of the ship so aeiied, or out of the Admi-
ralty Droiii: It meat becallse a question, whe-
ther the Honourable Captain (Sir Home Pop-
ham)-had not sheerly ,offered a punishments ade-
quate to' the original ottence committed by him
The estimated value of the captured cargo,
' amounted to 63,0001, ; and the compensation re-
ceived by him, did not amount to more thaa
211,0001. The Learned and Hon. Advocate core
eluded, with a Bill panegyric an the numerous
public services of Sir Ilome Popham and conteaci-
od that his public conduct, since the grant was be-
stowed, fully compensated for any previous
gality of action.
Mr. %Vienna'', in a most perspicuous add im-
pressive speech. replied to the statements of the
last Speaker._ He considered it as impossible to
separate the conduct of Sir Home Popham from
the conduct of the Administration which had
made the grant, as it was to separate Sir Home
Popham from himself; because It was ridiculous
to censure that grant, without the House were fully
in possession of those facts which marked the con•
duct of that Officer. To these who heard the
suite:smut of his Hon. Friend, it was wholly un-
necessary to make any additional remark. Lill at
! there were now iu the House some is he dial cot
hear that statement, he thought it proper to repot
that the coaductSSfSir IlomePophaun was mil) mei-
deutal to thvgreat object of former discussion, mi
ce-
-1 whether the funds arisiog to the Crowe' front tue
droits of the Admiralty, were, or were not grossly u
applied ? Such a nsimpplication„ on the pot of the
Honourable Capeiin, has been denied, and on that
point the parties have now joined issue. To pre-
vent such an investigation at this, the House was
told of ^the impropriety of censoring thee actions elf
a great man (Mr. Pitt) now no more—ie other
words, that Parliument was interdicted from cu
iu-
gniry into transactions which have taken place in
the most itiportaut period of our hider'', of iso
other account brat that a great Statesmen had been
separated from his labours unfortunately both
for his country and the world. Oa the present oc-
canon, the Leerised Geist:email. who had just sit
down, entirely contented himself by domestic;
the conduct of the Honourable Captain. And
what was it lie extromated It was an act which the
law of the land. noel the judgment of the tribui:d
to which such cases were referred, had pronounce!
illegal, improper, and censurable. Indeed, in tie
opinion of the Learned Member, it was a ttl,•rz
trifling venal offence, to which no crime could pr..-
, perly attach. lle had no such opinion on the subject,
and he wished the Boast to remember, that thole,"
such stress had been laid on the fact, that sok

three chests of tea were smuggled, still it was iv*
Feseary to recollect that three bouts were ernplo:c.l
in that very insignificant transaction. As an act
of smuggling, it was not only an odimee of grt.::t
reproach, and deserving of high censure, hie :1
was aggravated in its criminality by the deep ..;
systematic system of ft-Lie:faith which it was rant— -
ed. and the dexterity of deception with ehirb it r;
carried into effect. It eves mons:rens to he:aback:*
defence as that offered by the IlonnunribleCaptuf:;*
friends. It went to aboolve even from censure L; =
man who knowingly and in opposition to his Vr.-
fetNiouttl duties. entered upon the prurtice •f As
illicit trade. Forsooth, his great servicto, his sc-
Herat views of policy, expiated the offence.
trusted that such an exemplification of sagar.',
and acting upon his own vlews, us were attribute,llo
the Hon. Captain, would, iu this country, for iF :
future, have but few imitators. The expeeinn.:t
lie had made, and the illustration he had atforrk,,
(alluding to the original attack on Buenos it v",
if further acted upon, most level to iusrueasnral,..l
and incalculable public snischir.f. But from the re -
r.oning of the Learned Advnente opposite (Sir J!,1•3
Nichol!) one should suppose that the Ilan. CA:"
tain was all imfocence, and that the ill-treated /0!-
ireiral lilobilvam was alna,! guilty. If he was eteln•
ashy not bring hint to Gant 1 Ifmt
the
fact was, thin Captniti 11,Aon-nts'svas rprinteJ t"
the !kW:llion. and *44 :1 puttmp, hi' ordt
Cato effect, Ly zeltif:g t so euiple:'

1114
111.
'CI
1114
Sll
11.1'
111
1:41
No
our
to
1 . 114
1,11/
ark
Bo
pr
f 1114
th
Ao
to
th
A
w
y. Cr
Di
el
ti
vi
al
ai
tr
11
14
1(1
■
1
3
1
1
1
1
1
• 1-
.
1
• •