The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1805-04-26 00:00:00

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tiokmati tobtircti,

Yesterday the Lown MAYOR held a Special COnrt,
to consider of an Address to the King respeaing the
condo& of Lord Melville.
Mr. Iseputy GOODBEHERe addressed his Lord-
ship at some length. He remarked, that the gross
and scandalous violations of the law, discovered by
the Commissioners of Naval Enquiry, had so fully
occupied the attention of the public, that it would
be unnecessary for him to enter into much detail.
Had this not been the case, he should have much
regretted that it had not fallen in abler hands. he
House of Commons had come to an independent
decision, and it became now a duty we owe to our-
selves, our representatives, and the country, to give
them every aid and encouragement to pursue those
enquiries. When the whole country seemed to be
impressed with the necessity of expressing its opi-
nion on such disgraceful peculations, it was impos-
sible for the Corporation of London to remain alone
unconcerned. We were not involved in a party
question, it was a question of morality, and our de-
cision might be of the utmost consequence. It was
now to be determined, whether, atter such delin-
quency, established on the most palpable evidence,
we were to leave our Representatives unsupported to
contend against all the power and influence of Admi-
nistration to screen the delinquent. We have had
addresses enough, on various occasions, in support
of Ministers, often when their measures deserved re-
prehension ; and should we, when we found a man,
under such circumstances, holding such a situation,
remain unconcerned ? Did it not impose a most sa-
cred duty upon us, to approach His Majesty with ar-
dour and affedion, and express our congratula-
tions on the progress that had been made in bring-
ing such transadions to light, and our firm reli-
ance that His Majesty's paternal regard for his
people will no longer suffer Lord Melville to remain
in His hi ijesty's Councils ; and that such further en-
quiries mii;ht be made, as may lead to the deteaion
and punishment of all offenders ? Conceiving that
the Court could not have a stronger motive to ad-
dress His Majesty, when such peculations had been
found to prevail for such a length of time ; pecula-
tion; which threatened, if not speedily correiled, to
sap the foundations of the Constitution; he would
move for an address, under a full confidence of meet-
ing with the concurrenceof the Court. He then moved
his first Resolution (for which see the (runt page).
Mr. &AO.: seconded the motion in an appropriate
speech. He said, we had all witnessed addresses on
sebjeds of small importance; but this was nothing
less than the triumph of public virtue over venality
and corruption, and from a quarter that rendered
that triumph the more valuable—the Representatives
of the people. It was necessary for us to give every
effed to such exertions, to bring such a high delin-
quent to public justice, and to pursue those enquiries,
that, by the exposure of abuses, and punishment of
offenders, a reformation may be effeOed is the pub-
lic expenditure. It was necessary to shew the peo-
ple, that a persnn,with little less power andpatronage
than belonged to Crowned Heads, was amenable to
the law. It became the Corporation of London, as
guardians of the morals of the people, to support
such enquiri-s, and to reconcile them to the sacri-
fices they were called upon to make.
Sir W. CeeT is disapproved of the address. The
Home was pursuing the enquiry ; he had voted
against Lord Melville. but row he thonght it
should be left with Parliament, and the Noble Lord
ought to have an opportunity of vindicating himself.
Mr. S. 1)1 lot: moved the previous question, as f e
was for leaving it to Parliament, convinced they
would do their duty.
Mr. Kest st.e seconded the previous question.
Sir C. PRICE opposed die Add:ess, satisfied that
this was not the time. Lord Melville had failed in
his duty, and he had voted against him ; but he
themght it should now remain with Parliament.
Mr. PRRRINO spoke for the amendment.
Mr. Alderman Comas declared, in the most de-
cisive terms, that the Corporation, and every Public
Body in the Kingdom. ought to stand by and aid the
Parliament. Can they forget the judgment passed
on the Sheriffs? and will they forget the struggles
and the influence which had and would be made by
Ministers to serve delinquency ?
Mr. GRIFFITii supported the original motion.
Mr. WAITIIMAN declared, he should have been
glad to be relieved from making any observations,
as he laboured under severe indisposition ; but he
could not help noticing an observation from a Gen-
tleman ( Mr. Dixon), that it was unnecessary to aid
the Parliament in its proceedings against violations
of law. although carried by one vote only, and he
read a motion made by that Gentleman on a former
occasion, in favour of the Minister, who had vita.
lated the Constitution, by sendingmoney out of the
kingdom without the consent of Parliament, while
Parliament was sitting. It appeared that he was
for supporting Parliament in favour of violators of
the law. but not against them.
Mr. CuiVERY and Mr. Spasms!' spoke for the
original motion.
The previous question was negatived by a great
majority.—The original motion was then putt and
only two Aldermen and two Commoners bald up
against it : the Aldermen were Sir W. Curtis and
Sir C. Price.
Mr. WAITHMAN stated, that, by unpardonable
negligence, he had omitted presenting a motion to
the Livery of Loudon, at the late Common-Hall,
which he was sure would have been highly approved
of by them. Ile meant a vote of thanks to Mr.
Wit is BREA°. He begged, however, to propose it
now ; which was carried- unanimously.

A•imiral Sir CH•aLu MIDDLETCN is appointed
First ',old of the Admiralty, and is immediately to
b:• advanced to the Peerage, by the title of Baron
Barham, in Kcnt. He has expressly stipulated
that, on a..count of his age, he is to be excused
from all Cabinet Dinners, and front all Levees.
We believe he is in his 83d year.
ig Let those laugh who win," says the old Pro-
verb. Stern moralists may rail, therefore, as mach
as they please against Lotteries ; but all their railingg.
cannot invalidate the assertion, that many individuals
annually rise, by this means, to opulence and lade-
pendeuce, who bad no other prospel in life of so
sudden an elevation to the pre-eminence of wealth.
Not one, in short, of this cynical tri're, but would
seriously rejoice to possess even but a share of the
first drawn number, in the now superlatively rich
scheme, that presents no kss a Prize than 10,0001.

• 1,-

"

X6iltiiffrAYeir

Yesterday morning a meeting of the Eleflors of
the Borough of Southwark took place at the Terwri .
Hall, to take into consideration the condua of Lord
Melville, as Treasurer of the Navy. The meeting
was called in consequence of a Requisition, signed
by twenty-two Ele&ors, to the High Bailiff, who
appointed yesterday, at eleven o'clock, at which
time numbers heGan to assemble. Soon after twelve.
the High Bailiff not appearing, there was a general
call for the Chair to be taken, and Mr. TOWNSEND,
the Deputy High Bailiff, was called upon for that
purpose, who immediately complied. He then ad-
dressed the Meeting, and informed them, they were
convened together in consequence of a Requisition
from a number of Eleaors, to Sir Wallin Lewes,
the High Bailiff. At a late hour on Wednesday
night he received a letter from Sir Watkin Lewes,
requesting him to take the Chair, it not being con-
venient for him. Sir Watkin, to attend, in conse-
quence of material private business which he was
obliged to attend tot that he would have deferred
the Meting, had not the Gentlemen by whose desire
it was called, requested it might take place on as

early a day as possible.
Mr. TOWNSEND having read the Requisition and
the Signatures of the Gentlemen who signed it;
Mr. SHEPLEY came forward, and addressed
the Meeting by saying, he was extremely happy
to observe so numerous and respeAable a body of
Gentlemen present. And that. if there was no
Gentleman who had Resolutions prepared,he would
propose some which he had ready. No Gentleman
offering any, he was called upon to proceed. He
observed, that the Meeting was convened to consi-
der the condue of a man who had been exalted to
some of the highet offices in this country, and who,
it was to be lamented, had unworthily tilled them.
He had aged in defiance of an express Al of Par-
liament, in contempt and defiance of his King and
country. The very Al he had broke, he had pro-
moted in Parliament. He said, we often had to la-
ment the want of attention in our Representatives in
Parliament to the public expenditure, and there was
no doubt but millions have been squandered upon
worthless charafters, while the people are groaning
under the weight of 50,000,0001. a year of taxa-
tion. We had it from undoubted authority, as it
came from a Member of the Admiralty Board, that
one third of the public money in the Naval De-
partment was squandered away. We must now
rejoice that Parliament had at length taken the
business up, and, as the guardians and representa-
tives of the people, they were bound so to do.—
It was now highly necessary, that a man, who was a
Member of the present Administration, had been
convieed and disgraced, that checks in future
should be put upon every one who fills offices, who
have the fingering of the public money. The most
material caution would be necessary in the choice of
their Repres-ntatives in Parliament. It was not to
be expeeed Members of Parliament would coffee
their own abuses from which they derive emolu-
ment; they would not impeach or hang themselves.
He concluded with observing, he would not take up
more of the time of the Meeting, as the matter had
been more ably and meritoriously investigated by
the Commissioners of Naval Enquiry. He then
read the Resolutions (Pr avateb see Ma front of Ms
Paper.)
Mr. !'Lava. rose and said, he could not claim
any merit in drawing the Resolutions which had
been just read, but he perfectly coincided in the
whole of them. He observed, if the people were to
be silent upon this occasion, the very stones would
cry out. This was not a party question, except it be
a party of honest men against rsgues, and he hoped
the party of honest men would triturph. He asked
what would be said of the persons triad for petty
larcenies, who were transported for stealing to the
amount of a few pence, if such great rogues were
suffered to escape ? He lamented that although the
Meeting was so numerously and ;espeCtably at-
tended, he did not see several Gentlemen who usually
attended such meetings of a public nature, for the
purpose of supporting the cause of the Ministers ;
and he could not but suppose that a Government of
despotism, corruption, and peculation, would be ap-
proved by such, as they did not stand forward upon
this occasion, to stigmatise the man who had been
displaced by the Commons of England. Parliament
had done their duty, and it was now for the people
to do theirs, and support their Representatives in
so goo.: a cause. The Parliament must not be sa-
tisfied with having done their duty in one instance,
but must steadily follow up the glorious course they
have begun. Many were now giving up their
time as Commissioners for the collecting of taxes,
fitc. in Military prosecutions, for the good of their
country, but all in vain, while men such as Lord
Melville and his companions, who have nothing at
stake in the country, except what they get out of the
public receipts, were permitted to use the national
puree to their own private emolument and pecula-
tion. The only defence set up to the charges
against Lord Melville, was a sham plea upon the
record, viz. that the public had sustained no loss.
Dr. Dodd's defence was the same; he intended to
repay Lord Chesterfield. This did not satisfy the
justice of the country, and he hoped that Lord
Melville and his companions would have to answer
the demands of the same public justice. There was
an Augean stable to be cleansed, and it must be done
with an Herculean arm, and with perseverance.
He concluded with seconding the Resolutions.
This Address was received with bursts of ap-
plause.
Mr. Towering!) then put the question upon all
the Resolutions singly, and they passed unanimous-
-1 till that which proposed the vote of thanks to the
Representatives for the Borough, when it was inti-
mated by a Gentleman that both of them were in
the neighbourhood, and would attend, if it was the
pleasure of the Meeting. It was then agreed they
should he sent for.
Mr. CLARK addressed the Meeting, and said, be-
fore we have the pleasure of our Members being
present, particularly Mr, Tierney, who has been the
guardian of the people, at well as the Crown.
Wheo Mr. Tierney was Treasurer of the Naiy, one
of his first aes was to dismiss Trotter. During his
continuance in office he had never fingered * far-
thing of the public money. He thought some
words ought to be introduced in the Reeohttion, ex-
pensive of their sense of his honesty and integrity
while in race.
Mr. Suss Lae replied§ that when be drew At the