The National Register.
London, England, 1808-10-30 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

without pretending to point out where the guilt rested. That
was the matter to be investigated ; and if no guilt was found,
then of course there could be no punishment. When our arms
by land were attended with such constant disasters, and these
sometimes following victories, it was time to exercise for con-
stitutional privileges of petitioning for inquiries with y igour and
perseverance. Hut it was said, " that recent circumstances
might have convinced us that his Majesty was at all times ready
to institute inquiries, on occasions in which the character of the
country, or the honour of his arms were concerned; and that
the interposition of the City of London was unnecessary." lie
supposed the allusion must be to General Whitelncke and Sir H.
Popham. Rut yet it was perfectly well known, that though the
greatest attention and ingenuity- had been she wn in squeezing
money out of the pockets of the people, it was found almost
impossible to prevent the embezzling.of their property, or to
get the offenders brought to justice. Time strongest attempts had
been made to prevent the bringing of Lord Melville to trial—
and the business of Alexander Davidson had not as yet been
publicly investigated. Be had been told that Ministers would
institute an inquiry into the business at the Helder, but no in-
vestigation bad taken place.—and would they be more earnest to
institute an inquiry into time causes of the Convention which
they had announced as a victors, than into the business of the
Helder, which had been allowed to be a great calamity ? Hear !
War!) The situation of the army in Rolland had been, ac-
cordin; to the account of Officers who were there, the most
horrid that could well he imagined—men perishing in the snow,
amidst plains where they could have no shelter, with other cir-
cumstances almost ton shocking to describe—yet no investiga-
tion had taken place into the causes of the evacuation of II ol-
land. What need he mention the case of Quiberon, where arms
for '28,000 had been delivered by te,, and afterwards turned
against ourselves ? What need he mention the affair at Ferrol.
where the inhabitants were seen coming out humbly with the
keys by IS,OOO men who had landed, as it' to take a survey,
but where, the keys being taken for guns, the whole army was
hastily embarked ? No inquiry had been instituted into these
disastrous events. Expensive expeditions were every now and
then proposed. trusting to chance for an object; and were the
people who bore the ex pence to he obstructed and reproved for
calling for isivestigation as to the mismanagement of these expe-
ditions i Many other cases might he mentioned, if It werene-
cessary. As to General Whitelocke, it was not to
,tbis day
known who had procured his appointment. All that was known
was, that he had been appointed under tale AdeminiStralion,,,aud
brought to trial by another. Sir U. Popaam had been ap-
pointed by one, brought to trial by auotlicr, and after being re-
primanded by a Court-Martial, was again taken into favour by
a third. Lord Melville, to be sure, had been acquitted—very
properly, no doubt—he could not now contest that—but, not-
ithstanding the very con iderable minority against him, and
the Resolution on the journals of the House of Commons, he
was taken into favour at Court, and had as cousideranie share
in advising the measures of the present Ariannistratiou. if the
same '\ stem were pursued in our army as iii oar navy, the t:::;e
coosequences would Wow. The mem, s. ere ~one; them--
ferenve was only in the wav of inanatimn; them. Sensible of the
importance of prmnoting inquiries by ever; possible means, be
could not but think the answer to the Petition of the City Of
London very ill judged, to say the least of it. fie would move.
therefore, that it be entered on the .1 onm.nals, with the following
resolutions expressive of the opinion entertained of it by the Re-
presentatives of the City of London iu the Common Council.
R eso

That his Majesty's Answer he entered on the Journals. That
at the !aine time this Court cannot forbear declaring it astheir
opinion, that the Address and Petition presented to his Majesty
by this Court on Wednesday the 12th instant, was conceived in
the most dutiful and respectful terms ; that it is the undoubted
right of the subject to petition, and that this right ought at all
times to be freely exercised in all matters of public griesance,
without obstruction or reproof.
That they are, therefore, at a loss to know by what con-
struction of their said Petition, however strained or per-
verted, his Majesty's Advisers could attribute to them any inten•
tion or desire " to pronounce judgment, without previous in-
vestigation."

That they are equally at a l►►ss to know why his Majesty's
Advisers should have deemed it necessary to remind the•
" That it was inconsistent with the principles of British .3
tice," unless to throw an unmerited odium on this Corpo-
ration, and raise a barrier between them and the Croon,