The Sun.
London, England, 1814-09-30 00:00:00

MONUMENT to the late LORD MELVILLE.

•."'Elie Plan of a Monument, erected by the gra-
titude of the British Navy to the memory of their
great Benefactor, the late Lord MELviLLR, having- '
originated in THE SUN, we feel ourselves bound,
pot only to prouitite it among its approvers by
every means in our power, but a;so to defend it
against the envenomed shafts of its envious ene-
mies. Ottr task with the former is indeed an easy
one. The merits of the Friend.of PITT, and es-
' pecially the services he 'rendered; to every class of
the Navy, require neither enumeration nor eu-
logy.' Front the Admiral to the cabin-boy, there is
not a Being eifiph'led under the glorious naval ban-
' .) 1:”
net of Britaiii 1516 does not owe to him comforts,
. enjoyments, privileges, and honours, before his •
. • .
enlightened •ilttfiriistration of their alms, no-
knOwn to these brave defender's of their country's
rights. Every rank knows and feels the truth
of
thiS assertion ; which neither calurAy itself, nor
even the more aggravated feeling ,of Party
malice dares to deny. •We .ask, then, •on
what ground the base spirit of detraction at-
tempts to ithpugn the upright and -noble resolu-
tion of the Navy to establish an evidence of
their proper sense of his worth, on a conspicuous
point of that Laud which gave
.him birth, and
within the view of that Ocean, the interests
of whose daring Sovereign's were the objects
of his utmost. solicitude and care ? We are
twitted with having "dexterously
,conducted"
a vote of the India House in favour of the First
Lord of the Admiralty f 'Tis a sla'nder tqu'in them
and us. That vote was alike creditable to the
Princely Company of Merchants from whom it
I emanated, and to the person in whose hehalflt
1 was granted.' It tvas.a proud and gratifying tes-,
timony oFa•Fafirer's excellence to a deserving Son
the heir to his ardour for the public service and
• paternal regards for the naval branch of it, as well
• as to his patriotism, disinterestedness, and -pd.-
vate virtues:. That vote was the discharge of a
debt of gratitude ! And shall Weyer be said that
a profession like that of which-British Sailors
are the ornament—a profession celebrated through-
out' the world for its magnanimity, gene-
rosity, and justice—shall it ever be said, that
such a profistiimiuwasless animated with the best
feeling of huill'ariAltitti re than a Company of Traders,
however rieh:•andarragnifivent, and liberal ? No I
we are certain; iltat neither •the officers nor the
men, who, white steering Britains bulwarks to the'
utmost limits of the subject ocean, and launching
her thunders on the remotest parts of the earth,
have in every clime, and at every distance, tasted
in their ameliorated condition, in the anxious
provision Made fur their wants, in the ready com-
mand Of their pay, in the facility of intercourse
with their friends and families at boom, in the
participation of their hard-earned property, while
living, with those who_ are dearest to them, anti
the certainty of being able to bequeath 'it safely
to them when they die; and, in fine, in'every.
thing that could tend to their comfort and•hap-
piness,—we repeat, that none of tise men -who
experience these blessing's, will forget that they
are the fruits of the exertions of HENRY DotwAs,
Lord MELVILLE : We are equally certain, that
they will never allow themselves to be outdone
by any body of men existing, in the expression of
their affectionate regard, their regrets for his losS,
their esteem ;and 'Veneration for his memory.
' There needed no manoeuvre to promote the
success of such it:-ieheme as this. To in tke the
plan known' fhe Simplest and most :expedient
means have been resorted to, and the Navy have
in the most handsome and delicate manner been,
what ? entrapped into an unwilling subscription ?
no ! made acquainted with the opportunity -af-
forded of performing a most delightful act of duty, •
and showing that they possess the feelings of
men sensible of obligation, and of sailors consci-
ous of being indebted to a friend and benefactor.
This, alas! they can now only spew by addding
'a stone,to the tumulus- which rises, far less than
the history of his life, to perpetuate the political
•integrity, wisdo,m; and firmness of the Man who
conferred ,benefits no them never to he forgotten, '
though no monument should, ever tell that British
Seamen were grateful !