The Sun.
London, England, 1807-02-14 00:00:00

FINANCIAL RESOLUTIONS.

. ,
IVIr. ROSE suggested it as a matter of convenience,
to have the Debate on the Financial Resolutions de,
ferred till the Report on Tuesday or Wednesday
next.

Lord I3RwttY PETTY had no objeaion to take the
Debate on the stage suggested by the Right Hon.
Momher. It was material to have the Resolutions
taken into consideration pu -Monday; but then, as
a day or two of delay'eotild not be of very serious in-
conVetiience, he should not feel any• reluelance
leave the Debate 'on the Report to WedOsday
next.•
I-lAMPSIIIRE PETITION. .

. .
• k, . .e/SE/ETON SM/111l rose pursuarg to his
to_submit 4 Motion•to. the Elotise on die
Subjed of tlieNiition which. he had the honour to
present on a frit-Fuer day. But before he pro-
deed further,.lie thought it regularthat the Petition,'
and also. the Resolution of that House of the tOth of
DeCeinbcr, 1770, should. be read. The Petition
was then read, as likewise the ile:sOlution 0.1779,
which declared it" highly critnival for any. Minister
or Ministers, or any other .Servatit of the Crown in
Great Britain, direaly or indire6ly, td make -age of the
.power of lli3 odice in order to influence the eleetion
of MemberS of Parhainent ; and that 'an .attempt to
exercise sclz influence was m attack upon the dig;-
nity; the honour; and the independence of P.arli4-
meat, infringement f the rights • and liberties Of
the-people, and an' attempt to• Sap the basis of our
happy Constitution." ' .
fur. 48.84;TONSM-Irli then proceeded, but in
ed Ipw a
.tone as to, 40 sen:cely. audible 'in the. Ga-
llery we understood him to
.state, that, in bringing
this question under the consideration of the House,
he \vas exclusively a6tUated by a Sense of public duty.
So far fr,nn entertaining at.y hostile di.tpo;iition to-
Wards the 1-lonourahle Member,. who was particu-
larly mentioned in the Petition, .he felt the_ highest
u_ pt for him, and Considered hini only as having
acted under the airc.t ions of the :Government. The
IsethiJo, it v,fotild b ii.:ColleEttid; chir!..;cid that
,tionO:zal.,ie kr; entleman w h :LT %to t ten to

[PRICE SIXPE\`(EC

the t arraek,Master-General, dire6ting him to
the whole 'extensive influence of the B: do
Deem-In-rent, iii 'order, 'to promote the. '-eleaci ori
of the Candidates recommended by the
,M,sei.S;
ters kir the represethtatiop. of the County dSooth-..
ampton. This interference was the more extra=
.ordinary and unpreCedented, becanSe the innate
erice of the Goverty4eia was otherwise very ex.•
tensive in that County. The consequence of thiS'
letter from the Secretary of the Treasury to the Bar-
rack, Master General, end of the aCtivity of that De.-
partment, was that an Hon. Gentleman, who had
represented that County for sixteen years. with fide.:
lily and credit, had been unsuccessful at the last -Elec.
tion. .If the Freeholder's of the County had been
left to the free, Unbiassed, anti independent exercise..
of their .iinfrages, be was confident that that Gentle--,
man would now. be seated as their Representative
in that .Heuse. It was for 'this invasion of their
`righti that the Petitioners laid their case before P.a..,
Lament, and wee anxiously wishing for an oppor-
tunity- of _proving': the
.allegations iii their Petition
to that House. They liAd an aniious hope and.
wish - that: the. House Wiaald take. such stepi este
its_wisdonishould seem nit t, in order to prevent in
future the occurrence of such unconstitutioual prac-
flees, -otherwise the represent:4obn cif that great
County would be under the controul of the Govern-
ment; and ~the, most valuable tightS of the Peoplo
would be annihilated:. '.'He trusted that the nolibe •
of Cominoes-Watild ever. be ready to resist such
justifiapie attempts to` infringe, the franchises. of the-.
Eleetor'i, and therebylONlndermine the independenee
and integrity of the 'Representative Body at the Na-
tion. He therefore Moved, that the Petiiion be re-
ferred to-the Committee of Privileges to examine the
matter thereof,. and to report the Seine, . together.
with their opinions thereon, to the House.
Sir HARRY MILDMAYrcise. to second the 1110=
tion of his Hon: Friend, for referring the Petition to
the Committee of- Privileges, The allegations of that
Petition had been ably-brought Under the View of the
House by the -force, the manliness, the_ moderation;
and talents of his Hon. Friend. .In
.touching :Tort
the subject of this Petition, he confessed he felt con-
siderable difficulty, because of the prominent share
he had borne on the occasion AO which ite-eferred,
because any- observations he should make upon it-
might perhaps 'be considered as the result of his feel..
'ings of disappointment.' Bnt under ail the circnna-
stances of the case, lC.Obsidered it not only a
duty he owtt- to the individuals. -whose- rights 'had
been invaded, but a still greater duty to the Houses
to the public, and to himself, to trace, to deteel.,, and
to expose- such unconstitutional interference on the
part-of his Majesty's- Mipisters. Tliis ititeilgrence -
had been exerted in a most unjustifiable and open,
wanner on that occasion, not only in defiance of
the. principles. of the Constitution, but in the teeth
of a Resolution of that House. His Honourable
Friend had not, by his Motion, called mPon the
House to come to any hasty or premature decision ;
;he had only proposed to them to adopt a proceeding
analogous to what Jiad been pursued on a former
, occasion of nearly a.sinallar nature. On searching
for precedents, however,• he admitted that there
were none to be found precisely enalogoui t 9 the
present ease. But the unconstitutional interference
with the freedom of election was no less a subject
of the attention 'of that House. When thii
Petition. had been presented, a Noble Lord opposite .
(Lord Temple) had statedi, that the Petition had for a
long time oCcupied the public attention, and' that
much pains had been taken to poiten the public
mind upon the subjeet of it. Froni the gestures of
the Hon. 'Gentletpen (meaning ;time on- the Trea-
pay Bfin4.l); be suppOsed they conceived that to have
been the c but the statement ups utteili, un-
supported t* any proof, and, -as far as the Petition.:
• ers were Cepeerned, ova; wholly unfOunded iij fact;
He was glad that the Petition was it length sUbmit-
ted-to the consideretion of the House, and he agreed
entirely with the Nobly Lord, that if they slionld
of substantiating the charges cop tainedip it., the Whole
blame and waisiire should fall upon thein. BLit if they
should succeed in provihg the allegatiOni of the Peti.:
tion they should ti-i4ke °tit a stronger "ease eyed
than. the charges in
.the Petition amounted to, he
trusted
.the Noble Lord .I,Votild agree with aliens that
the,House was boUnd 'to adopt some proceeding,
with a view to do-justice between the parties--with
a view to redeem that salenin pledge which it had
eieeri its the Resolution of 1779= in which it declared
a highly criminal in a Minister of the Crown to use
the power of his office ter the, purpose of infidene=
ing zn EleEtion. He trusted -too, thdt the Noble
Lord would not eiwloy the ‘reight of his court and.:
frig eloquence, nor the GOveridnetit extend the pro.:
testing aheadof its, power,', in 'Order to arrest the
measures which might appear to the House necesr
sag on such an occasion. And here he wished to
advert to certain partieularities in the situation of the
County. of Southampton, which rendered the trans-,
aCtion still More culpeble. "There no county or
equal exiopt, acid wealth, in which the
Government,.independeet of the interference com-
plained of in the Petition, had So much influence as
There was_ ii 're OrChurch,collegiate.,
and copylaild propel-Ili:wire:a gave no right to the
elective franchise, in that County than in any athet:
of equal extent, consequently' there was leis of free-
hold property and. fe.Wer Eleadrs. irittgletence,
ef Govetniiienti'thereforei stiliek more ell-ea-Wally
at the indepeni-lieice of the representation. There
was also nit that. COunty ore of the principal naie.l.
arsetials of the kingdom, the number of persons em-
ployed iii u•hitch,'Jthatb d freeholds, et ceeded four
bundred. Thesee.vere persons constantly, regularly,
and. eXclusiV, employed by Government in the
ijecks, and subje& to its .There was alsd
in the neigh boerheed Of Portsmouth an Infinite
-at,lety of rr,ens, who were frequently employed
by the the Whole of Whoni cepld be
: - controuled.by tilt; Diel.iiitiveGovernnrelit: Lys b.
s? at by v ai of ek;pNliation; a.s it did u t Aired

N

any part of the matter of the Petition. If an addi-
tion were to be wade to this influente, Which had in-
creased, was increasing, and must continue to in-
crease as long as the extent of the British Navy...
• should he augmenting, it would give the Government
a powerful itnerest in that Comity.. But
.not con-:
tent with that, the Administration bad inlisted the.
whole Barrack Departnieteitito its7--seh'ice,-- and-
employed the persons engaged in that department,
as its Agents, to promote the election of its favourite
Caildidates. So that it was impossible for any pri-
' vate individual to grapple witli the power of:Govern-
'. riient in that 'County, and the Executive' .possesSed
the means of reducingit •to the .Coudition -ofa eloae
Borough, for which they could "nominate the'Repre-
senfatives. But iii order to come nearer telthe'shb-
. jed, he should beg leave to read the documenti updn
whiCh this proceediii:,, rested ; ''and first,' the Taper
which was the foondation Of -the whOle business-.--
(Heee'the Hon. Baronet -read- dn &laict from the jr'st
• Letter of Sir • Wm. .Henthcote tá the 'Hampshire
Club, stating the application- of Lord-Temple, OU-
thori.:ed ly bird. Grenville,' to himself, intimating
to him; that -GAUCT7IIIIent would not oppose his
re-election; 1 in the' event n, , a• dissolution, if he-
did not coalesce With "Chute, 'against. whom
• .anierninent propoied to set a 'Candidate; Mr.
•Chiite having put himself in systematic opposition *to
• Gonernizzent).---By'.this• it' would appear, that the,
interference of the rzecinive in that-Coluity !walla
Originated with the Secretary to the Treasury,Alor
with the Comptroller of the•Navy,"bot wasa pre-
concerted, pretnedltated; and predigested plan of-the
• Government; to didateßepresentatives to-the County
of Southampton, and't'o'ekchldea respe&able Gen-
tleman who'hadrepreSented that • Coutity for "sixteen
years. Ilt.Wras, le:veeet, in 'candour, necessary fur
him to sate, that the NOble Lord had given a snlase-•
'•erittent explanation of aliat-transhetioil.•;• an-Without
• at • all impuitug any wilful Misrepresentation to
• 'either of 'these' persons, there appeared-to • hint
contradietion in their statementse -It would' be for
• the House to decide which. Was Most likely to be tor-
. reet,'Sir Wm. Heathatte,' Who'retiredeto his closet
after the interview tio make a inemoranduin-of what
passed, with a View to its :publidation, or the NOble
• Lord, -who; 'Without the' aid of any memorandum
whatever, three-weeks after gave an explanation of
e it. • The next letter he Inid to nOtiee,•was one-dated
• ' 5ept...22, from Wrri..FreeMantle;• Esq.•oneof the
• 'Secretaries of the Treasury, to the .-Bat reek Master
• General. ThiS letter had been. sent by the Barrack
Master;Geiterat; Gen. He;vitt, inclosed in one from
.hiMself •to Major Davies, Deputy Barrack - Master
• General. Gen. Hewitt, in his letter; stated, that he
could not better catry into effect the recommenda-
tion of Mr. Freemantle,lthan by inclosing his letter
to 'Major Davies.' •
• [The Hon. Baronet here read the letter from the
Secretary to the-Treasury to the Barrack Master Ge:7.
neral, recommending the Government Candidates,
• the Hen. 'Mr.. Herbert and Mr. Thistlethwaite, to
• his favourable influence, arid requesting of him to
Mention the- same to the other Gentlemen- of the
Departmertti ,
This letter had been marked, on his Majesty's
eserviCeand the copy' Which he: had of- it had been
,taken froM the letter which had been in the posses-
-"'sien of Major Davies. In consequence of it every
exertion had he'enmade, and -witli,sueCess: TO this
-Major Davies had replied, that the Committee were
' of his Canvass would be more effectual at Ly-:
mington and the Isle of Wight The next letter was
from Gen. He...vitt to Major -Davies, informing hiM
that he might, go to Lythington if he could obtain the
• permission of the-Commander of the bistrid, but at.
• the same time_that he could not be allowed anything'
tai defray the expences of his journey--,this•being a
e''speCies of service which could not be inserted in the
'PubliC Aceotinfs. '
• - [Mr. JAME'S MARTIN here• rose to order,- observ-
lug, that .from the loud cries of hear! hear ! he was
preventtid from 'hearing any :thing.]
The 'Holieneible.Baronet .proceeded im-
pression` 00 his 'from this letter was, that
'thereo.vere'two Accounts kept in the :gatrack De-
partment, ovipublicind,the other private (No,
this sheaved mere than anything else the
necessity of going into the 'Committee; in order to
ascertain whethr or not there-was any private Ac-
count. 'l' he next letter Was from Major Davies to tiro
NLiSter General, stating, that his destination
h been fixed,for Lriaiogton and the Isle of Wight,
• and that his route had been sketched by Lord car-
parvori," to that phint,- as not very fir from the resi-•
deuce of fir. Rose.-=Now he could not see hoW
this Noble Personage should appear in such a tram-
adion. He knew there was such a person' as' Earl
`..Carttarvon, 'Who had tieena distingniShed Member
of that flonse„;and who was a near connexion of
one of` the Candidates, but he could not suppose that
. th•at-Noltle Personage Would netke himself a party.
to any. 'such uncenstitutional' 'proceeding. But he
conld'teil hint that he {night hereafter spare himself
' the. trouble 'o'f' sending to canvass' that neighbour-
' hood; beeate;e the experience and weight of
• 'Right Hon. Friend's -chitrader' and public condud
insured to him and to his connexions the support of
his neighbours." The next-letter he had to notice
was one in which MajOr Davies stated, that the
Duke of Cumberland would not suffer him to depart
for Lymington, till he should 'himself set out for
Wales, 'which imputed to, fear lest his eiforts
should produce all'effeca inimical to his political con-
nexions. This, lib doubt, was matter of conjecture
only ; left, if he tiriderStood any thing of the charac-
'ter of th.t Illustrious Personage, with whom he had
the lionoor.of being
_acquainted, he Was convinced,
that he could not ii,fluenced by any such feelings.
lastletter he haat° ootice.vas dat ed lan. 1, 1806,
~'Which ought evidently to be 1807, in which it was
stated ,that Major Davies •vas prosecuted by Mr.
,
vetelt, tne Agent of the opposite party, and thus he
had an offer mace to him by Oil, St. Jobe; on the
part of one of the most resPedable men in the
ty, of relieving hem front his embarras-iments if he
would give. up the Treasury letters in hia-posseselion;,
w•hich he had rejeded: He was as euriouS as
,any,
man to find out who this most respedable man Was,.
and though he had been 40 years' re ident in Hainp-
Oire, if be werensked to. point such a person out,
in ehould find it difficult. However, as this person
who could so bully and bribe with the same breath
—who was• so ready to.discharge Major Davies from
ail his einharrassments---miglit also have the- means
t injuring _him, he, was bound to state; that he had
oeained copies of the letters from -"a person who
..ad them in his possession previous to the eledtion

from this.
written evidence they 'could sliew that the
GoVernment had issued its maiidates to the Barracl;
"Department, and that its dirediOns had, been. faith-
fu4lkXeciited... Ei4und disce vines." The same
ZOufse laad-been adopted in theaker Departanents, '
and particularly by.the Corriptroller of the NevyH
If they could prove the• faCt in. one instance, that
trouts beasutfic tent. to- ro v e—their etttea-- - He. felt
that in this instance aahe yineipleseof ..the. Con:
stitution were inN'olvid, and ',that. there was no
Borough to hermetiCallv sealed to which this in.
Apeman "if countenanced, might nut C\ tend. This
was a case that involved thebonour, the dignity, and ,
the independence of Parliament. -If the House were
to suffer such pra6tices to pass nneensured—if it were
to forfeit the solemn 'pledge 'contained in its "former
Resolutions, it'avould forfeit its,(rNll charadter,
lto-
nour, and authority.. Here he begged .leave to read
the letter cafthe.Duke of Chandos, which had giVen•
rise to the Resolution of 1779, and Which only re- -
corrithended to some friendS, to 'attend • the County,
Meeting at Southampton, in order to add to there-
- speaability of the assembly.. Yet the Duke of
Chandos was a person who had considerable- pro-
perty in the County, and wrote only to a private in-
dividual; whilst the .Secretary of the Treasury, who
had written in. this case, had no property in the
County, and had set a Whole Public Department in
motion. He had done, his duty .in (promoting the
application by Petition to that House, and, in tracing
the :case .through its whole progress, and. should
therefore, in this instance,. follow up :that duty by
voting that. the Petition be referred 'to the Commit--
tee of Privileges.. .
On the question being.put, •
'Mr. PREEMMVTLE, in rising to vindicate him.;
self from the Charges that had been broiight against
him,- felt considerable -tears; notitorn ant conscious;
Hess at-guilt, but from the ditliculty which unavoida-
ably arose from his not having-been accustomed' to'
Parliamentary speaking: r.dl3ue bow much treater
anus' his ditliculty be when be refleited thathis own.
;charaCter and conduat, and. the charadter and even
the very existence of. the Government under which
.he acted, was.-committed inthe present charge.. ,He
had only, therefore to throw himself upon the indul-
gence of the House, whilst he repelleci the charges to
the best of his ability. From .the moment of the
Dissolution of Parliament, rumours had been in cir-
culation upon the subject of the interference-of Go-
,
vernment in the County of SoUthampton." He trusted
that he .should be -able "to show that theSe rumours
had been magnified and exaggeratedbeyond what the
case would Warrant.. No wonder, therefore, that the
public mind :should :have been affeaed by such
'statements. He was confident, hOweVer, that he,
, should be able to shew that he ,hid
.riot
..either the Government or hiMsell upon this occasion.
When the charge was brought forward against him
personally, he should have thought that he WaS en
aided to the :same attention as any other individual
who might happen to beaccused. He-could not ac-
count, therefore, for the condudt Ofttficse Who
signed'and brought forwardthe Petition against him,'
He. was satisfied with'the eXplanatien that had been'
given by the -Hon. Gentler an presented it.—
kle had long teen known to that Hon.' Gentleman„
.and was not sensible of .having. incurred either, his
displeasure orammusity. As to Alio other Ger __calve
that had signed the Petition, he bad been known to
many
.of them, and was equally jamorant of his
haVingaip any one ahape, deserved trieir hostility,......
One of the H 011; Members that had signed the Peti-
tion, whom he did -not then. see in his place, bad;
within a very feW days,-given him, as a OOP of
the continuance of his forrner feeling towards
an hospitable entertainment-at; his house. If he
could trifle either with the subje& or with the House,'
he should say he had.beeninvited to be fatten.-
ed and pampered for a public. ,speelacle. Hpwever,
he should acquit that Honourable Member of such
.intentien, because he believed that he had signed the
Petition ignorant and unconscious
.of what it con-
. tallied ; and.he begged him, if in the. House, to be
• persuaded that he felt no resuutment against. hiui.
This-was not the Petition that had been sanctioned
by- the Freeholders of the County., but a pert-ea:UT
new one, that. had been fratned;avithin a tew.idaya.
The Hon. Member to whom 'be had alluded had
only lent his name to %chat le conceived a general
charge against the Government. - The rumours that
had been circulated respecting the tanconstitutional
interference of the Government had been kept up
with such industrf, thOugh riot founded in fact,
and, he should' add, resting only upon falsehood,
-that it was' no wonder they had made 'some
impression upon
.the public, mind.
,But' he was
ready to answer for the faa, aaa he should be
ashamed ever • to put his pen to paper if he, could
shrink from a responsibility for every syllable
`he had written. It was unnecessary for the Hon.
Baronet to have taken so. much pains respecting the
letter be had written, of. vThich, however, he had
obtained' but a copy. It would-not be for him ik
state; that no charge could be
_substantiated against,
any person on the bare ground of anunautbentiCat-
ed copy. He did not by any means intend to take
that course, though, if he were so:inclined, he ap-;
pealed to the House whether he might not object tee
such a foundation of a charge against him ; but be"
did not deny the letter; 'on the contrary,' he had
taken some pains to procure the original, for which
he could appeal to his friends, in order to enable the
House to form a judgment of the merits of the case.
AS the Hon. Baronet had read that' letter, he trust.
ed the Hotiae would permit him, to read it also-. [The
Hon. Gentleman here read the letter, which had
been read before -by Sir H. Mildtnay.] The letter"
was dated TreaSury-Chathhers, Sept. sae, some tithe
.previous to the Dissolution, acid Was 'narked, private.
He should not say that many'letters on official- busi-
ness may not be sometimes marked in this manner,
but certainly the Gentleman opposite, who had so
much more experience in the business of Office than
he had, must know, that letters so marked were never
preserved b,' any official copies in the Office: He only
recommended the Candidates whom •heaviThed
succeed to .the favourable influence of the Barrack-.
Master-General, and requested of him to recutn-
mend them to the other Gentlemen in that Depart
meat. ' These were the expressions he had made
use of, .and he was ready both to claim and to justify
then); Now as to the charge, that William Free-
mantle, Esq. one of the Secretaries to the Treasury, 1.4. ho
had no property the County-, had employed the,
power of his ottice: to influence the Election," tae
could easily disposeof that. It was one of the entbl-
tunate consequences of the Pz..tition' having- been

, .
brought forward without any communication being i not been a Freeliolderof the-Cotinfy- ,aualhad aa...
made to him tin the subject, thaa suet a statement quently no right to interfere. The second grota.
as that had tbLtrid-;its into the,Petitiou, If ..the upon which charges of undue interference could. b, Mernber's who brought forward the PetitiOna I made against Government, was the profligate-use or
had informea him-of its "eon-tettasa he-could have their. power in the abuse of the disposal of the pub-,
them the •trouble of presenting it at all—he s iic money. As far as his knoWledge went, no such
would have sated them the disgrace they must feel. apra,dice bad or could have taken place, though he
-from a h (Lactation-4)f - 4 lie----i=4USei--4)r--110- -W0,114-.4.4)4^heard. t bftta. °Ow. Qatargaiata.mentaalatrdareserted to
.4aa.sayed the •House the of listening to his jusa such Means of influence. -Fie cult-witlaaliegreate4
tification. The 1111 SW C r he had to make. to that confidence assert, that no money„ rota- single- slid-
ChaNtage was, that he was a Freeholder Clibe:-Connt: :linti-liad-beenaiiiireill-Tom- the -Treasury; -direaly
ar
of Southa ay-ton ,- that lie liada peOperty in t hat Coun- odiredly, for a purposes of 'the late Ele6tion.
ty, and tlatt be had .as good ai right as any otalle_Gen- .1
-le wished this t(i .be well understood:-by‘ther-House,
tlemen who had thought proper to sigo the and to go forth to the pu'olicalnd the-World, and la:
to employ all the menus which his property, hifiu- would, not-pledge his credit-and •charaaer Upon the
ence,nor connexions Lit-lorded, to proMotelthe',4iec- assertion, it he_ laal not the most positive cer-
:tion of those Candidates whom he wished to sac- taiuty of its. trofli. :there had .not been a single
ceed m. He had for years possessed. a property - shilling issued; neither of secret service,money:,
;,in that county, .and his -,nearest .and :deaaestacon- .'nor:'of' any' ether fund, levied UPon :the Ptiblie;
flexions, those ,who• Were •in the habit of consulting, , for such an anfWorthy purpose. ,T,lteSe 'were the
him,.and who would by ihtluericed ,by his,advice,
r 4 only two points upon which charges--could be
had properties in that, county,: equal to any, and 'bretight for undue_ interference' against a Govern,.
larger than the properties of Most of those t.vhosp went. He had .ianswered the -charges - that had
• names were to the Petition. Thtiugh he had been "been brought•against him to the best of his judga
settled at .the..Treaaury„ it did not follow tht, he inent, and be took that -opportunity of protest-
should in consequence be 'deprived of that which ingaagainst the doEtrinea that the individuals who
was, the birth-right of every Eiiglishrnaila-the right. : may corripose an-,AdMinistration had'net ;thp-Sarne
of giving his support and.inflaence to the Candidate right as others: te give their individual infitterfce and
-Whom he preferred.—lf he xvere to be deprived of Support to such Carididalesang- they; may Prefer.—
, that right by his effice, heshould not hold that of- The Hon. Gentleman he-re 'briefly recapitulated his
fine five minutes.—Se far he: had considered the former statements, anc.l declared that tite.tkitise of
question on the ground of private faelings.- He any uncodstitutiopzd iniluieni:(l. was as repdgnant to
should next 'i.k- the lion. liaronet, by what law it
(i til
lii.s-o:t(e
t).snfewelittih ~gsais)oi,l;t-v,: lie eultiv-,.baLsf Icio:ntinlec,atocdtl,ieawn-dishbeys
W )as that he was deprived of his right,' merely be-
cause'he•beld the .ittaitrien• of Secretary to thelrea- Whom he had .heeii Placed in the .sitiaith;O heahen
-Wry? --The Resolution of the House 41..1779, ex- held It lie bad,beer.guilly.of Si,ch, oundua it *Would'
tended only to. persons :whe'shOnld use tho,power, of have deprived
/him;
,of the. good oPecirtairthose
. their Official Situatinna to, infitieuce_Lledions, but: whose ilpprobStiohlie most til'apprea
aildid not, prelude persous ,hol ding. otlices- from giving liension of what-he most valued was, next to his
their votes mud interest to whatever 6indidate .own'prindipt43,r4k:btsr*tlidly Ta_tzaittgtisucti no-
, pleased. Fie .Was not aware of imy law to that, et- constitaity.rial iihaaelaad all op-
fea, and he begged[ the House to lookaat the':gitua-• pOrtunity igtrotlaiia ":
e.l:r,-ges'-ola'raftrota more,
tion it would:leave every MeMber of the :Govern-„
,-;4
dangerous teUaeilcy than those: ptatatiiazia,-ainst
mutt of this CountrY in,- whatever' might 0'16114' nini,l but be-would have been ashamed .of.:iiimself
talentS, their .wealth; their conSequ'ence; Or 'ftiar.. it he could deScench-taasuch
.other clahns to be high in the estimation of their • he"WAS- in- the matAktatPuted,
countrymer;- they would be deprived of all the ina lie should with Contideuce rit""v='hit3)de4, upon dui
-fittence natural to su,:h qualifications, solely because .-jUstice of tFte Howse; a: 42'
they. faiPpened to fill an "-office -in the :Gawerrl: Sir H:../liiDALI/Y; in eiPaßation,;.st.,,id; that
merit. Wag that a dparitie that Could be supported -. he had--iiot asserted that the Petition.ifftd the'saneiion
in that •House, '• or tolerated in this -Coantry.lar of a County 'Meeting: - • 7:"
Having thus stated that lie was not restricted by any t allaal3Bo/),..i.,/c expressed Ili shrprise at the
last from tmi-aling the course he had followed„,that .
ofahe Hon. Secretary of the. Treasury, and
his .property-- gave .hitzi the..rightiaana—that that right had never' heaad-senitiments as/6 fhliiiii•ohieht so
was strengthened by the, ,Cpusideration of the pro direcFtry in the teeth of the riteselntions-:fafathe
petti possessed' the-cloUnty: by .nearest imck said that he tlpdpropetty.in the Coor
dearest -cohnekions, he had next to state anOtN-et,,.. ;ty, pno2.he believed fact. ta-as ao,a hnt:his '3l"
motive Which- b.:( induced him to take an interest f..tuatioh in the Tredsury weald be more attaaided to
in 'the 'Eleetion- for Hampshire. -Mr. Thistlethwaite, Bat-rack Masters and. Others; user win threTrea-
oneoiklie•Candidates, Was his cousin by inarriagei;L sury might- be Supposed' to have .61t-fe intitience.
and their families-, were con-nee-led by all the tics of .I. TheHon.-Secretary had Old; 'fhat this Was -hot tha
• affinity -Ito& Under such .cirauinstancas,
ri.patatioeaof the ConlityCe 'nattily IP:I.LL-hilad.i)c-
. lie-should haae,heeti wanting iu the properAelings..E. s r beep presa,nted Load!. 13:tit it ;vas not ais,hu-
of
,attachtuciit, it lie had not - exerted hicaigif say bow the Voter.s who a i,,haa toalakitioo,
t a promote. the success of ,a :ate in. whom were, to assemble; -1t; (Mr. B.) it aS not in the-hl-
- nearest and :dearest connexion:; had such an ..bit of attending nothi-ng prat theft
interest,. provided that in. so, d; " iii didinot.i mode Of proceaaailiaa Eat the. Saxra.tary's Friends oil
employ the power of , his official situation_ Ike ; the Bench near hiinriiiglit give -hiin.any iniermation
begged hero to bring back the anenti,;ti of (:;'en- 1" on thiwirendii-Etinle'infeit'require. ,A,s to the, eight
tlettiett to, the letter, duct he K ould then nit; whether of Government to intel-let,e iti7EleCtioLiiik.;thil. Hon. t"
there was a single eXpr.ession in it whichcould be ~;rit_lentan had saki,..thaLtio threat, no impropaar in-
construedto'conveY the. command of office. Frehad flueuce, could have: been used. by. die-G-

without his ktieskledge--:so extenive•ws _iiiS con-
ioverittnet4
that
writtedin PreeiSelya;:4thoetcninael. t:itrlnliaStion‘i:ionuyidG...teonttlie:e.,-.
man not holding
Hon. Secretary' S pro-
pexion with --all its i‘l.enibers. This circuinstanee
, than ally :consideration of the
'uld inuCh more with the 11' ' Nlaslr
with Wheal he was acquainted..; ,vo , }prevail , .,, arraci, ,
head ot. a4lepartment
-
He had 'known General' Hewittrand had. understood
' party, in the County; - -
that- Majoi, Davies 'wasa-- Freelfokler of the County , , . . ,
of SOuiliamplon, and had:applied to.General,Hewitt - .ilfr. 11E1iBL firf expressed'his satisiliaion that the.
for the pt.t‘rOose ofo66lniiig-oat vote. Whether he . stream of calbmny which - had:been so industriously
ha-fa beenfigbtly inf.or/lled as to
.7Nlajor Davies hat:-" sp-teacl...all over the Cotintry---Whiai bad been SWell--
ing a vote he could 'not tell,, but lie hacl' Tea-, ed by every possible -means abioad; and nourished
,son to believe that he had .. not voted either:. by insinuations even in that House---,had been at ilot
for Mr. . Herbert or. Mr. Thistlethwaite.-
,7
filtz;-: breughtto the test of public investigtttion. But, how"
Honourible -Baronet had stated, that.t he whole Rif,' ' ever --much be felt satisfied at this he.tnnst sn3r
'rack Department had ben put m motion, and:that something respeAing. the. C311C11.161 of those- who pre'
considerable influence had... been thereby created in- sentedthe Petition,. 'Viet, ought tti- ha ire presented
the decision of the Ele&ion. ,But he challenged t it at an-earlier period-. But•-aii fiCm:-Geritlemen had
the .1-lon. Baronet, or any of the Gentlemen by hid; said that they had been' delillotls 61.'preseriting, it :it
• to prove the influence thus charged.. If he was
,well 1
toe opening of the SC:SSiOII, but that they hathhought
informed, •not, a single inditidual eonne6ted \V ith the -proper to delay thernatter ti:l a full.attendant._' of the
Barrack Dtpartll,lvot- had, given vote at the, .Y,lee- County Meinhers 'inight be expeJted'... J3,it a'li't
tion, and even Alajor panes had not voted
:either t could he say to justify•.frimself; it it Ahould appear to
fur :A,lr. Herbert or Mr. Th
istlethWaite.Tae I-lon. be true that -the Petition did not tAist:'-ai the .of
Baronet liad.likewise brought- 'forward seeral let:-. -ing.ofthe Se4ision,,nOr,ll,been,eytNi:hi Ctittiefri)li''
tern which had been . written dn'''ilie,'sUbje,-1 of the -tiont but 11-nit.-another,Petition,•diiferent freth titis,
~
one originally written by 149-1.4 :But he trusted tire ' And containing ncr distinct' cffaitcf:pgiiiii his Hon.
House would not think him responsible for anAptter , Friend,wastfiailintentiPdtobepresetitedhi'd ‘;;asafter-
but that of which he Inid -himself -been-the-author, •wards abandoned from,:want of -L-.7r01i-nds-? ; -,, He did
and which, he trustei.l, he liat.lsliewiy.could neithel• not say tOo lightly ; 4.10 d he'tout: th'e Ilbt.itv-61 ad-
implicate bhn,': 1101 -the GOVernxneut. under,' N.Viiick ; , vetting to. it lit /;r:!er in ',.,1]..ib1e :the''.f-Lionse,tihudge
he creel. - lime Hon.‘Thironet had/also read aloe •":,whether this Petiti,n w;l5 presented tram partlf mo-
letter of. the, puke :of glandes, which had--,given lives, 'Cr with .:r Yi\‘.• t() tijt hitef6;4(s of.i,Tlstice,.'. ge
rise to the'Res?ltition OfParfiament in the year 1779,....
.t.hen :ii..,erteS td the asiertioiis t'lhn.ll,:i"lbecti 'made
It would
,be recolleaed that; ibe Duke of Chandos I respeCtingAti • ilit,c,44euce of Governnilt in the
had . been •a- Peer of Parliament, and consequentlyi ,Dock- yards, anti-denied that.anv-ini)Tst or traftroper
diSqualified, by a Resolution of that )_louse, fox inter;; • intetfereniV,:liad tal,:eir nlacethorel fi'of tlii,i-faa Ile
tering v,•itli Elei.iions." ;He..was a'figliolder. or the had the authority of: the C.Oti:inisilon;4ll-Y,ot her
county, and,possessed as-- gooda right as any of the„ 01--lio„--rs of the. awl,: -yards. : Tiireals::aptd.:::.iltlin-
Petitietiers tii'6'ititass la; tenants,- or his friends, in'. Dies had: been used •on the other sidek:chowever,
favour of the: Candid;iies I,e, preferred. ,So.-far he . even by some invested With iwieisterlai,at-i,tlrority.
trnsted the'House Would feel.thathe: was illititid in Such threats bad been basil, 'o'6t, •Ottly--4' ..
pro-
going. Having said thus much of; - -
tained in the Petition, he should now beg to state-.pledges. After.the able and. cuatily7 et-Ten:Col hi.;
the only two grounds' of critnination against Mi- Hon. Frend,"...litt!e` remained'fot him to say on the
Ili6terti,f tbr. an exercise of. undue influence.__ - Thili- .riierits of. the.'eliarge ;' but"-he"wbisild-ISk:flle'Hon-
first was, when they abuSed their: patrimage, c Bart; (Sir H, Niildinay) how he couht produce pa-
ther by hulling out oi.:,,,iae or re„,-,,,,),,.3 to persons: pers; thete-,that'llad• been diss.voWett: b 1;?, another
,133-
-
employed in
:the, public departments, with a view to ronet, pho had first made the statements "COntaillea
influence their-voices at-au Eledion„ On this iheatthe tin them ? That. Hon. Baronet-Hd coriftis.;ed that lA'
could 01113, Say, that neither a menaceiofpunishment could net pledge himself i.rs le_theitYtic&in.cfy, as ltd
nor -a- promise. of reward had been held out by the was -doll Of hearing.. , These had been already dis 7
'Fteitsury, at the last Ele(tion, to any person in any proved. I-le insisted on the right 'of tfie'itidividuals
.department of the State ; and if airy such proceedings composing the 00-verntnent' to in terf.:re il'itleEtiol4
had taken place, they must' ha?epaSsed through his : like any other individuals, and.'expressed his hope
hands. There had been DO abuse of the,patronage ' that the House' would juin with him in censtirinS
of Government in any department in, the kingdom. i the condo& of i hose who -had presented this frivo-
' But the allegatiOns'of this Petition were not expres-. n ions and unfounded Petition. • . .
sive of the-sense of the County 'of S.outhampton.-- Mr . . JEFFERY could not ,it silent iltet the state.-
The Petition had been. surreptitiously, privately, and inent of the Hon. Secretary "I' -• ' jest
of rite Treasury,,
clandeStincly brought fi)rward, -and was signed .only his silence sliojoa b :
~,, . .. . , _ .
e construeu into all sacirmsion 0' by 112 persons,
.who Co * ''' * **
aid not be said to express the the corret...iness of those statartr.nts; . i-fc had otter
sense
of .a County in which there were 6000 EleiEto-r3'; skin to kn 0,,,, sometiii,, -t., • . .. • i..., eueu
g- or the implopei•...inter Lr •
the Petition thCiefore did not contain the sense of the i of Government its Boroughs.. The Ht.in'.ll3ecrentrY
County. j` as .there a fad bronght forward to. prot,e.
himself had told him, that he' need _,nOt ' 4itea tit'''
its. allegations, or was it supported by an charge patronage of Government in •-his CaIIVA.S6 for Pooh',
from any• other part of the kingdom ?
~,It -rested
, , because lie was in OppolitionPrvion+tni the c',
solely upon the credit of the 112. Gentle Men wh° had solution of Parliament, hi onhad told li'l,'•
signed it, .and who had signed on a belief that he had ' pont...nt •
!

F,' t

ti.• a.

LI

)1

T-,
:16

.
insinnated,. that be had. the 4titllority of Golornment
in, opposing him, and meant to open flit Borough;
and bring in the Comtbonalty as voters ; hot as
had been decided ,that' the: right of eletionlNds-in
the Corporation, he' was obliged to abandon that
ground as untenable. It was publiely, ackiitiwledg-ed
that the patronage of Government was 'given to
A. Taylor,. the Hon. Gentleinan who WW'rnt by
Government to "o-Pptise hien: .I)laces which had been
ftually. promised to s01.1;lp refused, and after
qualifications were viven they could not obtain the
warrants; but all were given to others- who sup;
ported the other Candidate; These were-fa6ts that
must excite disgust ;
,and after this, fur 'the Hon:
Secretary to support an assertion that no iMpropier
influence had been used, was impossible.
BIDDULPH rose in consequence of what
had failed from. theHon...Gentlernin who had spOke
)ast but one,, who said that he hoped the House
Would join with him n censuring the conduit of
these who had brought forward the etition. 'He,
though of no party, differed widely from that Hon.
Gentleman. If such a Petition was expresSed in de-
cent terms, he thought that.lhose who presented it
deserved credit. for it, however lake they might have
brought it under investigation. Some sentiments that
had dropped from the Hun.' Secretary of the Trea-
sury he- had . beard with shrprie and regret. He
had said that Government had as good a .right to
Interfere in Elections as any Corporate. 80dy....
Ke -also said, that no improper • influence ,could
everted without, his knowledge.. If that..i,vas
the case, with how much suspicion' ought the
exertion of any influence of his to be regarded?—
Lis:letter, bore oir the face of it that it was on

his Majesty's .service(ATßl :No!) :Well, on that
Point be was glad to find he was mistaken ; but
it was dated from the Treasury Chambers. Thu
Treasury was, c.ontiedtt..4 with the Barrack DepPrt-
rt?ent, and the qt.iicer receiving. the letter might be
very apt .to think that.it was of the, same nature and,
• authority with the usual orders. The nature of the,
tarmck Department was io b considered : It ex-.
llnded.not, only.over those employed under it,, but.
also to those who, furnished barns, Vic. Be6des,,
whpr4ver there were troops, the influence of' for
hearance too might.be considerable, which, though
less in degree, yet.effected a greater number. Wheta
charge of.this sort-existed against a .Public Office•
it ought to be investigated, and Mthere .could it LP
itiv.e4tigated but in this House ?
Mr. FIiXpIANTLg, in e.,•wlanation, said. that he
ineapt.that the individuals
.in
the Government had
42
4.3.-sciod a right to interfere as ,those of a Corporate
body. As to ,tll other position,. lie only said that
uncuntitutional- interference could not have come
through the Treasury without his kno.wlecte—lbr
9tber. _Departments .he had, distinal).! stated .others
Would be responsihle._
• Air. JENKINSON stated, that.thi Ob'eta Was to
prevent the interference of Government in Eleeliens,
and to punish such as bad interfered. This
ierenee had been used against himself. In Dover,
which he had the honour to represent, there were
two 'descriptions of p.,:rsons--7 the one under.thein-
fluence of thy: Ordnance Board, the other under that
of the Viaualling- Board. Soule thought they had
doneenuogii to give one vote to the Government

Candidate, while they gave him the other. But
they told him that they hid received an eller, uri-
er pain of forfeiting their employment, to give both
"te4or. the other Candidate, but that they, not with--
standing, resolved to keep tfue to their word. He,
0
motv.pver, had released them 5 but others had at tho
altar"(the Eleclion being by custom held. in 'the
churcl4 violated their ..prnmise, an(l VOted. against
11.91. He felt himself .called. on therefore to resis,t
such praaices.
4r. TlERNEYobserved, that the mover and e-
-5941der of the Motion had at least the merit of having
been candid and e:c.pliCit in their staternent- of fatits,
and these being compNtely M the, possesSion of the
House, there was no occasion to go into a Committee
for the purpose of further investigation. What fur-;
Oier had the House to learn ? The Honourable
rOnet had read the P•azerS once, and some*of them
even twice, and mad is observations updn. them.
What then could be gained by going. into a Commit-
tee • . •
411 d he would nil:, Whetter such a breach of
Privilege had been proved as to render the matter
worthy.of investigation by a. Committee -of
leges ? It had.been stated, that he' had said that the
Petition had been too long delayed. He had said so,
and avowed it. It 'was signed, he observed, by se-
veral Members of. Parliament, 'and these might have
lgrexignt forward the business without any Petition,
and ought to have done it the first monicnt it
"was.possible. He (the Speaker) knew that such
eras the anxiety of the House to consider questions
of privileges, that they had the precedence of every
other business, •and this •question would baVe been
:discussed pven hetbre. his Majesty's Speech. The
infyrence%he drew from this was, that they did not
think this breach of privilege as one of
.much conse-
quence, and had accordingly al.owed it to sleep for a
time for some purpose" or other. It had been said,
e did not know..with what truth, that it was in or-
. 4;let to find the right Petition, which an Honourable
Gentleman .had signed, supposing it to be another
Petition, and. lie was sorry he was not present ;
for if he. had been in the House, he thought it
probable he would have confessed ,that he did not
know what. be had signed. His Honourable Friend
(Mr. Freemantle) had observed, that he had no
previous notice of the charge which it was meant to
-: bring against him. But what could be said of
(Mr. Jeffery's), who had brought -a. most seriou's
Otarge against a Gentleman., not only without no-
t*, but even in his absence ? A more indeCorous,
more unprecedented proceeding, and i condutt more
improper from one Gentleman to another, never was
• Mr. SPENCER STANHOPE rose and said;
11)t in the long time _that he had. sat. in Parliament,
he never heard more improper .anal- more unparlia-7
mentary.language frem one Gentleman to-another.
He Called.upon the Speaker tQ say,, whether that was
proper language .to use in that" Roush ?
The SPEAKER said, that in the sense in which
the Hon. Gentleman understood them, the words
Might as wells have been spared.-
Mr. TIERNEY hr continuation asked, Whether
it could be thought that it was his objea tonnake.
two Gentlemen quarrel. If his words could be sup.
Pcsed to have .that tendency, the Hon. Gentleman
to be sure-had-lunch mended the matter.—He would
no', however, be led away' by. the .broad hint which
the Henourable Gentleman. had. thrown • out... A

Hon. C;:ntlemarr. over,tbe way (Mr:4le)
.had said that thiS was unprecedented ctinduCl on the,
part 04. Government: Such a Petition as this
•indeed, be Unprecedented, and yet,after all thes.st: eh
of the Right Hon: Gentleman, he conic' find nt,tliing
but this charge, Which, in truth, amounted t 6 no-
thing. Hit had been brought in as air illustration of
something tNe—as other illustrations had heen made
use of—then it might-have been good for something;
but as it stood now,-It was nothing. What was the

'letter ? It: was oile by Which his Hon. Triend
4gged a favour of another person.— To, be vre, if
he had been an older prai:titioner, 1i might h.e.'e
I dated his letter from Stanhope-street; where he liVed,
and sent it by his servant.' That Was the whole
of the argument with respea to the date of the
Treasury C
hambers.But the :Gentlemen on the
I other side were all aghast at the Treasury Chambers.
But General Hewitt would know very well who Mr.
! Freemantle was, without the mention of the Trea-
Sury Chambers, and could no doubt tell, at any rate,
what part Government would wish him to take:---
If the letter had been sent to 'General.Hewitt to be