The Sun.
London, England, 1814-11-15 00:00:00

CAPT. lIARCLEY'S COURT-MARTIAL.

The Marquis of BuctsiNaliAtvi rose, in conse-
quence of his notice on a former night, to move
tor the proceedings of the Court-Martial in the
case of Captain Barcley, and the surviving officers
and men, for the loss of the British flotilla on
Lake Erie. He did not see upon what- ground
objection could be made to the production of a
paper which had already been published in
.news-
papers and magazines. The evidence for which
he moved would go either to attach blame, or to
vindicate the conduct of his Majesty's Ministers,
and was in itself ulrefitly a matter of public noto-
riety. He then stated what thenattire of the evi-
dence would be.—lle should also move for a copy
of the sentence. From. that it Would appear,
that the failure of the operation was occasion-
ed by the defective means possessed by Cap-
tain Barcley ; the want of a .stifficient number
of seamen, which he, bad requested of Sir James
Yeo, and the unfortunate early fall of the superior
Officers. It would also appear, on the same att-thority, that the greatest exertions were made by
Captain Barcley
.and the brave men under his
command ; that it was right, under the circum-
stances, to begin the action ; and that he, and his
Officers and men, were fully and honourably ac-
quitted. His object in
.moving for this instrument
was, to give the Noble Lord (Melville) an oppor-
tunity of making good his pledge to .the country,
that he would defend the naval administration:—
His Lordship. then moved for an. Address to his
Royal Highness the Prince. Regent, praying that
he would order to be laid before the House a copy
of the evidence given at the trial of Captain Bar-
cley, &c. and of the sentence of the Court there-
upon.
Earl BATHUST said, that his chief objection to
.the production of the Papers now moved for
was, the effect which they might have on the
.characters of some military men. The publica-
tions of the day perished With the day ; but if
their Lordships were to make an order for their
production in that House,• their existence would
be lasting, and the imputations they conveyed.
transmitted to posterity. His Lordship next al-
luded to the two letters written by Sir James Yecr
to Sir J. B. Warren, in which Captain Barcley
was charged with complaining of want of provi-
sions, though there was no 'want-44111g the, rein-
forcement was not applied for in sufficient tial(S".

tend that it y.' as actually on its march when the
disastt4" took place. There was also an opinion
on the conduct of Araj,,r-Generol Proctor, and
other letters, of similar importance. The General
Order of Sir George Prevost was another of the
documents i;;cluded in this motion. It contained
the strongest charges against Major-General
Proctor, and was written in terms of-the- utmost
severity. Would it be right that this Older should
'be produced at the moment when Major-General
Proctor «as about to he called to a Court-Martial
tin'the ground of that Order ? The paper was
evidently written under strong feelings of disap-
ipnititinent, and in stronger terms than would have
'siq.,geSted themselves in other circumstances.—
Capt ain Barcley had certainly defended and kis-
tHed himself already—bat that was not the case
with other Officers. The Noble Lord was anxious
to draw an inference against the conduct'of his
T,lyjesty's Government, but the representations did
not reach Government till the 11th of October.
ititdv these circumstances, it was for the Noble
Lard to consider ‘vhether the advantage he pro-
posed was not counterbalanced by the sulid ob-
jections that existed against his motion.
Lord GRENVILLE, was anxious to found his pro•
ceedings, not on public rumour, but tin the sworn
testimony of a Court-martial, who bad ascribed
the failure already mentioned to the want of suf-
ficent means His Noble Friend (Earl Batlruist)
bad informed them that the disaster of Ivar had
prevented the application of the means to their
object, a:AI not the negligence of Ministers. - But
that Was the very strength of the'case, and precise-
ly the point to which proolought to be applied.—
Should not Ministers, he would ask, before the
long eXpected war brae out, be provided against
midi difficulties ? The general impression was,
that they ought, and they were called upon to
meet that impression with proper and satisfactory
explanation. The subject ought to be iinfuiredi
into, in order il4t we might know whether blame
NN as to be attached to the Officer abroad or to the
Government at home.
Viscount .:51eLvii..I.s; submitted, with all defe-
retice-to the Noble Baron, that his Noble Friend
had tint argued the matter as he was pleased to
represent. All he s.,id was, that the papers moved
for inculpi&zd two Officers of high raid: and all
Ife requested was, tbat those papers should not he
given till the anstver could be given along with
them. His Noble Friend had stated that a COurt
Martial was ordered upon one Officer. If the
motion was made after that Kati taken place, he
saw no reason why it should not he acceded to,
afitl ;he hoped his Noble Friend would concur in
the opinion. When the Noble. Lord thought pro-
per to bring forward his charges against the Na-
val Administration, he should be prepared to
prove th-.it supplies were furnished to the full
extent. On that subject he was ready at all

times.
Lord GRENvILLE explained ; and after a few
Nvords ►cross the table. between the Mar►luis of
BUCK I ttiG FiAM, Earl BXTHURST, and Viscount
.I,IELvILLE, the Noble Marquis withdrew his n►o-
tion, on an Understanding that the papers would
be granted after' the trial bad taken place.