The Sun.
London, England, 1804-06-07 00:00:00

LORD ADVOCATE OF SCOTLAND.

Mr. WHITBRE/11) ro,e, in pursuance of his
former notice relative to the conduit of the Lorto
ADvocA:E of SCOTLAND. The Hon. Gentleman
srated, that some days had elapsed since he had
given this notice, which must have given that
Learned Gentlethan time to hear of his intention,
and afforded him an opportunity either to be here
present himself, of to have employed some of his
friends to make an apology. It would have been
highly gratifying to him indeed to have seen the
Learned-Lord in 'his place; bur at tiny rate, it wds
some satisfadion to him to know that the Noble
Lord was apprized of his intention. He w,.oni,
therefore, make as free in speaking of Ole Noble
Lord as if he were here present. That Noble Lord,
from his official situarton, is invested with vcry
Elea! puwer4 which n:cessarily require caution

man.

prudence in their exerciese In the exercise of -th6fe
powers, however, he was sorry to understand, that
the Learned Lord, so far from exercising delicacy
or moderation, discovered a strong propensity to
Overstep even the great authority with which the
law invested him. In the particular instance he
was to bring before the House, there could be no
question that the Learned Lord had transgressed
every bound prescribed either by law or justice.—
He had only to appeal to the Learned Gentleman
opposite (the ATTORNEY GENERAL) for the im-
portance of such ostensible situations as he and the
Learned Lord occupied, and for the degree of re.
sponsibility attached to the discharge of their duties.
The situation of the Lotto ADVOCATE of SCOT-
LAND was still more important, if possible, and
more responsible than that of the Learned Gentle.
His situation was more important, and the
exercise of his powers more necessarily the subjeft
of parliamentary jealousy, because responsibility
could not so closely follow him in all the details of
his aElions. The interference of the House there.
fore, became more necessary, that they might in.
fiuence Hts MAJESTY to check every abuse of power
by dismissing from public trust such as had made a
wanton abuse of that power. Such was the objeEt
of the Motion he intended to bring forward, and
which he meant to follow up by some positive mea.
sure. He was not so well acquainted with the Laws
of Scotland as some Gentlemen in the House
might be. He would not presume to define
positively what the limits of the LORD AD_
VcCATE'S power might be, or how far, in
every instance, his jurisdiction might extend. But
he might safely presume, he thought, that the Loan
Anvocn-re can have no right to calumniate the
charafter of individuals—that he can have no right
to bring odium on any man whom the Law does not
condemn—that he has no right to persecute, by the
weight of his authority and the influence which his
official situation gives him, those whom the Law
pronounces innocent—that lie can have no right to
arrest or imprison any but in the regular course of
Las. He was to slim, however, that the LORD
AD oc ATE had been guilty of calumny of the gross-
est and basest kind, and that he had followed up
this calumny by excommunication, as far, at least, as
lay in his power. Should this case, therefore, be
made cut—should it be found that he has so conduct-
ed himself, there can be no question that he can he
no longer worthy to be entrusted with the office he
now holds. He begged the House to attend to the
particular circumstances of the Country. The pre-
sent was riot a time to sport with the feelings of
the people, nor to exercise a wanton tyranny where
so much zeal and unanimity were necessary. We
must keep faith with the Country, and not augment
their necessary sacrifices by any wanton cruelties.
—The persons who come forward as Volunteers,
ought not to he threatened in order to add to their
zeal or their coinage. The measures adopted
ought to be fait and explicit, and the execution of
those MeaSUrt ti conforma )Ie to their original design.
In the discussion of [lie Volunteer Bill, many opinions
were entertained on different parts of the plan ; but
on 00 part of that ',lan were greater differences of
opinion entertained than on the clause relating to
contraas between masters and servants. The Right
Hot). C a dernan opposite (Mr. PITT), who was not
then in power, thought that some alteration should
be made in those contuiCts, to facilitate the in-
crease of Volunteers. For his own part, he, for
°tic, di 1 not think that any alteration should be
made, and the Clause to that purpose did not
pass. The Legislature, after due deliberation,
aid think proper to leave unaltered the nature of
those contraas, which, if taken away, must have pro.
duced very great inconveniencies. The best advo.
cares of the Volunteer System will allow, that there
are disorders unavoidablyarising from ir,which no re.
gulation, can altogether correa. It will not be denied
that it gives opportunities for idleness, and that
those who are ill.disposcd may take advantage of it
to neglett the business of their masters ; and, from a
pretence of serving their Country, may take an op-
portueity of venting their spleen against their
masters. ExaCtly such a case as this occurred in
Scotland, in BardiThire, to a Mr. Morison ; he does
not know whether a farmer or not, but in a situation
that required the attentions of a servant. His ser-
vant, however, contrary to his orders, had attended
different drills, and thereby neglected the duties of
his situation. He therefore discharged him, in con-
fermity to the spirit of the Law. The servant,
however, thinking to obtain redress, sent a Me-
morial to the Lotto ADVOCATE, stating that he had
been engaged for six guineas of fee: that he had en-
rolled himself a Volunteer ; and, on the 13th of
Cktober, had gone to join his Corps, that were to
be in•petied by the Marquis of Huntly, when, on
his return, he was surprized at being discharged by
his master.
The servant, in this Memorial, the Honourable
Gentleman stated, confessed that he had entered the
Cores w ithout the consent of his master ; but that
when he went to the drill, after his work was done,
he m-t w . i no interruption. But an instance here
occur red in which he had absented himself during
the hours of labour, and was, therefore, so severely
treatee. We ought not to forget that we have no.
thing more here than his information, and that the
Lend Advocate had nothing more. Garruw (the name
of the servant), after having made this statement,
puts this question, " will the Memorialist he autho-
rized to enter an anion against his said master, and
to what extent ?" Let us now see what was the
condun of the Lord Advocate. Without applying
to the other party, Mr. Morison, who, if any
judgment was to he formed, had certainly a right to
be heard, his Lordship returns an answer to the Me..
moral, which is certainly fraught with the greatest
indiscretion, not to call it worse, and which is preg.
nant with the greatest severity to the other party,
which he had not heard. He says, that however un.
principled and oppressive the conduct of Mr. Morison
may have been, the Memorialist has no claim against
him. Here his Lordship attaches want of principle and
oppression to this man, though he had done nothing
contrary to lese, as he himself confesses. Were
there no other ground but this, he would think it
sufficient to warrant
rrani the interference of the House.
U
But the Learned 'N
did not safe; it to remain
here. Fie thought
it recessary to address to the
Sheriff* Deputy of the County, a Letter, in very par-
:44;ular. terms. The Hon. Gentleman hest read the

Tlefteein separate cTa-ttaes, anaTnane s 0
each. " Unfortunately," begins the Letter' cc
provision was ever made in the Volunteer SYsteT'f°
a case of this kind." It was unfortunate, ind'e,u,'; °r)
Mr. Morison, that there was no specific reg°l3`lo;
for then he might have escaped the persecution 1.0
which he has been so wantonly exposed. nut
tf
case falls under their cognizance, a regulation °"9
be found in the Bill they had adopted. He W-0
o g
harpy, therefore, that those clauses relating
.c
Itl
the contraels between masters and servants, 'l;
in all appearance would have been Si) OpPreSSlS''t
P'
had been thrown out, and that they formed no r•
of the Bill as it now stood. Had those cla°,i4s
been adopted, it was not difficult to see from Ps
single instance, what the oppressive conseq.uenee
would have been. After having called ha Izn;
principled and oppressive, he grants that no redrel
could be obtained, as he had not transgressed Of
law. How could such language, he naked, be re.
conciled, or such condeet be justified ? Is it no eert
rain, that a servant may negleet his duty from at:
tending drills, as well as from any other cause ?
But
his conduCt, taken in another point of view, is 111(3,
atrocious. Without condescending to inquire %Olaf;
was the conduct of the servant, if he had left his cog/
unfed, if he had left his barns unlocked, or any e.;
cessary labour in such a situation as to render hi
presence irdispensable, he makes no inquiry whateve!!
but immediately, without any refieetion, condole;
him guilty. The Honourable Gentleman then 'tic
through the other clauses of the Letter in the sle
strain of animadversion. [The Letter itself wt to
found in a subsequent Column.] The Lord Acif°c4
attributed Mr. Morison's conduct to .disaffe°l°l4
ro
without haring any proofs of his disloyalty.
c oifr
commended to the Sheriff to hold him up to pub" ttntY
tempt, to discourage the Gentlemen of the c° Ace
associating with him; and if' the French shoulatil"
good a landing, to take care that he be that matilhei/tt:
imprisoned, and that he should take care that what
ever losses he (Mr. Morison) should sustain, he AO
to Mr.
Fnoorcboems,pteinlesastiiioerni.ffTpheipsuLtee.ttwehr
he put on record, as a monument of the `its`
Nation of Mr. Munson'si condua. The Sh;cf-
Clerk at the same time wrote to Mr. I\4°riscin,;
giving him an account of the Lord
opinion, and advising him to settle with Grvaoirse,,
the servant in question, by some Peeun'a-- e'
conseCilletlC
in order to avoid more disagreeable
The Hon. Gentleman then, after a long and arg 00
mentative detail, concluded by moving, Trog
much of the Public Records of the County of -3d,
who ordered istsrtlo:
as contained the Letter of the Lord AdvAodcvatictiei:
dressed to Mr. Forbes, the Sheriff Depute, be flare
before the House ; as also that there be laid berclia
the House as much of the Public Records of '„ate
County as contained the Letter of the Sheriff DO"
to the Sheriff Clerk on the said subject."
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHge the
stared, that he had no intention to objet t°
O the
produCtion of the Papers now moved for. `in the
contrary, he should be glad to see them beforre the
House. It was not now a proper stage °, only
qestion to enter into its merits; he wolii" Hoof
y, that the different construEtions which thc ed ii
Gentleman had put on the expreasione coot° $e
the Letter, were more than they could 1,43 t• the
begged the House not to be prejudiced froin c
the
hadstatement
be e
been
the
madey
thoa d
their heard
feelings,, and from the appeal I/1°
matter impartially, as a question of the utmos
1. no'
portance. He believed the condua of the 4.earreft
Lord .alluded to, had proceeded from the puasi
motives of public zeal, and not from any rersoce
but to considerf
malice. He considered is as the purest ze{ii,old
rating on a strong and ardent mind ; and it
remain to be considered how much the 14 •
ought to he interested in one who has been the liorio"ta
form Champion of the Constitution, and vih°ll'
b IC
given so many proofs of his patriotism and Pn°4,es
spirit. If the Lord Advocate was not present: °!c of
who knew him would attribute it to any °l-
ola 176
his, for there Wn3 not one in Britain that c° 10.
more ready to appear either in vindication 0„c thin
self or of his Country. But, considering otOe
happened in Oelober, and that he had been h!' thateg
time since that period, it was rather surPr;B-,ght foe
this important measure had not been bf°l3,Pr lion*
ward sooner ; as it was impossible that t'lltaio rod.
Gentleman could now attend, on account 01. 1; see at
fcssional duties in Scotland. He could n°,"„uid
the same time that the Lord Advocate I/Li:Reiff-1s
accountable for the conduit of the Sheriff °t
Clerk. Their proceedings, it was most Pr°
were unknown to the Lord Advocate. , ,ecellt
Mr. FOX, in a short hut very animate' tOC
h d
replied to the Right Hon. Gentleman who-rat), tsl'ob.eg
down. Whatever might be the motives -„ght
Lord, in the conduit he had pursued, he th°•u,tifie
no better argument could be found in l''
must be.
cationeHos
wGillraacrdioouusr Gofomd c?
exci3; har,K.
atilnnedmeaaennd:ardent mind, his Case,
;riled the
dnp Gate t
en
teh
ter such as his, be an apology for i"r;i• voted °°
this very House, where we have ofte,n R
e; d
the miseries and ex travagancies of the 1:1-`,1'`„t ru'fl
afford for outrages (acted
lution, what sort of apology will an 3r-T4 cer4ll
d s°
and to every thing sacred in domestic on,eet los
life ? That an investigation into this subJaia
not been made sooner, must he attributed, bsich
Hon. Gentleman, to the consequences of w weight;
pression is not unfrequently the cause. The Orweighg
are afraid to complain, in proportion to the
one
to justice, to cip
and injustice of their oppression. Is it then to% bO9l,
derel, if it was some time before this netarineeet of
ness became so public as to become the sobiig,
tliC
discussion ? The Letter of the Sheriff's °eras tro..•
Right Hon. Gentleman opposite had said, wrefore
connected with the Lord Advocate, and the pc
But de,cs,,, the
ought not to have been introduced.
Right Hon. Gentleman forget, that in otanicTocea
circumstances of oppression, all the conseci
must be taken into the account ? One set of °Pr more
, WO.
sion may, even unintentionally, lesd toe itni or&
What we at first meant to deter, may after ,con,
used to extort money. In forming an estimate
duet, we must consider to what proceedings 0'
a description may lead. .01
Mr. WHITBREAD explained. ad c rri
The several Motions were then put, an.
in a
without a division. bring
Mr. FIT4CIIRALD moved for ler,vc to

dill for the better Regulation ' nic"'s for
Metnliers to serve in Pledament for thatE!e part of the
United Kingdom called Ireland, and for making
several regulations with respea to Freeholds in that
Country.
. Siir Jo STEWART -observed- that great incon.
venence might possibly result from making any
great alteration in the terms of Freehold Leases in
that Country. In the North of Ireland, almost
every weaver possessed a freehold, and it might, in
future,
such re, he of the utmost importance to the interests
et a description of Freeholders, if any material
alteration, was made in the nature of their tenure.:
C°l"uel BAGWELL described an instance of the
present mode of qualification for Freeholders, which
Appeared to him to be_extremely improper. Twenty
or thirty persons were gathered round a table, not
one.tliird of them, in many
instances, understood a
`:`'`i 01 English ;an oath was read to them in ltsh, and that in 10 complicated a form, as that it,
Would require some deliberation, as well as a to-
lerable knowledge of the struCture of the English
language, to completely understand it.
When that
was dune, the Clerk, knowing that every one of
them could not understand the pliiin English Words,
Kiss the Book, says to them, " Foos" en licur," that
is, in English, " Kiss th
td the book accordin l e Book." Every man kisi.
, and,by meas w.as as
well qualified as a
mang y
of 'O,OOOl.that
a year,n and pos. •
sessing the most enlightened understanding,. who
might have considered and read over the oath at
his
leisure.
-

1 ' Leave was then ,
given to bring in the 81.
MT. H: LkSCELLES moved that the second read-
-1
ing of the•Woolien C
to-morrow.tothiers' Bill should be fixed_ for
. .
. ,
Admiral BERKELEY reminded the
that another question Member
(the of considerable importance
consideration of the Irfor to-Morrow. He there_
ish Linen Manufaaurers'
petition;) already stood
fore suggested that the reading of the Bill should be
postponed to a future day.
After a few other observations from Mr.' .
tERPORCE, Lord TEMPLE, &c. in which the thin-
ness of the House was urged as a consideration that
shouid induce the House not to make any Order on
the business, Lord TEMPLE moved, that the House
be counted.
The House was then counted, and there
.being
13(ini 1)P 35 Members present, an Adjournment
mine-
-1 ately took place.

lia,t,L mix. MAILS.
'''ultrgh 2 . .„ ARRIVILD.
0

PRICE OF STOCKS,
Consols :HIS DAY AT TWILVC O'CLOCE.
561 I Omnium - 311 Red. Ann. - ss

THE SUN.

lor-------------=—tr.t
--- QUIS DICERS FALSUM AUDEAT ?
--...."...

LONDON, JUNE
,7, 1804

received
P WE
, last night, the Paris Papers to the
27th ult.
Celli which are more than usually 'barren of in-
gence. The Ceremon
P44Tt E y of Proclaiming BONA-,
mperor of I:ranee, "was performed (as we
txelusively informed out
sinceßeaders several days
), on the zoth ul:imo.
Dispatches are said to have been received from
Gteader/oute, which represent that Colony as being
in a flourishing condition ; and several Prizes of
great value ate said to have been taken from the
.
c.oglish. The failure of the attempt made by the
boats Of the Emerald Frigate to destroy the French
Flotilla fitted out for the attack of Antigua, whi
Was ch
mentioned some time ago in all the English
nullapers, is detailed in the Moniteur with great mi-
eness and exultation.
The new Emperor has issued a Decree, ordering
that the persons who suffered b y the bombardments
be indemnified.
of the English along the Coast last summer, should
The whOle of the loss sustained is
representeeas not exceeding zoool.
On the zzd ult. the Registers svere opened at the Office of the Prefeft of the Police, in which those
who chose that the Imperial Dignity should be
conferred on BONAPARTE, and that it should be
hereditary in his Family, are to inscribe their
names. It does not appear that the Sovereign
People of France have been treated with much re-
Pett on this occasion ; for it certainly was not
er}? civil i
) Peror n BONAPARTE to proclaim himself Ern-
: flrst
ea , and to ask their opinion upon the sub-
J af:erwards.
•
The French Funds are

l liestettlaY morning Their MAJESTIES, in a post-
a") followed by the PR :NCEsSEi, in two coaches
ofrr'cl four, with tjleir usual attendants, and a party
the Light Horse, took an airing by Wimbledon,
.old returned to the Oneen's 1 iJuse about t wo o'clock.
About three o'clock His MAJESTY
gave an
.audi-
?ce.to Lord PELHAM, when his Lordship resigned
4" Place of Chancellor of the Dutchy of Lancaster,
~,ki Was appointed, instead, the Captain of the Yeo-
-'3nr7 of the Guards, in the room of the Earl of
A y
-ESPoRD, resigned. Lord MULGRAVE after-.
wards had an audience, wlwn His MAJESTY was
Pilped to o appoi t
nter his a Lordship Chancellor the
utcl'Y f Lancas.
115 MA.IE3TY, in a short time after, held a pri-
vl,ate Levee, -which was attended by the Duke of
~°TLAND, the LORD CHANCELLOR, Earls PoIVIS,
ki-AMDEN, WIRCHILSEA, DARTMOUTH, and CHAT.
'Am, Viscount CAsTLEREACH, Lords HARROW-
HAwKasBURY, DYNEVoR, RIVERS, PELHAM,
v" GRAVE, and FITZHARRIS, Sir H. B. NEALE,
- and MtssrS. ARBUTHNOT and ROSE. The follow-
had honour of being introduced to HIS MA.

JESTY by the fnl of WINCHILSEA, on (licit ft.
ipeetive appointments :

Nit. A stisurti N or, on his going out. Ambassador to Con-
stantinople; Lord DyNevoe, on his being appointed Lord
Lieutenant of the County of Carmarthen ; Earl Pow Is, OR
his being appointed Lord Lieutenant of Montgomeryshir,:-;
Lord Flzziiita a is, on his being appointed a Lord of the
Treasury; and Mr. Ross, on his being appointed Joint • Pay- I
master of His Majesty's Forces.

After the Levee had closed, His MAiErry held
a Privy Council, at which the Earls of WI Nciii
sEA and DARTMOUTH were sworn in to the respec-
tive offices to which they have lately been appointed.
Yesterday a Court of Diretlors was held at the
East India House, when Capt. S. HAwE, of the
Motakch, took leave previous to departing for Ben.
gal dire&. The Court adjourned at six o'clock, till
Wednesday next.
Lieutenant-Colonel CRICHTON, and thirteen Gen.
tlemen of the zd Regiment of Edinburgh Volunteers,
arrived at York on Saturday last, from Edinburgh,
in a new-invented machine for transporting troops,
with Their arms, &c. having performed the journey
of zoo miles in 29 hours and a half., The experi.,
meet was made by desire of Lord MOIRA.
On Monday last the Chatham Dock-yard Regi-
.‘ ment, under the command of Colonel HOP E, assem-
bled on the Parade at twelve o'clock; when the
Colours which belonged to the former Regiment,
when embodied in the year 1755, were restored ;
after which ceremony the Regiment marched to
their exercising field, and fired three vollies in ho.
. nour of .HIS MAJESTY'S Birth-day. The Officers
afterwards partook of an elegant Dinner with the
Colonel, at his house in the Dock-yard.
His MAJENTT has been pleased to confer the dig-
nity; of 4 Baronet of the United Kingdom, upon
JOHN LEES, Eicp Secretary to the General Post
Office, Ireland.
Mr. HESE LTINE, the King's Proctor, died on
Tuesday last. This Gentleman raised himself in
life wholly by his own abilities, industry and rec-
titude. He was a very amiable chary ter in private
life, and always ready and aCtive in giving support
to any measure calculated to promote the objects of
benevolence. He was a strennoui Member of the
Society of Free Masons, and upon several occasions
exerted a force of eloquence in behalf of the Institu-•
tion, that, from all reports, would have been highly
creditable to the British Senate.

We are much inclined r,.) believe, that the da-
mage which Admiral LINOIi boasts of having done
to British Settlements on the Coast of Sumatra, is
very much exaggerated. It is evident that Fort
Marlborough was not even attacked. Sillebar,
where Lirstots pretends that he has destroyed such
quantities of pepper, &c. is a small defenceless place,
about ten miles from that Fort ; and there, certain.
ly, some mischief may have been done; but it is
probable that the must valuable stores and mer-
chandize were at Furt Marlborough.
A man and woman were last week apprehended
at Manchester, upon whom were found 751. of base
money, chiefly shillings and sixpences.

The following are the Proceedings conneted with
the Letter of the Lord Adv•icate of Scotland, which
formed the subjed ot Mr. WHITBREAD'S Motion
in the House ot Commons list night :