The Sun.
London, England, 1810-02-16 00:00:00

CAPTAIN LAKE.

Sir F. BURDETT called the attention of the House
to a subje6t which he professed to know nothing
more about than what' he had gathered from the
public newspapers. The circumstances of the case
to which he called their attention were those re-
lating to a Court Martial upon Captain Lake, which,
as reported, disclosed, in his opinion, the mod ex-
traordinary act of barbarity and inhumanity which
he had ever heard, and which would, if not inquired
into by the Government, cast an indelible disgrace
upon them. Captain Lake had been brought to a
Court Martial for setting on shore a seaman of his
ship on an uninhabited island; the fact was proved,
and the Court sentenced him to be dismissed the
service..• Tho Hon. Baronet did not think this Was
a sufkient punishment, and so had,- frOnt a sense
of 1,-fublic duty,- brought the subjea before the
1-I,ouse.- He . hoped Government mould take some
thriller steps in the buSiness, and do justice to, the
individual seaman who had been thus ill-treated."—!
Their, further interference was called for on every
principle of justice as affeding the liberty of seamen,
and as involving the common safety of the country.
At present. he would abstain from say ing any more,
only wishing to be informed whether the Ea4t was as
had been publicly stated, and whether any steps
were carrying on against Captain Lake.
•ROBERT WARD rose under some disadvan..
'cage, beeause the Hon. Baronet had not comile-
semded to•inform him (Mr. W.) of his intention.--
However he had collected sufficient to know' that
,the Hon. Baronet had learnt Irom public report that
Captain Lake bad been dismissed the setwice on the
charge proved. The fact being so, he conceived
the Admiralty Board could no further interfere.—
They had done all in their power towards rendering
justice to the subject, and therefore all that remained
now to be done, was for the party aggrieved, if he
chose, to take up the matter. , •

sir F. BURDETT was not satisfied with the answer
of the Hon. Gentleman. The sentence of the
Court .Martial did not clear the matter up. It was
not satisfactory to the Public.
The SPEAKER here suggested to the Hon. Ba-
ronet that,there was no question before the HouSe,
and that unless he would put the -subject in some
train of discussion, it was highly inconvenient 'for
Parliamentary business to enter into comersations.
Sir F. BURDETT conceived- that in a matter of
,such material importance, affecting -the life and li-
berty of a British subject,, the strict forms of the
liouse might be dispensed with.; It was not his duty
to take the • whole weight of the accusation on his
own shoulders ; the sense of public duty had induced
him to mention the case, and he did expect differ-
ent treatment. He did expect- oe House would
feel for. the
,liberties of the.subject. •
The SPEAKER.—"I iqally fcel it imperative on
me to call for the assistance of the House: It is
for the House to say -Whether they will be pleased
to dispense with their ordinary rules on - this occa-,
sion, when no notice of a motion,' or any thing in
the shape of a motion, is brought before them. It
is the practice that whenever any motion of import-
ance is to be made, notice of that motion is given
'previously—the Hon. Member has not given any
such notice."

Sir V. BURDETT irnsidered it rather hard that
When he was stating a most extraordinary public
grievance, he should be tied down to ordinary rules
and forms. He would, however,' -comply with
them, and should take a day or two to consider in -
what way he should bring the subject more fully
under diseu,sioh,—[Here the matter dropped.]

Mr. WILBELIFORZE moved for leave to bring in a
Bell for Registering Charitable Donations—Leave
given. Also for reprinting the Report of the Com-
mittee on the .;abject.

ALLEGED ABUSES IN THE NAVY AND I3AR.

RACK DEPARTMENTS.

Mr. WARDLE rose, in pursuance of the notice
which he had given, to move for certain papers,'re-
specting some of the departments of the Navy. He
had stated on a
.former. evening, that it was his ih-
tention thereon to found generally some propositilohs
fur bettering the sitqation a a large body of Liscul

. -
. .
meritorious public eervants, who had suffered ma- Office, he 'eras- at a loss to understand the 110.0. ,
terially from the system of abuse which bad been. Gentleman, for there was no office of that descri!
carried on in some of' the Navy Deparirnenta; 'lf tion. at present. He had, however,' stated no specnit
etre peeerewere granted which he should move for, fie charge- on which to induce the House to gra.e.
he had' no hesitation in pledging. himself to prove . thesepaperssa the abuse, -it any, was now rem
_at
the exiatenee of the abuses alluded to. The 'Hon.: .nleviaballialvis'ag the sale of pikes. The- appointment
Gentleman- then' stated, that a short time since ' a lietjunibriektiks over the heads of senior, unless such
Gentlernan from the Navy Office applied to him reappoiottaient had taken place from corrupt motivvias
(Mr. W.),. describing his case-as. a very hard one, err amiatteson for- the House to interfere. -
Of the
and requesting his interference to procure him re- true that Sir William Gibbons' late one: a-
~
dress. Upon the' •atatementbeieg made, it did ap- i Commissioners of the Sick and Hurt Office, hs'...
pear to him (Mr. W.) that the case was a very sex- pension.. If the Hon. Gentleman wished; to tryiuv; _
etraordinary. one, and, :as ,a Member of Parliament, any thing on that subject, it was open for him. -..,.
he found it necessary to 'interfere. That Gentle- • Right Hon;Friend had taken the proper course.
to,
man had, in a correspondence with the Board of correet any. ''thingwrong- in the offices alluded
Admiialty,-very strongly urged his claim for remue and he should vote against the motion. - the
neration, behaving , been removed from the shim- • • Mr.. WILaERFPRCE was disposed to' vote for
i3ie
1 Lion which lie held, and having paid a certain I motion, because he, wished to givethe'Honon" a
stun of money for that , situation. The Gentle- Gentleman every opportunity of throwing a light 'e.
arnan further stated,' that •it was no unusual case, the transdElion, which upon inquiry he was pee 89
for that my Lord Barham, at that time Comp- lAA toeufident would shewthat the Noble Lora 'v.re
troller of ' the Navy, was, when he purchesie4 ssintieety:blameless. He never knew, a .man int'aea
his place, 'in the - constant habit of - selling attached to reform, and more anxious-for the Pi"
places. The Honourable 'Gentleman- understood leaeOetiotrief it (while in office) than Lord Barham!;s
since he came to the House, that my Lord Barhau I 'Most of the reforms that had taken place were $l, .
, had dope eothingaillegal, for that he haalthe right ! gested-by that Noble Personage,,and might be feu (-:
to dispose of places. This d tad' e appeared very ' aiti that very early report that was made in LOru
- strange, for the House must recollect that a prosecu- Landsdowne's Administration:
.tion was carried on against a person for offering Mr. NOEL concurred in the sentiments that, had
money to purchase a place. That ,person was eon- been expressed -e _
_
by the Hon, Gent. of his Noble ttls
vied, .and imprisonecland • fined, although he, did lation. He was certain that it was the wish of n
not know bu; be was thing legally. When the
~Nob e Relation that the motion should be assent.ed,
Legislature had, made it criminal he knew not, nor to, because any inquiry must tend to set forth his
would he pretend to deny that my Lord Barham character in 'its true light: -
was not justified in what he had done ; but this he
did know, that it-was highly expedient that an in- ble
Sir F. BURDETT conceived that it .was necessarY
the papers should be produced. The Honoura
qeiry should take place into those transactions, to Gentleman had allowed, that it was injurious to . the
ascertain the (bite and the facts. With respe6t to service that the practice should be continuea.
,_v_i.
some other' abuses, he had to state a apecific charge
made against the Barrack Departfuent, by a Clerk .prafiice which he. had stated -was sanetienedie",,
time. This was the general argument when •of
in that Department, against a Mr. Prentice, now thing was wrong ;it -had been so in the case
employed employed 'in passing the accounts of General De-
lancey.—This Mr: Prentice had bought and sold e i
Jeerings of those times were not to govern the per,
0,
several places, and .he trusted' the House 0,41,1 a Lerd Macclesfield, but he was not aware that il
grant.him the Papers to get at the facts. The Hen:. selling the places of Masters in Chancery, and
a the
Gentleman then noticed, that the salaries in the •.sent.e bord Macclesfield had been found guiltarsel.
Navy Pay Office and- the Admiralty were fixed statement of the Hon. Gentleman; this ireprol, TS.
upon an equitable and just scale. Not so in the - ,41, er 4, pun ishm e n t had followed. According 10
,_,..
Navy Office ; in the latter Office, length of service Hon. Friend had slated s m;lar transactions to have
practice might to have stopped in i 746: Now or ,
gave no preference.to the Officer in point of advance- ♦ 'taken place in 1794. Was not that-a reason for t
ment, junior Officers were often promoted over the quiry ?—The Hon. Gentleman bad stated, that Sir,
heads of seniors, __with enormous salaries.- There
Were instances within his knowledge of Clerks. of did not know the fart before, nor would be prate:.
W. Gibbons has a pension ; he (the Hem. Baronet),
eleven years standing having salaries of 3001. per an-
num, while Clerks of unimpeachable character, who tore why it was that a Commissioner of the Sic!
to say it was a job, but he was at a loss to corr.!: _
had been from twenty-seven to thirty years in office, -, and, Hurt Office should have a pension: Ny!'.!
had only 2001. per annum. With such fads- befor, ,;possible services could he have done to the Public,e.
the House., it, was high time the House should il.ll
terfere. This partiality must come from _selling .It,itiao
~,,, _
••,that whey-should be burthened with a pension 10L
situations, he could not account for it in any othet i, . sl‘lr. Rem observed, that there did not exist
way, and tor these reasons it .was necessary that the -
man: of greater honour than Lord Barham. We th
documents he asked for should be produced. - There respectto the sale of offices in the Navarli-part‘
was another subject connected with this, in which .
meat, no employments had been sold after an Or
great ebuses exist. He meant the Superannuated -
der in Council had been issued, A 4 years since, to
.I..ist. ,He could she' that an efficient Clerk had put a stop to such practices. As to Sir W. Gibbons,
been superannuated against his will, and a boy of he was not . apprized that he bad a, pension before,
fourteen years old, put in his place.
This was in -but it was usual, when offices were suppressed, tO
the Sick and Hurt Office; he had his salary raised to
grant the heads of them annuities. It was'so Op.
1701. per annum, and then retired, and a junior the suppression of . the Wine Licenser's Office,. 2o
Clerk was placed in his •situation at the 'raised years ago.
salary. "The case to which he had. referred, Mr. WARDLE, in explanation, considered that he
was that of Isaac Judd, and it occurred in had stated a specific charge against Lord 'Barium, tit
1804. With respect to the Pension List, in that
Office; on the removal of it from Somerset House to the instance of Mr. Butt; and the letters, if -pro'
duced, would bear him out.
Dorset-square, the Secretary retired upon a full Mr. WELLESLBT POLE -wished to explain.a point
pension of, 5001. per annum, and the Assistant Se-
cretary, who had 2501; was made Secretary, and the ' which the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Wardle) seerne.t
to think required an explanation. When the sub
-
salary increased to 10001.. being double that of the ject carne under_ consideration at the Adtrtiralti. ,
former Secretary. There was another circumstance, Board, at the time he was Secretary, and Lord .
and that was with 'respect to the creation of new
places, with •unmerited salaries attached to them. constitution of the Clerks at the Navy Office vv.On',a_
,Mulgrave was at the head, it was found that the.i
In a late commission, the Chairman, in addition to
the 10001. per annum, where no additional labour be adopted at the Navy Pay Office and the Admiralty',
not admit of the same regulations as were about
'was necessary, had an addition of 2001. per annual Board. A considerable expence to the Public Wo "`:
as Chairman, and the Secretary had an addition of
1501. per annum for doing the business in a COM-
. have accrued, and no great benefit would have been
derived..
mittee-room, which he might have done in another ,
Mr. R. WARD.observed that the suggestion for
room. The Hon. Gentleman
,having given this abolishing the sale of offices was given
,
shout outline of the abuses which he should brine.
g mittee in 1788, but the old constitution remainede
Ito light, if the papers were granted, coeieded with till 1796.
Mr. WHITBREAD could not comprehend the
. ,
I moving for " Copies of all Letters which had passedst e"
._
between Mr. Butt, late Clerk in the Navy Office, planation of the Honourable Gendenian, and tber.,.
and the . Lords of the Admiralty, from the Ist of fore should vote for the paperS. He thouglit the
e ,
May, 1800, to the 16th of January, 1810, relative to the Cord:
Honourable Gentleman (Mr. Wardle) had states!
to his claim for remuneration, &c. ; also Copies of sufficient grounds for the production of them, an
cs
all Letters which had passed between the First Lord the Public would not be satisfied without them. .
,of the A M ,Admiralty and r.-Butt on the same subject, Th Ceraerceetoe 01 the EXCHEQUER could not.
_
! within the same period."
ea • give into the anxiety of the foenes of Lord Berhau:
1 Mr. ROBERT WARD,
conceived the no Gen --
n.-,ground bad
for the production of. the papers. No
I tlernan had better divide his motion into twoe -under been lad for their production. What was the case •
•I the heads Navy and Barrack Department. . With. i Oiethe Report of the Comtnissioners in 178$, it sr
1 respect to the latier, having no information, he hat
from the sta:ernents made by Lord Barbara!,
could say nothing, but with respect to the former,that it was necessary some alterations •hould take •
I the
,Hon. Gentleman had misrepreserned e hat he place in the 'Navy Office. ' The Com i i
nessen rs t'!'
i (Mr. W.) had said about the right
,of my Lord commended that certain tees should be abolished,
s Barham to sell- places, as he had misrepresented the
I and an increase of salary be given in lieu 0 "la
1 whole subject. Mr. Ward declared he had never Commissioners. This liadetreen carried 'into Of '",
: said it was.rio abuse to sell places ;on the cpntrary, and there was eio offenCeimputed even to Lo.,i Bar"
belled thought it a great abuse, but then it must_ de- horn..
_As es to the- Barrack Department, the ftlig"At
I peed on the date of the papers he Wished.- :AS to Hon.' Gentleman knew 'iodine!, It any siting "
iMr. Butt, tire Hon. Gentleman had not mentioned come to his knowledge, he should-have directed all
his name, but it was one of those Cases which oce i innuirv. • . •
curled 'previous to the year 1784, at a time when I 'ter I
that there was a charga
. • di s- WARDLE stated,
it was the received usage orthe Navy Board to dts- • given into the Commi'ssioners of the Barrack Dae
pose of places, and of course was no disgrace.. 41- s
partment, by Win. Pearce, a Clerk in t; a' Del
I well would it be a disgrace for the 'Judges to sell' partment, accusina Prentice, employed in pass,ng
I places (which right the House had admitted)•under , Gen, Delaecey's accounts,b with having sold placeo
their petronege. With respect to-this particular i in that de
Gentleman.artment subsequent to the introduCtiOo of
charge, my Lord Barham would not not shrink the Bill b the Right Hon. Gentleman. .A letter
I from it. A Committee had been appointed since was also seynt to the Lords of the Treasury, 01114
1 that period, to ascertain what fees should be abolish- - a_
their attention to the subject. - •
I ed in the public pffices. They had examined my i
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER would not
I Lord Barham; then Sir Cherie§ Middleton, end he ' objec
t to the production
.of those Rapers, it the Hon-a
1 had asserted evenly, ohat the usage was; that the • Gentleman moved for them.—The question was
emoluments of.bis office arose partly from salary and ' about to be put, when
I
partly from feeaof this description. The Comautuve Lord a- e•
OLKSTONE wished to ask hid Majestylle
I very properly had reported the pra6tice as disgrace- Law Officers a question. He had learnt frona the
ful, but they did not cliaraderise it as an abuse.— Newspapers that Pohlmann and Keylock were up-
They said, -" that the .practice of receiving presents dergoing the' punishment of their guilt, for selling
I had been sanctioned by long usage ; that it was im. . places ; ' and he had since been informed that the
i proper, and ought to be abolished." A representa- F. i Crown Officers were iii possessioo of some papers
1 lion was _made to • the King upon the subject, and . implicating persons of considerable note in. transace .
1 ten yeArs after, viz. in
,1796, the salary of the
Irons ons of a similar nature.
Comptroller of the Navy was advanced from 5001.` ''.;''''''''TWATTORNEY-GENERAL' had not the least idea
I to 15001. end the Commissioners received 2001. iii,
',AI-Ache/the Noble Lord meant. Ha should, - how-
i addition to their salaries. Mr. Ward considered
,e.emersjeeeAdiged to the Noble Lord if his neWspaPet
I this as a coatplete answer to the Hon. Gentlernste-es authority —was correct, to 'render him atiY.easistance
• With respett to his charge about the Sick and Hurt ill hispower t 7 d di 'e ' the e s stip-
-ON% gr, 4 1 con rh,g p reou