The Sun.
London, England, 1819-03-18 00:00:00

ORDNANCE SALES.

Mr. Alderman WOOD observed, that he had so
shaped his wozion on the present subject, as to
allow him to hope that the information he sought
from the Board of Ordnance would not be refused.
And he begged to premise, that in seeking for
that information, he had no intention of urging
any charge against the Ordnance Department or
the Treasury for their conduct in the transaction.
Saks had been made ot articles principally con-
sisting of iron. brass, sulphur, and muskets, to the
amount ot 200,0001. It was on commercial
grounds that he wished to know the precise prices
at which these respective articles were sold. He
therefore moved, that there be laid be‘ore the
House an Account of all Stores pm-chased by Mr.
Samuels, of the Board ot Ordnance, from Jan.
1818 :0 19.

Air IL Virv3r) stated, that the Worthy Alder-
man had exonerared ;he Board of Ordnance from
any blame in this transactio,,. The fact was, no
blame could be impured }1 (-:;rile neces-
sary, in compliance with the expressed wishes of
that House, to get rid of the very extensive ma..
gazines in which these stores were deposited.
Such an arrangement rendered their sale neces-
sary.

GRONFELL contended, that the sale in
question c►mg;<t not to have been private. There
appeared to be no reason for departing from the
establibhed .and approved sys'em of open comi►e-
tition. As be thonalit all the circumstances of
the transaction o.ight to be before the public, he
would move, as an amendment to the motion of
the Worthy Alderman, to add the words " toge-
ther with the prices at which such Stores have
been sold."

The CIIANCELLOA of the EXCIIITQUER consider-
ed that the arnundrnent only served to render the
mofion still more objectionable. Any inquiry,
if inquiry were i!ectued necessary, ought to fol-
low the conclusion of a contract, and not to be
set on foot while it was going on. The B rd
owed this duty to the party with whoiti they Lad
contracted.

Mr. BARING argued, that there W 35 no ground
for deprtitig from the wind course in the trans-
don in question, and for making a bargain in the
Clark. He thought that the information ought to
be produced.
Mr. BnouGnAm, conceiving that the subject
could not rest where it was, and must produce
future discussion, suggested to his Hon. Pr;:ynd to
withdraw his amendment, and to the Hon. Alder-
man to rest satisfied at the prsent with the
Papers conceded to him, and if they did not prove
sufficient, when in the possession of the House,
to take another opportunity of moving for the
rest.

Mr. R. WARD defended the Board of Ordnance
frost► the attack made upon it. If, in speaking
of the usual system, the Hon. Gentleman had
substituted the word " combination" for the
word " competition," it would have been nearer
the truth : be instanced various cases, in which
this combination had proved highly injurious to
the public service, and in which private contracts
were found to be much more beneficial.- In an
offer made some time ago by competition, for the
purchase of a quantity of brass cannon, a' house,
to which the Hon. Gentleman was related, offer-
ed the smallest sum of all the competitors, name-
ly, 591, a cwt. while others offered 755. If Go-
vernment had closed with that offer, he was per-
suaded not a word of the transaction would have
been heard from the Hon. Gentleman. As to the
observation of another lion. Gentleman, that the
bargain in question had beets made in the dark,
he defied any one to spew that it was not in -all
its bearings a proper transaction. In support of
his arguments, the Hon. Gentleman entered into
a variety of statements with respect to the sale
of gunpowder, ropes, &c. and concluded by ex-
pressing his conviction, that the Board of Ord-
nance had most noxiously exerted themselves to
discharge their duty.
Mr.GRENFEi.L disclaimedharingbeen influenced
by any personal motives in the part which he had
taken in the discussion, and observed that the in-
stance quoted by the Honourable Gentleman of
the competition for the purchase of the cannon,
was rather a whimsical proof of the existence of
any combination on the subject ! He was con-
vinced that money was lost to the public by not
adhering to the principle of competition.
Mr. WARD explained.
Mr. D. GILBERT observed, that many cases
might exist in which a sale by private contract
would be more advantageous to the public than an
open sale.
Mr,. HuttsT declared, that in his opinion the
recent exertions of the Board of Ordnance did
them the greatest honour.
Mr. GRENFELL offering to withdraw his amend-
ment.if the Hon. Gentleman opposite would then
agree to the original motion, and .Mr. Ward ac-
quiescing in that arrangement, the amendment
was accordingly withdrawn, and after a few
words from Mr. Baring and Mr. Forbes, the for-
mer of whom disclaimed throwing any imputation
on the conduct of the Board of Ordnance, the
motion was agreed to.
On the motion of Mr. R. Warm, a copy was or-
dered to be laid before the House of the Memo-
rial of the Gunpowder Merchants to the Lords of
the Treasury, dated Nov. IG, IBIS, and the ob-
serrations of the Board of Ordnance on the same.

TAUNTON.

On the motion of Sir J. GHANA:4, the 'Order
Fur taking the 'Lawton Election Vetition into

consideration on the Ist of April was discharged,
and a new Order made for the Gal May.
COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY.
In the Comtnittee of Supply a Resolution wB5 -
agreed to on the motion of
Mr. K. WARD, t°
grant 150,0001. to his Majesty on account Of tlie
Ordnance Service for the present year. The Re"
port was ordered to be received to-morrow.
The Alkali Duty Bill, the Wellington Estate -
Bill, and the Exchequer Bills in Aids' Bill, 'vel,6
read a second time and ordered to be commit-0P
the first on Friday, the two others to•morrow•
The Portugal Slave Trade Bill went through
Committee, the ::sport of which was ordered t°
be
Treceived to• morrow.
he British Plantation Wool Bill, the N's--%
Salt, Bill, and the East India Goods' (Ireland/
Bill, were read a third time and passed.
At the suggestion of Mr. Grenfell, in conse:
(-pence of the thin attendance, the Chancellor or. •
the Exchequer consented to defer until to'nwra
row the Committee•`on the Consolidated 14.°11
Produce