Star.
London, England, 1805-06-13 00:00:00

miler oifences, that the ends of jußice were already
tufficiently answered.
, Mr. WILBERFO RCE then role; and fpoke nearly
to the following effeft :--Paying, as I mull always
do, every podible regard to the opinitin of the Hor,
Member who has jolt fat down, fenfible of the weigl t
which any fubjeft mutt derive from his fuppott, and
convinced of the candour with which hie• opinion
has been delivered, 1 feel it a`painful confideration,
that, after all the attention I been able to be-
llow on the fubjeft, I am Hill forced to adopt the
fame conclufion which I have hitherto fonnd myfelC
called on to avo.v. I yenerday came down to the
Houk with my mind difcharged from all prejudice..,
and, fo far as in my power, doodling myfelf of evetip
feeling and prepoffeflion by which I had been fia-
merly aftuated in the cowl of the various dircuffions
on the *bufinets I exerted my utcoott attention in
liftening to the vindication of the Noble Lord, ex.
peeing to have many things cleared up to my fath-
faaien. But, if I Otmerly did entertain any doubts
on the fubjeft, the fpeech of the Noble Lord at once
difpelled them, and convinced me that farther pro-
ceedings mutt be had on this important bufinefs.—
The principles which he laid down were infinitely
more injurious and dangerous in their nature, than
any fait which had formerly been developed. I.
thought it natural to eepeft that though we had not
got a clear and fatisfaftory explanation hitherto, left
might be looked fur froth the Noble Lord. Though
he might lie under reftriaiens in the murk of foam
of his details, I prefumed that he would not feel.
himfelf fo bound and cramped as to be unable to lit
the tranfaftions, fo far at lean as he biinfelf was
concerned, in an intelligible point of view. But, as
Paid before, fo far from (hewing to my fatisfaftion
that we bad been wrong in any of the Reps we had
adopted, he convinced me that we were Hill infinite-
ly fhort of the mark. After the able way in which
the fubjeft has been treated by the Hon. Gentleman
who made the motion, and by other Gentlemen on
the fame tide, it is not my intention to go into the
matter in detail. The fubjeft is too difagreeable to ,
allow the to be anxious to enter into it. One thing,
however.. in the fpeech of the Noble Lord, I cannot
omit noticing. He acknowledges no criminality;
he jutlifiec his proceedings, and Rates that he con-
ceives the lair of the land not to have been violated.
This he inters, partly from a conftrnflion of the Aft
of Parliament, and partly from what I think he had
better havefparedohat Lord Harrowby did not think
the Aft explicit. Whether the Aft be perfe&ly pre-
rife in its enaftments, I do not think it necetrary to
inquire. It furely could not be thought an excels of
prefumption in Parliament, when they provided that
money should be drawn only for Naval Services, to
deem it unneeefrary for them alto to infert a claufe, that
when fo drawn out, they Ihould be applied only to
naval fervices. What can the Houk think of a man
who is reduced thus to quibble away the obvious
meaning of a Ratute ? But the Noble Lord alfo
Hated that Lord Harrowby doubted as to the inter-
pretation of the Aft. Yet it is notorious, that fo
foon as the circumftance alluded to, came to the
knowledge of that Noble Lord, he let about a re-
form, which, fo far as his health would permit, Its
law put in force, eonfißently with that Ready adhe-
rence to law, and to the principles of public dotty,
which had diffingoifhed hint through life. What
was the objeft and intention of the Aft, the very
difeuffions which took place before, after, and at
the time of paffing the Aft; clearly Thew. It was
*to prevent the use of public balances from remain-
ing in the hands of private perfons ; and to take
care that the Bank fhould be the only banker for
the Public. The praftice under former payout-
ters has been attempted to be fet up. Two an-
fwers, however, occur to this obfervation. Firß,
the cafe is changed (Ince the law was altered. The
other answer applies perfonally to the Noble Lord
himfelf. For what got he the additional aoool. a
year ? Was it not in lieu of any private emolument
from balances ? And will it be faid that though the
right of having balances in his hand ceafed with the
Treafurer' it was meant that it &could commencl
with the Paymafter ? That the Paymafter was en-
titled to make a profit of fuch balances, but the Tree-
Inter was not ? Unlefs it be poffible to Thew the dif-
tin&ion between the two offices, it is impoffible to
Ibew that the A& applies to the one and not to the
other. The Noble Lord had Hated, that he never
authorized Mr. Trotter to draw out money for his
private advantage. This is narrowing the limits of
the charge, and making a diftinftion between the
pupae for which the money is drawn out and the
purpofe to which it is applied. It is by no means a
fatisfaetory explanation. Indeed the only explanation
made by the Noble Lord which was fatisfaetory to
my mind was, his reafun for wiling to continue
Treafurer of the Navy, as conne&ed with the ma-
nagement of the affairs in India. Let me in a paren-
thefis do the Noble Lord the juffice to declare, that
to my knowledge, and from everything which I have
been able to learn, •he conduited the affairs of India
with the greateß ability, jutice, and honour.—Thet
he appointed to situations there many perfons wit!
whom he was acquainted only from their integrity
and ability. I have heard a Gentleman (Lord reign-
mouth) whom he had appointed, and who many
years filled the fituation of Solicitor General the-c.
declare, that dining the whole of his Ray in India,
the Noble Lo rd had never allied from him any favour
whatever. This statement I think it fair to the N •
ble Lord to make. We have heard the explanatio•n
given by the Noble Lord r f the way in which the re
leafe, which is lo Confpietions a document, was ere •
crated. But I feel it impoffible to throw out of mew
the wonderful coincidence which occurs between ,h •
date of that deed, and the Reps of the Commiffioner •
of Naval Inquiry. It appeats from the Statement to
the Noble Lord, and in his letter, that he had smut
ed himfelf with occasionally burning papers (Ac:
of no I no!) I thoula be lorry to mifreprefen. art
thing which the Noble Lord may have laid ;
unquelkivnably in his letter to the Commiftionm