Star.
London, England, 1805-04-09 00:00:00

only Lord Melville and Mr. Trotter, his pay-mafter,
that are involved, but we have Mr. Wilion
and Mr.
Mark Sprott, who cut no inconfiderable figure on
the kene. We have alfo brought before us the high
and refpeaable Company of the Bank of England,—
If I am not alfo mifinformed, that Report to a cer-
tain degree, involves the charaaer of the Right Ho-
nourable Gentleman (Mr. Pitt) on the other fide
of the Houfe. With refpett to what is faid in the
Report about the Bank of England, I anr not
fatisfied that the condo@ of the Governors in
allowing the mosey, the public money, to be with-
drawn is the way in which it had been, was cor-
refl. On the contrary, it has every appearance of be-
ing in dire& oppofition to the exprefs regulations of
An Aft of Par lament. The evidence of the Officer
of the Bank who was examined before the Commif
Goners, does not fully do away this imprdlinn. With
regard to what I alluded refpeding the Right Hon.
Gentleman oppofite, I Mall explain my meaning in
a few words. I have, Sir, been informed that the
Right Host. Gentleman feveral years ago, when be
la & held the fame fituation which he now enjoys, was
informed of the exiftence of the praltice of withdraw-
ing the public money contrary to an exprefs Aft of
Parliament, and that no Reps whatever were taken
to put an end to it. if this Remittent be correa the
Right Hon. Gentleman will permit me to fay, that
his conduit betrayed very culpable negligence, and a
very nnjullifiable connivance at a praaice which
every man who values the proper regulation of the
public expenditure mutt confider as highly dangerous. !
In bringing forward a charge againff Lord M. I do
not bring a charge againit mere unprotefted indivi-
dual. During the greater part of his life he has en-
joyed an ample (hare of the public rewards, and pub-
lic honours.. For a period of thirty years he has
been in the uninterrupted polfeffion °lronic lucrative
office, and he has at the fame time exercifed a moft
extenfive influence. He has, no doubt, many friends
attached to him by the conteinufnefs of obligation, and
though he is not now prefent to hear the charge pre
(erred again& him, he has many friends in this Howe
who will be happy in the opportunity of undertaking
his defence. Thinking theu. that I take no unfair
advantage of him, I proceed .to that charge which
his frierids will be fully able to explain to him in ano-
ther place. In concluding this bufine(s, it will be
my ohjea aridly to adhere to that moderation which
is the molt adapted for the inveftigation of truth, but
at the fame time, with that firmnefs and-per-reverence
which my duty to the-public impofes on me. In the
cafe which I have to lay before the Houle, there are
cif cionftances of aggravation which will render it
neceffAry for me to occupy a greater portion of your
time, than I could otherwife have wifhed, and to em-
ploy terms of greater (eve- ity, wifith, on other oc-
cafions would readily be (pared. When, Sir, I look
to the individual who is the principal criminal againft
whom my charge will be dir ailed, I fee many ma-
lons which eocreafe the magnitude of his offence.—
At the dole of the American war, when we were
plunged in a Rate of the greateft national difireli,
and when the, public begaq to fee that there had
been a grofs mifapplicgion of our refoarces petitions
flowed in from all parts of the country, praying for
Come reform in the expenditure of the national trea-
Cure. The Right Hon. Gentleman opyofite was then
in the dawn cf his political life, and in nothing did
he teem more defirous of recommending himfelt fro
notice and dißinetion, than by his zeal for the re-
form of abufes, and his anxiety to have a regulated
fyftem of economy eflabliffied in every part of the
public expenditure. Committees were accordingly
appointed—and on the reports which they produced
regulations were framed for diminilhing every fort of
utincceffary expenditure, and by removing all thofe
caufes which had formerly created there metres.—
Of there the molt prominent was the regulation fdr
caning the balances in the hands of public officers.
It was at tlie fame time refolved that a number of the
tees and gratuities formerly vatting in public offices
'timid be withdrawn, and that initead of them perma-
tent and adequate falaries fhould be allowed. It was
tat titularly laid down, as a molt important repletion,
.iat the Paymailer of the Forces and theTrerfurer of
;re Navy (hould have a fpecific falary, and that they
hould neither, direaly nr inditealy, derive any ad-
antage from the ufe of the public money. Now, Sir,
hole Refulutions are alive to the recolleftion and
feelings of many Gentlemen who are now Members
,d this Houfe ; and lure I am that Lord Melville is
the very lilt man in the world who can at all plead
ignorance of their exiflence. He, indeed, diftinguith-
e-d himielf at that period for his profelfed zeal for the
reform of abufes, with what fincerity I leave it to
the judgment of the Houfe to decide. He, Sir,
Cutely could not poffibly have mifunderflood the in-
tention of the Legiflature, and I am not now to in-
fr;rm for the fir ft time, that the abufes in the offices of
the Payma(ter of the Forces and the Treafurer of the
Navy were the leading features in all the Reports of
the Parliamentary Committees of that day. In 178 t,
a pofitive refolution pallid on the Reports of one of
tittle Committees, &elating it as their opinion, that
neither the Paymafter nor the Treafurer of the Navy
fhould draw any part of the public money till it was
politively wanted for the public fervice. The Report
further goes on to Rate the opinion of the Com-
mittee, that the Treafurer of the Navy fhould hence-
forth aft as an accountant, and not as a banker, to
the nation. A Report was at the fame time made of
the amount of the Treafurer of the Navy's falary,
which was two thoufand pounds, exclutive of profit
arifing from the tile of balances of the public money
in his hand. It was on there Reports refolved that
All there balances fhould be forthwith paid into the
Bank of England, and that the falary of the Trea-
furer fhould be fixed at four thcufand pounds, in lieu
of all fees, emoluments, or gratituties of whatever
delcription. What, Sir, was the condua purfued by
Mr. Barre, at that time Treafurer cf the Navy ?
Even before the Refolution had been fubmittcd to the
Legiflature, be (pontaneoufly paid into the Bank of
Logland the whole amount of the balances at that