Star.
London, England, 1807-03-12 00:00:00

caufe he had upon other occafions eiercifed an en-
larged difcretion, he was therefore warranted to do
to upon the prefent occafion.
Sir Homy Priptiam.—" I ufed it to (hew that I
was meeting the objet of the Government by whom
I was employed, and as a jullification for my deviat-
ing from my inftru&ions."
The PR E SIDE N T-44 You huge no oceafion to trou•
ble yourfe!f; as having before exercifed a large dif-
cretion, you had a reafonable right to prefirme that
the exercife of a large difcretion in this cafe was ad-
miffible. It is the bufinefs of Sir Home Popham to
(hew that officers generally had exercifed a difcre•
tit nary power under Inch circumliances."

LoicIMELIfiLLE" I am afraid, in anfwering this
and other queftions, I may be led to difclofe confi-
dential matters, which fhould not be made public ;
but I may give A genera: anfwer, that Sir H. Popham
has been confidentially employed, and received the
full approb4tion of the Government." •
Admiral STAN HOPE-•-•" HZ' May, I Clink, anfwer
this queftiost, in ur der to thew that Sir Home Popham
svgs, upon other occafions, permitted to ciercife dif
cretionary powers."
By the Prefecutor (Mr. Jsavts.)
Q. Does your Lordlhip recollect at what time Sir
Home Popham was appointed to the Diadem
I cannot recnllet the precife time, but from a letter
of December 1804, it mull have been about that
period.

Q._ Does your Lord(hip recollal whether the ne.
gociations which were carrying on between this
country and Spain, had or had not terminated be-
fore that period ?—A. I cannot, from memory, fit
the precife time, but I make no doubt it was a Ilion
time after the date of this letter, as 1 remember the
accounts came recently before the meeting :If Parlia-
ment.

Q._ Was Sir Home Popham appointed by your
Lordfbip to the Diadem, with a view to carry on of-
fenfive operations againft Spani(h South America,
and to what part of it in particular ?—A. I believe
Sir Home Popham was appointed to that (hip with a
view of co•perating with General Miranda to the ea•
tent of taking advantage of any of his proceedings
which would lead to the acquiring upon the continent
of South America a trade favourable to this country
—but do not recollea any precife place having been
appointed. _ _

• Your Lordfhip has faid, that you had many
contultations with General Miranda; and the refult ,
of thofe cpininns was, that although it might not be'
expedient or within the means of this country, at that
time, to commit themfelves fully to the extent of his
proje9s, it was of the utmofi importance to the in-
tereits of this country, fo far to watch the progrefs
of his operations, as to make ufe of them, if they
could be made fubfervient to the purpofes of opening
the South American market to the trade of this
country. Was that the objeet you had in view when
your Lordfhip appointed Sir Home Popham to the
Diadem ? and did you continue to entertain the fame
ohjth, and to the fame extent, during the remainder
of the time you prefided at the Admiralty ?—A. It
was with the view, mentioned in the question, that
I appointed Sir Home Popham to the Diadem—
and I do not recoiled that, during the period I
remained afterwards in the Admiralty, Government
had in contemplation any plan upon a more eaten-
live fcale.

IQ, Was Sir Home Popham appointed to any com-
mand, authorifing him to attack any part of South
America ?—A. Certainly not, in the proper fenfe of
the word.

O. Is there any note or official document on the
Records of the Admiralty, to your recollection, dat-
ing the objea for which Sir H. Popham was appoint-
ed to the Diadem ?—A. I cannot fpeak to an abfolute
certainty ; but I thould think there is not.

Q., Your Lordthip has raid, that Buenos Ayres
was one of the principal objects in view, when the
armament was in contemplation in 1796. Had your
Lordthip that object in view at any time Since the
breaking out of the prefent Spanith war, up to the
time of your Lordtitip's quitting the Admiralty ?
A. At ail times, . and from every converfation I
have had with Mr. Pitt, I make no doubt Buenos
Ayres was often the fubjeet of difcuffion—my rea-
fon for being fo confident of it is, that in all the
confideration I ever gave to the fubjeet of South
America, who her the attack was to be made on a
larger or fmaller fcale, I always confidered the Rio
de la Plata as a molt important pofition for the in-
, tereils of Great Britain upon that tide of South
America.

QI would take the liberty of afking whether with
thole opinions, it was determined, by his Majelly's
then Minitlers, to make any attack upon Buenos
Ayres ? and whether Sir Home Popham was appoint-
ed to any command for that purpofe ? A. Ido not
believe that his Majefly's Government, colleelively.
had ever come to any refolution to make any attack
upon South America. And it will be recollected,
after what I have already flared, that it was only for
a few months, after the beginning of 1835, I remain-
ed in office.