Star.
London, England, 1805-06-01 00:00:00

REPORT FROM THE SRLECT COMM/TILE

UPON THE TENTH NAVAL REPORT, &e.
The Seeet altaamittee, to whom the Tenth Report of the
Connnittoners of Naval Enquiry, (rtfpeding the °ghee of
the Treafurer of his Moiety's; Navy) was reforred, to in-
quire into the application of aity monies ',Cued to the Trea-
furer of the Navy for blared Service% to porpefes not Na-
val ; and whethcf any, and what Reprefentationa were
trade to the Lords Commitments of his Maleily's Tres-
fury, or the Chancellor' of the Er:bespter, :Amain; the
withdrawing front the Bank any fume of Money fo Med,
Once the pairing of the Ad of 25 Geo. ltl. e. 3t. • and alto
into the procecdinp,s had for the recovery of the Debt due to
the Crown by the late Adam jeUicoe; have agreed to the fol-
lowing Report—
In taking into our confideratinn the three fobjeas
which are referred to your Committee, it occurred'
to us, that though the firft, in terms, comprehends
an Inquiry generally, and without rellriaton, into
the application of any monies iffued to the Treafurer
of the Navy for Naval Services to purpofes not Na-
val; yet it mull neceifarily have been the intention
of the Hottfe to exclude from our confideration all
Inch monies fo ;trued, and fo applied as were to be
the fubjea of meafures which the Attorney General
was direeted, by an Order of the Hook, to take
" by due courfe of law, for afcertaining and rem
" Wing any films of Money that may be due from
" Lord Melville and Alexander Trotter, Efquire,
• in refpea of any profits derived by them from mo.
• nies ilfued for Naval Services, and that may have
" come to their hands fubfequent to the ift of Janu-
" any, 1786 :"
We therefore conceived it not to be our duty to in-
quire whether any fums Wired for Naval purpofes had
been applied by Lord Melville or Mr. Trotter to their
own ufe, for which they would be refponfible m the
civil fuit to be inflituted againft them.
In profeeuting our inquiry with this referee, it
could not be previoufly known to us how any parti-
cular font of money fo ;trued had been applied, till
loch film had been traced to the &anal application of
it. We were, therefore, neeeffatily, in Come in:lan-
ces, led Mtn an examination which, without advert-
ing to this difficulty, might appear to exceed the
bounds of the Inquiry, which we undedlond to have
been prefctibed to us, leaving it to the party exa-
mined to objet to the quellions that were propofed
to him, on the ground of their tending perfonally to
charge him, whenever he thought fit to do fn.
Of the fums iffued for Naval Services, and after
wards applied to purpofes not Naval, which the caufe
of this Inquiry brought into our view, it appears
that the rum of 40,0°01, came into the hands of Lord
Melville, and was advanced by the joint concurrence
of his Lordfbip and Mr. Pitt, then Chancellor of the
Exchequer, for the ufe of the hode of Meffirs. Boyd
and Co.
Another rum of to,oool. fo iffued, appears to
have come to the hands of Lord Melville, previous
to the Payroaderthip of Mr. Trotter ; but how it
was applied the evidence to which we have had the
opportunity of refoitiag, does not enable as to de-
termine.
Various rum appear alto to have been advanced
by Mr. Trotter, during a period of oetween 14 and t 5
years, whilft he was Payinatter of the Navy under
Lord Melville. to the order of Lord Melville, amoun-
ting in all to 23 or 23,0001. which we than drilinguiffi
by the name of the Aggregate Sum of 22 or 23,0001.
about one half of which, Mr. Trotter Rates to have
been advanced exclufively from Public Money ; the
reit from a fund, which is called in Mr. Trotter's evi-
dence, his Mixed Fund at Meffirs. Comte, confiding
partly of public and partly of private money ; for
which Aggregate Sum of 22 or 23,0001. Ito interefi
was paid.
In order to avoid confufion, it may be proper here
to Rate, that Mr. Trotter was defired by Lord Mel-
ville to borrow for him, and did advance to him for
his private ufe, a further rum of between 22 and
e3,c001. of which he was Marl-elf the lender, and for
which he charged him with intereft at 51. per cent.
but from what fund the fame was drawn by Mr.
Trotter, we did not think it proper to inquire.
He was alto occalionally in advance in his account
current to Lord Melville, in fums to the amount of
from to to 2c,0c01. as mentioned in the Tenth Re-
port, which came entirely from the mixed fund at
Meals. Contts and Company (the balance upon that
account being alio meat' )nally in favour of Lord
Melville to the amount of 2 or 3000 l.) ; and for the
hR mentioned rum of 22 or 23,0001. fo lent on inte-
tea, as well as for Inch balance when it was in favour
of Mr. Trotter, he dates, that he conlidered Lord
Melville as his private debtor; but on fuch balances
in the account current, no intereft on either fide was
paid.
Of the fpecific funs therefore of 12 or 23,0001. fo
lent on intereft, and thofe occafionel advances in thei
account current from the mixed fund at Mefl'rs.Coutts
and Company, mentioned in the Appendix to the
Tenth Report, we (hall abilain altogether from tak-
ing farther notice ; confining our remarks to the
feveral dims of 40,0001. to,ocol. and the aggregate
funs of 22 or 23,0001. upon none of which any inter&
was paid.
As so the 40,0001. the diverfion of it from Naval'
Services to nh.cn it was appropriated, contrary to
the provifions and meaning of the 25th of George 111.
C. 2 I. attra6ed nor eat tied attention, and called for
a fail and minute inq ri. y into the caufes and circum-
stances of that tr..ifaairet.
Fur this purple leveel vrirneffies have been called
before us ; from whole evidence it .appears, that in
December, 1795, a contra& war made by Govern-
ment with the h.-ufes of Meffrs. 13.. yd and Co. Ro-
bots and Co. and G. ldfusid and Co. for a loan of
ed,occeoool. of which, in the beginning of the '
oF September, 1796, three inftalments of is per cent.
each, were dill due ; and that about the month of
April, 1796, a loan of fevers millions and a half was'
negotiated by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in
order to fund a rum to that amount of Exchequer
Bills and Navy Bills held by the Bank ; principally
for the purpofe of re eving the Company from their
advances to Government, which then preffed heavily
upon them. That loan was contrated for conjoint-
ly by the fame patties who war concerned in the
preceding loan ; all houfes at that time of unfufpea-
ed credit ; each houfe being generally confidered,
cubfequent to the payment of the depofit for which
they were all jointly, liable, refponfible only for the
amount of the (bares then held by them refpcaively.
Of the latter loan in the beginning of September,
179 f, two initalmcnts of 15 per cent. were due.'