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

Pitt, and the Heads cf the then Admini9ration; and I
the fobjeet was more familiar to me, becaufe, for I
many years back, pal Ocularly in 1796, I had occa-
lion to confider it very maturely, with a view of pre-
paring, ii. concert with the then Board of Admiralty,
operations againft South America, on a very eaten-
five reale. I was then Secretary of State for the War
Department. In conf:quence of the convertations I
had with Mr. Pitt as already mentioned, in 06tober
or November, nearly about the time the war broke
out , ;•1) Spain, and the capture of four Sp.mifh fri-
gates, I defired Sir H. P 'pham to attend me, in order
that he might be at hand to attend Mr. Pitt and my-
fell, at any time that we withed to confult him ; and
I think about the fame time the (hip Diadem being
vacant, I wrote a letter to Sir Home Popham, dated
Nov. 1, t 804., hating, that General Miranda now be
ing more urgent with me, as he thought we were at
war with Spain, to commence an attack on Spani(h
America ; and not knowing any thing more conve•
nient to place Sir Home in, than the Diadem ; the
letter directed him, if the weather was fair, to come
up. This letter was not Signed by the official Secre-
tary, hut by myfelf. I had many communicatkns
with him, and in confequence of daily criverfations
I had with Mr. Pitt on this fnbjeet ; thefe communi-
cations continued during the remaining period I was
at the head of the Admiralty. I ceafed to be at the
head of that fitua.ion immediately after the Bth of
April, 1805. After that, I had many interviews
with Mr. Pitt, until our final feparation at Bath, in
the beginning of the year 1806 • but from the time
I ceafed to be his colleague in office, I made it an
invariable rule to avoid all converfation with him
upon all fubjeels of a public or confidential nature, fo
that, from my own knowledge, I can fpeak to nothing
after the Bth April, 1805.
Q. Does your Lordfhip recollea directing me to
attend Mr. Pitt, at Wimbledon, in 1804, when we
difcufted all Miranda's views, when there was no
perfon preterit but yourfelf and him ?—A. I perfeelly
recolleCt fuck a circumflance and interview, but can•
not (peak to the precife period.
1 QWas it on the day of the night Mr. Pitt went
to Weymouth to the King ?—A. Very likely, as he
went from my houfe. _

Q. Does your Lordfh'p recoiled, after converting
wi:lt Mr. Pitt on that fubjed, as to the readiell way
to I.rward the views of General Miranda, Mr. Pitt's
direfting me to draw up a fpecific memoir, in concert
with him. explaining all the views of General Mi-
randa, from time to time, communicated to me, and
delivering it ro Mr. Pitt, through him, or by ntyfelf?
—A. I recoiled, perfedly, receiving fuch a Memo.
rial ; and, wifiting to know the extent of his views ;
bat certainly avoided to commit my fell, or the Britith
Government, beyond the ohjed I have already llated,
relative to South Ame:ica ; upon which fubjed I
certainly entertained a moll anxious with, almoli all
the time, until I had occafion to take the public fer-
vice under toy more immediate confideration. And
that anxiety never diminifhed, but much increafed, in
confequence of all the events which, for force years
pail, had taken place in the Ealt Indies, the Weft In-
dies, and, above all, on the Continent of Europe.
Q In confequence of your Lordfhip's great prefrure
of bufinefs, it is poffible you may not recoiled all the
circumliances of the whole fubjed, fo well as myfelf,
who had nothing elfe to think on ; but you may re-
coiled employing me to draw up fuch a Memoir ?
A. I certainly did employ you fo to do.
Q Does your Lordfhip recoiled, that when you
did me the honour to appoint me to the Diadem, it
was for the purpofe of profecuting tome part of the
plan mentioned in the faid Memoir?—A. When Sir
H. Popham was appointed to the Diadem, it was for
the purpofe of co•operating with General Miranda,
in loch objcds, mentioned in the Memoir, as might
be conducive to the interells of Great Britain.

Q. Does your Lordfhip recolleCt, fo far as to
bring it into your contemplation, whether the feafon
was fo far advanced, that the part in which I was
to be particularly employed, was to rad& me to the
particular objeCl of the Cape, or to allow me a dii.
cretion of protecuting other objects, with a view to
open the markets in South America ?—A. know
that the great ()Nat was, to open the markets of
South America, but cannot fpeak as to general de-
tails; but circumftances occur to my mind, that the
bonnets war not then fa far advanced as to be the
fubjta of detailed inttruetions. It occurs to me, at
this moment, as no: improbable, that the Coal! of
South America, in the vicinity of Trinidad, was, at
one time, looked upon as a probable fcene for opera•
ticns.

Q On hearing of the capture of Buenos Ayres,
did your Lordfhip confider it as an acquifition ma-
terially advancing the great obje9 Mr. Pitt and
your Lordfhip had in view, with refped to South
America ?

Mr. Jsavts objeCted to the •queflion ; but the
Court confidered it a mere matter of opinion, and
over-ruled the objeetion.
Sir Home Popii am obferved, that by the queflion,
he only meant to prove the opinion of the Cabinet,
as to the original plan of attacking South America,
and the defign to follow up that intention.
Mr. jeavis laid, that it was quite fufficient for
him, that the Court difapproved of his objeetion, to
induce him to relinquifh it.
A. No doubt the capture of Buenos Ayres was
highly beneficial to the objet we had in view; but
I am by no means Pure, if I may not have taken that
impreffion from the circumflance of Buenos Ayres
having been one of the fpecific objets in view, when
the armament was in contemplation in 1796.. I re-
member there was an armament in contemplation,
which was to go round Cape Horn, and to take
Buenos Ayres in its way.
(Z.... Does your Lordfhip recolleft my having been
confidentially employed both in the late and prefent
war, by different Members of the Cabinet ?—A. I
certainly know that Sir Home Popham was employed
confidentially by the different Members of the Cabi-
net he alludes to.

Q.._ Does your Lordfhip month, that in my be.
ing employed in confidential fervices, circumltAnces
arofe, which were not provided for in my intlruc-
tions, nor indeed could they be ; and that, under
thefe circumittnces. I exercifed very large difcre-
tionary powers, in the attainment of the great objea
for which I was f, employed. I particularly allude
to one of my millions to the Court of St. Pcterf-
burgh ?
Mr. Jeavis objean:l to the queftion, upon th.c
grounds that the Frifoner fought. to inter, that bc-