Star.
London, England, 1805-03-20 00:00:00

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during the period that it was act Jeitaitied for the
purpofes for which it was drawn; bin it is to ba
fkrred from his evidence, that he intended Mr. Trot.
ter to draw upon the Bank for the matron only of
the alignments made on him by the different Boards
(an accouat of which is furnifhed to him daily), and
that the balance of (nth rum, till demanded. (hould
alre be lodged by Mr. Trotter in the hands of his
Mtvr-te bankers. The rearm given by his Lordliip
for this permiffion is, the opinion that it would add
more facility to the conduct of the bufinefs of the
office is renhitude of fmall payments to be made,
*an if the money were eo be depofited* according to
the eonflieution of the office, in an iron thee ; and
that the venous parties receiving (mall payments
would be lets liable to be iu pofed. upon than if they
were each to receive drafts for filch (ma fume upon
the Bank, it fuch a iiiilitoce from the °Ace after eta
removal to.Somerfet-place.
Although the larger demands Upon the Treafuree
are paid by draft. a neceffity for making the 6nall
payroentsln money has always wined, and the money
neceffuy for this purpofe is of coat& draten (tom dill
Bank, The (ems fo drawn, if eeneenielicy only had
bees IlinGo,..fitould bare been placed in the charge
of the differett fob-accountants, by whom fuck de-
mends are paid, and riot kept in the hands of the
Paymafier, who is not e,difborfer of public money,
except that Mad for the Payment of Exchequer fees.
With refpea to the fiat of bringiug the money from
the Bank, and of the lots or embezzlement of the
drafts by the Meffengers of the Pay Office, we do not
and that the aptedsenfiona entertained oo this fubjea
*role from tbe,eXperience of former lofis—dor none
are hems us have happened.
The *sloe which we had formed of the infuffici
ency of the snotiies affiped for the departure from
the Act of Parliament, is confirmed by the inquiries
intlituted, and the meafures taken in confequence
thereof by the fucceeding treafiners.
Lord Harrowby, the immediate fuccelfor of Lord
Melville. difapproved of the praaice, as being incon-
tinent with the fpirit of the Aft ; and as he had jolt
quitted the office of Paymaaer of the Army, where
fimilar regulations bad beeneftablifhed and carried
into effect withottt any complaint of inconvenience,
he was defirous of putting the office of Treafurer of
the Navy upon the fame footing ; but previoufly to
his directing an alteration, he deemed it neceliary to
inquire minutely into the validity of the realms; urged
againa the change. His Lordlhip had nearly com-
pleted the neceffary inquiries. to latisfy his mind that
the difficulties and inconvenieecies which might arife
in the detail of the isuanefs from this change, were
not fufficient to alrer the opinion he had formed,
when lie was prevented by a revere fillies from at-
tending further to the benne& of the office.
The Right Hon. Charles Bathura, who fucceeded
Lord Harrowby, put a final flop to the praaice of
drawing the money out of the Bank, and lodging it
in the hands of a private banker, in the fommer of
tilos, from a conviction that fetch praaice was incon-
Utah with the titbit of the M for the regulation of
the office of the Treafurer of the Navy, and that the
conveniencies which were fuggefied to mink from it
in facilitating the tranfaetion of bufinefs, were not of
weight fufficsent to juttify the continuance of firth an
irregularity. The rub accountants were likewift di-
tided to lodge their balances in the Bank.
Mn Badnutl fates, that no reprekntations were
made to him of inconveniencies tefulting front this
change of (Ann ; and Mr. Trotter biedetf allows,
that no material inconvenience did wife. Mr. Trotter,
a few days before be quitted office. propofed to the
Right Honourable George Tierney, the then Tree-
finer, that innead of drafts being given to the Sub-
accountants on the Bank, payable to them or bearer,
the Paymalter thould, from time to time, direa fuch
rums as might be neceffary to be transferred from the
Treafurer's account at the Bank to the accounts of
the Sub-accountanu. This propofal, which, if ad-
hered to, would be an effeaual bar to his fuceeffors
receiving money into their own hands by their drafts
on the Bank, was adopted by Mr. Tierney ; and we
learn from Mr. Latham, who aft-.d as his Paymaner,
that no inconvenience was experienced from this mode
of transfer, nor wad he aware of any facility or ad-
vantage from the intervention of a private banker.
Ash is the Itrongeft refutation of the reafoning
urged for a departure from the regulations ellablith-
ed by the Aft of Parliament, that there regulations
have treed 6nce carried into execution without incon-
venience, we (hall not dwell longer on this fubjea—
but we feel it incumbentnn us to declare our opinion,
that the circumstance which aaually led to the with
drawing of the money in large (urns from the Bank,
previoully to its being Hilted to the Sub-accountants
for the public iirvice,. was the opportunity thereby af-
forded to the application of it to purpofes of private
ufe and advantage.
As an additional fecority againil the public money
being drawn from the Bank for any but public put-
pores' it is dire&ed by the Aft of Parliament, that in
leach draft tall be fpecined the head of rewire for
which it is drama, and that without this fpecification
the draft !hall not be deemed a voucher to the Bank
for the payment ; and it has been Rated to us, that
this form has been Aridly adhered to, and that no mco
ney has been drawn front the Sank without fpecifying
a particular head of fervice.
Such drafts might be in all cafes Nfficient autho-
rity to the Bank ; but, when ufed by the Paymatier
to draw money into his own poffeffion, and for other
purpofes than the fel-vices fpecified, it has been a
palpable evalinn of the A.
As we could not obtain information from Mr.
Trotter as to the manner in which the public money
had been difpofed of, between the time of its being
drawn from the Bank and the time of its being appli•
ed to the public fervice, we called ypon Mr. Thomas
Wilfoe, the Chief Clerk in the Bill and. Remittance
Department of the Navy Pay odic% a branch lately
ellablithed. but who has been generally employed es
an affinant to the Paymafier, and by whom one of
the accounts rendered to us of the difpolition of the
Treafurer's balances Were Coped.
The evidence given by Mr. Wilful' is of an extra-
ordinary nature ; he avowed having derived an ad-
varttage from the tifit or employment of money Mud
for the payment of Exchequer •fees, the charge of
which was transferred to him by Mr. Trotter in the
year ifloo ; but be objected to *attire:jog every qua.
lion put to him as to the difpofition of the public
balances, or the advantage derived by the Paymaßer
therefrom, or even to giving any ',planation of the
official account of the Ttederses balms's. 411/hosib