Star.
London, England, 1809-05-23 00:00:00

COURT-MARTIAL ON REAR-ADMIRAL
HARPET.

Yesterday the Court Martial on the conduct of
Rear-Admiral aft: HARVEY commenced in Ports-
rottth Harbour, on board his Majesty's ship GI,A-
Di.vroß, at half past nine o'clock. The Members of
t!:e Court were as follow :
Admiral Sir Rontit CURTIS, President.
Hot LO WAY, Admiral SUTTON,
t,ir Y. T. DUCKWORTH, °TWAY,
..—..-- Sir H. E. STANmort, Hon. Captain H. K. taccr,
porci.As, Captain BERESKOLD,
----- CA MPBELL, •••-••••.-- IRWIN,
WELLS, NIACHASIARA.

The Juaoa-AovocaTE read the requisition under
the Court-Martial was held, founded upon two
I.ocro addeesed to the Hon: W.W. Pole, Secretary to
t),, _Admiralty, by Lord Gambier, both dated en board
L. Caledonia, in Basque Roads, April 4, 1809. The
filst letter stated that, upon Lord Cochrane's arrival to
he employed upon the service of attempting to destroy
the enemy'ssfleet, by flreships, Rear-Admiral Harvey
came on board the Caledonia, and stated a number of
officers and men onboard the Tonnant who were.ready
to volunteer to undertake the service ; and that he
offered himself to have the direction of executing
that set vice. " I informed him (wrote Lord Gam.
bier,) that their Lordships had fixed upon Lord Coch-
rane for the purpose; at which Rear-Admiral Harvey
declared to me in the most violent and disrespectful
manner, and desired me to consider it as an official
communication, that if be was passed by, and Lord
Cochrane, or any junior officer, appointed in prefe-
rence, he should immediately desire to strike his flag
and resign his commission. I 'informed him that
should be surly he should take such a strong medstre,
and that Ile Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty i
having fixed upon Lord Cochrane, and directed me
to employ him upon this service, I could not deviate
from their Lordships' orders. The Rear-Admiral
upon this continued his vehement and insulting lan-
rag, to me, and stated how much he had been ne-
glected fcr his former services, both by myself when
holdira• a seat at their Lordships' Board, as well as
by et!'crs of their Lordships predecessors there ; that
he Lad not been rewarded for the eminent services he
had performed ; and after much violent invective, and
a continuation of insulting gestures and language, tin-
der which, I beg to assure their Lordships, I pre-
served my temper and calmness towards him, he de-
Hared that he had differed with me in opinion with
aspect to my conduct in the command of the fleet,
that he could impeach me for misconduct and had
rianagement, and ended by saying, with the same in-
sulting tone and manner, that he then offered himself
to go in the Tonnant, or any old rotten seventy-four
gun ship to board the enemy's three-decked ship in
Aix-Roads, and bring herout. .Here I first observe
to their Lordships that in a conversation a few days
afterwards with Rear-Admiral Harvey, upon the
strong position of the enemy's fleet, he stated it to be
h:s opinion " that any ships that entered their ancho- I
rise to attack the enemy could never return from it."
second letter. stated—" Since I closed my later
to you this morniog, stating the conduct of Rear Ad-
:l I rvey 'yesterday, it has come to my knowledge I
tlea he has ir. many instaocea spoken of me in I
nog .conterupttioti:; and disrepecttni manner to se-
pflicers in the fleet, and dune so with that pub-
tl,at it cannot f-61 to have been disserninatod
:.21:ku1!.;..,. the inferiA- oiTicers and seamen un,:er my
Lammand. I catinot reaa, howeya:, hesitate upon
t: course which it becomes necessary for me to pur-
saa on this occasion, and have therefore to request that
the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty will be
}:leased to order a Court Martial to try Rear-Admiral
Harvey upon all the charges."
The Court, and the Judge Advocate, were then
sworn.

A dmiral HARVEY nbserved,that the charges against
im were mixed, and he hoped the Court would keep
them distinct, which he Vas assured they would do.

LOlt'. GAMBIER examined.

Q. I believe your Lordship Was Commander in.
Chi,f cf the Channel Fleet, and was so on ►he 3d of
A prii last. and that your flan- was flying on board his
:iesty's ship Caledonia ?—A. I was.

nn what particular duty was your Lordship's
feet at that time ?—A. Employed in blockading the
facet anchored in the i:;:cs of Air.

Q. Did your Lordship receive orders to employ
Lc,id C('arane of his Majesty's ship Imperieuse, in
;ittempt to destroy the enemy's fleet in Basque
and on what day did your LOrdship eeceive
- • orders ?--A. I did receive such orders) I think,
.'„e 2d or 3d of April ; but I cannot speak posi-
tivi ly as to the day.
(,:‘. Fe pleased to produce that order,
CrJer produced and read..

Q. 1114 your Lordship, in consequence of that ot-
i%site any and what (Frections to the respective
Cdpt:ii.ts of the Fleet, through the medium of the
f Division, on the subject of that ser-
%wt. f— A. I issued orders to the Flag-officers.
What was Rear-Admiral 11::rvev's rank in the
at :h:tt time re Was Rear-Admiral of the
,ird second in common:l.

(2. Did Rear-Admiral Harvey afterwards come on
the Caledonia, and on what day ?—A. Admiral
I • came on board in the afternoon, I think, of
" April.
pleased to state to the Court all that passed
N our Lordship and the Rear-Admiral on that
d;:y ?--A. Having detailed the circumstances that led
to .J.;: trap:L.:sant interview I•had with Admiral Har-
v,y, w!ach he cfrered me an insult in my capacity
C(r.rriander in Chief of the.. Channel Flea, which
I c.,,11 1 not pass over, consistent with that discipline
v• it was my duty to support and enforce; ,on the
of the 3d of April, Admiral Harvey came
rnir aid the Ca7edonia, and in my cabin, no other
I.eirtt- present, informed me that in conse-
-. • e e; the orders I had issued, calling upon the
r and seamen of the fleet to. volunteer their
s in the fire-ships that were preparing, there
rail officers on board the Tonnant ready
del take that service ; and Admiral Harvey
oil', red himself to me for the direction of it. I in-
7,tmcd A tim:ral Harvey that I had received the di-
of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty
rr:,)hy Lord Cocl-4-ane to conduct the enterprize
; upon which Admiral Harvey de-
t > me, in a high tone and disrespectful man-
t7r, ti::tt if he were passed by, and Lord Cochrane,
(Aker junior to him (Admiral Harvey) -ap-