Star.
London, England, 1807-05-28 00:00:00

MILITAR r INoTrIR r.

SUPPLEMENT TO THE THIRD REPORT.

are--
Since the publiCation of our Third Report, we
have obtained the following information relative to
the lopply of coals in the ifland of Alderney :
Major General Elle, who had the military elm-
mand in that iiland, daring the years 1799. ISocr
and tßat. procured Arne of his coals from the
Barrack Mallet's (lore. Mier fome communication
between the Major General and the Barrack Officer,
concerning the mode in which he should account for
thefe coals, amounting to upwards of four hundred
and ninety-two bulbels, it was fettled that he (mould
retarn the fame quantity. By a letter from the Ba•
rack Office, it appears, that this quantity was return
ed into the Barrack Store on account of Major Ge-
neral Elle, in the months of Antal and September,
iBoi ; and from the Major General we learn, that
he bought there coals of Mr. Davifon, at that time
Applying coals to the barracks in the gland ; and
that he paid for theta is. 7d. per buffiel, or 575. per
chaldron, including all expences, into the Ilene ;
and that he about the fame time bought of G. R.
Walker, of Guernfey, so buffiels for his own ufe, at
is. 9d. per buffiel, or 635. per chaldron.
Mr. Davifon's prices for the coals delivered to the
barracks in Alderney, during thole two months et
:801, and for which he has produced the ufual cur
tificites, are for 216 buffiels, at the rate of 725. per
chaldron, and for the remainder, amounting to 7665
huflrels, the prices vary from 755. to 131 a. per
di on.
We learned further from Major General Elle, that
09 the 2111 October, 1799,• he paid Mr. Rouhillard,
of Alderney, for 54 bawls of coals furniffied to him
at different times during that year, 2s. der bufhel,
or
725. per chaldtop. The prices charged by Mr. Da-
vifon during that year are at no time leis than 95,.
per chaldron; and in the Spring are as high as 15os.
Whether Mr. Davifon, therelore, intended to
charge the wholefale or retail prices for the coals de•
livered to the barracks in Alderney dining the years
alluded to, it is impoffible to reconcile tru.fe prices
with that paid to him by Major Generil Etle whiltl
he raided in that ifland, or with thof paid by the
Major General to G R. Walker and Mr. Roubillaad,
which it is to be preformed were not lower than thefe
the inhabitants of Alderney were paying at the time.
We have mentioned in our Third Report, a iranf
aEtion refreling the delivery of 6o chaldron of coals
at Brighthelmllone Barracks, in which Mr. Har-
graves, the Teller of the coals, had, on 23d January,
1799; charged Mr. Davifon 465. per chaldron for
theft, and had certified the price of coals to the
inhabitants on that day to be, including 2s. for car-
riage, 6os. per chaldron.
Having learned that Mr. Hargraves was defirous
of explaining his part in this tranfaelion, we exa-
Mined him on the fubjee. He laid, " that being in
larirth.n.in December, 1793, he was applied to by
Mr. Daniel Wilkinfon, Mr. Davifon's Clerk, to put
in 6o chaldrons of coals in addition to a conlidera-
ble quantity already delivered by him at Bright-
helmitone barrack,' and at the fame price;. that he
complied with the application, and began the deli•
very of thefe coals on the Bth of January 1799, and
completed it on the 22d, having delivered nine chill-
thous by the tub of the month, at. which time the
price to the inhabitants was 48 (billings per chaldron,
and the remaining 51 cheldrons, between the rah
and 22,1, during which period the price to the inha-
bitants was 58s. per chaldron, which • price, exclu-
dive of two 'billings for carriage, he certified on the
r3d of January." Mr. Hargraves (fates the reafon
of his confining the certificate of price to that day,
to be that he was invariably diraled by Mr. Da-
vifon to certify the pike of the day on which he got
the Barrack Mailer's receipt of the quantity which
had been delivered ; and he thinks he never procured
theft receipts until the whole of a fpecific quantity
contralled for had been delivered, although he was
Ametimes four to five months in completing the con-
trail." He afterwards Paid, " that he abuttals,. he had
been fix or feven months, or from May to December,
in completing a conttaCt, in which cafe the certificate
trice fent to Mr. Davifon, was the price of December
in that year, at which time tile pt ice inti:.l have been
much higher than in the preceding runittlis; for, that
the price is always, higher in the winter than in the
lummer months."
We learn further fwom Mr. Hargraves, that when
he was at Mr. Davtfon'i hoole, in Harpur-areet,
which was in the firrt year of lei. dealing with Mr.
Davifon, he was informed by Mr. DanieCWilkintnn,
Mr. Davifon's Clerk, that the °Neel of requiring him
to fend certificates of the prices which the inhabitants
were paying for their coals, was " to convince Go-
vernment of the advantage of Mr. Davifon's doing
their Wind's, for that Mr. Davifon was allowed a
per tentage only, (he thought Iylr. Wilkinfon named
two and one•half per cent. for his trouble )" Mr.
Hargraves laid, " that it was not until the publica-
tion of our nit d Report, that he learnt Mr. Davifon
was paid the certified prices of coals, for that he
thought Mr. Davifon charged the Government the
prices he paid to him (Mr. Hilt graves)". Mr. Har-
graves' evidence, in this part of it, is-confirmed by
two letters addrelfed to him, and figned by Mr. Da-
vifon In a part of the firll, dated
fireet, Jane 13, 1795, Mr. Davifon lays, " and, in
order to prove to the Barrack Marler•General (if
neceirary ) the advantages wiling by the pi efent mode
raf supplying the barracks with coals, in comparifon
ith the prices paid by •the ordinary inhabitants, at
the iefreCtive filtrations, I will trouble you to get the
annexed certificate properly filled up, and figned by
two te,peCiable perions at each place, &c." In the
other, dated Harpur (freer, December 21, 1799, he
lays, " the annexed certificate being wanted for my
rra u fatisfaftion, and to prove to the Barrack Mailer
Genital the propriety and economy of the prefent
mode of fupplying the barracks with coals, you will
oblige me by getting the fame prapir)y filled up,
agreeable thereto, and figned by y, urfelfan I another
relpeelable inhabitant to that for Brighton, and two
relpeeable inhabitants tel that far Shoreham, and
return the fame as boon as poffible." Mr. Hargraves
laid further, " that, had he known that Mr. Davifon
was paid the certificate prices, he would have fent
certificates of the prices, on the days of atinal deli
very, and he would have delivered the coals at the
times when the prices were the lowell."
This part of Mr. Hargraves' evidence fuggells

this rifftea, hi: Con, nig .en o,
point of view. But we do not prelim to give an opinion on
this :.cad ; and we !hall merely pate the further infor-
mation obtained relative to the fupply of coals at
•Blightlielmltone barracks,
Among the many letters addreffed to Mr. HarL
' graves on the firbjed of this fupply, which lie
toer-
mined us to fee, is one dated sth April, t800`• ed
(for Alexander Davifon, Efquire, Daniel Wilk on)
in an extra& of which, speaking in tire perfon of Mr.
Davilon, he lays, ~ I have very much to lament hay
ing to trouble yon and Colonel Moore, by returning
inolofed his receipt for the laid coals ; it being dated
on the 4th inilant, for coals supplied in the coo' fe of
the lail nine months, is too inofficial for the voucher
rf a public account. This obliges me to requell his
r ectiots for the different deliveries ; or rather, that
the qoanti y delivered to 2.0 December, fhould be
acknoaledged in three feparate receipts, and the
quantity tupplied since to the 4th intlanr, in three
others, the dates of which should, as near as poffible,
correfpond witlithore at which Colonel Moor's retut n
(tate the coals to be received."
Our (irk oVer vation on this letter is, that although
the apparent object in it, of procuring receipts from
the Barrack Matter, which (horrid correfpond with
his returns to the Barrack Office, was. perfaCtly cor-
ref% ; yet, had the fix required receipts b_en obtained,
with their corresponding cer tificares, the circumttance
of lone of them bearing date in the winter months
might have given Mr. Davifon an advantage in the
prices charged by him to the Office. But we cannot
find, on examination of the vouchers, any other re-
ceipts, rhan one on the Loth September, 1799, and ano-
ther on the 4th April, isoo, to both of which the
annexed certified price of coals is sixty. fhillings per
chaldron.
We may alto ohferve, from what arrears in this
letter, that although the contrast for coals mull have
been made in the fornmer months, yes, br giving the
cot:trader nine months to make his deliveries, the
prices to the public being according to the deliveries,
' the fupplies were not to be made as they ()ooht to
have been, according to Lieutenant General Dc
ILancey's letter to Mr. Davifon, " at the molt advan-
tageous feafons "
In another letter, of thik April, I Roo, Mr. Wil-
kinfon, aoain (peaking in the perion cf Mr. Davifon,
lays, " I am favoured with yours of the 14th ink.
I and obferve your propolition of delivering too
I chaldron of coals at Brighton barracks for 535. per
•
chaldron, but that you mill not engage to deliver
them fo form as a fortnight s. and that the prefent
!price of coals in Brighton is hos. per chaldron. I am
I willing to extend the time to a month or fix weeks
I from this dare, provided that you agree that the price
(hall be 7,. per chaldron lefs than the felling price of
coals in Brighton on the day Colonel Moor's receipt
Hates them to be received, and this felling price to be
ascertained by certificates, figned as heretofore by
two refpeetable perfons of the town.
Had Mr. Hargraves acceded to this propofal, Mr.
Davifon would have at all events teemed to himfelf
95. per chaldron by the agreement ; for as. for car-
riage is to be added to the certificate price. Mr.
Horgraves, however, declined the propofal.
We learnt alfo front this examination of Mr. Har-
graves, that there was no ingrain, or any thing in lieu
of it,. allowed either in quantity or price front Sheer-
nefs to Ply mouth, and that there was no diffinflion
between the wholefale and retail price of coals at
Brighthelmlloae, except in the fate of loch large
quart ii.ies as were deiivered to the barracks, in which
cafe the difference is generally about two (billings
per chaldron cheaper. And he laid, that the coals
delivered at the barracks were Sunderland and
Bligh coals, and that it was the price of there coals
which was certified, and not that of the belt or
New‘allle coals. In all there refpeCts, therefore,
there appears to be no ground for obfervation.
Our tint general remark on the information com-
municated by Mr. Hargraves is, that although under
the imprellion of Mr. Davifon's providingthe barrack
coals on commiffion, it may be imagined Mr. Har-
graves was not, perhaps, always attentive to certify
the eta& price of the day, yet we fee no reafon to
fofreft him of any collufion with Mr. Davifon ; for,
according to his own account, a great advantage
was once taken of him by Mr. Davifon's making a*
contract for coals two or three days previous to an
embargo.
Mr. Hargrave's information juflifies us ton, we
think, in the remarks, that owing to the Mk repre•
fentation of the terms under which Mr. Davifon was
providing the barrack coals, the public has paid
much higher for them than would have been the
cafe had the real terms been known ; and that, in
another view of the fubjest, the barrack coals might
have been provided by Mr. Davika on conuniffion,
without fuch large contingent expenses as in his
letter to the late Barrack Mager General of 3111
March, 1795, he flared would be neceffary, and that
thereby the public would have raved confiderably in
the price paid for the coals fupplied to the barracks.
In additioi to the information communicated to
us by Mr. Hargraves, relative to his course of deal-
ing with Mr. Daviion for the coals delivered to the
barracks at Brighthelmanne, he his by letter fug
gelled a plan, for the future .lapply of coils to' th'e
barracks at large, which, he thinks, would be more
economical than any mode hitherto adopted of for-
plying thole coals. In Litutemit Gential De

what ought now to he done in the inflances of the .Lances: time, the barrack coals *ere almoll entirely
I
delivery of the fidchaldrons, and of fimilar deliveries. Davifon, according to tbe'tetms
either at Brigthelniflone or at mile, places in which I much.iiisiad by us in oar Third Rep-rt. Since the
the coals were delivered at various times ; bait the laspnointmrnt of Lieurenaat General Hewett to the
receipt and certificate of prices, for one day, viz. to office of 'Barrack Mailer General, the barrack coals
afcertain the days -1 aeltral delivery, and the prices havx heen procured by the Commillary General en
on thofe days When this &ire, the account be-.l.contraas made After public notice for tenders to be
tween the Barrack Office and 4r. Davifun lhouldhe I fent in. But the dillrifts for which the tenders are
made nut in conformity to the information acquiied; I required are large, including generally many bar•
and if it appeals that he has received more than by I racks, and often three or four counties. The confe
fetch account he would be entitled to, the balance I quence of this, in Mr. Hargraves' opinion is, that
thould be enntidered as a debt due from him to the' none but a few opulent and fpeeulative
Public ; for the agreement between him and the late i can engage in the undertaking, who being unable
Barrack Mailer General was. "to be paid at fueh aflually to execute the contrails themfelves underlet
rate as was the market price with the coal dealers.at them to perfons living in the neighbourhood of the
the tine of delivery," which mutt mean the time refpeftive barracks, at a reduced price, and thereby
of afloat delivery, not the time at which the Barrack get a profit which might have been Paved to Govern-
Mailer's receipts may have been obtained. ment. He then propore:;, that the notice for tenders,
What We have jolt laid would be equally applica• and of comic that the contraels. Ilionld be for each
ble, whether the aaual deliveries were left to Mr. refpedive barrack ; this, he Pays, would produce a
Hargraves' difcretion, "as he lays they were fubjeet competition amonglt the neighbouring coal dealers,
to the contrad," or were regulated by the orders of who, from their local knowledge and eonneelions,
Mr. Davifon. But if it fhould appear that Mr. Davifon would be enabled to do the Wind's on better terms
bad conirived to obtain an advantage a3airjl the public in' for the public than perfons living at a &lance. This
hi vita - then be collidered in another r mode of contrafting. Mr. Hargraves believes, would

produce a f tying to Government of upwards of ten
per cent. on the amount if the prefect original con
tractor's fuppofed profit.
[Here follow the fignatures.]

4ONSTITUTION OF 711 E S.l-17'E OF 11(1271.

The underligned Mandato. iec, charged with the
powers of the People of Hayti, being legally convoked
by his Excellency the General in Chief of the Army;
penetrated by the neceffity of making their Omni-
tuents erjoy the facred, imprefcriptihle, and tinalicn•
able rights of man ; proclaim, in the prefince, and
under the aufpices of the ALL•TOW sat ut., theAr tides
contained in the pref:nt Conflitutional Paft.