Star.
London, England, 1805-06-12 00:00:00

Numßk:R 51 3 )

PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, WEDNESDAY. JUNE
IMPEACHMENT OP LORD MILVILLE.
Previous to the moving the Order of the Day on Mr. Whit -
lame. 'notion for the impeachment of the Right Hon. Lord Vif-
cooa:M•lvillr,
IThc SPEAKER called the attention of the Houk to a letter
which he had yefterday received from the Noble Lord, on the
fuhled of this motion.
The SPEAKER read the letter from the Chair. which was
dated from Wimbledon, and Rated that his Lordfhip having
fern the Report of the Committee appointed to inveftigate the
matters contained in the Tenth Report of the CommilLoners of
143V1i inquiry. was defirous of being allowed the indulgence of
offeritg his fentiments to that Hon. Houfe ourthefe Reports.
After the letter was read, the Honourable Mr. ROBER r DUN.
Di'sq -nfe. and moved that the requeft contained in the letter be
admim d
1 he queftion was put from the Chair, and paired without the
Inft on)ofition•
The Ml' AKER then, according to the form ufual in fuck cafes,
rave order. to the Clerk, accompanied by the Mace, to go and ac.
Sit, lord Melville, who Wl* waiting in the lobby, that the
Houle had agreed to his requdt, and that be was at liberty to
come in.
The Noble Lord appeared within the Bar,when the Speaker in-
formed hint, that there was a chair prepared for him in which he
might repoie.
His Lcrdfhip fat down covered, a slew feet within the bar, on
the left hand of the Chair, and very near the place where the
Metter of the Rolla, and fcveral of the Law Weed% are aced-
toined to fit.
At this time the Houfe was aflonithingly crated-
ed, and the utrnofl filence prevailed. After a thou
paufe the Noble Lod role, and fpoke in fubflance as
follows :—" Sir, in the flotation in which I am be-
fore you this day, I mutt be fully aware, that I need
no mien-Anon aids of firmnefs and fortitude : any
man N.:fluid be impreffed viith the mere folemnity of
form ; but when it is noshing' ufual or common
that engages attention, he who is the objeit of peen-
rety, if not of undivided remark, cannot but be in-
duced to with, that in any cattle (bort of that of his
fame and honour, and of the charafter of his family,
he had never been brought before loch a tribunal.
—I have wilted for nothing foe much as for en-
quiry. liThatever was in my poser, I have exerted
to that end. I have not fucceeded. Every attempt I
have made at any explanation of my own conduit
has bton in vaio. by all the modes in my power, I
have attempted to lay my cafe before the nation and
the world. As I have not fucc:eded in my anxious
endeavours to obtain the full audience of my fubjeft
which the nature of my cafe demands, I am now,
Sir, to crate your attention, and that of the Com-
mons of the Empire, to the vindication of myfelf,
againli the cl6rge which the accufations I have al-
luded to embrace.. I can truly fay, I never more felt
the importance of any queflion than I do that of the ,
prefent. This is all very natural. My honour is on
the die ; my happinefs is involved ; my peace of mind,
now and for ever, is at flake. I can affure you, Sir,
that I deeply feel thefe things. I lament the occa-
lion for this fcrinus appeal to the confciences and an-
elertlandings of mankind ; but Handing on the t onßi-
tution, and enjoying the legal priiileges of Parlia-
ment, I am unappi ehenfive that the minute tediouf-
nefs of a juitification will at all impair the force of Tea-
fon, sir the authority of evidence. I will, therefore,
mow advert to the hi Rory of thofe proceedingson which
the Commons of the Empire will probably ptefently
be called to legiflate. When I teas firth called on, Sir,
for examination by the Commillioners of Naval In-
quiry, I was completely ignorant of the particular
fubjeas which they were deftrous to inveftigate; and
was at the fame time wholly unappriied, that all the
private accounts of Mr. Trotter, and the banking-
houfe of Mr. Coitus, were already in the poffeffion of
the Commiffioners. Of thefe accounts I was ttu-
quainted with one item, and had therefore no means
of affording that explanation which it appeared the
Commiflioners were anxious to acquire. i knew not
the exitlence of thefe accounts, I had never feed them,
nor did I ever fee them till I taw them in the Appen.
dix of the Tenth Report. When the Report did ap
pear I felt an immediate anxiety to have an oppor-
tunity of making tome explanations to the Comtnif-
floor s, for which, previous to the appearance of the
Rel'ort, I was totally incompetent. On the 28th
of March I did accordingly apply by letter to
the Commillioner%, earneffiv entreating to be again
examined on the fubjelt. What the precifc words of
this letter were, or in what terms the reply was couch-
ed, it is needlefs for me to (late, particularly, as they
are now both on the table of the Houfe. It is fuffici-
ent for me now to remind Gentlemen that the Com-
miffioners declined acceding to my requett, on the
ground that the Report was before Parliament, and
that it remained with their wlldnen to determipe what
further Reps should he taken in a matter of fuch
deep intact% and importance. Thus dilappointed
in my endeavours to have my conduel fully explain-
ed, I law the Refolutions of the Bth of April adopt-
ed, but it did not appear to me that tmy application
previous to that period could have been on my part
either regular or juftifiable. I could net be fuppofed
to be acquainted with the mode of proceedings to be
adopted, or the nature of the Refolutions to be pro-
porcd. It was, betides, impoffible for me to anticipate
*he vote of the Houfe, and contecpiently it was tint
Ira me to come forward till that vote was afcertained.
A Ittr the vote of the Bth of April, and the fable-
qu_ot Refolutior, fiat a Committee should be up
pointed to inquire fp:cially into the matters contain-
ed in the Tenth Report, 1 again felt anxiety to have
any conduit fubjeaed to a fall inveßigation. Diffi
citifies were however Rafted in that branch of the
Lcgiflature, to which I have now the honour to be-
long. I applied to their Lorithips In the moth earnett
manner that thefe difficulties thonld be difpenfed with
on this occafion. Their Lordthips, however, doubt-
lefs from the puma motives, and from the higheft
regard Ihr their own privileges, wouid not permit
my appearance before your Committee, except tin-
der filch reßriaions as would have wholly defeated
the Mita which I had in view, of fully clearing my
eondua from the unfounded charges which had been
caR againtt it. Under fuch terttls my examination
was nogatory, and therefore it did not take place.—
The Report of the Committee is now on your table,
an.l notice was given to found on it a motion whole