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

t c * P

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 1805.

objeft was to attack me with Rill greater violence Imo urageihetn- to: pt ofeeute his enquiries.; atatl in
than any other nieafure had hitherto evinced. Once framing the Ads which I had the honour to Wag
more I ufed my endeavours to be permitted to defend forward, for . bettering the condition of feamen, or
myfelf without referve againft the charges of which their furviving relatives, it is but ir •yu ice to fay, that
I know myfelf to be innocent, but again have I been his diligence and seal afforded me the mat *Oahul
refirifted as to the points on which twin to addicts &Mance. On Mr. Douglas's retiring from the cf-
the Houfe of Parliament. Agaioft ,no part of the fice, I thought it expedient to appoint Mr. Trotter
Refulutions already palled againft sat, BM 1 to be al- to the office of Paymafler, and at the fame time I
lowed to enter into any direft defence, and however gave,him power to at in feveral inferior Cervices, to
it is the carnal defire of my heart to meet the charges which my other avocations rendered it impoffible for
which thofe Refolutionetontain, I muff, in proper re- me. to attend. As to his general conduit in the office,
fpat to that body to which I belong, conform inyfelf I mull in jai= allow, that it was not only irre-
to the limitations. which they have prefcribed. Such, proachable, but highly meritorious. to a courft of
then, is generally the 4tuation in which lam placed, fourteen years, not one tingle ianance occurred of
when addreffing you on a fubjeft which to meat Lest any payments being for a moment improperly delay
is of the deepest intereft. Though I am, however, ed, and of a hundred and thirty-four millions that
thus reltriaed, I truft tor your indulgence while I palled through his hands, not even the tmalleft Cum
make a few obforrvations on one or two of the Refo- was loft to the public. /n (peaking of the fums
lotions of the Bth of April,. chiefly with the view of which, in the courfe of tbefe fourteen years, were
(hewing that I fully onderftand, and am not willing rumored to be improperly applied, I again feel my-
to mifreprefent their tendency and fpirit. Without' Pelf fettered by the limitations to which I have alio-
any further preliminary difenffion, I (hail go on to ded at the opening of the obfervations which I have
make a few obfervations on thole refolutions in which now the honour to addrefs to you. I may Rate, ge-
my Oldie conduit, as Treafurer of the Navy, is nerally, however, that on no occafion did I
fpecifically attacked. On the firft refolutions, it is ever grant Mr. Trotter power to ilraw out any part
not my intention now to take up your time, aitthey of the public money for the purpofes of private emo-
do not contain much that is very intimately conned- lament, and that in no inftance were drafts from the
ed with the rubjea in which the atientioo,of Podia- Bank obtained, except on thole terms which the
menu is now particularly engaged. On the tooth and law bad prefcribed. If any man means to infintutte
lith refolutions, it is impoffible for me not to make that during my Treafurerlhip Mr. Trotter was in-
a few obfervations. Let me call the attention of the vefled with a difcretionary power of applying the pub-
Houfe to the firft of thefe Refolutions to which I lic money, he alerts what is contrary to fat, and I
have alluded : defy him to produce a Engle grain of teftimony to
so Mat Alexander Trotter, Efq. the Payrtudter of the Navy, eftablith such a portion. If, however, it is, on the,
was the perfon, by whom, or in WilaC name the Public Money contrary, meant to he infinuated, that fums of
was thus employed, and that in fo doing he aged with the know- -
ledge and conknt of Lord V. Melville, to whom he was at the the public money, applicable toparticular a ffignments,
fame time private agent, and for while life or benefit he occafion- may not be drawn our agreeably to the Aft of Par-
Ay laid out from so to sopece. without eonfidering whether-be liament, without fpecifying the individuals to whom
was prerioully in advance to his Llordlhip, and whether fuels ad- filch turns are to be paid, then 1 certainty limit contend
vances were made fronshispOblic or private balances.
This, to be lure, does not neceffarilf apply to me ; againft any filch doetrine. as not being at all deduci-
but let the Houfe look to the Refolution that follows, ble from she fpirit and meaning of the Aft. lam
aware, Sir, that it has been anted of me, whether, in
and they will fee that the direft charge is made againn
me, acnot only having connived at but participated the year 1786, after the paling of the Aft in queftion,
I did not authorize Mr.
with Mr. Trotter in the ihiproper application of pub. Trotter to draw certain fums
lie money, for the puresof private emolument from the Bank and to place theM in the hands of a
au-
:[. That rise Right Hon. Vircount ftlelvWe having bee„ private bank? Ido not deny having given fuch au-
gegiyailo, and connived at the withthawing frau the Bank thority, but add, that loch drafts as thofe which ,
el, for purpofes of private intcrett or emolument, fums I then authorized are effential flw the convenience of
Med to hint as Tit-ewer of the Navy, and placed to hid Account the public fervice . . when the money was politively
in the Bank, according to the provinces of the 15th of Geo. 111.
chap. 3s. has hce„ sulky of a ings yiniatke if the imam high wanted; when the heads of fervice were properly
beach of duty. , fpecified, when the Paymattet was competently au.
The lath and teth Refolutions are of a fimilar na- thorized to draw the money, and no fort_of incon ve-
lure ; and theft Refolutions have been diffeminated nience took place. Such being the conftant underhand-
in every part of the kihgdora, under the (acred autho- ing of what the convenience of the fervice required,
city of this Houfe ; and.the impreffion which they are lam aftonifhed at the conftruition which has been
/calculated to make to my prejudice is fuch as heed put on my conduit for allowing what was only meant'
not now be peculiarly infifted on. I with to Rate for the greater facility of bqfintrs. Even the Com-
then, in the molt esplicit terms, that, whether in this miffioners themfelves are not ignorant of the exiltence
place, or in any other offembly in the kingdom, if of fuch affignments as 1 have been alluding to. They
loch charges were brought forward in my hearing, admit their exiftence in the Tenth Report, but they
I fhould feel it my duty to repel them:in the ftrongett dopint, while they notice them, make them a ground
terms, as equally unfounded and malignant. They of charge as at all irregular or unneceffary. Thole
are equally hoßile to troth and to juitice. They are who contended. that the money was indifcriminately
in every pal-dollar, in every confideration of the Cub- drawn oqt Of the Bank for the purpofes of private
jeft, completely erroneous. If I were anted, whether emolument, maintained, therefore, what nothing in
I ever knew that. Mr. Trotter employed naval money the (laments of the Report at all tended to corm.
for purchafing Exchequer Bills ? I fhould unqualicm- borate. But, really, when fo much ftrefs was laid On
ably fay, never. If I were called on to declare, whe- the terms on which the money was drawn from the
Cher I ever had any knowledge of his lending the public Bank, the meaning of the Aft did not feem.to be pro-
money to purchafe Stock ? I thould anfwer explicitly, perly underftood. Moll people talked of the Aft as
never. If I were required to Rate, whether I ever a general digeft of all the duties of the Treafurer of
connived at his difcounting Private
.13ills with the the Navy. This was, however, quite an erroneous
i Public Money, or employing tin the purchafe of Eaft t view of the fubjea. This was not by any means the
India or Bank Stock? My anfwer would Rill be.the 01.400 f thofe who brought in the Aft, or of thofe
fame, never. On every one of thefe points, lam free by whom it was paired. The great objeft of the Bill
to declate, that I can difelaim all knowledge of any was to make the account of the Treafurer of the Na-
foul employment of the ptiblic money, and theitfore vy official, and not perfonal. It was defigned too to
to the firs part of the charge, which stecuret me of put an end to thofe large balances which formerly
having connived at Mr. Trotter's improper applies,- remained in the bands of the treafurer, and continued
tion of the public money, my anfwer is conclufive. unaccounted for long after his retirement from power.
I cannot, however, leave this part of the difcuffion The whole of the Aft was comprised in twelve (hurt
without alluding to another part of the charge, which claufes, and lam Lure no one can ever imagine that
fixes on me the ignominy of having participated in in loch fleort enmpati it was meant to lay down all
the illegal profits derived from the improper applies. that the details of the important office of treafurer of
don of the public money. From the Refolutions cif the na involved.l begleave to call the attention
the Bth of April, fuch a fuppofition may be eafily ad- of the Houfe to the difference which there is betwixt
duced, and I lament before (uch an idea was even for this Aft and the Aft for.the Regulation of the Office
a moment encourard, that Mr. Trotter, had not of Paymafler of the Army. In this loft Aft there
been more fully interrogated, for lam confident that were many minute details, and the whole bufinefs
his examination would have fully cleared my chem. was fpecifically arranged under diftina heads. AU
ter from all idea of fo foul a charge. if Mr. Trotter difcretion on the part of the Paymafler was indeed
had been called on to declare whether ' I ever had, totally removed.—This was not, however, the cafe
direaly or indireftly, participated in any fuch profits, with the Paymatier of the Navy, who was Rill a-
ids anftver would haie been of the molt unambiguous lowed to retain that degree of difcretion, without
' kind, and would have put to tea the fufpicion for which, the bufinefs of the Navy might often fuflain
ever. Having then a declaration from thofe two per many (trims inconveniencies.—The Treafurer of
font, alone competent to give evidence on the fubjea, the Navy, doubtlers, incurred a high refponfibility,
that no fuch participation ever took plate I cannot but without that degree of difcretion to which the
fee on what grounds of argument, of re:Con, or of, raponfibility attached, the office could no longer be
jußice, fuch a charge fhould be repeated, or that it ' efficient. There were in the Navy Office a number
fhould gain the (mallet degree of credit. The exit- of payments that could not be made by alignments;
lence of any connivance or participation on my part, if it were in all cafes requifite that the names of
I therefore, do mat ftrenuoufly deny, and I call oh 'the particular individuals to whom the toms fo
any man in this Houfe, or in this country, to thew me aligned were to be paid, the utmoft degree of embsi-
a tingle tittle of evidence. But, Sir, a great deal has rafiment would neceffarily enfue. I could put the
been Paid of the intimate conneftion between Mr. Houfe in poffeMon of many inftances of the impoffi.
Trotter and me in pecuniary concerns, and hence an bility of fuch a fpecification. In November tat there•
argument has been attempted to be railed that the were claims for fibres to the amount of 60001. and
participation of the profits mat have been a matter upwards, all in furs of different amount. Some as
of neceffity. On this fubjeft there has been fo much high as three or four hundred pounds, and others
exaggeration of Ratement, fo much prejudice, and in- much below twenty pounds. There were at the fame
deed fo much falfehood lately before the public, that it time (hips claims to the extent of fax thoufand eight
is the more neceffary for nee to Rate fficwily to the hundred pounds, where the Cum in feveral cafes was
Houfe, what was the nature and extent of this con- as low as one pound ten (billings. It is needlefs for
neftion, which has formed loch a copious ground me then to infill on the endlefs embarrafrment of pay •
of fcurrilous abufe. When my contieflion with the, ing then fours in any other way than by alignments
Navy Office firft commenced, I found Mr. 'Prater a to a confiderable amount. It certainly was much
Clerk in Somerfet Hotife, and my firft introduftion more convenient then that the money should be
was through his conneftion with Sir Gilbert Elliott lodged in a private bank, where it was perfeftly fi-
end Ivlr.Coutts. Ilion difcoveredthathe was remark- cure, and at a convenient diftaoce from the office,
able for his diligence and ability in his butinet4. He than to be under the neceffity of fending to.the Bank
was fill recommended to my notice by the clear Rate- for partial and trifling payments. The Ail of Par-
menu which he prerented to me of the claims of Ika- Hamm lays nothing at all on thefubjea of drifts as
men, as well as the relatives of thole who bad Cal- being an illegal mode of transferring the money from
len bravely in the fervice of their country. My at- the Bank. On the contrary, as loon as the affign-
tendon was then direfted to the improvement of the menu are made by the different Boards to the Trea-
fituation c,f fo valuable a chars of the community. I Curer of the Navy for parts of' the public (=vice, the