Star.
London, England, 1809-04-15 00:00:00

. the land ; and when these papers should
be laid before the House, he was .confident that it
would clearly apFear there was no foundation for de-
nominating this transaction a job.
Sir OSWALD 11,10SELY said, that having ac
companied the Hon. Mover to vies the premises, to
which the motion alluded, he was enabled to confirm
his statement. The infirmary, which did not in fact
occupy one-tenth of the ground purchased, profes-
sedly for the use of the Hospital, would, he must
contend, be entirely precluded from the free air of
the river by the projected buildings of Col. Gordon,
who occupied the remainder of this ground. In fact,
CAonel Got don's was by tar the superior part of the
ground, and that upon w hich the Infirmary was built
appeared quite damp and cold, and it must be ren-
dered more so, if Colonel Gordon should be suffered
to proceed.
Mr. LONG observed, that there was a special pro-
vision in the 12ase grimed to Colonel Gordon, that
he should not build or plant in any way to inconve-
nience the intirn.ary. So that particular care was
taken to guard against such evil as the Hon. Baronet
had alled;;.ed to exist.
Mr. IHJSKISSON defended the grant objected
to by the Honourable Mover, who professed to have
so much judgment upon this subject, tint he seemed
to think it would have been more proper to consult
him upon the buildings alluded to, than thy. architects
or the physicians. To what had been sad with re-
spect to the comparative value of the two .ots of this
ground, he should only oppose the reports of the sur-
veyers, which reports were delivered in on oath. Ac-
cording to these reports the lot upon which the infir-
mary was erected, was valued as a permanent pur-
chase to the public at the sum of £(3:70:), while that
approin fated to Colonel Gordon was rated only at
i.:32 per annum, on a lease of 80 years. As to the
idea, that Chelsea Hospital should be so extended to
receive all pensioners, if such an idea existed in the
Hoo. Baronet's mind, he believed he was perfectly
singular in the sentiment. The I lon. Member ani-
madverted upon what he considered the high colour-
ing, which the Hon. Baronet gave to the possible in-
convenience to be suffered by the pensioners, as if
they were to be as ill off as a body of slaves upon the
middle passage, whereas no inconvenience whatever
was reasonably to be apprehended. But all the Ho-
nourable Baronet's statements would be fully refuted
by the production of the papers relative to the tran-
saction.

Sir JOHN NEWPORT asked how it came, if all
this Lind were originally granted by the Crown to
Chelsea, that when the lease expired it should revert
to the Crown, instead cf. becoming, as he conceived
it ought, the property of Chelsea Hospital or public
property.
Mr. HUSKISSON stated, that although Chelsea
Hospital was built on the Chelsea estate, the land
alluded to still continued as a part of the Crown
lands belonging to that estate ; and the fact was, that
the purchase of the unexpired lease of thi*land from
Lord Yarborough was not made from the public
pars 9, but from the produce of the rents of the Crown
lands.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
maintained, that the Honourable Baronet had no
ground for the observation, that it was in consequence
of the ignorance of his friends, relative to this trans-
action, that the Honourable Baronet was called upon
yesterday to give notice of this motion. For although
his Noble Friend (Castlereagh) was unacquainted
with .t, as he must be naturally supposed, having no
connection with it, still near the same explanation
had been given to the Honourable Baronet yesterday
uhich the House had heard to-day. But yet he was
happy that the notice was called for. He esteemed
that rule of proceeding, because it guarded the House,
or, at least, those who might be particularls, interes-
ted, against being taken by surprise ; but it did more
by apprising persons of an intended motion, those
likely to be affected by it, and particularly Ministers,
mean, might he taken to counteract statements which '
would otherwise go forward uncontradicted, to pro-
duce inflammatory impressions—the only object pos-
sible, in s-a-ne cases, of bringing them forward. The
Honourable Baronet was constantly jealous of people
in dice. Perhaps it was a very laudable jealousy,
and he did not mean to quarrel with it. But he could
rot help observing, that the Honourable Baronet
looked at every thing proceeding from Administra-
tion with a very prejudiced, jaundiced eye. If not,
bow could the Honourable Baronet designate this
transaction under discussion as a job ? How could
he think of inflaming tha public mind by such an
assertion, without having, as it appeared, taken any
trouble to inquire into the circumstances ? Why,
ithout such inquiry, endeavour to produce the im-
pression out of doors, that in order to gratify some
savoured individual, the poor sick pensioners were ex-
posed to inconvenience, as if there was no feeling
for the fate of these men but in the breast of the Ho-
nourable Baronet ? But let Gentlemen consider the
piain state of this case. It appeared that a lot of
ground was purchased for the use of the Infirmary,
at Chelsea. Upon this ground the Infirmary was
built, and a certain proportion of the ground remait -
in;, was unappropriated. This was the proportion
diTos of to Colonel Gordon. If such a disposition
had not. been made—if the remainder of this ground
Lad been left useless and unproductive—Low proba-
ble was it that, with the jaundiced eye of the Ho-
nourable Baronet directed towards all Ministerial
measures, he would have come down to that House
to complain, that Ministers—that those who, in his
opinion, forfeited all public confidence, by endeavour-
ing to serve the public in office, were such improvi-
dent stewards of the public property, that they had
left a certain portion of lend utterly useless and un- '
occupied, which might have been let on good terms ?
Thar, hear ! on the Ministerial flenches.) But in
all future dispositions of Crown la"nds, the Hon. Da-
' ronet, he supposed, would rather that Ministers should
consult him, than the Surveyors appointed by law.
To this idea, however, with all respect to the lion.
Baronet's judgment in such matters, he could not
accede. The Right Hon. Gentleman concluded
ith expressing his confidence, that when the papers
moved for were produced they would scree to refute
all the aspersions which the honourable Baronet had
thought proper to fling out against his Majesty's Mi-
nisters.

General TARLETON thought the Flora:twat)le
Baronet entitled to the highest thanks for calling the
attention of the Houltew this subject. Any :tttenipt
R, diminish the convimience, or even to ir.tt:rfete uith

who value 3 1

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