Star.
London, England, 1806-02-11 00:00:00

tINCLAIMWD DIVIDINDS.

A Ferran franc tau Bank prLfeuud an uttoaut of the Unclaimed
Elleiddikda due un the loth • I OduLrr, I Xoa, and unpaid on the
s}d at Much, t 1ic5....-Ordered to Lk ou the Table.

LuIRD DIFLVILLI%

Mr. WHITBREAD role, in purfeanee of his no-
tice n Friday kit, to move for leave to bring in a
13.11 to indemnify all fuch perfons as fhould be requi-
red to g ve evidence on the Impeachment of Lord
Melvi.le, and who had feryed under hits at any time
in the Navy Pay Office. He would Rate the regions
briefly which obliged him to orig.aate this meafure
this year, thungh ll.: was AWI:e that they mull, in
force degree, be its the recollection of the Houle.—
&vete' lawyers had given it as their opinion, that
any ~f the queflioos which Mr. Trotter might be
„maned to anfwer, might, if anfwered, fairly 'apple
biltilf to the dangers of inaccution. In order to
obviate this difh‘uity, s. Bill was left year brought
in le indemnity Mr. Tat-ate-. and Inch perfons as
thould be required to gibe avidsuce in the cafe of

Lord Melville, againft the ennfequenees of any erl-
minal profeention. The Honourable Baronet o'er
the way (Sir William Elford) had then moved that
the indemnity fhould extend to civil as well as di
mina{ profecutions, in order to have the witorffes
free from any bias whatever. This propofition of
his had been agreed to, and the Bill, thus amended,
fent to the Lords. Some difficulties had arifen in
the Lords upon the fubjea, in confequence of which
the indemnity, as to civil fuits, had been (truck out,
and the Bill pallid in this dare ; the yieflion, how-
ever, terpeeing there civil fuits had been referred to
the Judges, who were direeled to give their opinions
within three weeks. The Bill had been rejeaed in
the Commons, in confequence of the Lords' Amend-
ments, and he had brought in another, extending to
criminal profeculion only, which had paired, and re-
ceived the royal feneth.o. In the mean time the
three weeks had expired, and the Judges had given
no opinion ; and miw, irr fad, there was no quaint]
before them. In confequence of different events
which had I.tely taken place, he had refrained from
coming to the Houle fooner upon this bulinefs—but,
however, as this delay bad taken place, he mull beg
that the Bill might be carried forward with all pal.
ble (peed, that it might be carried to the other Houle
and that the opinions of the Judges might be taken,
before they proceeded on the circuit. This was the
more requifite, as every thing that had come under
their obfervation proved that the evidence of Trotter
was indifpenfably necelfary. It might be proper to
fay a few words relative to the fituation in which the
Committee Rood. They had proceeded in the talk
aligned them with fcarcely the intermiffion of a
day ; but it would be recolleaed that they had been
obliged to carry on a long and laborious invelliga.
don of a number of voluminous documents, public
and private, and to feareh them very minutely, in
order to ellablifh the articles which they had already
preferred ; and that they had been under the necef-
fity of examining a variety of witneffes, mauyof them
from dißant parts of the ifland, efpecially from the
North. He hoped, however, that the Committee
would boon be erabled to complete the bufinefs, as
far as the Houle had hitherto proceeded. He
thought it right to Rate, that it was intended to Re-
lent a fpecial Report to the Houle, refpeaing certain
circumfiances that had come to their knowledge
fence they had entered upon their labours as a Com
mittee, with a view to lay the foundation for a frelh
at tide or hells ankles, of impeachment againft Lord
Melville. This, he Paid, in order to give the Houle
all proper information refpeaing their proceedings,
and to prevent any perfon from flying hereafter that
he was taken by furprize. At the fame time, though
the grounds of the Report were fettled, and the Re.
port nfelf altuoß ready to be prefented, it was Rill
thought proper to withhold it till Mr. Trotter could
be examined. He concluded by moving for leave to
bring in a Bill to indemnify all pet lons at any time
ferving in the Navy Pay Office, under Lord Melville,
who &void give evidence on the impeachment voted
by the Commons of the United Kingdom againll
that Noble Lord, from the confequenees of any civil
fuits to which they might otherwife be liable, owing
to any tranfateions in which they themfelves might
have been engaged, during their fervice in the laid
office.
Sir W. ELFORD obferved, that the ohjea of the
Bill now moved for, teemed to be exactly the fame
with that which he had thought necefEtry to fuggett
lan year. His view was to render the witneffes free
from all bias whatever, either on one fide or the
other, and this, in bis opinion, was not to be effected
without removing all fear of a liability to any clan- I
ger from any thing they might ditclofe, either by I
a criminal profecution or a civil full. Being of this
opinion, he had, of courfe, fiiggeßed the amendment
which had been carried in this -nonce. The Judges
had certainly given no opinion, and in fall had re-
futed to give an opinion on a queltion put to them
on loch a broad hafts. But, however, he hoped, that
the witneifes !Mold be free from all bias, fo that
every chance of jullice might remain both for the
andthe public. With this view, he could have
no objeeion to the Bill being brought in, and as the
principle had already been recognized by the Houle,
he law no reafon why it fhould not be fuffered to
proceed with all the requilite difpatch. The quellion
was then put, and leave given.
Meffrs. Whitbread, Giles, atc. were ordered to pre.
pare and bring in the fame.
Mr. WHITBREAD then brought in the Bill,
which was read a firft and fecond time, committed,
reported, and ordered to be read a third tittle to-
morrow:

♦NNUITY BILLS.
The Annuity Bills for Lady Nelfon, Lord Collinprood, Mid
Sir Richert! Strachan were cornisitttetL.—Report to-morrow.

TAX B.

Mr. VANSITTART moved, That an Account Mould be laid
before the Houfe of the Nut Produce of the Permanent and War
Taxes, from tAtc sib of January, 11105, to the sth of Januars.ll3o6.
—Ordered.