Star.
London, England, 1810-03-10 00:00:00

EAST INDIA JURISDICTION.

The SPEAKER acquainted the House, that the Clerk had
prepared and laid on the table a List of the Members who had
delivered in Lists for information of the Committee of East In-
dia Jurisdiction.
Mr. BATHURST moved for Copies of Letters of Sir Lucas
Pepys to the Secretary at War, respecting the state of the health
of his Majesty's troops on the island of Walcheren, with copies of
any reports made thereon.—Ordered.
Mr. LUSHINGTON presented the Bahama Islands, Ameri-
can Salt Importation Bill, the Sugar Bounty and Drawback Bill,
the Customs Fraud Prevention Bill, and the Greenlapd Whale
Fishery Bill ; all read the first time, and ordered for their second
readings on Monday next.
On the motion of Mr. ROSE, the House resolved into a Com-
mittee, to take into consideration the expediency of continuing
the Foreign Corn and Provision Importation Bill.
Resolved, That it is expedient to continue the said Act, and
that the Chairman be directed to ask leave to bring in a bill ac-
cordingly.

FOREIGN SLAVE TRADE.
Mr. BROUGHAM gave notice of a motion on Monday, for
certain documents, to shew what steps had been taken by his
Majesty's Government in their interference with foreign powers,
for carrying into effect the Resolution passed by the House in
1806, for Abolishing the African 'lave Trade. He did not in-
tend this motion for any purpose of embarrassingMioisters, who,
he was confident, would be rea-iy to procuce the documents in
question.
Ordered, on the motion of Sir JOHN NEWPORT, that there
be laid before the House an account of the expenditure of all the
sums granted by Parliament for forming an Artillery Depot and
Magazine at Ballincolly, &c.

ADMIRALTY COURT.
Lord COCHRANE, pursuant to his notice on a
former day, rose to move for some additional papers
from the Admiralty Court, respecting certain Dutch
and Prussian ships, detained and sent in by his Ma
jesty's cruizers, and since condemned as prizes ; and
which the papers recently moved for by the Officers
of that Court rendered necessary to support his for-
mer statement. His Lordship pledged himself, if
these papers were granted, and he hoped there could
be no objection to their production, to prove the
enormous abuses which existed in the proceedings of
the Admiralty Court, and the exorbitant fees deman-
ded by their officers, which often amounted to the
greater part of the proceeds of prize vessels, and,
which added to the expences of suit, and the delays
attendant thereon, rendered it scarcely worn, the
while of the captors to take prizes. The Noble
Lord went into a variety of statements to sustain his
assertions, and concluded by moving for the papers.
Sir JOHN NICHOL denied that the statement of
the Noble Lord was correct ; and deprecated such
charges against the conduct of the Court of Admi-
ralty, until the documents were before the House up-
on which they were alledged to be grounded. The
documents which he had himself moved for, in :on-
sequence of the statement of the Noble. Lord, on a
former night, went to a complete refutation of that
statement ; and he therefore hoped the Noble Lord
would not persist in this species of unfounded impu-
ti.tion, tending to cast unmerited censure upon the
character and proceedings of a Court, whose jurisdic-
tion was highly respected in America, and in every
nation of Europe. If any Proctor of that Court had
acted improperly, or any agent fraudulently or cor-
ruptly, or even if the King's Advocate gave injudi-
cious advice, how could the Court of Admiralty be
responsible ?
Sir C. POLE supported the motion, and commen-
ted upon the enormous charges of the King's Proctors.
Mr. ROSE defended the charges of the Proctors,
and the general conduct of tilt Court of Admiralty.
The character of the Judge, 'who presided there, was
too well known to need any panegyric : it was as re-
spectable abroad as it was creditable to the country
which employed him ; and he was particularly in-
formed by a friend who had lately returned from
America, that amid all our jars and animosities with
that country, the name of Sir William Scott was
held in the greatest veneration. (Hear, hear.) With
respect to the complaints which were daily urged, he
declared his intentv n of bringing every disputed point
which came within his notice, before the Court of Ad-
miralty, and either obtain redress for the aggrieved,
or shew the Navy, by a thorough investigation, that
such complaints were utterly unfounded.
Lord COCHRANE shortly replied, and stated
the increase of revenue which accrued to France from
duties arising from ships leaving her ports.
Sir WILLIAM SCOTT desired the motion
might be read, which having been done accordingly,
he proceeded. The Noble Lord (he said) who had
brought this motion forward had assumed great cre-
dit to himself, for having at the end of the last Ses-
sion given a notice tending to detract from the cha-
racter of the Court over which be had the honour to
preside. The accusation was brought forward when
there was no possibility of a defence, and thus al-
lowed to impend for many months over the head of
the Court, which couL; not demand its trial, and of
course could not ward off a most painful and depre-
ciating suspicion. This was a mode of proceeding
which could not be sufficiently deprecated, nor too
severely reproved ; it was placing a man in the situ-
ation of a supposed culprit, in whom every guilt was
likely to be presumed, and from whose society every
ihuocent man was ready to fly—abandoned by socie-
ty, cut off, end in a manner excommunicated, he
might in the end appear completely guiltless, and
prove by' his acquittal that his only m►sfortune was
not being allowed in time an opportunity of defence.
(Hear, hear.) Notwithstanding the cruelty of this,
many men were to be found anxious to bring forward
an unfounded accusation, and the world in general
was but too prone to its reception. He deplored the
custom, and deprecated its continuance, and he did

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so the morreatnestly, feeling acutely its injustice iii
Ifs own case. It was not until now that he had an
opportunity of defence—now, after tie charge had
been held over him for such a length of time, washe
allowed, or enabled-to stand forward openly in justi-
i cation of principles,than which nothing could be more
pu:e, and in defence of conduct, than which nothin
could be more correct. Vileabusehad been cast on him;
most unwarrantable aspersions advanced, and it was
only now that he had an opportunity of facing hi
accuser, and confuting his unmanly and unmanner-
ly attacks. (Order, Order !) He begged pardon of ,
the House for the warmth into which he had been be-
trayed, but hoped they would consider his prcivoca-,
tion as his excuse. (Hear, hear.) Now, however,
that the charges were at issue, he could only say that!
they were not true ; and even if they were, could by
no means effect the object for which they were ad-
vanced. They went to accuse agents in the Court of
Admiralty, and to visit upon the Court itseif the
punisliment of practices s.which might never
_have
came to its knowledge. Because the Proctors, or '
the inferior officers in the. Court were in error (~upp-
osing it true), was that a reason why the Court
should be censured ? was any man to be made re-
sponsible for that which was not his own act ? Where
could a more unjust doctrine be advanced ? pie . ad-
mitted, indeed, if the Prdctors had, been guilty, and
that evidence of their guilt had been
.brought before
the Court and slighted, then there would exist good
ground of complaint and censure upon the Cssfirt ;
but when the impropriety of its inferior officers was
totally unknown to the Court, when no comp
had been made, nor any evidence adduced tending
to their accusation, or the information of the Court, .
could any thing be more unjust than to censure the
Court for not preventing that which it could not tore
see, or not punishing that which it was impossible for
it to have known ? (Hear, hear!) This was a posi-
tion than which, it would be imagined, nothing
could be more plain ; but than which, judging by
i•the conduct of the. Noble Lord, nothing could be
more obscure. Nothing could dispel the prejudice
or allay the passion of. the Noble Lord ; so manifest
was it, that even his colleague, unfriendly as he was
to the Court, condemned his want of moderation—a
want too apparent even for his hostility to overlook.
ff, indeed, there was the least candour in, the NOble
Lord's proceedings, what could incloce.hirn to coun-
tenance the declaration, that there was no truth to be
expected from the Court ? What charge was :there
ever proved to warrant such an assertion ?• • Even al-
lowing
the utmost that could be demanded, what- I
had the errors of the Advocate Getrefal, or the I
King's Proctor, to do with the conduct of the. Court?
These were no more connected with its proceedings,
or identified with its measures, than were the Solici-
tor General or the Attorney General with the Court
of King's Bench.—(Hear !)—lf ;hey committed er-
ror, made an undue agreement with their clients, or
committed any clandestine act, how could they be
censured by the Court, unless such error was com-
plained of to it ? Prove such proceeding once to have
been known to the Court, and neglected, *and then
with justice you may proceed,oto its condemnation ; •
but you cannot condemn it for that of which it was•
and must have been ignorant. -Equally unfounded
with respect to the Court was the - Charge as to the
alteration of the warrant ; this if trite, might have
been fin- the benefit of the captors; butt wheeler ,
true or false, just or flagitious, it *as tiot- titona to
the Court, and therefore cofild not foirm any cEarge
against it. Was it right, however, to make such
charges as had been made the basis of a complaint tp
that House ? Were they to be occupied in Canvassing
officers' bills ( Heat, hear.)' Nothing surely could be
ttlfling more with their 'attention than such conduct.
If indeed any grave and serious charge could be substan-
tiated against him, he was ready to meet the penalty.
Let him, iftehad failed in his duty, if he had been guilty
of any dereliction, " if trembling he inhibit" let him
be visited with every vengeance—let the thunders of
that House be launched against him just as freely as
had been the Noble Lords abuse. As to the other
charge—as to what had been idly and stupidly called
"the monopoly of the King's Proctor, it partook of
the deficiency of all the other charges ; it by no
' means inculpated the Conn—(hear.) With respect
to the production of all the Records of the Court, lie
would put it to the sense of the Noble Lord, (And for
his talents, however associated, he professed the
highest respect,) whether this was possible—whether
it was even fair, to demand that a mass of papers of
fifteen years' compilation, beyond even the computa-
tion of figures, should be suddenly produced ? If any
distinct papers were called for, which could be found
without difficulty, and on which the liable Lord fan-
cied he could found any case, he was :ere he should
be the last man to refuse them. The present motion
he should not oppose ; though even if the supposition
upon which it was made, was proved—even if it was
made manifest that the King's Proctor had over-
charged, that no more concerned the Court of Ad-
miralty, than dist the extortion of one of its Attorhies,
the Court of Common Pleas or King's Bench. . Un-
less the Bills of such persons were laid distinetiv be-
fore their respective -Courts for revision, andfi.new
glected by them, no charge could possibly lie agathsts
the Court. He was very far from arrogatinrany
peculiar respect for himself, or tor the Court over Which
he presided, but there were some prudential cohsi-
derations which he wished to submit to the Noble
Lord, and to the HouSl, if he thought proper not to
entertain them. The Courts of Justice of the coun-
try were solemn institutions, meant for the protection
of the subject, and the promulgation .of the laws ;in
their support the nation was highly interested, and
1
the preservation of their dignity shoul.l be its most
serious object. (Hear, hear!) If this was not pre-,
served—if they were suffered to be assailed by vague
abuse, and illiberal aspersions—if a system of attack,
which brought forward no direct charge, but which
• grounded its hope of success, notion its justice but its
perseverance, non vi .red se) e cadendo, was to be coun-
-1 tenanced, then the subject was insecure, because.the
administration of the laws would be impossible. If
. those observations applied to every Court; they did
Iso particularly to the Court of Admiralty—a Court
, whose adjudication was impeded by many dialculties,
which had to defend the various maritime rights of
a great maritime country, against the constant and
encroaching claims of neutrals.—(l-lear, hear.) He
hoped this consideration would weigh with the Noble
Lord ; he wished particularly to enforce it upon him,
as this was the first attack with which he had ho-
noured him. To his Honourable Colleague, indeed,