Star.
London, England, 1810-05-01 00:00:00

FROM LLOYD'S LIST.

GRAVISUID, APRIL So.—Sailed the Thomas Grenville, Pat-
terson, and the Cat marthen, Ross, for India ; the Sappho, Comp
ton, for Surinam ; the General Miranda, Wright, for Guacialoupe;
the Arundel, Tate, for Trinidad; the Hope, Collins, for Sa.
Croix ; and the Joseph, Moore, for Cadiz.
The Venus, --, from Livelpool to —, was lost the 30th
of January, on the Island of Rona.

The HELENA sloop of war has captured and brought
into the Cove of Cork, the Grand Napoleon French
privateer, after a chace of sixteen hours. -

COPT OF • LETTER •ODILESSID TO TILL PLINCZ OF BOUILLON
•LAII-ADMILAL or Tie WRIT'', AND COMMANDILIL-IN•Ctilii,
&C. &C. &C. JYRSIT.
" His Majesty's Cutter Surly, Grenville Bay, April 21.
" SIR-1 have the honour to inform you, that yesterday at noon
a sail was seen front the deck, standing along the enemy's coast;
on which the Firm, Sharpshooter, and Surly immediately slipped
in chnce; at four, perceiving us coming up fast, she run on shore
in the mouth of Pirou. It falling little wind, the boats were
n:anned and armed, and sent in to cut her out.---:1 be Firm being
the most advanced, her boats, commanded by Sub-lienteoant
Jos. I lodgkin, dashed alongside of Ler, under a heavy fire of mos-
quetry from the troops and crew of the cutter, and succeeded*
hearing her off. She proves to be l'Akide, French cutter pri-
vateer, pierced for six guns; acct front the number of melt that
were seen on the beach, conclude her crew to be thirty. Greg
praise is due to Sub-Lieutenant Joseph Hodgkin, Mr. Legras, 94
Master of the Sharpshooter, and the Boats' Crews, for their steady
perseverance and determined conoluet. The two former I beg
leave to recommend to your notice. lam sorry to add that we
had one man killed and one wounded in this little affair, which.
considering the number of troops opposed to them, was very few.
A list of Idled and wounded as per martin.
" I have the honour to be. &e. &e.
(Signed) " PATRICK WELCH, Lieut. and Coannaoder."
" FlRM—Matthew Robing, killed—John Crow, wounded."

BRITISH NAVY.—Its disposition up to this day, k
as follows :—At sea, ships of the line, 91; Fifties, &c.
14 ; Frigates, 124 ; Sloops, &c. 109; Bombs, Scc. 6;
Brigs, 199 ; Cutters, 24 ; Schooners, &c. 70 ; Total,
576; in commission, 833; Grand Total, including
those building, repairing, &c. 1113.
Wednesday morning, about four o'clock, the barn.
yard of Mr. ADAM GARDINER, at the Mill of Ban.
dirran, was discovered to be on fire, and a stack of
barley, and :mother of thatch, were totally consumed.
Providentially there was very little wind, otherwise
the whole premises would have been burnt ; none of
which were insured. There is reason to believe that
the fire was wilful.
A Return of the number of Persons, male or fe-
male, committed to the several Gaols in England and
Wales, for trial at the different Assizes, Great Ses-
sions, and Quarter Sessions, in the year 11108—and
the numbers severally convicted, and the cumbers
acquitted, or discharged upon Proclamation, or by
reason of no Bill being found against them ; and the
sentences of such as are convicted : and distinguish
ing also the number of those capitally convicted, who
have been executed--so far as the same can be made
out from the several Documents relative thereto in the
Office of the Secretary of State for the Home De-
partment.
11. k. kiwis.
Committed to the different Gaols, in ISO MIS WS
Convicted - . lit' 700
Acquitted - - - en ES
Discharged upon Proclamation—by reason of
no Bill being found against owns - 601 -01
Discharged—to serve in the Az..iy or Navy 11 '—
Sentences of such as were Convicted, viz.
Dead; - - . - as d
Transportation—for Life - - S
.....—.-....,-- Is years . - 31 6
7 years - - 3GI 106
Imprisonment—for 4 four years $ ---
Imprisonnzset, and severally to be kept to bard Wier
—for 3 porn - - - 6 --•
Whipped; Pilloried—ii years, and above
one year - 70 27
""""'""' ••••• IP 111Wi ; dlke geeraity—ooe years sod
above de ism& . Sie lei
"..m.".# ItIC Alga* Sqllii adayiar--8 months
--
NW Whir . •• • in 4"
.36
= is
i
sleben foot* oelopolt -

hi PORT.
ritOM VIZ ETC.
MITTEE ON THR PUBLIC, 1111:101111XTUR4
ETC. OF THE UNITED RINCAPOM.

ofFICE OF PAYMASTER OF MARINE ; AND AMA? Oa
ACCOUNTS.
it I.IIC CoMPlNittie appointee, ti examine and con-
s'cler what Regulations and Checks haie been estab-
ilshej, in order to controul the several branches of
ty, EipenditUre of Great Britain and Ireland;
and how far the same have been effectual ; and what
father measures can be adopted for reducing anp
hart of the said ExpenditUre, or diminishing the
Imodotof Salaries and Emoluments, without detri-
ment to the Public Service :--
Beinz informed that a considerable default had
been discoiiered in the Office of Paymaster of Maiihes;
hare directed their first inquiries to the nature of the
ren,liattons under which thatdepartment is conducted,
fit,, 3 view to ascertain whether those regulations are
lsufficient in themselves, or ill adapted to the service;
or whether there has been a culpable or negligent de.;
partnre fropm em.
The aymtha.ster, whose duty is confined to the
payment of the Marines while on shore, presents
'tonthly accounts to the Admiralty, stating his re-
ceipt and expenditure during the last month, and an
estimate of the probable demands upon him for the
current month, together with a statement of the ba-
lances rema;ning in his hands on the first and last
days of the preceding month ; in consequence of
which application, an order is forwarded to the Navy
Office accompanied by a copy of the monthly account,.
directing an imprest to be issued by the Treasurer of
the Navy, who is the general banker, as the Navy
Office is the general office of account for every branch
of Naval Service. A statement of the balances in
the Paymaster's hands, included in the monthly ae.
count, is transmitted with the order for each imptest
the Navy Office.
“ This statement of the balances in these monthly
accounts affords, in appearance, -a secure and con-
stant guard against any undue accumulation of money
the hands of the Paynuster ; but this appearance
delusive : for these accounts, being necessarily un-
accompanied with voucher% do not admit of any ef-
f!ctual check, until the delivery, at a subsequent pe-
riod, of the general annual account : the consequence
if which has been, that they have Unfortunately pro-
duced the effect of preventing, rather than forward-
* any useful examination into the real state of the
?Apia:oes balance, and seem to hate precluded all
suOcion, either at the Admiralty or Navy Office of
irnpr ;Per accumulation of money in his handL
qu the printed regulations and instructions rela-
ite,to the Royal Marine Payees while ofi shore, the
ninth article directs “ that the Paymaster is to
, Pg an account with the Commissioners of the Navy;
the end of every year he is to deliver a general
:punt of all money received and paid within that
f/me." If it was the duty of the Paymaster to pass,
itbecame the chity of the Commissioners of the Navy
to examine ; and your Committee cannot view with-
cut great dissatisfaction the delay which has prevailed
in the &livery of the general annual Accounts ; the
woof which will be noticed hereafter.

The practice of the Office with respect to the ac-
counts of the Paymaster of Marines appears to have
been this : The monthly accounts already alluded to,
which are transmitted by the Admiralty to the Navy
Office, receive no particular examination, and indeed
do not admit of being checked, as before stated, ex-
cept in the articles of imprests and balances brought
over from the preceding month but an examinaticn
of these items alone would obviously not ascertain the
correctness of the balance remaining.
“ The general annual Account, wnen delivered, is
examined with the Imprest Ledger on the one side,
and with the Accountant's Vouchers on the other, by
we or more of the Clerks in the Office of Bills and
!aunts: by them the balance stated by the Pap;
saner is confirmed or corrected. A statement is
thesmade out by the person who has examined the
lannt, of the disbursements only, detailing the na-
rte of them and of the 4ouchers, with observations
Say irregularity in either, on the authority under
rhich the payments were made, or on any other cir-
tenstance deserving notice. The statement so made
out by the examining Clerk should be checked by the
Chief Clerk, and is then submitted to the Committee
ofAccounts; and it is their duty, after due consider-
ation, to direct the sums disbursed and` properly
touched to be allowed towards clearing such Imprest
rnay be standing out against the Accountant. To
stint sum this Imprest may aniount, It not, however,
brought under the notice either of the Committee of
Accounts or of the Board.(unless specially called for)
the statement itself not containing the Imprests, or
the balance remaining ; and the original annual ac-
mn never undergoing their revision. And here
your Cotbmittee cannot but express their surprise, that
general practice of the Office should have sanc-
tioned so extraordinary mi omission in the statement
of any account, as that of the sum tiwing by thl Ac-
«untant to the public : and that in this particular in-
=lance the examining Clerks should not have deemed
it their duty to bring tinder the immediate notice 'of
!hat Criltlmitft?, ith article of such magnitude and
79"Trfnet. they trust this practice has been at.
'2lo,efeetually corrected by a minute of the Navy
Board, dated 17th January, 1810. In other re-
P ects, it appears to your Committee from the inspec-
, f m.ny of the statements which have been laid
before them, that the disbursements in the Paymaster's
it
"tom have received an attentive and accurate in-
"'Pion. And it further appears, from g docrt-
aciaeat produced by the Navy Board, that few of the
counts in the Office of Bills and Accounts are in
rrear,iinn re and none greatly so ; and that the balances
of them are so large as to excite suspicion.
?or' n he Honourable George Villiers was appointed
• aster of Marines b the Board of Admiralty,
9th March, 1792, and rye-appointed as Paymaster
and InsFector,9th May, 1803, with particular direc-
tions as to the mode in e sr
*h. h 1 .k department wait to
be conductedr
enjoining -him to make frequent visits
different divisions and stations of Marines,
1,11Z:1,0/ant or neglect of which great abuses had
His salary was raised by that warrant
"410, cle• tifclear o all deductions, with an allcwance
anda')3° for clerks, RI9O for house-rent, &c.
a further allowance for travelling expences ac-
tually incurred.
w" No examination as to the state of his accounts,
CiuhdichJe e.iin. ained unsettled for seven years a the pe-
vi ns re•appointMent, appears w have taken