Star.
London, England, 1810-03-06 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

Sir WILLIAM CURrlSAibtained leave to bring in a Bill for
enabling certain persons to purchase ground in the City of Lon-
don, to build a public fend and stock market.
A new writ was ordered to be issued for the election of a Bur-
gess for New Windsor, in the room of RICHARD RAbIiBOTTOM,
Esq„ who has accepted the Chiltern Hundreds.
Leave was given to bring in a Bill for the erection of new
docks on the South side of the River Thames, near Rotherhithe,
and a Committee appointed to prepare the same.
The Sheriffs of London presented at the Bar a petition against
the said purpose; which was referred to the Committee for pre-
paring the Bill.
Mr. H. MARTIN moved, that there be laid before the House
an account of the Incomes and emoluments received by persons an
the Custom House, from the year 1797 down to the present pe-
riod, specifying the sources from whence such incomes or emolu-
ments were &rived, together with an account of the disbursement
during that period in the same Deratment.
An account was ordered to be presented to the House of the
quantity of Sugar Wash made during the last year, together with
an account of the Spirits distilled therefrom.
The Committee on the Embezzlement Bill, on the Motion of
Sir JOHN NEWPCfRT, was postponed to Tuesday se'nnight.
Mr. HARVEY moved the second reading of the
Bill for erecting a house for the accommodation of
the Judges of Assize at Chelmsford, when there on
circuit. In support of the Bill, the Honourable Mem-
ber stated, that there was now no house in Chelmsford
whereat the Judges, when on circuit, could procure
suitable or commodious lodgings ; the house wherein
they were usually accommodated heretofore,- being
occupied by the Military Commander of the District.
The people of Chelmsford apprehended. that the
want of proper accommodation hi this respect would
induce the. Judges to transfer their Court in.future to
Colchester, or some other town in the county, to the
great injury of Chelmsford, and the great inconveni-1
ence of Gentlemen from distant parts of the county
obliged to attend the Assizes. The erection, he said,
would cost the county but £2OOO, exclusive of furni-
ture. The expence would be trivial when assessed
upon the whole county ; and besides, in order as much
as possible to ease the expence, it was intended to let
the house during the vacations between the Assizes,
and also to devote towards it the money annually al-
lowed by Government to the Sheriffs for providing
lodgings for the Judges.

ADJOURNED DEBATE.
ON MR. WHITBREAD'S RESOLUTIONS.
Mr. WHITBREAD rose, and moved the Order
of the day, for resuming the debate, adjourned from
Friday last, urron the Resolutions he had moved
touching the testimony of Lord Chatham.
The motion was put from the chair, and the de-
bate resumed.
Mr. WHITBREAD said, that as he had troubled
the House with a few words introductory to those
Resolutions, previous to the adjournment on Friday
night, he should not now tresisiss further on their at-
tention, but reserve himself for the opportunity
usually allowed by the House, should he feel it ne-
cessary to reply to any thing which might fall from
other Gentlemen in the course of this night's debate.
General CRAUFURD, disclaiming all party con-
siderations on this question, said, the Noble Earl was
accused of having delivered to his Majesty on the 15th
January a Narrative of his proceedings upon the late
expedition to the Scheldt, without having previously
communicated with his colleagues. The Noble Earl
had disavowed the intention that any opinion he had
ever given should cast the most distant shade of cen-
sure uponthe character or conduct of the tall int Ad-
miral, who was his naval cclleague on that expedition.
The Narrative was a plain and simple statement of
the grounds for his defence, should inquiry be
thought necessary ; but whether he was right or
wrong in delivering that paper (and the Honourable
:General was willing to admit it might be an error),
.ye: most confident he felt that he never was actuated
in this instance, in the slightest degree, by the mo-
tives ascribed to him. The Noble Lord considered
the paper as applying merely to his own conduct, and
nothing else whatsoever. But such an intention as
that of poisoning the King's mind against a gallant
'brother officer never, in the slightest degree, occurred
to his mind. If the Noble Earl had incurred blame
'hy making this communication to hi , Majesty, with-
' out the consent of his colleagues, he trusted that the
IHOuse, under the circumstances, would consider it a
venial error. He foresaw that some. inquiry would
take place. He knew the moment the paper was in
'an official form, it would be deemed a public docu-
ment ; and, as such, would be called for. He wished
it to remain private for a short time, and not to offer
it officially before it became necessary to his defence.
Although he had delivered it to his Majesty on the
15th of January, it was
,not made a public document
until the 14th of February ; because then the Noble
Earl was aware he should be put on his defence :
and, therefore, when the Noble Earl stated in his
testimony that he had not delivered his Narrative
until the 14th of February, he meant that it did not
becoma till then ar official document ; and therefore
he could not refer to it as a public document before
that date, as he had given it in the first instance
Merely as a private communication ; and to divulge
that circumstance would not have been consistent
with his oath as a Priv; Councillor. If the House,
therefore, considered the motives which actuated the
Noble Earl in this instance, they must extenuate his
error, and vindicate him from every intention of cas-
ting censure upon the gallant Admiral, or to preju-
dice the King's mind against him. The House
would likewise take into its consideration, the time
when the Narrative was first delivered. Shor.ly after
the Noble Earl's arrival from Atte Continent, he was
aware that some inquiry into the business of the ex-
pedition must take place. This idea pressed upon

his mind ; and he saw, that, trains some satisfacto y
explanation was given, he must be tried by a Court
Martial. It was to_ give this etplanation that I e
• drew it up, and to state what would be the grourds
of hti defence. If it were possible he could have
harboured the views attributed to him, would he
' ve kept it back from the time of his arrival in oe-
er until the Janneay following ? Why did he cle-
ver it then ? Because Parliament was about to
Oisieet. If the Noble' Earl had any intention to pre-
it
judice the King against the gallant Admiral, would
be have chosen such a mode to accomplish his pur
'pose ? To suppose such a thing would be to set
down the Noble ;Earl as little more than a mere dri-
veller. Had he not daily opportunities of personal
communication with his Majesty ? and could he not,
therefore, have used those opportunities of conveying
accusations verbally in a way which would leave
tekre behind, instead of makits his statement in
#vi,*ten Narr itive, which helinew must rentals as •
..doeutraent,- ant! which he meant should some day
become official. Any Member of a Court Martial,
to which the Noble Earl might be eventually refer-
red for trial, might have called for it. It must have
been moved for by Parliament in the case of any in.
quirt being instituted.' The Honourable General
felt that if he had not stated these his opinions, he
should not have done his duty ; and he hoped the
House, upon maturely considering all the circum-
stances, would, in its own justice and liberality, fully
acquit the Noble Earl of those motives ascribed to
him by other Gentlemen, from no other cause, he
was sure, than a different view of the subject.
Mr. C. WYNNE had never had the honour of any
personal intimacy with the Noble Lord to whose con-
duct the Resnlutioes before the House applied. But
there were other considerations of feeling and near
connection, which would render it more pleasing Lo
him to give a silent vote on this question. The ex-
treme importance of the subject, however, rendered it
impossible for him to justify his vote to himself, vrith-
out.stating the reasons upon which it *as founded.—
It was now allowed, even by the Hon. and Learned
Gendarme who had jest sat down, that the conduct.
of Lord Chatham had been erroneous. No man who
possessed any parliameotary information or constitu-
tional knowledge could commit his character by as-
serting the contrary. When this, then, was admit.
ted on all hands, was the House of Commons, by not
agreeing to the Resolutions of his Honourable Friend,
to put upon their Journals that such conduct was not
erroneous ? That would be the effect of voting the
previous question, which he understood was to be
moved by the Right Hon. Gentleman opposite.—
Lord Chatham, a Cabinet Minister, and also Com-
mander in Chief of an important Expedition, having
given ihto his Sovereign a statement containing heavy
'charkes against a gallant Admiral who had been em-
ployed with him in that Expedition ; and having,
contrary to all constitutional practice, and the whole
course of precedents, accompanied his statement
with a desire of secrecy, it was impossible that the
Hru. st of Commons could declare such conduct not
only not erroneous but justifiable. It would be to
hold out to all military men an encouragement to Col-
lett% tle same practice. It would, in any such.case,
be open to them to give in any statement containing
any charges against other officers, with a request of
secresy, and without communicating it to the confi-
dential servants of the Crown, at least those who
were formerly considered Confidential servants (Mar,
hear,) and thee, if it was likely that-the paper should
be called for by the House, all they would have to
do would be to demand the statement back, and ex-
punge such passages as contaioed the most objec-
tionable charges. This was a principle, which he
was persuaded that house would never sanction., But
it had been argued that the statement was not official
till the 14th of February, when Lord Chatham hid
given it in to the Secretary of State by his Majesty's
command, after having omitted, as appeared from
his own evidence, that part which contained a parti-
cular opinion- He could not perceive the force of
this observation, because he could not consider the
original statement in any other light than as the offi-
.cial report of the proceedings of the army under Lord
Chatham. He could not conceive any thing which
would ever more satisfactorily prove the statement to
be official, than that it was given in to his Majesty
with the signature, " CIIATIIAM, Lieutenant Gene-
ral." If it had been aprivate communication, and
not an official one, it would have been signed in tae
ordinary manner, " Chatham." There would be an
end of all responsibility of Ministers, if the doctrine
now set up were to be admitted. All that any Mi-
nister need to do in that case, to avoid responsibility,
would be to say, that any advice which he might have
conveyed to his. Sovereign, was a private communi-
cation.—(Hear, helr.)-1-ie could not conceive how
any paper presented to his Majesty respecting a pub-
lic measure could be considered in any other light
than as official. If it had not been an official docu-
ment till the 14th of February, he would ask what
act of Lord Chatham had made it official then ? He
had tendered the narrative to his Majesty in the same
manner as in the first instance. His M jesty, how-
' ever, having reflected upon the business, and m-
eaning the examples of his own uniform conduct, .
and the practice of all the constitutional Monarchs
who preceded him on the Throne, directed the Noble
Earl to give the narrative in the regular way to ehe Se.
cretary of State. If his Majesty had given the same di-
rections in the first instance, was any Gentlemarrpre-
plied to say that the paper would not have been offi-
cial ? He felt it necessary, therefore, for the charac-
ter and dignity of that House, to follow up the Ad-
dress of the former night, by the adoption of the re-
solutions then under consideration They could not
have had the slightest suspiciuh that such a paper e).
isted, till it was moved for, and presented for their
inspection. The House was now in possession of the
whole business, and was bound to prosecute it to some ,
satibfactorf issue. They were particularly called up-
on to adopt this course, because they,, been been kit to
sift the transaction as they could, slaVinikassse at

.
. .- •