Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1805-05-31
LORD MELVILLE.

/ 1tNI
Authentic copy ofthe letter from lord Mel
nile, to TIC Commissioners Of Rapal En-
! curry.
Having read your tenth rec
port, and observing particularly he follow
ing paragraph in the 141st page, " Howe
YER the apprehension of disclosing delicate
and confidential transactions OF govern
ment might operate with Lord Melville 10
withholding information respecting adyan-
ces to other departments, We do not per-
ceive how .hat apprehension can at all ac-
count for his refusing to state whether he
derived any profit or advantage from the
use or employment of money issued for the
services Of the navy. ifhis LordshiP had
received into bis hand such monies as were
advanced by him to other departments,
and had replaced them IS soon as they
were repaid, he could not have derived any
profit or advantage from such TRANSACTIONS.
however repuguant they might be to the
provisions of the legislature for the safe
custody of public money"
think II necessary to state the follow.
Ing observations, in order to place 10 their
jast view the grounds on which declined
answering your question, and which you
appeared no. to have accurately usdrr-
stood.
/. When you hrstcalled upon ne for infor.
nation, stated to you that had rot ma
terials on which could frame such an ac-
count as you required me At that time to
prepare, and in communication with Mr..
Trotter, before my examination on the 5th
Nov. last, Learnt. for'the first time, that
IN the accounts that he had kept respecting
my private concerns. he had SO blendid
his own private monies with what he had
in his hands of public money, that it was
impossible for himto ascertain, with pre-.
cision, whether the advances he had oc-
casson to make TO me, in the course Of his
running private accounts with me, were
made from the one or from the other ag-
gre gate sums which constituted his balance
with Messrs. Coutts. This circumstance,
whic', understand Mr.. Trot:er had dis
tinctsy communicated to You, made It i'm
possible tor me TO return any other answer
than | did to the general question wEich
you put to me. C Whether AR. Trotter
had applied any of the money issued for
carrying on the current service of the Ma
w, for my benefit or advantage 20 and TO
thiscircumstance uniformly referred in
my answers to other questions respecting
the manner in which MIR. Trotter applied
the money Ia his hands.
When you put the question to me,
% ss'hetherI L.. direct or authorize Mr..
Trotter TO lay out or apply, or cause to be
laid out or applied, any Of The money Isl
sued for carrying on the current service of
the Navy, to nay benefit or ADVANTAGE"
MY answer was, +" To the best of my re.
collection never did, That answer
now repeat. Had you proceeded TO In
qu're whether I ever hau any understand
ing, expressed orimplied, with Mr.. Tro,.
ter respecting any participation of advan.
tages derived from the custody of the pub
lie money, or whether at any time know
ingly derived any advantage to myself from
any advances Of ablic money, should
have had no hesitation in declaring, as
now declare, that there never was any such
understanding, nor any thing like il, be.
tween Mr.. frotter and mysafs that ne
yer knowingly derived a " such advan-
tages and that whatever emolumert &C
crued to Mr.. Trotter in ths conduct cfthe
pecuniary concerns of the Office, was, so
Ear as l am informed, exclusively his own.
With respect TO any advances which Mr..
sFrotter might make onmy private account,
| consider myself as debtor to him alone,
and as standing, with regard to him, IN
nc. other predicament than should WIKI
any other man of business who might be in
occasional adva:ce to me Ia the general
management of my concerns intrusted to
him. 1t is impossible for me to ascertain