Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-10-07

Il y O.
your noble colleagues in Office. possibly
can be, am DESTROYS to lay before your
lordship statement of facts, from which
| it will clearly appear, that two gallant adj
mirals, whom [ shall, at present, forbear to
name, have, upon certain occasions, not
done their utmost to capture, burn, sink
aud destroy, the enemy's squadron, which
they had in their power to do. am as
tonlshed that these circumstances have
never been enquired into; and / beg to
know, when may wait on your lordships
IN private and submit the particulars of the
aforesaid charges.
have the honor to be, &c. "a
These charges related to the escape of
the Rochefort squadron and although lord
Henry appointed an interview with the
author at the admiralty, yet when he heard
the names of the aforesaid two admiraIs
mentionedhe drewback, and let the matter
slip over.
f.
Containing various charges against Sir
Alexander Cochrane, K. b. and Sir Tho
mas John Cochrane.
Z" To the right honorable, the lords commission
ers of the admiralty.
., f>a,k Place, ChaHn6e,7veN, July 9, 1915.
'hy Lords--I now take the liberty of
submitting to yonr lordships here en-
closed, charges in writing. against vice
admiral sir Alexander Cochrane X. b.
and against captain sir Thomas John Coch-
rane K. =
! have frequently endeavored to bring
tnese offenders to justice, which has been
mtherto evaded by various circumstances,
such as, the absence of the offenders and
witnesses, and the like but, more particu-
iariy, by your lordships' apparent aud ex-
IRENE reluctance, and contemptuous ST.
lence; In consequence of which, l have
th0ught 1T expedient to collect better LEGAL
information on this subiest, and to bring
the matter againunder your lordships' coz
mzance, as prescribed by law, and in such
a shape as conceive your lordships to be
IN duty bound, to cause further investiga-
ton to be made forthwith. Your lordships
VIII be pleasedto permit me TO anticipate
an argument, which possibly may be star
ted as an objection against the great lapse
OF time since the alleged offences were
committed inreply to which beg leave
TO observe to your lordships, that although
upwards OF three years have elapsed since
the commission of sir Alex. Cochrane's Of
fences, your lordships must be aware, that
he only returned within the last twelve
months from abroad, when he gave up his
government of the island of GuadaIoupe
therefore your lordships will allow that Il
am perfectly within the limitations of stat
p, Geo. cap. IS. sec. %. IS
Your lordslnps must also be aware. that
by the provisions of section "a of the same
act, could lay an information or an in
dlctment against sir Alexander Cochrane.
tor converting his mJesty's ship Be!Ieisle
into muller, and recover penaltyt in any
court ofJustice but despise such WAYS Of
acquiring money, although sir alexander
tice.
AS to captain Cochrane, il matters LITTLE.
whetheryour lOrdships will be pleased to
order court martial on him, or not. as I
have, years ago, laid a complaint about this
neiarlous transaction before the lords COM
missloners OF his majessy's treasury who
ana not suffer my representations tolay on
the shelf, like your lordships, but appoint
ed instantly a commission of special enoui-
ry, who proceeded to the West Indies, to
investigate this matter, and to report there
on, winch said commission has returned.
but their report has been DELAYED. pre-
sumo on account of the late condagration of
the custom-hOuse on Thames street where
the documents were deposited. It there
fore remains open to me to indict captain
Cochrane in the court of kings bench, or
TO get him impeached in parliament for
high crimes and misdemeanors.
| have the honor to be, with due resneef.
my lord, your lOrdshiPs most humble SER
want,
A. M'KENROT.
Charges against SIR .9Lerander Forester
Cochrane, K. B. iHcLosed In the forego- |
ing letter
1. [, Anthony M'Kenrot, late Justice
OF the peace in certain parts Of his maies
tvs dominiOns beyond sea, called the is |
land of TOrtOla, in the West Indies, do So
lemEly charge and accuse yice-admiral |
the honorable sir Alexander Forester
COchraue, to have been guilty, on the 9th |
day of July, 1906, when commanderin
chief of the Leeward island station, of NOT
making the necessary preparations to FIGHT |
the French squadron under admiral VIII |
laumez and Jerome Bonaparte, OFF the ia
land Of Tortola and st. Thomas, and Of
not, in his proper person and according to |
his place, encouraging his inferior officers
and men to fight cOurageously of with |
drawing, through cowardice and negligence
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