sides, it ought rather to be considered as of the nature of a private bill, and he was therefore anxious that it should pass in the present session. He certainly felt some reluctance in postponing the second reading; but he was unwilling to press it in the absence of the right honourable secretary (Mr. Fox), and of several other gentlemen who wished to deliver their opinions upon it.

Mr. Francis contended that the bill was of a public nature, and one, indeed, of great general interest. He wished it to be put off till an early period in the next session, that, in the mean time, the subject might receive full consideration.

Mr. Hobhouse did not mean to say, that the bill did not affect the interests of the public; but as the interests of individuals were immediately concerned, he had brought it forward as a private bill.

The Speaker stated that, according to the forms of the House, it was certainly a private bill,

Mr. Ryder observed, that any unnecessary delay in passing of the bill would subject a number of private individuals to great distress.

Mr. Francis explained; and the bill was ordered to be read a second time on Thursday next.

TRIAL OF LORD MELVILLE.

Mr. Whitbread did not conceive that the motion which he should now make could meet with any opposition; and therefore he should content himself with moving, that a committee should be appointed to inspect the journals of the lords, with relation to their proceedings on the trial of Henry Viscount Melville, and to report to the House what they should there find.

Şir H. Mildmay wished the honourable gentleman to give some explanation to the House respecting the object of his present motion.

Mr. Whitbread replied, that some kind of information might probably be obtained from the lords' journals by which the House might be regulated in their future pro ceedings on this subject.

Mr. Dent said, that from what had fallen from the honourable gentleman, he seemed to think that the House was to do something hereafter in this matter. He therefore wished to receive some information of what it might be.

Mr. Whitbread replied, that he certainly wished to make

the

the honourable gentleman as wise as possible; but it was not for him to say what the House might think proper to be done when the report was before them. He apprehended, however, that it would be material for the House to know the opinions of the judges on certain questions that had been submitted to them.

Mr. Fuller recollected that, before the trial, it was hinted that the expences of the noble lord should be paid in the event of his being acquitted. He begged to know what was intended to be done in that matter.

Lord Henry Petty replied, that the noble lord was not entitled to it, from any thing that had been said on a former occasion. However, this might be a subject for future consideration, if the question should at all come before the House.

Mr. R. Dundas begged to say one word. He understood that something like an implied promise had been given, when the propriety of removing the proceedings from the House of Lords to Westminster-hall was argued, as that had occasioned a considerable increase of expence to the defendant.

Mr. Whitbread's motion was then agreed to, and a committee appointed accordingly.

GREENWICH HOSPITAL.

Lord Howick stated, that he could not bring in his bill relative to the seamen at Greenwich at present, owing to an informality, for he now found that a message from his Majesty would be necessary. In the mean time, however, hewould move for some information which it would be material for the House to possess. He accordingly moved for a copy of the minute of the governor of Greenwich hospital of the 5th inst. relative to the out-pensioners and wounded

seamen.

Mr. Canning highly approved of this measure, and he was glad that one of his Majesty's ministers, and one too for whom he had the utmost respect, intended to confer this boon by the mode of a message from his Majesty. This example had before been referred to, and he was happy to see that he adopted the practice which had been all along recommended from that side of the House, and did not at tempt to follow the steps of his colleagues, who wished to take a short cut to popularity, by trenching on the prerogative.

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Lord Howick hoped that he would always receive with due respect any expressions of esteem or regard for himself in that House; but when these came evidently with a view to contrast his conduct with that of his colleagues, they were such as he had much rather not hear. No argument whatever could be drawn from his conduct on the present occasion against his colleagues, because the cases were to-tally different. All prize-money was by law at the disposal of the Crown, and when it was intended to dispose of that money, it was obvious that the proper mode was by a message from the King. There could here, therefore, be no contrast, and when any gentleman wished to attack his colleagues under the appearance of paying a compliment to him, it was a sort of praise which he was very little disposed to accept. The motion was then agreed to. His lordship further moved for an account of the revenue and expenditure of the chest at Greenwich, and for a copy of the minute of the supervisor of the chest, relative to the amelioration of the condition of the seamen. These motions also were agreed to.

WEST INDIA AUDITORS.

Mr. Hawthorne brought up the report of the West-India auditors bill.

Mr. Rose said, that there was no provision here that any of the commissioners should go the West Indies. He had therefore an amendment to propose, which was, that three of the commissioners at least should positively go to the West Indies.

The Speaker informed him, that his amendment ought to be brought forward as one to the body of the bill. He was at present to put the question that the blank should be filled up with the word "two," purporting, that two commissioners should go to the West Indies. If this should be carried in the affirmative, the right honourable gentleman's amendment must be proposed in a subsequent stage.

Mr. Huskisson, Mr. Perceval, Mr. Long, and Mr. Sturges Bourne, contended that it was absurd to send only two commissioners to the West Indies, where the burthen of the business lay, and where there was the greatest risk of mortality, while three remained here doing almost nothing. - Mr. Ryder also contended that most of the evidence might be better taken in the West Indies, and therefore thought it absurd the commissioners abroad should not have that power of residing which the commissioners here

had.

had. He thought the measure was only calculated to increase the patronage of the treasury.

Lord Henry Petty, Lord Howick, and Mr. Morris, on the other hand, contended that the burthen of the business was not iu the West Indies, for the gentlemen on the other side seemed to forget that this commission was not only in-" tended for the investigation of abuses, but also for the bringing up of the accounts in arrear.

After a few words from Mr. Fuller, and Mr. Wm. Smith, the House divided on Mr. Rose's amendment, that the blank should be filled up with the word "three." Ayes 21. Noes 72.

Upon our return to the gallery we found Mr. Huskisson on his legs, urging some further objections to the bill. To which objections Lord Henry Petty replied, alledging that the measure was calculated to secure a complete and speedy investigation of the abuses complained of, and also to guard against their recurrence.

Mr. Rose repeated his former assertion, that the places about to be created by the bill would be mere sinecures, and serve only to extend ministerial patronage. This assertion the right honourable gentleman expressed his resolution to repeat again and again, however it might be resisted by the noble lord, who ought, in his judgment, to have sought much more experience before he had ventured to originate a measure of this nature, which betrayed a total ignorance of official business.

Lord Howick expressed his surprise at the quarter from which the House had just heard such vehement objections against sinecures. After much lofty declamation upon, political purity; after such high tones of independence, and such ardent expressions of solicitude for the economic expenditure of the public money, the House would naturally look for some evidence of the right honourable gentleman's sincerity, and no doubt that sincerity would be evinced very soon, perhaps the next day, by the right honourable gentleman's resignation to his Sovereign of the sinecure which he himself held. With regard to the right honourable gentleman's allusion to his noble friend (Petty's) want of experience, it was true, the noble lord observed, that his noble friend was not possessed of that experience which might be looked for from a veteran in office. There was, however, a great deal of the experience to which, perhaps, the political success of the right honourable gentleman

was

was owing, which he rather thought not desirable to his noble friend; while such experience as was really valuable, could not be difficult of attainment to that assiduous application of active talents for which his noble friend was so eminently distinguished. But upon the subject of want of experience in the arrangement of this measure, the right hon. gentleman dealt in fact only in assertion; for expe rience, even very recent, was in favour of that provision in the bill of which the right hon. gentleman complained. It was notorious that in consequence of the sending home one of the commissioners from the West Indies in the course. of the last administration, the inquiries of the commissioners were materially assisted, and frauds to a great amount were discovered; therefore the right honourable gentleman's as-, sertion was not entitled to credence. It was strange, the noble lord observed, how resolute the right honourable. gentleman and his friends were to carry on debate. He had hoped that the debate, on this subject at least, was at an end before that evening; but the right honourable gentleman and co. still determined to persevere-rather more, to be sure, in bringing forward accusations against ministers than in adducing arguments against their measures.. Among those accused indeed he understood the right honourable gentleman had thought proper on a former occasion to include him, principally, as he was informed, in consequence of some appointments that were recently made in the department over which he had the honour to preside. Had he beer present at the time the accusation was made by that right honourable gentleman, he most probably should not have felt it necessary to take any notice of it. But he nowthought it proper shortly to remark upon the cases alluded to. And first, with regard to the removal of Sir A. Hamond from the navy board, the fact was, that the honourable baronet had made application for leave to resign before the patent of his appointment to the admiralty was actually made out. The application was acceded to, and he had felt it his duty to recommend that the honourable baronet should, as is usual in such cases, be allowed three-fourths of his salary during life. At the same time he had to mention, that the reason of this grant was solely on account of the honourable baronet's length of services. The noble lord added, that the ground of the honourable baronet's application for leave to resign was indisposition, and consequently inability to attend to the duties of the office; but

yet

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