at a gnat and swallowing a giant!--Before I conclude, I cannot refrain from saying a few words upon the subject, in a different view of it from any'that, as far as I recollect, has yet been taken.- -The annual payment so often mentioned above ought, by law, to take place. The Company is liable to be called upon for it. Not to be called upon is a great advantage to the Company, of course, and a great injury to the nation, in a pecuniary way; but, in a political way, as a means of adding to the already-immense influence of the minister of the day, be he who he will, it is beyond all comparison more injurious, as every one must perceive, who reflects, that he thus holds the vast India interest with a bridle in its mouth. The act provided, indeed, for making the postponement officially known te parliament, if a postponement should become necessary. The reasons for the postponement were to be stated to parliament; and this would naturally have given rise to discussion. Here was something of a check. But, the postponement has taken place; it has existed almost ever since the act was passed; no money has been paid for eleven years; and yet Mr. Francis clearly states, that no such report, as is, in such case, required by the act, has ever, at any time, been made to the parliament! The whole uncontrouled power has, then, been exercised by the minister of the day? who has, for reasons yet unexplained, forborne to require from the East-India Company, 5,500,000l. which, according to an act of parliament, that Company owes to the public. That there is not justifiable cause for this forbearance no one asserts; but, we do assert, that this cause has not been stated to parliament, as the act requires ; and, we cannot but know, that during the whole of the time that this forbearance has been exercised, the ministers for India affairs, bave been officially representing the affairs of the Company as in a state of prosperity beyond what their most san. guine expectations could have anticipated. I thus break off, for the present, hoping that the affairs of India will shortly undergo an ample discussion in parliament, and earnestly recommending to the perusal of the reader, the whole of that performance, to which he will easily perceive I am almost entirely indebted for the little knowledge I have obtained upon the subject. - JAMAICA LEGISLATURE, -Some interesting documents relative to the government and affairs of Jamaica will be found at the head of the preceding sheet. The address of the Assembly to his Majesty, upon the subject of the Lieut. Governor's late order for interrupting the intercourse with America, (See p. 389) is worthy of particular attention. Lord Camden's letter, upon which the Lieut. Governor acted, will be found amongst the documents; and, from it, I think, it clearly appears, that the Lieut. Governor did not act conformably to the spirit, at least, of the instructions sent him from the ministers. Lord Lavington, Governor of the Leward Islands, received a letter to the same purport, and, indeed, in the same words, from Lord Camden; but, as may be seen by refering to his proclamation in p. 353 of the present volume, he thought himself fully authorised to continue the intercourse between those islands and the United States of America. Some stable regulation should be adopted with regard to this important matter. The well being, and, eventually, the peace and allegiance of a great colony, should not be thus suffered to depend upon the will of an individual. The truth is, that there should be some principles laid down by act of parliament for regulating this intercourse. The necessaries of life to a colony, and a great colony too, should never be received as a boon at the hands of any minister. The West India interest is great; but, it is easy to conceive, that it never can, for one mo ment, be independent of the minister of the day, so long as that minister can, without coming to parliament, continue, or cut off, the source of food to the West Indies. Lord Sheffield objects strongly to this straightening, or stretching, the navigation laws, by Orders of Council. I do not recollect the precise grounds of his lordship's objection; but, certainly the objection that I have stated is quite sufficient without any other-The ministerial power, in this case, must operate like that exercised with respect to the annual half million of the East India Company. The loans to Grenada was another instance of the same sort. These things have arisen not so much from design, on the part of the minis ter, as from a general want of watchfulness, The evils of influence always come on at first in the guise, as well as under the name, of benefits. Proceeding from a distance, too, and advancing through channels so devious, their approach is scarcely ever perceived till it is too late. Hence is there some reason to fear, that, if we are not upon our guard, the prediction of a profound politician will be verified: "that, the English constitution "would perish under the effect of a disease "creeping over her from her extremities." SLAVE TRADE" Last week," (says the Sun of the 18th instant) "the wife of "one of the men employed in cutting the ⚫ canal at Shorncliffe was conducted by her "husband to the market place at Hythe, with a halter round her neck, and tied to a "post, whence she was purchased for 6d. by a Mulatto, the long drummer belonging "to the band of the 4th regiment, lately in "barracks at that place."And yet we go three thousand miles distance to see for objects of legislative compassion! Do we make an outcry against the slave trade; do we make annual calls upon the parliament to put an end to that trade; are there men who broadly hint that the House of Lords is useless because it refuses to listen to such calls; and are we, all the while, really without a law to punish abominations, such as that above recorded? COUNTRY BANK NOTES.-The following paragraph has appeared in most, if not all, the London papers, and, from its situation in those papers, its insertion has evidently been paid for. "Tuesday last" (I quote from the Morning Chronicle of the 15th instant)" a respectable meeting of the "merchants and traders of the city of Exe"ter was held at the Guildhall, to consider on the proper mode of checking the present enormous circulation of small local notes payable only at the places where they are is""sued.". Several resolutions were enter"ed into against them. In the mean time, "several clergymen and landholders in that neighbourhood have given notice to their parishioners and tenants, that they will re"ceive no such notes in payment, for rent or "tythes, at the ensuing collection at Lady "Day, which will no doubt operate most "powerfully to check this alarming evil. "The merchants, &c. of Plymouth, have "entered into resolutions similar to those "adopted in Exeter; and we hear that many other cities and towns in this king "dom are preparing to follow so laudable "an example." What! Enter into combinations, and hold public meetings and pass resolutions against Bank Notes! And are all the Treasury writers silent? Is there no one to cry out; no one that has zeal and impudence enough to accuse these gentlemen of Exeter of decrying the resources of their "country;" of exciting "donbts in the "minds of the people;" of holding out "encouragement to our implacable enemy?" For the honour of Downing Street and Whitehall, let us hope that this unaccountab'e silence will not be of long duration But, I should, however, like to know, on what grounds it is, that the local notes, as they are called, are regarded as an "alarm ing evil" any more than other notes. I do not say that there are not particular objections against them; but, I really should like to hear those objections stated in a plain manner, by some person who can speak Be from experience and observation. cause, to me it does not appear that notes confined to one place can, from that circumstance merely, produce any bad effect. If such notes were entirely driven from circu lation, there would be instantly made, others of a more extended range, to supply their place; and, if all country bank notes were driven out of circulation, their place must be filled up by notes of the Bank of England; for, let the gentlemen of Exeter be well assured, that the total quantity of paper now in circulation, can never be dimi nished, without destroying the whole. They see new banks starting up. They perceive, as well from the daily increasing quantity of the paper as from the revolution in prices and in every one's private affairs, that there is great danger; that every thing is fast overturning; that we are rapidly approaching towards a crisis. All this they see; but, I do not think they look far enough for the cause. IRISH ROMAN CATHOLICS.--The delegates of the Irish Catholics made three distinct propositions to Mr. Pitt;-1st, That he should present their petition, and propose their immediate emancipation-2d, That he should present their petition, and propose the adoption of a resolution, the purport of which should be to recognise the justice of their claims, and to express a disposition to comply with those claims when circumstances should render such com. pliance expedient.-3d, That he should present their petition, and let it lie upon the table. He objected to them all; and, thereupon, the delegates applied to Lord Grenville, Mr. Fox, and other gentlemen of great political consequence. The peti tion is now to be presented, agreeably to notices given, by Lord Grenville and Mr. Fox. Mr. Pitt's former declaration to parliament, an extract from which will be found as the motto to this sheet, will be found at full length, in Vol. IV. p. 840. THE TENTH REPORT has, at last, been printed. The next Register will convey it to all those who have been unable to obtain a copy of it sooner. It is of vast importance, and should be read by every one is the kingdom, through the whole of which there is not an honest man who will not applaud the integrity and resolution of the Commissioners and of the noble Lord, who proposed their appointment.-Lord Mel ville's partisan writers say, that he is extremely anxious for a parliamentary discussion upon the subject; and, therefore, they must be highly delighted, that he is so soon to be gratified. Printed by Cox and Baylis, No. 75, Great Queen Street, and published by R. Bagshaw, Bow Street, Covent Garden, where former Numbers may be had; sold also by J. Budd, Crown and Mitre, Pall-Mall. " VOL. VII. No. 13.] ment LONDON, SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 1805. [PRICE 10D. "Thus" (alluding to an inquiry during the Duke of Portland's administration] a new and ex'raordinary power was given to inquire into and correct obvious and trifling abuses, while those of a more revert, a "more dangerous, and a more extensive nature, were to be left to the ordinary controul of the establishFor my part, I can see no reason for passing over even the most trifting abuse, excep: lazines; or "pride, and these are obstacles which I hope will never stand between me and my duty. Nor can I con"ceive bow, in the present situation of this country, any person or persons, to whom the care of its interests "are entruted, can justify to themselves to oit any exertion, that may tend, even in the most minute par* ticular, to promote that œconomy, on which the recovery of the state from its present depressed situation "so much depends." MR. PITT's Speech in the L'ouse of Commons, upen the bill for est : hing a board of commissioners to inquire into the abuses, E. Ev. of the dyerent offices.-D brett's Deb-tes, 8th Ml noh, 1785. 4491 [450 "the better conducting and managing the "business of the ssid departments, and of prize agency, in future." [The following contains the whole of the TENTH REPORT, as far as that report relates to LORD MELVILLE and MR. TROTTER: the other parts of it are mere illustrations of this part, and are not material. -The whole of Lord Melville's evidence is inserted. That part of MR. TROTTER'S evidence that is the most material is inserted, and, I have also thought it right not to omit the written paper, which MR. TROTTER delivered to the commisioners, and which may be regarded as his defence.I think it right to observe, that, whoever wishes to form a correct and impartial judgment upon this important subject, should read the whole of what is here printed. Every part of it is material. The preliminary matter is e sentially necessary to a clear and right understanding of what follows. The act of the 25th of the King cap. 31, is the ground work of the whole. The provi-jesty, cap. 31; having done this, they found very [Such is the general title of the report, which then begins by stating, the object about to be reported on is, "THE OFFICE OF TREASURER OF HIS MAJESTY'S NAVY," as to which office, the commissoners having issued their precepts to the Treasurer of the Navy for an a count of the state and disposi tion of the public money, with which he stood charged on the 31st of December in each year, from 1786 to 1902 inclusively; that they might judge of the propriety of the balances of public money left in his hands, and see whether the balances unappropria ted to public services at those periods, were in the Bank of England, as required by the 25th of his present Ma great deficiencies. But we will now take their own words ] The returns made to our precepts commenced with the year 1784, and we discovered by them, that the sums standing in the name of the treasurer of the navy at the Bank were, for the most part, considerably less than his unappropriated balances, as will appear by the following statement; viz. [Here follows the statement; but, to avoid repetition the reader is referred to p. 481, where he will find the sums stated in the first question put to Lord Melville.] The discovery of these deficiencies led us to examine the regulations which had from time to time been established for the better management of the office of treasurer of the navy, and the circumstances from which they arose: we shall give a brief account of the circumstances and regulations, as well as a general outline of the mode of carrying on the business of the navy pay office, and then state the conduct of the different treasurers under such regulations.The attention of the commissioners for taking and stating the public accounts of the kingdom was particularly directed to this department. -Several wise measures were proposed by pay "paid, and all extra payments may be made the treasurer upon the Bank, according to "the requisitions of the navy board, in like manner as many of these suns are issued 66 at this day; and, upon the death or resig "nation of a treasurer, the balances of his cash in the Bank, and in the hands of his pay clerks may be struck immediately, and "carried over to the account of his succes these commissioners to remedy the inconve- lature hove, in the last session of parlia"ment, introduced into the office of the pay"master general, of the forces a regulation, "which, as it seeins to us, may be applied as "beneficially to the office of the treasurer of "the navy. The custody of cash applicable "to the navy services may be transferred "from the treasurer to the Bank of Eng"land, and the account only of the receipts "and payments be kept in his office; all "the sums now received by him may be re"ceived by the Bank; sums from the Ex"chequer may be imprested to the Bank; "sums directed by the le ters of the differ"ent boards to be paid to him, may be di"rected to be paid into the Bank; all bill's "assigned upon him for payment may be This resolution should be particularly attended to.--Note of the EDITOR. 66 ! sor. In this situation, the treasurer, veis "ther receiving nor paying public money bim. "self, can be neither debtor to, nor credi "tor of the public, except as far as he may "be responsible for his clerks. On passing "bis accounts, the bill indorsed, or requisi "tion of the navy board, is both his autho"rity and voucher for his draft; the draft indorsed is the voucher for the Bank to prove their payment. If these accounts agree (and they ought frequently to be "compared together) it is highly probable "that they are both right."*. We are not aware of any measures taken by parlia ment on this report until the year 1785, when an act was passed (25 Geo. III. cap. 31.) intituled "An Act for better regalating "the Office of the Treasurer of His Majes 66 ty's Navy," which directed,-That from and after the 1st of July, 1785, all monies for the service of the navy should be `issued from the Exchequer to the governor and company of the Bank of England, in like manner as they had been theretofore issued to the treasurer of the navy: that all such monies so issued, should be placed on an account or accounts to be raised in the books of the Bank of England, to be entitled "The "Account of the Treasurer of his Majesty's "Navy," inserting the name of such treasurer for the time being for the pay branch, cashiers branch, and the victualling branch; *Particular attention should be paid to this; because the act of 25 G. III. cap. 31, was founded on it, and other reports of these commissioners, as appears by the preamble of the said act. Note of the EDITOR. advanced to him, he has continued to make payments as an ex-treasurer.--The late Mr. Andrew Douglas having also acted as paymaster to Lord Melville during this part of his second treasurership, we questioned Lord Melville, whether he had derived any profit or advantage from the use or employment of the money issued for carrying on the current service of the navy, between the 1st of February, 1784, and the 31st of December, 1785, which question his lordship objected to, answering under the provisions of the fifth clause of the act by which we are constituted, and upon the ground before stated alluded to in his letter. and that no money for the service of the na vy should be issued from his Majesty's Exchequer to the treasurer of the navy, or should be placed or directed to be placed in his hands or possession.――That no monies should be paid out of the Bank but for navy services, and in pursuance of drafts to be drawn by the treasurer, or persons in his office duly authorised by him, in which drafts should be specified the beads of service to which the sums therein mentioned were to be applied. --That on the death, resignation, or removal of a treasurer, the balance of cash for which he should at that time have credit in his accounts with the Bank of England, and also the balances of cash in the hauds of the pay clerks at the several out-ports, should vest in his successor, and be transferred and placed to the account or accounts of such The act of the 25th of his present Masuccessor.That the treasurer of the navy jesty, cap. 31, for better regulating the of should cause to be made up to the 31st office of the treasurer of his Majesty's navy, December in each year, an annual account of the navy and victualling services, to be transmitted to the auditor or auditors of the imprest, after being examined in the offices of the commissioners of the navy, of the victualling, and of the sick and hurt, and signed by the commissioners of the navy. [The commissioners, after some further introduction, in which they make a statement relative to the Treasurerships of MR. BARRE, LORD BAYNING, and MR. DUNDAS, when he was treasurer the first time, come to the circumstances of the Second Treasurership of Mr. Dundas, now Lord Melville, which hey divide into Two PARTS, the First Part embracing the period previous to the passing of the abovementioned act, in 1785, and the Second Part, embracing the period from the passing of that act to the year 1800, when Mr. Dundas finally quitted the Treasurership.] FIRST PART OF THE SECOND TREASU RERSHIP OF LORD MELVILLE. Lord Melville was re-appointed on the 5th of January, 1784, and continued in of fice until the 1st of June, 1800.- - In speaking of this treasurership, it will be necessary to divide it into two parts, as, from the 1st of January, 1786, the business was conducted under the provisions of the 25th of his present Majesty, cap. 31, which instituted a new mode of account for the of fice of treasurer.--The old mode of account of course ceased on the 31st of December, 1785, at which time Lord Melville stood charged with two hundred and seventy-five thousand and eight hundred and twenty pounds fifteen shillings and eleven pence, out of which sum, and others SECOND PART OF THE SECOND TREASU- directed, that the several provisions therein contained should take place on the 1st of July, 1785, but they were not carried into effect till the 1st of January, 1786; we understand the delay was occasioned by the necessity of making some previous official arrangements.--In that month, Alexande Trotter, Esq. who had lately been a clerk in the navy pay office, was appointed paymaster by Lord Melville, and he states that he acted as deputy to the treasurer in all the duties attached to the situation, except the appointment of officers and clerks.. As the directions of the Act are positive, that the issues of money for Navy Services shall be made to the Bank, and that the money shall not be drawn from thence but for Navy Services, it appeared to us, that if the directions of the Act had been observed, the circumstance which we have before noticed, that the sums standing in the name of the Treasurer at the Bank were less than his unappropriated balances, could not have existed. We therefore deemed it our duty to inquire minute'y into the cause of such deficiencies, and with this view, we first examined Mr. Trotter, and afterwards Loid Melville. Mr. Trotter, when first cailed upon to account for these deficiencies, said he could not precisely explain the cause of them; but afterwards acknowledged, that he had been in the practice of drawing money from the Bank in large sums, and lodging it in the hands of private bankers, previously to its being issued to the Sub Accountants for the public service. This practice, he states, was introduced about the year 1786, with the knowledge and approbation of the Treasurer. Lord Melville admits that he did permit Mr. Trotter to lodge the pub |