to the character of the noble earl. But his lordship said he recollected that others, on a former occasion, when an inquiry was moved for, had professed great friendship for that noble earl, but had indeed given him nothing but fair words. Having stated this, because the occasion, as it appeared to him, called for it, he should come immediately to the ques-. tion now before their lordships, which was, whether certain papers already before them should be referred to a committee, and that was a subject, he confessed, of great delicacy, inyolving considerations of great importance with a view to the disclosure that must attend it if the motion be carried. God forbid that he should say, if a grave case was made out, the house would not attend to it, and send it to the investigation of a committee, even at the risk of all the consequences which might follow the disclosure; but nothing short of absolute necessity would induce their lordships to do so, for the disclosure would not only be to the people of this country, but. must necessarily reach the enemy, and be a disclosure to the whole world; and before their lordships could be prevailed on to do that, they would take care that the ground on which it was called for was imperative upon them; that they had hardly a choice whether they should go into the inquiry or not; and he would confess freely, that some of the papers referred to were of such a nature, that he was sorry they were asked for at all. The question then came to this, Was there any necessity, or matter sufficiently important laid before the house to induce their lordships to adopt this motion? The principal points which had been dwelt upon, and which had been most disputed were, on the expediency of building ships in the king's dock-yards, or of having recourse to the aid of merchants building. He did not feel much confidence in his ability to form a correct opinion upon such a subject; but he believed it would be found the true policy of this country to build as much as possible in the king's dock-yards, but that it was impracticable to build all our shipping there, and that government must have recourse to the assistance of the merchants' yards in that respect. Since then it was impossible to do altogether without that help, the question reduced itself a considerable degree; and he would then ask, whether what had been done in this respect called for the inquiry of a committee? The subject was of considerable difficulty, as a question to what degree government should contract with merchants for building ships, either to the house itself or to a committee, to form a correct opinion upon it; but that did

not

not necessarily call on their lordships to institute this species of investigation; and here he wished the house to consider that three years ago an act passed the legislature to inquire into naval abuses, and there were now upon their lordships" table, and also on the table of the other house of parliament, reports of the committee proceeding under that act. These reports contained much 'important and valuable information; and in consequence of the reports of that committee his majesty had been advised to institute another commission to inquire into abuses which may be existing, and to provide such remedies for them as shall appear expedient, with a view to the improvement of the different departments, and all other matters connected with our naval service. It appeared then the commissioners were in the course of entering into further investigation of all these matters, for the purpose of finding out remedies for any abuses which may be found to exist. He thought it was unnecessary to say more than this as an objection to the present motion. As it was under an investigation in another quarter, it would be more expedient, and, as he thought, more becoming for the house to wait until their lordships saw the result of the inquiries already instituted, before they went into another. He submitted to the house, whether their lordships did not think the commissioners to whom he had alluded were more likely to investigate the subject thoroughly than the committee now proposed; and that that system was more likely to lead to a practical conclusion than that proposed by the noble earl? He was confident their lordships would not agree to this motion, unless they saw for it a pressing necessity; he submitted there did not appear any such necessity, that no case was made out, no parliamentary ground laid for this motion, and therefore, whatever might be their lordships' opinion of the existence of abuses, or of the application of remedies to them, they were in the course of investigation, and which was a much more expedient mode than the one now proposed by the motion of the noble earl.

The Earl of Buckinghamshire was of opinion, that there was nothing in the conduct of the noble earl who presided over the naval department at the commencement of the war, to call for such an inquiry as was now proposed. When similar inquiry was proposed last year it met with his opposition, and he would oppose it now on the same grounds. He resisted it then, because he considered it unnecessary and uncalled for, by a fair reference to what the state of our navy then was, and he would resist it upon the same principles at the present moment. There was also another ground upon which

he

he felt himself called upon to oppose it, and that was the unfavourable inference which had been endeavoured to be made from circumstances which occurred during the latter part of the administration of the noble viscount who had been lately at the head of the naval department. He rose to resist any imputation which might have been attempted to be thrown upon him, for what might possibly have occurred in our West India colonies. The duty of the noble viscount he conceived to have been, to have a fleet always ready sufficient to overpower any which the enemy could possibly send out from any of its ports, and having done that, he was of opinion he had well performed his duty. Having done so, he would ask what blame could be imputed to the noble viscount? It had been urged as a cause of blame, that only one ship of the line had been stationed at the Leeward Islands. He appealed to the noble earl on the cross bench, whether it was necessary to maintain a greater naval force there? He was persuaded, ahat the noble earl, with all his judgment and experience, would not maintain that it was. The appointment of a committee appeared to him unnecesssary and inconvenient, and therefore he found himself compelled to oppose it.

The Earl of Suffolk wished, for the satisfaction of the country, that some mode should be pursued of ascertaining the relative merits of the two former boards of admiralty. Circumstances had occurred, as well in Europe as in the West Indies, which tended to lower that proud character which our navy had acquired, and always maintained, until within the last few months of the present war. He thought the conduct of the late admiralty was extremely censurable. The noble viscount at the head of it had been guilty of great neglect in not immediately dispatching a fleet to the West Indies, to prevent the depredations and insults which had been committed against our possessions in that part of the world, by a squadron, which came out almost in defiance of us, from the ports of France. He had also heard, that some improper preference had been manifested in the appointment of an officer to an important command. That would well deserve to be submitted to a committee of their lordships, for no abuse could tend more to disseminate dissatisfaction among the naval profession, than an undue partiality of that kind. His lordship wished that all those charges should be fully investigated, and seeing no means of doing it more ready than the appointment of a committee, with full powers, he would vote for the proposition of his noble friend.

Lard Melville requested leave to say a few words in answer

།

to the unfounded charges which had been urged against his conduct by the noble earl. He would assert, in direct contra diction to what had falle from the noble earl, that there had been no delay whatever in detaching a sufficient number of ships in pursuit of the Rochefort squadrom That he would assert peremptorily and positively, in opposition to the charge so unwarrantably preferred, either by the noble carl or any one else. That squadron had sailed from Rochefort fall twelve days before it was known to any of the commanders upon any of the stations. On the 14th day, the intelligence was com→ municated to him, and on the next morning he transmitted those orders, in consequence of which Admiral Cochrane sailed for the West Indies. There were many noble lords who could testify what he asserted (Hear! hear!); and he therefore felt himself justified in repelling, with becoming indigna tion, the charge of neglect, whether coming from the noble carl, or any other noble lord. As to the charge of a partial preference of a relative of his, that he would peremptorily contradict. Where the noble earl obtained his information, or for what purpose he brought it forward, he knew not, nor was it worth his while to inquire; but he would positively assert that it had no foundation whatever in truth or in fact. If the noble earl should be inclined to pursue his attacks upon him, he would recommend to him to prove a little more, and to insinuate a little less. Against the noble carl's proofs, he trusted, as in the present instance, that he should always be able to defend himself; against his insinuations he could not hope for equal protection. If the noble earl should scatter his poisoned arrows abroad, some of them may possibly light upon him; but whether such a mode of assailing the conduct of a person who had been at the head of a great public department, was either fair or honourable, was worthy the consideration of the noble earl. He trusted that he would learn a lesson from the imprudence and inefficacy of his attack on this night, that would discourage him from any future rash. repetition of similar charges.

The Earl of Suffolk explained, and avowed that he did not. believe the charge which had so properly excited the warmth of the noble viscount.

Lord Darnley then rose, and adverted to the various arguments that had been urged by the noble lords opposite against his motion. It had been observed, that such an investigation would be, on the present occasion, particularly improper, as it might expose, not only to the public of this country, but to

the

the knowledge of our enemies, such subjects as would be par ticularly inexpedient. This observation, however, if it applied at all, was applicable only to the discussions that might take place in the house, and not to any inquiries that might be instituted before a committee. A noble lord seemed to think, that the principle on which he had brought forward his motion was his hostility to employing merchants' yards in building ships of the navy. Here, however, he begged leave to set the noble lord right-he had not declared any hostility to that principle. There were many cases, on the contrary, when employing merchants' yards might be very expedient. His objection was only to the degree; and that, considering the expence with which that mode of building ships was attended, was a sufficient subject of grave investigation. A committee of inquiry was also necessary, he contended, in regard to a noble lord (Lord St. Vincent) who had been implicated in another place, and represented by some as an enemy to his country. One great end of his motion therefore was, to ascertain whether that noble lord was meritorious or guilty. This inquiry was due in justice to the noble lord; it was due to the British navy and to the nation, and in opposition to such claims he had yet heard nothing that could lead him to alter his opinion.

The house then divided—

Contents 33-Not Contents, 88-Majority against the motion 55.-Adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

FRIDAY, MAY 24.

Colonel Wood gave notice that he would that day week move that there be laid before the house the minutes of the proceedings of the court martial which was held on Rear Admiral Sir John Duckworth.

It was ordered, on the motion of Mr. Tierney, that the select committee to which the subject of the Lambeth waterworks was referred do meet again, and report thereon to the house.

The return of the expences incurred by criminal prosecutions in Ireland, which was ordered to be laid before the house about six weeks since, was, on the motion of Sir J. Newport, ordered to be presented forthwith.

A message was delivered from the lords, informing the house