the gentlemen on the other side, particularly without any notice to himself or his friends, without affording them any fair opportunity of answering them. Upon every such charge he desired only inquiry, and that such inquiry might be made in the most hostile form. If the gentlemen on the treasury bench thought they could substantiate any charges against the last administration, let them do it. But let the old administration go on with its investigation; and his wish was, that a new committee be formed to inquire into the conduct of the last administration, compos ed altogether of members from the ministerial side of the House (a loud cry of hear! hear!) excepting only such as held offices.

Having said so much as to the wish he felt for the most rigid and hostile examination of his conduct and that of his colleagues, the noble lord proceeded to animadvert upon the particular charges brought forward by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. First, as to the appointment to Buenos Ayres, with which was connected some question as to the sincerity of the late ministers. Upon the subject of reversions, he would appeal to the honourable gentleman (Mr. Bankes), whether he did not express to that gentleman his anxious wish in favour of an act to prevent the further grant of reversions, and that long before the last committee was appointed? Indeed, the sincerity of the late ministers was proved by their conduct, for they did not grant a single reversion, and it was notorions, that among others, a very valuable reversion fell in during their administration. But to return to Buenos Ayres; the ap-, pointment could only be objected to on one of three grounds; either that the oflice was quite unnecessary, that the person appointed was exceptionable, or that the late ministers by such an appointment,. improperly interfered with the patronage of their successors. As to the first no one could deny, that a collector would be necessary at such a place as Buenos Ayres, if we had it in our possession, and if we had it not, no expence would arise out of the appointment; as to the second, sure he was that no objection was likely to be made to the person who was appointed upon his recommendation, namely, Mr. Wilber-: force Bird; and as to the third, no interference with the patronage of the present ministers could be alleged, be-' cause, the appointment was revocable at pleatre.

In commenting on this and the other accusations adVOL. 1.-1807.

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vanced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the noble lord begged to observe, that, for the most part, he had never heard of the cases to which they referred, until they were mentioned by the right honourable gentleman in that House. This was particularly the case with regard to the three hundred surveyors, for he had no connection with that department; but how, he would ask, did that case stand upon the right honourable gentleman's own shewing? why the appointment of these officers was recommended by the tax-office, some short time after the late ministers came into office. Proper persons were immediately appointed to ascertain the number of officers that would be necessary to carry into effect the object proposed by the tax-office. It got abroad, that such appointments were intended, and applications were made to the treasury, and some of these applications succeeded. Promises were made, and such promises formed what the Chancellor of the Exchequer called the nomination, which he objected to. But these nominations required an act of Parliament to render them of any avail, and, strange to tell, u fortunately for the right honourable gentleman's argument, no such act was ever proposed. Thus an administration so very greedy of patronage, so very anxious to provide for its friends, was so negligent as to go out of power without taking care to dispose of those good things. (A loud cry of hear! hear!)

The third point to which the Chancellor of the Exchequer directed his accusations, referred to the appointment of what he called a new office in Scotland. But what was the fact? Why, that his majesty having determined to settle a pension of oc0l. a year upon Mr. Dugald Stewart, as a reward for his services, the late ministers rendered an office already existing in Scotland, available, as far as it would g, to discharge a part of that pension, and thus produced a saving to the public. Such was the plain state of the case. Now, as to another charge, of which he declared, on his honour, he never heard a word until stated by the right honourable gentleman this night, namely, as to he intention to grant a pension, during pleasure, to one of the Scorch judges—(“Intention," observed a voice across the table, "the warrant was actually made out.") The noble lord repeated, that he was quite ignorant of the transaction; but it appeared that the thing was not completed. However, he was ready to say, that jealous as he

wasa

was, and ever would be, of the independence of the judges, he could not approve of such a grant as that described. But he confessed he had doubts of the fact; and he begged the House to suspend its judgment till inquiry should be made respecting it. This suspension of judgment, which justice warranted him in demanding, was all that he requested of the House and the country, with regard to all the charges or suspicions thrown out by the gentlemen on the other side against himself or any of his colleagues, in all of whom he felt such confidence that he should be always ready to stand forward as their advocate.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer replied to observations by the speakers on the other side. The accusations of partiality in the nomination of the proposed committee, he retorted upon the gentlemen on the other side by stating, that in the names he proposed there were a considerable proportion of their friends, while it was to be recollected that in the former committee there were only two gentlemen who were understood to have any attachment to the party with which he had the honour to act. The right honourable gentleman ridiculed the rumour so industriously circulated, that the dissolution was occasioned by a desire of ministers to prevent a certain transaction from being reported by the former committee; which transaction was in fact notorious, and all the evidence with regard to which was to be referred to the new committee (we understood the right honourable gen tleman to allude to the affair respecting Mr. Steele). Adverting again to the appointment to Buenos Ayres, the right honourable gentleman mentioned, that which he wished to contrast with the conduct of the noble lord and his colleagues, and as a proof that the present ministers were not so anxious about influence-namely, that Mr. Wilberforce Bird having applied to them for the office of collector of Monte Video, conceiving it to be included in his appointment to Buenos Ayres, they, denying expressly the validity of his appointment, but still unwilling to disap point the expectations of any man, did appoint Mr. sird to the collectorship of Monte Video (a cry of hear hear!) The first motion, that a committee should be appointed, &c. was unanimously agreed to. On that for confining

the number of the committee to 25,

Lord Howick rose, and adverting to the suggestion made by the honourable gentleman (Mr. Biddulph), re

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lative to the propriety of appointing Sir Francis Burdett as one of the members of this committee, took occasion to observe, that, although he could assure the House there was no gentleman on the other side more adverse to the general conduct of that person than he was, although no man was more the subject of that person's attack, and that of the party, if such they could be called, who acted with him, still he would advise the adoption of the honourable gentleman's suggestion. It would be recollected by any person acquainted with the history of the times, that notwithstanding the attempts always made, said the noble lord, to connect us with this person's party, there was no party in the country more obnoxious to them than that with which I have the honour to act. This gentleman, it will be observed, stands forward as the enemy of public abuses, and I would recommend ministers to keep a vacancy open for him in this committee. There he will have an opportunity of enquiring into the abuses of which he complains, and proposing the remedy in a much more proper way than he has hitherto done, or attempted to do. I should therefore wish to have him afforded the opportunity, although I happen to be so obnoxious to his attacks, probably not so much from the impulse of his own mind, as in consequence of the incitement of others.

Mr. Biddulph observed, that he was actuated wholly by public motives in proposing the honourable baronet's name, and that he acted without any respect, without any connection whatever with the honourable baronet. But having perceived that the honourable baronet had a quick sense of public wrong, and was anxious to remove it, he thought him a very fit person to be ap pointed a member, and to promote the objects of this committee.

A member under the gallery, whose name we could not learn, announced his intention of opposing the appointment of Sir Francis Burdett, as an ineligible person, upon the ground that he had not yet taken his seat, and also upon other grounds.

Lord Howick proposed the division to take place upon the proposition of a name from him.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer said, he should put to the House the names he had already mentioned, and it would be competent to the noble lord, or any member,

to

to propose such other name as they might think proper, in lieu of any that he proposed.

The names of Mr. Bankes and Mr. Biddulph were unanimously agreed to.

Upon the name of Mr. Leycester being proposed,

Lord Howick rose to propose the name of Mr. Sharp in lieu of it, observing, that he should not wish it to be understood generally, that the division was to take place upon the propriety of nominating Mr. Sharp. At the same time he had objections to Mr. Leycester, which the noble lord was proceeding to state, when,

Mr. Home Sumner, who said, that he thought it improper that strangers should be present at a discussion of the merits of individual members, moved that the gallery should be cleared.

Strangers were accordingly excluded for the remainder of the debate. On the division for the nomination of Mr. Leycester, the numbers were for the proposition 244; against it 149; majority 95.

After this division, we understood, that the name of Sir Francis Burdett was proposed by Mr. Lushington, and seconded by Mr. Biddulph. Upon this proposition a debate arose, which continued about an hour, and which terminated in the rejection of the honourable baronet's Bame without a division.

The committee was appointed, consisting of the members proposed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. They were ordered to proceed on their inquiries immediately, and to report from time to time, as they deemed meet. The minutes taken before the former committee were referred to their consideration.

Adjourned at three o'clock.

HOUSE OF LORDS.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 1.

The Earl of Dartmouth stated to the House, that his majesty had been waited upon with their lordships' address of Friday last, to which his majesty had been pleased to return a most gracious answer.

The address and his majesty's most gracious answer were ordered to be printed forthwith.

The commissioners of the customs presented several

papers