kers. Such a circumstance, in itself, afforded a strong ground of suspicion, and the loss and mischief such a practice might have brought upon the naval department, would have been incalculable. The house was now appealed to, as the constitutional guardian of the rights of the people, and be should ill discharge his duty to the public, if he did not give his most cordial and sincere support to the present motion.

After a few observations from lord Andover, Mr. Wallace, sir Charles Price, and lord Archibald Hamilton, the house divided for Mr. Whitbread's motion, 216, against it, 216,-and the numbers being thus equal, the speaker gave his casting vote in favour of Mr. Whitbread. Some conversation afterwards occurred, upon amend ments proposed by Mr. Pitt, in the wording the resolutions, which, how ever, suffered no material alteration. Mr. Whitbread then moved an address to his majesty, to remove lord Melville from his councils and presence for ever; but, on the suggestion of Mr. Pitt, it was agreed to postpone the consideration of this motion till the Wednesday following, and, at five o'clock in the morning, the house adjourned.

On Wednesday, the chancellor of the exchequer, as soon as he entered the house, informed it, that lord Melville had resigned the office of first lord of the admiralty. Mr. Whitbread then moved, that the eleventh resolution, charging lord Melville with being privy to, and conniving at, the withdrawing, for purposes of private interest or emolument, sums issued to him as treasurer of the navy, be read, which being done accordingly, he again rose, and stated, that though the notice

now given could not have been unexpected to any one, yet it could not satisfy either him, that house, or the public. Lord Melville had not been dismissed; he gave in his resignation, which was no more than any honourable man might do, from feelings of his own. The result of the proceedings on the last night had diffused such universally joy through the country, that the representatives of the people may

"Read their history in a nations eyes," but lord Melville might be restored to-morrow, and they would have no such cause of exultation, if they did not render it impossible for his majesty ever to call him to his councils. He thought it right to tell his majesty, in the most solemn manner, that it was necessary to remove lord Melville from all the offices he holds under the crown. He would go further, and though he understood, from the right honourable gentleman (Mr. Canning,) that Mr. Trotter had been dismissed, it was his intention, immediately after the holidays, to move, that his majesty's attorney general be directed to proceed against lord Melville and Mr. Trotter, for the recovery of the profits so unjustly taken from the public purse. And it was also his intention to move, after the holidays, for a select committee, to enquire into the transfers from one service to another, and all the other transactions referred to in the report. He further observed, that the right honourable gentleman opposite him (Mr. Pitt,) was himself implicated, and it was in vain for him to exculpate himself. What he alluded to was, the quietus of 24,000l. to Mr. Jellico. No satisfaction, he said, would be afforded to public justice,

that

that lord Melville should quietly retire with his riches and his honours. He then entered into a statement of the emoluments arising from the several offices of lord Melville, and particularly dwelt upon the grant of 1500 a year to lady Melville out of the public money, and for which no service had been performed, and observed, that if any of those grants were revocable, they ought to be revoked. He then concluded with moving, "an humble "address to his majesty, praying "that he would be graciously pleas"ed to remove lord Melville from "all offices under the crown during "pleasure, and from his councils "and presence for ever."

Mr. Canning did not think that the case which,at the most, amounted to no more than a bare suspicion, warranted the severity of the proceedings now proposed. When he looked back to the proceedings in that house, in 1795, upon the serious charges then brought forward against two most eminent commanders, and that their most active defender, and most indefatigable advocate, was that very noble lord, who has now been the theme of the honourable gentleman's violence and invective, he little expected that, in his present defenceless state, attempts to hunt him down would have been made by the kindred of sir Charles Grey, and the friends of sir John Jervis.

Mr. Grey knew of no similitude in the two cases. When the two commanders alluded to returned home, distinguished by military success; instead of concealing their conduct, by any dishonourable subterfuge, they courted an enquiry. In that situation, the support given them by lord Melville, instead of being a

favour, was doing them no more than justice. After declaring the noble lord had been guilty of a high breach of duty, it was necessary to follow it up with some corresponding measures. The resignation of the noble lord was a matter of course, as he dare not remain in power after the opinion of that house had been so solemnly expressed; but he was still a privy councillor, and held several lucrative offices during pleasure, his removal from which would not be at all carrying punishment very improperly. For these, and other reasons, he supported the motion.

Mr. George Ponsonby thought the present motion inseparably connected with the former resolutions, unless an assurance was given, that the political life of lord Melville was for ever closed.

Mr. Samuel Thornton defended the conduct of the bank, and maintained, that no blame could attach to it in any of these transactions.

Mr. Bankes did not think there was any necessity for the eagerness shewn to follow up the blow already struck; as he thought there was no probability that the noble lord would again be restored to his majesty's councils. He also thought it contrary to precedent, as he never understood it to be the usage of the house, to address his majesty against persons out of office; therefore, though he voted for the motion of the former night, he should resist the present.

Mr. Windham thought it necessary to require a promise, or declaration, which would render it impossible to restore lord Melville; otherwise he had such a hold of those in power, and they were so linked and connected together, that

an attempt might be made to counteract what the house had done. It would be a lamentable instance of the mutability of opinion, if that house should forfeit, by indifference, or languor, the high honours which their conduct, on the preceding evening, had obtained them from all sorts of people, honours

impropriety of retaining Mr. Trotter in the important office of paymaster of the navy, so many months after the report of the commissioners, and his sudden dismissal now, when nothing more appeared against him than was known before, proceeded to observe, what little ground there was for bestowing such extravagant

declared so.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer said, that as some gentlemen seemed to require a specific declaration respecting the restoration of lord Melville, he had no hesitation at all in saying, that all idea of the noble lord's return to power was completely annihilated, and that no danger whatever need be apprehended on that head. In making this frank declaration, he wished it to be under. stood, that it was not to continue in force, in case the resolutions of Monday should, on future enquiry, be found to have been premature, and consequently be erased from the journals of the house: in any other case, he should think it absolutely impossible, that any minister could ever think of recommending the noble lord to a share in his majesty's councils. After this explanation, he thought it but an act of common liberality to the noble lord, not to persist in the present

motion.

Mr. Fox, after descanting on the

found in the eagerness he had ever shewn to heap up emoluments, and systematise corruption, of which he reported all the instances that occurred to him? Was it in his freedom from party spirit, in refusing to receive the voluntary services of a body of loyal men at Tavistock, because they were to have been commanded by the late duke of Bedford? or.in his having used the whole weight of government to deprive the honourable Henry Erskine of the office of dean of the faculty at Edinburgh? After adverting to a variety of topics, he said, that not wishing the house of commons to monopolize the whole gratitude of the nation, on this proceeding, but desiring that his majesty, and the house of lords might have their share of the credit, so universally attached to it, he should have no objection to the motion being withdrawn.

undecided in what manner he should Mr. Wilberforce felt himself feel inclined to vote, and strongly recommended to the gentleman to withdraw his motion.

Mr. David Scott thought this a measure of great severity, after forty years of meritorious services, to a man who never valued money, and who,though he might have made millions, if he had availed himself of the advantages he possessed, yet always thought himself very happy, if, at

the end of the year, he could make both ends meet.

Mr. Kinnaird insisted, that lord Melville was known to have been, in Scotland, a very bitter political enemy, as was exhibited in the case he alluded to, of the dean of faculty.

The Secretary at War, (Mr, W. Dundas, did not think the honourable member, who spoke last, could have discovered that character of bitterness in the noble lord, in the frequent opportunities he took of partaking the conviviality of his mansion, for weeks and months at a time.

Mr. Kinnaird replied, that it was

a proof of very bad taste to suppose, that, because he lived in the same country with lord Melville, and mixed in society with him, he ought now to be precluded from the faithful discharge of his duty, as a member of parliament.

Mr. Whitbread, after a short reply, to some of the preceding speakers, withdrew his motion, in lieu of which, he moved, "the resolu"tions of the former night be laid "before his majesty," which resolution was carried unanimously; as was also another," that they "be laid before his majesty by the "whole house."

CHAP.