S6 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1805. 



follows ; — " That it appears to this 

 " house, that the commissioners ap- 

 *' pointed by an act of the 43d of 

 *' the king, to enquire into the irre- 

 " gularities and abuses committed 

 " by persons employed in the sc- 

 *' Tcral naval departments, hiivc, as 

 '• far as appears from their reports 

 *• hitherto made, exerted tlieaiselves 

 *' with great diligence, ability, and 

 ^' fortitude, and that the whole of 

 ''" their conduct, in the execution of 

 *' the arduous duties entrusted to 

 '• them, is entitled to theapproba- 

 " tion imd thanks of this house.'' — 

 The motion being put. 



The chancellor of the exchequer 

 rose, not to object to the motion, 

 but to observe that the committee 

 had r.iUiutely considered one report 

 only ; he therefore put it to the 

 house, wiietlier the vote of thanks 

 would not be much fuller, and more 

 comprehensive, if it were given 

 after the reports were fully consi- 

 dered and digested r But it appeared 

 that those commissioners had refused 

 the opportunity of explanation to 

 several persons, v.liose characters 

 were artected by their reports, 

 which would not have been the 

 case had such opportunity been af- 

 forded. JIc would, however, leave 

 to the feelings of the house, the 

 propriety of distinctly and minutely 

 exami)iing each particular point 

 alluded to, as also, the severiil re- 

 ports before the house, previously to 

 a vote of indiscriminate approba- 

 tion. 



Mr. Fox thought the charges 

 brought against the eomiaissioners, 

 by the right honourable gentleman, 

 Could not in any man's mind be 

 deemed to apply in any shape against 

 this motion, for the right honour- 

 able gentleman could not vouch 

 for unit of th« statCBieuts he had 



made. This motion was necessary ; 

 the merit of the men, and the gra- 

 titudc of the people, demanded it. 

 \V ith a degree of fortitude truly ex- 

 traordinary, they had pursued de- 

 linquency through all the obstruc- 

 tions of high oflice, and the frowns of 

 power, and had detected and exposed 

 Hie criminality of one of the prin- 

 cipal ofiiccrs of the crown. 



.A long conversation took place 

 between the chancellor of the ex- 

 chequer, Mr. Fox, sir A. S. Ham- 

 mond, IMr. Rose, admiral Mark- 

 liam, &c. respecting those imputa- 

 tions on the conduct of the com- 

 missioners, when Mr. Rose observed, 

 tlKit altiiough he felt his objections 

 to some parts of the conduct of this 

 commission to be well founded, he 

 ^vould not oppose the motion, as 

 the sense of the house seemed to be 

 in its favour. 



Mr. Wilberforce highly approved 

 the conduct of the commissioners, 

 and thought them fully entitled to 

 the thanks of the house and of t\w 

 country ; but as all the reports had 

 not undergone thorougii investiga- 

 tion, he proposed, as an amend- 

 ment, that the Avords " tlio whole" 

 might be omitted in the motion. He 

 Mas of opinion that the motion, so 

 amended, would have a more dis- 

 tinct meaning, and jirove more ac- 

 ceptaBle to the commissioner'^ them- 

 selves. He therefore moved thai 

 the words " the whole of" be struck 

 out of the motion. A long difcus- 

 sion, on the propriety of the proposed 

 amendment, was now entered into, 

 after which ]Mr. Sheridan rose i* 

 rcjily. He took a general view of 

 the arguments and objections of 

 those gentlemen who had shewn 

 themselves hostile to the original 

 motion, but he would not consent 

 to abandon the word " whole" lu 



the 



