APPENDIX to the CHRONICLE. 



657 



appears to have come to the hands of 

 lord Melviile, previous to the pay- 

 mastership of Mr. Trotter ; but how 

 it was applied, the evidence to 

 which we have had the opportunity 

 of resorting, does not enable iis to 

 determine. Various sums appear 

 also to have been advanced by Mr. 

 Trotter, during a period of between 

 fourteen and fifteen years, whilst he 

 was paymaster of the navy under 

 lord Melville, to the order of lord 

 Melville, amounting in all to 22 or 

 23,0001. which we shall distinguish 

 by the name of the aggregate sum 

 of 22 or 23,0001. about one half 

 of which, Mr. Trotter states to have 

 been advanced exclusively from public 

 money ; the restfrom afund, which is 

 calle<l in iMr. I'rotter's evidence, his 

 mixed fund at Messrs. Coutts, coi!- 

 sisting partly of public and partly 

 of private money : for which aggre- 

 gate sum of 22 or 23,0001- no interest 

 was paid. In order to avoid con- 

 fusion, it may be proper here to 

 state, that Mr. Trotter was desired 

 by lord Melville to borrow for him, 

 and did advance to him for his pri. 

 vate use, a further sum of between 

 22 and 23,0001. of which he Was 

 himself the lender, and for which he 

 charged him with interest at 5l- per 

 cent. ; but from what fund the same 

 was drawn by Mr. Trotter, we did 

 Hot think it proper to enquire. He 

 was also occasionally in advance in 

 his account current to lord Melville, 

 in sums to the amount of from 10 to 

 20,0001. as mentioned in the tenth 

 report, which came entirely from 

 the mixed fund at Messrs. Coutts 

 and company (the balance upon 

 that account being also occasionally 

 in favour of lord Melville to the 

 amount of 2 or 3,0001.) and for the 

 last mentioned sum of 22 or 23,0001. 

 to lent on int erest, as • well as 



for such balance when it was in 

 favour of Mr Trotter, he states, that 

 he considered lord Melville as his pri- 

 vate debtor ; but on such balances iu 

 the account current, no interest on 

 either side was paid. Of the speci- 

 fic sum therefore of 22 or 23.0001. 

 Solent on interest, and those occasio- 

 nal advances in the account current 

 from the mixed fund at Messrs. 

 (Coutts and company, mentioned in 

 the appendix to the tenth rejjort, 

 we shall abstain altogether from 

 taking further notice ; confining our 

 remarks to the several sums of 

 40,0001. 10 0001. and the aggregate 

 sum of 22 or 23 COOL upon none of 

 which any interest was paid. As to 

 the 40,0001. the diversion of it from 

 naval services to which it was ap- 

 propriated, contrary to the provi- 

 sions and meaning of the 25th of 

 Geo. 111. c. 31. attracted our ear- 

 liest attention, and called for a full 

 and minute enquiry into the causes 

 aiid circumstances of that transac- 

 tion. For this purpose, several 

 witnesses have been called before us, 

 from whose evidence it appears, that 

 in December 1795, a contract was 

 made by government with th& houses 

 of Messrs. Boyd and company, 

 Robarts and company, and Gold- 

 smid and company, for a loan of 

 18.000,000; of which, in the be- 

 ginning of the month of September 

 1796, three instalments of 15 per 

 cent, each were still due ; and that 

 about the month of April 1796" a 

 loan of seven millions and an half 

 was negociated by the chancellor of 

 the exchequer, in order to fund a 

 sum to that amount of exchequer 

 bills and navy bills held by the bank, 

 principally for the purpose of re- 

 lieving the company from their ad- 

 vances to government, which then 

 pressed heavily upon them. That 



loan 

 2 



