7 
608 
to state to them a Jengthened’ detail 
of financial accounts, and a Series 
of dry facts, which, from their no- 
toriety, were deprived of novelty, 
but not susceptible of embellishment, 
even from the most eloquent. 
was also aware that he had to 
plead before the most enlightened 
and just tribunal in the world ; that 
he had assumed a station heretofore 
occupied by men most distinguish- 
ed for their qualities ; and that the 
greatest talent to be collected was 
opposed against him, Still he was 
far from being intimidated ; it was 
the cause of justice against a great 
publicdelinguent; and he feli confi. 
dent of being able to impart that 
conviction to their lordships, which, 
after the most serious reflection, 
it was impossible he could remove 
from his own breast. Another con- 
solation he felt was, that he was 
prosecuting charges before a tribu- 
nalsuperior to the flattery of elo- 
quence, the bias of prejudice, or 
the trammels of leggl impediments. 
Inthe progress of his duty, he trust- 
ed he should not bebetrayed intoany 
intemperance of expression ; con- 
Winced that truth required only the 
language of simplicity to enforce it. 
He was also anxious toavoid inflict- 
ing any unnecessary wounds upon 
the feelings of the noble defendant, 
or aggravating the feeliugs of those 
relatives who were dear to him ; at 
the same time he must not suffer 
considerations, such as he had men- 
tioned, to destroy the cause in which 
he had engaged himself for the pub- 
lic good.—Mr. Whitbread then re- 
ferred to the aét of parliament con- 
stituting the office of treasurer of 
the navy, and having dwelt upon 
the important duties of that ollice, 
and the disadvaptages resulting to 
ANNUAL REGISTER 1806. 
He: 
the country, by converting the pub- 
lic money to purposes of private 
emolument and advantage, he pro- 
ceeded to comment upon a subse 
quent act, which secured to the trea- 
surer of the navy a fixed salary, in 
lieu of all emoluments to be derived 
from such use of the public money. 
The illegality, he said, of keeping 
large balances in hand, had thus been 
recognized by parliament, who had 
expressly declared, that the trea- 
surer, who should in future be guilty 
of using the public money to his 
own advantage, should be consider- 
ed as impeachable :—in which con- 
dition the neble defendant, by his 
conduct, had placed himself—Mr. 
Whitbread then alluded to the trea- 
surership of col. Barré, who had 
strictly conformed to the aét. The — 
noble defendant, he said, suececded ~ 
that gentleman, and, having ap- 
pointed Mr, Douglas his paymaster, 
he commenced with that breach of 
his duty enumerated in the first ar- | 
ticle of impeachment :—Here Mr. 
Whitbread entered into a very long 
digression upon the difficulties the 
commiitee of inquiry had encoun- 
tered, and commented with much 
severity upon the noble defendant’s 
having positively denied, upon his 
honour, before that committee, that 
he had ever made profit or interest 
of the public money ; and even ex- 
pressed his readiness to take his — 
solemn oath of the fact; both of © 
which pledges, he said, were enti- © 
tled to discredit. Mr. Whitbread 
then returned te the first charge, 
that of the noble defendant’s con. — 
verting to his own use 10,Q001., the 
appropriation of which, his lordship — 
said henever would reveal ; and ob-° 
served, that the applying it to pur- 
poses other than nayal services was 
illegal 5 
