612 
Mr. Alexander Trotter was called 
into the witnesses’ box.—He be- 
gan by stating, that he entered a 
junior clerk in the navy pay office, 
in the year 1776, at asalary of 501. 
ayear. He wasappointed paymas- 
ter to the noble defendant soon af- 
ter, at a salary of 5001. per annum. 
When he came into office, he receiv- 
ed all the balances from the pre- 
ceding paymaster, with the excep- 
tion ‘of 10,0001. which lord Mel- 
ville said he should account for. 
He accordingly made his lordship 
debtor to that amount. Subsequent- 
ly he applied to his lordship to let 
him draw a portion of the public 
money from the bank, and place it 
at his private banker’s, intimating 
that it would be for the convenience 
of the publicservice. He confess- 
ed, that part of such drafts he had 
employed in buying up government 
securities, exchequer bills, &c. and 
also in discounting bills for private 
individuals of repute; ‘all for his 
own private emolument and advan- 
tage. At one period he went into 
Scotland, leaving Mr. Wilson to act 
for him. He received lord Melville’s 
pay as treasurer of the navy, and 
also his rents from Scotland, but 
not for his other offices. He kept 
6¢ an account current” between 
himself and his lordship, but charg- 
edno interest for advances ;_ that 
account was destroyed.—In the year 
1786, he advanced 4000l. to his 
lordship, for which he took his bond 
without interest, and he believed 
that formed the first item in the ac- 
count current.—That advance was 
made from a mixed fund at Coutts’s, _ 
composed of part of the public mo- 
ney, and part of his own proper 
monies. In1792, he bought 20001. 
ludia stock forhis lordship, which 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1806. ° 
came from the same mixed fund. In 
1797, 10,0001. loyalty loam was sub- 
scribed on account of his lordship, 
the instalments of which he paid, for 
the noble defendant, as they became 
due, without informing his lordship 
of the fact, whieh he admitted were 
paid from the public mouey. He 
also purchased 7000. stock (in the 
3 per cent. reduced) for his lordship; 
and these and all such advances were 
entered in the ‘* account current,” 
between him and his lordship : he 
charged no interest upon them. He 
had also paid 20001. to sir Willtam 
Forbes and co. and 33741. to 
Messrs. Mansfeld, Ramsay, and 
co., bankers at.Edinburgh, on ac- 
count of lord Melville ; but he 
could recollect no collateral cireum- 
stances attending such payments. 
Mr. Trotter went on to state, that 
besides the ¢* account current,” he 
kept another account-book, which 
he called ‘¢ the chest account.” 
This last he considered as lord Mel- 
ville’s account with the public : the 
first item in it was the 10,0001. lord 
Melville owed the public when he 
(the witness) came into office ; and 
the next was the 10,0001. loyalty 
loan. The general balances, hesaid, 
were against his lordship when he 
quitted the office. They amounted to © 
a sum little short of 50,0001., which 
were paid up by his lordship. About 
the year 1789°or 90, he intimated 
to lord Melville the propriety of his 
increasing his India stock ; when 
hislordship replied, ‘* that he had 
no moncy.”—The witness said he 
had considerable balauces lying at 
Coutts’s, of the public money, and 
asked if he should lay out 13 or 
14,0001. for him ?—His lordship 
refused in the most decided manner, 
and witness thought he had lost his 
lordship’s 
