HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



93 



sated for the loss of a profession 

 at which he might have starved ! 

 Mr. Bowles had discovered that it 

 was much more profitable to trade 

 in anti-jacobinism under Mr. Pitt, 

 than to wait for causes at the bar. 

 Mr. Ord was sorry to detain the 

 house with such a man as Mr. 

 Bowles ; but it happened that his 

 career was connected with some 

 verv important points. It showed 

 the nature of the cry of anti-jaco- 

 binism, which had been set up with 

 so much vigour to defeat the most 

 beneficial political objects. It ex- 

 posed the principle upon which the 

 loudest of those anti-jacobin de- 

 claimers acted, which was solely a 

 view to their own private emolu- 

 ment. This John Bowles afforded 

 an admirable specimen of an anti- 

 jacobin— the eulogist of existing 

 powers — the defender of present 

 establishments — the denouncer of 

 all who might condemn abuses, or 

 call for reform, as vile jacobins. 

 These tricks would no longer im- 

 pose upon the public. The mys- 

 tery was discovered. John Bowles 

 himself let out the secret, and the 

 reign of imposture and delusion 

 was at an end. This transaction 

 afiForded a useful lesson to all go- 

 vernments on the point of bestow- 

 ing important pecuniary trusts on 

 low persons, having no merit to re- 

 commend them but the circum- 

 stance of their being mercenary 

 authors. If governments would 

 employ such persons, they must 

 share in the disgrace brought on 

 by their conduct. The employ- 

 ment of such men was a bounty on 

 roguery, and an encouragement of 

 abuses. Negligence in the selec- 

 tion of proper agents, and a profli- 

 gate profusion in the public ex- 

 penditure, had ever been the pe- 



culiar characteristic of the ad- 

 ministration under which these 

 commissioners had been appoint- 

 ed. 



Beforehe should concludehehad 

 a few words to add upon the mode 

 of keeping the accounts of the com- 

 missioners. Mr. Rose had stated 

 in his evidence before the commit- 

 tee that they were to be referred 

 from the treasury to the auditors 

 of the public accounts ; in which 

 he appeared to have been incor- 

 rect. Mr. Huskisson admitted 

 that they were to be delivered in 

 to be passed at the treasury. Now, 

 said Mr. Ord, most unquestiona- 

 bly the treasury was the last place 

 to which he should consent to send 

 the accounts of so loyal a man as 

 Mr. John Bowles to be audited and 

 passed ; because it was not impos- 

 sible but he might have friends 

 there, who might not be very strict 

 in the examination and sifting of 

 his accounts. And, besides, the 

 treasury had not power to examine 

 upon oath. If he was rightly in- 

 formed, the accounts sent in on 

 one day were commonly passed on 

 the next day. In the resolutions 

 which he meant to propose, he 

 should introduce one directing that 

 the accounts should be sent to the 

 auditors of the public accounts. As 

 to the proportion of remuneration 

 to the commissioners, the question 

 could not well be brought before 

 the house till the accounts of the 

 commissioners should be passed. 

 He did not include in the resolu- 

 tions he meant to propose, one for 

 directing a criminal prosecution 

 against the commissioners by the 

 attorney-general, because he un- 

 derstood that a doubt was enter- 

 tained whether they were liable to 

 such a prosecution. Mr. Ord con- 

 cluded 



