438 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1809. 



intention of the enemy's fleet to at- 

 tack the little squiidron which was 

 stationed off Rochefort harbour, 

 when a s'gnal was made from the 

 French shore, with out specifying the 

 number, of anotlier enemy's fleet. 



This induced admiral Willaumez 

 ratherto seek for safely than attempt 

 conquest, and to desist from tiie 

 pursuitof that little squadron, which 

 when, after his entrance into the 

 harbour, he had discovered to be 

 joined by only three ships, he 

 would have undoubtedly attacked 

 with his eleven, had he not been 

 prevented by the dread of being in- 

 tercepted by lord Gambler's fleet. 

 After this we became tlie assailants, 

 and were again favoured by great 

 good luck; for if the Mediator, 

 contrary to the plan prescribed at 

 home, had not been fitted up as a 

 fire-ship, the boom could not have 

 been broken by fire-ships of the 

 usual weight, and two other booms 

 would have been shortly placed. — 

 Nor is this all ; it appears, that 

 owing to some derangement of the 

 other vessels, the brave lord Coch- 

 rane hailed captain Woolridge, of 

 the mediator to slacken sail, but 

 was luckily unheard : for if the im- 

 petus of that vessel had been check- 

 ed, the boom could not have broken. 



All these fortunate occurrences 

 were necessary to produce the hap- 

 py result. Admiral Willaumez is, 

 we understand, ordered to Paris to 

 be tried for his conduct. 



Report relating to the Dutch 

 Commissioners 

 Your committee, having derived 

 from the minutes of evidence and 

 proceedings of the committees on 

 Public Expenditure of the prece- 

 ding sessions referred to them by 



the House, some material informa- 

 tion respecting the e!-tablishment 

 and the transactions of the com- 

 missioners for the sale, management, 

 and disposal of Dutch property, 

 captured or detained on the occa- 

 sion of the commencement of hos- 

 tilities with Holland, in consequence 

 of its invasion by the French, have 

 pursued the investigation of that 

 subject, and proceed to report 

 upon it. 



The commissioners, who were 

 five in number, were appointed in 

 1795, under the authority of the 

 21st clause of the 35th Geo. 3. oh. 

 80; and their commission, after re- 

 citing in the words of the act, that 

 " the cargoes of Dutch ships, de- 

 tained or brought in, might perish, 

 or be greatly injured if some provi- 

 sion was not made respecting the 

 same, authorizes the commissioners 

 to take such ships and cargoes un- 

 der their care, and to manage, sell, 

 and dispose of the same according 

 to such instructions as they should 

 from time to time receive from the 

 king in council." 



The lords of the privy council in 

 their instructions, dated 1 3th June, 

 1795, direct the commissioners ge- 

 nerally, as to the conduct of their 

 transactions, and require them to 

 keep minutes of all their proceed- 

 ings, and to *' keepaccountsinsuch 

 form as the lords commissioners of 

 the treasury shall direct orapprove." 

 No instructions appear to have pro- 

 ceeded from the board of treasurj', 

 and the commissioners represent 

 themselves to have undertaken their 

 office, without having come to any 

 understanding with any branch of 

 the government respecting the man- 

 ner of deriving their compensation 

 for their services, or the amount 

 of it. 



They 



