50 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1810. 



CHAP, IV. 



House of Commons j)roceecls in the Inquiry into the Expedition to the 

 Scheldt. — Found among the Papers on the Table, a Narrative of the 

 Expedition to the Sc/icfdtf signed /jy Lord Chatham, and presented to 

 his M'sjestij, without the Intervention of any responsible Minister. — 

 The Purpose for ivhich this was apparently framed. — This clandestine 

 Proceeding ofo Lord Chatham arraigned by some Members as uncon- 

 slitutionul — defended by others. — Motion by Mr. IVhitbread, for an 

 ^Iddress to his Majesty, for Copies of all Reports, SfC. submitted at any 

 lime to his Majesty, by the Earl <yf Chatham, relative to the late Ex- 

 pedition, — Debates. — Tlie Motioncarriedby a small Majority. — 2 he 

 King's Answer to the Address respecting Lord Chatham's Narrative,— 

 Inserted in the Journals cfthe House. House (if Lords. — Motion by 

 the Marquis of Lansdoivn,Jor an Address to his Majesty, respecting 

 his Majesty's Answer to the City nf London. — Cause and Object of 

 this Motion. — Debate. — Discussions respecting the Policy and Con- 

 duct of the Scheldt Expedition. — Lord Lansdoivns Motion negatived. 

 House of Commons. — Specific Pesolutions moved by Mr. IVhitbread, 

 on the Narrative of the Earl of Chatham. — Long Debates. — The 

 Resolutions carried by a small Majority. 



HOUSE of Commons, Febru- 

 ary 19. The order of the 

 day being moved, for going into a 

 committee of inquiry, respecting 

 the expedition to the Scheldt, 

 Lord Folkstone said, there was a 

 subject of great consequence, to 

 which he thought it is his duty, on 

 that occasion, to call the attention 

 of the House. Among the papers 

 on the table he found a letter of a 

 most extraordinary nature, refer- 

 ring to the matter of the present 

 inquiry. A narrative of the expe- 

 dition to the Scheldt, signed by 

 lord Chatham, and presented to 

 his majesty without the interven- 

 tion of any responsible minister. 

 This paper had been produced on 

 the motion .of general Loft, of 



which he had given due notice. 

 It was entitled, <' Copy of the 

 earl of Chatham's statement of his 

 proceedings, dated 15th of Octo- 

 ber 1809; presented to the king 

 14th February, 1810.* The dale 

 of its presentation to the king was 

 much noticed. It bore date only 

 on the 14th inst., although it had 

 been two or three months ago an- 

 nounced in the newspapers, known 

 or supposed to have some under- 

 standing with the ministry, that 

 lord Chatham had presented a 

 narrative of this description to bis 

 majesty. The objections which 

 lord Folkstone had to this paper, 

 on account of the manner in which 

 it had been presented to his ma- 

 jesty, were considerably aggra- 



See this paper in State Papers, p. 43.3. 



