. YONGE STREET AND DUNDAS STUEE*. 633 



In 1804, when, on the resignation of the Addington Ministry, 

 I'itt returned to power, Yiscount Melville became First Lord of the 

 Admiralty ; and now it was that the tide of his good fortune began 

 to ebb. He was, all of a sudden, called to account by the House of 

 Commons for certain malpractices indulged in some twenty years 

 previously by one Alexander Trotter, the Paymaster of the Navy 

 when Melville was Treasurer of the Navy in 1786. The charge came 

 up indirectly in conuection with another inquiry, and the occasion 

 was greedily seized by the Whig Opposition as one that might perhaps 

 bring on the downfall of Pitt's administration. On the motion of 

 Mr. Whitbread, a resolution was carried, only, however, by the casting 

 vote of the Speaker, in a house of 433, asserting that "large sums of 

 ^4noney had been, under pretence of naval services, drawn from the 

 feank by Alexander Trotter, Paymaster of the Navy, and by him 

 invested in exchequer and navy bUls, lent upon the security of stock, 

 lemployed in discounting private bills, and used in various ways for 

 the purposes of private emolument ; and that in so doing he acted 

 with the knowledge and consent of Lord Melville, to whom he was 

 at the same time private agent ; and therefore that Lord Melville 

 has been guilty of gross violation of the law, and a high breach of 

 duty." Befoi-e the resolution was put, Pitt and Canning had both 

 spoken eloquently and powerfully in defence of their colleague. On 

 the day after the condemnatory vote, Pitt announced to the House 

 that Lord Melville had resigned his office of First Lord of the 

 Admiralty ; and three weeks later Pitt intimated that, in deference 

 to the prevailing sense of the House, the King had been advised by 

 his ministers to erase Lord Melville's name from the list of Privy 

 Councillors, and that accordingly it would be done. Four weeks 

 later, Melville asked to be heard before the House of Commons, 

 ^here he appeared in person, and offered reasonable explanation of 

 his conduct as Treasurer of the Navy twenty years before. The 

 Opposition was implacable, however, and, at the instigation of Whit- 

 bread, a vote was carried to institute formal impeachment ; and in 

 due time, Westminster Hall witnessed a scene somewhat similar to 

 that which had been enacted within about twenty years before, at 

 the trial of the other great Proconsul, Warren Hastings. 



The process lasted from April 29 to June 12 (1806), when the 

 •accused peer was acquitted of malversation personally, but judged 

 guilty of negligence of duty in respect of his agent. There can be 

 no question but that Melville's alleged offence was greatly magnified 



