LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 227 
which a decided indisposition was shown to give the information 
which was required, and in some instances where it was 
literally impossible that any ignorance should exist; the motive 
is obvious, but where a grant of money was asked from the 
lie purse for the performance of some eminent service, the 
public had a right to demand to know the full extent of that 
service, and any attempt at concealment of any information 
on which the claim to remuneration or reward was founded, 
should have been visited by withholding the recommendation to 
the House of Commons to advance the sum proposed, until 
such time as the information had been given. We shall say 
more respecting the proceedings before the committee of the 
House of Commons, when the immediate circumstances for 
which it was appointed, come under our consideration. In the 
mean time however we shall proceed to expose the contra¬ 
dictory evidence which was given by Commander Ross and 
Capt. Ross, respecting the actual command of the expedition, 
for according to the evidence of the former he did not con¬ 
sider himself under the command of Capt. Ross, and that 
he was in fact so far independent of him, that if Capt. Ross had 
interfered in any of his regulations or conduct, he would have 
seceded from the management of the expedition altogether. On 
this subject however the two commanders could not possibly 
have understood each other, or they must have assumed one 
character on board the Victory, and another in the committee 
room of the House of Commons. We certainly do know from 
our own sources of private information, that Commander Ross 
as far as the discoveries extended, not only geographical, but 
philosophical, was the life and soul of the expedition, and that 
had it not been for his scientific observations, the Standard of 
William the Fourth would not have been planted on the true, 
position of the magnetic pole; Capt. Ross admits in his evi¬ 
dence, that he was not within forty miles of it, but perhaps the 
country would have entertained a higher opinion of his personal 
energy and professional talent, had he gathered the laurels of the 
discovery himself, and thereby given immortality to his name. 
With the view of confirming or refuting the evidence of Com- 
