followed? One of the first acts of the Whigs was to prevent the trial of Lord Melville to be published in the newspapers, or in any shape except in one monopolized book, by which means the public have never been made acquainted with the evidence given. And now they complain, that Lord Melville has supplanted them. How justly are they punished! This act was also a beginning with the press, What they would have done, if they had subdued the king, we may easily guess; and, in short, when we consider what they did, and what they left undone, it is impossible not to rejoice, that both they and their parliament are politically dead. " us he merits, on this occasion, nothing but contempt. Another reason, too, for my rejoicing at the death of the late parliament, is, that it affords those electors who have yet any part of their franchise remaining, and especially you, an opportunity of choosing men in whom you ought to confide, and that one of those men ought to be Mr. Paull the whole nation is convinced. Much had he done when you before gave him your votes; but, what he has since done entitles him to your gratitude in a degree not to be expressed. You would have had, on the last occasion, no election, had it not been for him; and, had it not been for his exertions, for his unparalleled exertions and sacrifices since, you never would have had another. His firmness and perseverance, his devotion to the public cause, have prevented your city from becoming a close borough. It is from pure fear of him that those who before attempted to monopolize you have decamped. That you have, practically speaking, any voice at all to give, you owe solely to him, and, therefore, not to support him, upon the present occasion, would argue a degree of depravity, which I should be loth to ascribe to any part of my countrymen, and particularly to you. With catholic bills, or ministerial pledges, or royal consciences, you have -Mr. Whitbread, Gentlemen, talks about the constitution;" and, it would be strange indeed if he did not; for when have you heard a stickler for party who had not the word everlastingly in his mouth? But, though Mr. Whitbread can complain of the Speech as unconstitutional; though he can see something very dangerous to the constitution in the king's changing his ministers without a responsible adviser; though he can see this, which I cannot see, he thought it, I suppose, perfectly 'constitutional to set on foot that famous Subscription, which was raised for the purposes of depriving you of the use of your elective franchise; and when Mr. Whitbread again complains of the hy-nothing to do. You want, in the House of pocrisy of his opponents, remind him, I pray Commons, a member, who, in spite of seyou, of his speech at the last of Mr. Sheri- duction and of threats, will set about the dan's election dinners, where he congratu- pursuit of public robbers, and who will never lated the company on their triumph, which, desist, until he has brought them to punishhe said, was so much the more agreeable to ment. This is the man you want, and this. him that it had been achieved without any man you have in Mr. Paull. Of the several undue influence; when, at the same time, he millions of men, of whom this nation conhad been the great author of that Subscrip- sists, there is, perhaps, scarcely one other, tion, which has been brought to light by the who, under all the embarrassments and danCommittee, and to which subscription alone, gers that he has had to encounter, would have and the nefarious means that it enabled our done what Mr. Paull has done for the mainenemies to resort to, the triumph of Mr. taining of his rights, and your rights still Sheridan was to be ascribed. Mr. Whit- more than his own. It is not so rare to find bread well knew, that, if your free voices had persons of talent as of firmness, industry, been heard, Mr. Paull would have been the and perseverance; and all these great public member. This he knew. This he cannot virtues are possessed by Mr. Paull in the deny and, he cannot deny, that he had the highest degree. Two such men might do a principal hand in stifling that voice. Let great deal, even in the House of Commons; him now himself complain of foul play, till but, one man, if you cannot obtain two, may his lungs are exhausted. Let him now cry do much, particularly in the way of bringing out against unconstitutional dealing, till he to light useful facts, such facts as must, in be weary. What care you or I for his com- time, produce their due effect. But, I freely plaints Us, and all the people, who are not confess to you, that, if, upon this great occa subservient to his views, he would deprive of sion, you fail in the performance of your every benefit of the constitution. Except as duty, all your complaints, like those of Mr. the tools of himself and his party, he would Whitbread, will be a subject of ridicule ranot, if he could have his will, suffer us to ther than of compassion. You should reexist. Let him complain to those who re- member, that the question with you now is, ceived his subscription money. Let those not whether you shall have a real representadegraded wretches condole with him. From tive in the next parliament; but, whether you ne you shall ever have another real representa | Majesty's dominions, were we lightly to tive as long as the present mode of choosing members of parliament shall exist. It is a contest for your franchises; and, if y glect to exert yourselves, of those franchises you ought to be deprived. These are not times for flattery. In the series of letters, which I have done myself the honour to address to you, I have, first or last, though in a manner somewhat irregular, laid before you the whole of the state of the country, in a way not easily misunderstood. You must see what is the cause of all our calamities; you must perceive, that it is in your power to aid in removing that cause; and, if you fail to afford that aid, you may still complain, but you will find no one to pity. In the anxious hope, that you will not be found wanting upon this great and trying occasion, I remain, with those sentiments of respect and admiration, which your conduct at the lest élection were so well calculated to inspire, Your faithful friend, Botley, 30th April, 1807. DOMESTIC OFFICIAL PAPER. CITY ADDRESS ON THE CHANGE OF MINISTERS. -April 22. This day the deputation of the corporation of Lendon, consisting of the lord mayor, twelve aldermen, the recorder, sheriffs, and twelve commoners, presented the following Address to his Majesty at the Queen's House, To the King's most excellent Majesty. The humble and dutiful address of the lord mayor, aldermen and commons of the city of London, in common council assembled. "Most gracious, Sovereign,We your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the lord mayor, aldermen and commons of the city of London, in common council assembled. approach the Throne with our warmest and most unfeigned gratitude for the dignified and decided support and protection recently given by your Majesty to the Protestant reformed religion, as by law established, and for the firm and constitutional exercise of your royal prerogative to preserve the independence of the crown.- -Deeply sensible as your Majesty's faithful citizens of London at all times are, of the great and substantial blessings we enjoy under your Majesty's paternal government, we should justly incur the imputation of criminal indifference as the first municipal body in your consider the scrupulous regard and fervent zeal which have invariably guided your Ma. jesty for the preservation of our religion, laws and liberties, more particularly at this interesting conjuncture; or silently to withhold our loyal acknowledgments, due to the best of Kings, for his wise and steady resolution to secure inviolate our glorious constitution in church and state.-We contemplate, Sire, with the warmest affection and most profound veneration, the exercise of those unextinguishable principles in the Royal breast, which protect in every situa tion, the religious interests of your people, and provide for the happiness and freedom of posterity, by gnarding the Protestant succession in your Majesty's Royal House on the Throne of the United Kingdom.-Your Majesty's faithful citizens of London feel it no less their pride and exultation, than their bounden and indispensible duty, to express the sentiments of satisfaction which animates their hearts, at the wise and dignified measures pursued by your Majesty, securing the glorious independence of the crown as one of the three estates of our well tempered and invaluable constitution.-That your Majesty may be long spared to us by an overruling Providence, and that the people of this land may be long sensible of the blessings of your Majesty's most auspicious government in the protection of every thing dear to them, is the ardent prayer of your Majesty's loyal citizens of London. Signed by order of court.-HENRY WOOD THORPE. To which address his Majesty was pleased to return the following most gracious an swer: "I receive with the greatest satisfaction the assurances you give me of your concurrence in those principles which have governed my conduct on the late important occasion. It has ever been my object to secure to all descriptions of my subjects the benefits of religious toleration; and it affords me particular gratification to reflect, that during my reign these advantages have been more generally and extensively enjoyed than at any former period. But, at the same time, I never can forget what is due to the secu rity of the ecclesiastical establishment of my dominions, connected as it is with our civil coustitution, and with all those blessings which, by the favour of Providence, have hitherto so eminently distinguished us amongst the nations of the world." Printed by Cox and Baylis, No. 75, Great Queen Street, and published by R. Bagshaw, Brydges Streat Covent Garden, where former Numbers may be had į sold also by J. Budd, Crown and Mitre, Pall Mall, VOL. XI. No. 19.] LONDON, SATURDAY, MAY 9, 1807. [PRICE 10D. A BOROUGH.-A Gentleman of fortune and respectability will hear of one, by immediately applying to Mr. Prince, Bookseller, Old North-street, Red Lion-square."MORNING POST, 1st. May, 1807. SEAT IN A CERTAIN ASSEMBLY. Any Gentleman having the Disposal of a Close One, may apply to Mr. Francis, Stationer Cross-street, Hatton-garden."--MORNING POST, 2d May, 1807. PATRONAGE-Wanted, by a Gentleman of high honour and character, a respectable Official Situation, "in England (either a Sinecure, or one which does not require constant attendance), for which an adequate "compensation will be given, according to the annual produce. The most satisfactory reference will be given and required, previous to any treaty being entered into. Apply by letter (post paid) to A. B. at Mr. O. "Turner's, law stationer, Chancery-lane.”—MORNING CHRONICLE, 30th April, 1807. "Wanted to Purchase, the next Presentation to a Living from 300l. to 5001. per annum, with the prospect "of an early vacancy. Address, post-paid, to A. B. Strawbridge and Tyler's, 78, Warren-street, Fitziny, "square."; MORNING CHRONICLE, 30th April, 1807. 625] TO THE FREE AND INDEPENDENT ELECTORS OF THE CITY AND LIBERTIES OF WESTMINSTER. LETTER XV. GENTLEMEN, I have long been afraid of wearying you with my unasked-for observations and advice; but, though I do not see, that, under the present circumstances, any thing that I can say is at all likely to produce any immediate effect upon your conduct, or, -at least, any effect that can be of conspi cuous utility to the public cause, I cannot refrain from addressing to you this one letter, first upon a topic or two of a more general nature, connected with the elections now going forward, and next upon the subject of your own election. One of those topics is the recent exposure with regard to a great defalcation in the Army-Pay-Office, to prevent the publication of the report relating to which the partizans of the late ministry represent as one of the principal causes of the dissolution of parliament. Indeed, those ministers themselves so represent it; for we find the representation distinctly made in the address of Lord Howick to his constituents, the freeholders of Northumberland. Mr. Whitbread says the same in his address, and so does Mr. Herbert. In my last letter some observations were made upon this subject; but, since the publication of that letter, an elabo rate defence of Mr. Rose, as having been made acquainted with the defaication, hast appeared in the Courier news-paper, which defence is, apparently, written either by Nir. Rose himself, or by some person nearly as much interested in the matter as he is, and on which, after inserting it, as I now "their appointment; to which the ac"countant answered, he had called two or *three times at Mr Steele's door, without : finding him which conduct appeared to render the conduct of the accountant less "excusable, because if he thought it ne cessary to see Mr. Steele on the subject, he certainly should have apprized him of *his wish to do so to ensure his meeting with him. Mr. Rose therefore desired * him to write to Mr. Steele to render his seeing him certain, and to let Mr. Rose "know on his return from Buckden, whe ther any interposition of his with Mr. "Steele would be necessary.——Lord Tem"ple has stated that Mr. Rose declined even to give advice to the accountant on the subject. On the 11th of February Mr. "Rose went to Buckden, and returned the 19th; on the 20th the accountant called " on him and told him he had seen Mr. "Steele, who said generally that the sums « before mentioned were received by him for army services of a secret nature. The accountant's statement of his interview "with Mr. Steele was so little satisfactory "to Mr. Rose, that the latter went to Mr. Steele on the morning of the 21st, from "whom he could obtain no clear explana"fion of the business: Mr. Steele said Mr. "Rose must excuse his entering into parti"culars at present, as he did not feel him"self at liberty to do so; that the advances "were made to a person or persons for ser vices of a secret nature; that the whole "would be repaid, but that he could not "at the moment fix the precise time, ac knowledging that he had no warrant or "other authority whatever for the issue. "Mr. Rose then observed to him, that "under such circumstances he (Mr. Steele) "should see Lord Grenville or the present Paymaster General, and explain so "much of the transaction as should satisfy them; the whole of it certainly if they should think it necessary; adding that it was beyond all comparison better he should do that in the first instance, as from himself, than wait to give an explanation "when he should be called upon to do so; 86 7 tant, stating too, that as the matter had been "spoken of publicly in the office, it would soon become a topic in a wide circle;→ that this appeared to be the more impor as the precedent would shew to future paymasters general the possibility "of their taking money placed in the Bank On the account of the public for their own private accommodation at any time, when they should find themselves under a pressing urgency to do so; which was plainly private intereouse whatever from political "differences. Not content with this "verbal communication with Mr. Steele, "Mr. Rose in the afternoon of the same "day, wrote to Mr. Steele, repeating what he had urged to him in the morning; and "added, that however he might be justified in taking such responsibility upon him"self by the exigency of the case, it was "not desirable that a paymaster-general "should have the power of applying mo ney in his hands, at his own will, without any authority whatever, &c. &c. "&c.; and then went on to say that bis "(Mr. Steele's) making the commurica"tion he recommended, would remove the "difficulty he (Mr. Rose) was under, of "giving the accountant advice out of office: "which he (the accountant) ought not to "have called upom him (Mr. Rose) to do "then, never having even alluded to the matter till after his retirement from it. " "received an official letter from Lord Temple dated the 7th, stating he had discovered "the two issues having been made without any authority, and that, as he found "the circumstance was communicated to "him some days before Mr. Rose resigned "the paymastership, desired he would refer him to the documents in the office, in "which he might find any minute or memo"randum of it. It now appears by the "Treasury minutes, that Lord Temple made "the disclosure to that board the 31st of Ja nuary: this attempt to implicate Mr. "Rose must therefore have been an after"thought. To which Mr. Rose instantly "answered, that the circumstance alluded દ to was not communicated to him till after "he had quitted the Pay-Office; he could "therefore make no minute, nor give any "direction upon it; about which, as there were three gentlemen present at the time "when the communication was made, any possibility of a mistake was precluded. "It now appears that so early as on the 31st of January last, and the 4th and 6th of February, Lord Temple acquainted "Lord Grenville with the discovery "made to him of the issue of the two sums, and that in consequence thereof, a "minute of the treasury board was made on "the 10th, calling upon Mr. Steele to pay "the said sum, the first having been pre"viously paid; and that other minutes were "made on the 20th of February and 19th of "March on the same business, in no one "of which does there appear to be the slightest imputation of any thing tending "to criminality in the transaction, no censare, no rebuke; nothing but directions "about the repayment. The lords of the treasury, therefore, tacitly sanctioned what had been done by Mr. Steele, so far, at "least, as not blaming his conduct. And yet a charge is attempted to be sustained against Mr. Rose, for not informing of it when out of office, by endeavouring to prove he was informed of it when in the "public service. He had however positively "retired from his employment several days "before the 10th of February, 1806, and "went on the 11th to Buckden for a week. "The King's appointment of his successors 66 (it is found on inquiry) was not signed "till the 13th, but of that he knew nothing till within the last fortnight; and the time when the cash at the bank was trans"ferred to his successor, he was ignorant of till he saw it in the Morning Chronicle Jast week. It was therein stated not to have taken place till the 24th of February; it might not have been done till the "1st of May, for any thing Mr. Rose knew ; "he was not a party to it.These are "the circumstances of the case as it affects "Mr. Rose. If he had at the time, foreseen "the attempt that would be made to implicate "him in the transaction, he could hardly "have acted with more caution and circum"spection on a disclosure of a business " which, as stated by the Accountant of the "Pay Office (when reproved by Mr. Rose) "had nothing criminal in it: M. Steele's 66 66 66 statement too led to a belief, that he had "taken on himself a most severe responsibility, but to no suspicion af any thing beyond that. The charge against govern"ment for dissolving parliament to prevent "the investigation ot the whole matter by "the committee of finance, hardly deserves "serious refutation, What particular in"ducement had the present ministers to protect Mr. Steele? When the occurrence took place, Lord Grenville, Lord "Spencer, and Mr. Windham were in the "cabinet; few of the present ministers Mr. Steele adhered to Mr. Addington after his separation from Mr. Pitt; "and the latter, when he returned to the administration, removed Mr. Steele from "his office. How then, it may be asked, "does any thing done by Mr. Steele affect "the present Ministers ? The entire sepa"ration of Mr. Rose from him would have "made it a very painful task for Mr. Rose "to have become AN INFORMER against "him when he no longer had a duty impo"sed on him to put himself in that situation." "were. Now, Gentlemen, stripping this statement of all its quibbling and shuffling, the facts, as acknowledged by this defender of Mr. Rose, are these: 1st, that, Mr. Rose was, on the 10th of February, 1806, he bring still paymaster-general, made officially acquainted with an embezzlement of his predecessor, Mr. Steele (Pitt's favourite, Tommy Steele'), to the amount of 19,000 pounds of the public money; 2nd, that Mr. Rose, then, and all the while since a member of the House of Commons, did not make any report of such embezzlement to the succeeding paymaster, nor any minute of it in the records of the office, nor any motion respecting it in the House of Commons; 3rd, that the embezzlement was discovered by Lord Temple, one of the succeeding paymasters-general, in January last; and, 4th, that the facts, having been communicated by Lord Temple to a committee of the late House of Commons, that committee was about to present a report upon the subject, when the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, the moment the |