leon At Milan, lor at Rome, quietly taking possession of the crown of his newly created kingdom. It is there that he will have received the account of the triumph of his forces of their having insulted and plundered the colonies of England, of their having turned the laugh of the world against that country, whose minister, whose man of mighty words, menaced him with "elas“tisement."There also Napoleon will learn, that an English fleet and army, sailing forth after months and months of preparation; have taken shelter in a neutral port for fear of meeting with the combined fleets of France and Spain! There he will hear, with delight, that we are dispatching our regular troops abroad; that we are scattering them here and there in handsfull over the globe, while his preparations for invading us go steadily on.It appears to me, that since the beginning of the war, our ministers have adopted no one measure that he must not naturally have wished them to adopt. The result, too, has, in almost every case, been just as he could have wished. The blind followers of Mr. Pitt and Lord Melville were told, that such would be the consequences; they were told, that the consequences would be exactly such as they have hitherto proved. What have we seen from them but fooleries, or something more serious than fooleries? The Volunteer Colonel with his cars; the High Admiral with his catamarans; the parish army; the "confidential intercourse" with the powers of the Continent: what have we seen that does not tend to make good every thing we foretold respecting them. And will their adherents still turn a deaf ear to us? Will they still cling to them? The lamentable picture which the people of the West Indies give of their situation; their slaves armed; their plantations and sugar-works at a stand; their property perishing their expenses augmented to a degree never before known; their towns in a state of siege their houses in confusion; their families in a constant state of alarm all this let them thank themlves for; let them thank the West India merchants and planters, who, for their own selfish purposes, have constantly supported, aid are still supporting, even now, even under all the facts that have come to light; funden all these circumstances they are sup"porting the Pitts and Dundases, the Cannings and the Addingtons, the Jenkinsons andorthe Castlereaghs. They ask us, neomdimes, hifta change in the ministry would produce any good effect, and, if we dotno think, that a ministers are alike. To questions like these there is no giving a se

rious answer. Was ever a doctrine like this inculcated before? For twenty long years we have had dinned in our ears assertions respecting the superior wisdom and purity of the Pitt ministry. But, nou, all at once, we are told, that there is no wisdom, v no p rity, under the sun, at least as far as relites to ministers of state! This is unbearably impudent. But, it matters not; it is a sort of impudence which, is sure to produce its own punishment. And, again 1 say, that the crying West Indians must excuse us, the people of England, if we remain heart-whole notwithstanding the calamities brought on them by the Pitts and Dundases and Cannings and Addingtons and Hawkesburies and Castlereaghs. One good turn deserves another. The West India mercliants and planters have been, for twenty years past, giving their voices against us: we will do nothing against them; we will defend them if we can; but, if we cannot help smiling at the same time, it is hoped they will excuse us; and, at any rate, let their fate be what it will, they cannot expect us to go into mount ing for them.ing for them.The melancholy reflexich is, however, that, in the long run, we must suffer as well as they. Nay, it is not cettain, that they may not after all, regard themselves as gainers by what they are now so much alarmed at; though we, perhaps, mistake the cause of their alarm, it being possible, that it is a revolution in the property and not in the government of the West Indies that they are afraid of. If Jamica be taken by the French, it appears almost certain, for the reasons stated in the prece ding sheet, that it will not be recovered by, or restored to, England. But, planters stick to the soil if they can; and, as to mer chants, they, like artists and men of letters, have

no country." Jamaica once possesed by the French, a free, intercourse with America would be opened, and the European duties upon the West India produce would be very reasonable; and being, be sides, carried in neutral vessels, would yield an enormous profit to the planter, and world, of course, enhance the value of all those mortgages, which the merchants have non the plantations. Upon only taking this glance at the subject, does not the reader perceive the possibility of the West India merchants and planters changing their time, a little while hence, and thinking Napolein

a mighty good sort of a man! This is the great danger. Only Jet Jamaica fall into the hands of Napoleon, let a free intercourse be opened with America, let other relaxations be adopted, and we shall soon see what stuff West India merchants and planten işe

made of; we shall soon see to the bottom of the souls of those, who have supported the Pitts and Dundases.The capture and mild treatment of Jamaica must, in all probability, totally annihilate, in a very little time, the British power and dominion in the West Indies. Such an event would, it is seriously to be feared, be a signal for general defection through the whole of the Western Archipelago. It would, eventually, destroy the better part of that navigation, which contributes most to our maritime strength; it would instantly diminish, in the amount of one eighth at least, the resources of the country; the effect upon private fortunes and upon public credit may be more easily conceived than described; and, as to the disgrace, as to the infamy wherewith it would cover us, who shall find words to give an adequate description?The present state of things, however, I repeat it again and again, is no more than the natural consequence of the Pitt system of government; and, I have a claim to belief here, without entering into proof, having distinctly foretold that such a state of things would, and at this time too, be produced by that systein.' And yet, so fast is it rooted; so freehold-like is become the tenure of public office and emolument; so far forward is every thing pledged, and possessed in expectancy, that, till the 10th Report appeared, there was no reason to suppose that the system would ever be shaken by any thing short of some national calamity that would go nearly to annihilate the means upon which the system subsists; and, indeed, whether there be virtue enough in the country to render the facts of the Tenth Report efficacious to our relief, is a question that still remains to be decided.

SIR WILLIAM HEATHCOTE AND MR. CHUTE. The conduct of these gentlemen, in respect to a protest drawn up, signed by them and others, and dated at Winchester on the 16th instant, being the day of holding the county mecting there, does, in my opinion, merit the severest reprobation. They are, though the fact may not be very generally known, two inhabitants of Hampshire, and the two Knights of that Shire, or, according to the more familiar phrase, the two members for the county. In this their capacity, they did, on the memorable 9th of April last, vote against Mr. Whitbread's motion for censuring Lord Melville. They, doubtless, acted according to the dictates of their conscience; or, at any rate, they were duly empowered to vote on which side they thought proper, and no one could, or can, without committing a breach of the privi lege of parliament, and exposing himself to

punishment, animadvert upon their conduct in that instance. Nay, I am of opinion, that no one ought to animadvert upon it, if it were lawful for him so to do. But, when these gentlemen choose to step beyond the bounds, not only of parliamentary privilege but of common decency; when they, the representatives of a county, range themselves in oppositi to the loudly declared and almost unanimous sentiments of the people of that same county; when, at the same time, we see them signing and, circulating a publication expressive of principles hostile to the ancient and undoubted rights of their constituents, and evidently tending to en feeble, if not to stifle entirely, the voice of their prayer for redress of grievances; when we see them thus engaged, and that, too, in company with a list of persons holding places, and possessing emoluments from the public purse, during the pleasure of the minister; when they thus throw down the gauntlet, thus, in the public, newspapers, proclaim themselves the adversaries of all those who have petitioned against the proceedings of Mr. Pitt and Lord Melville, to avoid a rencontre with them would be not only a mark of false delicacy but of political cowardice.Whatever difference: there may, in other respects, be between them and me, (and that there is a vast deal I should certainly be ashamed to deny) as writers in a newspaper, we are, in point of privilege at least, perfectly upon a level.. In this character, therefore, I, at present, consider them, and, upon their conduct, in the same character, I intend to take an early opportunity of addressing some remarks to the freeholders of Hampshire, in which I shall endeavour to defend the conduct of those. freeholders against the aspersions cast upon it by the publication, to which I have alluded, and of which I here insert a copy, together with the resolutions at the Winchester meeting. For the remarks, which it will be proper to make I have not now room; but, the documents once fairly before my readers, the remarks will follow with a better chance of being clearly understood.-A meeting of the freeholders, in the county of Hants, was no sooner called, than the partisans of Mr. Pitt and Lord Melville appear to have begun to make preparations for nullifying the proceedings of that mecting; for, the same provincial papers that announced the meeting contained a notification in the following words, dated at WINCHESTER, 11th of May, 1805. The business on "which the county is called together on

Thursday next, is of so interesting a na"ture, that it is hoped gentlemen from

every part of it will not fail to attend on "that day, in this city. It is earnestly to "be wished also, that persons connected "with the county, who entertain different

opinions on political matters may be pre"sent at that meeting, to throw all the "light on the subject they are capable of, "to enable the county, to form a judg"ment, whether there is just ground for "believing that a reluctance has any where "been shewn for discovering abuses, or any disposition has been manifested towards "protecting delinquents when discover"ed." The object of this notification is evident; and, for the present, I shall only observe with respect to it, that a similar notification having appeared in the READING paper, just at the time of the meeting of the county of Berks, inquiry was made of the printer, how he came to make such a publication, whereupon he stated, that the insertion of the notification was paid for, and came to him under the frank of Mr. Freeling, the Secretary at the Ge-neral Post Office. Whether the Hampshire notification came from the same source, the reader must judge for himself.The Resolutions passed at the Hampshire meeting, were moved by SIR THOMAS MILLER of Froyle, a truly independent and most respectable gentleman. There were nine in number, and were expressed as follows: "1. That it appears by the Tenth Report "of the Commissioners of Naval Inquiry, "that money which had been issued for "naval services had been applied to other purposes. 2. That such application of "naval money by Lord Viscount Melville ! ¢¢ was a direct and wilful violation of the law, and a flagrant abuse of public trust.

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-3. That the House of Commons, by "their votes on, the 8th and 10th days of April last, founded on the motions of "Samuel Whitbread, Esq. censuring and "reprobating such nefarious conduct, have

acquired to that honourable House the ve"neration and gratitude of all ranks of the people.4. That the thanks of this meeting, and of the whole country, is due to all those persons whose patriotism suggested, and whose zeal and ability have * carried into effect, the wise and salutary measure of a parliamentary commission, to inquire into the frauds and abuses which "have been brought to light by the Commissioners of Naval Inquiry.-5. That it is the opinion of this meeting, that it would be desireable not only to continue and extend the powers of the Commis* Hampshire Telegraph, May 13, 1805.

"sioners of Naval Inquiry, but also to con "stitute such other commission, upon a "similar principle, as may be competent to "investigate all irregularities, frauds, and "abuses, throughout the whole of the na "tional expenditure.-6. That a petition "be drawn up and presented to the House "of Commons consonant to the preceding "resolutions.-7. That the thanks of "this meeting be given to the Earl of St. "Vincent, for having been so instrumental, "by his undaunted exertions, in bringing "forward to the public view the enormous "abuses in the naval department under his "cognizance and inspection.-8. That "the thanks of this meeting be given to "Samuel Whitbread, Esq. for the motions "made by him on the said 8th and 10th

days of April, and also for his upright, "able, and faithful discharge of his duty in

parliament. 9. That the zeal, fidelity, "and fortitude with which the Commis"sioners of Naval Inquiry have performed "their duty to the public, not only merits "the warmest thanks of this meeting, but "those of every man in the kingdom who "wishes well to the prosperity of the pes

ple." -The thanks of the meeting were given to Sir Thomas Miller for moving the resolutions, to the gentlemen who called the meeting, to the sheriff for his readiness in calling the meeting; and, it was resolved, that the petition (for which see the preceding sheet, p. 781) should be presented by Earl Temple, Mr. Clerke Jervoise and Mr. Shaw Lefevre, taking no notice of the members for the county.At the meeting an opposition, particularly to the resolution of thanks to Lord St. Vincent, was made by. LORD BOLTON and by a MR. POULTER, who was once a lawyer, but who, it seems, is now become a clergyman, and is settled at a place called Meonstoke, near Gosport. The language and behaviour of this latter person is said to have attracted particular notice; for, whether from the effect of the Dock-yard air whence he had just issued, or from the novelty of his situation, having been accustomed to hold forth without the hazard of contradiction, he discovered a degree of impatience, irritation, and insolence, which has seldom been equalled, but which did, nevertheless, excite very little resentment, the ludicrousness of it being still greater than the indecorum,. With the submission, however, to the gentlemen of the church, it may not be improper to remind them, that, while their enemies represent them as having no right to interfere at all in political matters, their friends cannot fail to lament that they should over interfere inghe

House, agreeably to the usage of parliament in like cases, to speak in his own behalf; and, when the motion for an impeachment is made, Lord Melville will, of course, be admitted The Report is not yet printed (31st of May) and, it is impossible to describe its contents without seeing it. It is very improper, indeed, to attempt to give any description of it, either from hearsay, or even from a cursory reading of it; but, as a sketch of it has been published, in the ministerial papers, the COURIER of the 28th, and the MORNING Post of the 29th; and, as comments, evidently calculated to mislead the public, and to produce effects, if possible, l ,hos

ile to the dictates of justice, to the welfare of the country, and, eventually, to the very existence of the state, it will not, I trust, be thought improper to point out a few of the. most mischievous passages, and to offer a few remarks upon them.With respect to Lord Melville, the following passages appear in the Morning Post of the 29th, as part of an abstract of the Report. The committee "have found that 40,0001. from the naval

funds have been advanced by Lord Mel"ville and Mr. Pitt to the house of Boyd "and Benfield. A sum of 10,0001. had "been advanced by Lord Melville before

Mr. Trotter became Paymaster of the Navy, but how this sum was applied the "committee have been unable to ascertain. "Sunis have been frequently advanced by Trotter, for the use of Lord Melville from a mixed fund, at Coutts's, of public and private money. Mr. Trotter borrowed at one time 22,0001. for the use of Lord Melville, for which the noble lord was to pay an interest of 5 per cent. Lord M. did not inquire how, or from what fund the loan was obtained. It was lent by Trotter.Trotter was in advance in account current to Lord Melville, generally from 10 to 20,0001. which was lent from a mixed fund, and for which Trotter con"sidered Lord Melville his private debtor. "Upon these advances, however, no interest was ever paid, nor was any interest paid upon any of the sums of 40,0001. 10,0001. or 22,000l. alluded to. Immediately after Mr. Trotter became Paymaster of the Navy it is stated that he was appointed private agent to Lord Melville. In this capacity Trotter received the salary of "Lord Melville, with other sums in England, and also remittances, sometimes " from Scotland, which receipts he paid "into the mixed fund at Coutts's. Trotter

had advanced sums to Mr. Tweedy and "other persons. The advances he made to "Tweedy amounted, once or twice, to

about 2 or 4c001. All those suns have

been since replaced, but without interea,

The time at which they were advanced or replaced cannot be said, ALL VOUCH LERS, &c having been: DESTROYEDİ The Committee observe, that Lord Mel ❝ ville, in a letter to the Commissioners of "Naval Inquiry, states, that he did not de

cline giving accommodation from the "funds in his hands, as Treasurer) of the "Navy, to other departments of the public ** service, they do not find thal any such ac "commodation has been given in any in"stance whatever. The committee allude "to another letter from the noble lord to "the same commissioners, alleging that be "did not derive any profit from the use nade "by Trotter of the public money, and t

"

fer to the Appendix, which contains the “evidence." I am not giving this as part of an abstract of an authentic report, but as a publication in a ministerial newspaper, pro fessing to be part of such an abstract. THE UPSTART, who is well known to write in the Oracle newspaper, of the 29th instant, bas observed upon this passage, that, if it becer rect, he does not hesitate to believe, that "Lord Melville is totally free of the charges

against him as a participator with Ma "Trotter." This is exactly the cours those writers pursued previous to the first parliamentary discussion upon the Tenth Report, They then told the public, the Lord Melville was perfectly innocent; the no loss had accrued; and that as to participation with Mr. Trotter, the charge was entirely groundless. The Commons, however, thought him guilty of a gross violation of the law and a high breach of duty. Connivance they fully convicted him of; the partióps tion was all that remained to be proved, and, if the above extract be a fair representation of the report, that proof is now obtained. He borrowed the public money, and paid do interest for it. The principal was paid back, but it is not said that it was paid back by Lord Melville, or out of his property. All this, observe, if the above abstract be cor rect, is proof; and, the non-payment of in-terest is proof positive of participation with Mr. Trotter. Yet the UPSTART has the assurance to tell us, that, if this abstract correct, Lord Melville is totally free from the charge of participation! Bat, the blackest circumstance of all, is, that all "the vouchers, &c. are DESTROYED;" $0 that there is no finding out when, if at all, the principal of the sums borrowed, was paid back again; and, if this abstract should, at last, prove to be correct, there are few persons who will affect to believe, that it was paid back at all. I beg leave to refer hete, to what was said in the Register of the 20th

be