§ Mr. Whitbread,in pursuance of the notice which he had given, rose to submit to the house his motion on this subject. He said, that it must have been observed by the house, that in the ordinary estimates of the navy which had been laid on the table of the house by the member of the late administration, whose department it was to do so then, was an item of 20,000l. stated to be for the purpose of defraying the expences of the Civil Commissioners of the Navy. It was extraordinary that no information was contained in the body of the estimates of the intended application of that sum. The Commissioners of Naval Enquiry had sat for three years, and had been engaged during the whole of that time in an arduous course of public services, which they had most meritoriously performed, and yet no provision whatever had been made for a re- 454 muneration to them for their labours. These Civil Commissioners had been appointed but three months, and at the expiration of that period application was made to parliament to place the sum of 20,000l. at their disposal. It was certainly just that all those who were employed by the public should be paid by the public, but there should be something like decency in the mode of the application, and something like decency in the selection of the time at which such application was brought forward. In all former commissions of a similar nature, he understood it was the practice to reward the labour when the task was accomplished: in this instance the remuneration was demanded when the work scarcely begun. He was far from throwing any imputation on the individuals who composed this commission. On the contrary, he trusted that they would be emulous of the justly deserved reputation of the commissioners of naval enquiry, and that the result of their exertions would be correspondingly beneficial to the public; but he still thought it his duty to require, that the intended application of the sum that he had alluded to, should be explained to parliament. Supposing that they should continue in the performance of their duties for two years, their salaries would amount only to 15,000l. and there would then be a surplus of 5,000l. for any contingent purpose. He thought it but justice to the commissioners of naval enquiry, to observe, that, during the whole of their 3 years extensive investigation, including the expences of their journles at different times to instant ports, and other incidental charges, the whole amount of the public money spent by them did not exceed 5,000l. He should therefore move, "that there be laid before the house, an Account of the intended application of the ordinary estimate of his majesty's navy, for the year 1806; and stated on the said estimate to be for the purpose of defraying the expences of the commission appointed by his majesty for revising and digesting the Civil Affairs of the navy, in the navy, in the years 1805 and 1806; together with any documents upon which such part of the estimate may have been founded; also any correspondence that may have passed between the admiralty and any of the persons composing the said commission, on the subject of the same."
Lord Castlerleaghhad no objection whatever to the production of this account 455 which would enable parliament to judge of the propriety of the estimate alluded to. He would confine himself to a single observation on one part of what had been said by the hon. gent. which was calculated to throw an undeserved aspersion on the proceeding in question. It had been the invariable practice with respect to commissions of this and a similar nature, that when they were appointed by parliament, they were not remunerated until they had accomplished the object of their constitution; but when they were appointed by the crown, parliament would have a just cause of complaint, if application was not made to them for remuneration in the first instance. With respect to the amount of the sum in question, the hon. gent. had himself accounted satisfactorily for 15,0000l. of it. From the remainder would be paid the secretary, the clerk, &c. He however thought it perfectly right that the paper moved for ought to be produced, in order fully to explain the proceeding.
§ Mr. Whitbread,in explanation, observed, that it it was the practice when a commission was appointed by the crown, to make as early application to parliament as possible for a remuneration, then the late ministers had been culpably tardy on the subject.
Mr. Bastardapproved of what had been advanced by the hon. gent. and thought that the country was highly indebted to the commissioners of naval enquiry appointed by the house, and that it was but fair to shew that they practised the same economy which they recommended in their reports.
§ Mr. Wilberforcedid not see the fairness of comparing the simple expences of the commissioners of naval enquiry, unconnected with any remuneration, with the amount of the expences of the civil commissioners, united with their remuneration. He had understood from the noble person who was at the head of that commission, that it was his intention to relinquish his salary.
§ Mr. Whitbreaddeclared, that he had no wish to make the comparison just stated. If what the hon. gent. had said was the fact, as to the relinquishment of salary intended to be made by the head of the civil commission, that would add 3000l. to the sum to be accounted for.
Mr. Bastardafterwards moved for, "an account of the expences incurred by the commissioners of naval enquiry in each year since the establishment of that board, specifying the items by which the same 456 have been incurred, to the end of the year 1805," which was ordered.