HC Deb 08 February 1808 vol 10 c385
Mr. T. Grenville

begged the attention of the gentlemen opposite for a few moments. The house would recollect, that as the late administration quitted office before the result of the Expedition to Constantinople was known, it was impossible for him to judge what Papers had or had not been received on the subject by the admiralty. It was well known that the greater part of communications from the admiralty originated in letters to and from the first lord, who caused all such letters to him, and duplicates of all such letters from him, as he conceived to be fit subjects of official resort, to be laid before the board of Admiralty. He had not now the opportunity of knowing whether several papers of considerable importance to the elucidation of this subject, had been laid before the board. One was a Letter from lord Collingwood to the first lord of the admiralty, containing sir T. Louis's report of the state of the Dardanelles, and of the Turkish fleet and batteries on the 5th of Dec. Two others were Letters from himself to lord Collingwood, on the subject of Alexandria and Constantinople, of which he had thought proper to lay before the admiralty certified copies, that they might become the subjects of official resort. Having so done, he thought it his duty to call the attention his majesty's ministers, before they made up their minds on the Papers, to be produced, and to express his hope, that when those papers were produced, a sufficient time would be allowed for the discovery of any deficiencies that it might be found necessary to supply.

Mr. Secretary Canning

observed, that he had on a former occasion sufficiently evinced his wish, that all the information on the subject, which the gentlemen opposite were desirous of having, should be produced, although the expression of that wish had been so ungraciously treated, that he should feel much disinclined again to enter into a private communication on that or any other subject with the gentlemen opposite.

Mr. T. Grenville,

in explanation, declared that the first intimation which he had had of the private communication to which the right hon. gent. alluded, was when on his legs in that house.