THE NAVY—SIR JOHN BARROW.

HC Deb 14 February 1839 vol 45 cc354-5

Sir E. Codrington

said, seeing the hon. Secretary for the Admiralty in his place, I wish to know whether a letter which has been in circulation, signed by the Under Secretary of the Admiralty, has received the sanction of the Board of Admiralty, or is to be received as expressing only the individual opinion of the person whose signature it bears? It is a letter which uses very strong terms, and naval men are anxious to know from whom it really proceeds.

Mr. C. Wood

I conceive that the question which has been put to me by the hon. and gallant Gentleman refers, not to a letter, but to the supplemental chapter of Sir J. Barrow's Life of Lord Anson. If so, I cannot imagine how any person who has read the preface to that work can put such a question to me as that which the hon. and gallant Gentleman has asked. Sir J. Barrow states, that book was published, not only without the authority of the Board of Admiralty, but without the knowledge of any member of the Board. I can distinctly confirm that statement, not only for myself, but for every member of the Board. I had no idea what were to be the contents of it until Sir J. Barrow put the printed book into my hands. I have no hesitation in saying, that many of the opinions there expressed by Sir J. Barrow are not approved of by the Admiralty. It may be convenient, that I should take this opportunity of stating, that as to the facts contained in that work, on looking at them, I perceive that they are such as may be collected from documents printed in this and other countries; and though there may be inaccuracies in some parts, the facts in the main are substantially correct.

Captain Gordon

I beg leave to ask whether the pamphlet published yesterday, as an answer to another publication, was printed under the authority of the Board of Admiralty.

Mr. C. Wood

My answer to this question is precisely the same as that which I gave to the first which was put—namely, that the publication has taken place without the authority or knowledge of the board. Captain Hardy is now in this country, and the first intimation I received of this production, as of the other, was, when a printed copy was put into my hands by the author.

Subject dropped.