§ MR. COGANsaid, he wished to call the attention of the Secretary for War to the fact that the Second Report of the Royal Commissioners of the Patriotic Fund was not signed by one of the Commissioners, Mr. Ball; and to ask whether Mr. Ball has assigned any reasons for withholding his signature, and, if so, whether there is any objection to laying his letter on the table of the House?
GENERAL PEELsaid, that it had been his duty, as Secretary for War, to present to Her Majesty the Second Report of the Royal Commissioners of the Patriotic Fund; and he received Her Majesty's command to lay it on the table of that House. He was aware of the fact that Mr. Ball had not signed that Report, and had written a letter setting forth his reasons for not doing so. That letter was addressed to him (General Peel) on the supposition that he was one of the Commissioners; but Mr. Ball, finding that he was not one of the Commissioners; had asked that the letter might be returned, and had since addressed it to the Secretary of the Commission.