§ The Earl of Albemarlesaid, that before proceéding to the 337 business of the day, there was a motion with which he meant to trouble their ldps. of which he had not deemed it necessary to give any notice, as he could not conceive any objection which could be made to it. What he wished was, a copy of the commission granted by his maj. to sir C. Middleton, and others, for managing the naval concerns of the country. Their Ldps. were not ignorant that there was another committee appointed for this purpose by parliament, and it was but proper that it should be seen how far this committee, appointed by his maj. was intended to supersede the committee appointed by parliament. Of the exertions of this latter committee, and of the benefits of which, their exertions had been productive to the country, both that house and the country, in general were sensible. It had been appointed under the management of a noble earl, (St. Vincent) whose conduct entitled him to public esteem and gratitude, not as a brave commander merely, but as an upright and able conductor of the affairs of the admiralty. He therefore moved, that an humble address be presented to his maj. praying that he would be graciously pleased to order a copy of the commission to Sir C. Middleton, and others, to be laid before the house. Ordered.
Earl St. Vincentsaid, he availed him self of the first full attendance to notice what had fallen, from a right hon. gent, at the head of his maj.'s councils, in another place, on Tuesday last, (see p. 274) and to demand of the noble lords on the ministerial bench, to declare, whether it ever has been, or was now., in the contemplation of his maj.'s ministers, to institute any enquiry into his conduct while at the head of the admiralty board. He believed he had some firm friends upon that bench; and he implored them, as the greatest mark of friendship they could confer on him, to furnish an opportunity to disclose the source and spring of every action of his life, public and private; more especially those which governed his conduct as first lord of the admiralty.
§ Lord Hawkesburysaid, that he could not Undertake to give any answer, or to enter into an explanation respecting what had passed in another place; but, as far as his own enquiries went into the noble lord's conduct, either before or after he left his situation, there did not certainly exist any grounds for thinking that such a 338 measure as the noble lord alluded to was in contemplation.
Earl St. Vincentagain rose, and after making some apologies to the house, said, that he was not satisfied with that answer; and that he positively repeated his demand to be informed, whether there was any intention to bring a charge against him, or not?
§ Lord Hawkesburyrepeated, that according to any information he might be supposed, from his official situation to be capable of giving, he was not aware of the existence of any such intention as that to which the noble lord had alluded.
The Earl of Suffolkwished to know whether another report, from which much was expected, would be forthcoming from the commission appointed to enquire into the naval department? Their services were so eminently useful that he had no scruple in saying, they were entitled to the thanks of that house.—On the motion of the Duke of Clarence, the tenth report was ordered to be printed.