The Earl of Mintoasked whether the court-martial which had recently been held on Lieutenant Gray had been held in consequence of any representations made to the Government by any Foreign Power, or whether that proceeding had been adopted by the exclusive directions of the Admiralty in carrying out their own views on this subject.
The Earl of Haddingtonsaid, the court-martial had been ordered in consequence of communications made in certain correspondence to the Foreign Office as to the conduct of the officer whose name had been mentioned.
§ The Earl of Aberdeenwished to add to the answer given by his noble Friend, that although the court-martial had taken 1788 place in consequence of the representations of a Foreign Government, yet no Foreign Government had ever suggested any such proceedings. The French Government complained of the violation of the Treaty, and of the Right of Search, a French ship having been searched without warrants; and, on that being reported in the proper department, the Admiralty had thought proper to institute an inquiry into the facts of the case, and the result was the proceedings that had taken place.
The Earl of Mintosaid, there could be no doubt if a grave complaint was made by a Foreign Government against a British naval officer, and the Admiralty considered the circumstanstances justified an inquiry by court-martial, they would be quite right in instituting it. In this case, what he was anxious to know was, whether the proceeding had taken place in consequence of the complaints made by the Foreign Government, or whether it had originated solely from the view taken by the Admiralty of the circumstances reported to them? For his own part, he saw no such irregularity in the circumstances complained of as to call for an inquiry by court-martial on a charge so serious as that on which this officer had been put on his trial. He would make no observation as to the proceedings which had taken place in regard to the sentence.
The Earl of Mintothought courts-martial were sometimes resorted to on light occasions, but he would not further enter upon the point. There was one other question he wished to put to the noble Earl—whether the senior Captain at the port at which the investigation took place, Captain Burgoyne, was a member of the court-martial?
The Earl of Haddingtonhad not read the minutes of the court-martial, and therefore was not prepared to answer the noble Earl's question. If the noble Earl wished for any information as to the proceedings of the court-martial, he had better give notice of a question for a future day. As to the noble Earl's previous question, he had only to say that on the face of the papers presented to Government from a Foreign Power, the Admiralty considered that a case for a court-martial was made out.
§ Subject at an end.