very purpose of the investigation avowed by the hon. member as his object, and had delegated to them its authority to inquire, "with the utmost minuteness, concerning

every expenditure in the Barrack, as well as other Military Departments; which "Commissioners were proceeding with all "the expedition in their power, consistently with the nature of the subjects referred "to their examination; he would put it to "the good sense of the hon. gent. whether "it would not be much more orderly and "consistent with the regular proceedings of parliament, first, to await the Report of "those Commissioners, or to communicate "to them any information that could aid or "accelerate their inquiry, before he pro"ceeded to call upon the House to institute

another inquiry, to proceed at the same "time, and upon the very same subject. He "would submit to the hon. gent, whether "it was a proper, whether it was a discreet "procedure, while a Parliamentary Com"mission was occupied in this very inquiry, "to supersede the authority delegated to "them, without any alledged ground of im

putation upon their proceedings, and to

move for another inquiry upon the same "topic. If, indeed, when they should "make their Report, the hon. member

should find any just cause to complain of "their negligence, or partiality, or unne

"

cessary delay, it would be competent to "him to call upon the House for the inqui

ry now proposed; but until such an occa"sion should occur, he hardly could con"ceive the House would be disposed to comply with the hon. gent's. wishes for, such an inquiry.— -Mr. ROBSON rose "and said: If, Sir, my eyes did not con"vince me to the contrary, I should have "conceived that it was the ghost of the late "minister I have just heard. What the "noble lord has just said is, word for word,

the objection made by the minister four years ago, to a motion which I then "made for inquiry upon the same subject, and I have brought down with me the Parliamentary Register to prove the fact. But, notwithstanding the disappointment I feel *at such an answer coming from the noble lord, as one of his Majesty's present ministers, I shall persist, aye, inexorably persist, with the leave of the House, in my determination of having this business sifted to the very bottom. It cannot interfere with the Military Commission.

am

But, I to be told, that the House of Com

"from one office to another for investiga"tion, without effect? First, it was sent to "the Treasury; from thence it was referred "to the Auditor of Public Accounts; then "it was sent to the Secretary at War; and, "at last, the system blew itself up, and cor"ruption and venality had wrought their "own reform. But the fact not to be de

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nied, is, as I stated four years ago, that "the expenditure in the Barrack Depart

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ment has grown to an enormous amount. Why, I ask, has not parliament done its duty and prevented the progress in time? "The purpose, I have in view, is to examine "the old accounts, in order to prevent simi"lar profusion from occurring in future. I "wish also to procure the protection and justice of parliament for many of those persons who have had the misfortune to give credit to a considerable amount to the "Barrack Department, whose accounts now "remain ten years unsettled, and whose fa"milies be driven to ruin and beggary "while they are waiting the tardy investi"gation of the Military Commissioners. I "do not mean to charge any individual with a criminal misapplication of the public money. I am only desirous to do justice, " and to ascertain where the fault lay; and "I believe the Barrack Master General will turn out to be a very ill-used man, in the "delay of settling his accounts.-Lord "H. PETTY appealed to the House, whe"ther government could be said to have "lost any time in proceeding on the sugges

may

tions of the Report of the Military Com"missioners. He had himself made a dis"tinct statement to the House on the sub'ject of that Report. He did not deny the right of member of parliament to inter"fere with the inquiry "delegated to the "Commissioners. He only appealed to the

hon. gent's. discretion, an appeal of "which, after what he had just heard, he "should be inclined to doubt the success. -Mr. BASTARD recommended to the "hon. gent. to substitute the word "Build

-

ings" instead of "Barns," and to make "the motion general -Mr. ROBSON "thanked the hon. gent. but would defer "that till another day. -The question was then put upon the first motion and agreed to. The hon. gent, then moved, a Copy of a Letter to the late Secretary at War, dated 29th Dec. 1805, "from the then Barrack Master of Sandown

"for

Bay division, enclosing Proposals on the part of Mr. Jaines Day of Brading, for "the building of a Barrack at Brading.""Mr. PERCEVAL wished the hon. gent. "would explain to the House what was the

object of his motion, and the nature of the "letter Mr. ROBSON observed, that he was prepared to give an answer, but he thought he was entitled to the papers upon "the grounds he had already stated. He "observed, that there seemed a disposition "to resist him in every step he advanced 65 upon the subject. instead of thanking him "for his endeavours to expose to the House a system of delinquency in the public expenditure. His object in moving for this paper, the contents of which he already "knew, was to produce what the learned gent would call legal evidence.--The "SPEAKER having locked at the written copy of the motion, wished to know whe"ther the letter alluded to, was a letter to or from the Secretary at War.--Mr. "ROPSON. From, Sir, if you please · "The SPEAKER. The hon member having

ject of grave and serious importance, no "less than a gross and corrupt profusion of "the public money, to which it was at all "times the duty of that House to attend; "and he thought his hon. friend had expe"rienced a levity of treatment ill comport"ing with the gravity of the House, or the respect due to one of its members."Lord H. PETTY was not aware that there was any ground for the charge of levity, "when the House had discovered every disposition to grant the information required. "He trusted the House would act always "with becoming gravity, and that when the papers granted for its information were

from the Secretary at War. He thought "it more regular for the Commission to go "on and do its functions, and afterwards

for the hon. gent. to come forward with "his motion, if he should then deem it ne

cessary.Mr. ROBSON explained, that "the motion was written in the sense in "which he wished to have it put, but the hand-writing not being the most legible "he had inadvertently read one word for "the other.Mr. HILEY ADDINGTON

still pressed for an answer. Could the "House, he asked, enter into the inquiry

when there was a Parliamentary Commis"sion actually sitting ?--Mr. ROBSON

gent. that inquiry in that House should "stop, because inquiry happened to be going on elsewhere. He did not think that parliament by delegating its power to "a Commission, did thereby preclude itself "from adverting to the subject if it thought

proper.Mr. ROBSON was sorry that "the hon. gent. had not been in the House "to move the previous question upon his "first motion. By moving for the previous

question the House would put itself in the "situation of having ordered one paper, "which was of no use, unless explained by those which there was now a disposition "to refuse. To say, continued the hon. gent. that a commissioner is equal to a member of parliament is ridiculous. Are there not men in this House as good as

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any commissioners can be? All I ask for "is two or three short letters which a clerk can copy out in half an hour. Give me "but these, and I will take upon me to prove that there has been a corrupt and profligate profusion in a branch of our expenditure which has cost the country 10 or 12 millions, and I pledge my character as a member of parliament to do it. What "am I to think, Sir, when the Treasury "Bench start up and move the previous "question on such an occasion? 'I am re"solved to take the sense of the House day "after day, till I see that there is no inten"tion to keep the public accounts private. "And this at a time, Sir, when the people "of England are loaded with new and into"lerable burthens, and when every man is "called on to shed the last drop of his blood,, "and to deliver up the last guinea from his "bureau for the defence of the country!

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quite another: there might be many "rights unquestionable in the possession of many men, but there were many cases in which it might be wise and expedient to dispense with the exercise of them. The present he conceived to be one of those cases: but by opposing the hon. member's wishes on this occasion, he by no means meant to preclude him from the fullest in"formation he should feel it necessary to "demand upon this subject at a future day, "when those Commissioners should have "finished their inquiry, to which, under "the authority they possessed of examining

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evidence upon oath, they were more competent to accomplish than any inquiry that "could be carried on by that House."Mr. MARTIN said, he thought it his duty to stand up in defence of a gent. who, he was convinced, was desirous of doing good to the public, and who ought to be supported in his honest endeavours to do his duty, and was of opinion he had made cut "his case.-Mr. ROBSON asserted that "there would have been a saving of 100 per "cent, on the transaction, if the letter he "moved for had been attended to. Surely, "Sir, said the hon. gent. this case is clear "enough! My motion seems to cut upon "both parties, the goers out and the comers "in. The previous question is a thing that "I hold cheap. In my motion four years

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"

on

ago respecting the £19.10. business, when "I wanted to see the Bill-book, I was met "with the previous question. The motion the 10th Report was also attempted to "be done away by the previous question; "that famous Report which has excited the "attention of all Europe, nay, I might say "of all the world. My motion then did

good, and this will also do good; for ever "since that time government acceptances "have been regularlypaid.--He then moved "for a Copy of proposals transmitted by the "Barrack Master of the Sandown Division "to the Secretary at War, on the part of "Mr. James Day, of Brading, for the

building of a Barrack at Brading.—Mr. ROSE thought it would have been much "the better way, if the hon. gent. had stated * to the Commissioners what had come to "his knowledge about this business."Mr. BOURNE agreed with the last speaker, " and observed, that those Commissioners "had greater powers in this respect than the "House itself, as they could examine upon "oath.—Mr. CALCRAFT said, that as all "the objects could be obtained by the Com"missioners, he should move the previous question on this motion also.—Mr. "PAULL said, that his hon. friend had given "sufficient grounds for his motion, by sta

ting that a clerk could copy out in half an "hour what would enable him to prove that

gross frauds had been committed.-Mr. "BASTARD said, as the hon. gent. had stated "that 100 per cent. might be saved, he thought that a sufficient ground. He "wished to know what security we had that "the public would not continue to pay this sun, till the Commissioners had reported upon it.Mr. HUSKISSON, as the hon. "" gent. had stated that the granting a few X papers would enable him to prove such 45 gross abuses, thought it wodd not be

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right to wait till the Commissioners might "have leisure to inquire into the business. -Lord H. PETTY said, that as the hon. gent. had now assigned some reason for his "motion, he should consent with the leave "of his hon. friend (Mr. Calcraft) that the previous question should be withdrawn. Mr. HUSKISSON wished the hon. mover would state the object for which Le "moved for these papers.- -Mr. ROBSON "then confessed, that the shameful waste "of money he complained of was not only "in building the barracks, but in the rent "of the barns, which might have been "got for a quarter of the money."Sir J. NEWPORT said, this was quite a "different thing: the motion was about

building barracks, while the meaning of "the hon. gent. was about renting barns. "He thought the hon. member should state "what object he had in view, as the House "could never get through their business, if every individual member might move for "whatever papers he pleased, without assigning any reason, and if the House were "to consider themselves always bound to grant papers when moved for.--Mr. W. "SMITH suggested to the hon. mover, that "he had better withdraw his motions for "the present, and bring them forward in a more distinct form on an early day, suppose on Monday.Mr. ROBSON refused, and said he should be content if his "motion were put upon the Journals, as it "would then be upon record that he, at least, had done his duty."Mr. VANSITTART 'begged the hon. gent. "would give the House some explanation "why he wished for these papers? He "might understand his own motions, but

a witness at the bar: as a member of par"liament he thought it beneath his dignity "to wait upon any set of Commissioners, standing in a hall, going up one stair-case "and down another in pursuit of them. "Lord H. PETTY thought, that if "the hon. gent's. scnse of the dignity of a member of parliament would not allow "him to answer a question put to him in "that House, or to explain why he brought "forward motions, the House would proba

"what fell from the hon. mover, "that he only wished to have his motions on the “Journals.” This certainly was not a suf"ficient reason for the House agreeing to "them. He thought the best way would "be at once to move the previous question "upon all the motions. The previous ques"tion was then agreed to upon this ques"tion. Mr. ROBSON then moved for a Copy of the answer (if any) that was given, or communicated to Mr. James Day, in consequence of his making proposals to the Secretary at War, for the building of a barrack at Brading in the "Isle of Wight; and, if no answer was

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given, information to that effect." Also, "A List of the several Barns rented by "Government and used as Barracks in the "division of Sandown Bay, in the Isle of Wight, specifying the rent now weekly or annually paid for each Barn, and also specifying the precise time when any altera"tion (if any) in the rent of the said Barns "took place." Upon these the previous

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question was also put and carried.""Mr. Rose expressed his regret that the "business would make its way into the pub"lic prints."

Thus, Gentlemen, ended the debate. The first paper (a paper of no use without the rest) was ordered to be produced; but, all the others, all those that were necessary to bring the abuse to light, were, in effect, refused; and, MR. ROBSON stood represented, as far as the proceeding could so represent him, as a person who had brought forward an unfounded complaint. But, before we proceed to further remarks, let us attend to the sequel of this proceeding. When the previous question" was moved by MR. CALCRAFT (a person in the Office of Ordnance, observe), MR. ROBSON, as you will have seen, reminded the ministers, that the proceedings upon the occasion of the £19. 10s. bill of exchange had taught him to hold previous questions very cheap; and you will remember, that, upon that occasion, after having been called upon to retract his words; after his words had been taken down

t

after

ble purposes; and, accordingly, on Wednesday last, the 21st instant, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, LORD HENRY PETTY, the very person who had stood at the head of the opposition against Mr.ROBSON's motion,came to the House, and himself moved for those very papers, which he had before represented as improper to be called for. But, let us take his words, as given in the Morning Chronicle news-paper of this day, the 224 of May: "LORD HENRY PETTY rose and observed, that before he proceeded to the

statement of the business of which he "had given notice, he trusted the House "would indulge him with their attention "for a few moments, while he said some"thing respecting what had lately passed in "the House concerning the Barrack Depart"ment. It would be in the recollection of "the House that when the honorable gen"tleman behind (Mr. Robson) brought for "ward some motions on that subject, one "of them had been agreed to, while the

previous question had been moved and "carried with respect to the others. This, "the House would recollect, had been "done in the absence of all explanation, as "to the object which the honorable gentleman had in view, that was intelligible to "him, or, he believed, that could be in"telligible to any peron in the House. He "had moved the previous question with a "view to induce the honorable gentleman "to come forward with the necessary infor"mation, and also with the intention, in

now flattered himself that he had disco"vered the object of these notions. He "found that they related to transactions "which took place in 1805, respecting the "barns hired as barracks in the division of "Sandown Bay, in the Isle of Wight, "which were paid for at a very extravagant rate, when a building for barracks was offered at a much more reasonable expense. He would, therefore, under these "circumstances, move all the motions of "the honorable gentleman, respecting "which the previous question had been be"fore carried, and also add a new motion, "which would relate to the barrack-Master,

who, it appeared, had hired these barns at an extravagant rent, and made an im porper report with regard to the building "6 offered as a barrack. It was right that he

should be called upon to explain his con"duct with respect to this transaction. He "concluded by moving for all the papers that "MR. ROBSON had before moved for, and