of his accounts, as there had not expended by him (

for the public been time for examining the whole,) service: he had always in hand a there were over-charges, and mis- million or more of the public money ; statements to the amount of no less of the interest of which he thus de. a sum than ninety thousand pounds*. prived the pulslic. Secondly, he

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' The report of the commissioners, imposed on the public in the price (being their third,) made early in of the articles furnished. On this the present session of parliament, head there did not appear to have related to Mr. Alexander Davison, been any means of detection affordbanker, and colonel of a regiment ed, as far as 'reard to the articles of volunteers. This man, who had furnished on commission: but ama been lately tried for bribery at ple means of detection were found elections, and imprisoned for that with respect to the coals, and the

, offence, soon after his coming out commissioners did not fail to make of prison, had been made treasurer a proper use of them. The bar. of the ordnance; an office in which, gain concerning the coals was this : from three to four millions passed Davison was to buy the coals on through his hands of the public mo. his own account, and to sell them ney. It appeared from the re. to the barrack-office, at the whole. port, that in consequence of a bar. sale prices, at the several places gain with general Delancey, Davison where the barracks were situated : was to receive a commission of two and, that these prices might be as. and a half per cent. for supplying certained in a regular way, Davison the articles of beds, bedding, sheets, was to produce certificates that his blankets, towels, iron-mongery, prices were fair; these certificates candles, beer, and forage; but

being signed by persons of the most that, as to coals, he was to supply perfect respectability. But it apthis article as a merchant.

peared that Delancey had never made It appeared from the report, that any inquiry into the character, or the way in which the public was the means of knowledge possessed injured by Davison, was two-fold. by the persons who signed Davison's First, by following the example of certificates, save in one single in. Delancey, in drawing immense sums stancet. Had he conceived himself of money, long before they were to be under any check or control, * Vol. XLVII. (1806) p. 79.

+ “In the islands of Guernsey and Jersey, the certificates were generally signed by a person of the name of George-Richard Walker, a dealer in coals, and who was concerned with Mr. Davison under some agreement or contract, in supplying coals for the barracks in Guernsey and the adjacent i-lands, for about four years. He was afterwards Mr. Davison's agent for about two years more, in the same business, at a commission of 2 per cent. on an estimate price of the coals delivered. He was also Mr. Davison's agent in supplying canciles during the whole time. This person had, therefore, had a direct interest in certifying high prices: and he had also an interest in the quantity delivered in; for while he acted as Nr. Davison's agent, he received, on an agrce: valuation of 65 shillings per chaldron, on all the coals measured in the barracks. It was during this period, that the great increase in the cargoes sent to these islands appeared. Now this Richard-George Walker was convicted of perjury and executed.” Ertracted from the Third Report of the Commission of Military Inquiry. Sec the wliole Report in the Appendix to the Chronicle.

it is probable that, in his tricks, dealing of Mr. Alexander Davison, he would have been less daring. we refer our readers to the report of

In the first place, he char ed, in' the commissioners.---The wealth that point of measure, as a retailer, not this man accumulated at the expence making the allowance always made of the public, nust have been im. by wholesale dea ers, of one chaldron mense; nor was he at any pains to in twenty: so that supposing his shade it from the pub ic eye, but, prices to have been fair, he thus on the contrary, seemed desirous to gained one-twentieth part more, display it by the utmost splendour and than would have been done by a magnificence*. In short, he seemed fair wholesale dealer. This, how. destined to rouse the attention of ever, was a tiille, compared with government to the conduct of their what follows. It appears, from a servants, and the agents of its sercomparative view of the prices which rants. Davison paid, and those which he Lord Archibald Hamilton, who charged to the government, and had given notice, in the house of which were paid to him for a course commons, of a motion which he of nine years,) that the average of intended to bring forward respecting the price charged to the public, was the third report of the commissioners eighty-one shillings per chaidron; of military inquiry, on the 2d of and the average of the price paid February, called the attention of the by Davison, sixty-one shillings per house to this subject. He had in. chalr'ron ; making a difference of tended to have moved, that the at. twenty-five in the hundred. To torney-general should be instructed this sum, again, must be added, the to take the necessary measures for one chaldron in twenty, which Da. ascertaining and securing, by due vison oright to have given in, as the course of law, such sums as should wholesalers do, amounting to five be due to the public from Mr. Alex. pounds in the hundred more: thus ander Davison, in consequence of making a gain of thirty pounds in the transactions disclosed in the every hundred. Farther still, Da. third report of the commissioners of vison was bound to make the de military inquiry. But he had since liveries in the most favourable sea. learnt that the business

was in sons; instead of which, he made the hands of the treasury, with almost the whole of them in winter, whose proceedings he when coals were dearest, though he willing, especially after some com. had bought them at the seasons when munication he had had with his no. coals were cheapest; and that too, ble friend (lord H. Petty), to in. through the most shameful and cul. terfere, He thought it his duty, pable inattention, if not the conni. however, to state the view with vance of general Delancey, with which he had taken up the subject. the public money. For many other He had considered that, the report instances, and the most accurate having been made, it was far from details concerning the fraudulent being creditable that it should have

was

If his sug

been supposed to remain so long on tory. The commissioners, low- . the table unnoticed ; and also that ever, by the direction of the trea. it would have been more desireable sury, had called for the cash-account, for the house to have instituted some and directions had been given, and process against Mr. Alexander measures taken for the recovery of Davison, than that it should have the sims due. been done by the treasury. Nor Mr. Robson,. Feb. 18, moved had he yet wholly relinquished that for certain papers relative to abuses opinion, though by his communica. in the barrack department. Four tions with his noble friend, it had years had elapsed since he had first 'been very much weakened.

recommended and pressed an in. Lord H. Petty took the present quiry into the expenditure of that opportunity of explaining to the department; and since that period, house the proceedings of the treasury six millions had been granted for that with regard to the matter in question, service in Great Britain and two which he was not surprized to find millions for Ireland. had attracted the notice of his noble gestions had been acted upon,

there friend, and of the house in general. would have been a saving of two The commissioners of barrack ac- millions for the public, out of the counts had, very properly, com. sums paid for the hire of buildings, municated to the lords of the trea. the repairs of buildings, and the rent sury their opinion, that it was very of temporary barracks. As an innecessary that Mr. Davison should stance of the abuses in the above produce his cash account with the articles, he mentioned a collusion barrack-master-general. Mr. Da. between a Mr. Page who had be. vison, after delays which he endea. come barrack-master, and a Mr. voured to excuse, declared his rea. Green, a lawyer at Winchester, diness to give such information as stated in the second report of mili. to his cash-account, as he could tary inquiry * In proof of the give; but stated at the same time, utility of producing the papers to be that his cash-account was so mixed moved for, he stated that last year with other accounts, that it was im. he had confined his inquiry to one possible he could give a clear parish or district in the Isle of Wight, view of it. It was not competent and that in this place he had since for lord H. P. to say, in the pre- found that the rents of the temporary sent stage of the business, whether barracks were reduced to one half. there was any evidence on which to Barns hired for that purpose, and found a criminal prosecution : but rated at £.2,200, were now lowerif it should, the attorney and solici. ed to £.1,100 by means of the mo. tor generals would be instructed by tion he had formerly made on that the lords of the treasury to institute subject. proceedings upon it. Mr. Davison

Lord Howick declared in a very had written to the lords of the trea. earnest manner, and wished Mr. sury, stating, that he would pro. Robson to be assured, that if his duce, in his own defence, -an ac- motion could possibly have been count which would prove satisface complied with, without interfering . Vide Appendix to the Chronicle.

with the commissioners already ap- enabled to attend to that branch of pointed, no one could be more expenditure, as well as to every ready than he would have been to other. "He concluded with moving, support such inquiries.--- Mr. Rob. 66 That a committee be appointed to son's motion being put from the consider of what saving could be chạir, was negatived, without a divi. made by the reduction of useless sion.-Mr. Robson then stated that places, sinecure offices, exorbitant he should on a future day submit a fees, and every other retrenchment motion to the house, that would reach that could be made in the expendi. the barrack departments on foreign ture of the public money." --Lord stations: and he hoped that the Folkstone, rose and said, that he charges abroad, for instance, in the had the honour to second the mo. Island of Sicily*, wouldnotturn out tion. to be such as formerly existed in Lord H. Petty said, that whatever the Island of Corsica.

difference of opinion there might exA committee of finance had been ist between himself and the honour. appointed in 1797, for investigating able gentleman as to the words, public establishments, and sisting there was a perfect coincidence of official abuses, as a ground work for sentiment upon the grounds of the retrenchments in the national ex. present motion, between the ho. penditure. For the same end,, nourable gentleman, and not only

Mr. Biddulph, February 10th, himself, but all his majesty's mini." moved, in the house of commons, the sters. In this they all concurred, appointment of a similar committee. that the strictest economy should be Great advantages would result from observed in the management of the an attentive perusal of the valuable public money; and that all places, documents of the former committee; offices, and pensions, should be rethe light which their labour and in. duced to the smallest charge, con. dustry had thrown on the subject; sistent with the proper administra. and finally from the eventual good tion of the affairs of the nation. which the application of that infor- But if an union of sentiment preination, assisted by the result of the vailed so far, he hoped there would intermediate time and circumstances also be an union of sentiment upon must in any future inquiry produce. another position, essential to the His motion would embrace every welfare and stability of government; branch of the public expenditure. which was this, that in every coun. The powers he proposed to give to try there ought to be rewards for the committee, were the same as services performed; and that such those granted to the committee of rewards should form part of the 1797. The pension-list was not establishment of all well-regulated referred to the committee of that governments. The only point then time, neither would he have it ex. to be considered was, how far places pressly referred to the committee and pensions were proper, and in now proposed. But his motion, he what instances they had been allow. said, would be framed in such a ed to run to excess, either through manner that the committee would be abuse or neglect. That such excess

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# Where the commander-in-chief of our forces was general Fox.

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did formerly exist, he was perfectly satisfaction in the sentiments exaware ; but he begged leave to re- pressed by the chancellor of the ex. mind the house, that during a course chequer. The sentiments of lord H. of twenty years, it had been a con. Petty, and the other ministers, on stant object to reduce and confine the propriety and necessity of æco. such places within their proper nomy, were also highly applauded by bounds. From an historical view Mr. Fawkes (in a maiden speech), of this kind of reform, from the com. Mr. Ellison, and Mr. Calvert. The . mission of accounts established in the amendment was then agreed to, and administration, in which a near

near the committee nominated, to whom and dear connexion of his (earl of were referred the reports of the Shelburne) bore a part, to the pre. committee of finance, and the com. sent period, he concluded that great missioners of accounts, and other progress had been made in destroy- reports of a similar nature. ing offices, and that there was a dis. The present age, that is, the last position in the government to pre. century, with what has passed and vent the unnecessary renewal of is passing of this, may be called the them.

age of finance. If a traveller from But though little remained to some distant country, altogether. be done, he did not contend that unacquainted with our banks and that ittle should remain undone. paper-credit, had put the question, He was of opinion, that with a slight what the house of commons were alteration in the words, the motion about, when they were so, busily deserved the assent of the house. employed for so long a time, in the He proposed an alteration by which consideration of plans of finance; the motion, as amended, stood thus: and been told that they were crear “ That a select committee be ap- ting money; he would doubtless have pointed to examine and consider imagined that they were engaged in what regulations and checks had the business of coinage. been established in order to controul ventional value of gold and silver, the several branches of the public had been abstracted from these soexpenditure in Great Britain and lid metals, and transferred to paper, Ireland, and how far the same had stamped with a promise; so that mos been effectual; and what further ney had come to be an operation of measures could be adopted for redu. the mind, an act of faith, not a subcing any part of the said expendi. stanţial or material, but a metaphy. ture, or diminishing the amount of sical sort of thing, and so easily mul. salaries and emoluments, without tiplied, that bank-notes in this coun. detriment to the public service; and try almost exceeded calculation. that they should report the same, And in the beginning of A. D. 1797, with their observations thereupon, so great was the demand on the bank to the house.

of England for payment of its notes Mr. Biddulph very readily acqui. in specie, that the intervention of esced in the amendment; between government was found to be necesa which and the motion he had made, sary for the preservation of public there was so little of substantial dif. credit.* ference; and declared his sincere This vast accumulation of circu.

lating * Vide Vol. XXXIX. 1797, History of Europe, p. 178.

The con-r

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