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to a friend, and that he would be, if ler approved of it, he would drive possible, at the King's-Arms, Kings- through Hampton Court and Bushy ton, between seven and eight o'clock. Park, to prevent any possibility of About five o'clock, Mr. Paull the affair transpiring." Mr. G. and myself reached the inn; when Mr. drove on to the inn at Kingston, Paull lay down, desiring to be calc and we followed, Mr. P. remaining led by his servant exactly at seven in his carriage: I entered the room o'clock. About eight o'clock, on where sir F. was sitting, at the walking out the Wimbledon same time with Mr. G.; when that road, we met sir Francis on horse. gentleman, with a manner as perback. I slightly bowed, Mr. Paull fectly uncivil as sir F. was polite, took no notice of him, but returned asked who I was?. Sir F. said, immediately to the inn ; a few mi- " Nr. Cooper, Mr. P.'s friend.” nutes afterwards, sir F. sent for me, If I made use of the words, Sir, and said, that he expected Mr. sir, sir,” as recited by Mr. Ģ. Gawler immediately, as he had left (which I do not at all remember to his barouche waiting for him at lave done) they must have been the Wimbledon. About nine o'clock, effect of the milil and genile demeaMr. Pauli wrote a note to sir F. in nour of Nir. Gawlcr. Sir F. 'then reply to the one received in his car. sugyested Coombo Wood, as 'the riage at Wimbledon, in which he most proper place; to where we im. distinctly pointed out the injury he mediately drore, and arrived at had received from sir F. and conclu. twenty minutes after ten o'clock. ded by saying, that as the day was Whilst advancing into the wool, I

, far advanced, we had better return to- did my utmost endeavours that an wards \Vimbledon to meet his friend. explanation should take place, but On delivering this note to sir F. without effect. Nir. Gawler's has. he called for pen, ink, and paper, to ty conduct to Mr. Paull was pecuanswer it; on my observing, “ it liarly striking. Nr. Paull observed was a pity your brother persisted to Mr. Gawler, that this was no in reading the letters at the Crown common affair, and as it was possi. and Anchor,” his answer was, " I ble an accident might happen either wish he had not." Mr. Gawler - to him or to sir Francis, he was not having arrived, sir F. again particularly anxious that even Mr. pressed me to be second to both; "Gawler should not be ignorant of which I again declined, and imme- the particulars and the grounds on diately I entered the carriage with which he demanded an apology, or Mr. Paull, on

our return towards satisfaction ; that so eager was Mr. Wimbledon. А short distance Paull for explaining matters to Mr. from Kingston, we met Mr. Gawler; Gawler, that he pressed the converwhen Mr. Paull accosted him. Mr. sation twice or thrice; to which Mr. G. asked rapidly.-66 Where is Gawler tartly replied, that he had Burdett?” said, “ he had been de- learned all the particulars from sir tained, or he would bare arrived F. B. and was perfectly satisfied ; sooner.” Mr. Paull replied, “Sir although, by the bye, he had not Francis was at the jon, but that been with sir Francis, from his first he thought we had better not stop arrival, to the entrance into the there

any longer; and if Mr. Gaw. wood, more than 20 minutes; and Vol. XLIX.

Ss

yet

fet Mr. Gavler thicks proper to G, said, “ that was entirely out of kert, that ending 5.1. Pzel bad the question," ard de cresci te se must comitind einer bis cacte or cond pistol to Mr. Pell. I sas bis opinions to ne r. Cooper, ttea in the act of gring the cuber be of course made so proposa's of tsis Frases Bordel Dr. Paul accodation to be of any sort. w2: ng* accessg Mr. Ganet to I be latter amertion is perfect. cor. this efect:-“ I think you are ret: bet if Mr.G. believed 11.e for- 12ciidirg the life of your friend to a mer part of hs assertion, box vill faite puodtiso:"aráthen to sir F. he c.car

jil sef in hesia: retsed erpretard t's exp reziet tbat to biar zty explanation from Mr. Deca siity ochoped: 3 to picceed." Paull: wbw, he says, “ 2: correct. The best.ds then agais se 2:2:2d; ing his own cause." I positively I 225 10 give the sigt.al: tre piace afteri, that te words I then agad, Wat c.uch wooded og ubi I stood, itetead of those pot into my mcub 21.49 although it was at so great dis. by Mr. G., were, “ I am torry it ence, the trees between me and sir most come to this." I could not Fr21:cis induced him to retark hare made use of the espression that in my theo svaigo, he should quoted by Mr. G, as Jir. P. kad not be able to see me distinctly. I been unifoem in bis demand for an incrediately adrarced into a more apolsgy or satisfaction. Mr. Gax. on place; and I pronounce is ler ther. paced the distance, with an the face of the world, that the sig. apparent wish to get the afiair oser pal, and the report of the pistols, at fast as possible. When the far. were in the self-same instant; that ties were on their ground, Mr. P. the shots were in consequence of addressed sir France, and said, “I the signal, and not occasioned by assure you, sir Francis, I proceed the friendly fire of Vir, Gawler. against you wi'h great rilictance, Thc length of the foregoing statc. but the injsry I have received is of ment has not been optional with me;

the most seriut. kiod; I would 66 and the public must be satissed of soon lesel a pist i at my father as the necessity of it; at least all those at you, but I find I have no alter. most, who have seen the production mative.” Here Mr. Gawler said to of Mr. Gawler. I shall conclude 11:. P. “ sir F. will fire at you;” with saying, that although I have who replied, " I of course espect neither claims to a dukedom, nor to he will." The seconds then re- the inheritance of a duke, that in tired, and I appeal to the candour one of the most respectable societies and honour of sir F. himself, for a in London, I have crer ranked as a complete refutation of the gross and gen

I neve denied my most unjustilable insinuation of a name, or concealed my place of precipitate retreat,so reprehensi. abode: both, however, at all events, bly introduced in the statement of might easily have been ascertained Mr. Gawler. After the first fire bad ta. by applying to Nir. Paull; and ken place, Mr. Gawler asked Mr. P. they were assuredly so ascertained if he was satisfied ?

Mr. P. answer- by Mr. Ganler himself, who, Mr. ed, “ Certainly not: my object in P. tells me, called on him on Saturcoming here was an apology, to day before his wounds were dressed, whicle I feel myself entitled.” Mr. and begged my attending him at sir

F. Burdett's very business.

F. Burdett's in the evening, my with in Holland.' M. de Chassen. house being at a distance.

I not ton was actually in the boat. I only did so, but I called at sir F. Bur. must bear witness to his determi.. dett's four days successively, for nation; for I am convinced that the sake of seeing this gentleman, nothing could have made this young and did see him several times in this

man, remarkable for his merit,

quit the boat, if the well-grounded

JOHN COOPER. apprehension which I entertained, Stamford-street,

of seeing him exposed to certain May 18, 1807.

destruction, had not suggested to me the idea of declaring to him,

that the balloon was not capable of Second Ascension by Night of M. carrying up two persons. Garnerin. See p. 485.

66 It was thus in the most ad.

verse weather, and exposed to the 6. My second aërial journey by greatest opposition and the tumult night will not afford an opportunity of a cabal, the head of which it is for the brilliant narratives which I casy to guess at, that I ascended have had occasion to make in the from Tivoli, at half past ten o'clock course of my forty preceding ascen- on the night of the 21st of Septemsions. I shall not have to describe ber. An unexampled rapidity of the majestic appearances which na. ascension, but extremely necessary ture continually offers to the eyes to prevent me from coming in con. of an aëronaut who ascends in fa. tact with the adjoining houses, rai. vourable weather. I can only give sed me above the clouds, and in a a narrative of an aërial tempest few minutes carried me to an imwhich was nigh terminating in a mense height, the extent of which I shipwreck.

cannot precisely ascertain, on ac. 76 The obstacles which the wind count of the dangers and embarrass. caused to the inflation of the bal- ments which suddenly affected my loon, sufficiently apprised me of imagination, and prevented me froin the approach of the storm; and to observing the declension of the the difficulties of the weather was mercary in the barometer, Eleva. added the turbulence of a party, ted in an instant to the frozen re. by which I was prevented from gions, the balloon became subject to placing the cord of the valvc, so as a degree of expansion which inspi. to regulate the tube, which, in red me with the greatest'apprehen.

, case of expansion, was to conduct sion. There was no alternative be. the gas into a direction different tween certain death and giving an from the lights which surrounded instant vent to the gas; and this at the bottom of the balloon.

the risk of seeing the balloon take 66 I was to have been accompa. fire. I gradually opened with one nied by M. de Chassenton; but the hand an orifice of about two feet aërial storm, which continually in- diameter, by which the gas escaped creased until the moment of my de. in large volumes, while, with the parture, gave me reason to appre. other, I extinguished as many of the hend such a disaster as Mr. Blan- lights as I could. During this ef. chard, and another aëronaut, met fort, I several times was near over.

Ss 2

balancing

it was stated, that a draft for 70001. payable to the right hon. Thomas Steele (at that time one of the joint paymasters), or bearer, had been drawn by the cashier on the 11th of May, 1799, under the head of extraordinaries of the army, and entered in the cash account of the office, with Mr. Steele's receipt as a voucher; and that another sum of 12,000l. was drawn for, precisely in the same manner, and a receipt given in the same terms, on the 3d of July, 1800. Of these two sums, the first was not repaid until the 3d of February, 1807; nor the latter until the 8th of April; with interest upon both sums, from the date of their issue to that of their repay ment, amounting to 73907. 13s.

"The correspondence between Mr. Steele and Mr. Thomas; letters of earl Temple (one of the joint paymasters in 1807), addres. sed to lord Grenville, Mr. Steele, Mr. Rose, and lord Harowby; three minutes of the lords of the treasury, directing what steps should be taken for securing the sum remaining due (for the first sum had been repaid previously to any proceedings of the board of treasury): minutes of the paymaster-general entered in the book of the office; and several other papers, are inserted at length in the appendix, though not perhaps absolutely necessary for understanding the subject, that no circumstance which has reference to this business, may be withheld from observation. But the part to which the committee think it most material to direct the attention of the house, is the account given by Mr. Steele himself, when he desired to attend the former committee on the twenty-sixth of March, 1807, and made his own statement of the circum

stances relating to these transac tions. He said, the two sums mentioned by Mr. Thomas were issued by my direction, and I have no hesitation in stating that they were not issued for the public service. I thought, as others did at the time, that I had full authority to direct those issues.-I was urged to do so by private considerations of a very peculiar nature, which opera ted at that time upon my mind; and I thought that, by directing them to be issued to myself, and making myself responsible for them, I could not by possibility incur the suspicion of concealment or fraud. It was my intention that they should have been replaced in a very short time, but it was not in my power to accomplish it; they remained charged against me in the payoffice book till the beginning of the present year, when the former of the two sums was repaid; and the whole subject having been brought lately under the consideration of the board of treasury, they have directed me to repay the remaining sum with the interest due upon both sums, by instalments, at stated periods, which I have engaged to do. do. I cannot take upon myself to defend my conduct in this instance, which I must admit to have been incorrect, but I console myself with thinking that the public will have suffered no loss.". And, being asked, whether he knew of any other transaction of the same kind, during the time he was in the pay. office? he said, "I do not." And being asked, whether he knew of any arrear of the like nature ari. sing from the transaction of any former paymaster? he said, "I certainly do not," And being ask. ed, whether any notice was taken

of

of this transaction by the treasury accounts, irregularities can hardly previous to the beginning of this be prevented; and that temptation year? he said, " I apprehend it will never be wanting to make use was not even known to the trea. of public money, while there exists sury, previous to this year.” And a great probability of its being for a being asked, whether any notice long time uncalled for. After the was taken by any other public accounts come before the commis. office? he said, “ Not to my know. sioners for auditing, 'no attention is ledge."

wanting in requiring proper warThe report then proceeds to state, rants in discharge for every paythat Mr. Rose, being examined, said, ment, and no sum is allowed with that the facts respecting Mr. Steele out a voucher of that kind; but so were not communicated to him un. slow has been the progress hitherto, til the 10th of February, 1806, at that notwithstanding the observawhich time he considered himself tions made on the subject by the completely out of office, and could committee of finance in 1797 and not interfere officially, but he desi. 1798, not one account of any pay. red Mr. Thomas to write to Mr. master-general has been finally setSteele; he also had a conversation led and decared, nor made ready with that gentleman, and wrote a for declaration, in the nine or ter letter to him upon the subject, the years which have since elapsed.” answer to which led him to rest sa. tisfied, that the whole matter would be communicated without delay to Mr. Paull and Sir Francis Burdett's lord Grenville, or the paymaster- recent Duel.-Mr. Cooper's state. general. The report then notices ment. two sums of 110,000l. paid to Boyd and co, for services, which failed; A publication which appeared in the former of which was repaid, and the morning papers of Saturday the second was not, but is still in a last, signed - John Bellenden course of legal proceeding, in con- Ker,»* renders it impossible for sequence of the bankruptcy of that me to remain any longer silent un. house. The report coucludes with der representations and aspersions suggesting regulations to present the most artful and unfounded that similar abuses.

ever made their way to the public. “ Upon the important subject If I have remained hitherto silent of recommending measures which under such aspersions and misre. may prevent similar abuses in fu. presentations from the pen of John ture, your committee observe great Horne Tooke, and others, it has concern, that the most obvious, and really been from contempt for the perhaps the only effectual remedy, calumniators, and not for any ap. has been found by experience hi. prehensions of the result of a full therto unattainable; but they think developement of the circumstances it necessary to represent as their of the recent duel, either as affectdeliberate opinion, that without an ing Mr. Paull, or myself. I shall earlier examination, and auditing of be brief as possible in stating the

* See p. 426-488.

facts

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