For the present establishment of the local militia, was, in his mind, so radically wrong, that he had no desire to witness its completion. The bill was then read a second time, and afterwards finally passed. House of Commons, March 14. -Mr. R. Ward moved for leave to bring in the marine mutiny bill. Leave was given, and Mr. Ward brought in the bill. On the motion for its being read a first time,

Sir Charles Pole said, he was glad to have the opportunity which this bill gave him to say a few words on that valuable corps. It was strange to say, that although it now amounted to more than a fourth of the infantry of the line, namely 32,000 men, its situation and importance were scarcely known in the house. He would first ask whether it was intended to continue the stoppage of one day's pay for Chelsea hospital? He behieved the royal marine artillery to be in a very neglected state. It had been thought necessary to establish a corps of this nature in 1804; and most important it might be if properly attended to. He conceived it ought to be augmented, and that every squadron of his majesty's ships, on foreign stations, should be furnished with a company of these artillery men and officers. The advantages of such a measure to our colonial service must be obvious, whether for defensive or offensive operations. He regretted to learn, that this corps of marine artillery was not sufficiently instructed in the use of the field artillery, and recommended that a number of young men should be admitted to Woolwich academy. He next adverted to the slow progress of promotion in the marine

corps. There were officers now serving as captains, who had entered the service in the American war: An increase of field officers seemed necessary as an encouragement to that meritorious class of men.

Mr. R.Ward, having declared his high opinion of the marine corps in general, said, with respect to the increase of the mere use of the marine artillery, that this could not take place without raising the force altogether, and converting the marines into a land army. As to the addition of field officers to the marine, it ought to be remembered, that marines on board of ships were not commanded by field officers; and as most of them were engaged in that species of service, it was

not necessary to have so many field officers. As to the age of some of the captains, as it was a service in which the officers rose by seniority, that could depend only on the length of life of those who preceded them on the list. The bill was then read a first time. It had been stated, that in each division of the marines, the senior captains were appointed pay captains, who actually keep the accounts of 2,000 men without any increase of pay, or any kind of remuneration. Mr. Ward was sure that if, for any extraordinary labour, any recom pence could be made to them without injury to the service, it would be instantly afforded. The bill was then read a first time. The house having, on the 16th of March resolved itself into a committe on this bill. Mr. R. Ward rose to make some observations on what had fallen from an honourable baronet (sir C. Pole)

on a former evening, respecting the increase of emolument to paycaptains of marines, and some new naval regulations. The honourable baronet, perhaps, did not know, that the persons selected for such situations, were generally men who were unfit for other service. Their duties were by no means burthensome. It was not required that a pay-captain of marines should serve afloat, or even aboard, except when courts martial took place. With respect to the deductions from the pay of marine officers, Mr. Ward shewed that they were, in every respect, on the same footing with those in the army. Sir C. Pole expressed his satisfaction on this last point by Mr. Ward's explanation. But he still held the same opinion with regard to the situation of the pay-captains. They had a regular ledger account with every man and boy in the marine service, for which they had no remuneration, although the captains of marine artillery, for only paying their own companies, had two shillings per day, additional pay. Besides, those old officers, in any other branch of the service, would have been entitled to majorities, and many of them would have now been old field officers.

Mr. Wellesley Pole said, it was the intention of the present board of admiralty to afford to the marine corps every practicable and reasonable indulgence. With respect to the situation of the paycaptains, he referred the honourable baronet to a petition present

ed by those very officers to the admiralty, when he himself was at that board, praying for this very allowance, which the honourable baronet now sought to obtain for them. The answer then given to their petition, was, that their birth was a pretty good one, and that it was very desirable that it should continue to exist. But, if they did not like it, with full pay, and an exemption from all other duty, they might take their turns of service. Ever since, they had been pretty well satisfied to remain as they were. With respect to the compassionate list, for which there was a bill now in progress, it was only for such widows and orphans as were not entitled to any provision otherwise; nor was it ever thought of before the establishment of the present admiralty board. And it was his intention, in the committee on that bill, to place the widows of marine officers on the same footing in this respect, with those of the officers of the navy and army.

Sir Charles Pole denied any recollection of such an application as that which had been alluded to by Mr. Wellesley Pole. At all events, he was perfectly certain that, during the whole time he was at the admiralty, he never did give an offensive answer to any application, made either by an individual, or by any description of persons. The bill then went through the committee, and committee, and was afterwards, through the usual stages, passed into a law.

СНАР.

AMIDST the great events that had happened, not only on the theatre of Europe, but America, and the weighty deliberations to which these, as occasioning vast military preparations, gave birth, in the councils of Great Britain, an incident of a very extraordinary nature occurred, which, for a time, threw into the shade the last victory, though preceded by disasters, gained by the English army over the French, and the future projects of Buonaparte. Insinuations against the conduct of his royal highness the duke of York, had for a considerable time back, appeared in divers publications of the press. It was privately circulated too in whispers, that the duke of York would not long be commander-in-chief, and a definite period too was specified by some of the whisperers, beyond which they predicted that the duke would not be found in the occupation of that important post. When it was afterwards recollected, with whom those who seemed to have most pleasure in circulating such reports, were intimately acquainted, and with whom they lived in a degree of confidence, conjectures were made that the

accusations of the duke, in as far as they had been made in newspapers and whispers, originated in a desire of change, rather than a pure zeal for the public welfare. For grounds of accusation were not obtruded on public attention by any flagrant delinquency on the part of his royal highness in the discharge of his public duty. On the contrary, the happy effects of the discipline he had introduced, and the arrangements and organi zation to which he had submitted the army, were universally ac knowledged. Early in 1809, an attack was made on the royal commander-in-chief, in a more honourable and fair way, because in a direct and public form.

House of Commons, Jan. 27.Colonel (of militia) Gwyllym Lloyd Wardle, after the strongest declaration of the purity and pa triotism of his motives, stated that the conviction of his mind was, and for some time had been, that unless the system of corruption that had so long prevailed in the military department should be done away, this country might fall an easy prey to the enemy. Thë first point in the case he had to state, related to the half-pay fund,

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which was an establishment under the direction of the present commander-in-chief. This fund arose out of the sale of commissions vacant by death-by the promotion of officers not allowed to sell-or by dismissions from the service. The power of the commander-in-chief Over this fund was constituted and intended for the reward of merit, either by the appointment of meritorious officers to the commissions which so became vacant, or by selling them, and applying the produce of such sales to the redemption of half-pay commissions, or to the compassionate fund. Here the power of the commander-in-chief over such produce ceased. If the commissions he had described were otherwise disposed of, the authority vested in the commander-in-chief was abused, and the objects of the half-pay fund abandoned. Now, if he could shew that those commissions were appropriated to very different purposes, it would, of course, appear, that such abuse and abandonment did take place that merit was not rewarded--that the halfpay list was not reduced-that the compassionate fund was not assisted. For the purpose of shewing this, it was necessary to call the attention of the house to another establishment of the commanderin-chief's, which was quite of a different complexion from that which he had just mentioned. This establishment, which consisted of a splendid house in Gloucesterplace, a variety of carriages, and a long retinue of servants, commenced in the year 1803, and at the head of it was placed a lady of the name of Clarke. As this lady formed a principal party in several of the facts which he had to cite,

he was under the necessity, however reluctantly, to mention her name, as well as that of others, in order to make out a fair parlia mentary basis for his motion, and to satisfy the house, that he had not brought it forward upon light grounds,

The first case to which Colonel Wardle called the attention of the house,was that of captain Tonyn, of the 48th regiment of foot, who had been promoted to a majority in the 31st regiment: to which promotion he was indebted to the influence of Mrs. Clarke. The terms of agreement were, that Mrs. Clarke should be paid £500 upon captain Tonyn's being gazetted. Major Tonyn was gazetted on the 2d of August, 1804, and the £500 was paid to Mrs. Clarke. Here it became necessary for colonel Wardle to observe to the house, that the regulated difference between a company and a majority, was £1,100, which should have been appropriated to the purposes above mentioned. But how did the affair stand? Mrs. Clarke gained £500, and the sum of £1,100 was lost to the half-pay fund. This sum of £500 was paid by Mrs. Clarke to a Mr. Birkett, a silversmith, in part payment for a service of plate, for the establishment in Gloucester-place: the balance for which plate was afterwards paid by his royal highness the commander-in-chief. The positions that colonel Wardle held to be clearly deducible from this case were, first, that Mrs. Clarke possessed the power of military promotion. Secondly, that she received pecuniary consideration. And, thirdly, that the commanderin-chief was a partaker in the benefit arising from such pecuniary

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consideration. The truth of this case would be established by witnesses, whose names he mentioned. The second case colonel Wardle had to adduce, related to exchanges. On the 25th of July, 1805, an exchange was concluded between lieutenant-colonel Brooke of the 56th regiment of infantry, and lieutenant-colonel Knight, of the 5th dragoon guards, through the influence of Mrs. Clarke. Mrs. Clarke wanted some money to defray the expences of an excursion in the country. She, therefore urged the commanderin-chief to expedite the exchange as she was to receive £200 for it. This urgent request was made on a Thursday, and its influence was such, that the exchange was actually gazetted on the Saturday following. Mrs. Clarke, in consequence, received from the agent in negociating the transaction, £200 for it. The witnesses to this case he named. Another case colonel Wardle had to adduce referred to major John Shaw, of colonel Champagne's Ceylon regiment. Major Shaw was appointed deputy-barrack-master of the Cape of Good Hope, upon the 3d of April, 1806. It was known that this officer by no means enjoyed the favour of the duke of York: that, in fact, his royal highness entertained some prejudice against him. But these obstacles Mrs. Clarke readily undertook, on conditions, to overcome; and it was agreed to pay her £1000 for the major's appointment. The appointment was therefore made and the major himself paid Mrs. Clarke £300. Soon after £200 more was sent to Mrs. Clarke by major Shaw's uncle. The remaining £500, however, was not paid,

and when it was found not to be forthcoming, Mrs. Clarke was enraged, and threatened revenge. She actually complained to the commander-in-chief of Mr. Shaw's breach of contract, and the consequence was, that the major was, soon after, put upon half-pay. This case of major Shaw was the only instance colonel Wardle could find of such an officer being reduced to half-pay. The case of this officer then demonstrated, first, that Mrs. Clarke's influence extended to appointments on the staff, as well as to promotions and exchanges in the army itself. Secondly, that the commander-inchief punished an individual by reducing him from full to half-pay for non-performance of a nefarious contract with his mistress. Thirdly, that the commander-inchief was a direct party to the whole of this nefarious transaction. Witnesses named.

Mr. Wardle now came to, what he called, the very novel case of colonel French and his levy. This officer was, through the influence of Mrs. Clarke, appointed by the commander-in-chief to conduct a levy in the years 1804-5. 'The colonel was introduced to Mrs. Clarke by captain Huxley Sandon, and the condition upon which he obtained his appointment was, that Mrs. Clarke should have one guinea out of the bounty of each man raised, together with the sale or patronage of a certain number of the commissions. The agreement being concluded, it was communicated to, and approved of by the commander-in-chief. Colonel French was accordingly sent, by Mrs. Clarke, to the Horse Guards, and, after many interviews, the levy was set on foot. As the levy I 4 proceeded,