of being employed to ferve against the emperor, I think it proper to remind you, that whatever fteps you have taken, have been without the smallest degree of authority or countenance from his majefty's minifters, and that it is for your lordfhip to confider what confequences may be expected from them. "I am, my lord,

"Your lordship's obedient, "Humble fervant,

"W. PITT."

Right Hon. Lord Geo. Gordon. Lord George Gordon's Answer to Mr. Pitt.

"Sir,

"I received your letter of today juft now. It was very rude in you not to answer my two letters fooner. I am glad to hear you fay, that many feamen have been induced to quit their occupation, in expectation of being employed to ferve against the emperor. This fhews the feamen's hearts are warm towards the States of Holland, and that they wish to lend a hand to affift them against their enemies.As foon as you, and the reft of his majefty's minifters, are pleased to authorize and countenance these honeft endeavours of the feamen to fupport thofe Proteftant ftates, I will make proposals to the Dutch ambassador, and to the States of Holland, to take them into immediate pay. The confequences may fall on the heads of the king's fervants, if they advife their fovereign to take a part against the Proteftant intereft.

"I am, Sir,

"Your humble fervant, "G. GORDON." Welbeck-ftreet, Nov. 19, 1784. VOL. XXVII.

Sentence of the Court Martial appointed to try Colonel Debbieg, for writing feveral difrefpe&ful and injurious Letters to the Duke of Richmond, as Mafter General of the Ordnance.

T1

of colonel Debbieg being on Monday laft re affembled at the Horfe-Guards, by his majefty's command, the following fentence was read by the judge advocate, who declared that his majefty had approved thereof, and had directed that it be carried into execution.

HE court-martial for the trial

The court-martial, upon due confideration of the whole matter, are of opinion, that colonel Hugh Debbieg is guilty of each article of the charge exhibited against him, viz.

Of" writing to his grace Charles duke of Richmond, Lennox, and Aubigny, mafter-general of his majefty's ordnance, his commanding officer, feveral unbecoming letters fince the month of June laft, containing indecent and difrefpe&ful expreffions towards him, and groundless and injurious imputations of partiality and oppreffion in the difcharge of his duty as mastergeneral of the ordnance, to the prejudice of good order and military difcipline;"

And of" writing difrefpectfully, in the month of Auguft laft, of the faid duke of Richmond. &c. maftergeneral of his majefty's ordnance, his commanding officer, to majorgeneral James Bramham, the chief engineer, and in terms obviously tending to depreciate the conduct of him the faid mafter-general in the opinion of the faid chief engineer, and of the corps of engineers, to the prejudice of good order and military difcipline."

[U]

In

In confideration of the high character of the faid colonel Debbieg, as an officer, and his meritorious fervices, which conйderation alone could have induced them to give fo lenient a sentence for crimes which they malt conceive to be highly detrimental, and tending to produce the worst confequences to the fervice, they adjudge, That he, the faid colonel Hugh Deb'ieg, be reprimanded in open court, and that he do alfo make his fubmiflion to the duke of Richmond, &c. mafter general of his majefty's ordnance, in the following terms:

"My lord duke,

"In compliance with the judgment of this court-martial, I do declare my great concern, that I thould have made üfe of expreffions in my correfpondence with your grace, my fuperior officer, which in the opinion of the court tended to the prejudice of good order and military difcipline."

The prefident, lord Howard, then addreffed col. Debbieg as follows:

"Colonel Debbieg,

"In addreffing myf If to an officer of fo long ftanding, and fo diftinguished as you have been for your meritorious fervices, it cannot fail to give me the fincerett concern to have it fall to my lot to convey to you a reprimand from the court-martial before whom you have been brought.

"It is, Sir, by his majefty's commands that I do fo. Wherein, having 'confulted the court, I am to fay to you, that they would have to dread the ill effects of fuch an unbecoming pirit as that which has fo confpicuoully fhewn itfelf in your late correfpondence, which they have had trader their confideration, if they did not perfuade themfelves, in regard to the dan

gerous tendency of fuch behaviour to his majesty's service, that you will upon cool reflection think as they do, and hereafter regulate your conduct accordingly.

"The other part, Sir, of the judgment of this court, your fubmiflion to the duke of Richmond, mafter-general of the ordnance, has beeh already read to you by the judge advocate; and which no doubt you will immediately, and agreeable to that becoming deference due to their directions, proceed to comply with."

Col. D.bbieg then read the fubmiflion to the duke of Richmond, as the court had directed; after which the duke of Richmond addressed himself to the court as follows:

"The judgment of the court in pronouncing every article of my charges well founded, and the imputations against me groundless, together with the obfervations which the court has made on the conduct I complained of, have I truft fully juftified the neceflity I was under of appealing to this tribunal.

"I flatter myfelf, that in carrying on this profecution, I have not thewn a vindictive fpirit. I hope it is hot in my nature. The apology directed by the court, I readily accept from col. Debbieg. I trust his future conduct will be regulated by the fentiments which the court has expreffed on what is paft, and I promite col. Debbieg that he fhall never trace in my behaviour any ungenerous recollecti on of this tranfaction."

The judge advocate then informed colonel Debbieg, that the fentence of the court having been complied with, he was releafed from his arreft, and then declared that the court-martial was diffolved.

The

auditors anxious to hear the fate of Mr. Atkinson. Atten Mr. Atkinfon was conducted into court by the deputy-keeper and tipftaff. In a quarter of an hour Lord Mansfield, Mr. juftice Afhurft, and Mr. juftice Buller, took their feats upon the bench (judge Willes being abfent on account of the death of his brother.) After a few juftifications of bail lord Mansfield called for Mr. attorney-general, who imme. diately attended, and Mr. juftice Afhurft, with great deliberation and folemnity proceeded to pronounce the fentence of the court.

The learned judge firft obferved, that the defendant ftood convicted of perjury, to the fatisfaction of the court and jury, and itated that it arofe from an affidavit made by him to ground a motion for an information against William Bennet. He then read the words in which the affidavit was couched. The indi&tment contained nine different affignments of which he was convicted of fix, viz. 2d, 3d, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 9th. He then explained the feveral charges or affignments in the order they arofe, and took notice that Mr. Atkinson's counfel had particularly objected to the conviction on the 4th, which refpected malt, and the 7th, an article of wheat, purchafed at 34s. 6d. and charged at 36s. But "admitting that thefe affignments or counts were done away, ftill there were four remaining, and the malignity of the offence whether to cover one fraud or many, equally tended

only the corn-factor, but the cornfeller. "The commiffioner muft have been the most unfaithful, or the noft ignorant of public fervants, if they had fuffered fuch a practice to prevail." The jury were therefore well warranted in finding their verdict upon the aflignments that were attempted to be defended upon that ground.

The fecond mode of defence was, that all the over-charges was qualified by a balancing bill. "This idea," faid the learned judge, "is contrary to the bills themfelves," which were continually varied in their prices.

Befides which, the affidavit on which the conviction was founded pofitively avers that no more was charged on the several articles, than the price actually paid, which was utterly repugnant to the charge of an article of the 28th of May, 1779. Thefe balancing bills were made out merely at the defendant's difcretion altogether unauthorized by the board, and were fubject to no cheque or controul. When the court defired that the books might be infpected, it was answered they were deftroyed. How the defendant had exercised his dif cretion, was plain to the commisfioners and jury, the former having difcharged him from his employment, and the latter having found him guilty of the crime laid to his charge. here was no plea of defence that the money was paid on account, because the charges were regularly adjufted, and the specific fums to each article.

The learned judge then conclud. ed in the following words, "I fhall not endeavour to aggravate your crime; for if you have any feelings, your fituation must be fufficiently painful and there remains nothing more for me to fay, but the difagreeable neceffity of pronouncing

the fentence of the law.

You are to be committed one whole year to the, prifon of this court. You are to ftand in the pillory upon the Corn market for

the fpace of one whole hour, between twelve and two o'clock, and you are to pay a fine of two thoufand pounds, and remain in prifon until the fame is pa d."

Mr Atkinson feemed exceedingly affected with this fentence, and for a few moments looked ftedfaftly upon the court, as if going to fpeak. He then made a refpectful bow to the judges, and retired with great fortitude.

A GE