"I entreat you, Admiral, to accept of my sincere wish that a perfect amity may soon be restored between the two nations which we have the honour to serve, and to permit me to assure you of the high esteem with which I am "Your most obedient humble servant, &c. "CHARLES M. POLE, "Vice-Admiral, and Commander of his Britannic Majesty's fleet in the Baltic." It being the interest, and consequently the wish of both courts, that a good understanding should take place, amicable arrangements were immediately entered into, and a treaty soon after concluded between England and the Northern Powers, which it is to be hoped will be observed for centuries to come, by both parties, with the most unequivocal good faith. A few months after his return to England, the subject of this memoir, who had now attained the rank of Vice-Admiral of the Red, in consequence of a promotion, in which he was the last included, received a patent of baronetage, as Sir Charles Morice Pole,* of Wolverton, in the county of Hants. He had never as yet been in parliament, but at the last general election in 802 he came in for the borough of Newark, in conjunction with Sir Thomas * There are now no fewer than three families of the name of Pole, who have obtained the honour of the English Baronetage. The heads of these are: 1st, Sir William Temple Pole, of Shute, in Devonshire, September 12, 1628. 2d, Sir Charles Pole, of Walthamstow, in the county of Essex. And, 3d, Sir Charles Morice Pole, of Wolverton, Hants, September 12, 1801. Manners Manners Sutton, now one of the Barons of the Exchequer, and then Solicitor-General to the King. Towards the latter end of the same year (in the month of December), Mr. Addington, since created Viscount Sidmouth, conceived the idea of inquiring into and reforming the various abuses which had taken place in the public departments, during the course of the former war. This is said to have originated in consequence of some remarks made by Mr. Robson, member for Okehampton, during the preceding parliament. This gentleman observed, that the respectable house of Martin, Stone, and Co. had presented a trifling bill on the Sick and Hurt Office, to the amount of a few pounds,* which had been dishonoured, under pretence of having none of the public money in hand. The representative just alluded to, had assuredly drawn too broad a conclusion from this circumstance, when he maintained that government was insolvent. The minister of that day, however, deemed it proper to get rid of the business without any noise, by remarking that the whole originated in some trifling mistake. But the fact made a due impression on the mind of Mr. Addington, and he determined the moment that peace afforded a fair opportunity, to make the necessary inquiries. Accordingly, at the recommendation of Earl St. Vincent, the whole of the Naval Department was fixed upon, and a board constituted, consisting of Charles Morice Pole, Evan * Nineteen pounds thirteen shillings. Law, Law, John Ford, and Henry Nicholls, Esquires, of which the member for Newark was appointed chair man. With a due respect to constitutional forms, these gentlemen were nominated not under a royal, but a parliamentary sanction, so that they might at all times be within the control of the House of Commons; and the nation augured well of a minister who of his own accord cheerfully undertook that investigation which a former Chancellor of the Exchequer was reluctantly obliged to adopt, at the instigation of a member of the opposition. † The important measure just alluded to, was carried into effect by means of the 43d of George III, entitled" An Act for appointing Commissioners to inquire and examine into any irregularities, frauds, or abuses, which are or have been practised by persons employed in the several naval departments therein mentioned, and in the business of prize-agency; and to report such observations as shall occur to them for preventing such irregularities, frauds, and abuses, and for the better conducting and managing the business of the said departments,and of prize-agency, in future." It was of course some time before they could make the necessary arrangements, and commence their labours; but this circumstance, however plain and * Lord North, afterwards Earl of Guilford. The late Colonel Barré. The bill was introduced December 13, 1802. obvious, obvious, produced much outcry against the commissioners on the part of those who would have been eager, perhaps, had occasion served, to censure their precipitancy. At length, however, the first report was presented to the House of Commons, and ordered to be printed, May 12, 1803. It concerned the conduct of the naval store-keepers at Jamaica; and in it we find that one of them had not only been engaged in the importation of base coin from Birmingham, into the island, but although his lawful salary and perquisites had risen from one thousand four hundred and thirtysix pounds to two thousand and sixty-eight pounds, yet he appeared to have committed frauds of the grossest kind, and to an enormous amount. We shall here only state two or three of the charges. L. S. D. 1. American masts, which would have cost in England 198 18 8 were by him charged 1238 2. Copper sheets (9320lbs.) which in England cost were by him charged 3. Cables and ropes, which in England cost were by him charged 553 7 6 The second report respected the " Chest at Chatham," an institution for the relief of seamen maimed and wounded in the service of their country. Among the frauds here discovered, it would appear that an estate called Sockles, leased in 1789, for twenty-one years, at one hundred and five pounds, was worth from three to four thousand pounds per annum, while two houses erected in Hammond Place, Chatham, had only produced ninety-five pounds per annum (at (at the rate of four pounds six shillings and ninepence per cent.), although two thousand one hundred and eighty-eight pounds eight shillings and eleven-pence had been expended upon them, and the ground appertained to the charity. In consequence of their recommendation, the Chest has since been removed to Greenwich, and many beneficial consequences have ensued from this measure *. The next subject of investigation was the Block Contract and the Cooper's Contract; and it appeared from their labours, that the former of these, notwithstanding it was so profitable as to be let to sub-contractors, yet had received an increase of allowance on certain articles; while, in respect to the latter, a mistake of two thousand four hundred and twentythree pounds fourteen shillings was detected. The fourth report included " Prize-Agency;" concerning which, notwithstanding the general outcry," abuses and irregularities, rather than fraud," were discoverable. To remedy the grievances com *On the 23d of July, 1803, Sir Charles Morice Pole brought up the bill for transferring to the Directors of Greenwich Hospital the administration of the Chest at Chatham. In consequence of some observations by a member, it was stated that in addition to sundry abuses, great grievances had formerly existed in this department. It was cruel, on one hand, that poor disabled seamen should pay from twenty to twenty-five pounds per cent. agency, for receiving their small pittance; and on the other, it was intolerable that a poor fellow who had lost his limbs in the service of his country, should come two or three hundred miles to entitle him to this benefit. plained |