1778.

vigorous exertions for making reprisals and protecting CHA P. commerce. He directed the attention of parliament XXXV. to the armaments of other powers, and deplored the continuance of the troubles in America, which the wisdom and temperance difplayed in the late conciliatory measures, had not brought to a happy conclufion.

tranfactions

IN debating an amendment to the addrefs, Mr. The late Fox introduced the great naval dispute, by ftating naval the king's fpeech to be unfounded in fact, and its debated. affertions falfe, and by alluding with severity to the difgraceful and dangerous fituation of the grand fleet, when the admiral first took the command, of a force inferior by ten fhips of the line to that of the enemy.

of Temple

THE fea-fight off Ufhant came more immediately 2d Dec. under investigation on prefenting the navy estimates, fervations when Mr. Temple Luttrel obferved, that the tranf- Luttrel. actions of that day loudly demanded inquiry admiral Keppel could not again ferve with Sir Hugh Pallifer, the nation eagerly expected investigation; the two admirals were in the house, and ought to give information, as well for their own honour, as for the fake of public tranquillity.

ADMIRAL KEPPEL declared the glory of the British Of admiral flag had not been tarnished in his hands: he impeached Keppel. no man; and was perfuaded that Sir Hugh Pallifer had manifested no want of the requifite most effential to a British seaman-courage. He then read a paper, defcribing the manner of his appointment, and the nature of his situation, hoped he should not be compelled to answer particular queftions relative to the action, or respecting individuals, but was ready, if duly required, to explain his own conduct either in that houfe or elsewhere. Nothing was left untried to bring the French to a decisive action; but unless both fquadrons were equally defirous, it was impoffible. He acknowledged his furprife, when an officer under his command appealed to the public by a letter in a newfpaper,

13

XXXV.

1779.

CHA P. newspaper, figned with his name, when no accufation was made, and endeavoured by fuch means to render his fuperior odious and defpicable. He refolved never again to fet his foot on board a fhip with that officer, because his conduct was fatal to all obedience and all command.

Of Pallifer.

Keppel's reply.

Courtmartial

ordered on Keppel. 9th Dec.

SIR HUGH PALLISER faid, he was no lefs indifferent than his fuperior officer to inquiry; on the contrary, it was his intereft to defire it. He cenfured the admiral's referve, and wifhed him to deliver his opinions without disguise, that a full answer might be given. If the newspaper publication was imprudent or wrong, Sir Hugh alone must bear the consequences; but he complained that while juftice was rendered to his courage, he was calumniated for being deficient in other refpects as an officer. An unauthenticated infinuation of neglect of duty was more injurious, becaufe more difficult entirely to remove, than any direct crimination; and he had ineffectually fought anexplanation from the commander in chief. He had reluctantly appealed to the public, and stated facts by which he would ftand or fall. Sir Hugh denied that he had refused to obey fignals, and treated all low infinuations, and feeming tenderness, with contempt; conscious of his innocence, he feared neither reports nor affertions, neither a parliamentary inquiry nor a public trial.

ADMIRAL KEPPEL thought the appeal to the public fully justified his refolution not again to fail with the vice-admiral, and afferted that the fignal for coming into the Victory's wake, was flying from three o'clock in the afternoon till eight in the evening unobeyed; at the fame time he did not charge the vice-admiral with actual disobedience.

SIR HUGH PALLISER immediately prefented charges at the admiralty against admiral Keppel, upon which a court-martial was ordered. The compliance with this requifition occafioned parliamentary animadver

fion, and a strong memorial to the king, fubfcribed C HAP. by twelve admirals ".

XXXV.

1778.

motion.

Mr. TEMPLE LUTTREL moved an address for the trial of Pallifer, which only renewed the altercation 30th. between the two officers. Sir Hugh Pallifer accufed Luttrel's his opponent of acting in an unbecoming manner, attributed the accufation he had preferred to the neceffity of vindicating his flandered character, and deplored the breach of their long intimacy. Admiral Keppel retorted with afperity, charging the viceadmiral with mutiny, and thanking God, that in the approaching court-martial he was not the accufer, but the accufed. The tide of popularity ran violently in favour of the admiral; every fentence of his fpeech was received with applaufe, while Pallifer was cenfured for confpiring with other members of administration to ruin his fuperior officer. In these proceedings the oppofition difplayed all the violence and rancour of party; no art was left uneffayed to influence the public opinion in favour of Keppel, who was treated with a proftrate homage, rarely fhewn to those who achieve important conquests, and was confidered as a facrifice to the ineptitude of administration. On account of his health, an act was paffed for enabling the court-martial to fit on fhore, and the warrant for his trial was comprised in words of tenderness and respect ".

1779.

11th Feb.

FIVE charges were preferred against him, fummed 7th Jan, to up in a general propofition, that he lost by miscon- Keppel's duct and neglect a glorious opportunity of rendering trial: a most essential service to the state, and had tarnished the honour of the British navy. After fitting affidu- and oufly thirty-two days, the court-martial, by an unani- acquittal. mous verdict, fully and honourably acquitted the admiral, affirming, that far from having fullied the

m See the memorial in the Remembrancer, vol. vii. p. 288. The fubfcribers were lord Hawke, admiral Moore, the duke of Polton; admirals Graves, Pigot, and Harland; the earl of Bristol; admirals Young, Burton, and Geary; lord Shuldham, and admiral Gayton.

"See Parliamentary Regifter, vol. xi. p. 208.

I 4

honour

1779.

of the mob.

11th and 12th Feb.

CHA P. honour of the navy, he had acted as became a judiXXXV. cious, brave, and experienced officer. On this acquittal the cities of London and Westminster were Rejoicing illuminated two fucceffive nights, in conformity to the and outrages injunctions of a mob, who fhewed their refentment against those whom they confidered as perfecutors of admiral Keppel, by acts of outrage. The house of Sir Hugh Pallifer was broke open, and the furniture destroyed, and he himself was burnt in effigy. The dwellings of lord George Germaine and lord North were fubjected to the infults of the populace; the gates of the admiralty were thrown down, and the windows demolished; and the houfes of captain Hood and lord Mulgrave, whose evidence gave umbrage to the friends of Keppel, were exposed to fimilar ravages. The city not only illuminated the manfion-house and the monument, but voted thanks to the admiral, and presented him with the freedom of the city in an oak box.

12th and 16th Feb.

Keppel

BOTH houses of parliament alfo voted thanks to the acquitted admiral, for the conduct which had occathanked by fioned his trial: in the house of commons only one both houses. voice was raifed in diffent; in the lords the fuffrages were unanimous.

Pallifer

vacates his feat, and

appoint

ments.

THE acquittal of Keppel feemed to fix a ftigma on the character of Sir Hugh Pallifer: he therefore refigns his demanded a court-martial, and with due magnanimity refigned his feat at the admiralty board, his rank of colonel of marines, and government of Scarborough Castle, and vacated his feat in parliament; retaining only his appointment of vice-admiral. This voluntary facrifice fruftrated a motion which Mr. Fox meditated for his removal.

19th Feb.

12th April

to 5th May.

He is tried by a court

martial:

ADMIRAL KEPPEL, though called on by the admiralty, having refufed to bring any accufation against Pallifer', the warrant for his trial was founded on a general allegation of matters difclofed during the late

• This diffentient was Mr. Strut. Stedman, vol. ii. p. 18.

⚫ See Letters on this fubje&t. Parliamentary Register, vol. xi. p. 239.

proceedings.

1779.

proceedings. Keppel was, however, a principal wit- CHA P. nefs: the court-martial fat one-and-twenty days, when XXXV. they declared the behaviour of Pallifer, in many refpects, exemplary and meritorious; but "they and could not help thinking it was incumbent on him to acquitted, though not have made known to the commander in chief the without difabled state of his own fhip, which he might have enfure. done by the Fox at the time fhe joined him, or by other means; notwithstanding this omiffion, they thought him not in any other respect chargeable with misconduct or misbehaviour, and therefore acquitted

him."

SUCH was the refult of this ill-judged conteft: The public those who in their predilection for admiral Keppel zeal fubfides rafhly thought that his popularity would stand on a bafis as permanent as the odium against his opponent was extensive, found themselves grievously deceived; the public reflecting on all circumftances, inferred from the declaration of both parties, that " a proud day for England had been loft;" and they foon began to difcover that, granting all the misconduct imputed to Sir Hugh Pallifer to have been true, it was not fufficient to prevent the beneficial confequences they had a right to expect. The admiral foon complained Keppel of the manner in which he was directed to resume the command of the fleet, was difpleafed with his reception at court and various other circumftances, and refigned the command. Notwithstanding the merits Reigns the of his character, and the value of his paft fervices, grand fleet the public voice was never raised to require his reftoration. Various intemperate motions in both houses perfonally respecting the two admirals, were attended with no important refults; the curiofity of the people foon languished and the subject fell into complete difregard.

difcon

tented.

againft lord

DURING this conteft feveral motions were made in Fox's various both houses, tending to impeach the conduct of the motions admiralty, and particularly of its first lord. Mr. Fox Sandwich, conducted thefe attacks in the houfe of commons.

For