PH. STEPHENS, Efq; in answer to Extract of a letter from Sir Hugh mine of the zd. Admiralty-office, 4th Jan. 1779. SIR, my I have communicated to Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty your letter of the 2d inftant, acquainting them, that you have given your word of honour to the Provoft Marshal to be at Portf mouth on the 7th inftant, at the court martial to be held for your trial; you was about to fet out for that place, and defiring to be informed, whether the flag officers who were commanding at the Nore, in the Downs, and at Plymouth, at the fame time their lordfhips received the charge against you, have all of them been chofen by their lordships to be at Portfmouth in a fituation to fit at your trial; and I am in return to acquaint you, that their lordships have ordered the flag officers who were commanding at the above mentioned places, at the time they received the charge against you, to repair immediately to Portfmouth, and hoift their flags. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your most obedient, humble fervant, PH. STEPHENS. Pallifer to Admiral Keppel, dated "I think myfelf much intitled "to have my conduct on the day we engaged the French fleet juftified by you, Sir, as com"mander in, chief, from those "foul afperfions, that I confefs I "have been expecting your offer "to do it; I have waited for your coming to town to ask "it; being now informed of « your arrival, I lofe "in defiring you will contradict "thofe fcandalous no time reports that "have been propagated as afore" mentioned, by publishing in your "own name the inclofed paper, "which I have the honour to in"close herewith, or fomething to "that effect that may be more "agreeable to, you, and as may « be agreed on, if you will per "mit me the honour to wait on "you to-morrow morning. "I must beg the favour of your "speedy answer, that my honour "and reputation may not be far"ther wounded by delays. "I am very respectfully, 66 Sir, "Your very obedient, "humble fervant, HUGH PALLISER,' To the Honourable Admiral Keppel, Sc. 12th inftant concerning the attendance of Captain Windfor, and the first lieutenant of his Majefty's late ship Fox, at the court-martial to be held for my trial on the 7th of next month, that their Lordfhips, on the fame day, defired Lord Weymouth, one of his Majefty's Principal Secretaries of State, to take fuch measures as fhould appear to him to be proper for procuring their appearance at the time afore-mentioned; and further to inform me it is not their Lordships intention that the court fhould fit until the effects of the afore-mentioned application is known. This information leads me to apprehend a poffibility of the enquiry being put off; and any delay, I much fear, will be productive of ferious detriment to my country, in the detaining fo many other officers from the public fer-. vice. From this confideration I remain of opinion, that the evidence of Captain Windfor and of his lieutenant may be material at the trial: I must repeat what I wrote to you in my letter of the 11th inftant, that from the uncertainty of the return of thofe gentle men to England, it is my wifh not to have the court-martial put off on that account. I am, Sir, Your humble fervant, Ph. Stephens, Efq. your letter of the 23d inftant; their Lordships, in answer to that part of it which relates to the accufation against you, command me to inform you, that the accufation did not originate from their Board, but from Sir Hugh Pallifer, whofe attendance there has been difpenfed with ever fince. Their Lordships having already communicated to you his Majefty's pleasure with regard to your fecret inftructions, cannot think it neceffary to fay any thing further to you upon that fubject. I have the honour to be, Sir, PH. STEPHENS, Honble. Auguftus Keppel, Admiralty-office, 27th Dec. 1778. Vice-admiral Sir Hugh Pallifer having, in his letter of yesterday's date, acquainted my Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty, that, as the witneffes will be affembled at your trial, he fhall be ready, as foon as that trial is over, to vindicate his own conduct and behaviour on the 27th of July, 1778; and he having therefore defired that their Lordships will A. K. be pleased to require you to give in your charge as foon as may be, if you have any to make againft PH. STEPHENS, Efq; in, anfwer to him; I am commanded by their mine of the 23d. Admiralty-office, 27th Dec. 1778. Having laid before my Lords Lordships to fend you herewith a copy of the faid letter, and to fignify their direction, that if you have any thing to charge against the conduct of Vice-admiral Sir Hugh Pallifer, you do tranfmit the he fame to their lordships as foon as may be. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your moft obedient,' Honble. Admiral Keppel. Admiralty, 26 Dec. 1778. As the witneffes will be affembled at the trial of the Honourable Admiral Keppel, I beg leave to acquaint the Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty, that I fhall be ready, fo fcon is that trial is over, to vindicate my own conduct and behaviour on the 27th of July, 1778: I therefore defire their Lordships will be pleafed to require Admiral Keppel to give in his charge as foon as may be, if he has any to make againit me. I am, Sir, Your most obedient, humble fervant, HUGH PALLISER. Ph. Stephens, Efq. Audley-fquare, Sunday afternoon, I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of this day's date, inclofing a copy of a letter from Sir Hugh Pallifer, acquainting the Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty, that as the witneffes will be affembled at my trial, he fhall be ready, as foon as that trial is over, to vindicate his own conduct and behaviour on the 27th of July, and defiring that their Lordships would be pleafed to require me to give in my charge as foon as may be, if I have any to make against him; in confequence of which, their Lordfhips are pleafed to direct, that if I have any thing to charge against the conduct of Sir Hugh Pallifer, I do tranfmit the fame to their Lordships. I defire you will exprefs to the Lords Commiflioners of the Admiralty my great forprize at the contents of thefe letters. I learn, by another letter you have favoured me with of the fame date, that Sir Hugh Pallifer's attendance at the Board has been difpenfed with ever fince he exhibited his charge again!t me. He appears to me, however, to think that he has loft no part of his weight and influence at the Board, when he prefumes to deûre their Lordships to require me, in my prefent fituation, to employ a thought about him, in any other character than as the author of that charge; and, for the prefent at leat, I mnt be excufed in declining to give any other answer to your letter. "purpose have been propagated by fome of the officers of the Victory; I think it neceffary, "in juftice to Sir Hugh Pallifer, "to publish to the world, that "his conduct on that day was in every refpect proper, and becoming a good officer; and I "further declare, that when I "made the fignal in the evening "for the fhips to windward to "bear down into my wake, and "afterwards for particular hips "of Sir Hugh's divifion to do fo; "he repeated thofe fignals pro perly, and that the calling his "and vice-admiral Sir Robert "Harland's divifion into my wake "in the evening, was not for the purpofe of renewing the battle at that time, but to be in readi"nefs for it in the morning; that, "in obedience to the faid fignals, "fuch of the fhips of Sir Hugh "Pallifer's divifion as were in "condition for it, did immediate"ly bear down, as did the reft fo "foon as they were able; fo that "Sir Hugh Pallifer and his whole divifion were all in my wake "accordingly the next morning before day-light, ready for en"gaging." Die Martis, 16 Februarii, 1779. Ordered, nemine Diffentiente, by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament affembled, That the tharks of this House be given to the Hon. Admiral Auguftus Keppel, for his diftinguished courage, conduct and ability in defending this kingdom in the course of the last fummer, effectually protecting its trade, as far as his command extended, and more particularly for his having gloriously upheld the honour of the British flag on the 27th and 28th of July laft; and that the Lord Chancellor do caufe the fame to be tranfmitted to the faid admiral. ASHLEY COWPER, the advantages which their lordfhips have thought worthy of their thanks, are due to God's bleffing, to the gallant behaviour of many great and able officers who have ferved in the fleet, and to the bravery of the feamen. I can only fay, that the warmest gratitude for this great honour and favour will make me ever defirous of meriting it by the most strenuous endeavours to ferve my country. I beg leave to return your lordfhip my best thanks for the flattering and polite manner in which you have been pleased to communicate to me the refolution of the House. I have the honour to be, with much refpect, Your lordship's most obedient, and very humble fervant, A. KEPPEL. Audley-Square, (COPY) Jovis 18 Die Februarii, 1779. Admiral Keppel being come to the Houfe; Mr. Speaker acquainted him, that the Houfe had, on the 12th inftant, ordered that the thanks of this house be given to him, for his distinguished courage, conduct, and ability, in defending this kingdom in the courfe of the laft fummer, effectually protecting its trade, and more particularly for his having gloricully upheld the honour of the British flag on the 27th and 28th of July laft; and Mr. Speaker gave him the thanks of the Houfecordingly, as followeth, viz. their thanks to be given to you; an honour never conferred but upon extraordinary merit; which thanks it is my duty to communicate to you in your place. After having fat fo long in this chair, I hope it is unneceffary to declare that I have been always happy to obey the orders of the Houfe; and I have now a particular fatisfaction in that obedience. -Indeed, every generous mind muft feel fatisfaction, when the day of honourable acquittal fucceeds to the day of fevere trial: and this pleasure was, I believe, never more general, nor more fincere, than upon the prefent occafion. You, Sir, was called by your Sovereign, with the approbation of all defcriptions of men, particularly thofe of your own profeffion, to a station of the utmost difficulty, and of the higheft importance. The fafety of this country, and the honour of the British flag, were trufted in your hands when the enemy was expected upon our moft ble difcharge of this great coaft; and, notwithstanding the and momentous truft, you was accufed of misconduct and neglect of duty. But, after a very long and full investigation, by men in every refpect the best qualified to judge, that charge appeared to be illjudges have unanimously and hogrounded and malicious; and your nourably acquitted you, and have further added, that your conduct on the 27th and 28th days of July laft, was that of a judicious, brave, then it cannot be matter of furprize and experienced officer. Surely that extraordinary marks of refpect and efleem are fhewn to fuch a character. We now know with certainty that our confidence in [7] 4 you |