the fame to their Lordships as foon as may be. I have the honour to be, Your most obedient, Honble. Admiral Keppel. Admiralty, 26 Dec. 1778. SIR, As the witnesses will be affembled at the the trial of the Honourble Admiral Keppel, I beg leave to acquaint the Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty, that I fhall be ready, fo foon as that trial is over, to vindicate my own conduct and behaviour on the 27th of July, 1778; I therefore defire their Lordships will be pleased to require Admiral Keppel to give in his charge as foon as may be, if he has any to make against me. I am, Sir, Your moft obedient humble fervant, HUGH PALLISER. Ph. Stephens, Esq. Audley-Square, 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 Lordships are pleased 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 Commiffioners of the Admiralty my great furprize at the contents of these 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 against 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 defire 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 least, I must be excufed in declining to give any other anfwer to your letter. I am, Sir, Your humble fervant, am this day fetting out upon my journey thither, of which I defire you will inform their Lordships.And likewife that you will acquaint them, I beg to be informed whether the flag officers of the feet who were commanding at the Nore, in the Downs, and at Plymouth, at the time their Lordfhips received the charge against me, have all of them been chofen by their Lordships to be at Portf mouth, in a fituation to fit at my trial. I am, Sir, Ph. Stephens, Esq. Portfmouth, 4th Jan. 1779. SIR, I made an early application to the Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty, after being acquainted by Mr. Secretary Stephens, that their Lordships intended that a court martial fhould be held for trying me on a charge of misconduct and neglect of duty on the 27th and 28th of July laft, exhíbited against me by Vice-admiral Sir Hugh Pallifer, that the cap tains of the King's fhips ferving in the fleet under my command on the 27th of July might be fummoned, and likewife other officers: and fince having notice given me, that the court martial is ordered to be affembled for my trial on Thursday the feventh inftant, and that you are to act in your office as Judge Advocate at the faid trial; therefore think it proper I to acquaint you, that I defire the witneffes, whofe names are inferted in the lift that accompanies this, may be fummoned to attend to Your very humble fervant, George Jackfon, Esq. PH. PH. STEPHENS, Efq. in anfwer to Extract of a Letter from Sir Hugh mine of the 2d. Admiralty-Office, 4th Jan. 1779. SIR, Pallifer to Admiral Keppel, dated "I think myfelf much intitled we engaged the French fleet I have communicated to my Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty your letter of the ad inftant, have acquainting them, that you given your word of honour to the Provoft Marfhal to be at Portf mouth on the 7th inftant, at the court-martial to be held for your your coming to town to ask it; trial; you was about to fet out for "being now informed of your ar that place, and defiring to be in"rival, I lofe no time in defiring formed whether the flag officers will contradict those scanyou who were commanding at the "dalous reports that have been Nore, in the Downs, and at Ply-propagated as afore-mentioned, mouth, 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 abovementioned places, at the time they received the charge against you, to repair immediately to Portf mouth, and hoist their flags. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your most obedient PH. STEPHENS. Hon. Admiral Keppel, Portsmouth. Extract of a Letter from Sir Hugh Pallifer to Admiral Keppel, dated Formidable, at fea, 9th of October, 1778. "These prizes, coming in our "I am, with the greatest re- "HUGH PALLISER." "by publifhing in your own name ، the inclofed paper, which I have "the honour to inclofe herewith, "or fomething to that effect that be more agreeable to you, may "and as may be agreed on, if you will permit me the honour "to wait on you to-morrow morn"ing. "I muft beg the favour of your "fpeedy anfwer, that my honour "and reputation may not be far"ther wounded by delays. "I am very refpectfully, very "Your obedient To the Honourable "Having feen a paragraph in "the Morning Intelligencer of "the 5th of laft month, highly "reflecting on the conduct of "Vice-admiral Sir Hugh Pallifer, "on the 27th of July laft, when "the fleet under my command "engaged the French fleet; and "the vice-admiral having inform"ed me, that reports to the fame [7] 3 purpofe "purpofe have been propagated "by fome of the officers of the "Victory; I think it neceffary, "in juftice to Sir Hugh Pallifer, "to publifh to the world, that his conduct on that day was in every respect proper, and be<< coming 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 fhips "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'sdivifions into my wake in the evening was not for the purpofe of renewing the battle. "at that time, but to be in readi"ness 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." its trade, and maintaining the ho nour of the British flag, expreffed in the fulleft and highest fenfe of applause. No private voice can add to fo fplendid an encomium: — permit me, however, to congratulate you on this diftinguishing mark of ap probation, which a grateful country confers on your zeal and merit in the fervice of the public. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your moft obedient humble fervant, THURLOW. Ormond Street, 16 Feb. ́ 1779. To the Hon. Adm. Keppel. Die Martis, 16 Februarii, 1779. the Lords Spiritual and Temporal Ordered, nemine diffentiente, by in Parliament affembled, That the thanks of this House be given to the Hon. Admiral Auguftus Keppel, for his diftinguifhed courage, conduct, and ability, in defending this kingdom in the course of the laft fummer, effectually protecting its trade, as far as his command extended; and, more particularly, for his having glorioufly 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, My Lord, The very diftinguifhed notice which the House of Lords has been pleafed to take of my services in the courfe of the last fummer, confers on me the higheft honour; the 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 pleafed to communicate to me the refolution of the House. 1 have the honour to be, with much refpect, Your Lordship's most obedient, and very humble fervant, A. KEPPEL. Audley-fquare, (COPY.) Javis 18° Die Februarii, 1779. Admiral Keppel being come to the Houfe, Mr. Speaker acquainted him, that the House had, on the 12th inftant, ordered that the thanks of this House be given to him, for his diftinguifhed courage, conduct, and ability, in defending this kingdom in the course of the last summer, effectually protecting its trade, and more particularly for his having glorioufly upheld the honour of the British flag on the 27th and 28th of July laft; and Mr. Speaker gave him the thanks of the Houfe accordingly, as followeth, viz. Admiral Keppel, This Houfe have done you the diftinguished honour of ordering 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 fuc ceeds to the day of fevere trial: and this pleasure was, I believe, never more general, nor more fincere, than the present occaupon fion. You, Sir, was called by your Sovereign, with the approbation of all defcriptions of men, particularly thofe of your own profeflion, to a flation of the utmoft difficulty, and of the highest importance. The fafety of this country, and the honour of the British flag, were trusted in your hands, when the enemy was expected upon our coaft; and notwithstanding the most able discharge of this great and momentous truft, you was accufed of mifconduct and neglect of duty. But after a very long and full inveftigation, by men in every refpect the beft qualified to judge, that charge appeared to be illgrounded and malicious; and your judges have unanimoufly and honourably acquitted you, and have conduct your further added, that on the 27th and 28th days of July laft, was that of a judicious, brave, and experienced officer. Surely then it cannot be matter of furprize that extraordinary marks of refpect and esteem are fhewn to fuch a character. We now know with certainty that our confidence in [T] 4 you |