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92

ADMIRALS OF THE RED.

suspension of hostilities at the latter end of the year enabled him to return to England. During his absence he was raised to the dignity of a Baronet of Great Britain, by patent, dated Sept. 12, 1801.

At the general election, in the following year, Sir Charles M. Pole was chosen representative in Parliament for the borough of Newark-upon-Trent; and soon after nominated Chairman of the Board appointed to inquire into the abuses in the civil department of the Navy, and other branches of public expenditure, the duties of which office he continued to perform until the month of February 1806, when he was called to a seat at the Admiralty; from which he retired in October following, in consequence of the change in the administration which took place at that period.

The limits of this work will not admit of our entering at length into the parliamentary services of officers^[1]. We must therefore content ourselves with observing, that during the whole of his senatorial life, Sir Charles M. Pole has never omitted to embrace every opportunity of rendering service to the naval profession, whether as it related to the seamen and marines, or the officers generally; and that the conduct of himself and his colleagues in the commission of Naval Inquiry, was approved by a vote of the House of Commons, which was communicated to them by the Speaker in a most handsome manner.

↑ For information on this head respecting Sir Charles M. Pole, the reader is referred to a Work entitled “Public Characters,” v.8, p.567, et seq.; also to the “Naval Chronicle,” v.21, p.271, et seq. In July, 1803, Sir Charles brought in a Bill for transferring to the Directors of Greenwich Hospital, the administration of the Chest of Chatham. In the course of some explanations, he animadverted on the hardship of the case of a poor disabled sailor who had lost his limbs in the service of his county, and yet was obliged to repair 200 or 300 miles to receive his miserable pittance! By the provisions of this Bill the Pensioners of the Chest were enabled to receive their pay at their own homes, as had been recommended by the Commissioners of Naval Inquiry; and the pay of this suffering and meritorious class of men was augmented from seven to eighteen pounds per annum. On the second reading of the Prize Agents’ Bill, our officer stated that his friend Sir Charles Danvers, out of 163,000l. received for thirty-one captures, had paid 51,000l. expences in the Prize Courts, besides a charge of 50,000l. to agents.

[1] For information on this head respecting Sir Charles M. Pole, the reader is referred to a Work entitled “Public Characters,” v.8, p.567, et seq.; also to the “Naval Chronicle,” v.21, p.271, et seq. In July, 1803, Sir Charles brought in a Bill for transferring to the Directors of Greenwich Hospital, the administration of the Chest of Chatham. In the course of some explanations, he animadverted on the hardship of the case of a poor disabled sailor who had lost his limbs in the service of his county, and yet was obliged to repair 200 or 300 miles to receive his miserable pittance! By the provisions of this Bill the Pensioners of the Chest were enabled to receive their pay at their own homes, as had been recommended by the Commissioners of Naval Inquiry; and the pay of this suffering and meritorious class of men was augmented from seven to eighteen pounds per annum. On the second reading of the Prize Agents’ Bill, our officer stated that his friend Sir Charles Danvers, out of 163,000l. received for thirty-one captures, had paid 51,000l. expences in the Prize Courts, besides a charge of 50,000l. to agents.

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