Folios 249-252: John Henry Cartier, No 9 Upper Crown Street, Westminster. A memorial...

Folios 249-252: John Henry Cartier, No 9 Upper Crown Street, Westminster. A memorial to Lord Melville, 1st Lord of the Admiralty. He detained the yawl the Dove of Queensborough, Master Mr Hodges with his apprentice Mantel, in accordance with his orders from Admiral Lord Keith and the Secretary of State. He did this as the boat failed to heave to in the Swale when commanded even though shots were fired across the bow. The ship had also been involved in piratically plundering the oyster ground on Conger Rock. The apprentice lied about his age too so he assumed it was a false identity. Cartier assumed the ship was illicit as it answered the description alluded to in his orders and her bowsprit was longer than the regulations allow. The owner and Master of the Dove issued a demand that he appeared at the Court of Exchequor with too little time for him to get leave to appear so he has been charged with contempt. He asks for Lord Melville to intervene and get him the help of the Solicitor as he has been ruined by recent events. He has documents to prove he was acting under orders. His simple word of Honour to the Spanish Governor of Algeria proved enough to maintain commerce during his last command and saved thousands of pounds for the government. He is about to be ruined by revengeful chicanery of smugglers, monopolizers and bandits in an area where he has tried to frustrate their actions against the Government and Revenue as he was ordered to. When dismissed from HMS Broderscarp, he was informed it was not for any misconduct so he asks to be saved from ruin and imprisonment when his only fault has been too much zeal in his country's cause.

Folio 253: enclosure with folios 249-252. dmiralty note - Inform him that, although Lord Melville laid his petition before the Board, their Lordships saw no grounds for granting his petition.