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〃Adam Jellicoe had at different times lent and advanced to the said
Henry Cort； from whom the same now remains justly due and owing； and
the deponent saith he verily believes that the said Henry Cort is
much decayed in his credit and in very embarrassed circumstances； and
therefore the deponent verily believes that the aforesaid debt so due
and owing to His Majesty is in great danger of being lost if some
more speedy means be not taken for the recovery than by the ordinary
process of the Court。〃 Extraordinary measures were therefore adopted。
The assignments of Cort's patents； which had been made to Jellicoe in
consideration of his advances； were taken possession of； but Samuel
Jellicoe； the son of the defaulter； singular to say； was put in
possession of the properties at Fontley and Gosport； and continued to
enjoy them； to Cort's exclusion； for a period of fourteen years。 It
does not however appear that any patent right was ever levied by the
assignees； and the result of the proceeding was that the whole
benefit of Cort's inventions was thus made over to the ironmasters
and to the public。 Had the estate been properly handled； and the
patent rights due under the contracts made by the ironmasters with
Cort been duly levied； there is little reason to doubt that the whole
of the debt owing to the Government would have been paid in the
course of a few years。 〃When we consider；〃 says Mr。 Webster； 〃how
very simple was the process of demanding of the contracting
ironmasters the patent due （which for the year 1789 amounted to
15；000L。； in 1790 to 15；000L。； and in 1791 to 25；000L。）； and which
demand might have been enforced by the same legal process used to
ruin the inventor； it is not difficult to surmise the motive for
abstaining。〃 The case； however； was not so simple as Mr。 Webster puts
it； for there was such a contingency as that of the ironmasters
combining to dispute the patent right； and there is every reason to
believe that they were prepared to adopt that course。*
＇footnote。。。
This is confirmed by the report of a House of Commons Committee on
the subject Mr。 Davies Gilbert chairman）； in which they say； 〃Your
committee have not been able to satisfy themselves that either of the
two inventions； one for subjecting cast…iron to an operation termed
puddling during its conversion to malleable iron； and the other for
passing it through fluted or grooved rollers； were so novel in their
principle or their application as fairly to entitle the petitioners
＇Mr。 Cort's survivors＇ to a parliamentary reward。〃 It is； however；
stated by Mr。 Mushet that the evidence was not fairly taken by the
committeethat they were overborne by the audacity of Mr。 Samuel
Homfray； one of the great Welsh ironmasters； whose statements were
altogether at variance with known factsand that it was under his
influence that Mr。 Gilbert drew up the fallacious report of the
committee。 The illustrious James Watt； writing to Dr。 Black in 1784；
as to the iron produced by Cort's process； said； 〃Though I cannot
perfectly agree with you as to its goodness； yet there is much
ingenuity in the idea of forming the bars in that manner； which is
the only part of his process which has any pretensions to novelty。。。。
Mr。 Cort has； as you observe； been most illiberally treated by the
trade： they are ignorant brutes； but he exposed himself to it by
showing them the process before it was perfect； and seeing his
ignorance of the common operations of making iron； laughed at and
despised him； yet they will contrive by some dirty evasion to use his
process； or such parts as they like； without acknowledging him in it。
I shall be glad to be able to be of any use to him。 Watts
fellow…feeling was naturally excited in favour of the plundered
inventor； he himself having all his life been exposed to the attacks
of like piratical assailants。
。。。＇
Although the Cort patents expired in 1796 and 1798 respectively； they
continued the subject of public discussion for some time after； more
particularly in connection with the defalcations of the deceased Adam
Jellicoe。 It does not appear that more than 2654l。 was realised by
the Government from the Cort estate towards the loss sustained by the
public； as a balance of 24；846l。 was still found standing to the
debit of Jellicoe in 1800； when the deficiencies in the naval
account's became matter of public inquiry。 A few years later； in
1805； the subject was again revived in a remarkable manner。 In that
year； the Whigs； Perceiving the bodily decay of Mr。 Pitt； and being
too eager to wait for his removal by death； began their famous series
of attacks upon his administration。 Fearing to tackle the popular
statesman himself； they inverted the ordinary tactics of an
opposition； and fell foul of Dundas； Lord Melville； then Treasurer of
the Navy； who had successfully carried the country through the great
naval war with revolutionary France。 They scrupled not to tax him
with gross peculation； and exhibited articles of impeachment against
him； which became the subject of elaborate investigation； the result
of which is matter of history。 In those articles； no reference
whatever was made to Lord Melville's supposed complicity with
Jellicoe； nor； on the trial that followed； was any reference made to
the defalcations of that official。 But when Mr。 Whitbread； on the 8th
of April； 1805； spoke to the 〃Resolutions〃 in the Commons for
impeaching the Treasurer of the Navy； he thought proper to intimate
that he 〃had a strong suspicion that Jellicoe was in the same
partnership with Mark Sprott； Alexander Trotter； and Lord Melville。
He had been suffered to remain a public debtor for a whole year after
he was known to be in arrears upwards of 24；000L。 During next year
11；000L。 more had accrued。 It would not have been fair to have turned
too short on an old companion。 It would perhaps； too； have been
dangerous； since unpleasant discoveries might have met the public
eye。 It looked very much as if； mutually conscious of criminality；
they had agreed to be silent； and keep their own secrets。〃
In making these offensive observations Whitbread was manifestly
actuated by political enmity。 They were utterly unwarrantable。 In the
first place； Melville had been formally acquitted of Jellicoe's
deficiency by a writ of Privy Seal； dated 31st May； 1800； and
secondly； the committee appointed in that very year （1805） to
reinvestigate the naval accounts； had again exonerated him； but
intimated that they were of opinion there was remissness on his part
in allowing Jellicoe to remain in his office after the discovery of
his defalcations。
the report made by the commissioners to the Houses of Parliament in
1805；*
＇footnote。。。
Tenth Report of the Commissioners of Naval Inquiry。 See also Report
of Select Committee on the 10th Naval Report。 May； 1805。
。。。＇
the value of Corts patents was estimated at only 100L。 Referring to
the schedule of Jellicoe