[Sidenote: Sir Joseph Banks makes further exertions for the Loan.]
Observations by the several members of the Board of Trade having been made upon this memorial, it was more especially referred to Sir Joseph Banks, to give an opinion, as having himself sailed along that coast. Sir Joseph, knowing from experience the horrors of sunken rocks, supported the proposition of the loan, not only as one of expediency, but of necessity and humanity to the seafaring people of a great portion of the kingdom, and gave his most decided and hearty concurrence to the recommendation to the Treasury. After describing the extensive advantages to be derived by shipping from the establishment of a light-house upon the Bell Rock, he pointedly alluded to the probable loss of the York Man-of-war upon it; and observed, that the security and facility to be derived to the extensive shipping of this coast, should not be overlooked for the advance of so small a sum as L. 25,000. After the matter had been deliberated on for some time at the Board, Lord Auckland intimated to Mr Longlands, and the author, that a report would be made to the Treasury.
[Sidenote: Bill Read a first time in the House of Commons.]
This was communicated to the Lord Advocate, who, at an early day, moved for leave to bring in a bill, “To enable the Commissioners of the Northern Light-houses to levy certain duties upon the shipping, and also to enable the Lords of His Majesty’s Treasury to grant a loan of L. 25,000 from the 3 _per cent._ consolidated fund for the erection of a light-house upon a certain dangerous sunken reef, called the Bell Rock, lying at the distance of twelve miles from the nearest land, at the entrance of the Friths of Forth and Tay, upon the eastern coast of Scotland.” His Lordship had no sooner made the motion, than Lord Henry Petty, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, stated, that he could not answer for the support which this bill might ultimately meet with from his Majesty’s Ministers;--that he spoke not from his own knowledge of the subject, but merely from the views of the First Lord of the Admiralty, who had expressed his doubts as to the propriety of the loan in the then low state of his Majesty’s Exchequer, and the great demands which were made upon the country; but that he did not mean to oppose the present motion, only, under these circumstances, he thought it proper to state this much, in absence of the noble Lord alluded to. Leave having been given to bring in the bill, it was accordingly read a first time.