The Virginia Gazette

Dec. 15. We hear that the court martial appointed to try Admiral Keppel, on the charges brought against him by Sir Hugh Palliser, will be held on board the Victory at Portsmouth, on the 7th of January next; the court will consist of Admiral Pye, Commander in Chief at Portsmouth, and the thirteen senior Captains at that port.

Saturday last supersedeas were sent down to Portsmouth, to the Captains of such ships whose presence will be necessary on the court martial to be held on Admiral Keppel, and other Captains appointed to them, that they sets may not be detained.

Lord Mulgrave last night again declared that the admiralty were not culpable in not deliberating on the requisition of Sir Hugh Palliser; and he contradicted what Sir William Meredith said respecting the court martial demanded on Captain Clements. He said further, that he defied any little young lawyer of the House to prove that it was against the act.

To this Mr. Rous answered, that he was ready and prepared to meet him on the ground, and that he would prove that the Admiralty had acted criminally and unconstitutionally.

Every person is particularly struck with the delicacy of the proceedings of the board of Admiralty, in ordering Admiral Keppel to be tried immediately without enquiry, by a court martial, on a charge laid against him by one of their own board, and who had since the pretended fault charged upon the Admiral, gone to sea in the same fleet, and served under him. The Earl of Sandwich hath acquired almost as much honour by this manoeuvre as by his admirable proceedings in Greenwich hospital.

It appears very extraordinary that on the evening of that day, when Mr. Keppel spoke in the House of Commons, relative to Sir Hugh Palliser's not seeing the signal from three o'clock to eight; Sir Hugh made the charge at the Admiralty against Mr. Keppel.