An ACCOUNT of Robert Crosfeilds' Proceedings IN THE HOUSE of LORDS, The last Session, and this Session of Parliament: Wherein will appear the▪ Present Miserable State and Condition OF THE NATION, By the Open Violating and Invading of the Law and Liberty of the Subject: Humbly Presented to the Consideration of the Lords and Commons in Parliament Assembled.  
IT is by all Men an allowed Principle, That 'tis the Bounden Duty of every Subject by the Laws of God, Nature, and the Nation, to contribute all that in him lies towards the Glory of God, and the Service and Preservation of his Native Country, and the greater his Quality or Station is, whether Spiritual or Temporal, so much the more is this Duty Incumbent on him.  
If this wholesome Principle had been truly and sincerely practised this Reign, than might we have expected that God would have blessed our Endeavours, and not have suffered us to have endured so long and tedious a War, and so great Expense of Blood and Treasure; and at last to be reduced to such a Pitch of Misery, as this Nation never groaned under; and (which is more deplorable) not caused by our Enemies abroad, but our pretended Friends and Patriots at home; and which is worst of all, the Nation's groping, as it were, in the Dark, not seeing the true Rise and Cause of our present Misery and approaching Ruin.  
All which will appear by the Violent Oppression, Injustice, and judicial Blindness of the present Age.  
For Brevity's sake I shall pass over a great Act of 
Publis●●● 〈◊〉 me in my entitled stice perv etc. pag.  Injustice done to the Public by the Commissioners of Accounts, in the beginning of the Session of Parliament, holden in the Year 1694/●. and begin the Relation of my Proceedings at the Exhibiting my Petition to the House of Peers, the same Session of Parliament, as followeth, viz.  
March 9 169●. I Presented to the House of Peers the following Petition.  
To the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament Assembled▪ 
 The humble Petition of Robert Crosfeild. 
 Shows, 
 THat your Petitioner having lately dedicated and presented to your Lordships a Book entitled, Great Brittain's Tears; setting forth the great Abuses committed in the Government by Persons in Places of Trust, and also the Embezlement of the Public Treasure, t● the great Hazard of the common Safety of the Nation: And your Petitioner having in the Paper annexed, drawn up some part of the said Miscarriages and Grievances that the Nation now labours under, relating to the Royal Navy, and being ready by good substantial Evi●●●●e to prove the same before this most Honourable House:  
Your Petitioner therefore most humbly prays that your Lordships will please to hear and examine the said Grievances, that the Offenders may have such punishment, and the great Numbe● 〈…〉 oppressed, such Relief, as to your Lordship's Wisdom shall seem meet. And your Petitioner shall ever pray, etc. 
 That the present Commissioners for Sick and Wounded Seamen, and Exchanging Prisoners at War, depending on the Admiralty) not regarding Instructions, or the Good of the Government, have committed gross Enormities; as Holding or Conniving at an unlawful Correspondence with the French, and Wronging both King and Subject in their Accounts, with other great miscarriages: All which has been about a Year since laid in Writing before the Secretary of State by one Mr. Baston, and by the King's Command examined before the Lords of the Admiralty, etc. And it will appear, that the said Commission has been very injurious to the poor Sailors in particular, and very detrimental to the Government in general.  
2. That the Lords of the Admiralty, and Commissioners of the Navy, have acted contrary to the Public Good, by countenancing, supporting, and preferring Criminals; and on the contrary, persecuting the Discoverers, and turning just Men out of their Offices.  
3. That their Lordships have had great Discoveries laid before them of Embezlements, and other great Frauds committed in the King's Yards, attended with Forgery and Perjury.  
4. That it is manifest some of the Commissioners of the Navy have in that Office advanced themselves from Salaries of 30 l. per Annum, to vast Estates, having passed great Frauds, and totally discouraged the Discovery of Embezled Stores, to the great waste of the Public Treasure.  
5. That it has been a long Practice in the Navy to make out false Tickets and Powers, suspending and del●●ing the poor Sailors in their just Payments, to the general Discouragement of th●●, and Starving their Families.  
But e'er I could get the aforesaid Petition Read in the House of Peers, I met with several difficulties, many Lords, both Spiritual and Temporal, declining to carry in the same; and being almost out of hopes, at length I met with a Noble Lord, that with much freedom carried it into the House, and caused it to be Read on the 9th of March last; Whereupon their Lordships were pleased to Order the Commissioners of accounted to lay before the House an Account of the Proceedings against the Commissioners for Sick and Wounded; and in the mean time their Lordships did Hear and Examine part of the Matter at the Bar of the House, which put me in great hopes that ●ll the Evil Practices would have been laid open that Parliament.  
But the Commissioners of Accounts fearing that the Notorious Matters of Perjury, etc. king in their Office, would have come to light. They to prevent the same, pretended 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 House, in Answer to their Lordship's Order, That the Matter was still depending before them, and not finished, etc. And so prevailed with their Lordships to Recommit the matter to them, which was accordingly done the 20th of March last, and the next day, the 2d. and 3d. of the abovementioned Articles were also referred to their Examination, with Order to Transmit the same, when perfected, to the House; which (by reason of much Important Business) they have not had leisure to do to this day! but how evilly they have examined the aforesaid matter, sufficiently appears by what has been Published in 
* 〈…〉  Print, and will also be further demonstrated by what ensues; and so all these Enormous Crimes were hid, covered and hushed up the last Session of Parliament, by these gentlemen's great Ingenuity.  
But in order to the Detecting these falatious Practices, I did, against the Meeting of this present Session of Parliament, Print and Publish a Book Entitnled, Justice Perverted, etc. Which I Dedicated to both Houses of Parliament, setting forth some of the horrible Corruptions in the Government. Also Mr. Baston Printed and Published his Case, Dedicated to the House of Peers, containing, not only the Evil Practices of the present Commissioners for Sick and Wounded, but also the more evil Examination thereof, by the Commissioners of Accounts. And that all these soul Matters might come to a fair Examination, I drew up a Petition to the House of Peers, but before I Insert it, I shall Relate the great (and I believe unparallelled) difficulties I met with, in bringing the said Petition into the House.  
Having drawn up my said Petition, I repaired to that Noble Lord, who carried it into the House the last Parliament, and prayed his Lordship to cause it to be Read, but found his Lordship very cool in the matter, tho' not refusing to do it; in this manner I waited upon, and attended his Lordship near a Month, but finding nothing move, and much time lost, I drew another Copy of my Petition, and presented it to divers other Noble Lords, both Spiritual and Temporal, but none thought fit to Adventure to carry in the said Petition, though the matter was actually Depending in the House from the last Parliament; upon which I was necessitated to take other Measures, and thereupon I wrote a Letter to my Lord-Keeper, and sent it into the House to his Lordship, by the Gentleman-Usher of the Black-Rod: A Copy of which Letter is as Followeth.  
My Lord, Jan. 27. 1695/ 6.  
ALtho' it is the unquestionable Right of every free Born Subject of England, to have the Liberty of Petitioning, and tho' it has in all Ages been also accounted the Indispensible Duty of every Peer, not to refuse a Petition that shall be offered him; yet have not I been able, in a Month's Attendance and Solicitation of several Noble Lords, to get a Petition carried into the House of Peers. My said Petition is against Notorious Crimes, that have been Committed in the Admiralty, Navy, and Sick and Wounded Offices, whereby the King and Kingdom have been grossly abused, and the public Treasure wasted, to a very high degree, which has already greatly Endangered the Common Safety, and certainly will (if not timely redressed) bring the Nation into Confusion; all which I am fully able to prove.  
Therefore, as an Englishman, I think myself obliged to lay open the same by the Duty I owe to God, my King and my Country.  
And so I most humbly pray your Lordship to cause this Letter to be Read to the House, and move that I may be Called to the Bar to Present my Petition, being sorry I am forced to trouble your Lordship with this New way of Petitioning the House of Peers: I am attending at the Door of the House, and Remain, with all profound respect.  
My Lord, Your Lordship's most Obedient Servant, Robert Crosfeild.  
At the Receiving of which Letter, my Lord-Keeper (as I was informed) Acted with a great deal of Honour; For immediately he Reported the true Nature and Substance of it to the House, Telling their Lordships withal, That 'twas the severest Charge that ever he Read; at the making of which Report, the same Lord (who I had long applied to before) came out of the House in great haste, and sent one of the Doorkeepers to me in the Painted Chamber, desiring me to send him my Petition, he having lost that which I had given him before, which I accordingly did, and then his Lordship returning into the House, spoke (as I was informed) to this effect: That he acknowledged he had been very much Teezed about bringing in this Petition; but that when he brought it in the last Parliament, it not meeting with that Encouragement, he hoped and expected it would have had, was the Reason why he was so backward in doing it this Session, at which several of the Lords stood up and said, That if it had been offered to them, they would have brought it in; and the whole House said, They were very willing to hear it, but that the Business for the day was Ordered for the East-India Company; so my Petition not being read that day, I concluded his Lordship would have caused it to be Read the next Morning; but finding nothing moved, and fearing things were all asleep, I wrote out another Copy, and the next morning, viz. 29th. of Jannuary, I offered it to a Noble Lord, who told me he heard I had been refused almost by every Body, and that he would carry it in for me, which his Lordship accordingly did, and immediately it was Read, a Copy of which is as followeth.  
To the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament Assembled▪ 
 The Humble Petition of Robert Crosfeild, 
 Shows, 
 THat your Petitioner, the last Session of Parliament, presented his humble Petition to your Lordship's setting forth several great Corruptions in the Government, a 
〈…〉 ion and Arti 〈…〉 of 〈…〉 belong 〈◊〉 ●his ●aper.  Copy 〈…〉 is her▪ unto annexed, and the said Corruptions and Miscarriages having not been recessed; nor the Actors therein punished, nor the Great Numbers of Oppressed had any Relief; (but their Miseries Increased) nor the said Petition throughly Examined. And your Petitioner being ready to prove the Allegations, and Articles therein by Good and Substantial Evidence.  
Your Petitioner therefore most humbly prays your Lordships to order a speedy Hearing of the said Corruptions and Grievances, before this most Honourable House in such manner, as to your Lordship's Wisdom shall seem meet. And your Petitioner shall ever Pray, etc.  
Robert Crosfeild.  
Upon reading which Petition the House was pleased to make the following order.  
Die Mercurii, Jan. 29. 1695.  
UPon reading the Petition of Robert Crosfeild, praying to be heard as to the Corruptions and Grievances, laid before this House the last Session of Parliament in his Petition. It is ordered by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament assembled, that the Commissioners appointed by a late Act of Parliament to Examine, take and State the public accounts of the Kingdom, do lay before this House with all Convenient speed; An account in Writing what th●y have done upon the orders of this House, sent to them the last Session of Parliament, in Reference to the matters mentioned in Mr. Crosfeilds' Petition.  
Math. Johnson Cler. Parliamentor.  
As soon as this order was made, I was told by a Member of the house that when the Commissioners of accounts returned their Answer, and that the whole matter lay fairly before the house, that then their Lordships would appoint a Committee to Examine it; accordingly I waited several days, and finding no Report from the Commissioners of accounts, and having good grounds to believe they would never return any, by reason it would discover their own Partial and Illegal practices, I therefore acquainted a Noble Lord therewith, and prayed his Lordship to move the house to appoint a Committee to Examine these Corruptions, before whom I would prove divers Notorious matters, that were never before the Commissioners of Accounts, and delivered his Lordship a Petition to that purpose, which will be hereafter inserted. But his Lordship did not think fit to move the house thereupon, telling me, I had better wait some time longer, which I accordingly did.— But finding that divers Crafty and Scandalous Reports were spread abroad, Namely, That my design in bringing these Complaints was not so much for the public good, as it was to cause heats and feuds in Parliament to hinder the King's Affairs, for that if these matters were laid before the King, his Majesty would effectually redress the same; But to acquit myself of such a Calumny I drew up a Petition to his Majesty, which I presented at Kensington, on Sunday the 9th of Feb. Inst. A Copy of which Petition is as followeth.  
To the Kings most Excellent Majesty.  
The humble Petition of Robert Crosfeild.  
Shows, 
 THat your Petitioner hath a few days since presented his humble Petition to the house of peers (where it is now depending) setting forth the great Corruptions and Evil Practices of the Admiralty, Navy, and Sick, and Wounded Offices, a 
* Vid. The Pe●●tion and Articles in th● beginning of this paper.  Copy of which is hereunto annexed.  
That the said Corruptions having been practised and strongly supported, the greatest part of your Majesty's Reign, Your Petitioner humbly Conceives, that 'tis from thence has proceeded all the Ruins and Distresses that have fallen upon the public, which if not redressed are likely to Increase to such a degree, as to prove of fatal Consequence.  
That as these proceedings, do greatly tend to alienate the hearts of your Majesty's good Subjects, who have ventured their Lives and Fortunes for your Majesty's service, so on the Contrary, the Redress of these Grievances and bringing the Offenders to Justice, will greatly draw the affection of your faithful people, to your Majesty's Government: and your Petitioner, in all humility Conceives that the general love of those Millions of your Majesty's good Subjects that have and do so freely Contribute their Estates for your Majesty's Service, is much more to be valued than the Love of those few that serve your Majesty chiefly for the Lucre of great Estates, some of whom 'tis to be feared, will be too ready when opportunity serves, to draw their Swords in behalf of your Majesty's Enemies, the truth of which appears by their wilful fatal Management, in almost every Branch of your Majesty's Service this War.  
That your Petitioner being desirous (if possible) to prevent these matters being Examined in open Parliament, least feuds and heats should a rise, which may be of ill Consequence to your Majesties Affairs, and being humbly of opinion that your Majesty may redress these Grievances by a Committee of such Noble Persons, who well understand the nature of the Crimes, and are of known Integrity, and Zealous for your Majesties true Interest and happy Government, the Names of whom your Petitioner has humbly presumed to insert.  
Your Petitioner therefore most humbly prays your Sacred Majesty, to appoint the said Committee so 
* 

Duke of Shrewsbury.  
Lord privy Seal.  
Marquess of Normanby.  
Earl of Rochester.  
Earl of Bridgwater.  
Earl of Stamford.  
Earl of Malborough.  
Earl of Monmouth.  
Earl of Torrington.  
Lord Cornwallis.  
Marquess of Carmarthen.  
Lord Cornbury.  
Sir Richard Onslow.  
Sir Samuel Bernadiston.    named (with such other persons as your Majesty in Wisdom shall think fit to add thereto) to Hear and Examine the Articles and Allegations in the annexed petition, and with all Convenient speed to make a Report to your Majesty, without the accustomed formality and Delays, That the Offenders may be punished, the Grievances Redressed, and the minds of Your Majesty's good Subjects quieted, and their Hearts Reunited to your Majesty in all Love and Duty. And your Petitioner shall ever pray.  
Robert Crosfeild.  
The same Evening I received the King's answer to this Petition, by the Secretary of State to this Effect, That my Petition was Read, but that the matter being depending before the house of Peers, his Majesly did not think fit to meddle with it. And thus I found the aforesaid Reports of the Kings hearing these matters to be utterly false, whereupon, I applied again to the house of Peers, and finding no Report nor any answer returned from the Commissioners of Accounts, nor any probability of the same: I drew another Copy of the aforementioned Petition, relating to the Commissioners of Accounts, which by reason of the great difficulty I had found to get it Carried into the house; I enclosed it in a better and sent it to Sir George Treby, Lord Chief Justice of the Common Plea's, who was then speaker of the house (my Lord keeper being Indisposed) by the Gentleman Usher of the Black-Rod, a Copy of which Letter and Petition is as followeth, viz.  
February 13th 1695/6.  
My Lord,  
THE great difficulty I have found, to get a Petition Carried into the house of peers, oblig●● me to give your Lordship this trouble.  
I have a Petition of Complaint against divers Notorious Corruptions, in the Government now depending in the House, upon which their Lordships have Ishued an order to the Commissioners of Accounts, But the said Commissioners delaying, or rather never Intending to obey the said order, and fearing the house of Peers, as well as the Nation in General may be a gain Imposed upon, and disappointed this Session of Parliament as they were the last, I therefore humbly pray your Lordship to read the Enclosed Petition to the house, it being of great Concern to the public good: And Mr. Baston who is named therein with myself, are attending at the Door to answer the same.  
I am, My Lord, Your Lordship's most obedient Servant Robert Crosfeild.  
Directed on the back side to the Right Honourable Sir George Treby, Lord Chief Justice of the common Plea's.  
To the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament assembled.  
The humble Petition of Robert Crosfeild.  
Shows, 
 THat when your Petitioner presented his humble Petition, to your Lordships the last Session and this Session of Parliament, It was not only designed to lay open the Corruptions and Evil practices of the Admiralty, Navy, and Sick, and Wounded Offices, but also Intended as an Appeal from the Justice of the Commissioners, for Stating the public Accounts, who in the latter end of the year 1693. Had the Complaint laid before them, against the present Commissioners for Sick and Wounded, which contrary to the public good, they have delayed to this day in the manner following, viz.  
That the said Complaint was about five months in their Office sworn to, before it came under Examination, till on the first of August 1694 The said Commissioners of Accounts sent for Mr. Baston, and, after rejecting the first three Articles in his Complaint, they, in an Illegal and Arbitrary manner, Examined the rest, and Countenanced and Concealled manifest Perjury therein, as well as other notorious Crimes, all which lay Dormant till the beginning of March 1694.  
That your Petitioner the last Session of Parliament, presenting his humble Petition to this most Honourable House; your Lordships were pleased to order the said Commissioners of Accounts, to lay before the House an account of the proceedings, against the Commissioners for Sick and Wounded, to which in Eleven days, viz. from the 9th to the 20th of March, they returned only a Verbal answer, and pretended the matter was still depending before them and not finished, etc. by which they prevailed to have it Recommitted, which was accordingly done, as well as the 2d and 3d Articles in my Petition, which they Examined as Illegally as before (all which appears by what Mr. Baston and your Petitioner have set forth in Print). And so the matter has been delayed by the said Commissioners of Accounts to this day, by which means the Nation has been sadly disappointed of a most necessary discovery, which otherwise might have been laid open to your Lordships the last Session of Parliament, and in all probability, Infinite Evils prevented that has since fallen upon the Public.  
That the Commissioners of Accounts having acted in the aforementioned manner, their Report, whenever they make it, will appear to their shame, and so your Petitioner humbly Conceives it naturally follows, they will never obey the present order of this most Honourable House (which has already been fifteen days unanswered) so as to make a Report of these matters willingly, but Endeavour by all means possible to Evade and delay it this Session of Parliament also, under divers specious pretences of other more Important business. For preventing of which, and for that your Petitioner humbly Conceives, the distresses and danger that the public lies under, is very great by reason of the violent perverting and obstructing of Justice, and for that the adversaries have no way to withstand a Legal hearing of these Notorious matters, but by the aforesaid method of delays.  
Your Petitioner does therefore most humbly pray, your Lordships to appoint a Committee to hear and Examine the Articles, and Allegations in his late Petition, who in the mean time that the Commissioners of Accounts may delay their Report, shall have divers Ennormous Crimes proved before their Lordships, that were never before the said Commissioners of Accounts.  
And your Petitioner shall ever Pray, etc. Robert Crosfeild.  
This Petition Enclosed in the aforesaid Letter, was delivered by the Usher of the Black-Rod to Sir George Treby, and I expecting his Lordship would have moved the house therein (as my Lord Keeper had done before) I attended that day, but heard nothing of it, Then I came to the House the next morning, and understood from one of the Clerks of the Parliament whose name I think is Walker) That Sir George Treby had given my Letter and Petition to him, and told him he had nothing to do to move the House in it, and that every body knew Mr. Crosfeilds' business, and offered to give my Petition back.  
Thus all these foul Crimes, that have been laying open these two Sessions of Parliament, are knocked down dead by this last Act of denial of Justice in the highest Court of Indicature, which has obliged me to Print these Proceedings; and because the matters are so notorious, as hardly to be 'Pareled in any Age or Nation, I shall therefore crave leave to make some short Observations upon the whole.  
And 1st, observing our unaccountable Losses and Miscarriages with the great straits, into which the public is brought to find out Money for Carrying on the War, It is matter of amazement to Consider, That there should be such Coldness, or rather unwillingness to Examine into that Mass of Wickedness, that has been laid open, which having overspread the Nation like a Leprosy, has been the true Cause of all our passed and present miseries, and must Inevitably bring us to Ruin, if the Laws are not speedily put in Execution to prevent it. I say, 'tis matter of Amazement, that we should be backward to Inquire into the Cause of our Misery.  
2dly, Our practices are not only contrary to the Rules of common Prudence and Reason, but also to the practice of all other Nations, It being publicly known, That the French and Venetians have lately constituted Commissioners, to Inquire into public frauds, as naturally concluding (though none are Complained of) that there will be Cheats and Embezelments of the public Money in time of War, when there is most need of frugality. But we are so far from doing like them, that we are unwilling to Inquire into those Notorious Miscarriages that are already laid open, though some of them have been actually proved over and over, and the Criminals Protected and Continued in their Employments to this day.  
3dly, That as my Lord Keeper Acted with much Honour, and did his Duty for the publickgood, in Reporting my Letter before mentioned to the House of Peers, so on the contrary Sir George Treby, in refusing to Read or Report my Letter, or Petition to the House, has only denied Justice, and put a stop to this necessary Discovery, and Contributed to protect those Criminals that ought to be brought to Justice: But has also given a precedent to Encourage Evil Practices, and Destroy the Liberty of the subject by taking away the Petition Right. For if Officers and Ministers of Trust Act Corruptly, and Oppress the People, and there be no way to appeal from their Justice but to Parliament, than such Appeal or Complaint must be by Petition; But if the known Liberty and Right of Petitioning be destroyed, our Laws are Ineffectual and all great Men become Lawless, none being able to bring them to answer their Crimes: And if our Laws are not put in Execution, they are in effect Discontinued and Abolished. And if Laws be the Foundation support and upholder of Government, Than whatever Government wants will or strength to assert its own Laws, and bring offenders to Justice, must needs be in a very weak and Tottering Condition and near a period, and this aught to be matter of great sorrow, to all thinking Men that wish the prosperity of their Country, for however, slightly it may be thought of 'tis certainly a most fore and dangerous Disease, and Requires a speedy and strong purge, or 'twill be past Cure.  
And therefore in short, if there be any Law in England, to punish those heinous Crimes that I have offered to prove, I do and shall insist on, and Demand it as my Birth Right, to be Speedily and Legally heard upon my Petition, and Articles now lying in the House of Peers: Not doubting but by their Lordship's Wisdom, Prudence, and Moderation, matters may soon be Regulated to the Happiness of the King and Kingdom.  
Robert Crosfeild. February 18th 1695/6▪