fay, however, that he did not yield to arguments. He certainly could not perceive any appearance of a thin attendance, and if all public measures were to be marked in the progrefs by the attendance of fuch numbers, there would be no reason to complain of the Legislature. He did not think it regular, nor altogether confiftent with the respect due to the opinion of the House, to anticipate its decifion; but when the Gentlemen on the bench below him declared, that they were not ready to meet the difcuffion as they wished, it was not his defire to urge them to it. But as they had precipitately produced the abfence of certain Gentlemen who had meant to attend, he trufted, that from a regard to the convenience of thofe Gentlemen who were then prefent, no further application would be made for delay, for he looked to this difcuffion as a moft important object, in laying the foundation for an efficient regular army, both now and hereafter.

The Committee was then poftponed to Wednesday.

Lord Porchefter gave notice of a motion for copies of any, and what orders had been fent out to officers commanding in India to detain French veffels, &c. for Friday

next,

Mr. Fox gave notice of a motion for an account of the transports that had been taken up for bringing over the Has noverian troops, for the fame day.

The Houfe went into a Committee on the report of the Committee for carrying into effect the act for making an inland navigation between Inverness and Fort William, in Scotland. The Committee came to a refolution, that à bill should be brought in for making a further provision for making and maintaining the faid navigation. The House being refumed, the report was brought up, the refolution agreed to, and a bill ordered accordingly.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer gave notice, that in the Committee of Supply on Monday, he fhould move a grant for making a provifion for that purpose."

EXCHEQUER BILLS.

Mr. Alexander brought up the report of the Committee of Ways and Means.

The queftion on the iffue of Exchequer bills being moved by the Chancellor of the Exchequer,

Mr. Johnfione objected to the further iffue of thefe bills. He confidered 24,800,000l. the fum in this form now in the money market, and that it was much too large a fum to

anfwer

answer the purposes of national expedience. At the time the loan will be propofed, the quantity in the market will probably be 25,000,000l. and the effect of this enormous quantity, if continued, muft neceffarily be greatly to reduce their value. It fhould be recollected, faid the hon. Member, that laft year, when the financial negociations were commenced, we had only 20 millions in Exchequer bills, and we should paufe before we departed from the established maxims of ftate policy which had been hitherto regarded with fo much advantage. It was the more wife at this time to economize the pecuniary refources, as we might be led into a prodigious expenditure. We may be conftrained to call out the volunteer force, and to fupport, in confequence, the expence of this immenfe military body. No lefs a fum than 16 millions is to be raifed between the prefent time and the 5th of April next. Another motive for the prefe tence of a large loan to a fmall one, to excufe the iffue of Exchequer bills, is, that the loyalty loan is to be provided for. If the amount of Exchequer bills were to be fo extravagantly increafed, we could not rely upon this refource for that and fimilar emergencies; and next year, if the Minifter proceeded as he had done, we fhould have to fund for Exchequer bills in addition to the periodical loan the neceffities of the ftate will require. Exchequer bills are now, and have been for the last month, at a discount. withed, that inftead of eight millions in this way, only three millions fhould be iffued. It would, perhaps, be faid that the iffue of Exchequer bills is not now greater than at fome former periods. Looking, however, at the four laft budgets, the quantity was never fo burthenfome as at present in that interval. It was true, that under the former Adminiftration they had been extended to 36 millions; but the impolicy was foon difcovered, and as foon as poffible the diminution was effected. On every view of the cafe he could not difcern any reafon why the loan might not in the prefent inftance. be increafed, and the bills diminished five millions. If there was a plaufible objection, it was, that the public had been led to expe&t the approaching loan fhould not exceed 16 millions; but he was confident the night hon. Gentleman would not barter away the fubftantial interefts of the country to avoid difappointing this ́expectation. He was fure the Chancellor of the Exchequer had the benefit of the state neareft his heart, and would be equally difpofed to facrifice private. feeling or popular applause to promote it.

He

Mr.

Mr. Vanfittart agreed in the general principle, that an exceffive iffue of Exchequer bills would be injurious to the country, but denied that that was the cafe in the prefent inftance. There were no bills outstanding of an earlier date than April 1803, and from the quantity difcharged, the market required a new iffue. Thofe now outstanding would be materially diminished this year, and as the whole expenditure of the year was to be provided for by the ways and means of the year, without including Exchequer bills, a large amount of them would be paid off in the course of the year, and the quantity in the market, at any period, would never exceed the quantity at any former correfponding period.

Mr. Johnstone stated, that, from an attentive investigation of the price current, he had found that Exchequer bills had been at a difcount of one per cent. from 1ft January to the prefent time.

Mr. Dent alfo afferted that they were at a discount.

Mr. Vanfittart and the Chancellor of the Exchequer explained, that the bills that had been at a discount were only thofe that bore an intereft of three-pence a day; none of thofe iffued by the prefent Government bearing an intereft of 31d. a day, were at a difcount.

The refolutions were agreed to, as well as thefe refpecting the pay and clothing of the militia, and the allowance to militia officers. Bills were ordered accordingly.

CATHOLICS IN THE IRISH MILITIA.`

Mr. Dillon faid, he was not aware when he gave his vote in favour of the Irith militia offers bill, that the Roman Catholics in the Irith militia, as foon as they came over here, would be fubject to the penalties of the statute of Geo. I. He wished to know, whether the right hon. Gentheman oppofite had provided any remedy for fuch Roman Catholic militiamen, againft thofe penalties. If not, he fhould, on an early day, submit a motion to the Houfe on the fubject.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer replied, that the hon. Gentleman might have anfwered his own queftion. He could not have provided any remedy, but by a legislative meafure, of which the hon. Gentleman would have been aware, if it had been brought forward. He had only to obferve, that there was nothing applicable to the Irifh militia, which was not equally applicable to the Irish Catholics in

the

the regiments of the line, nor had they any thing more to apprehend.

Mr. Kinnaird moved, that there be laid before the Houfe an account of the dates of all difpatches fent out by the Secret Committee of the Eaft-India Company, to the different prefidencies in India, from the 8th March, the day of his Majefty's meffage, till the rupture with France. Ordered.

Mr. Kinnaird gave notice, that on Monday he thould move an humble addrefs to his Majefty, praying that his Majefty would be graciously pleafed to order to be laid before the Houfe, a lift of all officers on the half-pay.

Adjourned till Monday.

HOUSE OF LORD S.

MONDAY, APRIL 23.

Counsel was heard in the caufe Hunter v. Lord Kinnoul, which was ordered to be proceeded in on Thurfday.

The Irish linen manufactory bill, and feveral private bills, were brought up from the Commons.

The Irish militia augmentation bill went through a Committee, and was ordered to be read a third time the next day.

The other bills on the table were forwarded in their feveral stages.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

MONDAY, APRIL 23.

Lord Marfham, Chaiman of the Committee on the Middlefex election, reported, that Benjamin Weal, ordered to be taken into cuftody for disobedience to a fummons of the faid Committee, had appeated before the Committee and given his evidence. The faid Weal was, on petition, ordered to be brought up the next day to be discharged.

Lord Henry Petty reported from the Committee on the Ilchefter election, that Mr. John Manners was duly elected, and that the petition of Mr. Ogle was frivolous and vexa

tious.

Mr. Dillon gave notice of his. intention to move, on Monday next, for leave to bring in a bill to exempt Catholics

ferving

ferving in the Irish militia, from the pains and penalties of the ftatute. of George the First.

Mr. Charles Dundas prefented a petition for leave to bring in a bill for defraying the expences of profecutions out of the county rates in England and Wales. The petition was referred to a Committee.

2 Mr. Corry ftated, that a loan of a million and a quarter had been contracted for in Ireland, and gave notice that he fhould fubmit a motion with efpect to it in the Committee of Supply on Wednesday.

Mr. Corry brought in a bill for continuing certain acts relating to the duties in Ireland. Read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time the next day.

On the motion of Mr. Secretary Yorke, the amendments of the Lords in the volunteer bill were, according to the precedent on the militia bill in 1757, referred to a felect Committee to report thereon to the House as it should appear to them to be right.

Mr. Alexander brought in bills for defraying the charges of the pay, clothing, and allowances of the British and Irish militia, and raising the fums of 8,000,000l. and 1,500,000l. on Exchequer bills; which were all read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time the next day.

On the motion of Mr. Secretary Yorke, the House went into a Committee on the militia officers bill. The report was ordered to be received the next day.

On the motion of Mr. Sheridan, the confideration of the petition, relating to the right of voting in the borough of Lifkeard, was deferred from the next day till Thursday.

Mr. Kinnaird moved, that an humble addrefs be prefentred to his Majefty, praying that his Majefty may give directions, that there be laid before the Houfe a lift of half-pay officers, diftinguishing the ranks, and ftating thofe that were on the ftaff, thofe that were unemployed, and those that were unfit for fervice. The object of the motion was to ground en it a motion for allowing full pay to fuch officers of the half pay as were engaged in the volunteer service.

The Secretary at War agreed to the addrefs, but wifhed to be understood not to pledge himself to the motion with which the hon. Gentleman meant to follow up the lift when produced.

DEFENCE OF THE NATION.

Mr Fox-I am afraid, Sir, that I fhall find it neceffary VOL. II. 1803-4

4 A

10