him within the spirit or letter of that act, which required fix months previous rcfidence, before he could be subject to the provifions of it.

On Lord Grenville's amendment the Houfe divided, CORtents 45, Non Contents 71, Majority against the amend

ment 26.

On the motion for the paffing of the bill,

Earl Mulgrave declared his difapprobation of the measure and of the conduct of Minifters in general, for whom, though he individually profeffed a fincere regard, and though he confidered them men of integrity and refpectability, he declared that he did not think them adequate to the management of public affairs. So much did he think ability requifite at the prefent moment, that, were he forced to the choice, he was free to declare that he would prefer greater ability with lefs integrity than the prefent Minifters poffeffed. This, however, there was no occafion for adopting. This country was not deftitute of men who, to the most confummate ability, joined the higheft integrity.

Earl Carnarvon alfo oppofed the bill; which was fupported by the Earl of Westmoreland; when the Houfe again divided on the queftion that the bill do país, Contents 91, NonContents 49, Majority for paffing of the bill 42.

The third reading of the Irish militia augmentation bill was then moved for.

Lord King oppofed the bill, as a meafure that would prove wholly inefficient for creating any great acceffion to the pubJic force. His Lordthip condemned the policy obferved by his Majefty's Government towards the people of Ireland, and feverely reproved the indifcretion of a noble and learned Lord refiding in that country, in having, in his correspondence with a noble Lord of a different religious perfuafion from his own, circulated fentiments and opinions tending to uphold the lamentable abufes which had fo long prevailed in that country, in which he was forry to say there appeared a difpofition, on the part of the wealthy, to opprefs and abuse those who were actually entitled to their protection.

The Earl of Limerick condemned, in fpirited language, the obfervations of the noble Baron, and maintained that there was no difpofition, on the part of any of the opulent claffes in his country, to opprels any of their fellow country

men.

Lord Ellenborough would not have faid a word on the prefent fubject, had it not been for the reflections which had fallen from a noble Lord oppofite to him, against another noble

Lord,

Lord, a member of that House. He thought, indeed, that the age of chivalry was gone; the nice difcriminations and feelings of honour were likewife gone, when comments were to be made in that Houfe on a correfpondence obtained in the way in which the one alluded to had come before the public. He was far from fuppofing that the noble Lord to whom the letters were addreffed had any hand in their publication. Had the two noble Lords by whom they were written, and to whom they were addreffed, concurred in profecuting the purJoiner of them, his Lordship entertained no doubt that they would have had a good action against him for their value. Any perfon making comments on a private correfpondence thus purloined was of courfe guilty of receiving ftolen goods, and to ufe an old vulgar adage," the receiver was as bad as the thief." Were fuch publications to be countenanced and commented on as if the reality of their contents was unquestionable, there was an end to every degree of confidence in fociety, and all communication between man and man must ceafe. He did not fuppofe that the noble Lord oppofite to him meant any thing in what he said: he could not, however, fit filent, while the character of an honourable, virtuous, and refpectable nobleman was thus improperly introduced.

Lord Darnley faid, that from the different tone, ftile and manner which the noble and learned Lord who had just fat down had for fome time affumed, he was in hopes that the noble and learned Lord had laid afide that ftile of virulence, which was better calculated for the other fide of the bar than for the deliberations of that Houfe. His noble friend had expreffed himself in the mildeft poffible terms of the correfpondence in queftion, milder furely than its contents might have warranted. If he understood the noble and learned Lord, however, the term that a receiver was as bad as a thief, had been applied to his noble friend; language which could in no view be deemed parliamentary, and which was highly unbecoming in that Houfe. He himfelf had expreffed his opinion of the correfpondence alluded to in ftronger terms than thofe ufcd by his noble friend. He did not feel inclined to change that opinion. The noble and learned Lord had faid that he imputed nothing improper to his noble friend for the expreffions which had dropped from him, and he begged the noble and learned Lord to know, that he underftood that a fimilar fentiment extended to him. The noble Lord then proceeded to exprefs his fentiments on the bill, of which he totally difapproved, as did Lord Harrowby and the Duke of Montrofe.

The

The Marquis of Sligo was of opinion that the difcuffion which the twin bills, as they were called, had met with, rendered much from him on their fubject unnecellary. His Lordship faid, that much as he was attached to Great Britain, and truly folicitous for its defence against all its enemies, if that was the only good he locked to from the prefent measure, he for one would ceafe to prefs it on their Lordfhips after the doubts that had been expreffed as to its effeiency he would fay to his friends and countrymen that they had done enough in offering their fervices, he would advite them to stay at home, where they were known, respected, and loved, till a moment of more wisdom, or of more want, rendered their proffered fervices more acceptable. But bis great object, his Lordthip acknowledged, went much further; he wished to make the people of England and Ireland known to each other: more acquaintance, mutual returns of kind and friendly offices, intermarriages which would probably refult from it, would bind both nations to each other; it would ftrengthen, cement, and confolidate the union of the empire that had been happily begun, and tend more to make us one people, than all the laws that the wisdom of the world could devife. The union of the Legiflatures, which had been devifed in Ireland under the government of a noble Marquis, the only man of the empire perhaps that could have accomplithed it, was only one step to the object in contemplation from it the union of fentiment, the union of intereft and of feeling was that which alone would add ftrength and fecurity to the British empire. If any man thought that object was obtained by the uniting of the Legislatures only, he was a weak and a foolish man, and a very hallow politician. Lord Sligo faid he had facrificed much to the measure; that he had rifked on it his future confideration with his countrymen, and relinquished for it the most invaluable rights of his pofterity. From the wisdom of the united Parliament he looked for his indemnification by a full completion of the measure, by which alone it could be beneficial; at prefent it was no more than a rope of fand, it would not hold through a ftruggle, but it would hold long enough perhaps to deluge both countries in blood before its feparation was effected.

On the question that the bill be read a third time, the Houfe divided, Contents 94, Non Contents 61, Majority in favour of the bill 33.

The bill was then paffed, and the Houfe adjourned....

HOUSE

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

TUESDAY, APRIL 24.

Benjamin Weal, who had been committed to cuftody for having difobeyed a fummons of the Middlefex Committee, was called to the bar, in order to be difcharged.

The Speaker, before ordering him to be difcharged, obferved to him, that it was important to make known by the example made of him, that the Houfe had the power to over ake and to punith all those who prefumed to difobey their authority, and that they thought proper to be just to their own privileges; yet, being willing to believe his own statement, that his offence had arifen rather from ignorance than intention, they had humanely confented to his difcharge, and that he was now difcharged, on paying his fees.

The Speaker's admonition was ordered to be entered in the journals of the House.

The Irish revenue regulation bill was read a fecond time, and ordered to be committed the next day.

Alfo the Irith priests and deacons age bill.

Mr. Fofter prefented a petition from the manufacturers and traders in Irish linen against the new modification of the bill on the exportation of that article. To lie on the table. He then gave notice, that he fhould the next day move for a committee to take the faid petition into confi deration.

Mr. Fofter, after adverting to the great delay that had occurred in bringing forward the public accounts for Ireland, many of which, efpecially that of the funded and of the unfunded debt, were yet wanted, concluded with moving, that the public accounts for Ireland fhould be annually laid before the Houfe, in the fame manner in which the accounts for Great Britain were directed to be annually laid before the Houfe, pursuant to the 42d of the King.

Mr. Corry made no oppofition to the motion, but explained the caufe which had occafioned the delay.

Mr. Fofter next proceeded to move for a great number of the public accounts for Ireland; but it was objected to his motions that previous notice had not been given of them. A converfation here enfued between feveral members respecting the practice or the neceffity of giving notices, when it was generally agreed that in more modern times it appeared to be the established practice to give notice of fuch as were not VOL. II. 1803-4.

4 I

in

in the ordinary courfe of bufinefs. Mr. Fofter then gave notice, that he thould bring forward thefe motions the next day.

Mr. Lafcelles brought up the report of the Committee appointed to confider of the petition prefented to the House by the woollen manufacturers of York fhire.

On the motion that leave be given to bring in a bill pur fuant to the prayer of the petit on,

Admiral Berkeley declared it to be his intention to oppofe its principle, as in direct contradiction with the fpirit of the bill introduced last year on the fame fubject.

Mr. Wilberforce was fenfible that the bill was of the utmost importance, as involving fo large a portion of the manufacturing and commercial interefts of the country. He was not, however, aware of that contradiction which it could appear to involve to the bill of last year, and to which the hon. Admiral had fo pointedly adverted. The hon. Admiral would recollect that its provifions were limited to the county of York.

Leave was then given to bring in the bill, and the report upon which it was grounded was ordered to be printed.

Mr. Wilberforce, previous to bringing up a petition from the Society for bettering the Condition of the Poor, and which petition prayed for parliamentary affistance, in aid of the fund which they collect for the humane purpofe of checking the contagion of putrid fever in the metropolis, took occafion to defcant on the utility of fuch inftitutions, and on the very beneficial effects they had produced in many of the great manufacturing towns of the kingdom, particularly at Manchefter.

The petition having received the approbation of the Crown, was then brought up, and referred to a Committee. The eight millions and the one million and an half Exchequer bills' bills were read a fecond time and committed for the next day.

Mr. Calcraft deferred his motion respecting an increased allowance to the volunteers till the next day fe'nnight,

Mr. Kinnaird alfo deferred his motion refpe&ting fome India papers and accounts.

The annual accounts of the Eaft India Company were laid upon the table.

LOYALTY LOAN,

Mr. Dent then rofe to make his promised motion refpecting the redress which ought to be given to the holders of the loan, commonly known by the name of the loyalty loan.

The