Bill, by postponing his motion on the ftate of Ireland, which stood for to morrow, to a future day.-Adjourned.

THURSDAY, MARCH 23.

The Houfe having refolved itself into a Committee, to take into confideration the Petition from the Debtors in Lancafter Castle,

Colonel Stanley faid, the object of his motion was to increafe the allowance to perfons charged in execution for debt, under the 2d Geo. II. from fourpence to fixpence a day. He therefore moved, as a Refolution, that leave be given to bring in a Bill to amend part of an Act of the 2d Geo. II. for the relief of perfons confined for debt.

The Report was brought up, and leave given in conformity to the Refolution.

Mr. Fox rofe to make a motion refpecting the state of Ireland. He ob. ferved, that the bufinefs he had to bring before the Houfe was not only of great importance, but likewife of great ur gency, on account of the distracted condition of the fifter kingdom. He entered into a detail of the circumstances that led to thefe difcontents, the caufes of which were fit fubjects of inveftigation: First, the Houte ought to enquire how far the people of Ireland have had the benefit of the conceffions that had been made; fecondly, whether measures had been taken to allay the discontents among the Roman Catholics, who conftituted five-fixths of the people of Ire. land; and thirdly, to inquire into the caufes of the discontents in the north of Ireland. The general diffati faction he afcribed to the calamities brought on by the war, in which the interests of the people were not confulted, and to their conftitutional grievances. Ireland, he faid, had not a Legiflature even virtually reprefenting the people, and they had as little thare in the Government as the fubjects of the most arbitrary Monarch. The conceffions that had been made, he contended from a variety of facts, had not produced an independence on the Minifters and Cabinet of this country; it had only precluded the controul of the Legiflature.

He took a rapid review of their political history from its dependence on this country, traced their progrefs to civilization and comparative freedom, and af. ferted, that the reprefentation was fo conducted, for purposes of emolument and corruption, as to bear only a faint refemblance to the reprefentation of this

country, with all its abufes (and flagrant they were), though they profefs to be established on fimilar principles.

We were now, he faid, in a ftate fimilar to the period of 1774, when we were to govern America by force, or make conceffions. He related a varǝry of occurrences which preceded the American War, fimilar to thofe that have ta ken place in Ireland. The proclama. tion, for instance, for difarming the inhabitants of Maffachufet's Bay, to the proclamation lately iffued by General Lake at Belfaft, and the difpofition of the French to aid them in their refiance to the Government of Great Britain; though Government might difarm, experience proved their inability to keep the people difarmed.

He hoped, that on fo urgent an occafion, no objections would be taken in point of form. The neceffity of the in. terference ought to superfede all confiderations of this nature. He concluded by moving, "That an humble Addrefs be prefented to his Majefty, praying that he would be graciously pleafed to take into his royal confideration the diturbed ftate of Ireland, and to adopt fuch lenient measures as may tend to reftore tranquillity, and conciliate the affections of his Irish fubjects."

Sir F. Burdett feconded the motion. Mr. Pitt objected to the motion, en the ground that the Legiflature of this country, having abdicated the power of enforcing any requifition by our autho rity, we could not constitutionally interfere with an independent Legiflature. Befides, the motion was, in his opinion, nugatory, as it went to advite his Majefty to extend his paternal regard to the fitter kingdom; a circumstance which he had never ceafed to do during a long and happy reign.

Lord Wycombe, Mr. W. Smith, Mr. Courtenay, and Mr. Hobhoufe, spoke in favour of the motion; and Lord Hawkesbury, Lord F. Campbell, and Colonel Fullarton, against it.

Mr. Fox replied; after which a divifion took place on the motion, For it Against it

Adjourned.

84

220

Majority 136

FRIDAY, MARCH 24. Mr. Ryder, in a Committee of the whole Houfe, moved, that the Chairman be directed to move the Houfe tor

ADMIRALTY-OFFICE, JAN. 20, 1797. Copy of a Letter from Rear Admiral Harvey to Mr. Nepean, dated on board the Prince of Wales, Fort Royal Bay, Mar tinique, Dec. 4, 1796. You will please to acquaint their Lordships, that a few hours after I anchored with the fquadron in this Bay, the ad inft. I received a letter from Capt. Barton, of his Majefty's fhip Lap. wing, acquainting me that he had detroyed the French fhip Le Decius and La Vaillante brig, off St. Martin's, and that two French frigates, La Thetis and La Penfée, were at anchor off St. Martin's, referring me to Lieutenant 8t. Clair for further informatior.

In confcquence of the two frigates lying at St. Martin's. I immediately ordered the Bellona and Invincible to St. Kitt's, and directed Capt. Wilfon to obtain fuch information as was neceffa ry at that ifland, and then proceed to. wards St. Martin's and Anguilla, ufing his beft endeavours to take or destroy the French frigates and protect the ifland of Anguilla; and he failed the fame evening on that fervice.

Captain Barton having referred me to Lieutenant St. Clair, whom he detached in a Danish fchooner with his letter, it appears that the French had landed about 300 men on the island of Anguilla, the 26th ult. and that after having plundered the ifland, and burnt feveral houfes, and committed every devaftation poffible, attended with acts of great cruelty, that on the appearance of the Lapwing they re embarked their troops the night of the 26th, and the following morning early the Lapwing came to action with the Decius of 26 guns, and Vaillante brig, mounting four thirty-two and twenty-four pounders, as a gun veffel; that after a close action VOL. XXXI. APRIL 1797.

of about an hour the brig bore away, and in half an hour after the Decius truck her colours. The brig ran on fhore at St. Martin's, and by the fire of the Lapwing was defiroyed; that on the Lapwing taking poffeffion of the Decius, it was found fhe had about So men killed and 40 wounded, being full of troops; that the following day theLapwing was chaced by two large French frigates, and Captain Barton found it neceffary to take the prifoners and his men out of the Decius, and. fet fire to her, when he returned to St. Kitt's, and landed 170 prifoners.

I fhall take the earlieft opportunity of tranfmitting any further accounts which may be fent by Captain Barton; but it evidently appears that Captain Barton's conduct was highly meritorious by the capture and destruction of this force of the enemy, and faving the ifland of Anguilla from further depredation.

The French troops employed on this fervice were picked men from Gaudaloupe; and there is great realon to fuppofe the greatest part of them have been taken or deftroyed. Many of the foldiers were drowned in attempting to fwim on thore.

The Lapwing had but one man killed (the Pilot) and fix men wounded. 1 am, &c.

(Signed) HENRY HARVEY. ADMIRALTY OFFICE, JAN. 20, 1797.

Extract of a Letter from Vice Admiral Kingfmill, Commander in Chief of his Majefty's Forces and Veffels at Cork, to Mr. Nepean, dated on board the Polyphemus, Jan. 13, 1797.

PLEASE to inform the Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty, that his Majefty's fhip Druid is arrived at Kinfale, detached from the Unicorn and Doris, with

a large

It would be needlefs to relate to their Lordships every effort that we made in an attack which commenced at a quarter before fix P. M. and did not ceale, excepting at intervals, until half past four A.M. I believe ten hours of more fevere fatigue was scarcely ever experienced; the fea was high, the people on the main deck up to their middles in water; fome guns broke their breechings four times over, fome drew the ring bolts from the fices, and many of them were repeatedly drawn immediately after loading; all our inasts were much wounded, the main top maft compleatly unrigged, and faved only by uncommon alacity.

At about twenty minutes past four, the moon opening rather brighter than before, fhewed to Lieutenant George Bell, who was watchfully looking out on the forecastle, a glimpse of the land; he had fcarcely reached me to report it when we faw the breakers. We were then clofe under the enemy's ftarboard bow, and the Amazon as near her on the larboard; not an inftant could be loft, and every life depended upon the prompt execution of my orders; and here it is with heartfelt pleafure I acknowledge the full value of my Officers and ship's company, who with incredible alacrity hauled the tacks on board, and made fail to the fouthward. The land could not be afcertained, but we took it to be Ushant, and in the Bay of Breft, crippled as we were, I had no particular fears, but before day we again faw breakers upon the lee bow; the hip was inftantly wore to the northward; and being then fatisfied that the land we had before feen was not Ufhant, the lingering approach of day-light was moit anxioufly looked for by all; and foon after it opened, feeing the land very clofe a-head, we again wore to the fouthward in twen ty fathoms water. and a few minutes after difcovered the enemy, who had fo bravely defended herself, laying on her broadfide, and a tremendous turf beating over her. The miferable fate of her brave but unhappy crew was perhaps the more fincerely lamented by us, from the apprehenfion of fuffering a timilar misfortune. We paffed her within a mile, in a very bad condition, having at that time four feet water in her hold, a great fea, and the wind dead on the hore, but we had afcertained, beyond a doubt, our fituation to be that of Hodierne

Bay, and that our fate depended upon the pollible chance of weathering the Penmark

Rocks. Exhaufted as we were with fatigue, every exertion was made, and every inch of canvas fet that could be carried, and at eleven A. M. we made the breakers, and by the bletling of God weathered the Penmark Rocks about half a mile.

The Amazon had hauled her wind to the northward, when we stood to the fouth ward; her condition I think was better than ours, and I knew that her activity and exertions were fully equal to any that

could be effected under Gmilar circumftances; the judgment with which he was managed during fo long an action, and the gallantry of her attacks, could not but merit the highest commendation, and to the heart of a friend it was peculiarly gratifying. I have full as much reafon to speak highly of my own Officers and men, to whom I owe infinite obligations. The Lieutenants Thompson, Norway, and Bell, Lieutenants O'Conner and Wilfon of the Marines, and Mr. Thompson the Mafter, have abundant claims upon my gratitude, as well as every inferior Officer in the ship. The fufferings of the Amazon are unknown to me; and I am fingularly happy to fay that my own are inconfiderable. The First Lieutenant, Mr. Thompson, a brave and worthy Or ficer, is the only one of that defcription wounded, with eighteen men, twelve of which number have wounds of no ferious confequence, confifting chiefly of violent contufions from planters. I am, &c. (Signed)

ED. PELLFW.

002

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