A keight of inhumanity, and fabinitted to the confideration of the Houle, whe. ther they ought not to allow Mr. Bembridge to coutinue the exercife of the functions of accomptant. Mr. Arden objected ftrongly against his continuance. He ftated the charge againft him to be, that he had fuffered certain interpolations and infertions to be made in accounts delivered in to the auditor, and concealed certain matters B which he knew of, and which it was his duty to difcover, affecting the public to a very confiderable amount. Mr Burke, after long debate, rofe to take the fenfe of the Houle, with refpect to the two unfortunate gentlemen, whed ther he was to accept their regnations, Cor to be refponfible for their conduct. Mr. Powys was of opinion, and wifhed it might be held as an eftablithed principle, that no perfon under profecus tion fhould, during that profecution, hold any office of truft. Mr. Rolle faid, the refignation of the two officers would make any motion he Dintended to make unneceffary. he fhould find neceffary and practi- Mr. Rigby rofe in defence of the two unfortunate gentlemen, to whofe conduct, he faid, he had been witnefs for thirteen years, during all which time their, conduct had been uniformly juft and at-1 tentive to their duty. He thought, to offer any further motion on the fubje&t, after what had paffed, would be the Mr. Burke faid, in that cafe, he was not to be confidered as refponfible for the confequences of the delays in ofice which their refignation would occation. Mr. Kenyon role to give notice, that, when the legal procefs was determined, he fhould move for the minutes of the E Treafury. Ld John Cavendish faid, if when the trial at law was decided the learned gen tleman meant to revive the bufinefs, he might do it; but he could not help faying that his opinion had never been very much in favour of the Houfe; and a part of it had, in his opinion, lowered Fitielt confiderably by their conduct in the bulinefs that had been fo much agitated. Mr. Arden, in fome warmth, replied, that a part of the Houfe had, in the judg ment of the public, thewn much zeal in a bad caufe. He left it with the noble Lord to draw the inference. The order of the day for the fecond reading of the Cuftom-house bill, when Mr. Daubeny moved, that it be deferred for three months. Mr. Gafcoigne, jun. feconded the motion, and objected frongly to the principle of the bill. He faid, it was cruel to take away the places of the deputies to H patent offices, as they were by no means finecure places; all of whom would have to feek their bread by means which they had yet to learn. He defcribed thofe des puties as a fet of honeft, induftrious, deferving individuals, many of whom had spent the greater part of their lives in the fervice of the public, and had uniformly acted in fuch a manner as to deferve the protection of Parliament, and not its defertion. To turn thefe men adrift, without a provifion, was, he faid, equally inhuman and unjuft. He obferved, with refpect to the principle of the bill, that it appeared to him alcus lated very much to diminish the influence of the Crown; and he left it with the Houfe to decide, whether that influence was not too much diminished already. Mr, Minchin was of opinion, that the bill, fo far from being an œconomical bill, would prove the reverfe. The com penfation that must be given to thofe perfons whofe places were to be taken away, would be a fresh means of burdening the public with taxes. .. Mr. Ambler was of the fame opinion. He thought the better way would be to let the prefent bolders continue while they lived; but that after their deaths no more patents fhould be granted. Mr. Holdefworth fupported the bill, on the ground of the enormous fees paid by the merchants to expedite their bufinefs. but one that complained of the enormity of the fees-the grievance that affected them was the complicated nature of the duties. If they were fimplified, the mer chants would be contented. At prefent there was icarce a merchant in London that could make out what his duties amounted to, not one merchant's clerk could do it. His Ldp.obferved, that the reform, as it was called, would diminish the land-tax in the ward where the Cuf tom-houfe ftands, in the fum of 7,500l. The removal of other public offices had Boccafioned a deficiency in the receipt of the city land-tax of Soool. a year. 'Sir Edw. Afley obferved, that, whenever a propofition of reform came from one fide of the Houfe, it was always oppofed by the other: which he fuppofed would ever be the cafe, fo that no ma Cterial reform could ever be expected. There was always, he faid, a vaft dif ference between the conduct of the fame gentlemen, in and out of office, relative to reform. He faid, if this or fome fuch bill did not pass, there were to many patent places already in reverfion, that the heir apparent, when he came to the Crown, would have nothing to give away. Mr. Brickdale obferved, that, in point of mercantile experience, the Ld Mayor of London ought to have the preference, In converfing with the merchants of London, his Ldp had found one who approved the bill. In converfing with the merchants of Bristol, he had not been fo fortunate, for he had not found one that approved it. Mr. W. Pitt tufted his motives for bringing in the bill would be allowed to be juft, however objectionable fome of the claufes might be. He therefore withed it to go to a committee, where every E claufe might be fairly argued, and what alterations might be thought necellary inade. He faid, he was fenfible the bill was far from being perfect; but that the fees taken at the Cuftom-house were Mr. Fox was for letting the bill go to enormous, burthenfome to trade, and the committee. If in the committee good ferved in a great mealure as covers for and fubftantial réafons fhould be given corruption. He owned the compenfa- F that a much better bill might be formed, tion to be made would increase the pre- he would take upon him to say that the fent burdens; but left it with the Houfe Rt. Hon. Gent. who patronized it would to confider, whether it were better to confent to poftpone it to another feffion. Suffer a temporary burden, than to con- In reply to the remark of the hon. Bart. tinue the prefent enormous practice. He [Sir Ed. Aftley] he must fay, it was by anfwered every other objection, and con- no means juft with refpect to him or the cluded with prefling the Houfe to let Gfriends with whom he acted; for the the bill go to the committee, and if, when reform which his friend Mr. Burke had it cante out, it fhould be thought necef. fo ably contended for while out of office, fary to poftpone it to another teflion, he as foon as he came in was inftantly put fhould make no objecton. in force; and he defied any perfon to prove, that any one promile had been made whilft out of office, which they had not endeavoured to carry into execu tion fince they came in, if there was, let it be named, and they would immediately fet about it. Ld Mayar [Mr. Newnham] oppofed the bill, on the ground of diminishing the land-tax, and increafing the influence of the Crown. He faid the compenfation would be enormous, and estimated the abolition of one patent place only at 28,000l. He faid, in a converfation with an affembly of merchants, he found Sir E. Afley did not particularly charge the prefent Administration; but he per fectly A fectly well remembered that the reform bill of the Rt. Hon. Gent. who firft fuggefted it, mentioned the abolition of a finecure place [the dutchy of Lancafter], which, however, was no fooner in the power of the gentlemen who patronifed the bill, than they filled it with one of their own friends, Mr. Dunning, [the late Lord Ashburton.] Other inftances he produced, and concluded with afferting his independence, his contempt of office, and his love of his country. He had often, he faid, sored with the Rt. Hon. Secretary, and B thould have been glad to have continued his fupport, had he not coupled himfelf with others who had involved the British empire in complicated ruin. ris, between this country and Americas which the right hon. Secretary did not chufe to anfwer explicitly. Mr. Sheridan made fome motions for papers; and Lord Mahon, wishing to give the House no farther trouble about the bill which he had brought in fome time ago, relative to bribery and corruption, and which had gone through the committee with amendments that had been reported and oppofed by him; he therefore prayed for leave to give it up, and to bring in another bill, not exactly the fame, but more agreeable to what he understood to be the fenfe of the Houfe. Accordingly, his Lordship moved for leave to bring in a bill to prevent bribery and expence at "elections for members of parliament," which was granted.-The order of the Mr. Daubeny withdrew his motion.Cday for going into a Committee on Ways The bill was read a fecond time, and and Means being read, ordered to be committed. Mr. Marham did not think the bill a good bill, but yet was willing it should go into a committee. May 23, Lord John Cavendish entered upon the arduous task of opening the budget of taxes; of which an account has already been given in p. 447. Mr. Maurice Lloyd rofe, and faid, he was happy to fee one of the directors of the Bank [Mr. Ewer] in his place, as he could probably give the Houfe fome inforination on a subject which he wished might be explained. In fearching into the accounts of the Bank, he found there were large fums on which no interest had been paid for more than 17 years; there fore, if that fum (1,280,000l.) was pro- Lord John Cavendish frankly owned, perly applied, it might be a great relief that he should not be able to provide to the publick. He therefore would take E ways and means to fupply the deficienthe liberty to move, That the Governor cies of the war-taxes in the courfe of the and Company of the Bank of England prefent feffion; but one thing he had the do lay before the Houfe a copy of all the fatisfaction to affure his Lordship, that fums of money on which dividends are the taxes in queftion were in an improvedue, and had not been paid up to the able ftate, and, he did not doubt, would ufual fettling day of the year 1780. in time produce the fums at which they were rated. Lord Mahon obferved, that, among all Dthe taxes propofed, the noble Lord had not provided for the deficiencies of his predeceffors. He expected, he faid, to have heard that such great and enormous deficiencies were immediately to have been made good. No perfon could be found, throughout the House, to fecond the motion, which dropped of course. The bill to punish idle and diforderly perfons, on whom implements of houfe-breaking might be found in the nighttime, came to committee; and two patroles and a thief-taker were called to the bar, and produced feveral offenfive weapons, taken from thieves in the night: after which they were difmiffed, and the bill was debated. -The Committee went through the feveral claufes, with amendments, and the Speaker refumed -his feat. May 26. Lord Newhaven, feeing Mr. Fox in his place, rose to afk him fome queftions relative to a commercial treaty, which, he understood, was in negociation at Pa F Lord Mahon obferved, that there were two great objects which a Chancellor of the Exchequer ought always to have in view; one, the diminution of the national debt; the other, increafing the revenue by taking off fome of the taxes. This, he faid, at firft fight might appear paradoxical, but, on fecond thoughts, Gnothing could be more clear. To illuf trate his argument, he fhewed, by official papers, the four articles of brandy, wines, made-wines,and British spirits, produced, on an average for feveral years before the last duties were laid upon them, 1,300,cool.; but fince that, they have fallen thort of that fum by near 400,000l. Other articles he enumerated that had fallen in proportion. An old fmuggler, who had got rich in France, had told a friend A Sir Edw. Afley approved of the new taxes in general, but objected to that on waggons and carts, as farmers were al ready fufficiently burthened. Lord J. Cavendish said, if any gentleman chofe to object to the claufe when the bill came in, he fhould not oppole an exemption of fuch as were employed in hufbandry. friend of his Lordfhip, that Lord North was his best benefactor; for, by impofing fuch heavy duties on the articles ufually fmuggled from France, he had made fmuggling fo profitable a trade, that a man could fcarce fail to make a fortune by it. Hence, he faid, he would recommend it to the Committee to apply to the Houfe for leave to take into confideration the feveral acts by which the new duties Mr. Sheridan obferved, that the noble were impofed upon the articles he had Lord [Mahon] could claim no merit for enumerated. The Committee might then the part he had acted that day. Govern fit again to confider of the propriety of ment had under contemplation the deft taking off thofe taxes; in order to which g ciencies alluded to, which, he had autho his Lordship moved, That the chairman rity to fay, had undergone a mok serireport progrefs, and afk leave to fit again. ous inveftigation. Mr. Fox compared his Lordship's mode of increafing the revenue, by leflening the taxes, to Lord Shelburne's fcheme, in the other Houfe, of borrowing money to leffen the national debt. That high duties were friendly to imugglers, he was C free, he faid, to confefs; but what fmuggling had to do with the taxes now propofed, he was at a lofs to conceive. He ould not help confidering it, as not only unwife, but highly criminal, for any man, at fuch a moment as the prefent, to fuggeft ideas to the people, that, if their burdens were taken off, the revenue would be increased. He treated his Lord fhip's notions with a mixture of ridicule and feverity. Mr. Wilberforce wondered, if the fact was true, that the noble Lord at the head of the Exchequer had not once mentioned them in his fpeech. Lord Mahon withdrew his motion; but faid, if Miniftry neglected what they pretended to have in view, he would cer tainly bring the matter on again. [Here the debate ended, and the feve ral refolutions were agreed to ] May 27. The refolutions of the day before were reported.-When the refolution relative Dto bills of exchange came to be read, Mr. W. Pitt, in reply, charged Mr. Fox with fuch inhumanity to the people of England as to deny them any enquiry whatever into fuch of the taxes impofed upon them as might probably appear to E be fuch as it would be more adviseable to take off than to continue. Mr. Fox infilted that his argument was wholly mitunderftoud. He ever did, and ever would, approve of enquiries. The idea which he meant to imprefs on the Houfe was, that to stop the bufinefs of the Committee, by a propofition unconnected with the motion before them, and totally of another complexion, was impolitic, improper, and imprudent. Lord North, in the most pointed irony, ridiculed Lord Mahon's theory of financiering Having already fo fertile a genius, when his Lordship comes to be Chancellor of the Exchequer, with improved experience, what a fhining ornament will he be to his country! Lord Newhaven asked if foreign bills were to be fubject to duty. Lord 7. Cavendish said, bills drawn in England on foreign parts would certainly be fubject to duty; but bills drawn abroad would not. When the refolution relative to wheels was read, Sir P. J. Clerke objected to it as a check upon agriculture. Many farmers had carriages which they feldom used, and moft of them had more carriages than they could ufe at the fame time; it would therefore be hard indeed upon F them to pay for carriages from which they derived neither pleasure nor profit. Lord Mahon oppofed it, not fo much as a tax, as the feed of a tax. Why regifter all carriages, if not to open a door for Minifters to exhauft the whole refources of the country? By a former law, the carriage of goods was taxed; by Gthis, an additional impoft is to be laid upon the carriage of goods. With all thefe incumbrances how are the people to live? Mr. Sheridan replied, that when the Mr. Demper approved of the taxes bill came to be framed, many of the obmuch. He thought they would be paid jections might be removed. As to the without a murmur. At the fame time noble Lord's objection to it as the feed he thanked Lord Mahon for havingH of a tax, that might be feafonable when brought forward the deficiencies of for it came to grow up; and then his Lord mer taxes. Ship fhip would find a fit opportunity of increafing the revenue by taking it off. Sir G. Yonge faid, he understood, from the noble Lord's manner of expreffing himself, that he meant to confine the duty only to travelling carts, and to exempt all thofe employed in husbandry. Lord J. Cavendish faid, he meant no fuch thing; only to admit fuch modifications as to make it as little burthenfome to husbandmen as poffible. Mr. W. Pitt faid, there were two reafons for preferring a refolution of the Houfe to an addrefs to the King; one, that it was conformable to precedents A the other, because there were many patent places in the Customs which were in the gift of the Lords of the Treafury, and therefore an addrefs would be no guard.-The queftion was put, and agreed to without oppofition. Mr. Sawbridge threw out a hint, that B if gentlemen would confent to wave their privilege of franking, hufbandmen might be eafed of many of their prefent grievous burthens. The Speaker put the question, "That "the Houfe agree with the Committee "in this refolution (relative to the wheel "tax)," which, on a divifion, was car-C ried, Ayes 47, Noes 20.-The other refolutions were all carried without debate. May 28. Gen. Smith rofe to move feveral refolutions, grounded on the reports of the Select Committee, the object of which was to cenfure Sir Wm. James and Mr., Sullivan; but Mr. Fox, being willing to put an end to the bufinefs, rofe, and moved, "That the next order of the day might be read," which was agreed to, and all further proceedings ceafed. May 30. June z. Mr. Rolle defired to be informed, by the Paymaster - General, whether Mr. Bembridge was yet fufpended or not. Mr. Burke thought, from what had paffed, that the hon. member had no occafion to call for any fuch information. The fenfe of the Houfe had been colle&ed, and the Paymaster-General muft of course be directed by what he conceived to be his duty. Mr. Rolle was not fatisfied with this answer; and Mr. Burke had very firong reafons for not faying more upon the fubject; his feelings were, unfortunately, deeply interested in it. It appeared, however, he Dfaid, that the feelings of fome other members feemed to be of fo very different a texture, that they could debate upon a fubject, without emotion, that would harrow up the fouls of other men*. Lord Mahon's new bill for preventing bribery at elections was read the firE time, and ordered to be read a fecond time on the Monday following. Mr. W. Pitt informed the House, that, as many objections had been made to the bill for abolishing patent places in the Cuftoms, he was willing to drop it for the prefent year; but, as the principle of the bill feemed to be honoured with the approbation of the Houfe, he intended to make a motion that fhould prevent any measures from being taken during the recefs that fhould clog the difcuffion of it next year. He therefore moved, "That "it is the opinion of this Houfe, that his Majefty's Minifters ought not to grant, "or advife to be granted, any patent, or "reversion of any patent place in the "Cuftoms before the next feflion of par "liament." 66 Sir W. Dolben thought it much more refpectful to addrefs his Majefty, than to refolve that Minifters ought not to grant them. It was the King's acknowledged prerogative to bestow places, of which he could not be deprived by a refolution of that Houfe, F G H Mr. Rolle infifted on a direct answer. Mr. Rigby then rofe to inform the hon. member that Mr. Bembridge was actu ally fufpended. And Mr. Rolle declared, that what the hon. Gent. had faid had perfectly satisfied him. Mr. W. Pitt brought in a bill for regulating all the different public offices; which, he faid, was to embrace all the different objects pointed out in the king's fpeech at the opening of the prefent fef fion. This, he faid, would' fhew that the fpeech was not full of empty profeffions, as fome gentlemen had thought proper to infinuate, but that the Minifters then in office were feriously determined to make good every promise that was made in it. Lord J. Cavendish wished to see the bill, but would not have it thought that he pledged himfelf to fupport it. On the contrary, he was of opinion that all the purpotes of the bill might be as well anfwered by judicious regulations of office as by act of parliament Mr. Burke wished that fome attention had been paid, fome time ago, to the |