lready been reduced as far as the house deemed it proper to go. There had been a reduction in the penfion lift of 6ocol. nor did he know of any branch of the public expence in which farther retrenchment could be effected under the circumftances of the country, without producing more injury than advantage to the national intereft. Mr. Vandeleur obferved upon the statement, that he had just heard, that it would require fome time to understand it; but three points ftruck him with respect to the taxes: that upon falt was one which evinced a degree of hostility to Great Britain: that country was used in taxing exports to except Ireland, and he had much rather the fubject had been fettied by an amicable negociation, than in the first inftance to impofe a tax, and that a tax which fell upon a neceffary of life. Would it not be better to adopt the idea of an hon. member of last session, and tax the distillers, and thus moralize the poor, than impose a tax upon a necessary of life. The diftilleries of this country, which in 1785 made one million of gallons, had made more than four millions in 1795. The tax on fucceffions had been the very laft adopted by England, and he could not conceive why it was adopted here: he was not now however prepared to debate it.. The right hon. W. B. Conyngham said, that the propofed tax on falt would by no means affect the poor, while it would materially ferve the falt manufacture. Mr. Pelham faid, that ficuated as he was, his first object fhould be the intereft of Ireland: he had, in confequence of the duty upon falt being laid on in England, taken steps upon the fubject; that duty was of mere regulation, to prevent the fmuggling of falt, and extended equally to the coafting trade of England as to Ireland; and as to the duty now proposed, he could affure the houfe, that Great Britain was apprized of it, and that it was laid on with her perfect affent. If a great quantity of manufactured falt were imported, it might affect the poor; but the object was to prevent the neceffity of its importation, by protecting our own manufacture. Mr. Corry faid, if the hon. member meant that he had approved the additional tax on the diftilleries last feffion, he much misconceived his Intentions. He was then of opinion that the tax inftead of increasing would diminish the revenue and the confequence unfortunately verified his prediction. The Chancellor of the Exchequer faid, as to the duty on falt injuring the poor, it might have a quite contrary effect, by protecting and encousaging the manufacture at home. With refpect to the tax on fucceffions, he thought it a good one-and that its being adopted early, instead of being taken up as a last refource, was by no means -an argument against it--befides, if it was productive, it might enable government to give up fome other taxes more exceptionable. With respect to the argument that the whole of the propoled taxes much exceeded the interest of their propofed loan, it was in his mind the Better, as the furplus would be brought to account and might put an end to the fystem of borsowing. With respect to the proposed exaction from the diftilleries, he was fure that if the hon. member stood in his place, he would not think it fair, when men come forward to propose an alternative for averting a tax, to infert upon both the tax and the alternative; here the converfation ended-and The Chancellor of the Exchequer proceeded to move refolutions purfuant to the statement of the neceffary fupply. From this till the 10th no business of importance but what was merely routine. Ic.] Mr. Hoare moved for leave to bring in a bill for improving the city of Dublin, by regulating, directing, and controuling the conduct of the commiffioners appointed, under feveral acts of parliament, for widening and improving the streets of Dublin." As this bill alluded to Mr. Ottiwell's bufinefs, a debate of fome length took place, wherein a great number of members fpoke: on a divifion there appeared. 23 67 For leave to bring in the bill, Mr. Annesley then moved to revive the committee appointed to inquire into the contract between the commiffioners of wide-ftreets and Mr. Ottiwell. Right hon. D. Browne feconded the motion, being of opinion that inquiry should precede not follow divifion. Sir J. Blaquiere thought the bill offered by the learned gentleman, would, in its progress, have full opportunity of inquiry, and to a bill it must come ultimately; however, he agreed in reviving the committee. The hon. Mr. Annesley propofed a message to the house of peers, requesting they would permit two of their members, lords Donoughmore and Mountjoy, to attend and give evidence before the committee, which committee he defired might fit openly in the house, that by the evidence of those two noble perfons, all men might be convinced of the falsehood of the calumnies that had been thrown out against, perhaps, the very best man in the nation on this fubject. Mr. Majon approved the measure, but faid, in point of form it would come more properly after the committee had fat. The committee was ordered to be revived, and fit to-morrow. Mr. Secretary Pelham Informed the house that he was commanded by his excellency the lord lieutenant to acquaint them that his majefty has been pleased to return a most gracious answer to the addrefs of the house, which he read in his place, and afterwards delivered in at the table; and the fame was alfo read by Mr. Speaker, all the members being uncovered, and is as fol loweth : "GEORGE R. "His majesty returns his thanks to the house of commons of Ireland for their loyal and dutiful addrefs, and for the fresh affurances it contains of their inviolable attachment to his person, fa❤ mily and government. His majefty feels the highest gratification in their affectionate congratulations on his providential escape from the late attack upon his perfon. "! Theis 1796. Irish Parliamentary Intelligence. "Their congratulations upon the birth of a princefs, an event in which his majefty is fo nearly interested, are peculiarly acceptable to him. "His majesty relies with the most perfect confidence upon the readinefs of his faithful commons to provide fuch supplies as the ftate of circumftances may require, and upon their zeal and firmness in fupporting, at this important crifis, fuch vigorous exertions as may moft effectually tend to procure a folid and permanent peace. "His majesty moft cordially participates with them in the fatisfaction which they derive from the flourishing state of the commerce and revenues of his kingdom of Ireland, notwithstanding the preffure of the war. "He views, with great pleasure, their attention to the agriculture and manufactures of Ireland, to the general state of provifions, and to the proteftant charter schools, and other inftitutions of public improvement. It is a further gratification to his majefty to obferve that the favourable fentiments which they exprefs of the Earl Camden, juftify the confidence which his majesty has repofed in him." "G. R." Which was ordered to be entered on the Journals of the house. 11. Mr. Macartney, after ftating at some length, the purport of the petition which he was about to prefent, prefented a petition from the corporation of the Grand Canal, praying parliamentary aid, which, after a fhort obfervation from the Chancellor of the Exchequer and Mr. Corry, was received, read, and referred to a committee, and ordered, that the faid committee have leave to fit in the house. Mr. D. Browne moved, that a meffage be fent to the lords, requesting that their lordships would be pleased to permit lord viscount Mountjoy, and lord baron Donoughmore, to attend the committee appointed by this houfe, to inquire into the conduct of the commiflioners of wide-ftreets, to give evidence respecting the contracts made between Mr. Henry Outwell and the faid commiflioners. The motion was agreed to, and ordered that Mr. Browne do carry the faid meflage to the lords. THE order of the day having been read for the third reading of the Indemnity bill. Lord Dillon faid, he could not reconcile it to his feelings to give a filent vote on a fubject of fuch importance as that before the houfe. The Indemnity Bill had been occafioned by gentlemen nobly daring, at the moft perilous refponfibility, to preferve the country from rapine, murder, and French principles. One of the objects of the bill's protection was a noble earl, who had diftinguished himself by his zeal and activity in the prefervation of the public peace: he had witneffed that nobleman's exertions in the county where he (lord Dillon) refided; and they were fuch as he could not but be highly grateful for. Hib. Mag. April, 1796. 369 He As to martial A recent melancholy event proved the neceffity Lord Glentworth faid he tofe with high fatif- His lordship faid he had been obliged to be in a part of the country, where thofe exceffes were perpetrated that had been spoken of by the noble viscount, where a fettled fy item of murder and rapine feemed to be formed by infurgents in violation of every kind of law. They had of late fo frequently put in execution the barbarous fcheme of murdering perfons whom they fufpected would become informers against their atrocities, that juftice was defeated, and depredators and murderers efcaped the ven geance of the laws.Thefe offenders had formed affociations that were indiffoluble; they had taken oaths, and they firmly adhered to them. So many had been put to death by them, who abhorred their diabolical proceedings, that the well affected now became their adherents, to fave their lives. Thefe offenders would say to the people, you may Aaa may efcape the laws, but you cannot escape our vengeance. If you join us and that you should happen to be apprehended-why it is only fuffering a little confinement, for no one now can inform against or profecute us. If you go against us, death will be your fate. Your advantage therefore is to unite with us in our plundering career, and in time we fhall accomplith that object of revolution, to which we look and are inftigated. His Lordship attributed those atrocious proceedings to the incitements of perfons of difaffect ed rebellious principles, who had difperfed themfelves through thofe parts where thofe crimes were known, to induce unfortunate people with delufive stories to commit thofe offences, for the purpofe of attaining objects that forme anarchifts above the lower clafs have in view. He had known that a man rode on horfeback through the part of the country where his lordship had been, and induftriously diftributed in every hovel, not paffing that which could give refidence even to a pig, certain feditious papers well known to be inimical to our conftitution, to corrupt and mislead the minds of the people. In this part of the country, contributions were raifed among the people for fecret purposes, fomething to the amount of a guinea and a half each a year-all which proceedings evinced a fettled fyftema of revolt, that required every exertion to be used to counteract. They were too weak at prefent to carry any of their diabolical schemes into execution, we ought therefore in time to prevent them from retaining that trength they wished for. Meatures for this purpose should be adopted before the feffion clofed, otherwife the enfuing fummer would be more diftinguished with enormities by thofe infatuated people, than the last. His lordip highly approved of the bill before the house. It was no more than justice to thofe who had acted meritoriously in defence of the conftitution, and every man of property. It was a ridiculous cant, to fay that thofe perfons had acted unconstitutionally: whatever steps they had taken were to preferve the conftitution, and their exertions were attended with good effect; and if fuch measures were again necessary, their adoption should have his approbation. His lordship, after a very animating speech, and requesting pardon of their lordships for having taken up their time, concluded with saying, my lords, we have peculiar advantages and peculiar privileges-let us therefore be peculiar in refifting the enemies of our constitution. I am ready to unite in the caufe, and share any danger that may await it. The Lord Chancellor faid, that the ordinary purposes of the law were incompetent to check the licentioufnels of the times: As a proot of this, an abominable and wicked murder had been committed within the last twenty-four hours on two persons who were to give evidence against a traitor, and who had not only the protection of a noble lord's place of refidence, but of a party of the army encamped in his lordship's demeine. The perfons who perpetrated this horrible crime, ordered a candle to be lighted to thew them their unfortunate victims; the candle went out by the way, and one of the banditti declared that he would fhoot the owner of the houfe, who held the candle, if it were not instantly re-lighted; and afterwards, in cool blood fhot both the unhappy witneffes, one of whom they beat in the head till they had beaten out his brains!-This fyftem of terror, his lordfhip faid, was not to be combated by the ordinary courfe of law. What man will come forward to fupport the laws, if the laws cannot protect him from the vengeance of the violator? If this feffion fhould pass over without the enaction of laws ftrong enough to meet the fmothered rebellion in the country, there will be a revival of the miseries of 1641. The traitors proceed fyftematically to deter witneffes, and make conviction impoffible; how then, unless magiftrates are empowered to reprefs the treason in a summary way, can it be put an end to ?-His lordship added, that if parlia ment did not adopt efficient measures of fafety in the prefent feffion, the evil might become too great to be refifted on the next meeting. The earl of Portarlington faid, that the noble lord who was included in the benefits of the bill, might have rendered it unneceffary for himself, if he had not been too humane to inflict the punifhment on the offenders which the exifting laws warranted. His lordship faid, that cafes of emergency juftified a proportionate extenfion of the conftitution: it was on that ground, that, in the riots of London, lord Mansfield recommended the difarming of the citizens. His lordship gave his full affent to the present bill. A meffage was brought up from the commons, requesting the attendance of lords Mountjoy and Donoughmore, on a committee of that houfe appointed to inquire into the conduct of the commiffioners of wide streets; if their lordships thought fit fo to do. The two noble lords expreffed their acquiefcence, and the house agreed. The Lord Chancellor faid, he rofe to apprife the noble lords of a practice of committees of the other house, which was not confonant to law, that of adminiftering oaths by means of a magif trate. His lordship faid, that any magiftrate who on the authority of a committee of that house administered an oath, was guilty of a high mifdemeanor; that the committee in directing the administration would be guilty of a misdemeanor; and that the perfon taking fuch an oath would be guilty of a breach of the law: no profecution for perjury could be founded on such a testimony. The Earl of Farnham faid it had been the ufage of the house of commons. The Lord Chan ellor said, it was therefore that he apprifed their lordships of it. A magistrate, his lordship faid, had no right to adminifter an oath but in the execution of his duty as a magiftrate; and a cafe had occurred to his knowledge in which a committee of the commons had directed a magistrate to adminifter an oath to one of its own members, who very properly refused to take it, and demanded of the magiftrate wherefore he prefumed to offer it :-If the house of commons, as a body, has no right to adminifter an oath, (and no man will pretend to say it has) how how is it poffible to delegate a power which it has not itself, to a committee? As to calling upon a magiftrate to administer an oath, the committee might as well call upon a mafter in chancery to adminifter it; the latter had no power of adminiftering oaths but in chancery fuits, nor the former but in the exercife of his duty as a magif trate. The Earl of Farnham faid he did not mean to queftion what fell from the noble lord upon the Woollack, but to ftate what had been the ufage. Lord Dillon faid, that the houfe of commons in England never ufed fuch a power, except in the particular cafe of an election bill, which fpecifically invested that power in the commons. Lord Glentworth faid, he had been a member of the other house when the fame question arofe in it, and the house generally acquiefced in the principle of incompetence to adminifter oaths; which his lordship faid was his opinion, as the houfe of commons was not a court of justice. Lord Mountjoy faid, that apprifed of the conduct they ought to adhere to, they would not depart from it. (To be continued.) British Parliament. (Continued from our laft.) N Thursday, Feb. 18, 1796, Mr. Man docks at Wapping and Shadwell. It was read a first time. The fame day, Mr. Wilberforce rofe, to bring the confideration of the flave trade once more before the house. In addition to the many arguments repeatedly urged before, against the huma. nity of the flave trade, he faid, that there was one confideration to prove the neceffity of the abolition, that must now be particularly ftriking: he meant the prefent ftate of our West India islands, which rendered it expedient that not a moment should be loft in effecting that defirable end. It must be within the recollection of every one who heard him, that by the decree of the French convention, paffed in the beginning of the year 1794, which gave freedom to the flaves, the enemy had been enabled to repoffefs themfelves of fome of the islands captured by us at the commencement of the war, which by any other means they had no profpect of acquiring for to that emancipation only they were indebted for their fuccefs against Guadaloupe, St. Lucie, and Gouyave: and, at a time when the fame principle was gaining ground in almost all the plan tations, it was more impolitic than ever to continue the traffic, as newly imported Africans, cruelly dragged from their homes, would naturally embrace every opportunity of oppreffing their oppofers, and of course be more violent in their refentment, than those habituated to flavery, from the impreffion on their memory of the recent wrongs fuftained by them. If we continued to increase thefe inflammable materials, dreadful must be the explosion, whenever it happened. If we should conquer those islands in which freedom prevailed, could we expect to re duce them again to flavery? Or, if not, could we think of tolerating their emancipation in one place, and continuing them in a state of abjec bondage in another? If it was our determination to keep them every where in a state of subjection, how much lefs dangerous would that talk have been, in cafe the importation of flaves had been prohibited for the last four years, within which period a far greater number of them had been imported than had ever been remembered in the fame fpace of time; which circumstance, it must be clear to every gentleman, increased the difficulty we had to encounter on that head. Had not experience taught him to think otherwife, he fhould have fuppofed that no one could now be found to maintain the policy of continuing the obnoxious traffic; for even thofe who had on former occafions fupported, that without conftant fupplies of blacks from Africa, the business of the colonies would be at a ftand, must now be convinced of the contrary, as the French, who had totally abolifhed the practice, had abundance of men in every quarter. He then appealed to thofe members, who previously to the last adjournment of the house, patriotically and fuccefsfully exerted themselves to preferve their country from the anarchy with which it was menaced thofe gentlemen, whom pofterity would regard as the faviours of Great Britain, he earnestly conjured to join with him in vindicating the real wrongs of fuffering human nature. At a time in fuppreflion o anarchical defigns, they would, he hoped, attend to the first ties of humanity and nature; and while, by averting outrage at home, they fecured their own happiness, they would not, by dif regarding the calls of juftice in another part of the world, fuffer their fellow creatures to be expofed to every fpecies of unprovoked cruelty, and favage barbarity. And if it should be found that a neighbouring country, a prey to anarchy, confufion, and bloodshed; governed by a fet of defperate defigning men, poffeffed of art fufficient to retain their power, where every moral and religi ous obligation was ridiculed, where every outrage against fociety and human nature was com mitted with impunity; and where even the hope of future reward or punishment was derided and deftroyed; if it should appear that fuch a nation had abolished this cruel and iniquitous traffic, who could imagine that it would be retained by a nation that profeffed to abbor the cruelties and atrocities committed in that neighbouring nation, and to hold in the higheft veneration the awful fanctions of religion, and the falutary institutions of law? He concluded by moving for leave for bringing in a bill for the total abolition of the flave trade.-Part of Mr. Wilberforce's new argument was likewife urged by Mr Courtenay If,' faid he, the conduct of two neighbouring nations fhould be compared, it would be found, that one, which made few profeffions of religion, had obeyed its precepts, and the other, which abounded in profeffions, had difregarded its principles. The French had not only emancipated the negroes in their iflands, but one of their captains, who had taken two veffels laden with flaves, and might have fold them at a neutral Aa32 in and inland, had given them their freedom, by landing them on a French one. Had the laft motion for the abolition of the trade been fuccefsful, this reinforcement of men, inftigated against us not only by revenge, but by gratitude to their deliverers, would not have been added to our difficulties. The fact was, that the very continuance of flave ry was the lofs of the inlands.-The chancellor of the exchequer observed, that no local or temporary circumstances of fuppofed policy ought, for a moment to influence the houfe, in deciding upon a question of justice and humanity.e added, that every prefent circumstance, whether of the fituation of our islands, or the state of Our general commerce, induced him to wish that the trade had been abolished four years ago, and afforded new inftances of the neceffity of fuppreffing it now. Mr. Buxton, fir Richard Hill, Mr. William Smith, Mr. ferjeant Adair and Mr. Fox fpoke warmly for the motion; which was as ftrenuously oppofed, on the grounds repeatedly urged before, by general Tarleton, fir William Young, Mr. Jenkinson, Mr. Dent, and Mr. Barham. Mr. Dundas and Mr. Addington (who both acknowledge the impolicy of the trade and its utter incompatibility with juftice and humapity) were however, for a gradual abolition. On a divifion, the numbers were, for the motion 93, against it 67. On Friday, Feb. 19, Mr. Grey took notice of the very early period at which the vote of credit was now to be paffed; a vote which had never before been paffed but toward the conclufion of the feffion. This led him to fufpect, that it was not intended to provide for the unforeseen expences of the prefent year, but to cover the expences already incurred for the laft; and he was more particularly of this opinion, as all the departments of government were in arrear, and the civil lift was fix quarters in arrear. He therefore wished to put off this vote till he could fee whether thefe accounts had been fettled. He accordingly moved, that the receiving of the report be put off for three weeks.-Mr. Rose, on the other hand, ftated, that the vote of credit had frequently been applied to cover expences already incurred; and Mr. Grey's motion paffed in the negative, without a divifion. -Mr. Burton then moved for the annual plice Westminster bill, which was carried without a divifion. On Monday, Feb. 22, on the third reading of the vote of credit for 2,500,000l. Mr. Grey objected to its paffing, on the grounds already ftated, and alfo on account of its being enormously great beyond all former example, Mr, Pitt, anfwered that it was true, that, in fome inftances, the vote of credit had paffed at the end of the feffion, but frequently before the committee of supplies, particularly when the public fervices were preffing; and Mr. Grey's motion for poftponing it for three weeks, was negatived by 302 to 24-Mr. William Smith then rofe to move the order of the day for taking the report of the loan into confideration; but Mr. Pitt objecting that it was taking him by furprife: on the fuggeftion of the fpeaker, the debate on the first refolution was adjourned to the Friday after. On Tuesday, Feb. 23, the sheriff's of the city of London prefented a petition from the corpora tion against the bill before parliament for making wet docks in Wapping, &c. The petition being read, alderman Anderfon obferved, that the petition was brought forward on the fairest and most unobjectionable grounds. The bill directly went to remove the trade of London from its ancient and natural channel, to the prejudice of the owners of eftates in London, Southwark, and Westminster, and for the fole advantage of interefted fpeculators, while the city of London offered in the fairest manner to form convenient docks and extend the quays at its own expence for the advantage of the public. He therefore moved, That the petition do lie on the table till the fecond reading of the bill,' which was agreed to. Sir John Sinclair prefented a bill for inclofing and cultivating the waste lands in that part of Great Britain called England. The bill was read a first time. Mr. Henniker Major moved for leave to bring in a bill to enable courts to allow cofts in cafes of mildemeanor as in thofe of felony; to allow them to conftables in cafes of adjudication of va grants; and to allow them in certain cafes as therein recited; which was agreed to. On Friday, Feb. 26, Mr. Fox brought up the report of the committee on the publicans petition, which ftated, that they fuftained a lofs of 10,000l. annually in pewter pots. Leave was given to bring in a bill on the faid petition. General M Cleod faid, that he wished to ask minifters a question relative to a letter which he faw in a morning paper, dated Jamaica. This he did, for the fake of a certain noble lord's (Ba.carras) character, for which he had the highest refpect.-He understood that martial law had been proclaimed in that island, and that 100 blood-hounds, and twenty chaffeurs, had been fent from the island of Cuba, to hunt down and deftroy the Maroons. In the letter there was, he faid, the following query What effect would this have on the feelings of Mr. Wilberforce? Every one, he faid, must remember the conquest of South America by the Spaniards, and of Cuba particularly, where, after these bloodhounds had killed the father, the Spaniards were obliged to tear them off from fucking the blood of the father to purfue the children. These dogs were not only fent for, but hunters alfo ; and for the fake of the character of the noble lord, he hoped it was not true. The barbarity, of the French had been talked of; but would any one compare that with the favageness of dogs? All he should do at the prefent would be, to afk the right hon. gentleman oppofite (Mr. Pitt) whether it was true? And if it was, he would have that noble lord cited to the bar of that houfe for fuch an infamous and inhuman tranfaction. Mr. Pitt faid, that any idea of em ploying the means alluded to as an instrument of war, was as foreign from the minds of his majefty's minifters, as from any gentleman's in that houfe.-General M Cleod replied, that the noble lord alluded to must either do it of himself or according to his inftructions.-Mr. Yorke |