fcheme be a good one, it ought to be more extensive, or it may be carried on without the fanction of Parliament. But I am not of that opinion. This metropolis, it was in proof or ready to be proved in the Committee last year, are fupplied with immenfe quantities of fifh at 2d the pound. This fupply is produced by the activity of individuals, clubbing together their labour and fmall capitals, in the purchase or hire, and in the ufe of nets and implements of their trade; these men earn now but a scanty fubfiftence. By whom are the intended corporation to fupply us cheaper? by hiring thefe very men, who certainly will expect to be paid better than if following their occupations after their own way: and univerfal experience warrants me to fay, they certainly will work lefs: paid by the week or month, fuch people will fith as little as they can. Now for the other incidental charges Will a public body fupply itfelf with boats, nets, and implements cheaper or dearer, and make them laft a longer or a fhorter time than the fishermen themfelves? I anticipate the answer. The good fenfe of the House fees the utter impracticability of the fcheme, which I hefitate not to denominate a vifionary or ruinous fpeculation, neither promifing to increase the fupply of fish, nor promoting the objects of the Marine Society. I therefore heartily concur in the amendment propofed.

After a few words from Mr. Blackburne in favour of the bill, the Houfe divided on Colonel Calcraft's motion.

For it 38-Against it 35.-Majority 3.

The bill of courfe was loft.

Mr. Sheridan gave notice, that he would the next day make a motion which would bring under confideration the decifion which had lately been made refpecting the priority of a certain petition relative to the late election for Liskeard, to the queftion as to the right of the electors which had been fixed fome time fince for difcuffion on the 10th of next month.

A perfon from the office of the Chief Secretary of State in Ireland, prefented an account of the number of veffels, and their tonnage, employed in the Irish trade for the laft year, together with other accounts, which were ordered to be printed.

Mr. Alexander brought up the report of the Irish militia families provifion bill.

Mr. Corry, perceiving that the right hon. Gentleman (Mr. Fofter) with whom he had differed upon the fubject, was not then in his place, moved to poftpone till the next

Qq2

day,

day, the further confideration of the report, as he had fome amendments to propofe, which he would rather bring forward in the prefence of the right hon. Gentleman alluded to. The motion was agreed to.

On the motion of Mr. Corry, an account was ordered of the number of ballotted men in the feveral regiments of the Irish militia on the 1ft of November, 1803, diftinguishing the number of men in each regiment, and the time for which each man was ballotted.

Ordered, on the motion of Mr. Fellowes, that there he laid before the House an account of the quantity of wheat and flour, rye, barley, and malt, oats and oatmeal, peas and beans, which have been imported to, or exported from, Great Britain, with the bounties, drawbacks, and duties paid on the importation or exportation of the fame, from the 5th of January 1803, to the 5th of January, 1804, diftinguishing England and Scotland. An account was also ordered for the years 1800, 1801, 1802, and 1803, of bounties paid on grain and flour.

On the motion for reading a third time the bankers' indemnity bill,

Sir William Elford fuggefted the propriety of introducing into this bill fome provifion to relieve the country bankers from the penalties to which they were liable, for not paying the proportion fixed by the income act upon all the various fmall fums placed in their hands. This was a regulation with which it was obviously impoffible for them to conform; and if they fhould attempt it, the confequence would be, that the appeals would be more numerous than all the commiffioners, were they to devote the whole of their lives, could contrive to investigate.

Mr. Vanfutart thought the bill, as it flood, fufficient to meet the cafe alluded to by the hon. Baronet. He was not indeed aware of any cafe for which this bill did not provide. If however, upon revifing the property act, any amendment fhould appear neceílary upon the point referred to by the hon. Baronet, or upon any other, it would of course be attended to.

The bill was then read a third time and paffed.
Adjourned.

HOUSE

HOUSE OF LORDS.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28.

Counsel were heard in continuation on the crofs appeal, Abercromby v. Fleming. After which, their Lordships adjourned the further confideration of the cafe till Friday fe'nnight.

The St. Pancras workhoufe bill, and an inclosure bill, were brought up from the Commons, and feverally read a firft

time.

IRISH MILITIA.

Lord Hawkesbury having moved the order of the day, for taking his Majesty's meffage into confideration, the fame, to gether with his Majefty's meffage, were read. The noble Secretary then obferved, that with refpect to the addrefs, he fhould have the honour to propofe to his Majefty, on the occafion of his meffage, he hoped it would, when the importance and favourable nature of the fubject were confidered, meet the unanimous concurrence of their Lordships; the more fo, as in the addrefs there would be nothing tending to pledge the Houfe to the adoption of any specific measure, but merely general expreffions of their willingness to concur In enabling his Majefty to take advantage of the offers made by feveral regiments of the Irith militia. Here his Lordship faid, he could not avoid offering his tribute of applaufe, to the ardent zeal and patriotism, which dictated thefe offers of extended service. The voluntary coming forward of thefe troops in fo laudable and patriotic a manner, was following up the aufpicious measure of the Union, in a most important and ftriking instance; and tending to identify the interefts, the happiness, and the profperity of both parts of the united kingdom. It was then unneceffary to take up their Lordships' time with any detailed obfervations on the fubject, as it would after wards come under their confideration in a regular shape, far ther than to obferve, that one important object to be attained by it, was the increafing the difpofeable force of this country. His Lordship concluded by propofing an addrefs, correfponding, as ufual, with the prominent features of the meffage.

After the address had been read from the woolfack,

The Duke of Montrofe expreffed his readiness to concur with the noble Secretary of State in his eulogium upon the zeal and patriotifm of the troops who had come forward in the way adverted to in his Majefty's meffage. He was happy in fuch

an

an acceffion of force in the prefent circumftances of the country, and should concur in the propofed addrefs. At the fame time he would beg leave to offer a few observations upon points connected with the fubject, which was of peculiar importance. And firft he would obferve upon the injurious tendency of armed bodies of men being fuffered to deliberate, and in that point of view he had to regret that the offer proceeded from the troops; he had rather fuch extenfion of fervice were in confequence of a prefcribed duty on the part of Government and the Legislature; that which was performed by perfons fo circumftanced, as a duty, would be well executed; but when they confidered it as their doing fomething more than their duty the chance of its being well performed was the lefs, (Hear! Hear!) He thought it would be preferable in his Majesty's Government, on fuch an occafion as the prefent, to come forward in a manly way, and at once propofe legislative measures to render reciprocal the militia fervices of both countries: this would be furthering the happy effects of the union, on the interefts, the happinefs, and the fecurity of all parts of the united kingdom. Regulations of this kind were become the more neceffary as the relative fituation of thofe countries, more especially with regard to continental confiderations, and the aggrandizement of France, was of late confiderably changed. It would be neceffary that this country fhould become a much more military nation than it had been for many years paft, and in this neceffary change, he thought that the nobility and gentry of the united kingdom should take the lead; they fhould inure themselves to military habits. He was aware that the extenfion of the fervices of the British militia to Ireland, would be rather unpalatable to many of its officers; to fome, who on account of age, or feelings of difinclination, may not wish to ferve out of England; and that the unavoidable confequences of fuch would be feveral refignations. This, in fome points of view was to be regretted; but when put in competition with the advantages which would arife in confequence of the extenfion of fervice, the ill effect would comparatively be but little; added to this, it would afford an opportunity to the introduction of young officers, even to the higher ranks of the militia fervice, which he thought would be preferable to having thefe corps officered by old men. The experience of history demonstrated that victories in general were atchieved by young commanders; for infance, the cafes of the wars carried on by the old king of Pruflia, and his fucceffor, the Great Frederick,

Frederick, who was very young when he commenced his military career; and the repeated victories which the French gained over the Auftrian forces in the late war, were principally owing to the exertions of their young officers. Young commanders might commit errors, but they generally retrieved them by atchieving victory: whereas, old men generally let the occafion go by, while their endeavours were directed to avoid the commiffion of mistakes. Recurring to the fubject immediately before the Houfe, his Grace repeated his opinion, that it would be preferable to come forward on fuch an occafion as the prefent, manfully, with an act for rendering the fervices of the militias of both countries reciprocal.

The Marquis of Sligo faid, from the general approbation which the measure refulting from the meffage from the Crown had received from all fides of the Houfe, he should not have judged it neceffary to trouble their Lordships with one word on its fubject, if it had not been for fomething which had fallen from a noble Duke, by which he seemed to confider, that if the fervices of the Irish militia were neceffary in this country, it would be more adviseable and more manly to obtain them by an act of the Parliament of the united kingdom, than by the acceptance of their proffered fervices. His Lordship faid, the Irish militia had been enlisted explicitly for ferving in Ireland only, and, therefore, however wife the principle fuggefted by the noble Duke, it could not be acted upon at the prefent. To comply with that advice, the first tep must be to discharge every one of thofe patriots, who had now voluntarily tendered their fervices, and enlift them again on the terms of extended fervice. Lord Sligo faid, that every measure tending to cement the union of Great Britain with Ireland, ever had had, and ever fhould have his warmest concurrence. Every thing that affimilated them to each other, every thing that made them one, every thing that created in them one interest and one feeling, added to the happiness, the strength and fecurity of the empire; and if the period fhould happily arrive, when a population of near twenty millions fhould be brought to act under one mind and one feeling, they had little to fear from their enemies, though the world were united against them.

The Earl of Limerick obferved, that he should have contented himself with a filent vote on the prefent occafion, were it not for one point in the fpeech of the noble Duke. The conduct of the Irish militia was on this occafion above all panegyric; he would leave it to other noble Lords to attempt it. What

had