The clause relating to volunteers being liable to the ballot for the militia, and on quitting their refpective corps, to ferve or find fubfiitutes, was amended by directing a notice to be given them, that they were exempted from ferving fo long as they continued effective members of fuch corps ; and a provifion was alfo added, that they thould only be liable to ferve during the prefent war, and until fix months after the ratification of a definitive treaty of peace.

On the provifo relative to the manner in which former exemptions attached to perfons quitting volunteer corps, confiderable difference of opinion arofe between Lord Grenville and the Lord Chancellor, relative to the meaning of the words, which ended in adjourning the confideration of it till the next day.

The Committee then reported progrefs, and had leave to fit again the next day.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

MONDAY, APRIL 9.

Mr. John Latouche brought up a petition from the prifoners confined for debt in the prifon for the county of the city of Dublin, ftating the hardthips under which they labour, and praying relief. Ordered to be laid on the table.

He brought up another of a fimilar kind from the pri foners confined for debt in the Mafhalfea prifon of Dublin, which was alfo ordered to be laid on the table.

Sir John Newport gave notice, that he thould on Wednefday next move to poftpone the confideration of the subject of the Ilchefter Committee from the 17th of this month, until the 8th of May next.

Mr. Corry gave notice, that he fhould the next day propofe for the confideration of the Houfe a measure refpecting the prefent circulating coin of Ireland.

Mr. Fofter afked what was the right hon. Gentleman's intention. He took it for granted it related to the filver coin. Mr. Corry begged leave to decline entering more particuJarly into the fubject at that time.

Mr. Serjeant Beft prefented a petition on behalf of the company of proprietors of the Swanfea canal navigation, against a bill now depending before the Houfe. Ordered to be laid on the table.

Mr. H. Addington moved, that the order of the day for taking

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taking into confideration the report on the cotton weavers' petition be poftponed to Thurfday next. Ordered.

Mr. Corry moved the order of the day for going into a Committee of the whole Houfe, to confider of making provifion for augmenting the Irifh militia; which being read,

Mr. Corr: fajd, that before he moved that the Speaker do leave the chair, he should state the nature of the measure to be propofed, the augmentation of the Irish militia and if Parliament fhould think fit that it fhould take place, money must be advanced out of the Exchequer of Ireland, to be afterwards repaid by the treasurers of the counties; for this it would be neceffary to introduce a claufe into the bill, and there must be a refolution by a Committee of the whole Houfe for the purpose: tha: fhould be reported on a subsequent day, and an inftruction muft afterwards be given to the Committee on the bill, that they may have power to infert it in fuch bill.

Mr. Calcraft doubted the regularity of moving any certain fum for a certain fervice, before Parliament had voted that fervice. He thought it extraordinary that the fum of money fhould be voted for a thing, before that thing itself was voted. If there was any abfolute neceffity for it, or that it could not be done at any other time, he should be ready to give way, and offer no opposition to it; but he should think it would be much more regular for Parliament to grant the thing itself before it granted the means of fupporting it.

Mr. Secretary Yorke faid, that the thing now propofed was mere matter of course, in order to enable the House to proceed in the Committee the next day, on the fubject of the Irith militia, for until there was a vote of a Committee of the whole Houfe to advance this money out of the Irish Exchequer, no provifion could be made to enable the Lord Lieutenant to go into the measure. This was merely matter of form; for if the Houfe fhould not adopt the bill, the vote now about to be propofed would fall to the ground; the report could not be received until the next day, and without this vote it would be impoffible to proceed upon the bill; and he fubmitted, that as there were two bills before the House upon this fubject, whether it might not be better that they fhould both come on together.

Mr. Calcraft thought one of them fufficient for the difcuf fron of one day, but he was fatisfied with the reafon given for the vote which was about to be propofed, and therefore should not oppofe it any longer.

The

The Houfe then refolved itfelf into a Committee, in which Mr. Corry moved a refolution to the effect he had stated, for advancing a fum not exceeding four guineas per man, &c.; which was paffed, and the report was ordered to be received the next day.

Mr. Bankes afked which of the two bills on the subject of the Irish militia was intended to be brought on the next day.

Mr. Secretary Yorke faid, he fhould have thought it more convenient to the House, and a faving of a great deal of time if they were both to come on together in the difcuffion upon the principle; but if Gentlemen chofe to exercife their lungs twice upon one fubject, he could have no objection, and the debate must therefore neceffarily be put off on one of them. The one which was to come on the next day, was that which ftood first in order, and therefore he moved that the bill for making provifion for augmenting the militia of Ireland be poftponed to Wednesday. Ordered.

Deferred to Wednesday the Committees of Supply and of Ways and Means.

Adjourned,

HOUSE OF LORDS.

TUESDAY, APRIL 10,

In the appeal from the Court of Chancery, Richardfon v. the two Univerfities, counsel was heard for the appellants. The further hearing was deferred until Thursday next.

On the motion of the Lord Chancellor, the caufe of Woodford v. Thelluffon was poftponed to the 20th inftant, when the Judges are to attend.

Mr. Rickman prefented at the bar the accounts of the commiffioners of the Caledonian canal.

The Earl of Suffolk highly approved of that undertaking, as one likely to be productive of great advantage, not only to that particular part of the island but to the whole of the kingdom. He wished to know whether it was the intention of Minifters to make any addition to the very infignificant fum that they had allotted for the annual profecution of that work. He was difpofed to give due praife to the intention of Minifters, with regard to that national object, but he was of opinion that 20,000l. was by no means adequate to the importance of fuch an object,

Lord

Lord Auckland, in the abfence of Minifters, profeffed himfelf unable to give any fatisfactory anfwer to the question of the noble Earl.

The Duke of Montrofe thought that it was incumbent on him to exprefs the very great obligations he was under to Minifters for having, at the rifk of incurring fome imputations, countenanced a measure which promifed fo much advantage and improvement to that part of Scotland. He was happy to acquaint the Houfe that very great facilities had already been derived even from the comparatively infignificant progress that the undertaking had made. New communications had already been eftablifhed in a country where accefs had been nearly impracticable, and the inhabitants began to feel much advantage from fuch convenience. That work was, in his opinion, truly a national one, and therefore he did not doubt, but it would meet with all neceffary encouragement from his Majefty's Minifters.

DEFENCE OF THE COUNTRY.

The Earl of Suffolk rofe and fpoke nearly as follows: My Lords, not having been in the Houfe on the fecond reading of the volunteer bill, as I was compelled by indifpofition to leave it at the commencement of the debate, I was prevented from giving my fentiments on the principle of that bill; [ have therefore taken this opportunity of introducing a motion, in difcuffing which, I may, without any impropriety, allude to that fyftem, on the merits of which I was accidentally prevented from giving my opinion. There is not any one in this kingdom, who more highly approves of the great and leading principle upon which the volunteer force has been established than I do. I fully fubfcribe in every way to the gallant and patriotic fpirit by which that admirable body of men has been actuated; and if there be trivial defects in its organization, I trust that a little expence and the attention of the legislature will remedy them. Although

I admit that there ac fome inconfiftencies in that fyftem, yet I am far from concurring in that perfevering oppofition that has been made to it. Many of the arguments have turned upon verbal niceties and altercations, and really think that much time, that could have been better employed, has been confumed in the confideration of them. I have that confidence in his Majefty's Government, as well as in thofe perfons who fhall be called upon to execate the provifions of the volunteer bill, that where any doubts may arife upon the meaning of any particular claufe,

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it will be interpreted liberally, and rather to the advantage of the individual who thinks he is entitled to a benefit from it. If I may be allowed to give my opinion, without referring to any thing that has been heretofore said either here or elfe where, on the degree of efficiency that the volunteers are capable of, I am decided in preferring them to an armed peafantry. They, in my judgment, poffefs a competent degree of difcipline, and certainly may be incorporated with infinite advantage either with the army or militia. Befides, I much doubt whether it be pollible to arm the peafantry to the extent that has been recommended, with that celerity that would enable us to reap the full advantage of their fervices. Even the volunteers, as I am informed, are very far from At an earlier period of the prebeing completely armed. fent feffion, I took an opportunity of fubmitting, as a military man, fome ideas to your Lordthips, as to what I conceived neceffary to be done for the more complete defence of the country; and it is with much regret I have perceived that none of them have been deemed deferving the notice of his Majefty's Minifters. I recommended the establishment of a central depôt, to which feven or eight thousand men. fhould periodically repair, there to be inftructed in military tactics, under the command of a well-informed and experienced staff. The advantages of even that inadequate fhare of difcipline would be foon vifible, both in the officers and pri vates, and particularly in the former, who, in my opinion, have much greater occafion for inftruction than those they command. There is also another There is alfo another part of our defence which, in my judgment, Minifters have not confidered, as they fhould have done; I allude to the principle of limitation in the volunteer fyftem. The maritime counties, the most expofed and the most liable to attack, are governed by the fame Tules in this respect that the inland counties are; an error in my mind pregnant with danger, and which cannot be too foon corrected. I alfo recommended the conftruction of Martello towers, and illuftrated the immenfe advantages of fuch a mode of fortification, by the circumftance that a. ferjeant and twelve men working a fingle gun in one of them had defeated an English fhip of the line and a 44-gun frigate. Instead of reforting to that cheap and effectual mode of defence, his Majefty's Government, at least the military part of it, have, with immenfe labour and expence, conftructed lines. of circumvallation, which, as a foldier and an Englishman, I am happy to hear are crumbling daily into ruins. My Lords,

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