a fatisfaction from feeing that the object propofed had been obtained. Sir John Sinclair faid, that to fuch a revifion he could not have the finalleft poffible objection. Mr. Tierney wished to be informed respecting the last grant to the Board. A fum of money had been granted, but not received. (Sir John Sinclair informed him, that 1000l. of the 3000l. had been received.) This he conceived to be an extraordinary circumstance. The diftribution paper which had been moved for in November last, had not yet been produced. For his own part, however, he faw that paper fignified nothing with Minifters; nor indeed did the whole Appropriation A&t pafs for much. The Chancellor of the Exchequer stated, that he faw no reafon why the paper alluded to might not be laid before the Houfe the next day. The motion made by Sir John Sinclair was then agreed to, and the report ordered to be received the next day. Adjourned. HOUSE OF LORDS. The Bills on the Table were forwarded in their feveral ftages; after which the House Adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. The Guernsey and Jerfey Corn Exportation Bill was read a third time, and paffed. The report of the Bill for difallowing the bounty of British fail cloth exported to Ireland, was received and agreed to. The refolution of the Committee of Ways and Means to grant 3000l. to the Board of Agriculture, was agreed to by the Houfe. Adjourned. HOUSE OF LORDS. The Sail-cloth Bill, the United Provinces, the Jerfey and Guernsey Corn Exportation Bill, were brought up from the Commons and committed. Adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. The Mafter of the Rolls moved, that the thanks of the Houfe be returned to the Rev. Charles Mofs, Canon Refidentiary of St. Paul's, for the Sermon preached by him before the Houfe on Wednesday laft at St. Margaret's church. Sir William Dolben feconded the motion, which paffed unanimoufly. The Bill for difallowing the Bounty on Sail-cloth exported to Ireland was read a third time, paffed, and ordered to the Lords. The Bill for preventing the remittance of money from this country to the United Provinces was read a third time. Adjourned. HOUSE OF LORDS. The Royal Affent was given by Commiffion to Earl St. Vincent and Viscount Duncan's Annuity Bills and the Exchequer Loan Bill. And the Commiffioners were the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord Chancellor, and Earl Spencer. Lord Seaforth was introduced, and took the oaths and his feat. Adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. Mr. Rofe moved, that there be laid before the House an Account of the total value of the Exports and Imports, from the 5th of January, 1797, to the 5th of January, 1798. A perfon attended from the Cuftom-houfe with faid Account, which was ordered to lie on the Table. The Scotch Distillery Bill was read a third time, and paffed. Ordered to the Lords. Adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. Mr. Hunter, from the Tax-office, prefented an account of the duty upon clocks and watches for three quarters of a year, as far as the fame could be made up.-Ordered to be laid upon the Table. The Chancellor of the Exchequer fuggefted, that this account, and the report of the Committee to whom were referred the petitions prefented against the Watch and Clock Act, fhould be taken into confideration on Wednesday the 14th on which day he should propose the repeal of the duty upon clocks and watches, and fubmit to the Committee another tax in lieu thereof. Mr. Hobhoufe expreffed a defire to know why Mr. Mainwaring had delayed the motion of which he had given notice upon the fubject. The Speaker fubmitted to Mr. Hobhoufe the irregularity of the obfervations which had juft fallen from him. Mr. Mainwaring, in reply to himself from the charge of delay. Mr. Hobhouse, exculpated did for the afflicting fituation of the perfons concerned in the watch and clock trade; but as he knew the attention of the Right Honourable Gentleman had been very much directed to the fubject, and as it was probable that fuch a measure as had been announced to the Houfe to-day would take place, he had not thought it neceffary to intrude upon the House. The report of the clock and watch Committee was ordered to be taken into confideration on Wednesday the 14th inftant. Mr. Hobart moved for leave to bring in a Bill to increase the Rates allowed for Subfiftence to Innkeepers and others upon whom Soldiers were quartered.-Leave given. Adjourned. HOUSE OF LORDS. The Lords Committees for privileges proceeded to the confideration of the claim of Thomas Stapleton, of Carlton, in the county of York, Efq. to the Barony of Beaumont, and came to feveral refolutions, the effect of which cannot be explained without briefly ftating the claimant's cafe. He claimed the Barony of Beaumont, which was an ancient Barony, in fee, as heir general of Henry de Beaumont, who was firft fummoned to Parliament as Baron Beaumont, in the 2d year of Edward the 2d, from Henry Ecaumont; the dignity had lineally defcended to William his great grandfon's grandfon, who died without iffue. Joan, the fifter of William married Lord Lovel, and died during her brother's life, leaving a fon who was attained before his uncle's death, and two daughters, Joan and Fridefwide. From Fridefwide the prefent Earl of Abingdon is defcended. Joan married Sir Brien Stapleton, and died in the life-time of her uncle, leaving a fon named Sir Brien Stapleton. On the death of the uncle William, the barony (as the claimant ftated defcended on the laft mentioned Sir Edward, and a fon of Fridefwide, as Copartners in abeyance. From Sir Edward, the prefent claimant deduced his pedigree through feveral defcents, and therefore claimed to be fole heir of Joan, Lady Stapleton, and one of the Coheirs of Henry de Beaumont. The claimant alfo infifted that in confequence of the attainder of the grandfon of Fridefwide, by which he was rendered incapable of inheriting any honours, and the death of his eldeft brother, her other grandfon, without iffue, . the abeyance in the barony ceafed, and the whole right vefted in the heirs of Joan. The Lord Chancellor took a very ample revifion of the arguments of counfel, and the proofs brought forward in fupport of the claim, and he was of opinion that the claimant had clearly proved, that the Barony had exifted in the perfon of William Baron Baron de Beaumont that the Barony had been in abeyance between the co-heirs of William; that the claimant had proved himself to be one of those co-heirs; and that the abeyance had ceafed by the death and attainder of Fridefwide's grandfons. The Duke of Norfolk declared his opinion to be confonant to that of the Lord Chancellor's. The Earl of Kinnoul made feveral obfervations refpecting what had fallen from the Lord Chancellor in the course of his arguments. His Lordship differed from his doctrine, that an attainder ought to operate upon the collateral defcendants of the perfon attainted. The Lord Chancellor defended the reafon of fuch doctrine by ftating, that when men were aware the commiffion of an act of treafon would operate on their relatives, they would be the more cautious in preferving their fidelity. Diftinct refolutions were then put and carried in conformity to the Lord Chancellor's opinion, as above expreffed. The confequence of thefe refolutions will be, that the claimant, if there is no impediment on the fcorce of his religious faith, will have a feat in the House of Peers. The refolutions were reported; and the House HOUSE OF COMMONS. On the motion of Sir William Scott, leave was given to bring in a Bill, confirming the order of his Majefty of the 6th of Auguft, 1794, for enlarging the time for bringing Appeals in Prize Caufes, and for admitting Appeals in fuch cafes as his Majefty fhall specify. The Bill for increafing the Rates of Subfiftence allowed to Innkeepers and others, for quartering Soldiers was read a first time. Mr. Hobhoufe ftated, that he had moved fome time ago, that an account of the Imports and Exports from the 5th of January, 1798, fhould be laid before the House, in confequence of which, a paper was laid upon the Table, purporting to be the account required. On examination, however, it appeared to be very infufficient; it did not embrace the whole period, and it was further defective, as not diftinctly enumerating the feveral articles or fpecifying their value. The terms of his motion he had copied from one made in 1796 by the Chancellor of the Exchequer; as these terms were general, it might be contended that the account, being general alfo, was a strict compliance with them. That, therefore, his object might be clearly and diftinctly understood, and not liable to evafion, he moved, that an account be be laid before the Houfe of all merchandize, British and Fereign, imported and exported, from the 5th of January, 1797, to the 5th of July, 1797, and from faid 5th of July, 1797, to the 5th of January, 1798, diftinguishing the different articles, and their value particularly. After a few words from Mr. Rofe, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the motion was agreed to. On the motion of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, it was ordered, that the Committee to which the Petitions from the Clock and Watchmakers were referred, be inftructed to confider the duties on inhabited houfes, horfes, and dogs. Adjourned. HOUSE OF LORDS. Their Lordships met, and forwarded the Bills on the Table. Adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. The Chancellor of the Exchequer stated, that as it was in contemplation to repeal the Watch Tax, he would propose a fubftitute to fupply the deficiency of 200,000l. which the revenue would fultain by fuch repeal, that fum being the eftimate of the annual amount of this tax. The substitute to which he aliuded was an augmentation of above one-seventh or one-eighth on the prefent duties charged on houfes, carriages, horfes used in husbandry and dogs. The produce of this augmentation, it was calculated, would not be a full, but nearly an equivalent; and, therefore, he would propose a confolidation of the Affeffed Taxes, which would induce fuch a diminution of expence in the mode of collecting as would leave a balance fufficient to complete the whole fum. This, however, he mentioned merely to convey a general idea of his plan, that Gentlemen might be aware of its nature, and have time to confider it. The House then having refolved itfelf into a Committee on the Report of the Committee to which the Petitions from the Clock and Watchmakers were referred, praying a repeal of the tax on these articles; The Chancellor of the Exchequer faid, this tax was proved by experience to preis heavy upon a very indufirious and ufeful part of the community; that, however large the fum it yielded to the revenue, and however general the fatisfaction with which the Houfe originally concurred in the meature, he was fure, after the full and impartial difcuffion it had received, there could be no objection to its abandonment, and the fubNo 18. ftitution ** 5 K |