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very ftrong and argumentative manner. He had himself, be faid, been for upwards of twenty years attached to the militia fervice, and preferred it to the line, more from principle than natural inclination. He confidered the militia as the moft conftitutional national defence, and had therefore paid the moft zealous attention to it. Noble Lords had alluded to the meafure of drafting the militia for the fervice of the regulars; but that was only for a temporary emergency, and never, to his knowledge, accompanied by any unfair methods. The volunteers of the Suffex regiment turned out of their own accord, without any folicitation; and he conceived that the complaints against this kind of drafting originated in thofe Commanding Officers who wished to be furrounded by men of a certain defcription and ftandard; whereas the public neceffity demanded, that a great proportion of the men capable of bearing arms fhould be trained in the ufe of them. The prefent military fituation of France made it prudent in this country to keep up au adequate force, and all that the provifions of the prefent Bill required was, to enable them to draw out for a limited time 45,000, and the remaining 20,000 by proclamation, when circumstances may require it.

The Houfe then divided on the quef. tion for the fecond reading-Contents, 22; Non-Contents, 6; Majority, 16, FRIDAY, MAY 28.

The Royal Affent was given by Com. miffion to a number of public and private Bills. Among the former were the Lot. tery Bill, the Militia Subalterns Allowance Bill, and the Militia Pay Bill.

MONDAY, MAY 31. The House refolved itself into a Committee of the whole Houfe upon the Militia Augmentation Bill.

Lord Hobart moved a variety of verbal amendments, which were agreed to.

Lord Caernarvon rofe and faid, that one part of the Bill met his most serious difapprobation. He had obferved feveral claufes, in which expences incurred by the Militia were to be paid by the Treafurer of the County. To this he strongly

MR

objected, because that Officer did not receive the produce of the national purse, but that of certain individuals, and that monied men, penfioners, placemen, and many others, were exempted from parifh and county rates. He believed that fome claufes had been paffed to which his ob jections would apply, and therefore he fhould not prefs his motion; but as foon as the fubject should be again mentioned, he fhould move, that instead of the Treafurer of the County, the Receiver-General of the Land-Tax fhould be fubftituted.

The Duke of Norfolk fpoke on the fame fide; after which a converfation took place between his Grace, the Marquis of Buckingham, Lords Pelham, Romney. Sheffield, and Hobart.

At the reading of the 33d page of the Bill, Lord Caernarvon made his motion, and a divifion took place, when frangers were ordered to withdraw.-Contents, 5; Non-Contents, 16; Majority, 11.

The claufe enacting that Officers in the Militia fhould retain brevet rank, was then, after fome explanation, put and carried.

Lord Berkley objected to that part of the Bill which relates to the examination of men, as to their fitness to serve, by common furgeons. His Lordship pro pofed, that this fhould be referred to regular army furgeons neareft refident to the parish where the men were to be ballotted. Agreed to.

Lord Hobart moved an amendment to the laft claufe but one in the Bill. His Lordship's amendment was, in fubftance, "That in cafe of the militia having been railed to 60,000, if his Majefty fhould be pleafed to reduce it to its establishment of 40,000, as provided by this Bill, all deficiencies fhould be made good out of the 20,000 fo difbanded, without ballot, until the faid fupernumeraries fhould be taken into the corps then ferving." Agreed to.

The final clause and preamble being read, there were brought up from the Commons the Debtors and Creditors' Bill, and two private Bills. Adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

MONDAY, MAY 10. R. VANSITTART moved, that the House should to-morrow refolve into a Committee upon the Lottery Licence BA, the Quack Medicine Duty Act, and the-Refined Sugar Bounties Act.

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Mr. Sturt, adverting to a notice of a motion he had given, relative to the Lieutenants and other Officers of the Navy, faid, that understanding Government had taken the cafe of thefe deferving men into confideration, he fhould not think it neceffary to trouble the House upon the fubjeét.

THE PRINCE OF WALES.

Mr. Tyrwhitt faid, he rose with infinite fatisfaction at having it in his power to announce to the Houle, that the ftate of the claims of his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales were at length put in that train of order and system as in the refult, he hoped, would operate as a furtherance of juftice to that diftinguished Perfonage, which has too long lain dormant. The mode adopted is by that which has been confidered as moft legal, and confequently molt conftitutional, "a Petition of Right." This was advised by the firft authorities, and the advice has been refpectfully followed, When the judgment of the Court, or its decifion, fhould be known, he would, with heartfelt gratification, lay it before the House, trufting it would be fuch (coming from fuch a quarter as will difpenfe equal juftice to the laft and to the firft fubject in the flate) that would furnifh that fatisfaction which he owned he fondly and anxioufly anticipated. Since the year 1795, his Royal Highness has difcharged of his debts no less than 525,000l. and it was a proud circumtance to him, as well as it must be most fatisfactory to the people, to feel and to know, that not one thilling of that came out of the public purfe, but that the whole had been fet apart from his income for the fpecial purpofe; and he was of opinion, that the balance which was due to him from the arrears of his Duchy, which he now claimed, would more than difcharge the remainder, be that what it might.

INDIA.

Mr. Sheridan faid, that it was his with to give every confiftent accommodation to any Gentleman in the Houfe; but that understanding the Mornington India thip was not yet arrived, though fe long fince expected, he could not confent much longer to defer his intended motion refpecting certain tranfactions in the Carnatic; he therefore gave notice, that he would on Wednesday fortnight bring for ward that motion,

The Secretary at War moved the Committee of Supply, and that the Army, Navy, and Ordnance Eftimates, on the Table, should be referred to the faid Committee. Ordered.

The Houfe in a Committee of Supply, Mr. Serjeant moved, that 88,000 feamen, including 18,000 marines, be granted for the fervice of the Navy, for one lunar month, from the 24th init.

The motion was agreed to, as were the following:

152,000l. for the pay of 88,000 meni for a month, &c.

167,200l. for their victuals.

264 000l. for wear and tear of fhips. 22,000l. for ordnance for fea fervice. The Secretary at War was happy to inform the Houfe, that Government had already determined on a plan for reducing the public force, which would be carried into effect with all poffible expedition. The particulars of this plan he described to be as follow :-The cavalry to be reduced 60 rank and file each troop, which will be a reduction of 6970 men, and a faving of expence for the remainder of the year of 296,000l. The foot guards to be reduced to 95 men in each company. Invalids, waggoners, &c. to be reduced. The 28th light dragoons, five additional battalions of infantry; and 17 regiments of fencible infantry in Great Britain to be disbanded. The total reduction at home would therefore be 31,412 men; the faving of expence 563,4831. In the Mediterranean, 4994 men to be reduced; the faving of expence 71,2281. In the Weft Indies, 6815 men; the faving of expence 64,5431. The total regular and fencible corps reduced 43,221 men; the faving of expence 699,1211. The militia in North and South Britain were already dif banded, and progrefs was making to difband that of Ireland-the total reduction of the public force would foon amount to 121,400 men, and the public burthens would be diminished by this no less than 2,400,621 l. He hoped this arrangement would be fatisfactory to the Houfe of the, defire of Government to economite. The Right Hon. Gentleman concluded with moving

That it be the opinion of the Commit tee, &c. that 61,776 men be granted for the fervice of Great Britain for one lunar month, from the 24th init.

23,269 men for Ireland. 202,5551. for guards and garrifons in Great Britain.

61,1981. for Ireland.

I 2

196,4981.

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196,4981. for the Plantations, including Malta, Calcutta, Minorca, Cape of Good Hope, and New South Wales. 20,9941. for fencible corps in Great Britain.

42,6951. for Irish fencibles in Ireland. Mr. Steele then moved, and it was ordered, that

133,3361. be granted for the Ordnance of Great Britain.

25,000l. for that of Ireland.

The Report was ordered to be received

to-morrow.

TUESDAY, MAY II.

The Militia Pay Bill was read a third time, and paffed.

Lord Hawkesbury laid before the Houfe the Treaty of Badajoz, and the Treaty of Peace between Portugal and the French Republic. He alfo prefented the Convention concluded with Ruffia on the 28th of October 1801, and the acceffions of the Courts of Denmark and Sweden. His Lordship ftated, that these papers were already printed, and would be diftributed immediately.

In a Committee of the House, a refolution was adopted for permitting Members to frank letters to the number of ten, and to receive letters to the number of fifteen, free of poftage, for the space of forty days after the diffolution of Parliament; alfo to permit certain perfons in public offices to receive and frank letters under certain reftrictions.

DEFINITIVE TREATY.

Lord Hawkesbury observed, that several Gentlemen who wished to be prefent when an Honourable and Learned Gentleman fhould make his motion for papers relative to India, could not, without much perfonal inconvenience, attend to day. He therefore wished that motion to be deferred until to-morrow, and that there might still be the fame interval between the Learned Gentleman's motion the Definitive and the difcuffion on Treaty, he would move that the latter queftion be deferred until Thursday next. Mr. Dent moved, by way of amend-. ment, that the Debate be deferred to Monday.

General Maitland was against the
amendment. He wished much that the
debate fhould be brought on to-morrow.

After fome farther converfation, Mr.
Dent withdrew his amendment.

Mr. Sheridan then moved that Friday
be inferted in the order instead of Thurf-
day.

Lord Temple feconded the motion, and after a fhort converfation the Houle di

vided-Ayes, 23; Noes, 75; Majority,
52.

CEDED POSSESSIONS IN THE WEST

INDIES.

Gen. Gascoigne rofe to move for certain papers relative to the poffeffions held by this country in the West Indies, and which have been ceded to France by the 13th Article of the Definitive Treaty. And alfo for other papers relating to the trade in the Bay of Honduras. The Hon. General ftated at confiderable length the hardships under which the commercial intereft lay in confequence of the ceflion, especially the merchants of Liverpool, who had embarked their capitals in that quarter of the world, to the amount of nine or ten millions, and would have no recompence for their loffes. He then moved, "That an humble Addrefs be presented to his Majefty, that he would be graciously pleafed to order that there be laid before the House an account of any explanation which may have taken place between Great Britain and the French and Batavian Republics. refpecting the removal or transfer of British property belonging to any establishment formed by British fubjects in the colonies which may be reftored to France by the Definitive Treaty."

A long and defultory converfation enfued between Dr. Lawrence, Mr. Vanfittart, Mr. Harcourt, Mr. Windham, and Mr. Baker, when the motion was put, and negatived.

General Gascoigne then moved, "That an humble Addrefs be prefented to his Majefty, that he would be graciously pleafed to order to be laid before the Houfe copies of all the Memorials and Petitions prefented by perfons interested in the effects and property in the fettlements, islands, and colonies, now reftored by the Treaty to the different Powers of Europe."

The motion produced an uninterefting converfation; on the question being put, it was negatived.

General Gafcoigne then moved for an account of the quantity and value of mahogany and log-wood, and other dyeing woods, imported into Great Britain from the Bay of Honduras, from the year 1787 to 1801. Ordered.-Also an account of the quantity of gum Senegal, ebony, and red wood, imported from Africa, for four years preceding the

war.

Ordered. He likewile moved, "That an humble Addreis be presented to his Majefty, that he would be graciously pleated to order to be laid before

the

the Houfe a ftatement of any information received refpecting the prohibition affect ing the trade and navigation between Great Britain and any countries with whom peace has been concluded, and which has been impofed fince figning the Preliminaries of Peace."-This motion was, after a few objections made by Lord Hawkesbury, negatived.

THURSDAY, MAY 13.

Mr. Windham rofe; and, in a speech of confiderable length, examined the leading Articles of the Treaty, and adverted to the non-renewal of ancient Treaties. He commenced a recapitulation of the conduct of the late war; and alluding to the Quiberon expedition, was called to order by Mr. Pitt; who contended that, as the war was not the fubject before the House, the Hon. Member had no right to advert to the manner in which it had been conducted. The Hon. Member concluded a very long fpeech, by moving an Addrefs to his Majefty, nearly in the terms of that moved by Lord Grenville in the House of Lords.

Lord Folkftone feconded the motion, Lord Hawkesbury spoke at great length in defence of the peace, and concluded with moving, as an amendment to the original motion, an Addrefs, "thank. ing his Majefty for having laid the Definitive Treaty of Peace before the House; to affure his Majesty that the Houfe highly approves the fame, and will always afford their zealous fupport for its prefervation, &c."

Mr. Pole feconded the amendment. Mr. Pitt and Mr. Addington fpoke against this motion, and Mr. Grey was in favour of it.

The House then divided-For an Ad journment, 187; against it, 135; majo. rity, 52.

FRIDAY, MAY 14.
ADJOURNED DEBATE.

DEFINITIVE TREATY.

Upon the motion of Sir W. Young, the Order of the Day for retuming the debate on the Definitive Treaty was read.

The Speaker then read the Addrefs moved last night by Mr. Windham, and the Address moved thereon as an amend. ment by Lord Hawkesbury.

Sir W. Young, in a speech of great ability, addreffed the Chair. With refpect to the motion of the Noble Lord, had it been the primary one, and no other before the House, it should have had his support, but at the fame time he could

not help thinking that it was highly
neceffary that his Majefty should finally
arrange thofe points which were left
open and undecided by the Definitive
Treaty. He faid that Minifters mut
endeavour to prevent any encroachment
on our cotton or woollen manufactures,
and advised them to keep up a high naval
He con-
and military establishment.
cluded by declaring for the original Ad-
drefs.

Lord Caftlereagh remarked, that the detail of the fubject having already been fully difcuffed, he should not have occafion long to intrude upon the attention of the Houfe. He adverted to our commer. cial intercourfe with the continental mar kets, and whether we were likely to stand in a worse fituation, he had little apprehenfion of any evil from the Peace. He argued, that France could not restore the population of St. Domingo at lefs than 60l. per negro, which would amount to 18,000,000l. a fum far beyond the refources of France. Having dwelt upon these points with great force, he concluded by fupporting the amendment.

General Maitland rofe merely to make a few obfervations. The Hon. General, after touching upon the difputed points relative to the East Indies and the Cape of Good Hope, alluded to Malta, the non-cellion of which, he contended, was not a juft ground for carrying on the war. It was alleged, that no British fleet could re enter the Mediterranean. Be caufe this ifland was not in our poffeffion at the time, did Lord Nelfon find it very difficult to purfue, and to fweep the French fleet from the face of the Ocean? When the ever memorable Abercromby collected his expedition against Egypt, did he fix upon Malta as the point of rendezvous ? No! he wifely felected a Turkish port for that purpose. Here then was a proof, and a more fplendid one could not be pitched upon, that British valour, by fea and land, could find its way to the bottom of the Levant, without the neceffity of our retaining Malta. On the whole, he confcientioully confidered the Peace to be as honourable, and as likely to be permanent, as any peace that, under the prefent circumftances, there could be any rational hope of retaining.

The Mafter of the Rolls argued in defence of the Treaty. He approved of the reltitution of the French Colonies, because it was only by means of her Colonies, and her revived commerce, that we could at any future period havea

hold

hold upon her. The most essential object of the war we had gained. We had provided for our own fafety. The proof of this was at hand. "Here we are," exclaimed the learned Member, amidst repeated cries of Hear! Hear!"here we are to-day, fitting after a revolution which has deftroyed almost every-thing with which it has come in contact, and fpread anarchy and defolation over all its neighbouring States, and deliberating, with all our inftitutions entire, and after our good old manner-not about curtailing our poffeffons, not about diminishing our ancient rights, but whether we have actually retained fo much of our enemies' poffeffions as the fplendid career of our triumphs and fucceffes has entitled us to." He concluded with giving his cordial afsent to the amendment.

Dr. Lawrence, in a speech of two hours, expatiated with great minutenels on the Various defects which he difcovered in the terms of peace.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer ar. gued at great length in defence of his own conduct, and that of his colleagues in office, in bringing the war to a conclufion upon terms which afforded every degree of fecurity that could, upon any reasonable grounds, be expected, after the events which Europe had witneffed during the last ten years. "The fenti ments of Minifters (laid he) are founded on the most fincere with to preferve the bleflings of peace, and they will with due precaution and conciliatory policy endeavour to preferve it. Indeed I flatter myself that, in calculating its probable duration, we may affign to it as long an existence as any peace concluded in the last century. If there be any difpofition in the enemy to mifute their power, if there be any difpofition, which I do not admit to have been fhewn, to encroach upon our rights, the beft fecurity for repofe is to prefent no point of weaknefs to an active rival. By maintaining confidence at home, and a fyftem of pru. dence and caution abroad, I fee no reafon to luppole our tranquillity will be fhaken. I fee nothing in the fituation of Europe er of France that fhould fill us with premature apprehensions.''

Mr. Sheridan vindicated the confiftency of the Whig party, which, he faid, till kept its ground, amidit the eleven or twelve parties into which that Houte was how divided. They had condemned the ar, and they only approved of the peace, as the best which, under all the

circumstances, could be obtained. He ridiculed the idea of bringing France back to a pacific temper by reftoring her colonies. This was to suppose that fuch a fpirit as that of Bonaparte could be tamed by fixing him as it were to a trade, and nailing him behind a counter! He had feme fafpicion that this hopeful project was to be followed by a fub fcription at Lloyd's to fet up Bonaparte in bufinefs. This would at least be as ufeful as the plan of erecting a ftatue to another great nian (Mr. Pitt) in the Bank of England-not a ftatue of gold, for he had left none there, but of papier machée, for which the materials were ready at hand! He asked what profeffed object had been gained by the war? He might be answered, Ceylon and Trinidad. Thefe fhould, in that cafe, be called the iflands of Indemnity and Security, as thofe were the objects for which we were fo long talked into contention. Mr. Sheridan cenfured feverely the conduct of the late Minifters, and blamed the present for having lent themfelves to cover, by a fweeping vote, all the misdemeanors of their predeceffors. It was remarkable that the late Minifter, who had remained fo long in office, fhould have left in fituations of public troft fo many of his friends who had uniformly guided their political conduct by his. It reminded him of a story in Ariftophanes : A character of the name of Decius was reprefented as having been feated on a certain tool a confiderable time, perhaps longer than the late Chancellor of the Exchequer had fat on the Treafury Bench; but the fact was, he fat to long that his fitting part became identified with the ftool, fo that even Hercules, with all his ftrength, found it difficult to remove him; at aft he gave him a sudden jerk, which, though it had the effect of removing him, at the fame time left behind him a portion of that part of him which it was unnecessary to name. Thus it had been found an Herculean task to remove the Right Hon. Gentleman, and in jerking him out of his feat, it had fo happened, that he had left behind him, ticking to the ftool, a por tion of thofe who, from conftantly following him, might be compared with that which had been loft by Decius. The Hon. Member concluded his 1peech by moving an amendment-" That the omillion of taking advantage of the va rious opportunities of voting for peace, and the rejection of the overtures of the Firit Conful of France, appeared to have

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