poor

act. Some fund ought to be appropriated to this purpose; he would have the regulation of the police in one board. He then went through a long calculation, which tended to shew, that the yearly fums now applied, with fo little effect, were jobbed into the pockets of thofe intrufted with the management of them, and that the streets and footways might be kept in as good order as Effex-bridge, for lefs than the one-third of the money at prefent fo ill expended. He knew perfons who were ready to contract for keeping the streets in order for one per cent. which now ftands the public at 22 per cent. It was a melancholy thing, to fee the with bits of broken bottles, or tea cups, taking drops of water, where the pipes in the streets happen to break: otherwife, if they had but a penny, they muft lay it out in whiskey at fome of thofe little public houses, which are fo great a nuifance, in order to procure a little water. It would be therefore proper to erect fountains in certain places for the purpose of fupplying the poor. He thought feven directors fhould be appointed by the act, who were to name five commiffioners; and as no labour comes dearer to the public, than what is faid to be given for nothing, he would have 20s. allowed them every day they atterded, and that all the other officers alfo fhould have falaries. He would have the funds appropriated to that purpose, applied to pay off the principal and intereft of their 16,000l. He would have from the funds of the linen board, deficiencies made any which he proved to be more than adequate to their purposes, and moft fcandaloufly mifapplied in jobs, and prefafe falaries, to nominal or unneceffary officers and fervants. The income of the linen board, he faid, was 26,000l. a year, a fum only fquandered away in partial and unneceflary grants, and douceurs, and with fo little juftice, that the Houfe could hardly find time to do any thing elfe, it was fo teized with complaints of the linen board.

up

Mr. Fofter thought himfelf entitled, in a particular manner, to fay fomething on the prefent occafion. He had formerly brought in a bill for the paving, &c. of the city of Dublin. This bill had procured him a name, as he had the honour to be baptized John the Paviour; but at the rate the Right Hon. Gentleman went on, he was likely to cafe him of his burthen, and become Sir John the Paviour. He asked if gentlemen would take from the linen board the means of encouraging the manufactures of this country, to pave the ftreets of Dublin? 4000l. a year were expended in premiums for encouraging the growth of flax-feed, which might be had as good here as imported. But perhaps the Right Hon. Gentleman thought this 4000/, a year might be better laid out on paving and cleaning the treets. As for him, as he thought it unjuft one part of the kingdom fhould be taxed for the exclufive advantage of another, he would not give the money of his con

fituents to pave the streets of Dublin. If they were not themfelves rich enough to pave them, they ought to be contented with the prefent pavement.

Alderman Warren faid, that when he had the honour to be chief magiftrate, on his entry into office, he had written to the lord mayor of London for a plan of the fyftem of police ufed in that metropolis. He had alfo written to Sir Sampfon Wright for the fame purpofe, and conducted himfeif during his mayoralty, by the communications thofe gentlemen were pleafed to make him.

Mr. Carry vindicated the linen board, and feemed angry that a fet of gentlemen inferior in rank and fortune to no body whatever, fhould be, as he said, ftigmatized by one of their own members (Sir John Blaquiere); they were not to be blamed for the mifconduct of thofe officers under them, in the different parts of the kingdom,

Sir John Blaquiere moved for leave to bring in a bill for cleanfing and repairing the ftreets, &c. of the city of Dublin, and for erecting fountains therein.

Alderman Warren thought the word fountains might be omitted, as the grand jury had prefented for the purpose.

Mr. Green faid, the revenues arifing from the tolls of the metropolis were ample, and might afford a fuperfluity, more than fufficient to answer the purposes of the Right Hon. Gentleman's bill, without proceeding to the injuftice of making the reft of the nation pay for their convenience. A particular friend of his, General Walthe, had imported two Newfoundland pups, for which he was obliged to pay fixpence toll. This one inftance would ferve to convey an idea of the income arifing from the tolls, which was fquandered in guttling and entertainments, by the aldermen, instead of being applied to the purposes for which it was originally intended,

Leave was granted accordingly.

Houfe refolved itself into a committee on Sir Edward Newenham's bill for qualification of county juftices.The bill read and reported,

Mr. Chatterton reported from the committee appointed to examine the election laws, that the multiplying of the election laws, produces confufion, delay, and unneceffary expence at elections. That one act of parliament to regulate elections for counties, cities, boroughs, and all places returning members to parliament, to afcertain the qualifications of voters, to eftablifh an univerfal regiftry of freeholders, and to direct the conduct of fheriffs and other returning officers, would be an useful law to this country.

Ordered, that Sir Francis Hutchinson and Mr. Chatterton do prepare a bill accordingly.

Mr. Chatterton reported from the committee on the falvage and fhipwreck bill.Ordered to be engroffed.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 1784.

The report of the committee of the whole House, on the bill for the relief of infolvent debtors in cuftody, was continued, and after fome trivial alterations, the bill was ordered to be engroffed.

The Attorney General moved his claufe to be inserted in the naturalization bill, for exempting from the payment of duty, all tools and implements of manufacture belonging to the Genevefe,

Mr. Gardiner faid, that books and household furniture fhould also be exempted, but made no motion thereon, on being told, by Mr. Beresford, that books paid a trifling duty, and household furniture none.

Alderman Warren faid, that the exemption fhould be limited to twelve months, as by that time they might get any tools they fhould want, made here.

The claufe was accordingly altered to operate for one year only, and ordered to be inserted in the bill.

Mr. Gardiner objected to the claufe in the bill for excluding foreigners from the office of privy counfellors and members of either houfe of parliament, and hoped it would be expunged, as it would be a means of encouraging the principal foreigners to live amongst us.

This was oppofed by the Attorney General, as improper to open the fenate and the great offices to ftrangers, without trying them or knowing their principles.

Mr. Gardiner gave up his projected motion. He then defired to know from the gentlemen in the House, what day they would fix for the confideration of the report and evidence on the state of the trade, which he hoped would be for a fhort day, as it was become a matter of neceflity, for if deferred longer, there would not be time for coming to a determination of this important fubject this feffion; he would therefore mention Friday or Monday next, before the Houfe grew thinner.

Mr. Beresford faid, as the evidence is very voluminous, it required time to confider thereof, and he would move for Friday fe'nnight.

Mr. Daly and other gentlemen wifhed for further time to confider the report of the evidence. After fome debate the queflion was put on the long day as an amendment,

Ayes,
Noes,

Mr. Gardiner then moved, that the House refolve itself into a committee of the whole Houfe, to confider of the report on Friday fe'nnight.Ordered.

Mr. Ifaac Corry faid, as he found there were great difficulties and objections to the paving bill which he had brought in, he would withdraw the fame, and leave it to abler hands till next ieffions.

Read a fecond time, the bill for making Tullamore the affizes town of the King's county.

Sir William Parfons moved, that it fhould be committed.

Sir William Ponfenby oppofed the commitment. The bill, he faid, had been hurried forward with fo much precipitation, that it was not poffible for many perfons whofe property would be greatly injured, to petition against it; he therefore hoped the Houfe would guard the property of thofe perfons who had not an opportunity of defending it themfelves.

Mr. Majon faid, that changing the place of holding the aflizes for any county was a matter of very great moment; but in the prefent cafe, the perfons who fupported the meafure had not only omitted to give notice to thofe whom it immediately concerned, but had omitted to inform government of their intention. He faid, that where an advantage was intended to one place, by granting a fair or market to be holden there, the writ ad quod damnum was always iffued, that reflitution might be made to any other place that poffibly might be injured by it.

The Attorney General faid, that the want of accommodation in Philipftown was fo great, that a removal of the allizes to Tullamore was, in his opinion, an act of abfolute necelity; the inconvenient fituation of Philipftown, in the centre of the great bog of Allen, fo unstable that a troop of horfe trotting hard through it, would shake every brittle thing to pieces; lying at the very extremity of the county, forty miles dittant from fome other parts of it, together with a thoufand difagreeable circumitances, that every man who goes the Leinfter circuit muft experience, made him with to have the aflizes for the King's county held at Tulla

more.

Sir Annesley Stewart oppofed the bill. A noble Lord who held his eftate on condition of providing at all times accommodation for his Majetty's judges, when prefiding at the aflizes at Philipftown, had very lately expended 1300/. in improving that town and the court-houfe for their accommodation; and were the affizes to be removed, that noble Lord's eftate would fuffer great injury and though Tullamore contained a greater number of freeholders, he hoped that would not influence the opinion of the Houfe.

Mr. Cuffe faid, he never would confent to change property, without making reftitution to the perfons injured.

The question, whether the bill should be committed, being put, there appeared,

Ayes,
Noes,

The House then refolved itself into a committee of ways and means, Mr. Fofter in the chair.

Mr. Latouche moved, that the tax of one thilling per ton on coals imported, not being the production of Ireland, fhould be continued till the year 1810.- After fome conversation, the motion was agreed to, and Mr. Fofter reported.

Mr. Beresford, after informing the House that on account of the removal of the custom-house, many perfons would be induced to build in the neighbourhood of the North-ftrand, and this would greatly enhance the price of the ground, which the commiflioners for widening the ftreets had in contemplation to purchase, if that ground was not immediately valued; he therefore recommended that the valuation fhould immediately commence; and in order to pay the expence, he moved, "That an humble addrefs be prefented to his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant, that he will be pleafed to recommend to his Majefty the iffuing of his royal letter, for a fum not exceeding 10,000l. for that purpose."

Ordered accordingly; and a committee nominated to prepare the fame.

Mr. Bolton moved for leave to bring in a bill for explaining and amending the acts of the 11th and 12th years of his prefent Majefty, for afferting and fupporting the privileges of parliament, and for making the fame perpetual.-Ordered.

Mr. Fafter brought in a bill for the improvement of the linen manufacture.--Ordered to be read a fecond time to-morrow.

THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 1784.

Immediately after the Speaker had taken the chair, the Houfe, pursuant to order, refolved itself into a committee on the inland fifhery bill, Mr. Hayes in the chair.

The Prevet moved a claufe to the bill, purporting, that whoever thould, after certain notice, perfift in retaining illegal weirs, fhould be punished with fine and imprisonment.

On the motion of the Right Hon. Mr. O'Neil, the fine was limited to 10. and the imprisonment to fix weeks.

Mr. George Ogle informed the committee, that it would be neceffary to provide against a certain cuftom prevalent in this coun