ROMAN CATHOLICS. Mr. Wilberforce moved the Order of the Day for the fecond reading of the Bill for allowing perfons profeffing the Roman Catholic Religion to hold Commiffions in the Supplementary Militia. Mr. W. Smith gave notice, that in a future ftage of this Bill he should move for the introduction of a claute for allowing Protestant Diffenters to hold Commiffions on the fame terms. Mr. Wilberforce's Motion was then agreed to. Adjourned. HOUSE OF LORDS. Friday, June 23. The Bills on the Table were read in their several stages. HOUSE OF COMMONS. ARMY EXTRAORDINARIES. The House refolved itself into a Committee of Supply, Mr. Hobart in the Chair. Several Estimates being referred to the faid Committee, The Chancellor of the Exchequer moved feveral refolutions for fums to be granted to his Majefty towards defraying the expences of the Army for the prefent year, which had been, he faid, referred to in the ftatement of the Ways and Means, and the Report of the Committee of Finance.---Agreed to. Mr. Windham then rofe and faid, that in pursuance of the arrangements made by Government, and recommended by Field Marshal the Duke of York, he was about to propose a measure of the highest importance, the fubject of which had been difcuffed more than once. It was pretty generally allowed, that as affairs ftood at prefent, the pay of the fubalterns in the army was not in any degree equal to their fupport, though feveral plans had been propofed and taken into confideration in their favour. The refult of these he was now going to fubmit to the confideration of the Houfe: part of his propofition for the relief of thofe officers would entail an additional expence on the public: the other part was merely matter of regulation, from which they would neverthelefs derive confiderable advantage. The propofition he had firft to make was an addition of a fhilling a day by way of fubfiftence to Lieutenants, Enfigns, Quartermafters, and Adjutants of the line, the Militia, and the Fencible Infantry. This addition, he faid, did not relate to the different ranks, but was calculated to put it in their power to live like Gentlemen. A like addition had not been made to the pay of Subalterns of Cavalry, because Gentlemen in that fervice in general were of that rank in life which did not require fuch affiftance. A plan he he faid was in contemplation for increafing the pay of Officers in a higher rank, but he would not at that time venture to give any opinion upon the fubject. The addition, he obferved, had no reference to half-pay, but only to Officers in actual service. The fecond part of his propofition extended equally, he faid, to Subalterns of Cavalry, but would be no extraordinary charge upon the public. It was intended to abolish the arrears of thofe Officers, and give them the whole of their pay without deduction. If it was afked why this, if expedient now, had not been done before, he fhould fay that doubts were entertained whether arrears were not of advantage to Subalterns, as their pay, with every degree of economy, was fcarcely enough to fupply their wants; many of them were of a clafs on which no reliance could be placed on their prudence, it was deemed beft to withhold part, in order to provide for exigencies which they might not have refolution enough to take care of. They were alfo neceffary to enfure the paffing of regimental accounts. It had been difcovered, however, that thofe arrears of Subalterns were not very great in the amount of accounts, and as they were very acceptable to thofe who were entitled to them, it was deemed neceflary to concede them. The fame accommodation was to be extended to Subalterns in the Cavalry, without making any addition to their pay. The remiffion of thofe arrears, he faid, would make to an Enfign 41. to a Lieutenant 51. to a Cornet of Cavalry 81. and to a Lieutenant nearly 91. a year. Mr. Windham then made fome obfervations on the complaints which exifted against the delays of office in paffing regimental accounts. Some had placed thofe delays to want of cath in the Treasury, others to the perverfenefs or negligence of thofe in office; but he faid none of thefe were true, for every difpatch was used that could be done. The delays were occafioned by those who had most interest in making expedition, but Officers employed in foreign fervice could not make up their accounts as readily as a merchant could in his compting-houfe. Mr. Windham concluded by moving, "That there be granted to his Majesty the "sum of 60,000l. for increafing the pay of Subalterns of Infan"try, from the 25th June to the 24th of December, comprising "a period of 182 days." General Tarleton expreffed a wifh, that the provifion of increase of pay had been extended alfo to the Subalterns of the Cavalry, who were at great expences on account of the illness, and fometimes death of their horfes---the expensiveness of their accoutrements, &c. He highly approved of the fubject of the arrears, and would not prefs the extenfion of increafe of pay to the Cavalry now, but pledged himfelf to the Army and the Houfe to make a Motion to that effect next Seffion. He mentioned the expedition expedition against Porto Rico, which, he faid, had been planned by Officers of the first character and diftinction, and no mention had been made of it but in the Newfpapers. He lamented the apathy of the public, and the abfence of his Right Honourable Friends, who had left the House because they found their eloquence of no avail. Mr. Windham moved, that the fum of 381,6371. be granted for the pay of Foreign Corps. Mr. Huffey begged to be informed where thofe Corps were ferving, and whether any faving was made by the reduced regiments in the West Indies. Mr. Windham faid, that these corps were either ferving in Portugal or the Weft Indies, or were on their paffage, As to fuch as were reduced, it was well known that a certain expence attended fuch reduction in confequence of the furnishing the men with the means of coming home again. The Chancellor of the Exchequer moved the Houfe to grant to the Veterinary College the fum of 1500l. per ann. Mr. Huffey afked if this establishment could be confidered as a part of the public fervice. The Chancellor of the Exchequer replied, that it was a matter of much intereft to the public, and he had no doubt would, in the end, be of great public benefit. The refolutions were agreed to, and ordered to be reported on Monday next. INSOLVENT BILL. The Order of the Day being read for the fecond reading of the Bill for relief of Infolvent Debtors, The Speaker ftated the fubftance of the Bill. The preamble recited, that though fome inconveniences had arifen to trade and commerce, from the occafional liberation of Infolvent Debtors, yet it was deemed expedient at prefent to release Infolvent Debtors of a certain defcription. The firft claufe enacted, that all gaolers fhall deliver in lifts of perfons in their feveral cuftody, with the fums for which they are confined, and the length of time they have been imprifoned. The Bill was ordered to be committed on Wednesday the 28th. Mr. Serjeant Adair prefented a petition on the part of Mr. Macklin, for leave to bring in a Bill to enable him to difpofe of his collection of paintings and drawings by way of chance, without being fubject to the penalties impofed on private lotteries. Referred to a Committee. SMALL PROMISSORY NOTES. Mr. Burdon moved for a Committee of the whole House on the Bill for continuing the Act refpecting fmall Notes. The duration of the Bill was limited by the Committee to the period of fix weeks after the commencement of the next Seffion of Parlia ment, ment, to make it keep pace with the Bill for the reftriction of the Bank from paying in Specie. Ordered to be reported on Monday the 26th. Adjourned. HOUSE OF LORDS. APPEAL FROM THE DUTCHY COURT OF LANCASTER. The parties in this cafe were John Ord, Efq. Attorney Ge neral of the Dutchy Court, at the relation of John Pate Neville, v. Samuel Buck and others. Their Lordships heard Counsel only for the Appellant, and, not deeming it neceffary to hear the Refpondent's Counfel, they affirmed the decifion of the Dutchy Court. The various Bills upon the Table were forwarded in their respective stages. HOUSE OF COMMONS. Petition prefented againft Ship Owners' Bill. Ordered to lie on the Table. Expiring Laws, Aberdeen Harbour, and Bristol Roads Bills, were read a third time and passed. The Bill for reviving an Act for the encouragement of the Newfoundland Fisheries was read a third time and passed. Wm. Taylor, Efq. took the oaths and his feat for Leominster. Mr. Alderman Anderfon moved, that the Amendments made by the Lords in the Bill for the better regulating the Affize of Bread be read, which being done, he moved, that the fame be agreed to.---Ordered. The Amendment is, that, instead of taking the Affize in London and Westminster, and within the bills of mortality, it be within ten miles of the Royal Exchange. Mr. Wm. Dundas moved, that the order for referring the claims of Mr. Palmer, of the Poft Office, to a Committee, bet read; the order being read accordingly, Mr. Dundas then moved, that fo much of it as related to the Committee delivering their opinion of the cafe be discharged; but that they report the whole of the evidence to the House.---Ordered. INDIA JUDICATURE. Mr. Secretary Dundas faid, that the fupreme Court of Judicature in India having been now fo long established, it might be the opinion of moft Gentlemen that it required no new regulations. This, however, was not his opinion: for fome alterations appeared to him to be neceffary, which, however, he trufted, would not go to increafe the expences attending the adminiftration of juftice in that country; if any increase was occafioned by these new regulations, it would be more than coun terbalanced terbalanced by the reduction of the falaries and fees granted by the judges to certain officers appointed by them to carry their jurisdiction into effect. Another object of the Bill which he was about to move for leave to bring in was, to empower his Majefty to make certain allowances to thofe judges who, from infirmity, might be obliged to return home, which allowances would not amount to more than might be faved by the reduction of the fees already mentioned. It was likewife the object of the Bill to check the clandeftine trade carried on with India, through the medium of foreign agents. The words of the Act, as it now ftood, did not go to the full length of the refolution on which it was grounded. He alfo withed to extend all the provifions of the Bill to thofe territories which had been fubject to our dominion fince the first establishment of the Courts of Ju-. dicature, which could not be done without fome legislative provifion. It was finally his with, that all thefe new enactments fhould be tranflated into the different languages of the nations, that they might diftinctly understand the laws by which they were to be governed; and that they thould have judges and provincial courts of their own. Mr. Dundas then concluded, by moving for leave to bring in a Bill to forward the attainment of the above objects.---Leave granted. The Report of the Committee of Supply was received, and the different Refolutions read and agreed to. The Scotch Militia Bill went through a Committee of the whole Houfe. . Adjourned. HOUSE OF LORDS. Tuesday, June 27. The Expiring Laws Bill, and feveral private Bills were brought up from the Commons, and read a first time. The Bills on the Table were read in their feveral ftages." HOUSE OF COMMONS. The Small Note Bill was read a third time and paffed. Mr. Dent moved for an account of the amount of Game Certificates for the last year, and for the amount of the Dog Tax, as far as the fame could be made out.---Ordered. A new Writ was ordered for Plymouth, in the room of Sir F. L. Rogers, Bart. deceased. The Houfe, upon the Motion of Mr. D. Ryder, ref lved itfelf into a Committee, to confider of the law relative to the exportation of Corn to the Inlands of Jerfey, Guernsey, Alderney, and Sark. In the Committee Mr. Ryder moved a Refolution to bring in No. 45. 10 B a Bill |