violated, it could not surely be argued that some measures were not necessary to restore and enforce its observance and operation. And although it might be very allowable to except the offices of surveyor and architect, he saw no impossibility to find in the navy men of musical taste who might qualify themselves for the office of organist, and find a comfortable provision in the salary, after having lost their limbs in the service. But, whatever might be the incompetence of naval men to fill civil stations, requiring consummate ta lents for official duties, no man would deny the competence of a naval man to hold a sinecure, as well as any placeman in the nation for surely that required no extraordinary talents. Now he found from the evidence before the commission of naval inquiry, a person enjoying a sinecure salary of 2801. a year in Greenwich hospital, who was not only no naval man, but no Englishman. This was a Mr. Henry Clues, a Swiss, and principal barber to the hospital, who did not even know how to shave, but employed under him five or six deputies to do the business, and who described his employment before the naval commissioners as superintendent of the shavers! Mr. Perceval considered the hon. baronet's motion, as first proposed, to be premature at least, if not wholly unnecessary. Sir John Newport said, that every observation which had fallen from the right hon. gentleman who last spoke, convinced him that there was a great necessity for bringing in the bill proposed. He was old enough to recollect the former inquiry into the state of Greenwich hospital, and it did appear that great abuses existed. Mr. Montague could not admit that any case had been made up to justify the bill. Sir F. Burdett said, that it was unusual in parliamentary proceed The house being in a committee on the mutiny bill, Lord Castlereagh submitted a clause for allowing recruits to enlist for unlimited service, leaving to them however, still the power of enlisting for a term of years. He observed, that of the 204,000 regulars at present in the service, 70,000 were engaged for a limited period, and he strongly urged the probable injury of a prosecution of that system in regard to the defence of our colonies. Mr. Windham considered the proposed clause as in opposition to the late arrangement, in regard to recruiting, and calculated, in the most insidious and clandestine manner, to do away that system which did so much honour to the late administration. If the proposition should be entertained at all, it should form a separate bill. He then proceeded to compare the resolutions, and shewed, that in July 1806, the first quarter, the limited had raised 11,000 men, in the second quarter 13,000, in the third 21,000, and in the fourth 24,000. The noble lord bad compared the men he had raised in the same time, but not by the same means. When he (Mr. Windham) had raised a certain number, the noble lord immediately put in his claim of having done the same, al ways, however, carefully keeping out of sight the means by which he did it. This put him in mind of a very facetious personage at the exhibi tions of Mr. Astley or Mr. Hughes, distinguished by the name of Mr. Merryman, who always took care to and brilliant speech.-There was one point, however, in which the right hon. gentleman had supposed government had been guilty of a breach of faith, in permitting men to volunteer from the militia into the line for unlimited service. The fact was, that government did at first permit them so to enter for unlimited service, but upon consideration thought that it was illegal, and therefore discharged them from the unlimited engagement, and did not allow any men to enlist except for the limited service specified in the existing law. the clause 169, against it 100.—i The bill then went through the com mittee, and the report was ordered to be received on Friday. Wednesday, March 9. say and do the same things as the hero of the piece. When young Astley came into the pit, and put ting his hand on the saddle, with the greatest grace and agility vaulted into his seat like a feathered Mercury, Mr. Merryman afterwards climbed up by the main or tail, and grinning to the audience, cried out, There, I have done the same thing, always Jeaving out, like the noble lord, the means by which he did it. He said he had raised so many men in so many quarters. True, said the noble lord, and I have done the same thing. Yes, but how was it? The A division then took place, for noble lord always took care to keep out of sight the means; he always. contrived to leave" out those little words: by ordinary recruiting," which was his (Mr. Windham's) way of raising, whilst the noble lord's means were bounties, the additional force act, the ballot, and other oppressive modes to which he and his coadjutors had from time to time resorted. The mode of ordinary recruiting, which had been so much increased by the adoption of limited service, was not meant or expected to raise an extraordinary number of men in a short-time, but was intended as a regular and settled plan to increase the army gradually, but certainly, and always to have one object in view, whereas the measures of the noble lord were all calculated to answer some sudden and iminediate purpose, and, to effect that, cut up the ordinary recruiting; for how could that go on whilst high bounties, recruiting for rank, and other similar devices, were on all sides operating so powerfully and directly against it? General Tarleton spoke at considerable length in support of the clause. Lord Castlereagh said, that he a greed with many of the principles of the right hon. gentleman (Mr. Windham) but should not attempt to follow him in the details of his long The house in a committee of supply, voted 144,0001. for the relie. of American loyalists; 548,0001. for the relief of aliens; 46961. „ for printing the bills and the votes xif parliament; and 12,0001. for the public office, Bow-street. In the committee. of ways and means, resolutions were adopted re-. specting the funding of four millions of exchequer bills. Lord: Folkestone moved the order of the day for resuming the adjourn ed debate upon the Oude charge against Marquis Wellesley, and in a speech of considerable length, contended that the marquis had viola ted the stipulations of a treaty, with the nabob, to whom he also acted cruelly and unjustly. Mr. W. Keene thought an absolute and despotic government necessary in Bengal, from the policy and temper of the native poyers. Sir J. Anstruther, in a general review of of the affairs of India, justified the conduct of the noble marquis, and moved an amendment to the motion expressive of approbation of the zeal with which he had prosecuted measures for the prosperity of that country. Major Allen spoke to the same ef fect. Mr. C. Grant considered the marquis's conduct unjust, violent, and uncalled for by circumstances. Mr. Wallace declared that the situation of Oude was such as rendered the measures adopted on the occasion necessary, not only to the interest and safety of the company, but the very existence of the inhabitants of that province. Mr. Lushington, in a very impressive speech, contended that Lord Wellesley, in the gratification of his own ambitious views, abrogated the solemn provisions of ratified treaties, and committed, by his disregard of the recorded injunctions of parliament, the good faith of the British character, and the security of our possessions in India. Mr. Bankes thought the charges ought to be referred to the proper tribunal, the India judicature. Mr. W. Smith moved that the debate should be adjourned, which, after a short conversation between Mr. Perceval, Lord Folkestone, and Mr. Smith, was agreed to, and the subject appointed for Tuesday. Thursday, March 10. Mr. Canning brought down a message from the King, stating, that his Majesty had thought it proper to inform the house of Commons, that the King of Sweden having resisted all the threats of France, his dominions were now exposed to imminent danger and peril. That his Majesty had entered into a treaty with the King of Sweden, of a subsidiary na ture; and his Majesty relied upon his faithful commons taking the measures necessary to enable his Majesty to fulfil his engagement.-Ordered to be referred to the committee of supply. Petitions were presented from numerous merchants and others in London and Liverpool, against the orders in council; and it was agreed that counsel should be heard in sup port of those petitions; a debate, however, arose as to the time of hearing: Messrs. Whitbread, Sheridan, Morris, and others, contending that it should precede the passing of the bill, against the operation of which the petitioners complained; while ministers maintained that a tax bill could not be postponed for the purpose of hearing petitions against it, and that the petitions were not against the bill, which might be repealed in the present session, but against the orders on which it was grounded. Mr. Windham observed, that the manner in which the merchants had been treated, reminded him of a certain police bill, which gave discretion to the magistrates to whip some description of offenders; but the whipped offenders had the liberty, if they thought it adviseable, to appeal to the quarter sessions. It was at length decided, on a division of 99 against 66, that counsel should be heard on Thursday. Mr. W. Smith then moved, that the third reading of the order in council bill should be postponed till Monday se'nnight, in order that the house, previous to its decision on the subject, should receive all the evidence on the question that counsel could furnish; but this proposition was negatived by 122 to 59. Sir W. Scott and Mr. Stevens, in speeches of great length, supported the bill. Dr. Lawrence and Mr. Ponsonby opposed; and after five divisions on motions to adjourn the debate, it was at half-past five in the morning adjourned till Friday. Friday, March 11. Mr. R. Dundas stated to the house, that it was now time to call their attention to the affairs of our East India possessions. They were not in that progressive state of commercial increase of profits as enabled the East India company to come down to that house and say, that state of the East India company's affairs, and to report their observations thereon from time to time to the house.-Agreed to. Colonel Stanley presented a petition from a number of manufacturers in Manchester, praying to be heard by counsel and evidence at the bar, against the orders in council issued in November last. Ordered to be taken into consideration on Thursday next. Mr. Perceval moved the order of the day for the house resuming the adjourned debate on the third reading of the orders in council bill. Lord Folkstone objected to the motion; and as the petitions against the orders in council were to be taken up on Thursday, he should move an amendment, omitting the word now, for the purpose of inserting the words next Monday se'nnight. experiment turn out? priving the continent of we could make them po also recollect that we them soldiers; and if t was to be considered as was much afraid that th dier would beat the ric He thought then, that sures would have no ef cing Bonaparte, or the but that, in a commer view, they might inju rially by diminishing ou Mr. Wilberforce vote and Lord H. Petty, with lity, opposed it. Mr. Canning justifie contending, in fact, Bonaparte had hostil straints on our commer right not only to retal but to prohibit his inte powers before in amit unless they united agai At half-past six the l Mr. Perceval resisted the amendment. Lord Stanley and Mr. Baring supported it. The amendment was then with---Ayes 168, nocs 68.drawn. passed and ordered to Adjourned to Monday. Monday, March The Malmesbury con ded in favour of the sitti On the third reading ny bill, Sir F. Burdett clause for preventing C dismissed. from the ar other means than by th a court martial. He fo the justice and expedier to military men the san for their property and c was enjoyed by other si The Secretary of Wa patrick, and Col. Ducke existing system having been established; they thought the discipline of the army required summary and awful power to be vested m the head of it. lesley, considering it necessary to our own safety, and ultimately be neficial to the Nabob. Mr. Johnson, and Mr. R. Thornton maintained a contrary opinion, and entered into minute details in its the revenue of the company had increased under the Marquis's administration from 7 to 15 millions sterling annually, the debts of the company had, within the same period, risen from 10 to 30 millions.-At seven o'clock in the morning the house divided-For Lord Folkstone's motion of censure on Marquis Wellesly 3ł, Against it 182.-Majority 151, Mr. Perceval thought that even the existence of abuse could not war--support. They stated, that although rant any curtailment of the royal prerogative, but that the house should call on those whose duty it was to advise his Majesty, to answer for their conduct.-The clause was withdrawn when Mr. Calcraft moved to omit the clause in the Bill by which the option of entering for limited or unlimited service was allowed to the recruit.-A debate of some length ensued, in which Mr. Bathurst, Sir, G. Warrender, Cols. F. Wood and Shipley, Mr. Lyttleton, Lord Cavendish, Sir R. Milbanke, and Mr. Windham, supported the motion; Col Wood and Lord Castlereagh opposed it; and on a division, it was negatived, the numbers for the Bill, as it stood, being 189-against it 116. Tuesday, March 15. Mr. Parnell moved for an account of the expence of the government expresses to Dublin, with a view to prevent the partial disposition of the public papers from hence to a particular Journal there, to the great injury of the other periodical publications in that city. Sir A. Wellesley stated the expence at 201. a day. The accounts were ordered. The adjourned debate on the Oude charges was resumed :-Sir T. Turton took a comprehensive view of the Conduct of Lord Wellesley, and of the various arguments urged in his defence, and contended, that how ever highly he estimated the private character of the Noble Marquis, he thought, that in regard to the Nabob of Oade he had acted with the most flagrant and unwarranted injustice. Mr. H. Wellesley, Mr. S. Lushington, Lord Castlereagh, Sir J Anstruther, Lord Temple, and Mr. Norris, approved the conduct of Lord Wel Sir J Anstruther then moved, "That it appears to this house that Marquis Wellesley, in the arrange ments which he made in the province of Oude, was actuated by an ar dent zeal for the service of the country, and by an anxious desire to promote the safety, interests, and prosperity of the British empire in India." On this the house ́ divi ded, Ayes 180-Noes 29. Wednesday, March 16. The house in a committee of sup ply, voted 1,100,000l. (100,000). having been paid out of the surplus of last year) to make good the promised subsidy to Sweden. Mr. Perceval moved that the Bark bill be committed, which caused an animated debate. Mr. Whitbread could not allow the Speaker to leave the chair without statmg his objections to this bill. He first adverted to the detestable nature of the measure, which would contribute to bring odium and exe cration on the nation. During war, he said, there appeared a great deterioration of the moral character of Englishmen. As an instance of this he mentioned the open recom-* mendation at the commencement of it, to massacre every Frenchman that might fall into our hands and this only modified by some who proposed to shut them up in mines and coalpits, and if they could not be t |