purpose of reimbursing the company for the necessary expences attending foreign

wars.

After some remarks from Mr. Howarth complaining of a want of documents to ascertain the state of the company's affairs, which were answered by Mr. Dundas, the question was put and carried.

by the late ministry. the numbers were for tl. 58, for the lesser 93. Mr. Lethbridge's motic a duty of 51. 5s. on relled gun, was rejecte to Monday.

eve

Monday, May Mr. Baker presente from certain gentlemen stating that a combina

poor

Mr. Alderman Combe obtained leave to bring in a bill preventing forcible or fraudulent carrying away young children, commonly called child-stealing.Read a first time.

Mr. Tremayne rose, pursuant to notice, to move for leave to bring in a bill for interring the dead bodies of persons drowned through shipwreck, that might be washed ashore on the coasts of England and Wales. He meant to propose that the person finding a dead body so washed ashore, should be compelled to give immediate notice to the parish officers, who should bury the person, the expences of such interment to be defrayed by the county treasurers. Leave given.

On the motion of Mr. Huskisson, the house resolved itself into a committee of ways and means, when he proposed that the sum of 2,223,000l. 5s. 11d. being the surplus of the grants of last year, which exceeded the estimates, be applied to the service of the current year; that the pay of the militia of England be provided for from the procceds of the land-tax, and that of Ireland from the consolidated fund of that country.

Thursday, April 28. The house met at the usual hour of four o'clock, but there being only 42 members present to make a ballot for the borough of Grampound, and the Grenville act requiring 100 members,

price of posting, to the g and inconvenience of tr praying that the house the same into considera

Mr. Curwen siad, he w any measure to interfere ness. There was a grea price of hay and corn si price of posting took there was never wanting tion to prevent the publi ing imposed upon or inju The petition was ord laid on the table.

A petition was presentcorporation of Worceste that the reversion place bill should be carried into

Mr. Biddulph gave not. would move, on Wednesda opinion of the attorney an general in 1772, respecting and fines of the demised re the crown,

Mr. Huskisson said, he the purpose of moving for bring in a bill for the bett tion of the duty payable on was necessary, he observed vide a check and to take the duty should be paid on on the premises of the malts

must keen an account of th

tity of barley he receives. It was necessary also to make a provision to oblige persons to give security for the duty, as it was the practice of some inferior maltsters to get the barley on credit from the farmers, and to sell the malt before the time elapsed for collecting the duty, or remove it to some other place. It was therefore intended to collect the duty within six weeks, or to extend the time where security was given. This provision was necessary to guard against fraud, and to protect the public revenue. For these reasons he moved for leave to bring in a bill, which was granted accordingly.

Lord Castlereagh said, he wished to observe, that there were one or two measures proposed to him, which, with others, he intended to move in the committee on the local militia bill. These alterations would narrow the discussion on the general principle of the bill, and which, he had no doubt, would meet with the unanimous consent of the house.The first alteration which he thought desirable, was to give an exception to those persons serving in the militia by substitute, or who had paid a penalty, in lieu of personal service, and he thought it fair to make the exemption equivalent to that under the existing militia act. He thought it also proper to exempt the ballotting men serving by ballot, or for a number of years to be hereafter specified, and not for an indefinite period, until the whole of the parish was ballotted. He would also move a clause in the committee, for the purpose of enabling any volunteer corps, with their officers, to transfer their services to the local militia, and that the officers should retain their rank, and the whole have the same exemptions which they enjoy at present. Another regulation which he would propose in the committee, to facilitate the service of persons who might find it necessary for their avocations to transfer their service

from one county to another, or who, if they changed their residence, might avoid the inconvenience of serving in the county where they were originally ballotted, by serving in that where they resided. It was also his intention to propose, that the families of persons ballotted in the local militia should, if they were poor, have the same allowance during the absence of the father of the family, that was given to the volunteers when on permanent duty. The last provision which he would offer in the committee was, that the local militia should be placed under the command of officers in the line.

Mr. Whitbread said, when the bill was in a committee, he would move a clause that those persons who were serving by substitute in the army of reserve, should be exempted from the local militia. There were cases where industrious persons, who had saved and paid 40 or 50 guineas for a substitute in the army of reserve, were drawn, and obliged to serve in the militia. The instances were but few, and he thought the parties ought to be relieved, because the names of those serving by substitutes in the army of reserve were not taken down, as it was thought that they were not liable to serve.

Sir F. Burdett, while he was desirous of seeing the military strength of the country increased, pointed out, in a very able speech, the necessity of reforming the army, particularly with respect to the mode of punishing the soldiers. This bill, he said, subjected the whole country to martial law, and it was degrading to Englishmen, while called upon to defend their liberties, to be placed in that situation to which the present practice of military discipline would reduce them.

A long conversation ensued, in which Colonel Wood, Mr. Wilberforce, Mr. Windham, and several members took a part.

Lord Castlereagh replied, and the bill was read a second time, and ordered to be committed on Wednesday. Tuesday, May 3.

A ballot stood for this day, for a committee to try the Donnegal election. There being only twenty-two eligible members found, instead of forty-nine, as required by the Grenville act, an adjournment took place.

Wednesday, May 4.

After balloting for an election committee, a discussion took place between the Lord Advocate and SolicitorGeneral of Scotland, Mr.R.S.Dundas, Mr. Rose, Mr. Perceval, Mr. Whitbread, Sir F. Burdett and Dr. Lawrence, the principal feature in their arguments was the objection to the barons of the exchequer receiving any pension on their retiring from duty, whether retiring from duty on account of old age, infirmity, or of having been in office for upwards of fifteen years. It was contended that these barons were solely commissioners for conducting the revenue, and that they did not go to the circuits as the lords of the court of justiciary did, and therefore that their labours were not those, of a severe or arduous description. To this it was answered, that the judges of England and Ireland, including the barons in the courts of exchequer in the respective countries, were provided for in the way intended, and therefore that it would be unjust not to extend a similar provision to the barons of the exchequer in Scotland. The house divided, when the numbers wereAyes, for the committee, 68; Noes, against it, 25.

The house went into a committee on a resolution submitted by the Lord Advocate, granting to the lord president of the court of session, the lord justice clerk, and other lords of session, and of justiciary; and also the barons of the exchequer, a sum amounting to three-fourths of the salaries enjoyed by these judges,

out of the hereditary revenues of the crown in Scotland; on any of these judges retiring from office.

After some discussion, the committee divided, when the resolution was carried by a majority of 80, to 31.

The local militia bill was committed. In the committee it was divided into two bills, for England and Scotland respectively. The blanks were filled up, the report received, and the bill ordered to be printed, and to be taken into further consideration on Wednesday next.

In a committee of ways and means issues of exchequer bills to the amount of 3,000,0001. and also of 1,500,000l. were agreed to.

Thursday, May 5.

Mr. Sheridan presented a petition from St. John Mason, a barrister, in Ireland, complaining of a grievance he had suffered. The petition stated, that Mr. Mason had been called to the Irish bar in Trinity term, 1803, and that in the following month of August he was arrested, under the suspension of the Habeas Corpus, and committed to Kilmainham gaol, where he was confined for two years. The consequence of his confinement was the total loss of his professional business. The petition also stated, that he had been ill-used while in confinement, and prayed relief. Mr. Sheridun moved, that the petition do lie on the table.

After a short conversation be tween Mr. W. Smith, Mr. Browne, in explanation, and Sir A Wellesley, the petition was ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. Huskisson moved that the house should, to-morrow, resolve into a committee on so much of the act of the 44th. of the King, chap. 98, as relates to licences for selling ale. The hon. gentleman stated that publicans before they could sell ale, must, by the law as it stood, take out a licence from a justice of peace.

imposition. In that petition it is stated, that the company is only deficient 2,400,000l. when the fact, was, that they were, to his knowledge, minus three millions. They also endeavour to make it appear that they had eight millions of property in this country; but by the accounts which he would move for, he would make it manifest that they were deficient at home 12 millions. They were, to his knowledge, deficient in India 32 millions, which they were bound to pay at home. He therefore concluded, by moving for an account of all the loans they had contracted in India, and the terms of these loans, in order to show that the petition was a gross fraud; also for an account of the India stock by computation. He then adverted to the formation of the committee, which was partial, who were not likely to make an impartial report to the house.

Sir J. Anstruther said, that with regard to the solvency of the East India company he thought the hon. gentleman grossly wrong; or, at least, completely in error and mistake. He asserted, that the committee was fully competent to consider the whole of the debts and credits of the company. His next objection was, that Mr. Creevey had allowed the petition of the company to be sent to a committee without stating any objection, or giving the most remote hint of his intention, in the present, or in any other way, to interrupt its proceedings.

Lord Folkstone support the mo

tion.

lions by bonds. The sidered the motion of tleman, the more was of its impropriety, as tleman knew well that he had moved for wou the table in a very fe condemned the partial of the subject, previou port of the committee made, as it was his i wish that the affairs of t should be probed to the

Mr. Creevey replied that notwithstanding a gentleman had said, h tained that the deficit pany amounted to twel and for hon. gentlemen such a sum would ever holding the most gross d ever was attempted. H dent that next year the would be again under th of coming to Parliament pose of obtaining anothe the public money.

A short conversation

tween Mr. Dundas and M and the former having pr production of the papers in a few days, the origin was withdrawn.

Mr. Creevey moved count of all loans contrac company in India, and a account of the profits a the company from investn India and China, for 1798-9, and 1806-7. The were disposed of in the with the first.