Committee of twenty-one out of six hundred and fiftyeight Members of that House; that is, supposing all changeable modes were to be put, and which each individual would have a right to insist upon; besides, there was another idea to be attended to, if a Committee were to be thus nominated; for a question might arise upon the relative fitness of a Member, in the opinion of others, as he was nominated; - for instance, when a Member was nominated, another might say, "I cannot agree to his name, unless I know who is to be joined to him, for Mr. Such-a-one will do very well if Mr. Such-a-one is coupled with him: but Mr. Such-a-one joined to another Mr. Such-a-one will never do, they differ so much in their way of thinking, &c." So that, upon a moderate computation, allowing each individual in the house to give his opinion, and the ballot to be thus formed, several centuries would elapse before one Member could be chosen. Having treated this subject with some ridi cule, Mr. Windham ended with an allegation, that, therefore, a ballot was the only mode of choosing a Committee.

He proceeded to observe, that most unquestionably those persons who had been confined, or who might hereafter be confined, were objects of attention; but the question was, whether, if this measure was not to be adopted, we should not lose to the public more than would be gained to individuals by abstaining from it; for it was, after all, a matter of balance of advan tages and disadvantages. It was, however, not a bill for the establishment of any system; it was to be

made applicable to facts as they should appear to arise; nor was there any thing now to be done but what should be subject to the controul of future Parliaments; and as to his Right Honourable Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer having said on a former day, that, if necessary, he should claim to be indemnified in like manner as this bill is intended to indemnify others, he meant by it only if he had laid the same grounds for that indemnity as are laid now. As to the complaint of Gentlemen, that there was not a greater number of them in Committees that were ballotted for, the thing was perfectly natural; for the majority of the house would choose those whose politics they liked, and that would continue to be the case, notwithstanding all that had been said of impartiality, unless it could be proved that the house, in order to show its impartiality, were to choose those whose politics they disliked. In a word, the choice was the judgment of the house, and the judgment of the house was in that respect the representation of the country; and the minority stood in the opinion of the country in the same situation as they did in that house, as they must feel whenever they reflected upon the subject. He concluded with observing, that it did not become him to say how the power which this bill recognized was used; it was for the house and the country to judge; but he was convinced, that without this bill the sources of information would be cut up, and without applying opprobrious terms to informers, he would say, that, in the present state of things, they were necessary to correct the mischief of those

criminals who wished to bring the state to ruin, but who must be counteracted by means as active and powerful as themselves. Upon these grounds, and independent of any self-interest, he gave his support to the motion now before the house.

Mr. Horne Tooke, Mr. Tierney, and Mr. W. Smith spoke against the motion, the Attorney-General and the Solicitor-General in favour of it. On a division, the numbers were,

NOTICE OF PEACE.

October 29, 1801.

His IS MAJESTY'S Speech, announcing that the differences with the Northern Powers had been adjusted, and that Prelimi-' naries of Peace had also been ratified with the French Republic, having been read by the Speaker, Lord Louvaine moved an Address of Thanks and Congratulation, which was seconded by the Honourable Colonel Wodehouse.

Mr. Fox expressed his concurrence in the Address, and his joy on the attainment of Peace. Mr.Pitt considered the event to be matter of joy to the country, and cheerfully gave his tribute of praise to the ministers who had accomplished it.

MR. WINDHAM spoke to the following effect:
SIR,

HAVING the misfortune to differ from my Right Honourable Friend who has just spoken, as well as from the Right Honourable Gentleman who has preceded him, touching the cause of joy and exultation which both have expressed for the Preliminaries of Peace which have been recently signed with France, I should not approve this address, if it went so far as to pledge this house to an approbation of

those Preliminaries specifically. But, Sir, as it does not so pledge this house, I shall not withhold from it my support; nor should I have risen, Sir, to have troubled this house to-night, but that differing as I do most materially from those who approve this Peace, concluded under the present circumstances of Europe, it behoves me to vindicate my opinion, by explaining at least in outline the reasons why I so differ. I am fully prepared to go at length into the discussion of those opinions; but as it seems rather the sense of the house to postpone that discussion to another occasion, I shall not push it forward now seeing that I shall have another, and an early opportunity; but as my Honourable Friend, from whom to differ I shall always consider as a misfortune, avows an opinion in approbation to the measure, I feel it necessary to declare, as shortly as possible, my reason for a contrary senti

ment.

I must own, Sir, to stand as a solitary mourner in the midst of general exultation, to wear a countenance clouded with sadness, while all others are lighted up with joy, is at once rather unfortunate and ungracious. But if I differ from those Gentlemen, who have so often differed from each other heretofore upon the whole of the subject of this war, though they now coincide in approbation of this peace, it is because the event strikes me in a different point of view from that in which they see it, and because that which they consider a cause for general joy, I fear may be turned into a cause of general mourning. I would ask-Are the circumstances of this Peace the natural signs for