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the refponfibility that attached upon their conduct.

The Earl of Carlisle, the Duke of Manchefter, likewife fpoke, and the 'Earl of Abingdon concluded the debate, comparing the prefent Bill with Mr. Fox's Bill, which was fraught with the most alarming confequences. That bill tended to establish an oligarchy, which was repugnant to the idea of Wniggifm. The objections to the prefent Bill were merely political; they were the tally-ho's of a Fox chace, and of the pack in full cry, to run down a Minifter.

The Chancellor then put the question that the Bill be committed, which was carried without a divifion.-After which the Houfe adjourned.

might be fit and proper that the Governor General thould be vefted with the fupreme military cominand. As to the extraordinary power that was to be given to the GovernorGeneral, to act against the advice of his Council, he must object to it ftrongly; not because he was an enemy to the principle of it, but to the circumftances under which it was to be exercifed. He liked a ftrong government in India; but then it was only under the idea that there should be a ftronger government at home to check and controul it: This, however, was not the cafe at prefent; for the refponfibility was fo divided between the Court of Directors and the Board of Controul, that no one could tell where to find it. The refponfibility that he principally alluded to was, the refponsibility of character and integrity to public opinion, which could not exift, when the public did not know with whom originated the meafures that they might have occafion to condemn. Refponfibility to public opinion had a powerful effect on the minds of Minifters: it had been faid by a Minifter of France, who had deferved highly of his country, and had reaped a plentiful harveft of applaufe, that "public opinion dared to penetrate the most fecret receffes of a palace, and attack a Minifter even on the fteps of the throne; it was able to add luftre to retirement, and dignity to difgrace." He was aware, that though he would confent to give extraordimary powers to our Governors in India, the hiftory of other countries would rather deter than encourage him to do fo. Free states had found it neceffary to give the Governors of their diftant provinces greater powers than they would ever fuffer their rulers to exercife at home: but these powers had always been abused: the abuse of power by Roman Governors had been proverbial, till it was forgot in the more flagrant abuse of power by modern nations in India. The Dutch gave their Governor at Batavia almoft unlimited powers: what was the confe quence? The profperity of their India Company? No, but the very reverfe; for they themselves acknowledged it now to be on the brink of ruin. Why then was he willing to grant extraordinary powers? Because we had in India nothing but the choice of difficulties; our fituation there was fuch, that nothing but a strong hand could maintain us in poffellion there.

APRIL 3.

The Houfe having refolved itself into a Committee on the bill for explaining and amending the India Act, a conversation took place on the claufes respecting the oath to be adminiftred, and the intended deprivation of the Commander-in-chief of his feat in Council. In this converfation the fame arguments were brought forward on each fide as had been adduced in the other House. The first claufe was at laft agreed to without a divifion. Lord Fitzwilliam, however, perfevering in his oppofition to the other, refpecting the Commander-in-chief, a motion was made by the noble Lord that it should be rejected, on which a divifion took place. Not contents, 53.-Contents, 19.-Majority, 34-The Houle was refumed and adjourned. APRIL 5.

Lord Sydney faid, that nothing could be farther from the intention of Miniiters, than to degrade General Sloper; that gentleman deferved attention and fupport. As to the difficulty the Noble Lord found respecting the responsibility of the meafures approved of by the Court of Directors or the Board of Controul, it did not appear to him, forevery one of these measures could be traced up to thofe by whom they were approved; and he was fure that none concerned would fhrink from

He

Lord Sydney having moved that his Majefty's meffage fhould be read, he afterwards moved, that an Addrefs be prefented to the Throne, declaring the loyal and dutiful ate tention of their Lordships to the situation of the Civil Lift, and that they were ready to concur with the other Houfe in making up whatever deficiencies had been ftated, obferved, that their Lordships would fee from the documents ftated, that 850,000l. were by no means equal to the prefent expenditure of the Civil Lift; therefore he should conclude that their Lordships would readily and heartily concur in the propofition he had itated.

Lord Stormont did not mean to oppofe the Addrefs. But the grounds of it appeared to him equally dark and fufpicious. There were deficiencies, and these Parliament would no doubt fupply. But whence thefe exceedings? Why were their Lordships not informed to what purposes all this money had been applied? He defired that part of his Majesty's Speech from the Throne of 1782, might be read. Here, he said, there was a pledge given, the most facred which could be uttered, and in a language the most direct and explicit. Whoever put fuch lan guage in his Majesty's mouth, were refponfible for the pledge thus folemnly tendered.

It.

It was there affirmed, that the expences of the Civil List thould not in future exceed the fum of 850,000l. Such an advice as this, fo intimately connected with the credit and revenues of the nation, ought to be explained, and the facts which alone could authenticate the meafure fpecifically ftated.

He obferved there was a furplus in one Adminiftration over and above the 850,000l. after all the expences of the Civil Lift were defrayed; and a deficiency in the other of no lefs than 10,000l. He ftated, that in the accounts on the table, the fum of 3000l. a year, which belonged to our Amballador at the Hague, was omitted. Other omiffions were alfo convincing proofs, that the prefent ftatement was erroneous.

Lord Sydney obferved, that the prefent application was precifely in the fame form with all other applications of the fame kind. The Marquis of Lanfdown faid he would probably be out of town when the bill fhould be difcuffed, and he would now trouble their Lordships with what might be perhaps more properly referved for that time. He thought the noble Lord had not ftated the fact correctly. In the Administration in which he prefided, there was a furplus of 8000l. He averred that the bill, fo far from faiting in its operations, had in fix months reduced the Civil Lift from 900,000l. to 800,040l. The principle of that bill he contended was good; it aimed at deftroying the fees of office, which had almost destroyed the revenue, by devouring the fources of the country. The King's Speech alluded to was rather the refult of other calculations than his, in the fame manner as the peace had been perhaps rather his than that of his colleagues in office. But he would roundly affirm, that the meafure was that f the Cabinet unanimoufly. This peace was paid for, and all the prefents made by the then Amballador at the Court of France, and thofe expences were all included in the Civil Lift. The expences which followed were those of the preliminaries, and accountable for by another Adminiftration.

The Duke of Manchefter, in great warmth, Spurned the imputation implicated in what had fallen from the noble Marquis.

The Marquis of Lansdown denied he had any fuch meaning as had been imputed to his words. The conception was abfurd and ridiculous; and his fentiments of that noble Duke were known to be the reverse.

The Duke of Richmond denied that the Cabinet unanimoufly adopted the peace; he for one had not concurred in it.

[The Marquis of Lanfdown and the Duke of Richmond were up feveral times in anfwer to each other.]

The Duke of Portland and the Marquis of Lanfdown entered into fome explanation of the furplus.

Lord Fitzwilliam faid a few words relating to the fame point, and urged, with great

ferioufnefs, the neceffity of pointing out how those debts on the Civil Lift had been incurred.

Lord Portchefter faid, he faw, from time to time, large demands made on this country for fupplying the deficiencies of the Civil Lift. The matter was not clear to him, whether this country ought to be responsible in all fuch cases, and for all fuch debts. Why did not Ireland bear her share in these extraordinaries? This was a queftion he dared prefume fome of his Majesty's fervants prefent were prepared to answer.

Lord Sydney thought Ministry in the fame predicament, notwithstanding all that had happened in Ireland, and for that reason he could not give the noble Lord any ground to expect that any fuch application would be made to the Parliament of Ireland as had been mentioned,

The Addrefs was then agreed to without a divifion, and the Houfe adjourned. APRIL 6.

Took into confideration the amendments made to the Eaft-India Judicature bill, which were agreed to.

This day, after fome private business, an explanatory converfation took place between the Marquis of Lanfdown and Lord Stor mont, relative to what had paffed in the courfe of debate the preceding day refpecting the motion of an addrefs to his Majefty. The noble Marquis contended, that what had fallen from the noble Viscount regarding the ftatement of accounts during his Administra tion was perfectly erroneous; and after going over the different particulars fatisfied Lord Stormont fo far as to induce him to acknowledge his error. and to recant what he had fa:d the preceding day. In the course of the converfation, the noble Marquis difcovered fome warmth, and thought that not only an acknowledgment of error, but an apology for miflatement might be becoming on the prefent occafion; but in his idea the noble Vifcount did not concur.

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The Royal Affent was given to

An act to explain and amend certain pros vifions of an act, made in the twenty-fourth year of the reign of his prefent Majefty, re(pecting the better regulation and manage ment of the affairs of the Eat-India Com. pany.

An act to amend and render effectual two acts of the ninth and fifteenth years of his prefent Majefty, for making and maintaining a navigable canal from the Coventry canal navigation to the city of Oxford.

Alfo to eleven public and fix private bills.
APRIL 13.

Read fveral inclosure and road bills the first time, and adjourned till Monday the 24th.

MR.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

MARCH 20.

R. Dundas moved, that the bill for explaining the India bill should then be read a fecond time, and committed for Wednefday, which, after a fhort debate, was agreed to.

Sir Adam Ferguson prefented a petition complaining of an undue election for Aberdeenshire, and moved that it should be taken into confideration the 27th of April, which was agreed to.

The House went into a Committee on the Menai bridge bill, and heard Counsel for and against it.

Lord Penrhyn moved, that debate upon the bill fhould be adjourned till to-morrow fe'anight. The motion paffed, and the Houfe adjourned.

MARCH 21.

Mr. Grenville brought up the Report of the Select Committee, to whom it had been referred to examine the public accounts, and ftate the furplus of the taxes, together with their opinion as to the amount of the fum arifing from fuch furplus, that might be appropriated to the purpose of creating an efficient and unalienable Sinking Fund.-As this Report is highly interefting, we shall prefent our readers with fome extracts from

it.

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Annual Surplus

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£. 14,478,181 919,290

It appears by the Appendix to this valu
able Report, that a part of the annual pro-
duce of the public revenue is not applicable
to the payment of any part of the interest of
of the country.
the national debt, or of the general services
The articles and fums

which compofe this part are as follow:
Duty on cotton wool

canvas and lawns
Stamp duty on parchment, per Ha-
coinage on wines
naper-office

Four and a half per cent.
Sixpence per pound on penfions
Firit-fruits of clergy
Tenths of clergy
Stamps for Judges' falaries
Duty on gum fenega

Cambrics and fugars (1766)

£.1000

9847

6117

3698

19,149

45,800

5640

9888

11,000

238

1349

Apples imported

565

to 5th Jan. 1786

£12,499,916*

Sugars (1764)

2770

Melaffes (1766)

1259

Deduct the refpited duties paid by the East-India Company Excels beyond the future a mount of window duties

Verdigrease

2025

401,118

Licences for felling lottery tickets
Rent of Savoy land

1000

I

56,101

£. 121,595

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The Report concludes with the following obTervations.

"There are charges on the Poft-office and other offices of the revenue, arifing from different grants and Acts of Parliament, by which certain annuities are made payable thereon; but, as thefe are iffued at the different offices of collection previous to the payment of the Exchequer, your Committee have not brought them to account under the head of public expenditure.

"The only article to which your Committee think it neceffary, feparately, to call the attention of the Houfe, is that of the relief of the American fufferers; but it is not for the Committee to determine what fum Parliament may think proper to allot for this purpose, either as Lemporary relief, or when the investigation of the several claims shall have been compleated.

"From what has been ftated, the Honfe will obferve that no accurate estimate can

This fum is made from the following receipts:
From the Customs, 4,586,463 | From Stamps,

ZUROP, MAO.

Excile,

Na

1,162,695 Incidents, 1,358,115

be formed of the total fums which may arife beyond the average amount of the expences before ftated, and which may there fore require a feparate provifion. But upon the whole, your Committee conceive that the means of defraying the expences (exclufive of the average income above stated) may be expected to be fufficient for the purpose.

"In the first place, your Committee have taken no credit in the foregoing statements for the profits which may annually be expected from lotteries, whenever Parliament fhall think proper to avail itfelf of that mode of raising money. The profits on the lot tery of last year were nearly 140,000l.

A further fum may also be expected to arife for fome years to come, under the head of army favings.

"A balance is alfo due from the EaftIndia Company, for the fubfiftence of troops in India, and on account of victualling of the navy, purfuant to the 21ft of his prefent Maj fly, c. 65. The propriety of ap plying to the public purpofes a portion of the unclaimed dividends of the funds (confitently with the ftri&teft regard to the fecurity of the creditors of the nation), and the means of rendering the Crown lands more beneficial than at prefent, are alfo objects which feem to fall under this confideration.

"But independent of the articles which have here been flated, your Committee truft that they fhall not be thought to exceed the limits of the duty prefcribed to them by the Houle, in obferving, that the prefent fubfifting taxes, if the due collection thereof could be fecured by measures adequate to the purpofe, would probably afford an ample provifion for any deficiencies which may at any time be found, either in thefe refources, or in the particulars which compofe the general income of the public; and would infure a permanent annual furplus, applicable to the reduction of the national debt, in fuch a manner as the wifdom of Parliament fhall direct."

hands afhore; which was fo violently op pofed by the furrounding inhabitants, that nothing lefs than an abfolute act of that Houfe could enforce it, as the Privy Council did not find it within the limits of their power, a petition for that purpose having been laid before them; on which account he would therefore move, that under the 22d of Geo. II. an hafty bill on the fpur of the occasion might be paffed, to enable certain perfons therein named, to fele&t a spot at a proper distance from the inhabitants, on which tents, or temporary sheds, might be erected, in the fhortest time poffible, for the reception of the fick, which he trusted would give immediate relief, as the phyfi cians had given it as their unanimous opinion, that the difeafe was not of fo contagious a nature as to be attended with any bad confequence to the inhabitants of this kingdom, whofe health he wished to preferve at the peril of his own: in confequence of which the bill was read, unanimoufly committed, and ordered to be engroffed in the fpace of half an hour. It was afterwards paffed, and ordered to the Lords. MARCH 22.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer called the attention of the Houle to an object of confiderable magnitude in point of nat onal honour and humanity, in confequence of which he did not in the leaft doubt but what he was about to offer would meet with the immediate and unanimous concurrence of the House. The crew of the Bourbon Dutch Eall-Indiaman, lately driven by ftrefs of weather into the port of Dartmouth, had contracted a violent fever, infomuch that three or four of the hands, by the laft ac counts, had fallen a victim to it; and many more feemed likely to increafe the number, if fomething was not prefently done to give relief; and as the fickness was every day gaining ground, it was the opinion of the medical gentlemen who had visited the veffel, that the hit ftep towds an extirpation of the difcafe, would be to get the

The Houfe went into a Committee on Mr. Dundas's bill for explaining and amending Mr. Pitt's India bill.

Mr. Rous was proceeding to read the preamble of the bill, and to move that it fhould be deferred till the claims were first confidered, when

Mr. Francis declared his objections were not fo much to the particular clauses, tho' feveral of them met with his extreme diflike, but to the whole of the bill, as being totally inefficient and inadequate to the removal of thofe abfurdities which it meant to remedy. In the first place, the claufe which empowered the Company's European fervants indifcriminately to become Members of the Council in India, was in precife contradiction to an order of the Court of Directors, by which it was ordered, that no perfons who had ferved in India should, after a limited period, though during that ume in the fervice of the Company, be allowed to return to India in any capacity whatfoever.-The claufe alfo which provided, that in the cafe of any vacancy in the Council, it should be filled, not by the fenior perfon in the Company's fervice, but by a perfon chosen by the Governor-General, not only threw into his hands a power as dangerous as unlimited, but tended to create the strongest diforder in the rank and fituation of the fervants of the Company.

He did not think that the man who was accufed, and in his opinion with juftice, of the most flagrant abuse of the powers with which he had been entrusted, should have been quellioned on the latitude of thofe which were to be given to his fucceffor. There remained the opinion of Lord Ma

cartacy,

cartney, which he fuppofed that Minifters
had before this obtained. If they had, he
was certain that they would communicate
it; it would certainly have great weight,
with the House.

The question was about to be put, when Mr. Burke rofe and faid, if it is, as it feems to be, the policy of the day to part as foon as poffible with our poffeffions in India, in God's name let it be done;-but let us confult on the manner in which this feparation is to be effected-let us not infult the feelings of the unfortunate - let us not burlefque the proceedings of all civilized government-let us not add to our former Deglects the fneer of inhumanity, by telling our miferable fellow-fubjects in India, that in the happy effects of arbitrary power they thall find a cure for all their forrows.

After a long converfation on the claufe which excludes the Commander in Chief from a feat at the Council Board, unless called thereto by fpecial appointment,

Mr. Sloper moved as an amendment, that Gen. Sloper, the prefent Commander in Chief, fhould not be included in the operation of this claufe.

On a divifion the numbers appeared, for the amendment 65-against it 151-majority 86. The claufe was then received.

By this decifion the falary of Gen. Sloper will be reduced from 16,000l. a-year to 6oool. his pay as Commander in Chief, the other 10,000l. being the falary he enjoys as a Member of the Council.

A motion was then made to leave out the Governor-General's oath, on which a divifion took place, when the numbers were, ayes 36-noes 125-majority 89.

The report was then made.

MARCH 23.

The House did not affemble to-day, as it was tacitly understood, when the Houfe broke up at two o'clock this morning, to be adjourned till to-morrow.

MARCH 24.

Refolved, In a Committee of Supply, That 192,7921. 15s. 6d. be granted to his Majefty for defraying the charge of the in and outpenfioners of Chelsea Hofpital for 1786.

That 173,000l. be granted to his Majefty, on account of the reduced officers of land forces and marines for 1786.

That 638,66 21. 12s. 4d. be granted to his Majefty, for defraying extra expences of land forces and other fervices, incurred from the 25th of December 1785, not provided for by Parliament.

That 52,5021. 17s. 2d. be granted upon account of commiffioned officers of his Majesty's British and American forces for 1786.

That 35351. be granted upon account of feveral officers, late in the fervice of the States-General, for the year 1786.

That 3331. gs. 7d. be granted to his Majesty for defraying the charge of allowance to

the feveral officers and private gentlemen of the two troops of Horfe-guards reduced, and to the fuperannuated gentlemen of the four troops of Horfe-Guards for 1786

Report was made from the Committer, on the Bristol undue election, in favour of Mr. Cruger..

Major Scott moved, that the opinions and refolutions of the Court of Directors, relative to the payment of five lacks of rupees to Cheyt Syng, for fervices during the war, be laid before the House.

Mr. Francis thought the papers, if produced, would found a charge against the Court of Directors. In this event he would very willingly join with the honourable Member in affifting him in fubftantiating, as he had fome time ago criminated them openly.

None of the Members on the Treasury Bench discovering any inclination to pay any regard to the motion,

Mr. Sheridan could not help reprobating the partiality of Administration, who seemed willing to conteft the production of every paper intended for proving Mr. Haftings's guilt; but allowed all documents of his innocence to be laid on the table, without any obftruction on their part.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer declared, that he himself had acted with the utmost impartiality in the whole courfe of affairs refpecting Mr. Haftings, and had not, nor would not, oppofe the production of any papers, which, confiftently with a regard for the interests of the public, might safely be exposed to view.

Major Scott made feveral other motions for papers, all of which received the cons currence of the House.

Previous to the Speaker's leaving the chair, Mr. Sheridan role, and fubmitted to the Houfe, whether it will be proper to give their confint to the India bill, against a particular claufe of which every one knew that petitions would be prefented in a few days. He therefore moved, that an inftruction be given to the Committee to divide this bill into two bills.

Mr. Dundas did not rife to oppose the motion; but to affure the honourable Gentleman, and others who had heard and lif tened to reports about Lord Cornwallis, and the terms which had been granted him, that he had never asked any terms, and that he had confented to go out in no view of aggrandifement.

The motion was then put and agreed to; after which the Houfe refolved itself into a Committee on the bill, when the remaining claufes were read, the bianks filled up, and the House refumed. A debate then arofe concerning the propriety of receiving the report on the fame night.

The Oppofition were for poftponing it till

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