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to that effect early in the ensuing session. But he earnestly hoped that, in the mean time, the house would leave nothing unattempted that might tend to diminish the great evils complained of, and to give effect to one of the most holy of our laws. He concluded with moving an humble address to his Majesty, acknowledging with gratitude his Majesty's endeavours to induce foreign nations to concur in relinquishing the disgraceful African slave trade, regretting that those efforts had been attended with so little success; and beseeching his Majesty to perse vere in those measures which might tend to induce his allies, and such other foreign states as he might be able to negociate with, to co-operate with this country in a general abolition of the slave trade, and to concur in the adoption of such measures as might assist in the effectual execution of the laws already passed for that purpose; stating, that certain percons in this country had continued in a clandestine and fraudulent banner the detestable traffic in slaves, and humbly praying his Majesty to cause to be given to the commanders of his Majesty's ships and vessels of war, the officers of his Majesty's customs, and the other persons in his Majesty's service, whose situation enabled them to detect and suppress those abuses, such orders as might effectually check practices equally contemptuous to the authority of parliament, and derogatory to the interests and honour of the country.-All the members who spoke on this occasion supported the principle of the motion. Mr. VOL. LII.

Maryatt, the colonial agent for Trinidad, as well as an eminent West India merchant, condemned the slave trade, on principles of humanity and justice, in a very strong and impressive manner. Mr. Hibbert, also on eminent West India planter and merchant, though he bed at another time objected to the abolition of the slave trade on the ground of its inexpediency and impracticability, knew what was his duty in deference to what was now the the law of the country. He reminded the house, however, that the proposition before them shewed, that hitherto experience had only confirmed his opinion, for we had no reason, he said, to reckon on those favourable events which had given us as it were almost an entire control over the intercourse between Africa and the West Indies -The Chancellor of the Exchequer highly approved the leading sentiments in the speech of Sir Samuel Romilly, and the measure he bad proposed, which should always have his sincere and zealous support. There was only one pas. sage in the address proposed which he could not so entirely approve as he did of all the rest, viz that which went to pledge the house to the adoption of some measure next sessions. Even that general engagement to adopt some mea-sure on the subject, could not be quite regularly, in point of form, be inserted in an address from that house to his Majesty. The address, if amended in that point, should have his most hearty support. Mr. Stephen agreed that it would be better to keep that part out of the address, and put it into

the form of a separate resolution; but he saw no objection whatever to the house now resolving that such a measure as was generally described should be taken early in the next session of parliament.Mr. Brougham had no objection whatever to separate the resolution, pledging the house, from the address. The address, thus separated, was agreed to nem. con.

Mr. Brougham then moved, "That this house has learnt, with great surprize and indignation, the attempts which have been recently made to evade the prohibitions of the act abolishing the African slave trade; and that this house will, early in the next session of parliament, take into consideration such measures as may tend to prevent such daring violations of the law." This resolution was also carried,

nem.con.

In the House of Lords, June 18, Lord Vassal Holland moved an address to his Majesty, praying, that further steps might be taken to induce foreign powers to abolish the slave trade. The address was agreed to, nem, dis.

This session an act was passed for an augmentation of parochial stipends, in certain cases, in Scotland. No stipend to be under 150l. A bill was also in progress for the relief of the poor clergy in England.

The House of Lords being, June 18, in a committee on the Appropriation Bill, Lord Vassal Holland objected to the appropriation of 100,000l. to Queen Anne's bounty to the poorer clergy. He thought that the relief of the poorer clergy might be effected in manner much less objectionable than by adding to the burthens of

the people, by means of the higher benefices, either by taxing them in certain proportions, or in some other mode; and that certain benefices where no duty was attached, might be suspended, and the profits appropriated to a fund for the relief of the poorer clergy. Some regulation might also be made with respect to livings in the gift of the crown. The relief proposed was a mere temporary grant, and did not form part of any permanent system for ameliorating the situation of the poorer clergy.

The Earl of Harrowby admitted that the extent of our present burthens was very great; but this consideration did not prevent us from supplying every necessary demand, nay, even the demands of taste and splendour. With regard to a general tax on the higher clergy, about three-fifths of the livings in this country were in lay patronage, and the advowsons were part of the estates of the proprietors, bought and sold like other estates. The taxing of the higher clergy for the relief of the poorert class, was also an approach towards the principle of levelling. He had always thought that the inequality of preferment was a great advantage, and initmately connected with an episcopal establishment, as affording the means of incitement to diligence, and rewarding distinction. As to the suspension, for a time, of the profits of certain dignities, it would really be so unproductive in point of amount, if confined to a few, and so subversive of a constituent part of our present establishment, if extended to many, that he was not willing to borrow from a Ro

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man catholic church, even for the relief of the poor, a practice which she had usually adopted for enriching the affluent. It had been said, that the measure proposed was incomplete: this was undoubtedly true, and no man re-, gretted it more than himself. It had been hoped that some more comprehensive plan might have been submitted to parliament this session; but it was a subject of great extent and considerable difficulty, and more information was necessary. Lord Harrowby having replied to Lord Vassal Holland's objections to the appropriation of 100,000l. to Queen Anne's bounty for the poorer clergy, proceeded to state the case of this class, which appeared, from the information received since last year, still stronger, and also to suggest means by which this evil might be gradually remedied; -not to propose a plan for the adoption of their lordships, but to throw out hints which might be improved by others into a plan fit to be adopted. Lord Harrowby, in the course of his speech, stated a paltry and most pitiful practice, degrading in the highest degree to the character of the church. It was a practice with the non-resident incumbents of livings of 701. 60l. and even of 50l. a year, to put into their own pockets a portion of this wretched pittance, and to leave much less than the wages of a day labourer for the subsistence of their curates. -The Earl of Stanhope praised the sincerity, candour, and openness of Lord Harrowby, which he contrasted with the affected obscurity and evasions of many of his colleagues. In his present speech there was

much to approve; but if similar observations had fallen from his (Lord Stanhope's) lips, he would have been charged as the libeller of the church, and the plague knew what-for what, said the nobleearl; in defence of this grant? - that the church of England was poor, and utterly unable to hold up against its numerous fors, unless it should be supported in all its strength and dignity. Lord Melville had said, that the kirk of Scotland was founded on the rock of poverty. Did Lord Harrowby mean to say, that the only way to support their religious establishment was by voting to it the public money? But he could tell the noble earl, that those dissenters, those foes to the church, as he had perhaps rather warınly designated them, would still continue to increase, when they found that the advocates of the church establishment conceived that its best means of security was to be continually applying for public money; and as long as they, its prelates, were translated and preferred, not for for their religious merits, but their slavish support of the minister of the day. - Lord V. Holland too, in an animated reply to Lord Harrowby, maintained, that an increase of salary to the church establishment was no security of the increase of their followers, but rather of the reverse. After a few words from the Earl of Liverpool and Lord Harrowby, in reply to Lord Stanhope, in favour of the grant, the bill passed through a committee, and was ordered to be reported without any amendment.

Next day, June 19, Lord Viscount Sidmouth stated a great, increasing,

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creasing, and alarming evil, arising from a want of a sufficient number of places of worship in the established church in populous parishes. In consequence of this want of accommodation, many communicants of the established church were induced, rather than not attend any place of worship, to attend dissenting meetinghouses. This, he said, was a subject that demanded the most serious consideration; and in order that the house might have information before them relative to it in the next session, his lordship moved an address to his Majesty, praying, "That the archbishops and bishops might be directed to prepare, in their respective dioceses, to be laid before the house next session, a statement of the number of places of worship of the established church, in parishes having a population of 1000 and upwards, with the number of persons such places of worship are capable of containing; and also the number of dissenting meeting-houses in such parishes." The motion was agreed to.

When the session began to draw to a close, it became natural, as at its commencement, to bring under the consideration of parliament the great subject that, for the present was paramount to all others, and to which so many other subjects of discussion had more or less a reference.

House of Lords, June 8. - The Marquis of Lansdown, in pursuance of the notice he had given, rose to call their lordships' attention to the affairs of Spain, the papers concerning which had so long lain on the table. He begged to remind their lordships, that the

same ministers, under whose jumble of generals the disgraceful and lamentable convention of Cintra was made; the same ministers. under whose auspices the gallant and able Sir John Moore and his army were sacrificed, still remained intrusted with the direction of the military resources and affairs of this country. It was clear, from a 1 tter of the late Mr. Secretary Canning to Mr. Frère, that ministers knew they were in an error in expecting any aid from the auxiliary forces of Spain; yet they had undertaken a second cantpaign, and embarked another army in the same cause; acting precisely on the same principles which had before led to failure. Lord Lansdown proceeded to illustrate their incurable incapacity, blindness, and incorrigible presumption and obstinacy, by a number of facts relating to their conduct, not only respecting the campaigns in Spain, but the whole war, there and in other quarters Towards the conclusion of his speech, he said, he did cherish the hope, and would cherish it to the last, that if ever Europe was saved, this country would be an important agent in that great event. But it could never be accomplished by rash expeditions, without consulting the means of our allies. The desirable object was to be achieved only by a prudent use of our resources. Such was not the use made by his Majesty's present counsellors; and it was important that their lordships should be convinced of this, from the inefficiency of what they had already attempted. The more so, indeed, that their lordships were in some measure parties in the calamities that attended our arms, by passing over, without notice, the errors of the former campaign. On these grounds he moved two resolutions, which were to the following effect :

"That it appears to this house, after the most attentive examination of the papers laid before them relative to the late campaign in Spaio, that the safety of the army was improvidently and uselessly risked, and every loss and calamity suffered, without ground on which to expect any good result; and, that the whole did end in the retreat of the army.

2. "That previous to entering on this campaigu, ministers did not procure the necessary information of the state of Spain, and of its military resources; of the supplies that could be afforded, &c. &c.; and that the result of this rashness and ignorance was a result the most calamitous."

This gave rise to a short debate; the principal topics of which have been discussed again again and again in the debate on the king's speech, the motion fo a vote of thanks to Lord Wellington, and on other occasions.

The Marquis of Wellesley, in the course of a very animated and eloquent speech in reply to Lord Lansdown, hit off the character of Buonaparte with singular brevity and felicity. Experience had sufficiently shown, that there were no means, however unprincipled, that Buonaparte would scruple to employ for the attainment of his ends. To him force and fraud were alike: force, that would stoop to all the base artifices of fraud; and fraud, that would come armed with all the fierce violence of forec." The Marquis concluded

with a pathetic exhortation to stand by Spain, in which there was still life, and a high and proud spirit of patriotism, to the last.The Earl of Moira observed, that from the whole of the statements and animadversions of the noble marquis, not one sound position could be deduced hostile to the resolution before the house. It was the good or bad conduct of his Majesty's ministers, with regard to the late campaign, alone, that was the present question. Much as he wished for success to the Spanish cause, his conviction was, if it were meant to manage matters as they had hitherto been managed by his Majesty's ministers, it would be better at once to bring all our troops away from the peninsula. Yet he begged not to be understood as one who would recommend the desertion of Spain, while any prospect of success remained: on the contrary, he would afford every possible aid towards combining and concentrating the energies of the Spanish people for the attainment of their great object.

The question being loudly called for, the house divided: For the Marquis of Lansdown's motion, 33. Against it, 65.

House of Lords, June 13. The Earl of Grey submitted to the consideration of the house the state of the nation. He called their serious attention to those causes which, in his mind, had produced the dangers that pressed upon them in the present emergency, and to the policy which it was incumbent upon them to adopt, in order that they might be enabled effectually to meet, and ultimately to surmount them. Lord Grey con

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cluded