notice, much lefs to have been made a ground for the prefent application to the Houfe. The fmallness of the quantity is the very ground of the objection; in all I have faid I muft have been wholly misunderstood, if Gentlenen are not aware that the objection is ftronger in proportion to the infignificance and contemptibility of the affair to which it is directed. All the motive of this difcuffion on my part, is to fhew that the exertions in the naval department are inadequate. Great as may be my refpect for Lord St. Vincent, I cannot be guilty of the hypocrify to fay, this department of the fervice. has been wifely conducted. I have a greater stake, even than the reputation of the noble Lord, it is no lefs than the fafety and existence of the country, and the fulfilment of my duty at this critical juncture, as a Member of the British Parlia ment. What in nature can induce the Admiralty, acknowledging as they do the utility of this force, thus to circumfcribe it? This conduct feems to be governed by fome fuch motives as influenced the 5th Harry, when he would not have another hero to fhare in the victory. Are they fearful of adding another gun brig to partake the glory? The building in merchants' yards, they fay, is subject to ferious objections. As far as my experience can inform, none of thofe that have been ftated, are capable of being fupported. Have we not the beft mercantile marine in the world, and is not that erected in thefe yards? The fhips of the Eaft-India Company, which are as perfect and complete as any applied to the purposes of navigation on any fervice whatever, are built in thefe yards. Why then are thefe extenfive depôts of private property and public induftry to be fo mercilessly decried? The hon. Gentleman who was fo fevere in his cenfures on the merchants' yards, was not lefs fo in his remarks on the peculation in his Majefty's yards, and thefe he introduced as a defence of the noble Lord; but he was not aware that he by this defeated his own purpose, and tended to thew that the navy could no where be fupplied; for both in the private and public inftitutions for its maintenance, there was such a system of nefarious dealing, as to make them both equally unfit to be employed. Mr. Pitt, in conclufion, delivered an eloquent panegyric on the gallantry of Lord St. Vincent, and declared that he was folely actuated in thus coming forward by motives of public duty. No admiration, however great, of the character of an individual, or even gratitude due for fervices to any character or perfon, fhould ever induce him to make

a fa.

a facrifice of his public and parliamentary duty. He had been happy to fee the noble Earl placed in his prefent fituation, to which he conceived his name would be a tower of ftrength, and fuch he believed had been his language. However, in his eftimation, it was no difgrace to acknowledge that he had at one time formed a fanguine opinion, which fubfequent experience induced him to alter; and being fo difappointed, to act, not upon the preconceived opinion, but upon that matured by experience. He was forry that what he propofed might tend in fome degree to implicate Earl St. Vincent, but he had to repeat, that no tenderness, no confideration for that character, high and great as it defervedly was, fhould induce him to facrifice his duty to the public, whose fafety, in fuch a crifis as the prefent, was the first object of his heart.

Sir James Pulteney fpoke in defence of the conduct of the Board of Admiralty, and recapitulating the statements of Sir Edward Pellew, Captain Markham, and Mr. Addington, respecting the state and efficiency of our naval force, contended that we were able to block up the enemy in their ports, and thus to deride their menaces of invafion.

At half past twelve the Houfe became urgent for the queftion, and the gallery was cleared. We understand Mr. Pitt's first and fecond motions were agreed to. Upon the question being put on the third, fome further difcuffion took place, introduced by Mr. Fox. At half paft one o'clock the Houfe divided, when the numbers were,

Counsel were heard in the appeal from the Court of Seffion in Scotland, the hon. Captain Charles Elphinstone Fleming against the hon. George Abercromby, of Tallybody. The further confideration was poftponed till Monday.

The Irish malt duty, Irish revenue, Irish countervailing duty, and Irish hide and tallow duty bills, were brought from the Commons and read a first time.

The bills on the table were forwarded in their stages.
Adjourned till Monday.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

FRIDAY, MARCH 16.

The Scotch bank stock bill was read a fecond time, and committed to a private Committee.

On the motion of Mr. Sargent a new writ was ordered for the election of a reprefentative for the borough of Yarmouth in the county of Southampton, in the room of John Delgarno, Efq. who has accepted of the Stewartry of the Chiltern Hundreds.

Mr. Corry brought in a bill for the relief of the families of the Irish militiamen; which was read a first time, and ordered to be read a fecond time on Monday next.

The Exchequer bills bill went through a Committee, and the report was ordered to be received on Monday.

Lord William Ruffell rofe to fubmit a motion refpecting

the

the prefent fyftem for the improvement and keeping in repair the public highways. The noble Lord ftated the reafons which induced him to bring forward this propofition. He understood it to be generally known, that much practical inconvenience had arifen from the mode which, under the law as it now ftood, was reforted to in order to provide for statute Jabour, or the performance of ftatute duty. This labour was felt to be very confiderable, and the burthen of taxation neceffary to provide for it very unequally distributed, infomuch that it was the general with that fome better arrangement fhould be adopted This with was expreffed fo ftrongly, at a very refpectable affemblage of the magiftrates of the county which he had the honour to reprefent, that he felt it to be his duty to introduce the fubject to the notice of Parliament; at the fame time he would be much more happy that the bufinefs had been undertaken by fome perfon of more ability and weight than he poffeffed. The noble Lord concluded with moving for leave to bring in a bill to alter and amend fo much of the act of the 34th of his prefent Majefty, as relates to the fums to be paid by perfons who hail compound for ftatute labour.

Sir Robert Buxton had no objection to the motion, but wifhed fome regulation to be introduced into, this bill with refpect to the dimenfions of the wheels of carts, &c. which fhould be employed in the performance of statute labour, &c.

The Speaker obferved, that the fuggeftion of the hon. Baronet could not be introduced into the bill under its prefent title, but that at a future ftage that title might be altered, and a claufe, correfpondent to the hon. Member's idea, be incorporated with it.

Lord W. Ruffell's motion was agreed to.

Mr. Alexander brought up the report of the Committee on the neutral fhips bill, which was agreed to, and the bill ordered to be read a third time on Monday.

Mr. Vanfittart brought in a bill to continue the act of the 41ft of his prefent Majefty for allowing plantation sugar to be warehoufed; which was read a first time, and ordered to be read a fecond time on Monday.

This hon. Gentleman alfo introduced a bill for continuing the feveral regulations with refpe&t to rape-feed, feal skins, the Greenland whale filhery, oil and blubber, &c. &c. as recommended by the refolutions of the expiring laws Committee. This bill was read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time on Monday.

The