the conduct of Minifters in thefe refpects, he deemed to require mature confideration and thorough investigation on the part of their Lordships.

The Earl of Carnarvon said, that the converfation was perfealy irregular, and that the arguments ufed were still more fo, as they were in exprefs breach of one of the standing orders of the Houfe, even if the fubject was before them. It is a standing order, faid his Lordship, that it fhall never be urged as an argument against the full confideration of any fubject that the preffure of time called for a fpeedy decifion. If there is any danger in the interval required for mature deliberation. of this measure, it is imputable to the negligence of Administration, who have fuffered fo long a space to lapfe between their declaration that war was inevitable, and the production of any new fyftem which they might think neceffary for the defence of the country: but no preffure of time can make it fit that any measure should be paffed without due deliberation: no precipitation can be admitted which may give fanction to an inadequate, if not a dangerous fyftem. The careleffness and precipitation with which important bills have been paffed, is fufficiently proved by the repeated neceflity of correcting their errors. In the last feffion one of the most important bills has paffed connected with the prefent; it paffed in a thin Houfe in two days, without obfervation, and was in the fame feffion amended, and both the amended and amending bill again reamended in the fame feffion, and with the fame hurry as if it was not fit to be feen, or could fupport difcuffion; and it ftill requires another amendment, if not a total repeal. Without any reafon, and without deliberate examination, it afferts a prerogative in the Crown, which no reading in history or law ever gave me the flighteft fufpicion of; nor have I met with any person who can detail the proofs of fuch prerogative having ever been afferted but in this act. Whether the prefent measure fufpends, repeals, or confirms this act I know not. The noble Secretary fays, that the fubject has been fo long in every man's mind that he must be easily prepared for the difcuffion. I do not know the contents of the bill; I have not even read it fince its laft recommitment, fince which many alterations have been made; and I am only fure that it must be connected with a bill which requires great attention, I mean the defence bill, before it can be fit to graft any o her upon it. I trust, therefore, that no hurry in paffing this bill is intended: Tuesday is too short a time to conVOL. II. 1803-4.

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fider a bill whofe print will not be delivered till to-morrow evening, and which arifes out of and rests on the foundation of other bills which require themfelves a concurrent exami

nation.

The Lord Chancellor quitted the woolfack, and delivered his fentiments upon the occafion. He adverted to the irregular turn which the debate had taken, but which to observe upon, as he then felt it proper, he muft neceffarily fall into the fate irregularity himself. The queftion he conceived was, whether the bill fhould be read a fecond time on Tuefday; and in confidering this, the noble and learned Lord commented on what had fallen from a noble Earl then near him, and from a noble Lord who had fpoken at the oppofite fide of the Houfe: the inconfiftency of whofe arguments, as operating either in favour of delay or, on the contrary, for expedition were remarked upon by his Lordship. With his noble Friend he agreed in the propriety of maturely and deliberately confidering the measure before them; it was irregular in point of form, as well as an erroneous way of confidering the cafe, to go upon an affumption of what the House in its wifdom may refolve upon with refpect to the enfuing period of recefs. He feemed to think the latter day mentioned, the preferable of the two, as, in common with feveral of their Lordships, he knew but very little of the detailed. provisions of the bill, fave from that defcription of them which his duty, on the occafion of the first reading of the bill, rendered it neceffary he fhould read to the Houfe; and he was fully convinced of the propriety of duly and thoroughly dif cuffing the meafure in queftion.

The Earl of Darnley fpoke in explanation, and Lord Minto feemed inclined to fpeak, when

Lord Walfingham deemed it incumbent on him to remind their Lordships of the obvious irregularity of the prefent difcuffion. There was, ftrictly Speaking, no queftion before the House, as in point of form, the fecond reading of the bill could not regularly be moved for, until the prints were before their Lordships.

The correctness of this remark was with great good humour acknowledged by the Lord Chancellor, and

Lord Hawkesbury, in the courfe of a thort explanation as to the point of form, reminded their Lordships, that what the noble Lord had obferved, had been conceived by him in the first instance. He then obferved that it was his intention to move for the fecond reading of the bill on Tuesday.

The

The innkeepers allowance bill and two private bills were brought up from the Commons. These were feverally read a first time; and the few bills on the table forwarded each a stage.

Their Lordships then adjourned till Monday,

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

FRIDAY, MARCH 23.

The Houfe having, purfuant to fummons, proceeded to the House of Lords, the Speaker on, their return ftated, that the royal affent had been given by commiffion to feveral public bills.

Mr. Vanfittart prefented an account of the net produce of the ordinary and extraordinary revenues of Great Britain for the year 1803. Ordered to be printed.

Mr. Irving presented an account of the amount of the revenue received upon imports and exports for the preceding eighteen years.

Mr Kemp, from the Tax office, prefented an account of the produce of the permanent taxes of Great Britain for the last year, with a duplicate. Ordered to be laid on the table and to be printed.

The innkeepers allowance bill was read a third time and paffed.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer faid, that a copy of the proceedings of the Privy Council, refpecting the fhips captured at Toulon, in the course of the laft war, had been fome time lying on the table of the House, and he gave notice of his intention of moving in the Committee of Supply on Monday next, for a grant of a fum to carry into effect the recommendation of the Lords of the Treafury, in order that the furn fhould be diftributed among the captors of thofe prizes.

The Houfe having confidered, in Committee, the act of the 42d of the King refpecting the regulation of the linen. manufacture, the chairinen obtained leave to bring in a bill to repeal fo much of the faid act as relates to the Irish linen manufacture, particularly with respect to flax feed.

A perfon from the commiffioners of customs prefented an account of the balances and arrears due by the collectors of the customs. Ordered to be printed.

Lord A. Hamilton rofe, pursuant to notice, to move for the production of a copy of any orders which may have been

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iffued by the Lords of his Majefty's Treafury in Ireland, affecting the half pay of officers on the Irish establishment when employed in England. The noble Lord stated his object to be to afcertain whether the indulgence of paying the revenues of the civil officers of the Irish Government in this country at par, was extended to any other perfons, and particularly whether the meritorious perfons who were the subjects of his motion experienced this mark of favour.

Mr. Corry faid, he was not aware of the existence of any order fuch as the noble Lord alluded to, but yet he had no objection to the motion; nor to anfwer any queftion which might be put by the noble Lord, or any other Member, in order to put the Houfe in poffeffion of full and fatisfactory information with refpect to the affairs of Ireland.

The motion was agreed to.

CAPTURES AT TOULON.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, finding that he was miftaken in fuppofing the report of the proceedings of the PrivyCouncil refpecting the captures at Toulon, to which he had before alluded, were printed, faid, he should propose the printing of this document, and, in order to give time to the House to examine it, fhould withdraw his notice for Monday, and defer until Wednesday the motion in the Committee of Supply.

Mr. Johnstone thought this a fubject of fo much importance, and one fo likely to give rife to confiderable difference of opinion, that the propofed motion of the right hon. Gentleman ought to be poftponed till after the recefs, in order to give time for confideration, and that the difcuffion and attendance fhould be full and fatisfactory.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer stated, that from the nature of this bufinefs all unneceffary delay fhould be avoided; and he was certain, that did the hon. Member know the extreme anxiety felt by the feamen and others interested in the fubject, he would himself be among the first to press that it fhould be decided on as foon as poffible.

Mr. Rofe was not aware, before that day, that any such papers as thofe alluded to by the right hon. Gentleman who had just fat down were on the table of the Houfe; nor was he aware that any fuch claim had ever been preferred by thofe engaged in taking the ships, &c. at Toulon, although he was long in office atter that event. The fubject appeared to him to be of much importance, and he was therefore inclined

inclined to agree with the propofition for farther time to confider it than the right hon. Gentleman had mentioned.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer ftated, in proof of the urgency of the cafe, and the propriety of expedition, that many of the perfons interefted in the difcuffion only waited the refult to fet off for different ftations in the fervice of their country. If, however, it fhould appear that the attendance fhould be thin on Wednesday, and that the propofition was not, therefore, likely to receive an ample difcuffion, he certainly thould comply with the with expreffed for putting it off till after the holidays.

After a few words from Mr. Rofe and Mr. G. Vanfittart, the papers were ordered to be printed.

PROPERTY TAX.

Mr. Vanfittart moved for leave to bring in a bill to repeal part of the property tax act, for the purpofe of relieving bankers and others receiving dividends, from the penalties to which they would otherwise be liable.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer obferved, that the measure was brought forward in confequence of its being understood that the bankers wifhed fuch a measure to be brought in previous to the recess.

After a few words from Mr. Dent, leave was given.

The bill was afterwards brought in by Mr. Vanfittart, read a first and fecond time, and committed for Monday.

LOYALTY LOAN.

Mr. Dent, in adverting to this fubject, obferved, than an opinion had been given by the counfel to the Bank, different from thofe of the Attorney and Solicitor General. The fubject was of very confiderable importance, as it involved a capital of 20,250,000l. and if the period of payment was to be deferred till April 1805, and any event, fuch as a peace, fhould take place, caufing a great rife in the price of the funds, a very material confideration would arife out of it, as the loyalty loan could not then rife above par. It was important that the queftion, refpecting the time of payment, thould be fettled, as he understood that feveral holders of the loan, to the amount of upwards of 2,000,000l. had given notice that they expected to be paid on the 10th of October

Dext.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer faid, that the fubject divided itself into two heads, the first a queftion of law, and the next of equity. With respect to the question of law,

the