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HOUSE OF COMMONS.

THURSDAY, APRIL 19.

A ballot was to have taken place for a Committee to try and determine the merits of the Ilchefter election; but owing to there being only 75 members prefent at four o'clock, the ballot could not proceed, and therefore the Houfe adjourned.

HOUSE OF LORDS.

FRIDAY, APRIL 20.

IRISH MILITIA.

The order of the day, for the fecond reading of the Irish militia augmentation bill, having been read,

Lord Hobart ftated, that it was not his intention to enter much upon the merits of the measure recommended and to be provided for by the bill for the augmentation of the Irish militia, which he intended to move fhould be now read a fecond time. The question had, in a great measure, been difpofed of by the arguments that had been urged the preceding night, and he would only trouble the Houfe with a few of thofe which he conceived to be most material. It had been much objected to the measure, when under difcuffion in another place, that it would not add to the difpofable force of the country. From this he muft beg leave to diffent; for, although certainly the 10,000 Irifh militia that were to be raifed, were not of that defcription of force that would be fubject to be fent upon ordinary military fervice, yet they Inight be confidered, to a certain extent, as a disposable force, inafmuch as they might enable his Majefty to detach an equal number of the regular force wherever it may be necellary. With respect to any oppofition that the bill may meet with, although it was in all refpects of the fame precife tenor with a fimilar measure brought forward by the late Administration, he could not expect, on that account, that it would be found lefs objectionable, particularly by a noble Lord on an oppofite bench. He could perceive a fixed difpofition in that noble Lord to decry those measures of the prefent Government, which bore the greatest affinity to the meafures of that Government in which he filled a diftinguished place. Although that noble Lord had formerly fanctioned fimilar mealures, and fupported them

with all his acknowledged ability, yet the very circumstance of their being introduced by the prefent Minifters, was fufficient to induce him to condemn them as abfurd, puerile, and inefficient. It would be for the noble Lord to establish his confiftency, but he profeffed he could not discover upon what principle of that kind the noble Lord could now reprobate thofe measures he but a very few years ago approved. He withed noble Lords to understand that measures are now pursuing to augment the difpofable force to the amount of 25,000 more than at prefent; confequeutly it would be seen that Government are not inattentive to their duty. The noble Lord adverted to the obfervations which had been made the preceding evening, respecting the correfpondence carried on by a noble Lord (Redefdale) in Ireland, and observed that he never before that evening had conceived that private correfpondence ought to be made the fubject of public avowal or difavowal on the part of Government. He then moved the fecond reading of the bill.

Earl Spencer profeffed that his objection to this measure did not originate in any opinion which he might have formed on the letters alluded to by the noble Secretary of State. With refpect to the principle of the measure, he must condemn it altogether. It is impolitic at the prefent moment to take fo large a portion of the force as 10,000 from the defence of Ireland. He muft alfo contend, that it is impolitic and unwife to make fuch an addition for limited service only. We ought to add to our difpofable force, and therefore, inftead of increafing the militia of Ireland, at the rate of four guineas per man bounty, he would advife Minifters to give even the bounty of ten guineas for an equal number for general fervice. The noble Earl was happy to congratulate the Houfe upon what they had just heard from the noble Secretary of State, namely, that it is in contemplation to augment the difpofable force; but he could not help obferv. ing, that the whole of the measures of the prefent Adminiltration were calculated to thwart and crofs each other. He concluded with giving his decided negative to the motion for the fecond reading.

Land Grenville would not enter into any length of discusfion on that day, as many noble Lords befide himself were much fatigued from the length which the debate of the preceding evening had taken; he withed it, however, to be understood, that it was not because his opinions were changed. He thould take another opportunity of difcuffing the mea

fure,

fure, and would not fuffer any obfervations which might be made by noble Lords oppofite, refpecting the acts which had paffed during the time in which he formed a part of the Administration, to prevent him from giving his decided oppofition to a measure, which he confidered as one of the most weak, pitiable, and puerile measures which have difgraced the prefent Ministry. Whatever might have been the conftruction of the acts to which the allufion had been made, the Houfe would recollect the difference of fituation in which the country is placed at the prefent period, and at the time to which the noble Lord had alluded. If Minifters could not difcriminate, the House and the country would; and nothing fhould deter him from delivering his fentiments openly and fairly as an honeft Member of Parliament. He trufted the proper notice would be given of the next ftages of the bill, as many noble Lords not prefent wifhed to difcufs it.

The Lord Chancellor acknowledged, that he was never more furprised, than at the declaration of the noble Baron that he would not debate the principle of the bill at prefent. When that noble Lord on the preceding evening, with all the gravity that belonged to him, declared, on its being proposed to read the bill a fecond time, that he had more objections to make to it than to the bill which they had then debated, he really thought that the Houfe had a right to expect that he would come down prepared to ftate thofe objections. His Majefty's Minifters were fully prepared to enter upon the difcuffion: they felt within them all the ftrength and spirit of giants refreshed; and they challenged the noble Lord to the conteft. He, for one, was prepared to defend the present measure, which, in common with all the other measures of the prefent Minifters, were branded by his noble Friend (he hoped he would allow him to call him fo now, he hoped he fhould call him fo when all the nonfenfe of politics was over) with the epithets of puerile, inconfiderate, and he knew not what. He faw no reason why the difcuffion fhould be delayed, unless the noble Lord did not feel himself so confident at that moment as he appeared to be the preceding night.

Lord Grenville did not wish to difconcert the good humour of the noble and learned Lord. If, as he had declared, the Minifters felt like "giants refreshed," he could affure the noble Lord, that thofe on the fame fide of the Houfe with hin, did not feel, from any thing which had lately occurred in that House, that they had any reafon to fuppofe that they

had

had been discomfited. But really the caufe why he wished to poftpone the difcuffion was, that many noble Lords, who found it impoffible to attend that evening, were anxious to be prefent when the principle fhould be debated, and it was his wish to accommodate them. As that might as well be done on the confideration of the report, or on the third reading, he faw no abfolute neceffity for preffing it in the prefent ftage of the bill.

Lord Hawkesbury delivered a few words in reply, and propofed that the bill should be committed for Monday; and if no amendment took place, it might be reported on the fame evening, and the debate take place on the next day, on the third reading.

The bill was then read a fecond time, and committed for Monday.

The Houfe next refolved itself into a Committee on the Irish militia transfer bill, in which

The Bishop of St. Asaph drew the attention of noble Lords to an inconvenience to which, in his opinion, the officers and privates of the Irifh militia, who fhould come over under the authority of this act, would be fubject. The laws of Ireland, and particularly the 31ft of the King, allowed perfons profeffing the catholic religion to become members of the army and militia in that country. But that was not the cafe here. By the 1ft of George I. all perfons entering into the army were obliged to take the teft, the oaths of fupremacy and abjuration, and in cafe they fhould not, would be fubject to various civil incapacities, befides a fine of 500l. He wished the militia of Ireland, who in confequence of the prefent bill should come over here, to be protected against the operation of that penal law.

This brought on a converfation, in which the Lord Chancellor, Lords Hawkesbury, Grenville, Carnarvon, and Ellen. borough, took part. The latter noble and learned Lord was of opinion, that the Irish militia coming here, would come over with all the privileges and immunities that they were entitled to under the militia laws of their own country. He thought it would be very hard indeed, if when they came over here from principles of the pureft patriotifm and loyalty, they should be covered with penalties and difabilities. It was his opinion that they would not be fubject to the ope ration of the mutiny law of this country; however, if there was no other objection to it, he thought it would not be improper to introduce a special provifion to protect them

againft

against the poffible application of the provifions of the Englith mutiny act.

The Lord Chancellor did not fee the abfolute neceffity of any fuch provifo; however, whether or not, he thought it would be right to defer the confideration of it to fome other ftage of the bill. It might be as well done on receiving the report, or on the third reading of the bill.

The remaining provifions of the bill were then read, and the further difcuflion of the provifo, propofed by Lord Ellenborough, refe: ved till Monday, to which day the House adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

FRIDAY, APRIL 20.

The Houfe proceeded to ballot for a Committee to try the merits of the petitions complaining of an undue election and return for the borough of Ilchefter.

Mr. Rofe ftated, as a ground for a motion he intended to make, that the accounts already on the table relative to the ftate of the public revenue, were neither fatisfactory, nor fufficient to enable gentlemen to form any just opinion on this most important fubject. The hon. Gentleman therefore moved, that there be laid before the House an account of the produce of all the permanent taxes in the years ending the 5th January 1803, and the 5th January 1804, distinguishing thofe which had been impofed previous to the year 1793, and thofe laid en fince; alfo diftinguishing the amount of the duties which had been poftponed previbus to the 5th of January 1803, and were received in the course of 1803; alfo the amount of the duties poftponed previous to the 5th of January 1804, wh ch had been received in the course of the prefent year; likewife fhewing the diminution of the revenue in payment of corn bounties.

Mr. Vanfittart affenting to the motion, the accounts were ordered.

On the motion of Mr. Secretary Yorke, the Lords' amendments to the volunteer bill were ordered to be taken into confideration on Monday next.

The Commitec on the militia officers bill was put off to Monday.

GOVERNMENT DISPATCHES TO INDIA.

Mr. Kinnaird rofe to make a motion for papers, to which,

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