Barlow, R. Burdet:, Sir Francis Bagenel, Walter Barclay, Sir R. Crautuid, Colonel Combe, H. C. Cartwright, W. R. Kinnaird, Hon. Charles Laurence, Dr. Lee, Antonie Morpeth, Lord M'Mahon, F. Madocks, William Milner, Sir William Moore, G. Moore, G. P. North, Dudley Ossulston, Lord Ord, William Petty, Lord H. Ponsonby, Rt. Hon. W. Ponsonby, George Russell, Lord William Spencer, Lord Robert St. John, Hon. St. Andr. Scudamore, John Temple, Lord Fox, Hon: Chas. Jas, Wrottesley, Sir John Fitzpatrick, Hon. R. Wynne, Sir W. W. Folkestone, Lord Wynne, Charles W. W. Fellowes, R. Windham, Rt. Hon. W. Francis Philip Walpole, Hon. George Grenville, Rt. Hon. Th. Young, Sir W. When strangers were admitted, the House was occupied in receiving the different amendments. Dent, John Ellis, Ch. Rose Elliot, Wm. Sir J. Wrottesley moved an amendment, "that all volunteers, whose services had been accepted subsequent to the 22d June, 1803, should not be entitled to the customary exemptions, unless they bound themselves to extend their services, in case of invasion, to any part of Great Britain." Mr. Secretary Yorke opposed this amendment, as being in substance the same which had been rejected at another period of the bill. There were local and particular circumstances which rendered it unadvisable, that corps should on all occasions volunteer for general service. Mr. Pitt supported the amendment, on the principle that it would be extremely desirable that the House and the bountry should know with certainty what description and extent of service they were to depend upon in case of invasion. After several other observations from different hon. members, the question was put, and there were For the amendment Against it 37 79 The report was ordered to be brought up again to-morrow.-Mr. Pitt said, that as he understood that it was the intention of some of his Majesty's ministers to bring forward a measure that would have a similar tendency, he would, with leave of the House, agree to wait for any reasonable length of time, in order to see how far their measure would go.-The other orders of the day were' then disposed of, and the House adjourned at half past two. HOUSE OF LORDS. Tuesday, March 20. Mr. Erskine was heard, and evidence re ceived in behalf of Lady H. Fitzgerald's! claim to the Ross Peerage, The further hearing adjourned to Thursday next.-The Irish Revenue, the Irish Malt Duties, and Hides and Tallow Importation Bills, went through a Committee of the whole House, and the report was ordered to be received to-morrow. Several Bills were received from the Commons, and read the first time. Adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. Tuesday, March 20. (MINUTES.]-Sir John Frederick obtained leave to bring in a Bill for paving, lighting, and cleansing the parish of Lambeth in the county of Surry.-The Two Millions Exchequer Bills Bill was read a third time and passed.-Sir Jacob Astley moved, that there be laid before the House an account of the malt imported into Gt. Britain from Ireland, and into Ireland from Gt. Britain, during the 6 years, ending 5th of Jan. 1804; distinguishing the duties upon each for each year, as well as the separate duties appertaining to Scotland; also, that there be laid before the House an account of the quantity of malt carried coastways between Englandand Scotland; also, an account of the quantity of beer imported into Gt. Britain from Ireland, and vice versâ; also, an account of the quantity of malt, on which a duty was charged in Gt. Britain, and in Ireland, during the same period. These several motions were agreed to.-Mr. King moved, that there be laid before the House a list of all public accomptants, in respect of whom any process had been suspended, prevented, or controled, under the authority of the act of the 29th of the King. Ordered.—A person from the Exchequer presented at the bar the accounts relative to the surplus of the Consolidated Fund, moved for on the preceding. day by Mr. Gregor. They were laid on the table and ordered to be printed. The Highway Statute Labour Bill was read a second time, and ordered to be committed only pro forma, and deferred till after the Easter recess. [PROPERTY TAX.]-Earl Temple observed, that he had on a former day given notice of his intention to bring forward a motion relative to the assessments which had been made on the military incomes of subaltern officers. But since he gave that notice, several other cases of a similar kind had presented themselves, which he conceived to be equally strong and equally deserving the at tention of Parliament, with that of subaltern officers. He should therefore conceive, he had acted wrong, if he did not bring all the other cases under the consideration of the House. He now, therefore, withdrew the first notice he had given, and gave notice, that shortly after the recess, he would bring forward his motion in a more enlarged and extended shape. His motion should be for alCommittee of the whole House to consider the propriety of revising and amending the act for laying a duty on property. [VOLUNTEER CONSOLIDATION BILL.]Mr. Secretary Yorke moved, that the report of the volunteer consolidation bill be taken into further consideration.-The report was accordingly taken into consideration, and the clerk, proceeded to read over the several amendments and clauses, adopted in the Committee, in order to be agreed to by the House. On the clause respecting the allowances to volunteers on being called out, Mr. Pitt said, that as the clause stood, the guinea, to which each volunteer would be entitled who came out on permanent pay and duty, was to be placed in the hands of the commanding officer to lay out the whole or part, as he should think fit, for necessaries for the use of such volunteer. Now, when he first took the liberty of suggesting to the House the propriety of improving as rapidly as possible, the discipline of the volunteers, he conceived, that the idea of the House was to hold out to each volunteer distinctly a bounty for, so doing. It was agreed, that many must make great sacrifices in coming out upon permanent duty, and he did understand, that the principle of giving a bounty to each individual was acceded to. But he could not help thinking, that the bounty being disposed of as provided in the bill, it must operate as an impediment to any encouragement to the volunteers to come out, as the sum to be given would no longer be at the disposal of the individual, nor would he be enabled to provide for his fa mily out of it during his absence. The mo ney was thus prevented from becoming what it ought to be, a substitute for his earnings during his absence. Mr. Secretary Yorke contended, that the guinea ought not to go indiscriminately into the pockets of the volunteers; as, though there might be several industrious men with families, who might wish to appropriate the money to the use of those families, yet there were others who might probably lay it out in procuring those indulgencies which were not very consistent with the character of a soldier. Mr. Kinnaird denied that this guinea was an inducement to the volunteers to come out, at least in Scotland, because, in fact, they were not paid. He wished to know, whether this guinea was to be paid to them, and if it was, whether it was in the discretion of the commanding officer to lay it out for the men in the purchase of necessaries for them, and he also wished to know, whether that guinea was to be considered as a part of the two guineas which the volunteers were to receive when called out in case of invasion. Mr. Sturges Bourne contended, that the guinea allowed ought to be paid directly to the volunteers, as an inducement to them to offer their services for permanent duty. They came out last year because they were told of invasion, but they would not come dut upon the same grounds now when they were told, as they had been in Parliament, that all apprehensions upon that subject was a mere panic, and that the fleet at Boulogne was a Musquito fleet. This guinea ought, therefore, to be given to the men, and even that would be but a small compensation for the loss of time they would sustain in being absent from their labour for 3 weeks. Mr. Pitt said, if he had understood the instruction sent round by the Sec. of State, according to the construction now put upon it, he certainly would not have troubled the House about it, but certainly that was not the way in which it was generally understood. He was perfectly satisfied with the explanation he had heard, and should act accordingly; but he submitted, whether it might not be proper that some means should be taken of informing others who might have understood the instructions as he had done, and who had not the advantage of hearing the explanation which had been given. Mr. Hiley Addington said, that the most advantageous way of laying out this money, would be to purchase great coats, which were in point of fact absolutely necessary. With respect to the price of them, he knew that so far from their costing 23 or 24s. that very good ones might be had for 13s. Mr. Canning said, that the guinea which was to be allowed to the volunteers who offered their services for permanent duty, had been very improperly, in his opinion, compared with the marching guinea allowed to the regulars and to the militia. With regard to the latter, when they were ordered to march, it was not optional in them to march or not, they were bound to do it; but the case was very different with regard to the volunteers. You could not compel the volunteers to offer their services for permanent duty, and, therefore, the guinea was given to them as an inducement to them to go out. General Grosvenor said, he never was an advocate for this guinea at all; it was one out of two guineas to be allowed in all to the volunteer, and he should vote, for its being laid out as proposed by the original clause, and not by that which was proposed by the amendment. HOUSE OF LORDS. Wednesday, March 21. Mr. Alexander was heard on the part of the Respondents in the Appeal Cause the Hon. C. Elphinstone Fleeming v. Hon. G. Montgomery. To be further proceeded in on Friday. The Irish Malt Duty Bill, the Irish Countervailing Duties Bill, and the Hides and Tallow Importation Bill were severally read a third time and passed, and ordered back to the Commons. A person from the Exchequer Office in Ireland presented at the bar certain documents respecting the case of Redington v. Redington, which is to be heard before their Lordships. -Adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. Wednesday, March 21. [MINUTES.-Dr. Grey presented at the bar the account of the trustees for the Bri tish Museum.-Mr. Alexander brought up the report of the Sugar Warehousing BillAlso the report of the Expiring Laws' Bill.The Chancellor of the Exchequer informed the House from the bar, that his Majesty had been waited on with the addresses of the House of the 13th of Feb. and of the 15th of March, which his Majesty had received graciously. A message from the Lords acquainted the House that their Lordships had agreed to the Irish Duties' Bill, the Irish Malt 'Duty Bill, the Irish Countervailing Duty Bill, and the Neutral Ships' Bill, without any amendment. [LISKEARD ELECTION.]-Mr. W. Dundas stated to the House, that he held in his hand a petition, which was deserving the attention of the House. The petition was from William Huskisson, Esq. who had been returned by the returning officer for the borough of Liskeard, as duly elected at the last election, but who, on coming to town to take his seat, found that the under sheriff of the county of Cornwall had transmitted to the clerk of the crown the return, but accompanied with a piece of parchment, purporting to be another return of T. Sheridan, Esq. for the same borough, but which parchment was neith r signed nor sealed with the arms of the borough by the returning officer. The petitioner, therefore, appealed to the justice of the House, trusting, that as but one legal return had been made, he should not be prevented from taking his seat until after the decision of a Committee. Having stated thus much, Mr. Dundas wished to abide the sense of the House as to the course he should adopt. The Speaker informed the hon. member, that, if the petition complained of an undue return in the usual way, it might be presented as a matter of course; but being such as the hon. member had stated, it could not be brought up without first putting the question on it. Mr. Pitt observed, that, according to the facts, if they were truly stated, it appeared that only one valid return had been made by the sheriff, the course for the House therefore to adopt, would be to order the deputy clerk of the Crown to attend at the bar with the last return, in order to ascertain the truth of the facts. If it should appear that only one instrument had the seal and signature of the returning officer, then unquestionably but one valid return had been made. The Chancellor of the Exchequer said, that feeling, as every member of the Parliament did, a strong jealousy on every question relating to elections, if any evidence was to be taken, or witnesses examined, he had no hesitation in saying, that the petition should go to a committee. The petition was then ordered to lie on the table, and the deputy clerk of the Crown was ordered to attend to-morrow with the last return for the borough of Liskeard. [NAVAL SURPLUS.] The Chancellor of the Exchequer in a Committee of the whole House to consider of ways and means for raising a supply granted to his Majesty, said, if gentlemen would look to page 3 of the accounts of the grants for the service of the year 1803, they would find that the grants for the naval service of that year amounted to £9,951,378, the demands for the service of that department amounted to £8,174,711; the grants had, therefore, exceeded the demand by £1,776,667. This being the case, he should propose, as was the usual custom, to grant the surplus towards the ways and means for raising the supply to be granted to his Majesty for the present year, if it were not for a circumstance in the 11th page. This was, that several payments had been made for other services not belonging to the year 1803, amounting to £579,706. These demands all made by authority of acts of Parliament, had been satisfied by the Admiralty, out of the ways and means of the year. It was usual when the vote was insufficient for the service, to move the Committee of Supply to make good the deficiency. There the grant was more than sufficient, and the surplus would of course be carried to the service of the year. The surplus was reduced by the payments here advanced to £1,370,669. It was necessary to apprize the Committee that the sur. plus of £1,766,000, was not to be considered as a saving in expenditure. It was not to be understood, that the expense was so much less than the sum voted. There was an increase of navy debt to the amount of £931,352. The amount being on the 1st Dec. 1802, £3,105,648. On the 1st Dec. 1803, £4,037,000. This accumulation to the debt, was wholly unavoidable, arising from navy bills not being presented for payment, and the arrears of pay due to seamen on foreign stations, the navy debt must always be increased or diminished. All that was necessary on the part of the Treasury, was to provide the means of satisfying the demands when made, and when the demands were not made, though the Treasury should be full of money, the debt must remain undiminished. This sum of £931,352 must therefore be deducted from £1,776,667, leaving the real amount of the A sum beyond what was necessary for vice of the last year £845,315 not necessary, however, to keep the of satisfying such an amount or d greater part of which may not be ca for several years, it was his inter move the House to have the who of £1,370,669 applied to other diminishing per tanto the loan, o ways and means for the present yea moved accordingly, that towards rais supply to be granted to his Majesty be voted £1,307,644 4s. 8d. from plus of the grants for the service year 1803. Lord Folkestone thought it was a to suppose there was a surplus; if men would look to the last page of per where the several sums are ma no account had been presented this the produce of the consolidated fund was, therefore, no reason to suppose consolidated fund had afforded the of £6,500,000 anticipated from it. however, he laid no stress, as there proof one way or the other bef House. But with respect to the wa the produce of which was estim 4,500,000l. it was found by an accou sented six weeks since, that they h duced something less than 1,900,0001 ing a deficiency of 2,600,000l. which reduce the surplus now proposed to b to a deficit of 1,300,000l. If the 93 added to the navy debt were deducte the surplus of 1,766,000l. there wo main a sum of above 800,000), of th of last year unapplied, which he t extraordinary at a time when every e should be made in the naval departme the House was intitled to expect equal to the amount of the sum g He wished, and he thought it would b satisfactory to have the amount of the in each item particularly stated. The lord then adverted to the account of t position of the grants for the land s which stated the number of regular at 65,574 effective men. A noble (Castlereagh) had stated them at 30,000 more. He wished to know ther the noble lord included in his stat the army of reserve, or what it was th casioned the difference of the stated Another item was the grant of 1,500 to enable his Majesty to take such m as the exigencies of affairs may require the distribution of this sum no satis account was given. He thought it a after all this, to call on the House to surplus. Mr. Vansittart stated the surplus of the consolidated fund for the year 1803, voted at 6,500,000l. to have produced 5,600,000l. in Jan. last. The remaining 900,000 was to be made good out of the produce exported in January, but not yet derived. With respect to the produce of the war taxes, it was not in Jan., but on the 5th of April, that they were calculated to produce 4,500,000l. The war taxes differed from the surplus of the consolidated fund in this, that the surplus could not be taken till the accounts were made up, whereas the war taxes were derivable as they went on. In the last week there had been paid in, on account of the war táxes, 3,131,000l. leaving 1,379,000l. to be made good by the 5th of April. Whether it would be made good, remains to be seen. The accounts now presented were in the usual form. The balances were not expected to be stated item by item as they arose In answer to the observation of his noble friend's (Lord Castlereagh) statement of the amount of the forces, he had only to observe, that his noble friend included in his statement other descriptions of force not included in the 66,000, but mentioned in other parts of the paper. It did not appear yet, whether there was any excess in the military department. As to the vote of credit for 1,500,000l. there was every year an account of the application of that vote. That account would be soon made out, and laid before the House. The reason why a small part of the vote of credit, 5,000l. remained on hand, was, that it was inapplicable to the service of the preceding year. For the same reason there was 900,000!. of new taxes now laying unapplied. Mr. Johnstone wished to know, whether the saving in the naval department was owing to the economy of the present Board of Admiralty, or the consequence of fewer seamen being employed than were voted? The Chancellor of the Exchequer said, that the saving was in a great measure owing to economy in the Admiralty, but also in a considerable degree to there not having been as great a number of seamen in the early part of the year as had been voted. The demands for naval service were, how. ever, so extraordinary and unprecedented, that it was matter of surprise and joy that any saving should have been made, and that that expense did not even exceed the estimate. This was the more extraordinary, as the number of seamen and marines now on board was not 1,500 short of the number voted by Parliament. He did not wish to give all the merit of the saving to economy, but if there had not been economy, instead of a saving Parliament would have an excess to make good. Mr. Sturges Bourne wished to know, whether there were any documents relating to the particulars of the savings? - The Chancellor of the Exchequer said, that no such accounts had been given in the last war, and in the present instance, when the ablest financier of England (Mr. Pitt), one who combined the largest with the most minute view, was present when the accounts were referred to the committee, and made no remark on them, there was reason to suppose they were correct. Some further conversation ensued between Mr. Tierney, Lord Folkestone and Mr. Vansittart, in the course of which Mr. Vansittart stated, in answer to a question asked upon the subject, that the monies already paid into the Exchequer on account of the property tax, amounted to 1,260,000l.-The motion was at length agreed to, and the House having resumed, the report was ordered to be received to-morrow, and the committee to sit again on Friday. HOUSE OF LORDS. Thursday, March 22. Several bills were brought up from the Commons, which were read a first time.-On the question for going into a Committee on the Irish Priests' and Deacons Bill. sideration of the present bill be postponed. -Lord Ellenborough moved that the con-The commitment of the bill in question was accordingly postponed till this day month. The bills on the table were then forwarded, and the House adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. [NAVAL SURPLUS.J-Mr. Alexander brought up the report of the Committee of Ways and Means of yesterday.-The resolution for appropriating the surplus of 1,370,6741. of the grants of the navy being read, Lord Folkestone repeated the observations which he had made in the Committee, that instead of a surplus, there was a deficit in the supplies of last year. He had recurred to the only documents which he could consult on the subject, namely, the statement of the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the Budget, and, he contended, that bore him out in the observation. The war taxes had |