Star. — London, England, 1802-05-27 00:00:00

PARLIAM.EivTART PROC.EADINGS. iIOOSF OF LOADS, WEDNESDAY, MAY 26. Omarl was beard on the claim of the Rev. Mr. Bridges to tbr Barony of Chandos. Tbc farther bearing was pottpoocd to it iday. cm4nvcr OT THY LATE MINISTERS. Lord Sersin.k laid, he would once more afk errtain Noble Loris, whom he law in their placer, whether they intended to bring forward any mo tion for thanking the late Ministers for their con- i dna ? If it was not their intention to do fo, he wintld now name a day for moving a vote of difap probation agaii:it them. His motion fhould em• bi ace three diflinet things : r. The cirountlance of their having involved the country unneceffarily in the war—a. The manner in which they had conduCted that war—and, 3. Their defertion from their polls in a moment of great national difficulty and danger, by which means a Peace was obtained, or rather fubntitted to, on terms much more difad vantageous than it otherwife would have been. The Noble Earl finding that no anfwer was made to his queftion, then rote and gave notice, that to morrow fe'nnight he &mild bring forward his motion of cedars r and the Lords were order ed to be fummoned for that day. PENSION S. Lord HOLLAND laid, that an order had been made feveral weeks ago, for laying before that Houfe the Accounts of the Four and a Half per Cent. Duties derived by the Crown from certain pole (sons in the WeR Indies, and on which va. :ions Penfions were charged. He was much fur. priced that thole Accounts were not yet laid on the Table ; and be rofe now to aik his Majefty's Mini tiers, whom he bad not always the pleafure of feting in their places, what could be the cattle of that delay? Lord Plt L HAM Lid, he thought thofe Papers had been already on the Table, and it was not till that moment he heard they had not been pre tented. He did not exatly know what the caufe of the delay was ; but he fuppofed it mull have been occafioned by the difficulty which the Clerks in the different offices had in making out the Ac counts. Lord Sur rote raid, there was another very pro. duaive fource of revenue which was applicable to the Civil Lift, and on which various Penfions were paid—he meant the money arifing from the file of old notes belonging to the Navy. He Mould move for an account of thefe, becaufe he thought it would be abfullitely necclf:u•y for the I Joule to know the amount of the petitions grant. cd by the Crown, together with the funds from v:iiicl: they were taken. Lord P.l. uA f 4 laid, he confidcrcd it fomewhat irregular in the Noble Earl to enter into this fub j, a when he was not making any fpecifie motion. He hoped,if he did make any motion,that it would fpccify fome particular period of time. Lord HOLLAND confidered the Cubic& alluded to by his Noble Friend as one of very great im portance, and one on which the Houfe ought to be informed. He would therefore move, 44 That there be laid before the Houfe an Account of the Application of the Monies arifing from the Pale of old Naval Stores, for a particular time." This motion, after fome further converfation, was withdrawn. MILITIA. On the Order of the Day for the fecond reading of the Militia augmentation Bill, Lord Hosser faid,that as belonging to his Ma jell) 's Government, and being one of thole who ecommended the meafure now before the Houfe, he felt it incumbent on himto fay a few words up- P:1 the nature and objea of that regulation which it was found necefrary to adopt. The Bill em braced two particular objets :-1. To consolidate and reduce into one Aa all the APRs which al ready exifted concerning the Militia, a meafure of fuch convenience and utility, that he did slot think any one could reafonably objea to it. The next object was, to encrrafe the number of the Militia Forces. He believed every body who would take a view of the general Rate of Europe, and the countries with which we had lately been at war, would agree with him, that it was neceffary to keep up a large military &tee in time of Peace—an eltabliffiment much greater than what had been nfual in former periods. Nnt that he apprehended any heft& difpofition on the part of France ; for he believed the fame pacific %tithes which led the Government of that Country to feek for Peace with us, would continue as firong as ever; and that the Peace was likely to be of long continu ance. It was not fit, however, that this confide. ration mould lead us into too great a fecurity.— We Scold Ail] continue to look on France with Come degree of jealoufy, particularly on account of the greatextent of territory (he had acquired ; and for that rearm it would be neceffary to be in a flotation of defence. There were only two ways by which a ftrong military force could be main tained—either by encreafing the (landing army, or the Militia. If all the purpofe. of defence could as well he ;lofts-erect by the latter mode, as by the liirmcr,there was no qui:llion which of them ought to be preferred. In a constitutional point of view, as well a% from a principle of economy, it was evident that we should prefer an increase in our Militia Forces- The meafure was calculatod to fall as lht on the Public as po ffi ble; becaufe part of this force was not to be in adlual fervice, unless it should be found neceffary. But in this encreafe of the Militia, there was no departure from that principle on which the Militia had first been efia. Milted. for at that time the population of the Country was no more than (even millions ; now it was ten millions, and the increafe of our national force should be nearly in proportion to the increafe of the inhabitants. For all there rea. lons, he thought the prefent meafure highly expe. client and neceffary, and therefore lie would move o That the Bill be read a fecond time." Lord Frrzwittlapt (aid, the prefent Bill was, in Eat, nothing more than a Bill to encreafe the number of the Militia forces, in order, probably, afterwards to draft them into the army, for which the officers of the Militia were to be little better ihan Recruiting Serjeanu. The molt *NeBions -1116-k_' We feature in this Bill was, that the parents who Rood molt in need of, and who would receive the greateft benefit from, a firong national defence, would be the leak of all affefted by it. All thole males who were in a fuperannuated or an infant Rate, as well as females of all defcriptions, mutt be defended and protetted ; yet they were not to contribute towards that body which was to defend them. The conftitution of the Militia was not now what it had been intended to be. Very few of thole drawn ever ferved in it, except when obliged to do fo from abfolute necetlity. He wifhed the Houk to take notice of the number of wealthy people in this country who were free from every part of the burthen of railing men. The wealthy Bilhops paid nothing, becaufe they were exempt from being drawn —the Noble Lord on the woolfack was ex empt—fo were the Clergy, the Members of the Univerfities, and various other bodies—and none flood morn in need of proteaion than they did.— There were, however, many men of rank and for tune who were not exempt ; but their hardfhip was little or nothing, for it was no burthen to them to provide a fitbartute. On whom then did the bur then fall on the lower orders of people ; between whom and the higher, there was no kind of dif tinEtion whatever. The greater part of the Militia confifted of fubftitutes, for even the labouring me chanics would former pay for one thin ferve ; and the praitice now purfued by labourers of all de fcriptions, was to join in clubs and fubfcribe a cer tain fum annually to infure themfelves in cafe of being drawn. This was an annual tax on the lower orders of people from which the rich were general ly exempt. The greateft Lord in this country paid no more towards railing the Militia than the pooreft farmer on his efiate, nor did the richeß merchant contribute more than the porter who carried out parcels from a fhop. This was a fyftem of great inequality and injuflice. The prefent Bill went to increafe it to a very great extent, and for that rea fun it fliould meet with his oppofition. He could not agree to any meafure that went to increafe the burthens of the poor beyond what they already were. Perhaps forme Noble Lords did not know the money generally given for a fabftitute ; he had in his hand a calculation on the fubjeCt, from which it would appear, that from the time of the fire eftablithment of the Militia until 1798, the price of fitbftitutes role from fix guineas to feventeen. Then with refpcft to the proportion between the rich and the poor, he had an account from York (hire, which Rated it at the rate of nine in ten.— The number of the old Militia was not much more than 30,000. This the people might have borne ' patiently, but he did not think their burthens lhould be doubled. The Noble Earl then concluded with moving, that the fecond reading be put off for , three months. I.ord CARNARVON feconded the motion, and de• dared himfelf decidedly hoflile to the Bill, which, as it made no diftinaion between the rich and the poor, was unequal, unjuft, and oppreffive. Nor was it that meafure of (economy which had been natal by the Noble Secretary of State • on the contrary, it would appear to be a mea fure that would operate as a grievous oppreffion upon indi duals, becaufe it would be paying the largeft pof fible bounties to men who were afterwards to be taken to recruit the army. There was no reafon to fuppofe that the fame thing which had been done before would not be done again. At the time when a fimilar augmentation took place in the Militia, by railing a Supplementary Militia, the cafe was esealy this: it was with great difficulty that Officers could be procured to command thefe new regiments—and after Gentlemen of fortune were found, and after they had taken uncommon pains to bring the new levies into the bell order poffible, and to put them on the footing of a Mi litia, the Drill-Serjeants from the army were fent in among them—the heft men were taken away to recruit the army, and nothing was left as a Militia but the very refute, the very dregs which the Drill- Berjeants left behind them. This was at once break ing the faith of Government with thofe men, and finking a fatal blow at the conftitutional force of the country. The fpirit of the Militia was broken, and they would never recover from the blow they received. It was a part of the fame fyftem to hare fent them to Ireland, with all their prejudices and local attachments. He was as much againft Inch a meafure as againft Irifh regiments of Militia be ing fent over to England. Noble Lords might not be aware of the dangerous confequences of men lofing thefe fentiments, and being taken away from the command of thofe landed Gentlemen to whom they had been inviolably attached. He remem bered a cirennifiance which illuftrated this obfer ration : during the American war, while he was encamped with his regiment, an enemy's fleet was teen off Maker Heights, and all the troops were in readincfs to refill in cafe of a landing. In the middle of the night he heard a great &outing, when he got up and made enquiry as to the caufe of it, he found that Anne companies of the Devon fhire regiment had thought the enemy was landing, and they were proceeding to attack them. When he called to them to come and join his regiment, they afked what regiment it was ? and underfland ing it to be the Wiltfhire, they cried out, " no, we will join none but our own flandard." This anee-* dote proved how ufeful it was in a country to keep up a kind of national and local fpirit among the people : all which had been broken by the late Adminiftration. He was more impreffed perhaps than his Majefty's Minitters with the neceflity of keeping up a ftrong force at this moment of un certain and dangerous tranquillity : It was the only way to preferve that peace, which he believed would be of very fhort continuance. But this was not the mode of doing fo. It would have an effea direaly the reverie. The great landed Gentlemen had already been difgulted with the condua of Go vernment towards the Militia, and this new en create was only a preparation for a fimilar breach of faith. _ _ The Marquis of BUCKINGHAM Paid, he would fupport the prefent mealure, becaufe he con fidered it to be neceffary towards the fecurity of the country. On the fame principle he had fupported the railing of a Supplementary Militia, becaufe a moment of great urgency and danger called for ie i and 11,1thaugh aloft of chafe mu were arm wards drafted into the army, thei railed the fame and character of the country by the brilliant ex ploits thcir valour had achieved. Lord ROMNEY Paid, when the Supplementary Militia had been railed, the difficulty of getting men in the counties was fo great, that it became neceffary to fend Recruiting Parties into towns to fill up the regiments. There was therefore no dif ference, in a conflitutional point of view, between them and a (landing army, though perhaps a great deal of difference in a military point of view.— He reprobated in fevere terms the fending away that Militia to recruit the army going to Holland, and had no doubt but the very thing would be done again, therefore he fhould give his decided oppofition to the prefent Bill. Lord RADNOR argued (honey in favour of the Bill, obferving, that the menacing attitude of France rendered it peculiarly proper on the part of this country to augment her means of defence in the event of a fudden renewal of the war. It was particularly incumbent upon Government to place the military peace eflablifhment upon an infinitely larger kale than at the dole of the American war. The fituation of the country, with reference to neighbouring powers, and the general Rate, differed widely from what it had been at the commencement of any former peace. The peace recently concluded was one which, how. ever earner might be his hopes for its duration, pi:Aired none of thofe charaderiffics affording a fanguine affurance that it would be fecure or per manent. It was confidered in that point of view not only by him but by fome of the ablefl men and greateft Statefmen the country could boafl— furely then it would be the height of impolicr to leave the country at fuch a period with limited means of defince, in cafe the neceflity of retorting to defenfive meafures fhould occur ; and more efpecially when it was confidered that if hereafter the appearance of affairs fhould change, and the neceffity for fo large a Militia thould ceafe, Par liament would at any time have the power of with holding the fupplies for fuch a number as were to be fanaioned by the preterit Bill. His Lordfhip concluded by exprcffing his entire concurrence in the meafure. Lord DARNLEY fupported the fame fide of the queßion, and contended, that, the propofed aug• mentation was one their Lordfhips were called upon by their legiflative duty to carry into effe& Lord PELHAM raid, he did not confider the Bill fairly liable to the objeaions urged by the Noble Lord ( Romney). He combated the arguments ad vanced by the Noble Lords hotlile to the meafure, and after paying a juft tribute to the zeal, valour, and loyalty of the Militia upon all occafions, dur ing the late war, when thole qualities had been called into action ; he applauded the wifdom of thofe who, in propofing an addition to the peace eflablifhment of that body of the national force, had enabled the country to regard with tranquilli ty the intentions of the powers by whom we were furrounded. Their Lordfhips divided upon the queffion for now reading the Bill a fecond time—Contents 2z Non• Contents 6.—The Bill was then read a fecond time, and committed for Friday, till which day their Lordfhips adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. The Medicine Duty Bill, the Irifh Loan, and the bilk Na tional Debt Bills were read a third time and pared. The Audtiun Duty Exemption Bill was read a fecund time, and committed for Monday. The Britifh Fithery Bill, the !rids Yeomanry Bill, and the Police Bill, were read a fecond time, and committed for to morrow. _ The Report of the Committee on the Franking Bill was agreed to, and the Bill ordered to be read a third time to- Marrow. •.• T The SECRETARY at WAR, after tome prefatory remarks on the Act exempting the Miners of Devon and Cornwall from the Militia, and Rating that the motion he meant to fuhmit to the Houfe had the approbation of his Royal Highnefs the Duke of Cornwall and the Members for the Counties alluded to, moved for leave to bring in a Bill for repealing the Adt re fpcdtmg the exemption of the Miners, Etc. and for railing and regulating a body of Miners ter the defence of Great Brin.in. Leave was given, and the Bill brought in, read a firlt, and or dered to be read a fecund time to-morrow. The Houfe went into a Committee on the Alien 13M,an I the Attorney General moved a Refolution to make provifion, put-. fuant to the soth Article of the Definitive Treaty, to enable one of his Majefty's Secretaries of State to iffuc his warrant to arreft fuch rufous within this kingdom as might be charged with murder, forgery, or fraudulent bankruptcy,within the do minions of France, Spain, or the Batavian Republic. The re. folution was agreed to, and the Report was ordered to be re ceived to-morrow. The Houle refolved ttfelf into a Committee on the Legacy Duty Ad; and it was ordered, on the motion of Mr. VAII• SITTART, that the Legacy of Books by Wm. Morris Storey, and of Sono!. by Samuel Whitbread, Efq. to the College of Eton, Mould be exempted from the Dation Legacies. The further confiacration of the Report on the Debtors' Relief Bill was poitponcd till to•morruw. The father difeuifion of the kills Linen hill was fixed for Monday mat. LIFS BOATS. Mr. BIIRDON rote to make his pi-aided Motion, for having the Report of the Committee on the merits of the inventor of the Life-boats referred to a Committee of Supply. That Re port had been fo long before the Houfe, that he thought it wholly unmet: Glary to enlarge on the claims to which, in his opinion, the invention was entitled. He Mould only tor roburate that opinion by obferving, that the Trinity Houfe, that the Society of Arts and Manufactures, and that the Un derwriters at Lloyd's bad not only pronounced the invention to be of the molt important ufe,but that this teltimony of the latter defeription of Gentlemen has been further evinced by a gratifica tion to the inventor of too guineas, and a fubfcription of wool. for encouraging the conitrudion of Life-boats. Theft additional teftimanies to what the Committee were already in poireffion of, would, he trufted, induce the Houfe to accede to the mo tion he Mould now have the honour to make, viz. " That the Report of the Committee on that fubjedt be referred to a Committ,e of Supply." As to the day on which be Mould move it to be referred to that Committee, he was not at pa rent prepared to ftatc; but be Mould take care to give due no tice to the Houfe of tuck his intention. The qucition was then put and weed to. IRISH ACCOUNTS. Mr. Rossom made fome obfervations relative to fome inaccuracies in Accounts reipeiting the Fi nance of Ireland, which•had been laid upon the Table. Mr. Comer Paid that there might be fome inac curacies in the Accounts, but they were owing to the change which had taken place in all the old of ficial forms, and the expedition with which the Accounts were obliged to be made up. The S►EAKER having obferved that there was no fpecific motion before the Houfe, Mr. Rosso), snored th4t the Accounts of the Dittribution of the Money railed on aVote of C . dit in Ireland, be laid before the Houle. Mr. CORRY obferved that there was an order to this purpofe before the Houle, and that if tile Honourable Gentleman would wait till ------- - - - row, he would be fatisfied with regard to the tA•• - - - jet of his motion. Mr. ROBSON then withdrew his motion. Mr.Coaß v faid,that as mifreprefentations might go abroad relative to the Money railed by the Vote of Credit in Ireland, he fhould move," That there be laid before the Houfe, the general heads of an Account of the Dittribution of the 36s,00cii. railed upon a Vote of Credit in Ireland."—After Come converfation on the Ira Accounts, the Lion was agreed to. _ VOLUNTEER CORPS. The Houfe refolved itfelf into a Committee Gr the Volunteer Service Bill. Several claufes were propofed by the SECR ETA P. Y atlVaa,among which it was agreed,that the power to be invefted in his Majefty by this Bill, thould extend to fuck Corps as may be hereafter formed; that the time for each Volunteer's attendance, in order to entitle him to the exemptions from cc:. rain duties propofed by the Bill, fhould be five days in each year ; and that no other excufe for non-attendance fhould he received than illnefs, cer tified, by a profeffional perfon. Sir E. Ks ATC HOU IA recommended to extend the claufe to an exemption of the Volunteers from the offices of High and Petty Conftables,and ether Parifh Offices. This was oppofed by the SECRATART at WAR and Sir ROBERT BUXTON, on the ground that it was unneceffary, as the attendance of every Vo lunteer to his duty as filch, would reafonably be accepted as an excufe for the nonperformance of fuclt parilh duties, and that if not atually in at tendance to the Volunteers, no man fhould, from the known difficulty of finding proper perfons to execute the different parith offices, be allowed the exemption required. A converfation arofe between Mr. FULLER, Mr. S. Lavas RE, and Sir E. KNevire lull, which the Ch.tirman terminated by flatifft that it was int gular.—The Houle refumed, and the report was ordered to be received to-morrow. SIT: KING FUND. Mr. VANSITTART brought in a Bill for amend ing and rendering more elfeCtual the Ads of the 26th and 32d of his prefent Majefly for the Re demption of the National Debt, read a firft, and ordered to be read a fecond time to-morrow. The CHANCELLOR of the ExcHsolika risk to move that this Bill ihould be printed, and laid, that underftanding it was the with Gentlemen dif poled to debate this meafure, that the difeufEon fhould take place in the Committee,he would there fore be extremely glad to know what day it would be molt for their convenience to appoint. It v:as defirable that there fhould be the molt ample in veftigation of a lubjett, the importance of which was univerfally admitted. The accounts neceffary to a more perfea cornprehenfion of it would to morrow be delivered to every Member. It was proper that full time thould be given for the con ' lideration of them, but it was to be wifhed, that at this advanced period of the Seffion, the interval fhould be as thort as polEble ; he therefore gave notice, that to-morrow lie would move the com mittal of the Bill on Wednefday next. FRENCH EMIGRANTS AND AMERICAN LOYALISTS. The Honfe having refolved itfelf into a Com. mittee of Supply, The CHANCELLOR of the EICHEVER moved that the fum of 17 ,5351. fhoultl be granted to his Majetly for the relief of the fuffering Clergy and Laity of France, the St. Domingo Fugitives, and the American Loyalifts, for nine months. Mr. Jos s faid, that whatever his opinion might have been of the propriety of the original grants to the French Emigrants, he thought if thole grants were to be renewed, with a view of en couraging them under the prefent circumftanees of France and this country, to continue their refit deuce here, it was very impolitic. Thee nasert LOR of the E sea soy Ea Rated that Government had felt great fatisfaition in giving every facility to the Emigrants to return to France, and to avail themfelves of the law which now en abled them to return unmolefted to their native country. Every inducement therefore, confiltent with liberality and juftice, was held out to them, and forfome time back it had been the cuflom to advance four months pay to any emigrant, about to return, in order to furnith himfelf with the means of pre paring for his conveyance, and (itch had been the number of applications for Ibis advance, that the eftimate was now much below what it was in the loft application to the Houfe; and he was fully confident that it would be confiderably reduced in the courfe of the year. He was happy to obferve, that the difpofition exhibited on late occafions by the French Government, which operated to in duce the return of the Emigrants, afforded the belt proof of that fpirit of reconciliation which formed the balls of harmony, and was the fairelt pledge of peace. Every man who valued the ad vantages of religion or tranquillity, mull view loch events with heartfelt pleafure ; they were the fources of ineffable fatisfaCtion to the fufFering in dividuals more immediately benefited, and they furnithed a grateful profpea of confirming and ' eftablifhing the happinefs of the two countries, of Europe. Mr. Jos ES thought the reftoration of religion l France calculated to promote the prefervation ni • harmony between the two countries, particularly ' while England Mould be tinder the fuperintend once of the Miniliers by whole conciliating (pink the world had been rehired to Peace. Mr. H. ADDINGTON obferved, that part of the . fum applied for, was in order to fatisfy a claim of juftice to the St. Domingo Emigrants, whole cafe was now under the inveliigation of a Board, from . whole induftry he was induced to hope that the ; amount of there claims would be latisfaltorily . tled within a fbort time. Mr. ROBSON afked how much of this fum was to go to the American Loyalifts ? ; The CHANCELLOR of the EXCH tczyn replied, 33,0001. The Houle retuned, and the leport ordered to be received to-morrow.—Adjourtled•