Star. — London, England, 1801-02-17 00:00:00

P 1.i..11E R r ROC E LDI.VC4). OF LORD., N:oNDAY, F!'BIIL'ARY x 6. Areithiroop or CAN F t nli , Vo!d, that the Thanks of _thc.),liin!; be ern to the ltiyht Rev. the Bilhop f• rE f r li:s evcellent Scl-mot preached in the Abbey -(.:1; li, XV ell min fier, on the Ijtjl Day, and that lie be requelled to pOit thle i.eme, The Duke 91 DEVI- Of<D'S Bill for the relict' of a certain deferintion 4 4 poor, was committed in a Committee of the Muds: lioule, and went through the fame, with various amendments ; the Report of it was ordered to he itceived to-morrow. The LORD CHANCELLOR left the Woolfack, and Paid he bad in his hand a Bill for the relief of Debtors with refpeFt to the imprifonment of their perfons. He would not then go into much detail as to the nature of its intended operation, butbarely hate that as the law now good, it a debtor's body was taken in execution, and fent to prifon, he might, at his option, refute to compound with his creditors, and continue to live in confinement, and if he died there, the debt was held to be paid, and no akt . tion could be !nought against his atlignees and executors for the amount of the debt, let his e 111.0 s and perfonal elate be ever fo valuable; by this Bill, if a Creditor chc.dc to liberate his Debtop from coaAnerrient, he would have the power to let him free . and fill have a claim on his circa's, though, after inch lihoration, the perfon of the Debtor would be protaled as far as regarded the Debt for which he had been taken in execution. Ifis ,Lordthip raid, lie meant to /follow up this meafure with two others—the one, to make all property, real and perfonal, freeholds and copy holds, refponfible to legal claims of creditors, even in cafes of the death of the Debtor; the other, to facilitate the operation of the exiling Laws re (peeling proceffes for- the recovery of Debts, fuck proceties in various points being liable to be ren dered exceedingly tedious, vexatious, and irkfome. His Lordfhip gave a fummary fketch of the nature of each of thefe two additional meafures, and their probable cifetl, and then raid, that he was pretty confident 'of the ufc and advantage of the Bill he held in his hand, and he withed it to raft, not with any extraordinary expedition, but wit)- as little delay as reafonably might be. He moved, That it bt read a firft time, and that it be printed. It wa> read a firft time, and ordered to be printed. —Adjourned. h . HOUSE OF COMMONS. Mr. Hoaat Tooas was introduced by Sir Fe&Kczs IAVRDITT JoNes and Mr. WILSON, and took the oaths and his feat. . _ The Thanks of the Houle were unanimoully voted to the Right Hon. HENRY ADDINGTON, late Speaker. A mdtion was made that Lord Bortr, an Irifh Member, be exenfed from attending the Houle or. the day of the Call. Colonel GASCOIGNC ?aid it was neceffary that the Call should be tirialy enforced with regard to the members for Great Britain, but he had rio ob. je4lion, if it was the pleafure of the Houfe, to fur pend the Call with refpc to Ireland. Mr. FRENCH (a Member for Ireland) Paid, it would not only be a great convenience to Gentle men'in Ireland to do fo, but it would be highly neccfrary, on account of the approaching Affixes, at which their pretence would be particularly re quired. The SPEAKER . gave notice that for the purpofe of expediting private Inifinefs, he would come to the Houle to-rum-row at three o'clock. SEW WRITS. New Writs were moved for, and ordered to be ifrued, fair the Eleftion of Members for the fol lowing Places : For the 'Fiore of Armagh, In Ireland, In the room of Patrick Dstigenan, Efq. who has accepted the cake of Comptroller of - - . Carpi:citations: For the Tower of Northampton, in the room at the Honoura, bleSpeacer Percival, who has aeccpted the Mike= Hundreds: For NewtOc, Hants, In the room of Sir Robert Walley, Bart. who has accepted the Chiltern Hundreds. COARSE BREAD. Mr. R 1 DER moved the order of the day for the Wale to confider the Report of the Committee on the Ugh Price of Provitions. It was necef- I . :1:y for him to fiats the rcafons why the Com mittee Id: login it woold be proper to rcfcind the ~ f 1:,; :ictlion. That At had been paired from .t :pisofiti. o tint a great faring might be effeded in co.Zepence of mixing a artifer kind of real with tine floor. tat circuraftaaccs oc curred since the !Wring of that Ad which led the Cr:rt:it:et. to 0.'4 that they were difappoiuted in their . cspalations. The Committee however wield not have given up the meal are altogether, if :Le char:e in their opinion had arifen from temporary stir:ie.:tit:es only; bectufe if the mea fare was likely to be attended with ultimate foe ce: wutild have been their duty to have con. tiwied h. Lot there were certain difficulties that could not easily he removed : one of Oleic was the partiality a the pes , ple to the liner fort of flour ; and a notion tl:at the coarfer kind of flour, as well as that manufadured from foreign wheats, could not be manufaetircd with tine flour. From dick civet:alliance; it followed, that the coarfer ihrts of flour, and flour matinfadured from foreign grain were thrown out cf fele, and there was a greater demand in the market for the duperior kinds of wheat ; by mhicli means the price of fine Dour was railed to a pitch far beyond what is ought to hare been ; while the price of inferior flour role as hish as what the bell had been fume time before. flit utmoft dedudion which took place in confequencc of the late bill, was that of fix or leven farthings in the quartern loaf; am: as the coarfer bread did not go near fo far as the white bread, the lois to the public was greater than any fas ing which took place in confequence of the tire of the infericr bread. The Committee vcre alto difapixrioted in their expcdations as to the quantity and quality of the coarfe bread, bc cauce it did not produce fo much as had been at tell fuppofed ; and therefore the benefit which the Public: derived from this fubllitute was fo little, that it could sot opcn as as induccacec te coNinuc any hlnger the law Tor Mating this ;;;:id of bread. The refolutirn of the Co.mmittee• applied only to the repeal of that part of the tat' which refpested the mode of drefling flour, 4,y , which it was thought that the bakers would :be allowed to make mixed bread without being felb. jt:& to the aflize regulations. But the operation of the Ara of the 36th of the King would be re vived, by ep,:aling the Ael altogether; and thus the objcfl of the Committee would be attained. He then moved that the Ad paired laft Seflion for enabling bakers to make bread of mixed flour, thould be repealed. . The refolution was agreed to, and leave was given to bring in a Bill on the fame. SIR SIDNEY SMITH. Mr. PITT brought the following Moir:lgo from his Mojcity : G. R " His Majefty being defirons of conferring Come fignal mark of his Royal approbation upon Sir Sidney Smith, in confidera don of his eminent Cervices, and the valour and abilities he has di played in various important operations againft the enemy,on the coati of Egypt, and particularly for hie gallant •defclice of Acre, recommends to the Houle of Commons to make provi lion for fecuring the Punt of One Thoufand Pounds per annum, for the term of his natural life." He then moved that the Houfc fhould, on Wed nefday next, refolve itfelf into a Committee of the whole Houk, to confider of the Melfage. Ordered. tioxa E TOOKE'S ELECTION. Lord TEMPLE Paid he role to call the attention of the Houle to the circumflance of a Gentleman having this day taken the oaths and his feat as a Member of Parliament, whom he conceived to be incapable of fining in that character—he alluded to Mr. Home Tooke, who had taken Prieft's Or ders and bee.' included to a living. This he look ed upon as a decifive oblation to his fitting in that Houfe. He then gave notice that if within fourteen days no petition fhould be prcfcntcd againft his election, he should more for a day to be appointed for the Houle to take into confidera lion the return for the Borough of Old Sarum, ML. GREY'S MOTION AND CALL OF THE HOUSE. Mr. Gay r put off his Motion for an tnquiry in to the State of the Nation, which flood for this day fe'unight, becaufe he was anxious that the atten; dance upon a motion of Arch importance lbould be as great as poffible, and therefore it fhould be brought forward about the time when the Call of H the oufe thould tare place. *nothing inter (erred to interrupt him, he would- bring it forward on this day fortnight. Colonel GASCOIGNE then took occafion to lay, it was his intention to fupport the Call of the Houle. Lord CASTLEREAGH gave notice, that on Thurf 'day fc'nnight he fhotdd move for leave to bring in it Bill to enable the Lord Lieutenant of Ire land to continue, for a further period, the elccu tion of Martial Law in that country. Mr. GREY walled the Noble Lord to put off his motion till after the Call of the Houle. Lord CASTLEREAGH laid, his objet was merely to an in obedience to the willies of the Houle, uitb reference to the period at which the Aa would expire. It would' expire on the 25th of March, and he witbed to bring in the Bill to con tinue it while he was in the fituation in which he flood at preterit. How long he might tontique in that fituation he could not tell. Colonel GASCOIC N E Paid he would move to dif charge the prefcnt Order for the Call of the Houle, which Rood for the 2d of March, and fix it for the 3d of March. Mr. Gotento obferved, that in confequence of the commencement of the circuits about that time, many of the County Members would be in ditpeufibly abfent. Mr. M. A. Tart.oa obfervcd, that if fuch an ob jeftion was attended to, no bufinets could be brought on till after the Circuits, which would lalt at leaft a month. _ _ _ Mr. Witsearoaca Paid, he feared the Call would be but of little avail, and he withed the Houle would attend to the remark of his Hon. Friend, and that it might be fettled what relaxa tion was to he allowed. Mr. PITT Paid, it was inspoffible there could he any underflanding beforehand. Every Gentleman mutt know, if he abfented himfelf on the day the Houle was called over, he did fo at his peril. He Was one who, from long experience, was convinced that a Call of the Houk never produced that at tendance which was the object of enforcing it, ton on the rrefelit occalion, he thought it his duty not to oitjcel to the nvaion for theca It was of lit tle importance what particularday it was axed for, prrvided it was not at too dilkant a period. The important objeas which were to occupy the atten tion of Parliament,muft necetrarily be brought for ward fang before tie conclufion of the Circuits. He bad ever found that the difcuffion of an im portant fubjed was of itftlf fufficient to induce a full attendance of Members, aid he was pcifuaded thofe who felt the importance of the duties they had to difeh.irge, would be found in their places, w idiotic the operation of a Call of the Houl e. Mr. Go • t): No Paid, that if the order was en foi-ced, it a oal.i be impotlible for Gentlemen in the remote parts of Inland to attend. Colonel t,Ascotcsx declared, that he had fludi cd :he convcnicnce of thofe Gentlemen whom it was now daudthat the Call would moll materially air_ a. Lord CAcTLEREAcH raid, the Members for Ire land bad lull time given them, and therefore the Call ought to be itrietly enforced. But if it fhould he fOund that any of them had been abfcnt from neceflitnhe doubted not but that the Houfe would . ;r:tr.t them every indulgence. The order for the Call ou the ad of March was then difeharged, and the Call was fixed for Tucf day the 3d of March. SUPPLY. The order of the day being moved for the Houfe to refolve itfllf into it Committee of Supply, upon the ?UCH ;MI for the Speaker's leaving the Chair, 11' r. Hnsr.tsox rofc and ipoke at confiderable length ag.iind the motion. He began by flat t i ng, that it was die duty of the Houfe ferionfly to con fider who were the perfons to whom the pubic mo ney was to be entrufted, and for what porpoks it was to be applied, before they proceeded to vote ..awaylwent.v-cioht niillions ("or tic fervice of the, p, year—tbefore they conicntc,, to lo.1, : l ..,.e .conntry . I Wkttl An addili,ri of two mjilious c a f acw.taxes t thofe.under which it now gt oatteil. At the inn- , ment the Houle were called upon to pa!, VGtCS to focb a large extent, there was sin olkulible joerfon at the head of affairs upon whom relponfibility at tached. The Houle was to load ti_: people with a large acce(ilun to awl: bor,hois they now endur ed, at a time when the relponiihiiitypt . tire harmer Miniflers was at an cod, and v li,:r. the -perfou to whom that refponfibi I ity was to be . ransfctredo‘ hoar it behoved to point cat the ufe to which the money voted was to be applied, on avilom the real-hi:firm of the expenditure ought to lle ili tj 03..35 abilllt fioln his place. It was now evident that th.: t•tiilie, Hrn. Gentleman (Mr. Pitt) w . as no longer Jr. his fornl:r official lunation, for he had been ad,irelleJ from the Chair by his oven private name, and the office he filled the Houfe were hound to confider as un filled. Under filch eireumflances it was indecent to bringforward the preleot motion, and to require the Rcprefentatives of the people to vote away the mo ney of their conflituents, while there was no official perfon who couldbercfponfible for the Manner of its being employed. In the American war the Right Hon. Gentleman had made the Houle re-echo with the profusion of the Minirler, though in the lad year of that war only thirteen millions were added to the National P..bt. But what was this profulion to that which had diflinguilhed the pre fent contelt ? In former years, eighteen and twen ty millions had been voted, and for the fervice of, the prefent year no left a firm than twenty-eight millions was required. He allowed, indeed, that in the prefent cireuruilances of the country, there was a necellity for great exertions; and it was", very far indeed from his intentions to do any thing which might retard the public fervice. Ad miffing, however, that great facrifices are now necefrary, allowing that in order to fupport our independence, and fecure our &fay, extraordinary expences were to be incurred; Rill it was proper that we ffiould know who are the perforis who are to direet the energies of the country. It be came the Houle to afcertain whether they were perfons coming into power with fair and honeft intentions, with a fineere &fire to embrace the earlieft opportunity of entering on ncgociation, or whether they propoted to pudi c the lame fyftem which had reduced us to our prefent &area ? Whether they were likely to employ the money' entrulled to them, on objeas of true national uti lity, or wale it in idle and fruitlzfs expeditions? IVhether they were refolved to prattle the tame wild ambition which had difgulted every Power, and . rendered the whole world holtile to us? There' were points on which the Houle ought to be in formed before they agreed to vote lo large a rum in the total abfence of all refponfibility. '1 hey ought to fee thofe on whom they might call in the event of its 'being mifapplied, ere they delivered up the refottreesol an oppreifed and a linking country. Far indeed was it. from his with to check the ope rations of Government, or to oblini& tire granting of thole fupplies which were neceffary for the de fence of the country. But our expenditure alrea dy bore hard on the country, and even humanity required of the Houle to take care that it Paould be applied only to great national purpofes, and above all, that it flinuld not tiLlieceffarily be in erealed. Our burdens were feverelv felt by every clafs of the community, in the deprivation of their comforts. There was, however, a very numerous data whom thefe burdens had deptived not merely of all their little comforts, but had robbed them almoß of what was neceffary to their bare rub fißence. In duty, therefore, were the repre fent:aim of the people bound to check all ufelefs expenditure, to put a flop to fcandalous profit fion in many parts of the public expenditure, and particularly to the pra&ice of granting penfions to perfons who had on no occafton performed any a,ls of public benefit. The Houfe would give him credit when he laid that in fpeaking of ufaefs pen fions, he did not mean to allude to the me&ge they had this day received relpeai ftoa t ng a moen-, torions offi . cei, whore fersices could not be too biglily eflimate.d, anal Whofe brawny had reilesEtod honour on the country. On theta grounds he con tended that farther proceedings on there climates lhould be delayed till the newVitfiflers, by taking their feats, had afrumedrotpontibility. In this delay be was unable to perceive any inconvenience, since the fupplies necelfary for carrying on the public fervice migh t Wily lee sibt4hed without hurrTing through meateres with fir mach precipitation: 13y grouting the forkplits under the prefect cireitm.. lances, when Miniliers were cia the eve of rctirjng from their 'office, while the new men by whom they were to be figecedeil might fay that they bad no rnfPonlibili4, as theft Supplies were granted un der a different adminiiiration. If the public ler vice required that the Houte.fhould immediately a dopt thcfe refirltitiont, it was Curtly extraordinary that they were not fooner produced. It was degrad ing to the Houle to be placed in fuch a litultti on as to be compelltd to committherefources ofthe country to thole on whom no refponGbility was attached. The appointmeuts of the new Minitters might have been limner notified; and if it was determined that they were to he railed to Rations of refponlibility, it was furpri fi ng that even now almod no new writs had been moved for in the Haute, lie con cluded by adverting to the Rate of the Country at the end of the American war, and the commence ment of the late Adminiftration; and contended that the Date of the Country now fully jultified a delay in granting the fupplies till the diameter anal rdponfibility of the new Minillzrs were pub liekly announced, which might be fully known in . a week or ten days. Mr. PITT raid, that Whatever might be raid on the Cubic* of confiftency, there was one point in which, from the exertions of others, the late Ad minillration appeared in a per fettlyconfißent form. —Their entrance into olAc.e was marked by an at tempt to refute to the Government the neeefary Supplies, and their exit by a (imaar attempt— when mote than ever at the prefent moment, thofe Supplies were moll particularly and immediately. wanted. Was the prefent a moment %viten the public refourccs were to be annihilated—when the safety oldie country was to be comprosnifed, and its Go-' ve . rrancnt ieft. withont the mean; or cr thofe tile:eating difficulties and it . •' thickened around it, and imperiontiv larged (At re esan l additional con iiiettee the merely becattle his Majelty had crcile his legal and proper prerogative in I. pointnt:nt of his :dinifters, and the non thole who were to take a part in his Councils. •; i ion. Gentleman had fait', he wifhed to fee i; i< t Minitler in his place who thould be reipotill‘ I the application of the public money, bet;tre. he gave his content to vote tt away ; but what ri elit (dad Gentlemen to refufe confidoice to the new Adminiltration ?--what right had they to fuppol e they would rnifapply the monies vo t ,,, f,,,. vice of Government, or :thole the confidence re poled in them ? If su Adininiftration had exifted, fupported by fut-fevenths of that Houfe, and by 1111k tenths of the people, whole principles and wholti condua mat with the decided approbatio n ut that large majority of the Houfe of Commons and the countrir, and had met with it becaufe thee unifo rm _ ly asacci upon jutt principles, and becaufe their cun. duel conflantly redounded to thelionour and advan tage of the nation, with which it was perfealy eon tiftent—if they were regularly guided by views to wards the national profperity and welfiire, and en deavoured by every means in their power to carry into complete eiFeEt thole objeasoffound poll, y be fore them ; and if, upon the feeeftion of that A din i niftration, Misiftersfhould fuddenly come into office, from whore previous conduct, flow whole declared prinaiples i and front whole acknowledged opinitini, tt was immediately to be inferred Otee could in diametrical oppofition to their predecelfors, that they. as wild revprle every fiseafure redounding to the national honour af.l profperity which thole prede cams had endeavoured to carry into execution, that they would be in every refpeet the dire& oat trary of thofe Minifters who leaditleferved and oh tained the confidence of that Houle, and of the people—then it would be time to appeal to every independent Member of the Houfe, to rcfuie to thofe Knitters the means of carry ing into execu tion their injurious and unwarrantable plans.— How was it, however, in the prefent inftance ? A Right Hon. Gentleman had been placed in Admi nistration, whom that Houk had long known and iefpeCted, whole conduft in the arduous fltuation of Speaker had been unanimoufly and molt honour. ably approved by three ruccellive Parliaments, and had this very night again received the fanaion and approbation ofthe Houfe, by a Vote of Thanks unanimoufly palled, expreffed in the warmell terms and carried in a manner the moll honourable and refpeaful—which even the Hon. Gentleman him fell had fupported by his vote. The Adminiftra tiara of the Right Hon. Gentleman he had jufi alluded to was one which would fanaion and fup port every principle of public honour and rational advantage, to which the late Adminiftration had continually adhered ; they would endeavour to carry into execution every mcafure redounding to the profperity and welfare of the nation, which their precleceffors had planned with a kilt view to the true intzrefts of the Empire, and they would use every exertion to increale and render perma nent the happinels of the people. Upon what pre tence, then, were the Supplies to be refufed ? upon what pretence was the fafety of the nation to be facrificed, and the empire placed, weak and de fencelefs, at the feet of its enemies? The condat of Gentlemen on the other fide of the Houfe, ita oppofing the Committee of Supply, was, he re. marked, extremely inconfiflent, if it was their ots jeCt. to prevent a certain ret of Minifters from acing in an unconflitutional manner, they furely took thole means which were the farthell removed from that objea. How was it propofed to the Houfe to all for the purpofe of taking away all power from thek Minilters, marked out as the oh jets of their &hull and apprehenfion ? By giving them a moll unconflitutional, a moa dangerous power over the public purfe, and by leaving it open and unappropriated, to be employed in any way moll congenial mike feelings or inclination's pf thole Minifters. The Hon. Gentleman had raid. it was not his intention to negative the fupply—he merely wilhed to delay it—he merely &fired it might be deferred, till he raw a Chancellor of the Exthequtir in his place, who ought to be refpon- Gble for the application of the money voted by the Hoyle — and till he could have a pledge from that *Miler for the due employment of the Supplies granted for the public ferrite. But againa all delay, he (Mr. Pitt) moll Irma, be , caufe, under the Ferent circumftances, it was im pQtGblc. The money voted for the Army and Navy lax Salon was nearly e•haulled, and frefb funplies were abfolutely neceffary to enfnre the continuance of that force, without.which the Ens. pire mull remain' defi:ncelefs and unproseeed. Under all thofe circurnaances, he tinted, there. fore, the Houfe would not hefitate in granting the Suppiies which were called for, and for which he himfelf flood pledged, having undertaken to bring forward the Supply and Wars and /deans before he finally retired from official duty.. He would now, he laid, fay frankly a few words relative to his retirement from office. Circumflances having prevented him from propofing to that Houfe a Legiflative mcafure which he confidered neceffarY tp the welfare of the Nation, be conceived it to be his duty to refign. Adluated by the fame mo tives, Tome of his Colleagues accompanied him in his retirement. They did not, however, re tire with any fpirit of hoftility to their ruccelfors. to whom, indentitictl with his Majdfty's Govern ment, he should, and he believed he could an• Ewer for his Colleagues, give every fupport attn flan ce. •- Mr. WAIT ER N rote to fupport and vindicate the arguatenu of Mr. Harrifon, which he contended were reprefented and mifinterpreted by the Right Hon. Gentleman. With refpea to the change of Ad,niniftration, he was confident there never was onc more diffatisfaeory to every defcription of perfons, who had been bred up under the aufpicm of thole rem' men whom they had facceeded. who have brought tht. Nation into filch complicated difficulties and dangers, and whofe fyfieoss they were ready to costume ; he was, therefore, con vinced they were likely neither to attach the af (calms nor the codde,cc of the people, win*