The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1807-08-05 00:00:00

I1I"H ARMS BILL.

The order of the day being read, for the Nom
ring into a Commute on the Irish Arms Bill, on
the motion for the Speaker's leavirg the Chair,
_ _

Mr. WHI I'BR Frill said, that he considered this
Bill to be so ohj 3mtt ibis in its nature, and held
Out such allurement to the enemy invading Ireland.
that he could not reconcile his mead to its passing
int.) al4 ; he. however, should not objeft to the
Speaker's leaving the Char, intending in the Coat•
muter to 'morose such amendments as would make
it less objt. domatil- t•i the people ot irelatqd, whim,
after all. be should, most probably, vote again.t the

Mr HERBF.IiT expressed his disapprobation of
the HI ; it was one which tended to take arms out
of oe hand. at the people of Ireland, and at a time
when our potent cuemy threatened to make a pose.
erful attack. The very title and spirit of the Kill
were objedtionable. and would be dissatisfatory to
the people of Ireland. In the large Irish county
which he had the honour of represeuting. there was
no neeesssity for such a measare, ior there was per.
frft tranquillity, with one or two exceptions. He
had served on grand juries in that county. without
finding any bigoded • seal subsisting between Pr.,—
testants and C..itholies. and in the county Militia,
where he set ved second in command. be heard tot
no invidious chstiutliuns on amnia of different re.
legions.
Mr. LONG said. be was persuaded no one could
feel induced to introduce such a Bill without being
fully aware of its necessity. He believed the care
diality between Catholics and Protestants, which the
Honourable Gentleman spoke of. did not univer-
sally prevail. At any rate, he must observe, that
the clauses of this Bill were materially use same
with the former one, which was originally drawn
by the Attorney-General for Ireland about six
months ago, and surely no alterition had since
that period taken place in the affairs of England nr
Ireland, to set aside the necessity of such- a Bill;
at the same time be should feel happy it 'any modi.
kcations of a conciliatory name could be intro-
duced.

Mr. ELLIOT said, that the late Administration
had, it was tiue, acknowledged the propriety of
such a ICU, but not to the extent of the pre:ent one,
in which there were some clauses, which, in his opi-
nion, reqnired modification.
Sir Pi' IN NEWPORT said. that unless certain
louses were mitigated. he should not f •el himselt
justified in voting tOr the Sill. Some of its clauses
were mt. irdinarily SitirtP, an.l he was atraiu
wield r •nd to defeat the objea, which was the pre-
vention of crimes, and which could be the only ob-
pa of the Legi.lature. in a measure of this nature.
He should, however, coosent to the Speaker's leas%
mg the chair, upon coediting that the present WAS
not mien 'ed to be a permanent measure, bat that
4 period woulS be fixed in the dill lot its termina-
lino.

rlie CHANCELLOR of the- EXCHEQUER
that this was only meant fora temporary
Our that it had been considered in some measure
nrevssaiy. and that His Majesty's Government
Pould take Lire bow arms were distributed in Ire-
:amt. This Bill solely went to restrain. within due
runits, the distribution of anus j and surely it must
be allowed. that where pikes and pike-beads. Re.
had beet found throughout the sister mummy. it
could not bat be found a subjed of alarm It was
eeeeting that the bill should be carried farther
titan merely to the people who wprp the imame
duty subj..a of our jealousy.
Me. HERBERT explained.
Mr. WINDHAM said, that although the late
Administration judged such a ITlPA•tire to be neces-
sity. yet that opinion of theirs WAS anteceJ. nt to
the inensare respeaing Ireland, which was brought
forw!ard ; and had that measure been carried, it
Rat intended to be followed up by others, which
ImAht bete prevented toy necessity for the present
Biu.

Mr. FLLTOT explaised
• ____ •

Mr. PONSONBI; said, he was not convinced of
the necessity or this measure as respedling Ireland.
The motion was then parried for the Speaker's
leaving the Chair, when the House resolved itself
in'o a Committee.

Stranrrs were ordered to withdraw, and a divi-
sion wok place nn this clause, w4cn there appeared
Fq, tie p•i) smenrlnt:nt . 23
For the origin del Mil • 76

Ma rte r igio .1 cl4.3se . .b.
A Clone- strds prnp,.,ed, ptirporting it the names
of persons tn.:king the s-Arch s!toul.l Ire rerir.,,l to
the Quarter Sessions, which was negitiv-,1 without
a division.

A Clause was Ismer un by Mr. Long, is tki•iq
it tran•pratation to fahriea,e pikes ; a+ d a like
Chaise, to the same efTza„ rnskirg it transporiati••n
to have arms found in a man'. horse; togee.er
with an amendment prop ssed fur exceptin.g CAP'S
where the atm; sought have been in a rtV)ll 4 house
without his knowledge, which were all nega:tved
without a division.
A Clause was in.toduced and adopted to ► able
the Grand Juries to levy moral, fur payment
of the expenses attending the execution of this Bill,
and for allowing the Clerks of the Assizes ft/Leach
at every Assizes.

Sir J. NEWPORT introduced a clause, requiting
some sectpity to be given Isr the arm; taken ; and
Mr. PONSONBY instanced a case of two hundred
stand of arms being taken from a memb.:r of the
Friendly Societi, in the year 1798, but never re-
stored.

This amendment. with one for returning the
names of persons making the era •ch, to the general
Sessions. and an amendment for limiting the dura-
tion of the AEI to one year and sit weeks after the
commencement of the nest Session of Parliament.
instead of two years, were negatived on a division of
71 to 13.

On our re-admission into the DJllery, we found
Mr. WINDHAM on his legs, objecting to the third
reading of the Militia Transfer Bill at so late art
hour as one in the morning ; it was against the
settled usage of the House, a; an opportunity was
promised to several Members of expressing their
sentiments upon it, who would by this mode of
hurrying it through the House be deprived of that
opportunity. _ _

Lord CAS I'LEREAGH objected to the shortest
delay, on account of such reasoaing.
Lord MILTON. with strong emotion, stated,
that this nia degraded the arkoerney of t:iis coon-
try, and insrht,l mast crony the landed interest of
the nation ; that it was highly injurious; it was
catching men fur the army uhfairly, before they
knew the first movements of discipline ; and it was
ingratitude towards t!,eir exertion, and le'svmrs
Ho moved an adjonrnment, in which he was
ported by the SPEAKEtt, from precedents in 1771
and 17:41.
A debate ensued, in which several Members de-
clared themselves deteimined never to let this 13111
pass without delivering their serious sentiments
against it, which th.y would then continue to do.
as the adjournment was so imperiously opposed by
the Noble Los.!. Strang::: were thus ordered to
ithdraw.

Whilst they were excl.kle4, we anderttand, it
was agreed, after a long debate. that the third
reading of the Msl44 Transfer Bill be postponed
until tour o'clock this
The other or iers were then di'p' iel of, after
which, at THREE O'CLOCK, the House ad-
journed.