The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1804-05-24 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PAR! lAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS - tv- DN KID MA T 23.

In the Appeal Grcive v. Colonel Cunningham and
James Gray, Mr. Alexander concluded the case of
the Respondents, and Mr. Romily replied. After
which, on the motion of the Lord Chancellor, the
judgment was deferred till Wednesday next.
Two Private Bills were brought front the Com-
mons, and read a first time. The Report on tl.. St.
Pancras Poor Bill, w•a. received. the Amendments
agreed to, aid the Bill ordered to be read the third
time to-morrow.

The Bills on the Table were forwarded.
AdjourneL till to•mosrnw.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

Mr. CIIA'ILt3 COT4O and Sir E. NaP EA took the
Oaths and their Seats ; the first for Wendaver, and
the second for Bridport.
Mr. Jounsors, from the Office of the Chief Secre-
tary for Ireland, brought up certain Accounts rela-
tive to the Revenue.—Ordered to lie on the Table.

Sir J. W. ANDERSON brought up a Petition
from the Royal Exchange Assurance Company
against the Bill now pending for allowing an Insu-
rance Company in Hants, Dorset, &c.—Ordered to
he on the Table,,till the second reading of the Bill,
and deep to be heard by Counsel.
Mr. DAWSON brought up a Petition from cer-
tain persons in the county of Monaghan, against the
Duties on the Linen Manufa&trre of Ireland—Or-
dered to be referred to the Committee to which the
other Petitions on the same subject are referred. * '
Lord MARSHAM moved that the Iliddleses
Elation Committee have leave on rising to-morrow
so adjourn to fiaturdav-a--Ordered.
Mr. JOHNSTONE moved for an Account of
the Sums paid to Neutral States, or to the Sul*As
of Neutral States, in contemplation of the condem-
nation of Neutral ship., from the year 1795, to the
present period —Ordered.
The Committee of the Bill for preventing the
escape of Irish Offenders Was deterrud to Monday,
The Westminster Court House Bill was Conlinth
ted, several new Clauses were brought up AP Li aereed
to, and the Renton ordered to be rec,ived to-
morrow.

Mr. CALCRAFT said, it was his intention to
postpone the Motion of which he hail given notice,
relative to the timber allowance to Ise made to cer-
tain descriptions of Volunteers. He wished, how-
ever, to know from the Right Hon. Gentleman op-
posite to him (Mr. Pitt), whether it was his Mtn,-
lion to bring forward any measure on that subjeot,
as he should thereby be enabled to regulate the
time, when it might be proper to give farther notice
of his motion ?

Mr. PITT said, it was certainly his int.:rine to
do something on the subjca alluded to by L;)
Gentleman, and to proceed on it at no very
time.

Lord CASTLEREAGH moved the Ord ,:l, or
the Day for telii=d7 into consideration the Reps:; cf

(PEICS SIXTSPICk.:

the Committee on the Amendments made by the
Lords in the Volunteer Bill, which was read ac-

cordingly. He then moved th:tt the Report be
read, which being done, his Lordship said, that as
there were several Amendments to • hich he believ-
ed the House would have no objection to agree, and
some which might be supposed from their nature to
trench upon the privileges of the House ; the mode
which he proposed to submit to the House was, to
consider the Amendments one by one, as they arose
in regular succession, and to agree to such as were
not deemed objectionable, and to objeift to such as
were so, when they came in their turn to be read a
second time.
Mr. FOX said, that by some accident the Com-
mittee 11.'1 not taken notice of one clause, which
goes so far as to alter a date from the Ist May to the
Ist June ; the ciinsequenee of which was, the con.
tinuing the exemptions for that time, which this
House had ant allowed—end the House had always
been jealous of allowing the I.ords to mike amend-
ments in cases of exemptions. in .exemptions from
turnpikes, it had always been the custom of the
!louse to negative amendments made by the Lords.
In the case of exemptions from the hair-powder tax,
he had no doubt but the Speaker would agree with
him, that the House cannot agree to an amendment I
of the I.Jrds, continuing such, without an infritige--1
ment of their privileges. The only thing which it
appeared to him the House could do in the present
case, would be to rejeft the amendment, and let it
stand for Ist May. It had been said, that the House
might amend the amendment of the Lords, by con-
tinuing the exemptions to Ist July ; but whoever con-
sidered the nature of the amendment,must see, tha*f
the House agree to continue it to a more remote pe-
riod, they agreed virtually to the amendment et the
Lords.
_He believed there was no instance of the
House sending back such a Bill, without absolutely
rejeding the amendment. He might, perhaps, be
thought to wish the Bill might be lost altogether;
that, however, was not the case ; though he had ex-
pressed himself by no means favourable to it,
AS a measure of defence. The Bill might le!
brought in again, and there could be no great harm
it a Bil!, which passed with a very inconsiderable Mi- '
nority, and which might now be perhaps disagreea-
ble to a majority, should undergo some further dis-
cussion. He begged the House not to do any thins
which might in the least infringe or trench on their
privileges, for the 6.4/Leaf this or any other Bill ; but
particularly of this bill.
Mr. PITT said, that with respell to the provisions
of the Bill, or whether they were agreeable or
otherwise to a majority, this was not the stage to
notice them. The first question was, what they
were to do, according to the privileges of the House ?
'1 he next, what, under all the present circumstance).
they were to do forthe best ? He was of opinion,
that the mode proposed by his Noble Friend should
be adopted. His Noble Friend had stated, that the
amendments were intended to be considered as they
arose in succession, and the House would then see
which they would agree to, and which they would
not. One objeCtion had been made by an Hon.
Gentleman opposite (Mr. Fox), which he could not
agree to. Ile thought the amendment r.iade by the
Lords WAS not a continuance of the exemption,
but only an enlargement of the day of return, which
might be agreed to, without at all infringing the
privileges of the House. If the House should be
of a different opinion, in order to save their privi-
lege, they might rejeft the amendment of the Lords
altogether. and afterwards adopt it by a short Sup-
plemeotary
Mr. T. GRENVILLE s?id, the House was cer-
tainly competent to agree to the clause in question--
bur, in his opinion, not without materially affecting
its privileges; of which, he !toped, it would always
be extremely tenacious. He thought it impossible
for words to describe a more absolute infringement
of privilegei, than by extending exemptions from
the Ist May to the Ist June, which certainly could
twat be cured by extending it still farther ; and, if a
Supplenrmitary Bill passed, which he doubted whe-
ther it ought to do, it would not cure the infringe-
moat of pi ivileges.• If, therelore. the Bill should
be entirely lost to the country for the present Ses-
sion, he thought the people would not have much
to lathe at. He could not sit down without ezhertrag
the House, if he might be allowed such an expres-
sion, to look at the matter as he thought they ought
to look, at it. and not suffer any argumeet of conve-
nience to induce them to risk the infringement of
their privileges.
Mr. PITT, in explanition, said, he bad been
very materially mistaken by his Right Hon. Friend,
who spoke lad, and who seem:l to think be ad-
vised the adOption of the amendment, as matter of
codvenience; at the risk of the privileges of th t
Hotise. Ott the contrary, he h.d expressly set oat
with saying,' the that questio t we:, what they itere
to de, accordirig to the privil gee of the House ?
and next, what they were to do for the best ? He
considered the alteration of the Lards.to be made in
furtherance of the intention of the Commons ; and,
as met, they might apes to it; but he had also ex-
preisly Mid, that for the sake of the privileges of
the House, if It should be thought they were in 'any
digger, they ought to ayes* the amendment, and
rinoin after Wards adopt it a Supplementary Bill.
Mr. BR AGGE said, that lia.ring had the honour
to lay the Report of the Corniittee before the
I loose, he hopedhi•Lhould 'be%indulged with a few
words, in order to eielain she- 'masons which ) •
vented the Committee.relative Amendrae t.
The question had beenTuiNconsikered by the Com-
mittee, who fouad by sever pre that mane
instances bad occurred, tht Lords have made
.titeratit.:s in the day for beginning of an afh; and
fur the ci.mniencement of the operation of diffine t
pasts of isas. Even in tax bills, where a day 1, e
lapsed, which was fixed the Comnlons, the Lots..
lats. tiled days which were neatest the intentt, n sf
the Ct.:ma:ors. In the pres:nt Amendment, ti e
.i.or fixed by the Commons was the Ist of Di y
lot 0...:a r : e. thng t: exemt trie -

emptki. 1, the ncic