The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1806-03-20 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

A new Writ was ordered to be is'sn.7d fsr 'the
eount; of Kilkenny, in Ireland, in tho loom of the
Riltt Hon. Wm. Brabazon Ponsonby, Esq. now
Lord Ponsonby.
Mr. Bond, and another Member, took the oaths
and their seats.

The Scotch Creditors' Bill was read a third time
and payed.

T:ie Customs Expiring Liws Bill, the Excise
Expiring Laws Bill, and the Felons' Transportation
Biil, were severally read a second time, and ordered
to be committed to-morrow.

Mr. VANSITTART moved for an E,tSma•e f
the sums necessary to pay the Exche:;•ier
due in I SOti —Ordered.

He afterwards brotrillt up the 10,.500,0011
chequer Bills Bill, which was read a first and or-
dered to he read a second time to-morrow.
Mr. Williams, from the Commissioners of Naval
[rgniry, preseated at the Bar an A ..count of the ex-
pence, of the said Commissioners, in each year,from
t'le time of their appointment, to the end of the
year 1805.—Ordered to be printed.

IRISH NittzriA SER VICE RILL.
Mr. Alexander brought up the Meport on the
Trish Milit.a Service B.ll—and, on the question that
the Amendment be read a snood time.—
Mr. LEE adverted to the sentiments delivered
rn a former night by an Honourable Memhi-r (Mr.
W. Keene) with whom he coincided in opinion ;
and expressed his wish to have the Iris:: and En-
Militia made the same. The two kingdoms
were now united, and the Militia should he so
likewise, for the general defence of the empire.
l'he objel of the Bib w.is to enlist 10,GiO men
from the Irish Militia. If you ask the Irish to
come here to defend this part of the country, the
English Militia should be allowed to do the same.
He would nit now oppose the Bill ; but in an en-
suing Session he should think it his duty to bring
the question regularly before the House• ; and the
mode he meant to propose was, that every Militia
soldier should he hereafter enlisted to serve in each
country of England, Ireland, and Scotland. lie
thought the Rill should also he an annual one.

General TABLETON thought this discussion
premature. Ireland was at present in no danger
of invasion, and Gentlemen ought to wait till the
general military system was brought forward, be.
fose they offered any plans of their own.
Lord FOLKESTONE coincided in opinion with
Mr Lee, that the Bill ought to be annual.
Lord CAS FLEREAGH said, that had His Ma-
jesty's late Ministers continued in office, their inten-
tion was to have brought in a Bill similar to this,
and to engraft in it a clause to enlarge the Irish
Militia, and to empower the Colonels to permit the
enlistment of a certain number, not more than fif-
teen men from each company, and by bounties to
fill op the vacancies. As the bounty in Ireland for
a Militiaman was only three guineas, the regular
army might thus he increased, without any very
heavy expence. He had no objenion to the present
Bill, but mentioned this by way of information to
His Majesty's Ministers, ut what had been in con-
templation.
Mr. VANSITTART thought it better to wave
all discussion on this subj4t till the general military
system was brought forward.
The resolutions vere then agreed to, and the Bill
ordered to he read a third time to-morrow.
Mr. DILLON postponed his motion, which stood
fot this day, till to-morrow.
___•

Mr. Wright, from the India Board, presented
certain India Papers. pursuant to the orders of the
House ni the 27th and 29th January.—Ordered
to be printed.

INDI P PERS.
Mr. M. ADDINGTON having moved that cer-
tain orders for India Papers be entered and read,
said, he saw so little reason to suppose any objeflion
to his motion, that he should, without further pre-
face than what he had made yesterday, when he
gave the notice, proceed to move—
.. That the sad order, may only extend to each parts of the
slid Papers as uuy tic dact.lSed without prejudice to the puts.
tic service."

On the question being put,
Mr. FRANCIS objeEted to it, on the ground that
it might be made a precedent that may operate in-
jurinusly not oily in questions relating to India
Affairs, but in all others. He was sorry the Right
Hon. Secretaries of State were not there to hear
what he said on the subjed ; but he thought it ex-
tremely dangerous to establish a precedent of this
nature, and allow Ministers a power of withholding
information which they did not like to giire, from the
House.

Mr. H. ADDING TON said, the motion ap-
peared to him sn unexceptionahle, he could not
suppose there would have been the smallest obj:c-
tion. So far from establishing the precedent, he
had found it ; and thought it very extraordinary the
House should, in Jane, 1805, think that to be right.
which, in March, 1806, is wrong. Suppose the
Honourable Gentleman who (3*Z/ea to this mo-
tion, had moved for documents relating to the late
Confederacy, could he deny, that Ministers have a
discretionary power to withhold, on their responsi-
bility, stub parts as might be injurious to the pub-
lic service? The same discretionary power had'
been given by the House to the late Board of
Connoul. and he could see no rea on why it should
be denied to this.

Lard FOLKESTONE said a few words against
the Motion, and hoped Mr. Francis would persist in
his opposition, in which he would stand by him.
Mr. Francis and Mr. H. Addington severally ex-
plained.
Mr. Secretary FOX said, he rose with some dif-
ficulty, to speak on the present question. He had
no hesitation in saying, it was somewhat extraordi-
nary, that a power should he given by the House,
last year, to the then Board of Contronl, which
was now denied. Had this been made a question
last year, he should have thonght differently on it.
He agreed with the Hon. Friend who made this
Motion, that in the case of a Motion for Dispatches,
I.etters, &c. it is always the custom to move for
Copies or Estraels, and not for Copies only ; and
there a discretionary power is given to Ministers to
withhold (on their responsibiluy, doubtless) such
pavages as they think may, by their disclo•ure, in-
jure the public service, or derogate from the faith
of Government. As to the matter 01 Precedents.
ha thought, it, iu the grxiting all other papers,

MIMI

as to came rower ::as be.”l:er7,l 10
the B ‘ai d of etootroul. the )ioo:ihn sou4lit th pass.
It it were a new qiiestior he muot own he would 'T-
ied it. 'l'he same hal been done the other night
on the papers relative to Surat, and he thought it
unnecessary to take a new step
Mr. BANIC3 thought the House ought to take
great care to set no ill precedents, and -he objeded
to tnis motion, because the Right Hun. Gentleman,
who spoke last, had owned that he supported it
only because there was a precedent for it, and that
if it were a new question he would reject it; such a
precedent should, • therefore, be dose away as soon
as possible

Lard H. PETTY agreed with his Right Hon.
Flie:11 nom' him (sfr. Fox) as to the respontibi-
lity of alir.isiers, and thought that in this case no-
thing rm,r;.• was asked than what hat very lately
becn a.ceded to without any oSjeaion. He was
convinced his Right Honourable Friend, who
brought forward the motion, had no s iew in it but
what arose from a salutary caution ; but as the
House seemed to think the precedent not a good
one, he, wishing for one, to revert to the former prac-
tice, would recommend it to his Right Hon. Friend
to withdraw his motion.

Lewd CAS I'LEREAGH thought it his duty to
state to the House why he had Adopted this mode
I,f proceeding. In a former Session, many papers
had been moved for on the subjea of the Malsrattas.
These papers could not be given, without disclosing
the names of those who had givers information to the
St isish Government, which would have been :.ighly
injurious to the public interests. He had, therefore,
applied for a discretionary power to the Board of
Controul, to withhold such parts of the rapers as
might have the areas he hid mentiolied ; and he
thought it only just and tight, that Ministers should
have a discretionary power to withhold what would
be injurious to the public interests, or derogatory to
the faith of Government to disclose.

Mr. BASTARD said, he attached no blame to
the Aight. I lon. Gentleman who brought forward
this motion.

Mr. IVILBE3FORCE expressed himself in-
debted to the Right Hon. Gentleman, and to the
Noble Lord, for the candour and liberality with
which they had acted. He repeated the argumen:s
he had used en a former night on the sane subject.
Mr. ALEXANDEIt said a few words against
the motion.

Lord TEMPLE said. he thormlit the question
had grown into an importance it did not deserve.
Lord MORPETII thought the responsibility of
Ministers should lae whole and entire, and hoped
the Motion would he withdrawn.

Mr. H. ADDINGTON said, ever since his
Right Honourable Friend's °Nation, he wished to
withdraw his motion, but seeing many respe&i.ole
Members desirous to deliver their opinions, he had
refrained from doing so till they had spoken. lie
assured the House he had nn idea of there being
the slightest olajoelion to it, but as there was, he
would, with the leave of the House, withdiaw it ;
which was ...:cordingly Alone.
A Message from the Lords informed the House,
their Lordships had agreed to Lord Collingwood's
Annuity Bill, and the English and Irish Sugar
Drawboa Bilis, without any amendments.—Ad-
journed.