The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1803-03-15 00:00:00

MILITI.I LAWS.

The SECRETARY at WAT: brow-ht in a Bill
for the payment and cloathing the Militia, for the
year 16'03.
He then stated, that there were four Alts of Par-
liament naw silbsisting to make provisien for the
wives mill families of persons serving in the Militia.
Those .4.:!ts were in a great measure contradidory ;
mad what he meant now to propose was, for leave to
bring in a Bill fo;• charging the several counties with
the provision fur the families Lf persons serving in
the .Nlilitim,.particularl7 Sergeants and Warrant Of-

. -
The secend ohj:.:Ft of the Bill would be to give
Magistrates a discr,aionary pcwer, in regard to sub.
stitutes in the Militia. At present great frauds were
cummitted by substitutes, who claimed an allowance
for nu*t children than they ltd. The in ovision he
meant to propose was, that persons so conduaing
ihemseives should be allowcd for no more than one
'11)e third ot.)jea was, to enablz parishes, when a
man, drawtr by ballot, became burthensonie to the
'parish, by means of his Lordly, tohave him discharged
na providing a substizttte.
Leave was tlu:u oiv a to bring in a Bill for the
oh jeas before raeati.

SIIDD-LiE% ELECTION.

Mr. SI-IFAIDAN, after one or two prefitory ob-
servations, moved, That WM. MAINW•RING, Esq.
and the other Petitioners, complaining of an undue
elation for Middlesex, be directed to give in a list
f the votes they MeAli to objet to in favour of the
Sitting Member, in order that he might hare time
sad opportunity to inquire into the nature of the
objesetions. These kits he moved to be given in on
or before the 7th of April next, and that the Sitting
Member be the Wile.
Sir ROBERT BUXTON did not see neces-
. city Of naminz so early a day as the 7th of April,
cnncidering that the Committee WAS appointed for
the 21st ot \lay; will as after the Easter recess
t lettions were likely to he postponed, it WAS possible,
nt leas:, that the Committee on the Middlesex elec-
tion might not he tried during the present se::sion of
Parliament. kit: thoutlit it would he satin:lent that

the lists•slusald be given n fourteen days before the
ballot for the Committee.
Mr. SHERIDAN replied, that in the entirse of
his life. he had never heard so extravagant an objec-
tion, nor one supported by such strange arguments.
There was very little difference to eidaer.a the par-
ties, between the 7th of April and 21st of Mav, but
as the lists, from rumours, must be very volumi-
nous, it would he necessary, for the jnstice of the
case, that there should be time examine strictly
into them. There could be no doubt but.Mr: MA! N•
IVA RINU and his friends had made accurate inquiry
before they presented the Petition, and of course
could be under no difficulty in producing their lists
at the time he proposed.
Mr. BRAC:EIF. WAS of opinion, that the conveni-
ence or the Adverse party should 'be consulted; and
the question in his*mind was, What would be a rea-
sonable time to satisfy both ? A month, he thought,
should Le given to prepare the lists ; and after all, it
was doubtful whether the cause would be tried this
year or not.
Mr. FOX remarked, that two htllots were'ap-
pointed in every week, until after the Easter recess,
when the House would dispose of the remaining Pe-
titions. The Assizes, Quarter Sessions, Grand Ju-
ries, and other avocations, would necessarily occupy
a number of Members. It was to be observed, that
the ballots fell upon those Members who were in
the habit of attending from day to day ; so that
every man present at a ballot was almost sure of
being drawn. What he wished was, that a day
should now be fixed ft.r giving in the lists, and the
term might afterwards be prolonged it the discre-
tion of the Home.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER '
said, that when he proposed to have two ballots in
each week, until the Easter recess, he was nit
sanguine enough to suppose, that afterwards a suf.i.
cient number of Members would attend to form the
Committee. In that case, the House must aft accord-
ing to c:rctimstances. The House had already pro-
ceedFd in this b-miness, with unprecedented alacrity.
There WAS no, instance in any former Parliament.
Twenty-four petitions were the most that had been •
disposed of in any former Session, and the Home
had this Session appointed no less thanlB Committees.
Middlesex Petition, which was now the 11th
on the kst, copld not be expeaed to be heard im-
mediately.
After some further observations, the lists of both
parti.:s were ordered to be given in on the first of
May next.
Mr. SHERIDAN moved the second reading of
the Croydon Railing Bill :Which having been done,
and the Bill ordered to be referred to a seleet Com-
mittee this evening—
Gereral TARLETOST moved, that the Peti-
tioners against the Bill be litard by their Counsel,
before the said Conon:ace, which was agreed to.