The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1804-06-28 00:00:00

PRIZE AGIENCY BILL.

Mr JERVVi said, he Conceived that a business of
this importance could not be carried into eft d dur-
ing the present Session; and as he was assured it was
the intention of His Majesty's Ministers to submit a
measure of a similar kind to Parliament next Session;
he w.iirid now move to put off the further proceed-
ings is this Bill for three months. He was sorry
the present measure was dropped, and to that he
would not have consented, were it not fir the assur-
ance he received, that it would be brought forward
again.
Sir CHARLES POLE hoped that a measure of
such importance as the present Bill would not be
delayed a moment longer than could be avoided.
The extortions and abuses which had taken place
in prize courts were so great, that they ought to be
submitted to Parliament as speedily as possible.
They were so notorious, that it was hardly necessary
for him to name them. The greatest oppression
WAS praalsed by courts in the West Indies, and he
had heard a complaint made of the excessive charges
of the Court of Admiralty in this country. He then
held in his hand a paper, which came to him from a
gallant young friend and brother officer of his,
now no mote; he meant the son of Sir Charles
Macros In this paper. which he signed in
the West Indies a short time before he died,
it WAS stated that the charges in the courts there
for the r .ademnation of thirty ships, which were
captured, amounted to 50,0001. and that tile prize
gent transmitted other charges upon the same, to
the amount of 50,0001. more. For eight years this
officer WAS applying for his money, and could not
get it. New he would ask whether it was fit that
our brave seamen, the bravest in the world, ought
to he kept out of their money so long? This was a
subject on which Mete ought to be no delay. It
was no question of party ; it ought nut to be taken up
in that light. He should be very happy to see a
Bill of this kind hrought in next Session; but if that
Bill weta to shelter the enormities, praflised in the
West Indies, be should oppose it. He hal another
faa to state against the Courts in this country;
which was, that for the condemnation of some fish-
ing-boats taken by an officer on the Irish station, the
cha .ges amounted to more than half the value,
which was not above 10001.

%It- DICKENSON said, he could renew the
assurances aheady made, that this subjcit was
meant to be brought forward at an early period
next Session, and it had been under the considera-
tion of the Lords of the Admiralty for some time.

Sir W ELFORD belie►ed that this measure had
not been objefled to on the grouods of its tending to
do avrav grievance. The ground on which he had
objeited to it, was, that of tts tending to create and
totinue discontents in the Naval Department.
One objeCt of the Bill was to take away from all the
five classes, the power to appoint their prize agents,
anti leave it entirely with one of the class; s. Every
pan of this Bill went upon a false assumption, that
in all the iuterior Departments of the N ivy, there
wire no per,ms t., be found but cheats, rogues, and
depredators. Certainly there are some of that
Jetuiption in all departments But it was highly
to just to assume that all were so.
ivlr. FRANCIS said, sufficient reason had been
given to thew, that this Bill ought to be carried into
tiled ; but no reason whatever was given for with.
drawnil it, and for that reason he would oppose its
being put of.
Mr. JERVIS said, he had assigned his reasons;
namely, the advanced period of the Session, and
the promise made by Ministers, that they would
intrnduce another of the same kind.

'lle AD VOI 'ATE GENERAL said, there was
no one more desirous than himself to obtain the ob.
je.ft of this Bill, but l.e did not approve of the prin-
ciple of it. It would not remove the abuses com-
plained of. He was ready to admit that great
abuses prevailed in the Courts in the West Indies,
on the subjea of prise causes, and regulatious were
adopted some years ago to remedy them. With
respeA to the great expences, stated by an lion.
Admiral, to have been incurred in the Courts in
this country, he could assure him, that in the parti-
cular case he alluded to, by far the greatest part of
the charge was occasioned at the outports, where
each of those fishing boats stood the captors in as
much at if they were Inhamen. The paper pro-
duced by the Honourable Admiral was under the
consideration of the Judge of the Admiralty Court.
It was a fit subj..a for redress, but not for Par-
liamentary regulation. He was ready to confess,
that the mast enormous abuses had been praaised
in the West Indies, but provisions were made to put
a stop to them.
Sir Cts A at xi Pote explained.
Mr. BUR ROW ES wished to know if any com-
munications had been sent to India on the supjett of
Y. izc Agency Kusiness?
Lord CASTLEREAGH answered that no de-
cision had been as yet made on that part of the sub-
je.9. The enemy at present had no trade in the
Indian seas. But the qustion was still to be brought
fors, ard.

The Bill was then put off for three months.
THE LAVE LORI) KILWARDEN.

The nous? having resolved itself into a Com-
mittee on His Majesty's Message, relative to the
family of the late Lord Kilwarden ;
Mr. PITT rose and said, he hoped the proposi-
ti••n he had to submit, would meet the unanimous
c•.ncurrence of the Committee. He then moved the
f dl wing tevlution " That an annuity of igool.
be t•ranted from the consolidated fund of Ireland.
to the widow of the Lite Lnrd Kilwarden, Chief
Justice of Hit Majesty's Court of King's Bench in
Ireland, to he held by her during her life ; and that
after her death, the same be settled in the following
mattner :---8001. a year to the son, bearing the title
of Lord Lilwarden, and ;Ida a year to sash of the

two daughters of the late Lord Kilvrarden, ard
that this said annuity do commence from the 23d of
July, 1803."—The resoluticri was agreed tn, and
the report ordered to be received to-niorrow.
The Committees of Supply, and W.iys and
Means, were put off till Friday.