The Sun.
London, England, 1801-03-24 00:00:00

The Bill to amend an AO of the t3th of. the
King, for the Cultivation of Potatoes in Waste
Lands, and the Inclosure of Covmons, was read
a second time, and committed tor to-morrow.

Mr. MANNING presented a Petition against
the above, which was referred to the Com-
mittee, to which the Bill was referred.
The SECRETARY at WAR presented several
Accounts of the Total Expences. of the Army,
and of the Number of Troops employed in the
different Years since 1793, which were ordered
to be printed.

Mr. M. A. TAYLOR said, he had given no-
tice for to-morrow, of a Motion for leave to
bring in a Dill to exempt Curates, keeping one
Horse, from Payment of the Taxes upon Horses:
but, as he understood, the Right Hon. Gentle-
man, the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER,
who had now 'taken his place, had not been aware
of this notice, he would defer his Motion to a
future day, and if there was no objeftion, he
would fix for this day se'nnight.
Mr, NlCHOLLQ,.according to the notice which
he gave on Friday last, moved, that there be
laid before the House a Copy of the Resolution
of the Court of DireElors of the Bank of England
to increase the Dividend on Bank Stock, and to
grant a Bonus to the Proprietors of Bank Stock,
payable on the first Day of May next.
Mr. S. THORNTON said he had not been in
his place when .the Honourable Gentleman at first
made this Motion, and he did not conceive that
it was at all regular or consistent with the forms
of the House, that such a Motion should he made
without previous notice being given. This ob-
jetion being, however, now obviated, he wish-
ed, before he should give any deeidedopinion on
the Motion, to know. on what grounds, and for
what purpose, it was made.
Mr. NICHOLLS said, that the Resolution

was in the hands of every person, and that his
objeet could be no other, in moving for the Pa_
pox, than to have it formally before the House,
in order,to be enabled to found a Motion upon it.
The grounds for that Motion, he conceived,
would be stated with greater, propriety when it
should come, to be made. The Resolution he
thought highly objellionable, and to be one that
ought to afford ground for parliamentary inquiry
and consideration.
Mr. S. THORNTON -said,. that he had. no
wish that any paper or document should be with-
held, which any Gentleman might think to be of
importance to be laid before the House ; but he
could not agree with the Honourable Gentleman's
motion for laying this Paper before the
_House,
because he conceived it to relate to something
with which the House' had no . right to interfere.
By the Aft of the 7th of Queen Anne a Charter
was granted to the Bank, which has been re-.
newed by repeated Ads of Parliament; and by
one passed no longer ago than last year, which
empowered 'the Court of Direaors, and the
Proprietors, to fix the Dividends to be paid to
the Holders of Bank Stock, and to settle, in
short, all matters of internal arrangement. For
the renewal of this Charter a valuable conside-
'ration was.paid by the Bank. On .what grounds,
then, the House can interfere with the settle-
ment of the Dividend' to be made on Bank Stock,
he was at a loss to conceive. He thought that their
interference would be a violation of the Charter
which they themselves had granted, and he hoped
that they would not so soon consent to a Motion
inconsistent with the A& passed' by themselves
last year. Besides, the Paper moved for, is only
a Resolution, or rather a Proposition, made by
the Court of DireEtors, which is of no validity
without being sandioned by the Court of Pro-
prietors, before which it has not yet been laid.—
That Court is, indeed, summoned to meet to-mor-
row, to take the Resolution into consideration ;
but till it is adopted by that Court, this Motion
is, at any rate, premature.
Mr. ALLARDYCE said a few words, which we
did not hear.

Mr. NICHOLLS said, 'the Bank of England
Wait not now in the same situation it was before
its Stoppage in 1797. Before that time, it was
Commercial Bank, and a Bank , for paying the
Dividends to the National Credithrs. At that
time, Parliament proteaed it. But Parliament
did not mean to put it in a better state than it was
before. At that time, it found itself unable to
ply the demands upon it, as a Commercial Bank,
and it forfeited its obligations to the Government.
To save it from the ruin resulting from this mis-
• management alone, the protefflon ofParliament was
extended to it, by allowing it to make its payments
in Paper instead of Speck. Since that time, it has
added to its delinquency, by increasing its issue
of Paper Money. The average of Notes in
culation before that time, was Ten Millions and
A Half. At the time of the Stoppage, the amount
was only Eight Millions and a Half. But now,
from the Accounts laid before Parliament, it ap_
pears, that no lessa sum than Sixteen Millions
and a Half of tank Notes are in circulation.—

This will of course produce' great profit to the
Proprietors,' but, surely, Parliament never meant
to authorizes it. Besides this,. the Bank -has not
done what it is its duty to do, taken care to buy
up a sufficient quantity of Bullion to send to the
Mint, to keep up the issue of Specie. This has
made the Country Banks increase theit issue of
Paper, which has been the means of substituting a
Paper for a Gold circulating medium, increased
the Price of all the Articles of Life, and thus
added to the distresses of the present Famine.
Parliament could never mean to allow the Bank
Proprietors to increase their profits, at the expence
of the Public. He, therefore, thought it the duty
of Parliament to interfere, and at least to examine
alien such a proposal as the present is made.
He cm:kJ nor, moreover, but think it rather dis-
graceful, to those who have the direaion of the
Bank, to bring forward such a measure in the
present circumstances, and at the present time.
. Mr. H. THORNTON said be would rest the
question before the House on the impropriety of
Yarliatpet.t interfering partially in the. affairs of
the Bank. If it interferes. at-all, let the inquiry

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