The Sun.
London, England, 1806-07-18 00:00:00

AMERICAN INTERCOURSE BILL.

The discussion lasted for upwards of two hours.
When we were re-admitted, we found
Lord HAIPKESBURY on . his legs, speaking
on the ',third reading of the 'American Intercourse
Bill. His Lordship deprecated any departure from
those principles on which our Navigation Laws were
founded, and to which we vrere' indebted for our
maritime superiority, and our greatness as a Nation.
He did not mean to contend that there. might not
be cases in which, from necessity, the general prin-
ciple of our Navigation Laws must be. departed
from—but the present :was not such a case ; and if
an investigation was 'allowed to take place, he
pledged himself to bring' forward ,Merchants of the
'highest respectability, Cho.would declare that such
a measure as the present was wholly unnecessary.
'He objeCtO that this Bill was.brought forward, and
all investigation refused. He thought also that the
measurewas rendered worse bYenaCting it for an in-
:definite-period ; it :would be, in his mind, much
better to litnit the.period of its duration
,to the Ist
of July, 1807, as in the mean time an investigation
.lof important subje& might !eke place, and Par-
liament become acquainted withthe real state of the
question. • , •
Lora HOLLAND contended that nothing more
'was meant by this Bill than to vest 'that power. in
the Privy Council which had heretofore, been exer-
cised, contrary' to Law, by the Governor's of our
,West India Islands. That the power of allowing
our West India Islands to be supplied from Arne-
' rico should be lodged somewhere, was demonStrable
frorn the fatal effeas which a contrary policy, that
of resiriEting otir Colonies to a supply from' this
Country, had produced in those Islands when re-
sorted to' soon after the termination of the American
War. This power, he contended, could no where
be better lodged than in the hands:9lHis Majesty's
Privy Council; who were tesponsible'for theexer-
cise of it, and who were more likely to be influenced
here by British, interests thin the Governors in the
West Indies, who, from their. situation, were ne-
cessarily suhje& to be operated upon by local in-
fluence. He was astonished at the opposition this
measure met with in ail its stages, particularly from
thee who had sanaioned the Governors in the West •
Twiigs, continually violating . the Law froth
necessity, for -the purpose of admitting a sup-
ply into the West Indies from America, and 'who
Iliought thii of so little consequence, that they ne,g;-
leaeo for three or four years to 'pasS 'any Bill ,of
•
Indemnity.
Lord ELDON maintained that there was a ma-
terial difference between indemnifying the Gover-
nors in the West' Indies for -these aas; and passing
an Ata of Parliament to legalize-the principle. The
great object of our Navigation Laws was to pre-
serve our maritime superiority; and they should not
lig!ttly bedeparted from, as it sliOnld be remembered
that when our 'Shipping• ,and Mariners were de-
creased, those of other Nations would be increased ;
and that if, 'in the event ,of a Peace, there was not
employment in our Mercantile Shipping fOr the nu-
merons Seamen who would be-discharged, many of
them might enter into foreign service.
Earl SPENCER defended the Bill, which, he
contended, had nothing to do with the general prin-
ciples urged on 'the other side,- .it being only to give
a power to the Privy Council to allow the impor-
teion of certaiq .articles from America into „our
West.lndia Islands, in case of necessity, and in or-
dt'r to prevent any ill etreas
,arising from the precai-
rims nature "of, a supply restricted wholly_ _to this .
Country. It did not, - however, prpvent the Sop-
plies.front being sent
.frorri hence in British 'Ship-

ping.
Lord liAlv-KEsBuK moved an. Amendment to
limit the duration of the Bill to tie Ist of July,
1867, •

• The Earl of LAUDERDALE thought the
Amendment extremely inconsistent with the argu-
ments urged on the other side, as it went to ac,
I.mowledge a principle of supplying thelVet Indies
.frorri America, whether in war or in peace,.whifst the
Bifl, in its present' Shape,. went only, to the necessity
of doing so in time of war.
Aftr some further observations froth Lord EL-
Dpiq and 'LOA. HOLT:4WD, the Amendment was
negatived, and the Bill read a third .rime and
passed,.
The'remaining Bills on the table were for Warded
itt their respeelive staL;es, and the House, adjourned
soon after nine, till to-morrow (this day).

HOUSE OF C'O_ll4l:OlVS..

THURSDAY, JULY, 17.

,
The Right Honourable THamAs GIIENVILLE took
the .Oaths. and his Seat for the Borough of
, •
Mr-'Woolford, from the Treasury, presented an
Account •Of the Aduition, to the Public Funded Debt
pb.-;.etinerit the Aa of tho Bath of the X.in‘4.-77
prd,,i'L'cli to lie on_the Table:

I.'ne Lopdon Ad(!itton:ll Foreq Rrpeal,Bill, the
MAt- Di:tty4 13iii, Royal Family
itQz44l3 41; awl Lpx.d

Nelson's Anituity Bill, were. read a third time an'a
passed..
The Printer .to the'.H.ouse of Commons presented
an Account of the Expences,of printing all the Pa-
pers relative to Indian Affairs, with the exception of
those relative tote I\labollof Arcot's Debts and the
Budget, during the present Session, with the Dates
of the Orders and the time they were delivered.--.-
Ordered- toile on the Table, and to be printed.
Mr. Meux, from the India Board, presented Pa-
pers relative to the charges against Marquis Wel-
lesley,
purspant to an Order'of the I-lotirie..—,Qrdenr
ed to lie on the Table, and to be printed.
, The Consolidated P'und Stirplus Bill, the Public
Harbours Bill, the Customs' Regulation Bill, and
MacdoWal's Estate Bill, were reported, and
,or4er;:.d
to be read a third time to-morrow.