Star.
London, England, 1802-12-14 00:00:00

tome tints firft principles. tt was'
n, ani acknowledged by the Hon. Mem:
the Continental Powers could not do
3ritifh rrilmtfatittres. It was obvious,
iati:,n mot h. the confequence of peace;
eta mull follow population ; aud.that
ty, as the bell market in Europe, .mutt
At demand.
'Room exprefTed his high approbation of
genv.:nts tn.ide by the Right Hon. the
)r of the Exchecrter, with regard to Et-
',ills, as well as with the general and flat-
tement he had made •of the flourithing
races of the country.
‘riSITTART Paid a few words in fupport of
cellor of the Exchequer's explanation..
:folution of the Committee was then put
ied Imo. con.

ELKTION PETITIONS.
HANCELLOR. of the I:XI:NEVER rofc, in
'e of the notice he had given on a former
move tor potiponing the contideration of
ral Eleaion Petitions prcfented to the
and already appointed to be taken into
ition antecedent to the end of ll;:cemlyzr,
er the recefg. It WAS his purpof.., he laid,
by potlponing the confideration of the fird
Petitions to the Bth of February, and he
,e H ince would have no objetion to thole
ng appointed for the eleLclion of Commit-
mcly, Tuefdays and Thuedays in each
e week, to take two Petitions into confi-
i infiead of one, in order that the whole
e gone through in the conrfe of the letTion.
was lure was the with and intention of the
and, therefore, he hoped that upon thofe
to appointed for the feleetion ofCommirtees,
e upon the merits of thole Petitions, if there
not be a due attendance of Members, the
would fupport its own authority, and em-
e means in its power to enforce a full at:
te. It was a duty, in jultice' due to thofe
ters who had appealed to the Houfe, as well
thers whole returns might be unjudly im-
I, to vindicate them from falfe imputations.
chided by moving, That the confiders-
the Petition complaining of an undue Elec-
. Great Grimfby, which hood for Dec. 8, be
ted till the Bth of February.
I Tsmrut thought it right that the Right
;entleman, before he propofed an arrange-
.° extremely hard upon Petitioners,.fiiiould,
, date tome reafons for fo doing.
Cismscatame of the Eyes; cozy litt laid, that
goble Lord had been in his place on the for •
ght, when he apprifed the Houfe of his in
is on the fubjetl, he would have known that
tires wore, the pretfitre of more urgent bu-
xfore the recefs I which was, in faa, the
onfideration that Mould induce the Houfe to
to the meafure.
SPIAILSIL dated, that the ufual order of
:ding, in former Parliaments, on fimilar
cons, was Ertl to move to difcharge all the
fuccefEvely, for taking the feveral Peti
into confideratipp as already appointed, and
acevet9 appoint the new days for each Petition.
accedence to this fuggeftion, the oilier for the
kirmerly appointed were dikharged, and the
ms ordered for the days following, viz.
krtnline and Shaftefbury, on Turfday, Ftb 8.
ity College, Dublin, and borough of Great Grimly, on
lay, Feb. to
it of Nottingham, and Borough of Barnftaple, Tuelday,

of Coventry, and Borough of Bridgejrater, Thurfday

mgh of Kirkcudbright, and ----o—.,Tuefday, Feb. 21.
wet of Inuernefs, and Borough o: Liiktard. Thurfday,

• •
r of Waterford and City of Drogheda, and County of
)on Turfday, March t.
nigh of Penryit, and Stranraer, on Thurfday, March s.
pperihani, and Carrinarthen.'forfday„ March
idler, and haft Grin(tead, Thurfday, March to
how, and Oakbampton. Turfday, March is.
rwich, and Berwick upon T red, Thurfday, March t
unton, and Bolton, fuelday, March as.
dindlniry, and stirling, Toefday, March 24.
=triter, and Bilhop's Cattle, Teefday, March
dham, and Fait Bedard, Thurfday, March 3t.
weaftle unties Line, and Radnor county,' furfday, April 5.
neon on Hull, and Leominfier, Thurfday, April t 4.
leihury, and Middlrten, Turfday, April sp.
ilde4 and Hannon, Tburfday, April st. -
iftefitury, the.Pctitton again it Edward Loco la& Louden,
Eucklay, April a 6.
_

lELDDLIIIILI PETITION.
it CHARLES 13ASEPTTLDI moved the Order of
Day for refuming the Adjourned Debate, upon
(t!_.tellion for receiving a Petition from certain
he Eleaors of the County of Middlefex, win-
ning of certain ilkgal and corrupt prailites,
undue influence, on the part of Mr. Mainwar-
, one of the Candidates for the faid.C.ounty, on
late General Elation ; and praying, that the
Mr. filainwaring might not be returned to lit
'arliaiftent, as one of the Reprefentatives for faid
inty, in confequence of any decifion, upon any
er Petition touching faid Elation now pending.
4T.SrliAltElt, pro forma, Rated the eircurriliances
Adjournment, and laid, it would he regular
t the Petition, together with the Adis ot Par-
nent for regulating the Proceedings on Con:.-o-
ted Ele&ions, be read, or entered as read, which
er being done, •
Kr. TIERNEY far io (Lite his opinion why the
ition ought to be received. The circumilince
s certainly an extraordinary one ; and fuck as.
Hoofe had been rarely, if evercalled on to de-t
e ; for his own part, he walled to deliver a
Icild opinion* to the belt of his 'lodgment, unbi•
id by any partiality to, either iide of the quer-
n. If the Hoofe felt anyveluaance to entertain
: petition, he was fuic it arofe from no indifpori.
n to vender aria jutlice to the parties, but from i
: difficulty of acing upon 'a cafe miaow any
ecife precedent. The bill of Mr. Grenville laid
vin no precifeinflruftion for the Houle to as
; hill, he conceived the Houfe authorized so
it 4 wonted difcretion, where the law was filetitt
ion a matter, certainly of importance to the
;lits of Eleaors. He profeffed for one, that lie
,uld not fee what objeft the petitioners had in
ew. It was to be fore - ffible, but he believed
.1

~~+•+~

Sir Francis Burdett might
,die. before. the
.canter
was concluded, in which cafe, the • Committee
would be obliged to return Mr. Mainwaring as
duly elected, notwitlillandifig the many charges
againll-him of difqualifying circumstances. He
was fore the Houfe mull feel, in fuch a cafe, the
hardihip of the Elettors, in having a Reprefenta-
nye thrull• upon them, in fpite of their complaints
of fuch &qualification ; nor did he fuppote it
would be very agreeable for that Houfe to have a
Member obtruded upon them, who could find his
way thither by fuch improper means. If any
Gentleman objected to the reception of this peti-
tion now, upon the ground that it would come
time enough after the Committee had decided, he
would afk, did the Houfe with to put itfelf in the
predicament of having Counfel and tvidence at
their bar again!' the decilion of the Committee,
which would declare Mr. Mainwaring duly. eleCt-•
ed without having the charges in this petition re•
ferred to their confideration ? If, on the other
hand, Sir Francis Burdett should not chufe to fol-
low up the context and defend his eledlion, under
the operation of Mr. Grenville's Bill, Mr. Main-
Waring would_ be declared 'duly eleCted. The
EleCtors would of. courfe fay, a Reprelentative was
foisted on them, whom they did not chufe ; would
they then be at liberty to petition the Houfe, on
the ground of informality, and claim a new elec-
tion ? Certainly not, under the bill of Mr. Gren-
ville. Considering the matter in there points of
view, he faw many very deprecable confeitiences
which might refult from rejedling the petition, but
no inconvenience whatever from receiving it, whe-
ther it ought or ought not to be received. The
circumstances which gave rift to it, left an obvious
neceffity for a new Adt of Parliament. But the
Houle was bound, and he was lure would not re-
fufe to do that which was neceffary for the ftridt
ends of jutlice rand however bound by the letter
of Mr. Grenville's Act, he was confident they
would refute no reafonable attention to this peti-
tion, if the impediments were not too ftrong to be
got over. Indeed, he could not Conceive that the
fpirit of Mr. Grenville's bill, though it omitted to
fpecify a mode of proceeding in cafes of this
na-
tare, ever could have meant to preclude it from
remedy, or to prevent the Houle from exereifing
the diteretion in its own hands. It never intended
tp change the old and eflablithed laws and ufages
of Parliament, or to alter the nature of tie queflion
to be tried, but only to modify the proceedings
therein. The bill goes to difqualify, not only per.
fons guilty of bribery, from gaining a feat in that
Houle, but thofe endeavouring fo to do, and will
not therefore admit a perfon againa whom fuch
charges wcie made, without giving' the petitioners
an opportunity of being heard. The only cafe he
found, in. the precedents he had fought, to bear up-
on this, was the Lyme cafe, in the year 1727;
which was almott exactly fimilar to the prefent,
and there not the fmallelt doubt appeared in the
Houfe on the propriety of reErring the petition to
a Committee. This was the old ufage, and for his
own part, he was ready to vote for its adoption
upon the cleareft convidtion of its rectitude.
The MASTER "F THE ROLLS faid, that undoubt-
edly there could be no with, on either fide of the
Houle, to come to any decilion in this cafe, but
Inch as accorded with the fentiments Gentlemen
entertained of the law upon it. For his own part
he knew of no Precedent to warrant the Houle in
entertaining this Petition, nrreferring it to a Com-
mittee ; for it •was a Petition not complaining of
the undue Eledlion of any Member, itor was it
referrable in any way to the eledtion of any Mem-
ber whole return had been complained of ; fo that
whether the Houle should allow it to lie on the
table or not, they could not in law ground any
proceeding whatever upon it. The •Bill of Mr.
Grenville was one which went to regulate the jo-
rifdidlion of the Houk, and dire& its proceedings
upon contelted Elections ; and therefore difcre•
tionary power was out of the queflion, where the
Itatute imperatively prefcribed the precife mock
of proceeding. Every thing was excluded which
it did not include. Every power was withheld
which it did not grant : and if by that (Leine the
feveral kinds of Petitions were fpecifically limited,
who Ihould fay that Petitions of a different kind
ought to be received ? To no one of the admitlible
delcription of Petitions was this fimilar. The
Bill took away all difcretion from the Houle. In
departing from the letter of the law, and indul-
ging a latitude of contlration, there would be no,
end to the abufes which might obtain. Convinced,
therefore, that the Adt of Mr. Grenville was de-
cifive on the cafe, be flionlit vote againfl receiving
the Petition. The Petitioners had, if they chafe,
an opportunity of proceeding in another manner,
by tendering evidence before the Committee.' He
cited a number of cafes in illuaration of his argu-
ment, and concluded by declaring his firm opi.
•
mon that the Petition ought to be rejected.
1 The SPEAKER then informed the Houfe, that
there was another Petition from certain other
Eledtors of the County of Middle ex, in the fame
circurnttances as the lalt ; and on the quettion that
the lathe be withdrawn,
Mr. TIERNEY faid, that notwithttanding what
had been fo ably (lated by the Honourable and
Learned Gentleman, he thought the mode he had
pointed out for the proceeding of the Committee,
was one that would certainly put the parties, and
particularly Mr. Mainwaring, to a very great ad-
ditional expence, by making him go over the fame
ground twice, which expence would be avoided,
were the prefent Petitions allowed to be fent to the
&led Committee, as he had propofed, and which
he gill continued to'think would be the heft me-
i thod to adopt,in order tofurther the ends of juttice.
The Mast -e OF vita Roens, in explanation,
faid, that he admitted the expence would be much
greater, but that could not be avoided, as the law
was fo exprefs on the fithje6l, that the Petition
ought by no means to be admitted to Ay in the
face of it.
Mr. ST. JOH K, WWI& ,he admitted the doctrine
of the Hon. and Learned Gentleman who fpoke
WI, could not but agree with what had been ad.

lc. to provide apinks-WAr.gircumilsoce
curring in future. • • . '•
- -
,Lord GLENBERviz faid, that, in his opinion, the
Committee had full. povier .to" determine on the
.whole cafe of the Petitioner. He thought the Or- I
red Way would be, to make the Petitioner go
through with the whole cafe, and then 'to put the
Sitting Member CO defending his feat ; after which
the Committee, in faying`that the fitting Member
was not duly eleded, would with great propriety,
proceed to lute that the Petitioner was emitted to
his feat, as the perfon next on the poll. By the
t3th Sedion, each Member is fwoin to try the
merits of the Return and Eledion, and (hall fay,
whether the Petitioner or the Sitting Member are
duly eluded ? From this his Lordfliip contended,
that the Committee would certainly do right in
determining' the whole cafe when it came before
them, as by another Sedion in the Ad they were
empowered.to fend for perfons, papers, &c. and
thereby to put themfelves in potreffion of all the
neceffary information, to enable them to come to a I
full, fair, and competent invelligation of the lubjed..l
Mr. TIERNEY) in explanation, faid', he never
meant to deny what. the Noble Lord had juft Elated,
but as the law now flood, he alloWed the Com-
mittee had fall powers to fend for perfons, papers,
&c. but thea he conten.led they did not know who
to lend for.—The Petition, with the leave of the
Houle, was then withdrawn.
A fimilar Petition, under the fame circum-
(lances, from certain hledors of the county of
Hereford, was alto permitted to be withdrawn.
ABUSES IN THE NAVY.
Captain MARKHAM role, in purfuance of the 'I
notice he had given on a former night, to move for
leave to briar, in a Bill relative to certain abides
in the Naval Department. He faid, that before he
made his Motion, he wilhcd to inform the Houle
that ithad come to his eats, there were certain re-
ports gone abroad, that the objt.6t of the Board
of Admiralty, in bringing forward the Bill he had
to propole, was to throw blame on the late Ad-
miniaration, for not having brought it in comer.
This was, he raid, a molt falfe and ablurd idea.—
He allured the Houle, that he, and thole with
whom he acted, had the. highelt opinion of thole
Who preceded them, and efpecially'of the Noble
Ltird who filled the first place at that Board with
fuch dillinguithed honour to himfelf, and fuch
eminent advantage to the public fervice. In the
25th of his Majesty, an At paired to examine into
I the abufes of Offices, and for the better manage-
ing and concluding the bufinefs thereof. The
Bill in quellion, he laid, would only go to a part
of that Ad ; it would be confined folely to our
naval department—to all that depends on the
Navy, and nothing elle. He moved that the
31ft Report of the Finance Committee be read,
(which being done) he faid, it was tti pledge to
the Public, that the Board err Admiralty, after
the return of peace, fhodld enquire into thole
abufes. That Board, however, could not un-
dertake the matter themfelves, hecaufe they had
already fufficient bufinefs on their hands to occupy
their time entirely; and this matter would require
a very laborious invelligation. Nor indeed could
the Board perform it if they would, as they have
not the power to adminifter an oath. He had
been with the prefent First Lord of the Admiralty
in his late vifitation to the feveral Dock Yards of
the Kin'gdom ; and they had witneffecl fuch fcenes
of plunder and peculation, as convinced them
fuch a Commitlion as the prefent Bill would pro-
'vide, could not too foon be inaitutcd. He there-
fore moved for leave to bring in a Bill for appoint•
ingCommiffioners to enquire and examine into any
irregularities, frauds, and abufcs, that may have-
been lately pradifed by any perfons conneded
with the Civil Departments of the Navy therein
.mentioned, and into the bufinefs of Prize Agents,
And to report fuch obfervations as occur to them
for preventing fuch abufes in future." On the mo-
tion being read from the Chair,
Lord TEMPLE aid, he thought the Hon. Gen•
tleman ought to have given fome reafons, why the I
Houfe iliould give thole powers to the Admiralty
which were already vetted in the Navy Board. 'Die
Hon. Gentleman had talked of the late vi'fitation
to the Dockyards; he believed it had been a vifita-
tion indeed; but of all thofe numerous peculations
that had been difeovered, he thought the Hon.
Gentleman fhould at leaft have laid fome of them
before the Houle, ere he had moved to bring in a
Bill .of this tendency and importance, which goes
to vest perfons with powers already in the hands
of others, who were, in his mind, fully adequate to
anfwer all die purpofes for which this Commillion
was intended, and which would give additional
powers to the Admiralty.
Lord Haw ictsatixy laid, the Noble Lord had
certainly miflaken the whole of the Motion made
by his Hon. Friend. It did not give any addi-
tional powers whatever to the Admiralty. It was
confined entirely to two points:—the first was, that
the Board of Admiralty had already fo much bu-
finefs of the higlieft urgency and importance on
their hands, that they could' not find time to make
the necelfary enquities into the numerous abufes
which citified in the various departments of the
Navy :—the fecund point was, that by this Bill
powers lhould be given to certain perfons to exa-
mine upon oath, which the Admiralty could not
do, in order to their being in future afcertained
and prevented ; and in his mind it would look
very extraordinary indeed, if Minillers were to
come down to the Houfe, and fet their faces
-against a Commiffion to enquire into abufes.
Admiral BERKELEY faid, he thought the Ad-
miralty already were in fume meafure poffeffed of
that power which they want to vet in Commif-
(loners, and can order the Navy Board.to call for
papers and perfons to examine on oath. He did
not mean to oppofe the prefent Bill; that part
Which related to Prize Agents met with his hearty
approbation and concurrence. He only doubted
Whether the Admiralty did not at prefent poffefs
the right they .wanted to devolve on others.
Mr. GAKTHSHOLE faid a few words in favour
of the Bill. . • .

fitlerable nneatiners

,
partmcnt had Brea,
partments of Gov e:
at the head of it was

tiality and favorifm,
Influence to appoint ,
atfy to Ru lia. This Bill, he laid, would firengthen
that confidence which Minitlers had already to dil=
tin uillr:ail} poll-eff;:d themselves of, for having ter-
irinated ruccekfully a difallrou; war, and fince fo
managed our finances as to prove them to be in the
nioq prosperous and enviable hate ; a confidence
ixhich on all accounts they fo highly merited.
: Capt. YORKE defended the principle of the Bill.
L--He laid its proviflons would he highly advan-
tageous to the interefis of the navy and the public.
The Admiralty, at prefent, had no power to exa-
mine into Priae Agency. One part of the Hon.,
Gentleman's obfcrvations furprifed him much
When the French Government were fending Ge-
nerals as A.mbaiftdors to every Court in Europe,
he, could fee no objcEtion, founded in rcafon, why
we might not fend an Admiral.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEOZTER faid, that
it .was not his intention to, have Laid a word on the
fobjeEt, but , for fome obfervations of the Hon.
Gentleman who fpoke kit but one, and which
were delivered in fuch a tone and manner, that
notwiihilanding all his confidence in Minifiers, he
could not pafs by unnoticed. He had heard, for
the firft time, that the Noble Lord at the bead of
the Admiralty had been a6luated by a principle
of favoritifm. Nothing, he believed, could be
further from that Noble Lord's charaEter. The
Honourable Gentleman had alfo mentioned the
domineering influence of the Admiralty over the
other departments of Government. He could
Afore the Houle, that nothing could be more
groundlels than fuch a charge, and that the Ad-
miralty had no communication whatever, as thi the
appointment of the brave and gallant Admiral to
the ernbaify alluded to by the Hon. Gentleman. It
originated in the choice and feleEtion which cha-
raEterifed thole perfons in whole department it
lay. Had the Hon. Gentleman known Sir John
Warren, he would have known that there is no
man living pollard of more ardent zeal for -the
intereas of his country, more urfoltmifhed honour,.
or more unimpeachable integrity ; of more en-
lightened talents, or more capable of executing
that high and important oflice. He juftified the
late proceedings of the Board of Admiralty ; and.
laid, that further enquiries would take place into
the caufes of thole abufes. It was true, the Navy
Board, as a Noble Lord had faid, have the power
to adminifter an oath, but not to order the pro-
duElion *of documents; but if they had thole
powers, the Houle might choole to delegate them
to a Commiffion, and he thought a Parliamentary
Gornmiflion the hell inffrument that could be ufed
for the put pole.
Sir A. HAM MOND faid, he heartily approved the
Bill. He paid a very handfome compliment to
the Navy Board, which, he laid, was compofed of
perfons of the firft charaEter for integrity and zeal,
and who would be happy to clear up all reports
spread concerning them. He doubted not but
the Gentlemen appointed by the Commiffion would
be found competent to the talk. 6,
The Motion was then put and agreed to.
Captain MARK He m then brought up the faid Bill,
which was read afirft time, and ordered to be read
a fecond time to-morrow.

SUPPLY.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved
that the Houle fhould refolve itfelf into a Commit-
tee of Supply, and that the feveral accounts pre.
tinted by Mr. Eilcourt, Mr. Vanfittart, Sir Evaia
Nepean, and Mr. Irvine, he referred to ir. The
Houle having refolved itfell accordingly :
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQSTER moved the
following refolutions, whic% were feverally put
and agreed to :
That a fum of 1,5c0,0001. he grantest to his Majefty, to pay
off and dife.liarge Exchequer Bills to that amo nt, iffued under
an .A ft of Litt Seffion. •
To make good fo much paid out of the Confolidated Fund,
for Bounties on Corn, 524,5731.
For Bilii that have been, or may be drawn for New South
Wales for the year 1803, 25,0001.
For expences of Convidts for 1803, 40,8741.
For the fuffering Clergy and Laity of France, and American
Loyalifts, 191,5841.
For the Ordinary of the Navy, and Half Pay Officers,
1,238,0001.
For repairs of {hips, 901,0001.
For pritoners of w. r for 1803. 22,0001.
For lick prifomr: of war, 25,0001.
Upon moving the refolution for the fuffering
Clergy of France, he laid that it was higher this
year than was expeded; but he expeded that there
would be a great reduaion under that head next
year. He then moved the following fums to make
good advances from the Civil Litt, in purfuance
of Addrelfes of the Houle :
Paid to Charles Beaumont, on account of convias,
To John Kidg, Secretary to Contraets, 3001.
To 'George Baldwin, 10864
To Wm. Chinnery, 2241.
To T. Brodie, for making an index to*the Journals, 14591.
To Lord Walfingham, as Chairman of Committees in the
Houle of Lords, 27011.
'l'o Thomas Wilton, for his attendance. upon the Port of
London Committee, 160.
Smith, 5001.
To Bernard Cabe, for Clerks, 71341.
To the fame, fur Bills, 3ccol.
Thefe refolutions being agreed to, the report was
ordered to be received to-morrow, and the Corn.
mittee wiis deferred till Wcdnefday.
The CHANCELLOR of the ExcitEQUER gave no-
tice to the Committee, that at an early period
after the recefs he iliould bring forward a propo.
fition to prevent the acciwnulation of the Civil
Lift Debts.
Mr. VANSITTART moved, that the Aft of the
12th of Anne be read, with a view to move that
a Committee be appointed to take into confident-
tion to morrow fo Jmuch of the laid Aa as prohi.
bits the importation of ma!t from Ii eland. The
motion being agreed to, and the Committee ap-
pointed accordingly, he moved, that it be an in-
Ilruaion to the fail Committee to contid;:r of all
Afi's relative to the importation and exportation of
'malt between England and Ireland.

A. 1.11, 1Q
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• .
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.114 71
in•-r:4!
:rnmas
• . .
a auated by;a4frof 111`
3, and that that depatypent had
A an Admiral to the Tate Em•-•