Star.
London, England, 1807-02-19 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

A Petition was pr.. rented from the Tanners of the County of
Armagh, agaiult the Oak Bark Bill.
A new Writ was ordered for the County of Arna agh, In the
room of the Hon A. Achefon, now lord Vifcount Gostord.

Lord T MPLE prefented a Petition from the Merchants in
the Weft India Trade, againtl. the Abolition of the SIlVe frade,
an I pr..) it g indemnity, in cafe it fhould pars into a law.
This petition, according to the forms of the Houk, e.uld not be
recd.. ed as it was a prayer for a grant i.f public money, and was
not recommended by his Majelly's Mibiflers, on the part of the
Crown.

Mr. P.XTTERSON withed to know if it was the intention of
the Goverulllellt to renew the Malt At which was new near
expirine?
Mr. VANSITTART could not give any dire& anfwer to the
queltion. It wa4 under the contideration of Government, who
wifr d to take time to gain every potTible information upon the
fubjed. They would, however, betore the end of the &Ilion,
bring in fom. bill upon the fubjeet.
Sir CHARLES PRICE prefented a petition from the South
Sca Company. praying to be heard by their Counfel ai:ainit the
Pill now depending, for repealing part of their chartered pri-
v.leges.

BARRACK DEPARTMENT.

Mr. ROBSUN rofe to make his promiled motion.
Ile feared that he had been confidered by many as
t;,o anxious and premature in his withes and enJea
yours to etre& a reform in the expenditure of the bar-
tack de.partinstat ; but when it was recolleaed, that
he had been employed fence the year 1802 on the
fobjea, he hoped that he would be forgiven if he now
appeared fomewhat preffing. Since the year 1802,
no lefa titan lix millions nad been voted for the
Barrack Department in Great Britain, and two mil.
lions for that department in Ireland ; and he be-
lieved, that-if the papers were granted for which he
moved, hne could convince the Hattie. that the coun-
try had 101 l two millions of money, by not adopting
the tel6lirtions he propokd in that year. The frauds
which he bad complained of were principally in the
following Departments :—III, the hire of barracks,
2d, the repairing of them, and 3d, the temporary bar
racks Among many instances of frauds he could
name, he fhorild mention one, which, as it appeared
in one of the Reports which had been preferred to that
Houle, could not he quetlioned, either in that Houk
or out of it. It appeared that a Mr. Page, who had
been Barrack Matter of Wincheller, had rented a
hotre for a Barrack, at 601. a year, which he could
allure the Houle ought not to have been rented
at more than 301. Oa the luggeffion of Mr. Page,
who was in league wirti a Mr. Greene, this honfe
was bought rip, and Government was immediately
charged I 3t-,1. per annum for it. In this inftance
the c-rintry had been made to pay 9001. when
it rrtitht only to have paid 831. nos. This expence
had, (ince the report, been considerably increafed. In
that barrack thete bad been never more than three
niiicers quAr!eted at once, and therefore if the ufual
allowance of eight !billings a week had been made for
their lodging, the nation would have only paid 831.105.
irrlfead nf tips aids r 1 9001. In the middle ot Sep-
tember fait, he lat,l been at Weymouth, and cut ill
ty led him to vifit the barrack called the Queen's
!la? rack It was a large building calculated to c•rn-
t tin (even or eight hundred men, and the expence of
is was nrra enormous. But notwithllanding the
enormous expellee, there was Oct proper accommo
ria' ions in airy reipeet for the officers or men quarter•
ed there. The building which was chnfen En- the
4,-ar k; was ill litinved, in a very narrow lireet,
Ode to a public brewery ; it w.rs out of repair, and
I...t111() water except what was fetched from a pump
at a di:tance, which was often dry. The officers
corntl •iin!d of this had accommodation, and Rated
t'lat the t% ant of water had often canfed
nation among the men. For this barrack they were
ale() obliged to give sixty (billings a week for a piece
of ground at a didance, for the purpofe nfexercifing
the men. The rooms were but five feet high, the
men flept on hammocks, and had even no room to
air their hammocks There were no drains to carry
off the wet, and the barracks were an abfolnte nui-
Lance to tire neighbournood fuch was the nate of
the Qteen's Barracks at Weymouth, in the middle
of Lit September, and whether their condition was

any thin; better now, he could not pre.end to Rate.
He did not mean to iaitrute any blame o any parti-
cular individual, he only found fault with the fyllem
as a Lad one : thole things had been too much ne-
gleaed hitherto. and he Cupp led Minifiers had nut
had fufficient time to remedy thofe evils fince they
Came into office. It was unneceffar y for aim to Rate
the neceffi:y of economy in this branch of the expen
diture, as it was acknowledged on all fides of the
Houfe ;.but he fhould nate that he was info med that
'the abufes in the expenditure of the Barrack Depart-
ment in Ireland were at leail equal to clink of the
Barrack Department of this coun:ry. The abfolnte
expenditure of the Barrack Department in Ireland
was almoß equal to that of the Barrack Department
in ;his country, and when it was confidered that out
of every leventetft fhillings which was paid for the.
frith Bar rack Department, this country paid fifteen,
he hoped that this abufe would appear a matter fit to
engage the molt ferious attention of the Houfe. It
was therefore his intention after the papers that he
thought it neceffary to move with refpea to this coun-
try to move for fimilar papers with refpea to Ireland.
He then concluded by moving for a confiierable
number of papers relpeaing the rent and hire of
Barracks, and almost every circumstance conneaed
with the Barrack expenditure. (rhofe papers wer e
precifely the fame for which he had moved laft year.)
Lord HOWICK Paid, he &mild he very furry to
give any oppolitiou to the produaion of any paper
which could be made our, and which, in the opinion
of any Honourable Member, would be important fur
the purpofe of felting betore the Houfe the Rate of
the public accounts in any department. The objec.
Lion, however, that he made to thofe motions was,
that it would not be poffible to make out she ac.
counts in the manner called for. The Honourable
Gentleman feerned to with to obtain, by a fimple
motion, chore accounts which con Id be only afcer-
tained by a long and laborious examination of a Corn-
m:ttee fitting for that isotonic, and armed with the
nfual powers. He was alliired, that it they were to
attempt to make up accounts in the manner the Ho-
nourable Gentleman's motion printed out, it would
be neceffiery to employ 24 additional Clerks, and
even with their affittance they could nut be prepared
in any teafonable time. 'There were at prefent two
Coalmatees fitting for the purpofe of examining the
Military Accounts. First, the Military Commiffion;
and fecondly, a Special CommilLon, appointed
merely f tr the purpofe of examining the accounts of
the Barrack Department. It was by this Cammillion
that ally frauds and abufes in the expenditure of the
Barrack Department could belt be proved. To the
prefent motion his great and only objeaion was, that
it was not the way to obtain the objea delired by the
Hon. Gentleman, and it was abfolutely impaffible to
comply with the terms of it.
Colonel BARRY role, for the purport of pre.
venting any mileonception going abroad with re-
fpea to the Barrack Department of Ireland. He
knew that the head of that department was a man
who praelifed the molt rigid economy of the public
mr•ney, and who regretted very much the neceffity
of Government being obliged to give the proprietors
of houfes any price they pleated to fer upon houfes
that were wanted for barracks. But on that account
it was much &fired, that they fhould have inure per-
manent barracks in Ireland.
Mr. ROBSON confidered that the accounts he
called for were by no means difficult to be made
out. When there were 591 clerks and barrack maf
ters, he thought it hard that a Member of Parlia-
ment thould be told that it was impoffible to make
nut accounts of the expences of hiring barracks, or
to anfwer quellions of that nature. He thought it
was very hard that the Houfe fhould rot know how
many barracks the country paid for. He knew,
however, that in confequence of fame obfervations
which he made in the lalt Parliament upon the frauds
in one particular dittria, the rent of barns, which
was before charged at 22001. was immediately re-
duced to t coal. ; but even that was infinitely mote
than the country ought to pay for eleven barns. This
was but a tingle intlance, but if he had not been re-
futed the papers for which he moved, he (hould
probably have brought fome Barrack Matters to the
bar of the Houfe, and difcovered frauds of a more
enormous magnitude. If he had not been refufed
thofe papers when he fire moved for them, two mil-
lions of money would have been laved to the coun-
try in the expenditure of the Barrack Department.
fie, however, now had reatim to believe, that a
reform was intended by his Maje(ty's Government,
and as his objea was not revenge, or the punifhment
of individuals, but merely the public good, he was
content to wait a little while, and fee what Miniflers
would do ; but if they fhould do nothing that was
effeanal, he would, as 'oily as he continued a Mem-
her of that Houfe, call their attention from time to
time to that fubjea.
Lord' .HOWICK laid, that he did not with that it
fhould be confidered that he refuted any papers
which could !sting a matter of account fairly before
the Houfe; le could not accede, however, to the
Motion, becaufe le was lure it was impraCticable to
car: y it into execution, and the very attempt would
occasion a considerable public expence.
Mr. ROBSON gave notice, that he fhould, at a
future day, bring forward a motion with relpeet to
the expenditure of the Barrack Department for the
troops on foreign Rations. He hoped it would not
be found that there were as great abates in Sicily as
had been formerly praCtifed in Cot fica.

SOUTH SEA COMPANY.

Lord TEMPLE moved for the fecund reading of
the Bill refraing the trade to the South Seas.
Sir CHARLES PRICE obferved, that he had
this day prefented a Petition from the South Sea
Company, praying to be heard by their Counfel
againtt the Bill. As they had not hitherto time to
inttruel their Counfel, he hoped Counfel might be
heard when the Bill Ibould go into a Committee.
Mr. ROSE confeiTed that he had never paid par-
ticular attention to the charter of the South Sea Com-
PAM', but believed that they had the exclufive pri-
vilege of trading to South America at this fide of
Cape Horn. If it were Co, and the veffels that
went t, Buenos Ayres had not licenfes from them,
the voyages were certainly illegal, and in that cafe
the policies which were effected upon them fell to the
ground. There might at a future time come before
the Houfe a queltion of compenfation, but he be-
lieved the Underwriters would not be bound in law,
however they might be bound in honour to make good
fuch loges.

Lord TEMPLE Lid, the objea of the Bill was
this. By the Charter of the South Sea Company,
they. adone had the right of trading within certain
limits. This provifion of their charter was however
not generally known, and immediately after the
*capture of Buenos Ayres, voyageswere made to
that place, which was within the limits of their
charter, and therefore Inch v'yages were illegal.
Now, one confequence of this illegality war, that
not only his Majeity's cruiters, but any privateer
might feize thole veffels, and would immediately
have a veiled interelt in their cargoes. •This would be
fuch an injury to the perfons who embarked in that
trade, that it was necelfary to remove the illegality
by Aft of Parliament. In this objeft of the Bill,
the Governors of the South Sea Company had
agreed, and the prefent Bill only differed in a few
words from that which had been drawn lip in concert
with them. He therefore hoped the Houle would
think there ought to be no further delay in an objeft
of fuch importance.
Mr. JACOB laid, that the South Sea Company
had not carried on the trade for the let fixty•five
years. In 1740, when the war broke out, they found
that the expences of their trade was far greater than
the profits. The faelories at Portobello and Panama
colt them more than their whole profits, and there
was no other part of it which they ever continued
after that time, excerpt a (mall part of the trade of
fupplying South America with labourers from the
Coalt of Africa. When they did carry on the trade,
they loft confiderably by it ; but now they could not
trade if they would, without coming to Parliament
for leave to borrow money to form a capital. It
could never be expected that Parliament would coun-
tenance a propofal for their refunaing a trade, which
would be both prejudicial to themfelves and to the
community. Out of the ruins of the trade of the
South Sea Company, another trade had taken place,
which had proved highly beneficial to the country,
that of the whale fishery in the South Seas. While
the Sruth Sea Company had the eiclufive mono-
poly, they only fent one or two veffels in one year to
that fi.hery, but as foon as it was thrown open it had
proved a great nurfcry to our feamen, and an im-
p^r•ant branch of our commerce. The South Sea
Company and the Eatt India Company had both of
them, by monopoly, a right to the exclnfive trade
with the Weft of South America, and yet that was a
right which neither of them exercifed, but which the
country was deprived of by their monopoly. In the
year 1791 the country, at a great expence, obtained
the acknowledged tight of trading to Nontka Sound,
and yet the monopoly of the India Company inter-
fered with the exercife of that right. This commerce
which was loft to the fubjefts of this country, was of
material advantage to the Citizens of the United
States of Arnerca, who, in the year &Sot, cleared
above 350,0001. by it. He believed, that the opinion
expreffed by the Right Honourable Gentleman (Mr.
Role), refpeaing the law upon the policies of infur-
ance, was corted, and that was, in his opinion, a
(bong argument for palling the Bill without delay.
Mr. TIERNEY laid, that the India Company
did not with to exercife that monopoly of trading to
the Coati of America, in a manner prejudicial to the
interens of Bricilh fobjeets. It was not the trading
to Nortl-1 Sound that they olijeCled to, but to the
making that trade a means for tiading alto with China
or India.

Mr. JACOB Paid, that he had not meant to make
any deliberate charge agaiuti the Eat} India Com•
pany, but had only dated that circumnance in illul
tration of his argument.
Mr. ROSE declared that he had no manner of ob-
jeftion to that part of the bill which was retrnipeetive,
it was only that which was profpeftive. He certainly
thould conlid•er any advantage taken by Underwri-
ters on the point of law as difhonourable.

Mr. VAiN:SITTART Paid, the Order of Council
had been illited very focn after the capture was known
and before the opinions of proreffional men had been
taken on the fubjea.
Toe Bill was then read a fecond time, and com-
mitted for Monday.

WEST-INDIA MERCHANTS.
Mr. HOBHOUSE brought up the Report ef the
Committee fur the Relief of the Weli•lndia Mer-
chAnts.

The firft Refolution was for an additional duty of
zs. 6d. per gallon on all Brandy or Foreign Spirits
confumed in this country, and is. on all Foreign Spi-
rits exported from this country, except Ireland.
Mr. ROSE objected to this additional duty, he-
caufe he thought it would have no tendency to relieve
the Weft India Merchants. He thought it would
be an additional bluffly to fmugglers, and that the
fame quantity of brandy would be confumed in this
country. In time of war the cruizers might in a
great degree prevent fmuggling, but he did not know
how, in peace, that fyltem which the Noble Lord
hinted at on a former night could reprefs the evil.—
At prefent it was the duty of the cruizers, who cap.
cured fmuggling veffels, to defiroy them if they were
not fit for his Majelty's fervice; and as for waggons,
they were feldom taken. He did not conceive that a
calk of brandy leis would find its way into this coun-
try un account of this additional duty.
The CHANCELLOR o. the EXCHEQUER re-
plied, that in the opinion of the Weft India Merchants,
a Bill founded on thofe refolutions, would affo►d
them confiderable relief. As to the modes that
lhould be adopted to prevent fmuggling, he fbould
defer mentioning any more on that fubjeft, until
he fhould he prepared to bring in a Bill for that
purpofe.
General GASCOYNE hated, that it was the opi.
nion of all the Well India Merchants with whom he was
connected, that thefe refolutions, combined with the
preference that he underftood was intended to be given
to Rum over Foreign Spirits, by all the public de.
partments, would be a confiderable relief to the Welt
India Planters and Merchants.

The refolution was agreed to, and the farther con-
fideratiun of the report was p•sftponed till Friday nett.
FREEHOLD LIABILITY BILL:
The SOLICITOR GENERAL moved the fecond
reading of the Bill.
Mr. HERBERT objeded to it, as altering the
foundations of the common law of this country,
which had never yet been touched, without ferions
mifchiefs being found to teat from the attempt. He
thought that Freeholds fhould not be charged with
debts fo loofe and vague in their nature as fimple
contraft'debts. His principal objetliort, however, was
to the great attack which this Bill would give to the

EleCtive franchile *hich the law h given to the
Fteeholders and their heirs in the initial .:311;1C of
defcent.

The MASTER of the ROLLS laid, tha• it ap.
reared to him that this Bill was incle.d 4 coati :nee.
vial alteration of the law of the land, in .ahri:i!hir,o all
between freehold pro-certy aid prop,"
of another defcripiino. As the law wit, (laid, a
conliderable degree of folemnity was Pecefrary in the
ddirofal 44 freehold. eflate. The difpofal of it cot:1:1
only be made in two ways, i 11, by a deed regularly
executed, and, adly, by a will attested according to
certain forms. It would allow Freeholds to be alie-
nated by a (crap of paper, or by pari.lc, and he could
not at prefent fee the policy in giving the creditor a
greater (amity than he himfelf had contented to
take. Every body knew, that a limp contra debt
had not the force of a band, not a bond that of a
mortgage ; :met, therefore, there was no reafon why
the creditor, who was contest with the fecurity of a
bond, fhould be given a mortgage, or that the credi.
tor, who was content with the fecurity Ll' a iimple
contract, fhould be now Given a hood. He did not
fee wiry the law &mad interfere between the creditor
and debtor, to alter the fituation into which they had
volontarily placed themfelves, or to give the creditor
a greater fecurity than he bad bargained for, and was
contented with. Why fhould the Legifiature do for
men that which they did not chafe to do tor theta.
(elves ? This Bill would give to the creditors of every
man who died, the moment after its paffing, a right
that they never contra&ed for, and would materially
alter the relation of the contracting parties, which
appeared to him to be contrary to lattice. By the
fame principle, if a man [horrid die without (uffering
a recovery, it would be Paid that he ought to have
Coffered a recovery, and therefore the freehold elate
Should Hill be liable. He was not able to pronounce
a decided opinion, as he had heard nothing at all in
fupport of the Bill ; but he did not perceive any
utility or any neceflity for it. As to the frauds ;mu-
ffed by perfons in debt purchafing freehold's, to
defcend to their children free from debt, theft frauds
ought to he guarded againli, and he therefore dij n'
difapprove of that part of the Bill ; but dill ill: frau-
dulent ecbtor would be able to buy copyhold, which
would cheat his creditors as effeetually. The Hot..
and Learned Gentleman mull therefore alter his Bill,
even to obtain his own object, and include crpyhold
as well as freehold. He pollibly might hear Argo-
ments that would alter his opinion, but he had heard
none hitherto.

The SOLICITOR GENERAL was glad 'hat
his Bill had met f ime oppofition, as it thew,:d him
the nature of the objeeions that could be made to it,
but he conceived himfelf rather unfortunate in not
having heard thofe objeaions fooner, efpecially as he
had given long notice of the bill, and taken every
poffible pains to cone& the opinions of the gentlemen
of his profeffion upon it, and particularly the opinion
of his Right Hon. and Learned Friend (the Matter
of the Rolls) to whom he had fent a printed copy of
the bill a long time ago. If he had been fortunate
enough to have heard thole obje&ions before, he
thould have been prepared to anfwer them, perhaps in
a more fatisfattory manner than he could now, when
he heard them for the first time. In the flirt bidet,
as to altering the ancient foundation of the law ab nit
freehold property, every body knew thar, when that
law had its origin, it was framed for a hate of focicty
totally different from that which now trills ;—and,
when people talked fo much of the wiidorn of our
aneedors on this ruble& they fhould recolieB that
that wifdom was called forth and applied to circum-
fiances totally different from the prefent, and it was
too much to argue flrnngly on the prejudice of mere
antiquity. Since the times for which that law was
framed, this country had grown, what it then was not.
a great commercial tuition. Almoft all the debts
incurred in commercial tranfa&ions, are fimple con.
trait debts. It is not bonds and fpecialities which rats
in commerce, but negotiable fecurities. By the law
of the country, debts for breach of truft were
merely fimple contract debts, and many inflances
had occurred and been brought hefore the Courts,
where the executors to a will have purchafed free-
hold property with all the affets they could get
into their hands, and that freehold has defcended to
their own heirs, free from all debt, and left the chil-
dren of the perfon to whom they were executors, to
depend on parochial relief, or the cafual bounty of
friends. This cafe has often happened when the
children were under age. Thefe were, in his opi-
nion, ftrong grounds for altering a law which was a
reproach to the country as it nowillood. And when
he confidered how long this reproach had laded, he
thought it was in vain to talk of the wifdom of our
ancettors upon this fubje&. He thought we fhould
rather fpeak of their negligence or inattention.—
The freehold not being liable to fimple contract
debts, was a peculiarity in the law of England. It
was not fo in Scotland, where they were extremely
an& about the right of freehold ; nor was .it fo in
any nation upon the Continent. At prefent, the heir
could be difinherited by a tingle (Iroke of a pen, in
the prefence of three witneffes ; and why thould he
not be liable to pay what in justice was due by the
ancestor from whom he derived ? Would any man with
that his own freeholds fhould defcend unincumbered
to his children, while his lawful creditors were unpaiu,
or would any body contend for
for
to others what
he would be atbamed to take hinsfelf ? If it was
argued that credit was too great in this country, and
that it was neceffary to check it, he would anfwer.
that there were other better modes of checking credii,
if that were neceffary. If they were to take away the
imprifonment for debt altogether, that would anfwer
the purpofe of checking credit full as well. Should
the creditor be allowed to keep the debtor in goal for
not doing what it was impoffible for him to do, and
yet not be allowed to recover his debt, where there
were means for the di charge of it ? As for con&
dering a fimple contra& debt as ton loofe and vague
a thing to charge a freehold eftate with, that wasnot
the principle of the law at piefent : for the moment
the fimple contra& debt is formally proved in a Court
of jollier, and kidgment obtained, then it becomes a
lien on the freehold clime, and the only queition re-
maining was, why that fimple contra& debt fhould not
be a lien alto on the eftate after it defcended to the heir'
Why was the heir to be in a fituation fo much b-•.:er
than his ancestor ?As to copyholds, it might be neceffary
to extend the principle of the Bill to them; bat he dud not
with to do it in the first inllance, beraafe that t;lcctes
of property is neither affets in the hand, of an execu-
tor, nor is it bound pittnlsu:s ipe.ialtres, or

~

1

V.?

IP

•
even by debts to the CrrAvn. He therefore era not
introduce them into the prefcnt Bill, but wilted
rather to proceed flop by ftep ; he hoped that the
LeBiflature would hereafter make copyhold alfo lia-
ble. It had been Paid, that every honefl man would,
if in debt, make a wil , and charge his freehold
with the payment of his debts. If this were the
cafe, the only effect of this Bill would be to compel
every man to do, what every hnnefl man would have
felt it his duty to do had there been no filch a6l. He
therefore per fevered in thinking the Bill ought to be
paned.
Mr. CANNING felt that tender veneration for the
habits and practices of our ancettors, that he was ad
verfe to any alteration in them, except upon vet y
mature confideration indeed. Still it was not his
opinion that they fhould the cherifhed with any thing
like a bigotted veneration, but rather that arty inno-
vation upon them (Mould be jealoufly refilled. The
ftthjeet, he thought, fisould have originated in the ether
Houle of Parliament, where the high and learned
magifirates of the law were to be found. Much as
he approved of the principle of the Bill, he was ap-
prehenfive that fome of its provifions would be found
extremely defective. He was afraid that, whle it
went to Phut one door, it threw another wide open.
It was to affat freehold property ; but, as to copy.
hold 'tenures, it was to be completely inoperative.—
Be had alfo another objection to make to it : there
teemed to him as if there was a difpofition to facrifice
permanent landed property to commercial conve-
nience. Now this was a facrifice he was by no means
willing to ftibferibe to. He did not like this proje6l
of melting land into the currency of commerce. The
progrefs of the dreadful change which had taken
place in a neighbouring country lhould tender the
Houfe extremely cautious how they broke in upon
any of our venerable inflitutions. It was not fufficient
that flight defects fhould be difcovered in it. There
was nothing fu facred in our fyilem of laws in which
fome inconvenience was not to be found. The law
of primogeniture, for indance, was liable to great
exceptions ; but he believed no man would be rath
and daring enough to prvpufe that it fhould be abo-
billed. He was glad to fiod that the attention of the
.Houfe had been direfled tc. the fajtel, and he trolled
it would be difcufred with all the temper and mode-
ration due to its very great importance.
ThCSnLICITOR GENERAL and Mr. CANNING offered
a few ebfervatians in the way of c x;,lanation.
The ATTORNEY GENERAL could not per-
ceive the danger which fume Gentlemen feemed to
apprehend from the Bill introduced by his Rieht
Hon. and Learned Friend. He c lefidered the public
as under great obligations to him for having pro-
poled it. If there was any thing extraordinary in the
meafure, it was that it had not been introduced many
years ago. What was the object of this Bill ? Nothing
more than to oblige a man, or thofe who derived
from him, to do juttice to his creditors. Was there
any peculiar hardfhip in this ? With regard to the
obfervation about the propriety of fir fl difcuffing the
fubjea in another Houfe, it was nor, in his opinion,
enticed to much weight. There was nothing in the
fubjea which rendered it more tit for one Houle of
Parliament than the other.

Mr. PLIWEVAL was for giving ample conflier-
ation to a meafure which recommended itfelf fo
Rrongly to the feelings of every hanefl and well in-
tentioned man. He could not agree with his Learned
Friend who fpnke lall, that the meafure was In ob-
vious and prominent, that it was afloniihing it bad
not been before propofed to the conlidera,ion of
Parliament. The very circumnance of its never
having been propofed made him paufe arid hefitate
about i!s adoption. The difficulty refpeeting copy-
hold property, he was fearful no ingenuity cf his
Learned Friend who introduced the Bill could pclli•
'oly remove. There was, however, fufficient in the
Bill, as far as he had viewed it, to recommend it to
his confederation. In a Committee much might be
done towards removing the ohjeßions, and the prin-
ciple had his hearty concurrence.
Mr. MORRIS made a few obfeivations in ftipport
of the Bill, which was read a fecond time, and orde:cd
to be committed tomorrow fe'nnight.