Star.
London, England, 1803-04-22 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

Mr. S having taken the Chair at half plat three„aiter
mut private and local bufinefi had been tranfaied,
An EleCtion Petition was prefented from the Borough of ll-
chatter, which was referred for confideratlon to the fume day
with the Petition already prefentcd from Paid Borough.
A Meffage from the Lords intimated their Lortilltipe con-
currence in the amendments made by the Houk on theirLord-
iltips' amendments upon the Militia Officers' Bill.
Sir WNI.SCOTT moved the Order of the Day for the (mond
reading of the Clergy Refidenee Regulation Bill. Read ac-
cordingly.
Mr. ALZIAND CR brought up the Report of the Bill on the
kith Revenue and Expiring Laws, which was ordered to be
read a third time to-morrow.

- .
A Mefage from the Lords informed the Honk that they
had agreed to the American Commiffioners NIL
The CNANCILLot of the Excit ca moved the
Order of the Day, for the Houfe to refolve into
Committee, in order to the confideration of that
part of his dajefty's molt Gracious Speech to both
Honfes, in November lalt, which relates to the
accommodation of the mercantile interefts o6this
realm. _ _

_
Read accordingly: and upon the qnellion that
the " Speaker do now leave the Chair,"
General GASCOYNE role, and obferved, that
after what had been lid by the Right Hon. the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, a few eveningsfince,
that the Houfe fhould receive, in a very few days,
a communication on the fubjea of the Negotiation
now pending with France, and after the pledge
given by an Hon. Friend of his (Mr. Patten) to
bring forward a quellion upon the State of the
Nation on Tuefday next, fhould no filch commu•
nication be made, he did not confider it neceffary
for him to oppofe the prefent motion, or to tref-
pafs at any length upon the attention of the Houfe
with the obfervations he intended to have made on
the prefent occafion, had not the promifes been
made to which he alluded. Yet he did not confi.
der the prefent occafion, an improper one for go-
ing into tome enquiry on the State of the Nation ;1
as it appeared to him, from a Paper now in his
hand, and which had been pretty generally ciren.
fated by the Lords of the Thafury, that the in-
tention of the Right Hon. Gentleman was not con-
fined merely to a confolidation of the duties upon
the articles contained in the fchedule, but extended
to a confiderable increafe upon many of thole du-
ties, and to the impofition of many duties entirely
new. But whether the increafe of the old, or the
impofition of new, it appeared clearly the inten-
tion of Minillers very confiderably to increafe the
public revenue, with what views remained for ex
planation. It was, he would admit, the unquef-
tionable privilege of the Crown to declare war or
conclude peace ; but at was alfo the unquellionable
privilege of Parliament to controul the exercife of
that privilege, by withholding the Supplies; and
when the Knifter of the country propofed to en.
creak in any confiderable degree the public taxes,
it was highly competent for the Houle to confider '
before they granted new taxes, and to enquire how
the old bad been applied, and this could be heft
done by going into an enquiry into the State of the
Nation. He had, he laid, reafon to fuppofe that
the prefent projea was to encreafe, as well as to
confolidate the taxes, in a very material degree,
upon lima articles ; and that the Minifter had in
view an impoß of Three and a half per Cent. upon
the Duties already payable, which would raife the
duty on many articles to above Fifteen per Cent.
He underhand 2161, that it was the intention of
the Right Hon. Gentleman, to include under the
prefent fchediale, the permanent continuance of '
the Tonnage Duties : but on this part of the fub- I
jea, he would appeal to the candour of the Right
Hon. Gentleman, whether it was decent to prefs
forward on the confideration of the Houfe, in the
abfence of an Honourable and Worthy Magiffrate
not now in his place, (the Lord Mayor of London)
a fubjea, the confideration of which that Hon.
Magi it rate had frequently fignified his intention of
bringing forward, and had only ponponed in de-
ference to the uncoiled fituation of the public of
fairs ? He would alio appeal to the decorum ofthe
Right Hon. Gentleman, whether it was proper or
confiderate towards the mercantile interells of
England, to propofe the perpetuation of the Ton
nage Duties, which he himfclf profited, not long
fine, to be a tax of experiment, without waiting
fomewhat farther the refult of its operation, before
be propofed to render it perpetual ? Another ob-
'ica he underhood to be propofed by the Right
Hon. Gentleman was, to raife Ways and Means
for defraying the intereft of the expenses of the
recent armaments. But before fuch a mestere
was a
adopted,it was peccry to give the Merchants
time to confider the nature and probable operations
of the Duties to be propofed, and to know whether
they were in a contemplation of Peace or of War.
He tlferefore thought, that intlead of urging the
bawds forward now, it would have been much

mere proper to have delayed it until after the
communication promifed by the Right Hon. Gen-
tleman, which he hoped would be fatisfadory, as
the Right Hon. Gentleman had, by his declara-
tion, given the Houfe reafon to erped. For the.,
prefent, however, if the Hon. Gentleman was de.
termined to prefs the bufinefs forward, he fhould
not oppofe the motion,having had no opportunity
to ecnfult the opinion of his Conftituents upon the
fubjed.
The CHANCELLOR of the EICHEVRR obferved,
the Honourable Member feemed prudently to have
changed his intention of oppofing the prefent mo
tion ; and, in fad, in the opinion he feemed to
have formed of the meafure about to be propofed
for the confideration of the Committee, he was
completely miftaken ; for the real object was, not
to increafe, but limply to confolidate the Duties
now payable upon a variety of commodities to one
fum upon each, and thereby to facilitate as well
the bufinefs of payment to the Merchant, as of
colledion to the Revenue Officer ; in the reftilt,
however, fome fmall addition would be made to the
Revenue under the propofed modification, which
was precifely on the plan of a fimilar meafure
adapted in 1787. The Hon. Gentleman had Paid,
that he had given the Houfe hopes of making a
fatisfadory comfnunication ; he begged to remind
the Hon. Gentleman oftheexpreflions he then made
ufe of. It was true, he had (-aid, that he entertained
bole: of being enabled to male fame communication on the
Alyea of the peming Negotiation within a few day: ;
but, at the fame time, he had diftindly raid, that
he would not commit,nor pledge hirnfelf on that point,
becaufe he would not endanger the public intereft
by a precipitate communication. In fome places
it was Paid, and he knew that endeavours had been
ftudionfly made to have it believed, that he had
pledged himfelf alto to afatisfadorycommunication ;
but he pofitively denied having made ufe of any
fuch exprellion as to the nature of the communi-
cation ; for he not only did not ufe the word, but
he was not enabled to do it. As the Hon. Gen-
tleman, however, did not refift the motion, he
Should referve any further oblervations be had to
make on this fubjed, until the Houfe Shall be in a
Committee.

The Smut' having left the Chair, the Houle
refolved into a Committee, and the palTage of his
Majelly's Mefage having been read,
The Comic/m.oa of the Exotic:wet rote, and
Paid, the objea of the motion he had to fubmit to
the Committee, was merely to fimplify and confo-
lidate a variety of Duties, impofed from time to
time, into one furn on each; thereby to fimplify and
facilitate the payment and the collection. He
wifhed to tell the Committee, that was only one
branch of a great fyßem, under which it was in-
tended to fimplify all the Revenue Laws, and to
difembarrafs and render their operation clear and
precife ; to fimplify them to all perfons interefted
upon the fame principle as the A& of the year
1787, by which all Ads of Revenue, from the
reign of King William to that time, were confoli-
dated ; and the joint produce was called the Con-1
folidated Fund, which was Rill applicable to the
'feveral purpofes to which all the fucceffive addi-
tions of Duty were appropriated, and the furplus
remained to be applied to any other branch of
public expenditure. This being the principle, it
remained only for him to Rate, that in the Sche-
dule he had to propofe to the Houfe, would be
found a confolidation of the Duties impofed under
no lefs than :70 Aft: of Parliament. The altera-
tions of the Rates refpettively were in changing the
frattional points to the next integral fum, either
above or below the Rates as they now Rood ; and
afro, in (nine inflames, where the Duty, as now col-
leaed, was charged rateably, it was deemed more
expedient to adopt the fyllem of a charge ad valo-
rem; in other cafes, a change was made for the
fame reafons vice verfa, and in other cafes, again,
a very (mall duty was charged upon articl.Ts which
were hitherto imported duty-free, merely for the
purpofe of fecuring regularity in the entries. He
wifhed to (pare the time of the Committee in going
into a more particular Ilatement, and only meant
to move, for the prefent, a tingle refolution, " that
this fchedule might be received and printed." He
was aware, that upon many of the items there
might poffibly be a difference of opinion; and
therefore he wifhed Gentlemen to be in poffefflon
of the whole of the fchedule, and have time to de-
liberate on it, before they were puffed to come to
any cicciflon. It might be necelTary to Rate, in
anfwer to what had fallen from the Hon. Gentle-
man, refpeeting the intenion of laying new duties,l
that one of the alterations intended was rather a
matter of regulation than of revenue : it was to
charge Sugar imp.ated from the EaR Indies with
the fame Duties as that article paid from other
parts of the writ Id ; (till, however, maintaining the
principle of continuing the Welt Indies as a mart
for fugar, but not an invidious one. Other duties
were laid with a view to counteract the interell of
the fmugglers, and with this view he meant to fix
upon a rate of duly more than equal to the fiat of
the (muggier, io order to counteract the drats of
a contraband trade. The Honourable Member
had Paid, that the mercantile interelt ought to have
been cunfulted. So fully did he himfelf agree in
this principle, that be had taken very particular
pains to confult the opinions of many of the molt
eminent merchants, and to the delay which this
occafioned, was it owing that this fchedule had not
been brought forward much fooner. The Boards
of Cultoms, and of Trade, had alto been confult
ed, and though there were fome differences of upi-
nion upon minute articles, yet, upon the whole, th 7
difference of opinion was extremely trivial ; he did
not mean at this moment to trouble the Committee
with a minute detail of the particular Duties, and
modes of Collation, but merely to move one ge-
neral Refolution, " that this fchedule be adopted,"
which would Gee the Committee the trouble of
propounding fix thnufand refolutiona upon as many
different articles in the fchedule. lie could not
conclude his obfervations without doing Come juf-
uce to the talents, affiduity, and arduous labours
of a Gentleman belonging to the Board of Cuf-
toms (Mr. Irwin) under whore aufpices this fche
dole was prepared, and vin& exertions on the
prefent occafion merited peculiar commendation.
The precut plan was only gm Tumor, to the Oa-

Ululation of the important meafure of which he
gave notice before Chriflmas, and which rota be
highly advantageous both to the Commerce and
Rev • iue of the Country, namely, the Bonding
and Warehoufing Syflem, and which lie hoped to
bring forward in the courfe of this prefent Seffions.
The confideration of this fubjet mull, lie was lure,
imprefs upon the Houfe, as it had done upon his
mind, the utmotl degree of admiration and a Ronifh.
rent at the height of the profperity to which the
commerce of this country had arrived ; a profperi-
ty growing out of a fyflem which defied all oppo.
fition, namely, an extent of capital which no other
country in Europe polkaed, and a credit founded
upon good faith between man and man, which
forme d the charaißerailic of this country, and was
the great fource of its wealth and greatnefs. This
commerce, fo far from being dpi effed, had thriven
and extended under every degree of apparent pref.
lure, of defpair, and adverllty ; fo that within the
haft to years,though the Revenuehad been doubled,
yet our commerce and navigation had increafed in
proportion ; and this proved, that the radical re.
fources of our ftrength and greatnefs, inßead of
being depreffed, had increafed under the moll ar.
duous trials, for the fiipport of our credit and ma.
nufaAures. For the prefent, he felt it unncceffary
to trefpafs farther upon the Committee, than to
move " That the Schedule be received," which he
meant to follow up, by moving "That the Chair.
man fhould quit the Chair, and afk leave to fit
again to-morrow fe'nnight." An Hon. Gen-
tleman opeofite to him, by his paints, teemed to
think the time too fhort, and he had alfo Paid. it
was unfair to bring forward the queflion of the
Tonnage Duties in the abfence of an Hon. Magi-
(lrate, for whom he felt high perfonal refpea, and
to wh^.m alto he was obliged, for the candid man-
ner in which he had defer red bringing forwardthat
fubjeft under the fituatioa of public affairs. But
he himfelf, he laid, could have no objeA in ref.
ling forward the queßion, and the Hon. Gentle.
man would fee that he propofed a week for the
confideration of the fubjeA, in order that the Houle
might be prepared for the difctiffion of that quer-
tion' which could not pats without a cauvals.' Hit
with was, that the Bill might pals in time to bring
forward the other great meafure of the bonding
fyflem, fo as to be adopted before the dole of the
Sefton.

Mr. Boa Don, though be was-ope of thole who
were averfe to the fyftem of Tonnage Duties, yet
he was far from charging the Right Hon. Gentle-
man with any thing like a with to take the Houfe
by furprife. On the contrary, he gave him frill
credit for candour and fairnefs, in allowing time
and opportunity for the difcuftion of the &Nett
and hoped there would be ample time in the condi
of the Seffion for bringing forward the great mea-
lure of the Bonding Syllem, fo highly intereffing
to the trade of the country, and which he fincerelt
hoped to fee adopted before the clofe of the SefGun.
General Gascovws fumed to think that afar,
titer interval of a week was neceffary, in order to
give time fa the mercantile interek fully to mi-
nder the tonnage duties, an objet of the greateft
magnitude, and which his own conftituents mutt
feel in a very different point of view under the fe-.
parate confederations of War or Peace. With re.
fped to the comayssicatico promifed by die Hon. Gen-
tleman, he certainly did underhand him to promife
it in the courfe of a very few days,and to (ay that
it would be tnisfattory ; and he believed thetner-
candle world very generally underftood him in
that fence. He acknowledged to have ufed the
word a hope;" and furely he could not a hope"
for any grounds of communication that would be
unfatisfaCtory. Did the Right Hon. Gentleman
mean, by Paying there would not be time to pats
another meature of importance to the commerce
of the country, that he intended to prorogue the
Parliament the moment that the bufinefs of Go-
vernment could be got through
The CII•NCILLOIL of the Excnatayla Paid, if
the Hon. Member would fay iota fide, that be
thought another week neceffary for his conftituents
to confider the merits of a Schedule, which had
already been about three months in circulation
throughout all the commercial circles of England,
(and why not amongft thole of Liverpool he could
not account) the Hon. Member would not find
klyym averfe r enlarge the time. With refpett to
`the prorogation of Parliament, he could allure the
Hon. Member there was bulinefs enough to detain
it fitting trs,as late a period as the Hon. Gentle-
man himfelf would be difpofed to fit.
Mr.Vllllll Rated, that the only difference
between the prefent and the former fchedule, was
an alteration in four articles ; namely, an increafe
oldie duty on pimento, from 4d. to 6d. per pound,
which was rated as a warehoufing y; an increafe
of the duty on Eatt India fugar from sos. to 235.
the cwt. ; and tome abatement of the dirties paya-
ble on the raw materials fur the manufaftwes of
this Country.
After Come further converfation it was agreed,
that the Chairman 'horrid report provers, and the
Committee was ordered to fit again on Monday
fe'nr.ight.

LUNATIC'S ISTATI
The Lunatic's Eftate BilT was read ad tit:te.
and on the Motion for its committal—

Mr. Firsositaso (late Prime Serjcant in Ire-
land) tote to expects his with that the principle of
this 'mature Iltould be extended farther, and that
in fa& a general atGmilation of the laws refpcaing
property Mould take place between all parts of the
United Kingdom. At the fame time he begged it
to be underltood, that this affirnilation would be
not Left advantageous to rbgland than to Ireland;
for there were many provifions on the fajta of
property in Ireland, which were much better than
thole which prevailed in this parr of the United
Kingdom. With refpea to the Bill before the
Houk, he had no doubt that when the neceffity
of carrying provillons to Ireland thould appear.
the learned framer of it would accede to the pro-
pofition. In England lunatics are prevented from
marrying—but the Hon. Member obferved that no
legal prohibition upon this point causally 'silted in
Ireland. In this and other inflames of difference,
be thought an affunilatinn efentially deGrable, in
order to give full aid to that incyrporation of
the power, taterelts, and wealth ashy two cow

vies, which now, as it had taken place, he hearti-
ly wiffied might laft for ever. The affimilation to
moth looked for, he remarked, might now be con-
fiderably facilitated, particularly with regard to
the Bill before the Houfe, in confequence of the
pretence of the Lord Chancellor of Ireland, whole
appointment to that high office, he hoped, it would
not be irregular on the prefent occafion to obferve,
was univerfally felt to be a Rrong and marked in•
fiance of his Majefty's parental attention to the in-
tete& of that country. This he knew to be the
unanimous fentiment of the Iriflt Bar.—[A cry of
liter 1 Near I] The framer of this Bill had an
opportunity of confulting that Noble Lord, and
he hoped he would avail himfelf of Isis Lordfhip's
advice. The objeft which he (Mr. F.) wifhed for
might be attained by a motion for an infkrudion
to the Committee to receive fuch a claufe, &c.

Mr. Vamstvraar raid, that be had no doubt his
Hon. Friend, the framer of the Bill, would pay
the utmoft attention to a faggeftion coming from
a quarter fo refpe&able.

The Bill was ordered to be committed on Mon-
day next.
The ether orders of the day were difpofed of,
and the Houk adjourned till to-morrow.