Star.
London, England, 1804-04-25 00:00:00

PARLMMENTARr PROCEEDINGS.

HOUSF. OF LORDS, TUEDAY, APRIL 14.
The Marquis at s FA t FORD mcw.J, that hi. n. .icc of ntntlnn,
waning to the.Defence of the Country, which Rood for Friday,
could be difebsrged, and that the fame mould be pollponed to
Monday next, on which day he movcd the Lords Mould be rum-
,

Ineneth—uraereo.
Lord HAWKESBURY moved, that the lin
Militia Transfer Bill he read a third time.
The LORD CHANCELLOR Elated the opinions
which Ise had given on a (miner occafion, with refpeft
to fame particular objeetions that had been urged
againit that part of the Bill, which it was contended
would fubjea the frith Militia to the penalties and
difqyalifications impofcd by the Ilatute of the 25th
Charles IL He had given the fubjeft much confi-
deration fine it was Jail difeuffed, and the impref-
fion upon his mind was, that Roman Catholic Offi-
cers or foldiers of the Irifh Militia, who flionld come
into this country under the operation of the prefent.
• Aft, would come into it with all the privileges and
immunities, attached to them, that they poffilfed in
eonfequence of the Aft of the 33d of the King--
Such, upon mature deliberation, was his opinion, and
inch he could affert to be the opinion of another No-
ble and Learned Lord, whom he did not now fce in
his place.
The Duke of NORFOLK sliced, whether Roman
Catholics admitted into the Irith Militia in this coun-
try, would be exempt from the difabilities of the Aft
of the 25th of Charles 11. ?
The LORD CHANCELLOR gave it as his opi-
nion, that they would be exempt.
Earl SPENCER did net feel himfelf competent to
argue the queftion with all the profeffional ability of
the Noble and Learned Lords, but it certainly, in
the little judgment that he, a plain unjearned man,
could form on the fubjeft, appeared extremely ne-
cerfary to him, as doubts had been entertained on the
febjeft, that a pofitive declaration and precife matt-
anesit &cold fat them to refl.
The LORD CHANCELLOR Rated, that one of
the greatelt inconveniences profeffional men, who
were called upon to pronounce judicial decifions, la-
boured under. arofe from the coufufion that was pro-
duced by overloading Afts of Parliament with unne-
cetrary ciente". Of that defeription he conceived the
claufe to be that it was propofed to introduce ; and
therefore he would feel it his duty to oppore it.
Lord ELLENBOROUGH corroborated the opi-
nion of the Noble and Learnea Lord on the Wool.
Pack. as to the exemption of Roman Catholic offi-
cers or privates of the Militia, from the operation of
the laft Aft.
Lord GRENVILLE had every refpeft, and
was difpofed to receive with all the deference that
was due to them, the opinions of profeffional Mem-
bers of that Houfe, on profeffional queitions. But
this was a fubjeft of rather a Legiflative than a Ju-
dicial charafter, and, therefore, he was excurable in
differing from the Noble and Learned Lords who
had favoured the Moore with their opinions on the
If. indeed, the queffion had been decided
in another place, by the Noble and Learned Lord
who prefided in the Court of King's Bench, there his
authority was recognized, and his opinion would be
fubmitted to with that general approbation that his
great learning and profeffional talents entitled him
so expeft. But here, he fpoke it with all due refpeft,
the Noble Lord could only be confidered as a Peer
of Parliament, and his opinion was not entitled to
more refpeft than that of any other Peer, except as
it mould be fupported by fuperior argument. He
did not agree with the Noble and Learned Lord, that
the claufe was unneceffary. Doubts had been excited
in the brealls of his Majeily's Catholic rubjeSs, offi-
cers of Militia, and, therefore, he deemed it extreme-
ly important. that they fhould be quieted. To effeft
that he had taken the trouble of preparing a claufe
which he would take the liberty of offering to the
Houk, the purport of which was, That perfons pro-
feffing the Roman Catholic religion, and others, rety-
ing as officers, non-commiffioned officers, or privates
.its the Militia of Ireland, Ihould not be rubjefled to
any dirabilities or penalties in this country, that they
were exempt from in Ireland.
Lord CARLETON fupported, in a (born fpeech,
the arguments of the two Noble and Learned Lords,
and the opinions which they grounded on diem.
Lord GRENVILLE proleffed himfelf not fatisfied
with the extra judicial decifions that had been given
on this point. and wifhed that the determination re.
fpeaing it. &mild reft on mote folid and certain
grounds, than opinions thrown out mutely and 11CC01-
(tonally in the courfe of debate. He wifhed fir a
fpecial provilion that would apply particularly to
the quellion.
The Biftiop of ST. ASAPII was inclined to pay
the utmoll deference to the opinion of the Nnhic and
Learned Lords ; but he thought it his duty, as the
;regent who had firll moved the querlion, to fupport
the claufe propored by the Noble Baron, the effeft
of which, he had every reafon to rupprife, would
completely fatt,fy the minds of the Roman Catho.
lies renting in the Militia.
Lord HAWKE3BURY and the Martinis of
SLIGO oppefcd the ciaufe, which was topportrd
by Lord MULGRAVE iu a very neat fixech, in
reply to whom
Lord ELLENBOROUCH rife again, and gave
it as his decided opittont, that no Roman Catholic Of-
ficer who bad been admitted into the bah Mali:ia in
that country, and who fhould come Fiery in conic.
quence of the Bill belote the Houle, would be 10)-
jefl to the opeta•ion of the a5lll at Chatle, .titd
this good teal-n. that it s.uuli not he potrode
frame fuck an atit• rotation ag.ttolt fuel% ttilizet
that Ilatti•e. as could bring hire within the limit or
httcr of hat Aft, w hith re(por,..tl z months prey'
left..tnce, bctOte he could be fobs& to
ptu
•ifions of it.
1..111 ht.k.hICF.R replied. when the ll,ure
bloa CA.tattlaor—rt.t.g • 5 s, YIOLICS

Contents—Peers 38, Proxies 7-4 g. Majority
againft the claufe 26.
On the queftion that this Bill be now gaffed, it
was oppofed at confiderable length by Lorda.Mal-
grave and Carnarvon, and fupported by the Earl of
Weamortland. Another divifion took place
For paffing the Bill, Peers 69, Proxies 23-91.
Againft it, Peers +l, Proxies 8-49. Majority for
it 42.
The third reading of the Ira Militia Augmenta-
tation Bill was then moved fir.
Lord KING oppofed the Bill, as a meafure that
would prove wholly inefficient for creating any great
acceffion to the public force. His Lordthip con-
demned, in very animated language, the policy ob-
ferved by hiiMajelly's Government towards the peo-
ple of Ireland, and feverely reproved the indifcretion
of a Noble and Learned Lord refiding in that coun-
try, in having, in his correfpnndence with the Noble
Lord of a different religious perfualion from his own,
circulated fentiments and opinions tending to uphold
the lamentable abufes which had fn long prevailed
in that country, in which he was lorry to lay there
appeared a difpofition, on the part of the wealthy,
w opprefs and abufe thofe who were naturally enti-
tled to their proteCtion.
Lord LIMERICK condemned, in very fpirited
language, the obfervations of the Noble Baron, and
maintained that these was no difpolition, on the part
of any of the opulent clalres in his country, to up-
pr efs any of their fellow countrymen.
Lord ELLENBOROUGH defended the charac-
ter of Lord Redefdale, and complained of the man-
ner in which the letters alluded to had been fubmit-
mitred to the public eye. It could not have been
done without the commation of a crime little Ilion
of purloining them ; and as, to ufe a homely adage,
the receiver was as bad as the thief, he could not
conceive that any Noble Lord would have ventured
to allude to them in that Houfe. He did not mean
to apply this obfervation to the Noble Lord.
Lord DARNLEY faid, that from the dyle of tone
and manner which the Noble and Learned Lord had
lately adopted, he had entertained hopes that he had
found fome means to dived himfelf of that difpoli.
lion to invedive. His Lordflaip oppofed the Bill,
and was followed on the fame fide by Lords Har-
rowby, Spencer, and the Duke of Montrofe - and
was oppofed by the Marquis of Sligo, Lords Hobart
and Auckland.
The Houfe divided on the third reading of the
Bill : Contents 94—Non•Contents 61—Majority 33.
The Bill was then paffed.—Adjourned.