conftitutional, and required an act of indemnity. The Houfe dividing on the motion. There were for the fecond Lord Grenville faid, that he agreed judge; but he certainly did think it unthat in time of peace, without the confent of Parliament, the crown had no right to call in foreign forces; but, in the fent circumstances, when we were defending all that was dear, he thought the measure just and neceflary. pre The two great points to be confidered were, the expediency, and the danger of the measure. The first could not be controverted, and the fecond had no existence in truth. Lord Lauderdale fupported the bill, and difcuffed the precedents. He was aftonished at the doctrines laid down by the noble Secretary. Nothing was more clear than the illegality of the prefent measure, and he wished Parliament to exprefs their fenfe of it, by paffing an act of indemnity for his Majefty's minifters. The Hellians were exercifing a military truft, which not even naturalization could render lawful. The argument that the King might land forces, but that the Parliament only could maintain them, was of no weight. Were 30,000 men landed, parliament would hardly dare to refufe their affent. Lord Hawkesbury faid, the prefent cafe did not amount to the employment of foreign troops in this kingdom. Minifters felt no apprehenfion from what they had done, and confequently did not wish for any indemnification. Lord Stanhope fupported the bill, and charged its oppofers with inconfiftency; fome afferting the prerogative to land foreign troops, others declaring it illegal in the abstract, The Duke of Portland confidered the bringing of foreign troops into the country at all times contrary to the conftitution, at present he faw no danger to be apprehended, or blame incurred. He therefore would oppofe the bill. The Marquis of Lansdowne thought our employing foreigners, for internal defence, was ruinous and difgraceful. He followed Lord Lauderdale in the fuppofition of 30,000 Ruffians, as many Heffians and Pruffians being landed, that Parliament would hardly think it prudent to withhold their affent. reading 11, Proxy 1, Total 12 Against it 68, Proxies 21, Total 89 Majority 77 HOUSE OF COMMONS. SLAVE TRADE. Feb. 6. Mr Wilberforce faid, it was not his intention to move the total abolition of the Slave Trade, but only the prohibition of fupplying foreign poffeffions with flaves imported in British bottoms. A branch of traffic, now, from the circumftances of Europe, in point of fact annihilated; therefore he trusted that no one would be fo loft to all fenfe of national fhame, or concern for the honour of human nature, as to oppose the prefent motion. He, therefore, without further troubling the House, would move for leave to bring in a bill for the purpose be mentioned. On the Speaker's informing him, that the ftanding order of the Houfe required he should move "the referring the bill to a committee," Mr Wilberforce moved it accordingly. Sir William Young objected to it, as applying to no particular object, nor tending to remove any real exifting inconvenience. He thought it would be vexatious to the trade of the West Indies, and excite murmurs and complaints, which were now to be avoided, when attempts were making to fow the feeds of diffenfion among our West India islands. Mr Whitbread was astonished at the propofition not being made for the total abolition of the trade. To certify to the other House, that their zeal in this great caufe was not abated, and to fhew their indignation at that delay of which they had been guilty. No apprehenfion of danger could apologize for the violations of humanity and juftice; and from the purfuit of redrefs, he hoped the hon. gentleman would never depart till it was effected. The Duke of Bedford faid, of the ne- Mr Cawthorne defended the conduct ceffity of the meafure minifters could of the Houfe of Lords, and confidered the he bill as nugatory, and the whole aboliion-fyftem as fupported by republicans nd levellers. Mr Alderman Newnham confidered the Negroes as incapable of enjoying the benefits of freedom, and that thofe would be put to death in Africa whom we withed not to bring into fervitude. Col. Tarleton recommended caution as now peculiarly neceffary; every attack on property was now ill-timed, efpecially when, from the conqueft of the West India French islands, there was the only profpect of obtaining an indemnification for our expences in the prefent unfortunate contest. Mr Ryder confidered the cafe of the friends of abolition of flavery, as peculiarly hard; for in whatever form they had moved it, it had met with oppofition. The infamy of the traffic was to him fo convincing, he would vote the abolition of the trade. Mr Pitt faid, it was unneceffary to enter upon the principles which had been repeatedly difcuffed in that Houfe. The bill tended to prevent the revival of a trade already extinct. Whatever were the reafons for delay in the other house, it was to them an argument for fteady perfeverance, and was a ftep in the progrefs to a final abolition. 10. Mr Grey rofe to make his motion, on his Majesty's having fent a meffage reJative to difembarking foreign troops. He was aware that neceffity would be pleaded to justify the measure; admiting this, he was aware that precedents might be brought, he should ftill difpute their authority, and contend, that the landing of these troops was unconstitutional and contrary to law. Minifters fhould have afked a bill of indemnity, or requested the interference of Parliament, which would have been granted. In the prefent times it was neceffary to guard with vigilance the filent progreffive influence of the crown. A juft and vigilant jealousy had, in former times, been obferved. By an article in the bill of rights it was provided, that in time of peace no ftanding army fhall be kept up within the kingdom. The Parliament, jealous of their liberties, refufed leave to King William to keep his Dutch guards in this kingdom which he had come to protect. He reviewed the act of fettlement 12th King William, among other articles forbidding the holding of any office of truft by foreigners, of which the landing of the Heffians in the Isle of Wight, he contended was an exprefs violation. In 1756, an year of war, fome Hanoverians were tranfported to America. The bill of indemnity then introduced by minifters, was thrown out of the House of Lords as a dangerous precedent to fucceeding generations. The Lords in 1745, protefted against bringing over 5000 Hanoverians, when an invafion in favour of the Pretender was threatened. In 1775, a refpectable oppofition had protefted against fending foreign troops to Gibraltar and Port Mahon. He called on the furviving members to lend him now their aid, and ftate the arguments then ufed, and which he might have overlooked; while inftitutions were for med to check popular encroachments, he thought it alfo neceffary to guard againtt the oppreffion and unrelenting tyranny of minifters. While we protect the Conftitu tion from the invafion of domocracy, kt it not be crushed by the club of defpotifm. Mr Grey declared his abhorrence of French principles, where abfolute defpotifm prevailed; he would prefer the reign of Nero to that of the rulers of France. He would not hesitate to shed the laft drop of his blood for his country, and for the fafety of the Constitution, from the pure love of which, and not from a fpirit of oppofition to minifters, he would move, that the House fhould declare, that his Majesty had not the power of introducing foreign troops into this kingdom, without the previous permiffion of Parliament. Mr Powys thought the neceffity of the cafe an ample juftification. The influence of the crown was lefs to be dreaded than the ardor civium. He dreaded more red bonnets than all the crowns crowns, fcepters, and royal infignia of Europe. He had voted for the question in 1775, but would oppofe the prefent motion. Mr Whitbread demanded, that whenever infinuations were made upon the patriotism of the gentlemen feated on that bench, they fhould be followed with a direct charge. He could anfwer for the. virtue and good intentions of his hon. friend, and would fupport his motion with all his zeal. Mr Wyndham proceeded to a logical referation of Mr Grey's arguments, which he obviated in fucceffion, and concluded by diffenting from the motion. Major Maitland replied, and informed the hon. gentleman, that no British army could be maintained in the kingdom, but by an act of parliament. That the Heffians, fince their landing, were fubject to no controul but the civil law; and were nothing, in fact, but an armed banditti. As the whole was illegal, he objected to the difembarkation. Mr Adair lamented that the question appeared in its prefent form. The meafure of landing the Heffians was an act of humanity, as they were fick from confinement. He concluded by moving the previous question-Mr York feconded the motion. The Attorney General defended minitry, taking a review of the arguments adduced on legal points, and contended, that their conduct was perfectly conftitu tional. Mr Pitt, with his ufual eloquence and ability, took a view of the whole fubject, acknowledged his refponfibility for advifing the measure. He would, he faid, accept of no bill of indemnity where law and ufage would bear him out, which he illuftrated in a mafterly difplay of hiftorical and legal information. The very explicit terms of his Majesty's meffage, communicating his reafons for landing thefe troops, fhould take away every caufe of alarm. He would, therefore, fapport the learned Sergeant's motion for the previous question. Which being put, there were for it, 183 A gainst it, 35 Majority 148. VOL. LVI. For works in the Fleet prifon, - 3,376 8 falaries of Commiffioners for For trouble of perfons inquiring For loffes fuftained by Mr Star- 1,814 15 4 2,III I 1,084 15 669 9 11 1,504 10 6 537 12 6 For American Civil Officers, 19,500 0 between Jan. 5, 1793, and 14,585 10 6 46,619 13 7 2,C43 O 211,295 to act 28th Geo. III. For expence of profecuting Mr For fending provifions, &c. to, For expences of convicts on the Thames, 681 6 56,796 7 10,747 3 8 19,820 10 11,393 4 8 13,576 17 8 18,844 12 13,600 0 O 1,500,000 O O 18. Mr Fox rofe to bring forward his promised motion, which he did in a very complicated detail. T The failure com complained of, might arise from negligence or want of refources. The object of his motion was to investigate the point, to exculpate miniftry, or fix a cenfure on their guilt. He began with the Newfoundland and Canada trade, which, from adequate protection not being granted, had fuffered in a very confiderable degree. He had been partly mifinformed, regarding the Baltic fleets; however, they had fuffered the loss of several ships from the want of convoy. The trade to the Mediterranean, by detention for want of fhips ready to convoy them, had loft the opportunity of the principal markets, and laid the foundation of litigations with the Italian merchants. But chiefly the delay experienced by the outward bound Weft India veffels, had been of the greateft detriment to our merchants; and the inadequacy of the convoy to a fleet homeward bound, eftimated at four millions, was a serious inftance of criminal neglect. In fupport of these allegations, he produced documents he had received from merchants, and others, deeply concerned in the trade, whofe loffes had been confiderable. He then moved, "That it be referred to a committee, to enquire into the protection which the trade of his Majefty's fubjects had received from convoys during the prefent war." conduct of the Board of Admiralty was fuch, as, instead of cenfure, deserved the thanks of the mercantile intereft. Meffrs Aldermen Anderson, and Curtis defended the conduct of the Admiralty. From one circumstance, alone, might be feen, faid they, that in no former war had our fleets failed with equal fecurity-that was from the present rate of infurance. Admiral Gardner replied, in oppofition, that the united voice of the mercantile world afferted, unanimously, that, on the whole, the trade to the different ports had never received fuch effectual protection. In fupport of this, the hon. Admiral brought forward feverals extracts from official documents, wherein were fet forth the feveral applications which had been made by different mercantile bodies for convoys, with their dates; particulars of the meafures taken by the Admiralty in confequence; the different ships difpatched on the convoy fervice; the dates of their failing; the unavoidable delays on account of weather, want of men, and the procraftination of the fhip-owners themfelves; from all of which he deduced conclufions very different from what had been drawn by the right hon. gentleman: and demonstrated, feemingly very much to the fatisfaction of the Houfe, that the Mr Pitt ftated, that after what had been faid to justify Administration, he had little to add in fupport of their conduct; but, as it was on a bufinefs so interefting, he would trefpafs for a little on the time of the Houfe. He obferved, that miniftry had to give attention to objects, even more important in their confequences, than the protection of trading veffels. Offenfive measures against the common enemy were to be planned and executed. Minifters would confult the interests of the kingdom ill, indeed, were they to fritter down the naval force of the country for the fake of convoys, instead of employing it in carrying on the great objects of the war. After flating these objects to be attended to in carrying on the war, and the nature of the war itself, with that protection which was actually afforded, the queftion was, he faid, if any ferious blame could be attached to adminiftration? That a greater number of ships were taken from the English, than what the French had loft, needed not to be much wondered at, confidering the widely extended commerce of this country; and that the enemy were ready to act before our fleets were in a condition to go out of harbour. On the application for a convoy, and even after it was granted, during war, many unforfeen circumftances occurred to retard, or even to ftop its failing altogether, from alterations in the deftination or place of the enemy's force; and what appeared as blameable in the Admiralty, a full knowledge of circumftances would prove to have been dictated by care and prudence. The mcmorials prefented to the Admiralty, ftating the partial loffes which individuals had fuftained, which the right hon. gentleman had mentioned with triumph, could not outweigh the general teftimony which ad administration had received of their conduct. If he was well founded in these obfervations, he needed not go into the detail of the several branches of the trade. He had every authority to think, that the hon. gentleman's ftatements were not, to the extent of the lofs and inconvenience he had laid before the Houfe, accurate or true. He had fhewn candour in retracting what he partly afferted concerning the Baltic fleet, and he hoped the others were not more justly narrated. The delays which prevented our merchants from bringing their goods to the Italian fairs in proper time, the Admiralty regretted; but in them there was no want of attention: thefe arose from circumstances for which no human prudence could provide. Arrangements, they had it now in their power to make, which he trufted would prevent a repetition, even of the fmall lofs or inconvenience which we had already fuftained. were, The question being called for, there DEFENCE OF HALIFAX. 21. Mr Sheridan introduced his motion on this fubject. He obferved, that even, in time of war, inquiries into the mode of the expenditure of the public money by the executive power, instead of being dangerous, he deemed beneficial in their effects. The fhameful defenceless fituation of the port of Halifax, and of the entire colony of Nova Scotia, this war, would exemplify what he had obferved. Instead of. one folitary letter, he had now upwards of fifty from perfons of refpectability, afferting thefe fats, and from officers too, both in the fea and land fervice. He expatiated upon the conduct of ministers ftripping it of its means of defence, at a time when it was threatened with an invafion from the Frenon, whofe maritime power was ftrong in that quarter, and which was only frustrated by a mutiny in their fleet. He blamed Admirable Gardner for not turning his attention to that quarter, when the French left the Weft Indies; and difapproved of quoting the authority of Governor Wentworth, fecond in com mand, when all fuch communication should have been from the commander in chief, Gen. Ogilvie. Mr Sheridan concluded with moving, "That there be laid before the Houfe copies of all letters, &c. received from Governor Wentworth, relative to the colony of Nova Scotia, and all other official accounts relative to the fame-All letters received from Major-General Ogilvie, relative to the fame-The return of the garrisons, number of men and officers in the faid colony-The correfpondence between Ministers and Gen. Ogilvie and Gov. Wentworth, refpecting the faid colony, &c." Mr Secretary Dundas obferved, that to feveral parts of the above motion he had no objection, others he would refift. The extracts he had read from Gov. Wentworth's letters were in his own words, the other facts he stated were, he believed, true. A great part of the defence of Halifax had been withdrawn and fent to the West Indies, attacked or threatened to be attacked externally by the enemy, and internally convulfed by their machinations. Two objects prefented to the choice of government, furely not to be balanced in their real importance; either to encounter the remote and improbable profpect of an attack on Nova Scotia, or to confent to the facrifice of our Weft India poffeffions. The iffue of the events had fully justified the wisdom by which the measures_of government had been conducted. For the defence of Halifax a militia was embodied, and the fortifications put into a refpectable state of defence. To a certain degree he coincided with the motion; but referved the liberty of oppofing what part of it in future he might deem unwarrantable. Major Maitland fupported Mr Sheri dan. On Mr Dundas' objecting to the fecond article it was negatived. The others were voted. MR PALMER. 24. Mr Sheridan faid, he held in his hand a petition from the Rev. Mr F. Palmer, humbly reprefenting, that the petitioner was now fuffering under what |