sion some debate, he proposed that its consideration should be adjourned until the next meeting of the house.-Adjourned.

HOUSE OF LORDS.

bring forward. The attorney general said that it was still his intention to move for an amendment of the law alluded to; but he did not think right to đọ so, while discussions were pending in the Irish courts of law on the true Tuesday, April 30. construction of it with respect to that [MINUTES.] Their lordships proceeded country.-Sir Andrew S. Hamond, purfurther in the Appeal, Blane, esq. Trustee suant to notice, moved, "that there be for sir Andrew Cathcart, against the earl laid before the house a copy of the letter of Cassilis. Mr. H. Erskine was heard in of the navy board to the admiralty, dated continuation on the part of the respondent, the 5th of April 1805, together with a after which the further consideration was copy of the memorial inclosed, relating to postponed till Thursday.-Several private the answer of the navy board to the first bills were brought from the commons, report of the commissioners of naval en and read a first time.-Mr. Owen, from quiry." Sir Charles Pole did not mean to the East India house, presented certain object to the motion, but to say, that he accounts pursuant to act of parliament, hoped, by the papers it would appear which were ordered to lie on the table. that the navy board had recovered the The order of the day being moved for the money said to have been lost in that resecond reading of the bill for dissolving port. Two years had already elapsed the marriage of John Moore, esq. and Bar- since the report had been made. Sir A. bara Brabazon, his late wife, and for en- S. Hamond replied, that no time had abling him to marry again. Mr. Adam been lost by the navy board. They had put was heard as counsel for the petitioner. the matter into the hands of the law offIt appeared that there was an inaccuracy cers of the crown. The papers were then in the recital of one of the clauses of the ordered; and were immediately after prebill, and on that account the party obtain-sented by Mr. Dickinson, and ordered to ed leave to withdraw it, for the purpose lie on the table and to be printed.-A petiof introducing a new one. The hearing tion of the proprietors of the Croydon of counsel was then postponed to Thurs- canal, was presented to the house, and read; day next.-Adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

Tuesday, April 30.

noticing the bill for supplying the inhabitants of Camberwell, and parts of St. Mary's, Lambeth, and several other pa rishes and places in Surry and Kent, with water; and setting forth, that, by an act of the 41st of his majesty, the petitioners were invested with full powers for supplying the towns of Croydon, Streatham, &c. with water from the said canal, anđ that the powers proposed to be obtained by the said bill will materially injure the rights and interests of the petitioners un der the said act; and therefore praying, &c. Ordered, that the said petition be referred to the committee to whom the said bill is committed; &c.

0

[MINUTES.] The Thames Tunnel bill was read a second time, and was ordered to be committed. Mr. Lee obtained leave to bring in a bill to supply cities and market towns in Ireland with water. The secretary at war presented an estimate of the expences of volunteer and yeomanry corps, which he gave notice, would be referred to the committee of Supply on Friday next; in which committee Mr. Pitt also gave notice, that he would move the army extraordinaries.--Mr.J.Fitzgerald [MIDDLESEX ELECTION.] Mr. Henry called the attention of the house to an ex- Thornton, pursuant to his notice yesterday, traordinary construction (the arrest of rose to move for the discharge of the order judge Johnson) which had been put upon for taking into consideration the petition the act made for the purpose of arresting complaining of the want of qualification of felons and traitors in any other part of the Mr. Mainwaring, on Thursday the 2d of united kingdom. He was proceeding to May. There were two ways of getting rid comment with severity on this construction, of the petition, either by withdrawing it, or when the Speaker informed him it was by discharging the order. As those who sot regular to enter fully into observations presented the petition had neglected to of this nature, but that he should simply withdraw it, and as the time fixed for tak give notice of the measure he intended to ing it into consideration was so near, he

thought it his duty to submit the motion of George, Hanover-square, that noblemen which he had given notice; and particu- and gentlemen should be included among larly, as sir Francis Burdett and his friends those who conducted the parish concerns. would not be precluded from being heard Mr. Calcraft and Mr. P. Moore protouching the charge contained in the peti-nounced the bill a mere job, which was tion before the committee to whom the abandoned by the members of the county, petition and the merits of the election had by whom it was brought in, as it was been referred. It would be contrary to the against the general wish of the parishioners. spirit of the act, that the same matter They also objected to the bill on the should be tried before two different com- grounds that the directors appointed their mittees. successors, and even the auditors of their own accounts; and it was a mere job, that ought not to be countenanced by the house of commons. Very great malversation had occurred, which was to come the eusuing term before the King's Bench; and therefore the house, they had no doubt, would not entertain the present bill.-The house then divided for the second reading, Ayes 42-Noes 30. The bill was then read a second time, and was ordered to be committed.

Mr. Crectey suggested, that it would be the more proper way to have the consideration of the petition adjourned.

Mr. Thornton observed, that when the petition was presented, Mr. Mainwaring was a member of the house, and being so no longer, the house was of course capable of discharging an order which now was useless.

Mr. Creevey considered the point in question to be a new one, and said he should take it as a favour if the hon. gent. would defer his motion till to-morrow..

[STIPENDIARY CURATES' BILL.] The Attorney-General, pursuant to notice, rose The Speaker said the proceedings in the for the purpose of moving for leave to affair amounted to this: the petition was bring in a bill for encouraging the resi presented against a member on the ground dence of Stipendiary Curates on their of disqualification. That member had been cures. The bill was the same as one dispossessed of his seat, in consequence of which had already received the sanction of another petition, and therefore the petition the house, though from its having had, did not apply. The only question there- when it passed before, a clause in it for fore was, whether the house had the making provisions for such curates as power of disembarrassing itself from it? should be deprived of their curacies by the Mr. Thornton said the petition was per-effect of the rectors' residence bill, it had fectly useless, as the house could not proceed upon it.

Mr. P. Moore said the petition looked to an eventual circumstance, and might therefore be applicable at another time, and he was commissioned by the parties who signed it to say, that deeming Mr. Mainwaring disqualified, they wished their petition to go collaterally with another, which was still depending.

Mr. Thornton replied, that should that be the case, sir Francis Burdett's friends would still have a right to be heard before a committee.-The order of the day was then discharged.

been considered in the other house as a money bill, and on that ground rejected. His learned friend (sir William Scott) who had introduced that bill, had since brought forward another without the exceptionable clauses, but had been prevented, by his professional duties, from attending to its progress. The same cause still prevented him from bringing forward the measure, and in consequence the duty had devolved on him. His object was not to alter the laws as they stand at present with respect to livings under 4007. per annum, the bishops having power to enforce a resi dence; but when the living exceeded that sum, he thought there could be no objec tion to a clause for obliging, the rector to provide a resident clergyman, with a salary of 2004. a year. He therefore moved for leave to bring in a bill to encourage the resi dence of stipendiary curates on their cures.

Sir John Newport expressed his hopes that Ireland would not be excluded from the benefit of the act proposed, as there was no other part of the empire where the

regular residence of the parochial clergy was more wanted. Those who were apt to complain of the increase of one religion, and the decrease of another, should consider the effect produced in that part of the United Kingdom, by the suspension of those parochial duties.

customs of the house to circulate such lists; so that that he believed it would be deemed a breach of order in him to say that the treasury were guilty of so doing; and therefore he should endeavour to abstain from so expressing himself; though it was a fact of which he entertained not the smallest doubt. He would appeal to the right hon. gentlemen themselves whether or not they could venture to deny the fact to him. It was a conduct which, no doubt, appeared highly discreditable to them. Let Mr. P. Moore hoped it was meant to the house recollect in what situation the make the duty of residence mandatory on right hon. gent. opposite (the chancellor of the clergy. the exchequer) then stood. He (Mr. Pitt) Mr. Creevey apprehended that the in-had boldly come forward and taken upor tended provision to curates was rather too linrited.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer said he understood that provisions to the effect alluded to would be made in the bill proposed to be brought in by an hon. and learned gent. (Dr. Duigenan).

himself a very great responsibility as to the country. Intimately connected with lord The Attorney-General agreed with sir J. Melville, he had appealed to the house and Newport, that if there was any soundness the country as to the purity of his conduct. of principle in the bill, it applied with The right hon. gent. had, by his own acequal strength to Ireland as it did to Eng-count, his hands pure and his character land; but he possessed too little local in-unimpeached; and this assertion he (Mr. formation respecting that country, to un-W.) was not disposed at that moment to dertake such a measure of himself; and call in question. He could not but obhe had heard it argued, on a former occa-serve, however, that a considerable deal of sion, that it would be too hard to compel suspicion was created by the manner in curates to reside in parishes where no residence was appropriated to them.

Dr. Duigenan said, that the bill he had the honour to move for would embrace the objects alluded to by the hon. bart.-Leave was given to bring in the bill.

which that right hon. gent. had prepared himself to go to trial. The persons who were to judge of his conduct were such as were appointed by himself. This surely was a circumstance not very creditable to that right hon. gent., and, in short, it ap[BALLOT FOR A SELECT COMMITTEE ON peared perfectly ludicrous to see a man THE ELEVENTH NAVAL REPORT.] The stand up and say, "here I am, ready toChancellor of the Exchequer moved the order meet any accusation the house may think of the day for reading the report of the com- proper to bring forward against me, or call mittee appointed to examine the lists of me in question from the beginning to the end twenty-one persons given in for the pur-of my political career. Who are to be my pose of constituting a select committee on judges? Let them be declared in the face the tenth naval report. The names were of day; let them be named by ballot." This accordingly read, with the number of the conduct really appeared like a sham fight, votes for each. in which that right hon. gent. had marched Mr. Whitbread then rose and said, that his troops out beforehand, and had seemthe reading of those names which the house ed confident of being victorious. Let the had just now heard, completely justified house recollect the situation in which thẻ him in the very serious motion which he business stood. Lord Melville was a prin should have the honour of submitting to cipal object of the tenth report. He has them, according to the notice he had given been withdrawn from it, and the right hon. the other day, provided that these names gent. has said, that there was nothing in turned out the same as those he himself any one page of that report which in the had formerly read to them. It did so hap-least impeached his own character. He pen that they identically corresponded with begged leave to differ from that right hon. each other. This shewed that the reports gent. and to state, before the appointment which had gained ground without doors, of that committee, that he stood under as to a list of names having been industri- very suspicious circumstances, particularly ously circulated, for the purpose of com-with regard to the delicate and confidential posing that important cominittee, were well transactions of government, and the quietaş” founded. The house had already decided, that was granted by him to.lord Melville, that it was no breach of the orders or on the case of Mr. Jellicoe disclosed in

I am

that report. An acknowledgement had hon. gent. himself, whether he really wished, been made by that right hon. gent. that he or thought it was for his advantage or that was actually in the knowledge of such of the country, to have such a committee transactions. It was natural to suppose, appointed? It was a committee of that that the knowledge which he must have had right hon. gent.'s recommendation, if of most of the transactions under the cog-not nomination, (a cry of no! no!) He nizance of lord Melville, would have im- should wish to know if those gentlemen plicated him in some degree, and required who were crying on this occasion, no, no, that he should be regularly and openly were willing to go to proof with him upon freed of any suspicion. Now, that lord the subject. Perhaps he might think of Melville has been withdrawn, up starts calling some of them as witnesses to prove the right hon. gent. and says, that the right hon. gent. had circulated the person who is the object of the en-these lists among his friends. He should quiry." It was particularly necessary to put it again to the right hon. gent, standenquire, whether any representations were ing, as he had done, in the place of lord or were not made to the chancellor of Melville, and appearing magnanimous and the exchequer with regard to the with-gallant on the subject, whether it was a drawing of the money from the bank. Such proper situation for the first minister of were the circumstances under which he the country to stand in? and whether he (Mr. Pitt) had come dowu most magnani-himself should appoint the committee inmously to move for a select committee for tended to investigate his own conduct? an enquiry, To whom were the house to He had heard of persons playing at cards confide the investigation of this important naming their own trumps, but the right hon. question? The right hon. gent. had named, gent. carried this principle somewhat furamongst others, three persons who had ther, because he was taking upon himself made oath at the table of the house, that the privilege of naming the whole of his own they thought it would be very much to the cards. He meant no personal disrespect to detriment of public business if they were the individuals, but he had great objections obliged to attend on election committees. to their political connections with the right The first person he should mention was hon. gent., which he thought, rendered ford Castlereagh, who had positively sworn, them unlit persons. He thought on such that he conceived that it would impede his a charge, the right hon. gent. should not official business if he attended on a com- have thought of making his own political mittee. The master of the rolls had sworn, friends his judges. That might not be the that he could not attend on a similar com- safest way; and the safest way seemed to mittee, without creating inconvenience to be refused by the right hon. gent, He, for the suitors in the court of chancery. Sir himself, in such a situation, would not William Scott swore, that it would be at- have desired to be tried by his coadjutors, tended with difficulty for him to attend, in a case wherein his oldest and steadiest on account of his avocations in the court political ally had, as it had been expressed of admiralty. Now, there were these three in this very enquiry, become a disgraced persons who were thus disqualified from and punished political friend and associate attending on this select committee, which Especially he objected to the noble lord disqualification was proved by their own (Castlereagh), whose conduct, for many depositions on oath, on account of their years, rendered him an unfit person. There having occasion to attend to other public was also another noble lord, from the same business. The oaths which he had men-country, who held an office under the pretioned were not taken on a peculiar case, sent administration(lord Dunlo). There such as the Middlesex committee, requir- was a right hon. gent. too in a place of ing the immediate and constant attend-high rank (Mr Foster), and the master of ance, but it had been their regular prac- the rolls, and sir W. Scott, who could not tice hitherto. He apprehended that every attend without public detriment. He had meinber appointed upon such an important rather, whatever respect he might have for committee as the present, should be per-them, see two country gentlemen in their fectly efficient, and able in every point of places, though their talents and knowledge view to devote his time and attention to of business might be inferior. The noble such an important enquiry. Much suspi- lord (Castlereagh) was not merely a placecion was attached to the formation of this man, but a perpetual placeman. Nothing committee. He would appeal to the right could move him. He was not to be shaken VOL. IV. 2 L

ever so severe and honest, the public would not be satisfied with such a committee, after such a charge which he (Mr. W.) offered to prove. He reckoned, therefore, such a motion not extraordinary, after what had happened, though not precedented.The hon. member then alluded to his own

by political storms and tempests, they only bound him more firmly to his post. That noble lord seemed invulnerable; he laughed at the convulsions of government and parties. Nothing short of an earthquake could shake him. He had been already celebrated for having two strings to his bow, and he kept his bow always strung.name, and observed, that he would gladly He seemed not to have two strings only to withdraw from such a committee; but if it his bow, but as many as a certain person was appeared the general wish for him to remain noted for having to his knees. He was in on it, he should certainly take care to atpower in the right hon. gent.'s last adminis- tend to it. Let him, however, be struck tration. He performed him some services off, if any person thought his conduct in at the union; after the union leaving Ire- this business rancorous; if they considered land, he came here, and was in place again. him a persecutor instead of a prosecutor; That administration went out on a specific or if they could see the folly he was acpublic ground, and another came in on a cused of, respecting the alleged changes in directly opposite principle; but still the no- the order of his motion. He liked his ble lord clung to office, and kept in place. conduct the better for the censures he reThat ministry was turned out by the help ceived from some persons.-After dwelling of his right hon. friend; but then was the with great force on the modes attempted noble lord again in power, and now he is to screen lord Melville, and the limitations in a new coalition. He did not question the of the power of the committee, he mainpurity of his principles, in all those evolu-tained, that with the first majority of one, tions by which he contrived to maintain his and the minorities since, the people of position and keep himself where he was: but England, Scotland, and Ireland, went hand would the country think him a proper per-in hand, and applauded their justice and son to investigate the conduct of his pa- spirit. Was all talent gone? Could no tron? He and his patron, no doubt, de- independent gentlemen be found to make served each other's friendship, for their up a committee for such a purpose as this? mutual services. He would give his lord- He would put it to the gent. of the opship credit for manly policy, and gratitude posite side, whether they would make this to the right hon. gent.; but though this committee a screen, or a stalking-horse? might be very gratifying in private life, Would they have the public consider it as it rather disqualified him for the situation a cloak to cover lord Melville? He thought to be allotted him. For what was the com- he could name a gentleman, even in the mittee to examine into? Delicate and se-place of the Master of the Rolls, though cret transactions! The noble lord had been engaged in similar transactions in Ireland already, and his palate may have become vitiated in these matters, and the public and he entertain very different ideas on the uses and abuses of public money. He might refer to some late matters. The noble lord had been charged by the right hon. gent. now sitting beside him (Mr. Foster) with a scandalous misuse of money, in payments to persons in Ireland, to carry the union, and had sat mute. He felt convinced that the right hon. gent. opposite could not, from his usual accuracy, have made the charge, could he not have proved it. It was repeated last night. He would refer the noble lord to his right hon. friend. If he denied it, what if he examined Mr. Foster at the bar? What might not turn out in these" delicate transactions" of lord Melville? Was the noble lord a person fit for that committee? Let the enquiry be

less able, yet whom the country would like better; and this would apply more largely to the other objectionable persons. He could find persons as competent, and possessing more of the faith of the public. Instead of the name of the noble lord, he would propose a gentleman whom he had loved and respected from youth, but whom he had almost constantly opposed in politics, both in and out of that house; with whom he must have sometimes had the heats and even the bitterness of contesta bitterness of zeal ́and not of acrimony; one who had given the right hon. gent. an independent support for years. This gentleman he had even within these few months opposed actively in his election to serve in that house, and he did not repent of it: he might do so again. He meant Mr. Baker, of Hertford; a gentleman of talents, and anxiously laborious in every thing relative to public advantage,