trary, he wished the grand jury to have tion of the Trinity House of Deptford Strond, more power if necessary. He concluded in each year during the last thirty years: with moving, that leave be given to for an account of the quantity of ballast taken bring in a bill to amend the laws now exist- by the corporation of the Trinity House of ing relative to making roads in Ireland, pur Deptford Strond, in their lighters, out of vessuant to presentiments of grand juries." sels which have entered the port of London, Granted. A petition of the master, war-in each year, for the last thirty years, whedens, freemen and commonalty, of the mys-ther such vessels were partly laden, or in tery of vintners of the city of London, un- ballast."-On the motion of the Attorney der their common seal, being offered to be General, the house went into a committee presented to the house; the chancellor of the on the Stipendiary Curates bill, which after exchequer, by his majesty's command, ac- being reported, was recommitted for toquainted the house, that his majesty, having morrow. On the motion of the Chancelbeen informed of the contents of the said lor of the Exchequer, the house went into a petition, recommended it to the consideration committee on the Property Duty bill. Preof the house. Then the said petition was viously to its commitment the chancellor of brought up, and read; taking notice of the the exchequer stated, that the clauses he bill to alter and amend an act, passed in the proposed to introduce into this bill were 40th year of his present majesty, for making merely of a verbal nature, or such as related wet docks, basons, cuts, and other works, to regulation only, and not such as would for the greater accommodation and security produce any alteration in the rates or quanof shipping, commerce, and revenue, within tum of the duty. A number of clauses were the port of London, and for extending the then severally read, and, after a good deal powers and provisions of the said act; and of conversation, agreed to. The report setting forth, that the petitioners apprehend was ordered to be received on Friday next. they may suffer loss or damage by reason of Mr. Alexander brought up the report of the works mentioned in the said act, and the committee on the deficiencies of the submit that they are entitled to compensa- civil list, when the resolution granting to his tion in respect thereof; and therefore pray- majesty the sum of 10,4587. Is. 6d. for the ing, that provision may be made in the said purpose herein mentioned, was read and bill for that purpose. Ordered, That the agreed to.-The committee on the Irish said petition be referred to the consideration Land Partition bill was postponed till toof a committee; and that they do examine morrow.--Mr. Loveden, on Monday, gave the matter thereof, and report the same, as notice of a motion to be brought on Thursit shall appear to them, to the house. And day the 16th inst. He said he did not apa committee was appointed accordingly; prehend it could occasion much discussion, and the said committee have power to send as it would be similar to what he had forfor persons, papers, and records. Mr. Calcraft moved for the following papers, which were ordered;-a copy of the grant or charter of her majesty queen Elizabeth, to the corporation of the Trinity House of Deptford Strond, dated 11th June, in the 36th year of her reign: a copy of the grant or charter of his late majesty king Charles II. to the corporation of the Trinity House of Deptford Strond, dated 24th June, in the 17th year of his reign: an account of the quantity of all the ballast on the river Thames, which has been shipped from the several wharfs within the jurisdiction of the corporation of the Trinity House of Deptford Strond, for the last 30 years, particularizing the quantity shipped in each year, and for which the said corporation received one penny per ton, and distinguishing the kind or quality of the ballast shipped: an account of the quantity of ballast taken from the -bottom of the river Thames by the corpora

merly proposed; for fresh lists of unpaid or unclaimed dividends at the bank, &c.-but he meant to push the enquiry further than he had before done, and to call for an account of the suitors money locked up by the court of chancery.

[IRISH ELECTION BILL.-On the question that the Irish Election bill be read a second time,

Colonel Bagwell said, he had no objeetion to the principles of the bill, and hoped, therefore, it would then be read a second time.

Mr. Lee said, that although he should accede to the second reading, he did not mean to exclude himself from objecting to some particular parts of it.

Mr. George Ponsonby said, that if the principle of the bill was to ascertain accurately those persons who had a right to vote at elections, and to make that right known to those who were candidates, he approved of the

bill; but still there were many clauses to which he meant to object in the commit

tee.

other branches of administration, and to inflict exemplary punishment on all who shall be found guilty of, or in any wise aiding, abetting, or conniving at similar frauds and depredations; and that the petitioners are thoroughly persuaded that it is needless for them to urge any fresh motive to the house in order to induce them to adopt such measures; they rely upon the knowledge the house have of their duties, and upon their sympathy and fellow feeling with their con

Mr. Richard Martin objected to the bill going into a committee. By one clause in it, any person has a right to enter a traverse against the title of every 40s. freeholder, and it would take fifteen years value of it to pay the expences of defending his right. Besides, the bill vilified the country; for it says that all vice was attributable to the poor. and all virtue to the rich; he therefore obituents, who, during a long, a difficult, and jected to it, on the ground of unseemliness. He thought the election law of the two countries should be assimilated as nearly as possible, and this subject should not be taken up on such light and flippant grounds as it had been. He thought a committee should be appointed to take the matter into consi deration.

Colonel Bagwell said there was no duty on freeholders, except on leases, and that was necessary, in order to ascertain the right to the freehold.

Sir John Newport thought he saw several objections as to the traverse and other points, but these might be modified, altered, or done away in the committee.

Earl Temple said a few words in favour of the bill going to a committee. After which the bill was read a second time, and ordered to be committed on Thursday.

trying period of war, in times of severe hardships and scarcity, have chearfully submitted to the heaviest burthens; that what they granted liberally should be applied honesily was the least the petitioners could hope from men whose consciences and bounden duty enjoined a faithful discharge of the great trust reposed in them. Disappointed of this hope, and finding on the contrary that a minister filling many great and lucrative offices, high in the confidence of his sovereign, one of the foremost in his pretended efforts to reform abuses, has been at length himself detected in conniving for a series of years at the foulest peculation: the petitioners now approach the house with their claims to protection and justice; and they trust, therefore, that in prosecuting the inquiries necessary for these ends, the house will proceed in that spirit of firmness [PETITION FROM BEDFORD RESPECT- and integrity which dietated the resolutions ING THE 10th NAVAL REPORT.]-A pe- of the 8th and 10th of April; and that they tition of several freeholders of the county of will not trust this great cause out of their Bedford, was presented to the house and own hands, nor again suffer themselves to read; setting forth, "that the petitioners be deceived by the plausible promises of unite with their constituents at large in thanking the house for their resolutions of the 8th and 10th of April, founded on the tenth report of the commissioners of naval enquiry by the first of those resolutions the house vindicated the character of their country, by censuring a minister proved to have been guilty of a gross violation of law, and a flagrant breach of duty; by the second, the house laid before the sovereign the sense of his people, and enabled him, by a ready compliance with their wishes, to endear himself more than ever to their loyal and affectionate hearts; and the petitioners implore the house steadily to persevere in detecting all other abuses which are pointed at, as well in the tenth as in the eleventh report of the said commissioners, attentively to investigate all irregularities which may be brought to light by any of their succeeding reports, im partially, minutely, and resolutely to examine into the public expenditure in all the

men who openly violate the laws of the le gislature, and hold in defiance and contempt the wholesome guards they enact against the possible malversations of office; and that the petitioners also trust that the example of the past will act upon the house as a warning for the future; that they will see and acknowledge the just value of those principles on which our ancestors established the power and authority of the house of commons; that the house will feel their office to be that of control over the servants of the crown; and that jealousy and vigilance instead of confidence and compliance, are their true and distinguishing characteristics; to this system the petitioners humbly hope that the house will direct their imme diate and unvarying attention, as the system by which the country may best be defended, and as the only one under which the constitution can be safe."

[PETITION FROM NORFOLK RESPECT

tem of vigilance and jealousy in preference to one of blind and implicit confidence in ministers."

ING THE 10th NAVAL REPORT.]-A petition of the gentlemen, clergy, and freeholders of the county of Norfolk, convened oy the high sheriff of the said county, at the [PETITION FROM SOUTHAMPTON REcastle of Norwich, in the shirehouse there, SPECTING THE 10th NAVAL REPORT.]— on Tuesday the 14th day of May 1895, was A petition of the inhabitants of the town presented to the house and read, setting and county of the town of Southampton was forth," that the petitioners beg leave to ex-presented to the house and read; setting press their gratitude to the house for the forth," that the petitioners would feel steps which they have already taken towards themselves criminally indifferent were they the detection and punishment of those ser- not to express their gratitude for the votes vants of the crown who have defied the laws, of the house on the 8th and 10th days of broken their trust, and applied enormous April last, which declared lord viscount sums of the public money to their own cor- Melville guilty of a gross violation of the rupt purposes of emolument and power; law and a high breach of duty, votes which and that in the name of a loyal and suffering have diffused joy and confidence throughpeople, the petitioners implore the house out every part of the united kingdom; and not to relax in their exertions; they intreat that, among the various irregularities and them to consider how patiently the petition-abuses which have been detected and exers have seen millions added to millions of posed by the commissioners of naval enthe national debt, the rapid advance in every quiry, none has created more jealousy and article of consumption, their burthens in alarm in the breasts of the petitioners than creasing, and their means of bearing them the application of monies, appropriated by diminishing, in the just hope that while en- the legislature for the uses of the navy, to gaged in extensive wars what they contri- other purposes, a practice replete with danbuted with cheerfulness would be applied ger to the constitution and to the liberty of with fidelity, and as the law expressly di- this country; and that the detection of such rected; and that faithful to their first duties, malversations in one department of the state the house have recorded, by the resolutions induces apprehensions that others may not of the 8th and 10th of April, that the peo-be more faithfully and honestly administered; ple of England have been grossly wronged by lord Melville; and the petitioners humbly represent to the house, the necessity of effectually protecting the nation against future depredations; and therefore praying the house, first, to investigate and sift to the bottom the remaining charges of abuse in the application of the public money, contained in the tenth report of the commissioners of naval enquiry: secondly, to examine minutely into the nature of those irre- [PETITION FROM NORTHUMBERLAND gularities brought to light in the eleventh re- RESPECTING THE 10TH NAVAL REPORT.]* port of the said commissioners, and likewise A petition of the gentlemen, clergy, whatever may appear culpable or suspicious and freeholders of the county of Northumin any of their future reports: thirdly, to berland, held at Morpeth on the 24th of institute immediate and rigorous enquiries May 1805, was presented to the house, and into the expenditure of every other depart-read; setting forth, "that the petitioners ment of executive government; and that in beg leave to congratulate the house on the performing these acts of necessary and ex-result of the discussions that have taken pected justice, the petitioners are persuaded place in the house respecting the gross that the house will take no other guides than peculation and misapplication of the public its own wisdom and resolution; and that, money, in open defiance of the law, that warned by the example of detected guilt, have been detected by the commissioners and awake to the frauds which have been of naval enquiry; and they pray the practised upon their own facility, as well as house to persevere in that virtuous line of upon the public purse, the house will per conduct, which on that important occasion ceive the necessity of resorting to those prin- diffused such general satisfaction throughout ciples which prevailed in the better days of the country; and they intreat the house our constitution, and of acting upon a sys-not only to continue their enquiries into the›

and the petitioners therefore think it their duty to implore the national representatives that their intention, already manifested, of instituting enquiries into every branch of the public expenditure, may be speedily carried into effect, a measure calculated to compose the public mind, to confirm the confidence, and to secure the unanimity and energy of the people."-Ordered to lie upon the table.

abuses in the department of the navy, but to extend the same into every branch of the public expenditure, and to adopt a solid and permanent system of economy, well convinced that rigid frugality alone can enable this country to support the present enormous weight of public burthens, and sustain the awful contest in which we are engaged and the petitioners implore the house to punish guilt, however protected or exalted, and to rescue from peculation and plunder a loyal people, who have ever willingly contributed to the real exigencies of the state, and who never complain but when their generous temper is imposed upon, and thus will the commons of the united kingdom confirm the confidence of the people, and instil into the hearts of all good men a warm and steady attachment to the British constitution."-Ordered to lie upon the table.

address the lords commissioners of the admiralty in vindication of their honour and the proceedings of their board; and being anxious to remove any impression which may have been made in parliament to their disadvantage by Mr. Tucker's letter and petition, they pray that the house will be pleased to give directions that a copy of the petitioners' two letters to the secretary of the admiralty of the 4th instant may be laid be fore the house."

Sir 4. S. Hamond then moved, that copies of the letters from the commissioners of the navy to the board of admiralty, of the 4th instant, be laid on the table.

Mr. Kinnaird rose, not, he said, to oppose the motion, but to call the attention of the house to the time and manner in which it was brought forward by the hon. member. Six weeks had now elapsed since he (Mr. Kinnaird) had given notice of his intention to bring forward a motion of enquiry reSpecting the conduct of an hon. officer (sir Home Popham) on the ground of which motion he was certainly fortified, and very considerably, by the letter alluded to. Dur

[PETITION FROM THE NAVY BOARD RESPECTING MR. TUCKER'S PETITION.] Sir A. S. Hamond presented a petition from the commissioners of the navy; the object of which was, he said, to obtain from the house permission for the navy board to ex-ing the whole of that time, the navy board culpate themselves from the charges made against them, in a letter of Mr. Tucker, formerly a commissioner, addressed to the board of admiralty, on the 24th of April: a copy of which letter had been ordered to be laid before the house. The object of the commissioners in this petition was, to have laid before the house two letters, with their inclosures, addressed by them to the admiralty, on the 4th instant, which they deemed indispensable to the vindication of their own honour, from the charges made in the letter first mentioned, and in which they pledge themselves to refute the statement made by Mr. Tucker.-The petition was received, and is as follows: "A petition of the there undersigned principal officer's and commissioners of his majesty's navy was presented to the house, and read; setting forth that the petitioners have learnt from the votes, that Benj. Tucker, esq. late a commissioner of his majesty's navy, did, on the 25th of April, present a petition to the house, praying that a copy of his letter to the secretary of the admiralty of the 24th of April might be called for, and which letter has been since laid before the house, and printed; and that the petitioners deeming Mr. Tucker's petition and letter of a most libellous and slanderous nature against them, they have felt themselves bound to

seemed to betray no anxiety for the character of that hon. officer; but now, on the very eve of the day fixed for bringing forward the motion, the hon. member had come forward with a petition from the navy board, and without any previous notice had moved for the production of letters, written but three days since, which, before the house knew any thing of their contents, were professedly calculated to overturn all imputation upon the navy board, with respect to the hon. officer. How was it that the navy board, who seemed so much alive to injurious imputations, had not written those letters of vindication sooner, or why was the production of them deferred to so late a moment, as to render it almost impossible for them to be printed in time for the due consideration of members? He hoped the house would be gratified with some explanation on this ground from the hon. member. He (Mr. K.) had given notice to bring forward his question to-morrow, and by that notice it was his intention strictly to have adhered; but he begged to remind the house, that this was the very first intimation received of any document intended to be brought forward in contradiction to those documents already before the house, and upon which solely members were left to form their opinions: he would there

fore be guided by the opinion of the house, [tween December 1801, and June 1803! whether he was bound to abide by his for- They have suppressed all knowledge of the mer notice in bringing forward his question stores purchased in the Red Sea, and of to-morrow, if the letters moved for by the those supplied at Madras, as well as of her hon. member should turn out to be of such repair and refit when she was docked at a nature as to place his intentions in a view Bombay, in the nonths of October and in which they ought not to stand, or in- November, 1802; notwithstanding they volve any new matter that required farther have, in that very paper, given credit for deliberation, or rendered necessary the pro-eight months stores which were brought duction of other documents, in order to the home in her, and must of necessity have fullest and most mature discussion of a been received at one of these places; and subject so highly important. To vindicate that it appears (page 114), “a frigate could his own conduct, as well in first proposing not have come out of dock at Chatham, to bring forward the enquiry, as in perse-by two tides, had it not been for the Romvering to that end, he begged leave to read ney's sea store of copper!" They cannot the following passage from the letter of Mr.plead ignorance of these transactions; the Tucker to the board of admiralty, so strong purchases in the Red Sea have been reand so clear upon the subject, that he was ported on by the navy board to their lordat some loss to conjecture how the navy ships (page 378), and the repairs at Bomboard, by any letter of theirs, could refute bay have proved on oath (page 99), by the statements evidently made upon the ground carpenter of the ship at Chatham, before of their own reports and accounts:"ha- the junior surveyor of the navy! These ving, I trust, fully vindicated every part of facts, sir, speak too plain to require any my conduct through the whole of this in-comment from me, or to be susceptible of vestigation, I think it my duty to their satisfactory explanation any where, but at lordships, to the country, and to the house their lordships' table, or at the bar of the of commons in particular, to call their at-house of commons.-Having shortly adtention to one of the papers which has been verted to this passage of Mr. Tucker's laid by the navy board before the house of letter, he begged leave to ask the hon. commons, dated the 19th February, 1805, member, whether the vindication he pro(page 301,) purporting to be "an account posed to bring forward, applied merely to "of the expences of the Romney, from the this part of the letter of Mr. Tucker, or 25th Nov. 1800, to the 2d June, 1803, to the whole; and to this question he reas nearly as can be ascertained at the navy quested to call the attention of the house, "office," in order that their lordships may for it was of much importance to know, whe judge,whether that paper could have pos-ther the vindicatory letters were intended sibly been drawn up with any other view to cancel the errors stated in this parathan to deceive and mislead the judgement graph, or whether they took a wider scope? of parliament. That account is declared to be framed, so as to bring under one point of view "how much she exceeded the proportion of the vote of parliament allowed for wear and tear, or came within that sun." Sir, in that statement there are omissions of the most extraordinary nature and magnitude; and I must take the liberty to add, in the language of the navy board, Sir A. S. Hamond answered, that althat I scarcely think there ever were such though the letters in question were certainextraordinary means resorted to, to pro-ly directed to the leading subject of the duce a particular effect! Will the navy board hon. gent,'s motion, yet surely there were pretend that they have not examined other topics to which it was equally neces that account before they signed it, and that sary to direct refutation. He could assure their confidence has been a second time him, however, the letters were so short as misplaced, and upon whom will they charge to require no delay for consideration, and it? Or, sir, will they continue to vouch for might, he hoped, be printed in time, or the fairness and truth of that paper? might lie on the table for the perusal of Sir, in that paper they have omitted, by members; and as to the delay of the navy what accident they best know, all her re-board in writing to the admiralty to refute pairs, and the stores supplied to her, be- the assertions of Mr. Tucker, no avoidable VOL. IV. 2S

If to this only, he should bring forward his motion to-morrow. But if to the whole subject of enquiry, he should think it indecent to press his motion, until the house had full time to consider the subject of those letters, and be prepared for any sub ject of discussion they were calculated to introduce.