Mr. W. Bird moved for leave to bring in a Bill to reftrain the Promiflory Notes in England, under a certain fum. Mr. Simeon's Bill for empowering Parishes to choose an affiftant to the Overfeers of the Poor, paffed through the Committee, and the Report was ordered to be received on Monday the 11th inft. The Bill for continuing the English Small Note Bill was. brought in by Mr. W. Bird; read a first time. Mr. W. Dundas brought up the Bill to empower the preffing of carriages for military ufes in cafes of emergency, with amendments. Mr. Secretary Dundas faid, that on account of unavoidable delay in getting ready fome official papers, he was under the neceffity of poftponing the Eaft India Budget, which stood for to-morrow; he moved, therefore, that the order for the confideration of the Finances and Revenue of the East India Company be deferred till Tuesday the 12th inftant.-Ordered. The Chancellor of the Exchequer faid, that it was intended to lay before the Committee of Supply certain Papers relative to the state of the Civil Lift, he fhould move that the Committee of Supply be deferred to Wednesday the 13th inftant.-Ordered Mr. Tierney moved, that an humble Addrefs be prefented to his Majesty, praying that his Majefty would give orders that there be laid before the Houfe a Lift of the Charges on the Duty of 4 per cent. payable from Barbadoes and other Leeward Islands; together with the Names of Perfons receiving payment out of the fame for the last twenty years; alfo an account of Charges incurred in the Lift of Secret Service Money for the last twenty-five years; and what Sums have been made good by Parliament.-Agreed to. Mr. Bragge brought up the Report of the Committee appointed to enquire what Laws had expired, or were foon to expire; which report was read at the Table, and Bills ordered to be brought in pursuant to the Refolution of the Committee.. Mr. H. Thornton moved for leave to bring in a Bill to continue the restraints on the African Slave Trade. Mr. Rofe moved for leave to bring in a Bill to prevent Ships failing from Newfoundland without Convoy. On the fuggeftion of the Speaker, that it was a matter affecting Trade, the Motion was altered, that the Houfe fhould to morrow, morrow, refolve itself into a Committee on the Convoy Bill. The Bill for facilitating the Redemption of the Land Tax by Bishops, and other Ecclefiaftical Perfons and Corporations was read a fecond time. Adjourned. HOUSE OF LORDS. Tuesday, March 5. Earl Gower, called up by writ to the House of Peers, under the title of Baron Gower, was introduced by Lord Borringdon and Lord Auckland, (attended by the Duke of Norfolk, as hereditary Earl Marthal of England, and Sir Ifaac Heard, Garter Principal King at Arms), took his oaths and his feat in the ufual form. The Exchequer Bills Bill, the Marine Forces Regulation Bill, the Margate Pier Bill, and feveral Private Bills, were brought up from the Commons and read a first and fecond time. Mr. Irving, Infpector General of the Cuftoms, prefented fome Papers moved for by Lord Auckland, as elucidatory of the fubject of the propofed Union with Ireland. The Earl of Moira and Lord Holland came down, and were expected to fpeak, on the naming a day for the dif cuffion of the fubject of Mr. Pitt's propofitions, but as no Minifter was in the Houfe, and the Papers prefented were ordered to be printed, no converfation took place. Adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS.' A Petition was prefented from the Debtors confined in Norwich gaol.-Ordered to be laid upon the table. Mr. W. Dundas gave notice that he fhould, on a future day, move for leave to bring in a Bill for regulating the Iffue of Small Notes in Scotland. The act for continuing, for a further time to be limited, the English Small Note Bill, was read a fecond time, and ordered to be committed to a Committee of the whole House on Thursday the 7th instant. The Attorney General moved, That the act of the 34th of the King, impofing a Duty on the articles of Attorney's Clerk's, &c. be read; which being done, he moved for leave to bring in a Bill to amend the faid act.-Granted. COLD BATH FIELDS PRISON. Mr. Burdon said, that he was under the neceffity of de clining to make the motion of which he had given notice fome fome days ago, for a Select Committee upon the papers which had been laid before the Houfe, refpecting the treat ment of prifoners in Cold Bath Fields Bridewell. He was not aware, at the time of giving that notice, that according to the forms of the Houfe, the perfon who moved for the appointment of a Committee must be one of its Members. As his attention however was already occupied by the buflnefs of the Secret Committee, he felt that he could not do the fubject that juftice which he wifhed it to receive. He therefore hoped that it would be taken up by fome other Gentleman, as it was material to the cause of public justice that it fhould be fully investigated. He would wait to fee what the House should do in the business, but in the mean time he thought the papers fhould be printed. The Speaker obferved, that it was merely a cuftom and not a rule that those who moved for Committees fhould be themselves Members of fuch Committees. Mr. Mainwaring faid, he thought the Papers alluded to ought to be printed; for they were of confiderable length, and Members could not be well acquainted with their contents by a glance at the table. The Speaker obferved that, if it was intended to refer thefe Papers to the confideration of a Committee, that motion should precede the motion for printing; because the neceffary confequence of the order for printing the Papers would be, that of taking them off the table; fo that no other order upon them could be effectual until their re turn. Mr. Wilberforce faid, that from the part he had formerly taken it might naturally be expected that he should fay fomething upon this matter. He had no doubt that the information he had received upon it was correct; but he fhould be forry it should go off without full difcuffion. He fhould like to know, authentically, the truth of the facts in this bufinefs, and therefore he faw no great impropriety in moving now, or perhaps it would be better to-morrow. He fhould confider of it. Mr. Mainwaring then moved, That the Papers laid before the House upon this fubject from the Secretary of State, &c. be printed.-Ordered. The Chancellor of the Exchequer faid he thought the House would naturally with that this, which was certainly an important bufinefs, fhould be put into a course of investigation; and that they should proceed to a Committee as foon as pof No. 26. 6 P fible fible-perhaps it was the general with of the House to move for it immediately. Mr. Wilberforce faid, that not having turned it fufficiently in his mind, he did not like to move any thing now. He fhould wish to comply with the general defire of the House; and he did not think it very difficult to proceed now, only he did know exactly the order in which he should proceed. However, as the matter of it was of confiderable importance, he did not wish to adopt any method hastily, and therefore, upon all views of the thing, he should defer the further difcuffion until to-morrow. Mr. Mainwaring said, that there had been of late publifhed, a certain paper, purporting to be the affidavit of a person who had been for fome time confined in the prison of Cold Bath Fields: in confequence of that publication, fome Magiftrates of the county of Middlefex, on whom the fu perintendance of the bufinefs properly devolved, had inftituted certain enquiries, and made certain examinations of certain perfons, upon which they made a report, which report was tranfmitted to the Duke of Portland. The contents of this paper were fuch, as to be highly necessary for the Houfe to be acquainted with previous to the difcuffion of this business, and, therefore, he moved, That an humble Addrefs be prefented to his Majefty, praying that he will be gracioufly pleafed to give directions that there be laid before the Houfe a copy of the Report of the Magiftrates of the County of Middlefex at the laft Quarter Seffions upon the fubject of an examination into the publication of Papers, &c. relative to the prifon in Cold Bath Fields, tranfmitted to the Duke of Portland.--Ordered. 4 Lord Hawkesbury moved, That the Papers prefented by Mr. Long on the 4th of January, upon this fubject, be printed. Ordered. Mr. William Smith rofe to make his promifed motion relative to the carrying of flaves from the coaft of Africa; the object of which he faid was to regulate the number of flaves, not by the tonnage as at prefent, but by the cubical fpace between decks. As he did not apprehend that there could be any objection to the meafure, he would defer any further obfervations to a future ftage of the bufinefs. He concluded with moving that the act of laft feffion for regulating the Slave Trade, be read, which being done, he moved that the Houfe fhould refolve itself into a Committee to confider of the faid act. The House went into a Committee, Mr. Wilberforce in the the chair; and on the Report being received, leave was granted to bring in a Bill agreeably to Mr. Smith's motion. The House then went into a Committee on a motion by Mr. Thornton for leave to bring in a Bill to restrain the purchafing of flaves in Africa, within certain limits. Mr. Sewell faid, that he would not oppose the introduction of the Bill, but left his filence fhould be misconstrued, he rose merely to state at present that he could not acquiefce either in the principle or the mode of the propofed Bill.— His objections to it would be ftated more fully in its further progrefs. The Report of the Committee being received, leave was granted to bring in a Bill accordingly. The further reading of the Bill for extending the time for returning Accounts of Income, was poftponed to Friday the 8th inftant. On the motion of Mr. Rofe, the Houfe refolved itself into a Committee on the Convoy Act of laft Seffion, and on being resumed, leave was granted for bringing in a Bill to permit fhips to fail from certain Ports of Newfoundland without convoy. Adjourned. HOUSE OF LORDS. Lord Kenyon ftill continues to prefide for the Lord Chan cellor. Several Bills were brought up from the Commons and read a first time. Adjourned HOUSE OF COMMONS. THE SCOTCH SMALL NOTE BILL. Mr. W. Dundas moved for leave to bring in a Bill for extending to a further time, to be limited, the circulation of Promiffory Notes under a certain fum in that part of Great Britain called Scotland.-Granted. A new writ was ordered for the Borough of Rye, in the room of Lord Hawkesbury, who has accepted the place of one of the Masters of the Mint. Mr. Secretary Dundas moved, to difcharge the order on the Volunteer Corps Bill for the purpofe of extending its provifions still farther.-Ordered. A new writ was ordered for the County of Denbigh, in the room of Sir W. W. Wynne, Bart. who has accepted the office of Conftable of the Caftle of Fiint. A Meffage was received from the Lords, ftating that their Lordships had agreed to the Exchequer Bills Bill. 6 Pa The |