publicity of the returns, as the only means of giving real effect to the meafure, though he did not conceive it to be neceffary in the firft ftages of its operation. He felt, and was convinced, that it would not only aid the produce of the tax, but that it would give fatisfaction to the country to fee what was paid by each individual. As to the objection made by an Honourable Gentleman (Mr. Tierney) respecting the tenderness fhewn to West India planters, he could affure him that they by no means attempted to avoid paying their due proportion by giving in their returns to the commercial Commiffioners. Their wifh in this point arofe from the idea that the commercial Commiflioners were better acquainted with the nature of Weft India Estates than the ordinary Commiffioners, becaufe fuch Estates fhould be viewed in the light of mercantile fpeculations.With respect to what the Honourable Gentleman had faid about Merchants and Bankers, he muft obferve, that with them publicity could not be the fame kind of check as it must be with private perfons. It was alfo objected that this publicity would tend to make fome perfons pay more than they could well afford: if they did pay more, it was evidently to gratify their vanity, and if they ftepped beyond their means in other refpects, there fhould be no favour fhewn to them in this inftance, as it would appear that the fervice of their country was the only exception in the extent of their expenditure, and it was his firm opinion that publicity was a great object as far as it was attainable, and if the question was to be put upon the claufe as it now stood, he would rather vote against it than affent to what the oppofers of it were defirous to engraft upon it.

Sir James and Sir William Pulteney explained, and faid that they would vote against the claufe, merely with a view to fee another lefs objectionable propofed.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer obferved that the Hon. Baronets were as competent to propofe a new clause as he was; and he could not forbear expreffing his furprise, that they fhould fhrink from employing their induftry and ingenuity in framing one.

Sir James Pulteney offered to propose a clause.

Mr. Alderman Coombe was rather against the claufe as it now ftood.

After a few obfervations from Mr. H. Thornton and Mr. Dent, the question for receiving the claufe was put; when the Houfe divided

The Committee then went through the Bill, and feveral claufes were brought up by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, but none of them of much importance.

The Houfe being resumed, the Report was ordered to be received to-morrow,

Mr. Ryder gave notice, that in confequence of the enor mous price of copper, he meant on Monday next to fubmit fomething to the House on this fubject.

The other Orders of the Day were then deferred.

HOUSE OF LORDS.
Friday, March 15.

Mr. Ricketts's Divorce Bill was reported with an amendment, and ordered to be engroffed.

The Irish Sail Cloth Bill was read a fecond time, and committed for Monday.

The Game Bill was brought from the Commons, and read a first time.

Several private Bills were read a third time.

The Cambricks and Lawns Bill was reported, with amendments.-Adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

Friday, March 15.

A Meffage from the Lords informed the Houfe their Lordships had agreed to feveral private Bills.

Sir John Anderfon moved for leave to bring in a Bill for regulating the rate of Porterage, to be taken by Innkeepers and other perfons in the City of London, fough of Southwark, and parts adjacent.-Granted.

The Report of the Bill for granting an Annuity during his Majefty's pleafure, to their Royal Highnefles Princes Edward and Erneft Auguftus, was brought up, agreed to, and the Bill was ordered to be read a third time to-morrow, if then engroffed.

The Bill for making provifion for her Royal Highness Princefs Amelia paffed through the fame ftage.

Mr. Rofe moved the Order of the Day on the fubject of the Scots Distillery, which being read, and the Houfe having refolved itself into a Committee of the whole House, he obferved it was deemed expedient to continue for three months, the prefent Duties upon Diftilleries in Scotland.This fubject was under confideration, and fome permanent measure was about to be adopted. In the mean time the prefent regulation was propofed to be continued.

He then moved a Refolution to continue the prefent Re

gulation

gulation on the Scots Diftillery for three months, which was agreed to-and the Houfe being refumed, the Report was ordered to be received to-morrow.

Mr. Simeon moved the Order of the Day on the Overseer Affiftant's Bill. The Order being read, the House refolved itself into a Committee of the whole Houfe, and proceeded on the Bill.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer obferved, that, from the preffure of public bufinefs of importance, it was expedient that this measure should be made to give way; and therefore he recommended that the Chairman fhould now report progrefs and afk leave to fit again. Which being done, the further confideration of this Bill was deferred to Monday.

Mr. Secretary Dundas brought up the Report of the Secret Committee on the fubject of Sufpected Correfpondence, &c.

The title of the Report being read, it was ordered to be printed.

Mr. Secretary Dundas faid, there was a great variety of papers examined by the Committee, and which it was fitting Thould be returned to the offices from whence they came, but which could not be returned without the authority of the House. He therefore moved, That the Committee be at liberty to return these Papers.—Ordered.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer moved the Order of the Day for the third reading of the Bill for facilitating the Redemption of the Land Tax by Bifhops and other Ecclefiaftical Dignitaries, and Corporations, &c.

Sir William Pulteney role to state fome objections; he was interrupted by

The Speaker, who faid, if they did not go to the principle of the Bill, but to particular claufes, it would be more formal to referve them, until after the Bill was read a third time, when any alterations he had to suggest might be propofed as riders.

The Bill was then read a third time; on which

Sir William Pulteney stated feveral cafes of individual hardship, which would be neceffarily effected by fome of the clauses as they now ftood. Public utility, he said, however preffing, could never warrant an act of injustice, and was nothing more than the principle acted upon in France, and the ground on which all her enormities were fought to be juftified. As to the object of the Bill, which was avowedly to aid the Funds, he would never consent that the treafury of England fhould become a fpecies of stock-jobbing fyftem to raise the Funds.

The

The Chancellor of the Exchequer oblerved, that the Bill had branched out beyond the limit to which he thought it might have been confined, and for that reafon the preamble was defective, to remedy which he propofed that the preamble should state thefe words-" and to explain and amend the faid Act."-This amendment he moved, and the House agreed to it.

Sir W. Pulteney entered at confiderable length into objections against parts in this Bill, and proposed an amendment, the object of which was, to allow three months for hearing certain appeals under the provision of the former Act.

This amendment was fet afide, to make way for another which was propofed by Mr. Ellison, which was to leave out of the Bill the whole of the claufe for appointing by the Crown, feven Commiffioners to judge of the value of the Land Tax belonging to Ecclefiaftical Dignitaries, and to Corporations, &c. This claufe he contended to be wholly unconftitutional, and, like the Delphic Oracle, to catch both ways; and he was forry to fay, catch were it ought not. Sir John Sinclair feconded the motion.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer defended the propriety of the clause, as a measure for the benefit, instead of the injury, of Church and Corporation property. He conceived that the Honourable Gentleman who had made the motion had mistaken the claufe; and he much doubted whether the Honourable Baronet had ever perufed it. This claufe, and the appointment of Commiflioners, had no reference at all to the ordinary bufinefs of the Land Tax.

The amendment was then put and negatived.

Sir W. Pulteney's amendment was then difcuffed, and oppofed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Mr. Simeon took this opportunity to correct, in part, the ftatement he had made with refpect to a Magiftrate. It was well known to those who knew the individual to whom he alluded. In ftating what he did, he had only faid he was informed that the former books of rate had been burnt. He had fince found that they were not burnt, that they were only cancelled. He wished to correct the error of his ftatement, for he wished to fay, not only what was effentially, but also what was literally true. It did appear that these books were cancelled, and that certain perfons joined with that individual in that act: whether fraudulently or only erroneously, he fhould not fay. Whether the effect of bad example, or fomething of a more aggravated nature, might appear hereafter; for one of the individuals implicated in the imputa

tation, had fubmitted to a courfe which would make his character the fubject of judicial examination. For that reafon he should fay nothing further on the point at prefent.

The question was then put on Sir William Pulteney's amendment, which was negatived without a divifion.

The Bill was afterwards read a third time, and paffed. The House then refolved itself into a Committee of Supply, to which the accounts prefented by Mr. Long upon a former day was referred.-Among them were the fum of 150,000l. for Secret Service Money abroad for the year 1799; a fum in aid of the Turkey Company, and fome other fums, all of which were voted.

On the motion of Mr. Secretary Dundas, the Volunteer Exemption Bill went through a Committee, and the Report was ordered to be received to-morrow.

PROVISIONAL CAVALRY.

On the queftion for committing the Bill for reftraining the operation of the Provifional Cavalry Act.

Sir John Sinclair expreffed fome doubt on the policy of diminishing the prefent armed force of the country.

Mr. Dundas faid, its fituation was materially changed from what it was at the time when this force was first embodied. The Volunteer Cavalry, which was then only five thousand, now amounted to near thirty thousand, and had thus fuperfeded the neceffity of enforcing the provisions of the act in their full extent, and it would be acting teaz ingly and vexatioufly unneceffarily to keep fuch a number of men at an immenfe expence, which though the country was very ready to bear, yet it would be improper in thofe who administered its affairs, to permit thofe expences to be incurred to no purpose.

Sir John Sinclair faid, it would be right to have the men mustered, he thought it might be difficult to provide horses for them.

The House then refolved itself into a Committee on the Bill, in which a clause for allowing this body to be recruited for, as vacancies fhould arife, in the fame manner as Fen, cible regiments, was brought up and agreed to; and also a claufe to enable his Majefty to accept of their voluntary fervice out of the kingdom; befides feveral others; after which the report was brought up, and ordered to be received to

morrow.

MILITIA.

On the motion for the Houfe to refolve itself into a Committee on the Militia Reduction Bill,,

Colonel