fill difabled that learned Lord from attending in his place, but there were hopes that in a few days he would again refume his functions in that Houfe. Thefe were his reafons for wishing the order to be difcharged, and a new one to be made out for Thurfday fe'nnight. Lord Auckland feconded the motion; not only, he faid, on account of the confiderations that had just been urged by his Noble Friend, but also because the propofed delay would give him an opportunity of adding to the information which the papers he had the honour of laying on the table contained, relative to the reciprocal commerce of Great Britain and Ireland. What documents could be had here upon the fubject he had already collected, and he had fent for others to Ireland, the arrival of which he expected in a few days, and he would be enabled by them to enter fully upon this material point on the next debate. There was nothing he wifhed for more than that this fubject should undergo a minute and mature investigation; and with that view he had on a former day moved for the neceffary papers, and declared his intention of entering into all the particulars of the commercial relations between the two countries, a difcuffion which a Noble Lord (Moira) seemed to regard as irrelavent, but which, he trusted, the further profecution of the measure would fhew to be effentially connected with that final arrangement which is full likely to take place between the two countries. He was happy to state that the affurances which he had received of the growing conviction in Ireland, of the neceffity of the measure which his obfervations upon these papers were defigned to enforce, rendered it unneceffary to be particularly anxious in adding to his materials. The measure had already met the approbation of Great Britain, and it gave him fincere fatisfaction to learn that it was in a ftate of improvement and forwardnefs, which augured most aufpiciously, that it would prove alfo fuccefsful in Ireland. Every part of the queftion fhould therefore be molt minutely inveftigated, particularly that branch of it which promifed to be fo important to the commercial interests of the country. Earl Moira affured their Lordships that nothing that he had learnt in the courfe of the laft debate on this fubject, or that he had fince been able to difcover, had in the leaft induced him to alter the opinion he had then expreffed; depreciating, as he did, any difcuffion of the question of Union at the present moment, it would not be fuppofed that he could have any thing to object to the delay now de-manded manded. He would not have rifen but for the fanguine expreffion of fuccefs which came from the Noble Lord who had just fat down. If any change had taken place favourable to the measure in the minds of the great body of the Irish nation, he would certainly feel an equal degree of fatisfaction. But if it was merely meant that there was the beft reafon to fuppofe it would foon receive the fanction of the Irish Houfe of Commons, though it might be abhorrent to the fentiments of the people at large, he had no hefitation to avow, that to him the intelligence afforded matter of real regret. A Union in form, and not in effence, would only tend to rivet in their minds an eternal averfion to this country, and would perpetuate with increafed fury all thofe horrors to which their own had been fo long a prey.He confidered it as the most impolitic meafure that could be devised, in refpect to that party in Ireland which had fo vigorously fupported Administration in the prefent contest with external and internal, enemies. The Parliament of Ireland had been the fubject of unbounded praife in the mouths of Minifters, for the vigilance, promptitude, and vigour, which it had difplayed in preventing and a quelling the Rebellion; and however much he might difapprove of many of their measures, as tending rather to intime than to heal the wounds of their country, yet he would cordially bear teftimony to their energy and zeal. It was furprising therefore that at a moment fo peculiarly fraught with danger, they fhould deprive themfelves of an engine of which they had fo loudly vaunted the fuccefs. [Some difapprobation being here expreffed by the Noble Lords on the cross-bench, Lord Kenyon, who prefilled in the abfence of the Lord Chancellor, interrupted wis Lordship, by obferving, that the only queftion before the House was, whether the order of the day for the call of the Houfe on Thursday should be discharged or not?] Lord Moira explained. He faid, a rigid obfervance of rules and forms was not enforced in that Houfe, the members of which were indulged with fome little latitude, when delivering the reafons by which their votes were directed.— In the prefent cafe, however, he conceived himself strictly within order, as the Noble Lord had accompanied the motion with obfervations to which what had fallen from him was literally in reply. Had the Noble Lord contented himfelf with fimply feconding the motion, that the order should be discharged, he fhould not have trefpaffed one moment on their Lordships' patience. No. 33. 8 C Lord 1 Lord Sydney could not refrain from exprefling the fincere thanks which he conceived to be due to the Learned Lord on the Woolfack (Lord Kenyon) for the fpirit and attention with which he enforced a due obfervance of the rules of the Houfe. He had the mortification of obferving that thefe rules were but too frequently difregarded or infringed: but the effort now made would, he trufted, have the falutary tendency to bring them back to their original feverity, so effential to the decorum and the dignity of their Lordships proceedings. Indeed fome young members were more particularly obfervable for their difregard to thefe rules; and, fhort as was the time he had the honour of a feat among their Lordfhips, he had but too often occafion to witnefs and animadvert on this unbecoming inattention and neglect. It was painful on every occafion of this kind to rife and enforce order; but he hoped the notice now taken would have the moft falutary effect, and therefore he confidered the Noble Lord entitled to his warmest thanks for his exertions to attain it. The Earl of Moira was not difpofed to object to the obfervations just made by the Noble Vifcount, if upon every occafion where irrelevant matter was introduced, and that even of the flighteft nature, the Noble Viscount would be equally vigilant and punctilious to enforce this rigid adherence to the rules of the Houfe-it would confiderably contribute to curtail many a long fpeech, and enable their Lordships to dine at an earlier hour. Lord Grenville profefied himself a zealous advocate for a ftrict adherence to the rules of the Houfe, though not altogether fo rigid an advocate as the Noble Lord would appear who had juft fat down. The rules of the House were regarded by Mr. Hatfell, in his precedents, as the fureft barrier against the encroachments of the Crown, and of the fervants of the Crown; and upon this authority, and for the fame reafons, he was particularly anxicus to see them duly obferved. The Noble Lord on the Woolfack was therefore entitled to his beft thanks for his attention in enforcing a proper regard to thefe forms, in the obfervance of which the dignity of the Houfe was fo materially concerned. He faid, that though the latitude of obfervation which the Noble Baron on the cross-bench (Lord Moira) had assumed, might warrant his following the example in reply, yet from that refpe&t which he always wifhed to fee maintained for the order of the Houfe, he would now preferve filence as to the detail of the Noble Lord's arguments. All he would obferve obferve was, that if the measure was carried, after mature examination, in the Irish Parliament, he hoped there would not be found any man in that Houfe, who fhould impeach their decifion by quoting the fentiments of any other defcription of men in oppofition to it. Lord Auckland faid, he would only notice one obfervation which had fallen from the Noble Lord. The Noble Lord had ftated, that if the Parliament of Ireland were willing to adopt the Union, the meafure would ftill be incomplete without conciliating the people. For his part, he knew no power exifting in the people of thefe countries, he meant of England and Ireland, as diftinct and contra-diftinguished from the Parliament, and he hoped in God he never fhould. The motion for difcharging the orders of the day was thenput and carried, and the Houfe ordered to be fummoned for Thurfday fe'nnight, the 11th inftant. VOLUNTEER EXEMPTION BILL. A motion being made for the fecond reading of the bill for exempting perfons ferving in Volunteer Corps from being ballotted for the Militia, Lord Sydney role to oppofe it. The bill vefted a power in the officers of which they might avail themselves, and "xcufe any person whom they might be inclined to favour.The mode of filling up the vacancies in the Militia was already fufficiently oppreffive from the abufes that had been permitted to creep into it: thefe abufes proceeded in a great meafure from the operation of an animal called a crimp ferjeant, who made a trade of procuring fubftitutes, whom he afterwards encouraged to defert. The confequence was, that the poor labourer and the fmall dealer were obliged to pay over and over again. The prefent bill would, therefore, expose them to greater oppreflions of that nature.His Lordship then animadverted upon the manner in which this bill had been carried through the other Houfe, where it did not appear that it had received a due confideration.— He had even learnt from an Honourable Friend of his, who was on the Committee, that in the progrefs of the bill, through fome of its ftages, it appeared wholly different one day from what it was the day before.-[Here Lord Grenville called the Noble Viscount to order.] Lord Sydney faid a few words in explanation. Lord Grenville fupported the bill, every claufe of which, he faid, had received the fulleft difcuffion before it was prefented to their Lordships. The principle of it, however, 8 C 2 was was by no means a new one. By a former act the exemption was granted to all volunteers enrolled at the time of the date of that act; and the prefent bill was merely for the purpofe of making that exemption general, and removing all diftinctions among a body of men of whom all were equally meritorious. The bill was then read a fecond time, and ordered to be committed on Monday. Lord Grenville brought down a meffage from his Majefty, for which fee the proceedings in the Houfe of Commons; and after the meffage was read, his Lordfhip' alfo moved an Addrefs of Thanks to his Majefty for his moft gracious communication, which was agreed to nem. diff. Adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. Mr. Wallace moved, that there be laid before the Houfe an account of the quantity of Copper Shruff and old Copper, fold by the Commiffioners of the Navy, or returned to the Contractors, fince the year 1778, diftinguishing the quantity of each year.-Ordered. A new writ was iffued for the election of a Member to ferve in Parliament for the Borough of Stockbridge, in the room of J. F. Barham, Efq. who has accepted the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds. Mr. W. Dundas moved for leave to bring in a bill to amend fo much of the Acts for the redemption of the Land Tax as far as they related to that part of Great Britain called Scotland, and likewife to extend the time, and to empower the proprietors of certain eftates, to fell a part of thefe eftates for the purpose of redeeming their Land Tax.— Leave granted. The report of the Committee on the Scotch Distillery bill was received, the refolutions agreed to, and the bill ordered to be read a third time to-morrow, if then engroffed. MESSAGE FROM HIS MAJESTY. Mr. Secretary Dundas brought down a Meffage from his Majefty, in fubftance, as follows: His Majefty thinks proper to acquaint the Houfe of Commons that, in confequence of the reprefentations received from his Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, his Majefty has judged it expedient, for the peace and fecurity of that Kingdom, to give directions to feveral perfons who were confined at Dublin and Belfaft, on account of the active part they had taken in the Rebellion, and for treafonable practices con nected |