recommendation of the Lord Lieutenant of the county of Middlefex, examinations had taken place before the magif trates of Middlesex, into the conduct of the different officers under them in that prifon, and as he conceived the papers containing these examinations were extremely material to explain the nature and ftate of the prifon, and as what had already been partially ftated upon that fubject was matter of great importance, and fit for the difcuffion of the House, and neceffary for the juftice of the Houfe to inquire into; and as attempts had lately been made to appeal to the juftice of the Houfe, which could not make their way to the table, on account of their informality, he thought the matter fhould be brought forward for serious confideration, and as this could not be done effectually, without the examinations to which he alluded, therefore he fhould move for them. What the House would do upon the matter did not become him to anticipate. He then moved-"That an humble addrefs be presented to his Majefty, praying that he will be gracioufly pleafed to give directions for laying before the houfe-copies of the examinations taken before the magiftrates of the county of Middlefex, at the last quarter-feffions, refpecting the ftate of the prifon in Cold Bath Fields, and tranfmitted by them to the Secretary of State.". Agreed to. The Chancellor of the Exchequer moved the Order of the Day for the Houfe to refolve itself into a Committee of the whole Houfe, to confider of Ways and Means for railing the Supply. The Houfe went into a Committee accordingly. The Chancellor of the Exchequer faid, he propofed there fhould be a vote, that three millions be raised by way of Loan on Exchequer Bills.-His motive arofe from a perfuafion that a confiderable advantage to the public fervice might be derived, by delaying, for a time, the negociation of the Loan. This, however, was liable to variation from circumstances; and a short period might render it advisable to conclude a bargain. His object was to have power to conclude, or defer a bargain upon that fubject, as circumftances might render expedient, for which purpose he was now about to apply for the authority of the Houfe. It was evident that confiderable benefit had already accrued to the public from the fyftem of deferring the conclufion of the Loan, and he therefore trufted the Committee would be of opinion that it ought to be adhered to by making temporary provifion for the exigencies of the public fervice. He then moved, That it is the opinion of this Committee, that towards raifing the Supply granted to his Majefty, the fum of three millions be raised by way of Loan on Exchequer Bills. -Paffed. Ordered that the Report be received to-morrow. Agreed to go into a Committee of Ways and Means on Monday. The Chancellor of the Exchequer faid, that the time for receiving the affeffments under the Income Bill was too fhort, and for the purpose of remedying that defect, it was neceffary to amend the Bill. He, therefore moved, That the Income act be read, which being done pro forma.-He moved, That leave be given to bring in a Bill for extending the time for receiving affeffments under the faid act.→ Granted. Mr. Simeon moved, That leave be given to bring in a Bill to authorise the appointment of perfons to affist Overseers of the Poor.-Granted. The Chancellor of the Exchequer brought in the Bill for which he had obtained leave; as did alfo Mr. Simeon that for which he moved. Both Bills were read a first time; the former was ordered to be read a fecond time to-morrow, the latter to be read a fecond time on Thursday the 28th, and to be printed.— Adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. Petitions were prefented from Oliver Cromwell, and others, of Hertfordshire, for an Inclofure Bill; and from the inhabitants of Brixham, for a Bill to improve that har bour. The latter referred to a Committee. The Speaker announced on Monday the 25th, would be the laft day for receiving private Petitions. Mr. Tyrwhitt presented a Petition from Mr. Taylor, ftating the great expence that the rebuilding of the King's Theatre had coft, that the avenues and approaches to it were not fufficiently commodious, and praying, therefore, that the east end of Pall Mall might be widened, and Charles-ftreet opened to the Haymarket, which would at the fame time be a great convenience to the Public in general, and improve the value of the circumadjacent houfes, which are the Eftate of his Majefty. The petition was ordered to be referred to a Committee. Mr. Bragge brought up the Report of the Committee of Ways Ways and Means. The Refolution for raifing three millions on Exchequer Bills was agreed to, and a Bill brought in. An account was delivered from the Cuftoms of the fhips arrived from the Coaft of Africa at the Weft India Colonies, from January 1796, to January 1797, with an account of their tonnage and number of Marines. Ordered to be laid on the table. A petition was prefented from the inhabitants of the town of Liverpool, praying for leave to bring in a Bill to alter and amend an Act paffed in the reign of Queen Anne, for supplying that town with water. Referred to a Committee. The Bill for enlarging the period for returning the Affeffments of Income was read a fecond time and committed for Monday the 25th.-Adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. A new Writ was ordered for the County of Montgomery, in the room of Francis Lloyd, Efq. deceased. This being the last day for receiving Private Petitions, a confiderable time was engaged in bringing up and reading a number of fuch Private Petitions. Mr. Courtenay moved for leave to bring up a petition on the part of Colonel Defpard, now under confinement in the New Prifon in Cold Bath Fields. He trufted there would be no objection to the bringing of it up, as he had reafon to think that it was now perfectly unexceptionable, as it came divested of all the objectionable matter that on a former occafion was faid to have rendered it informal. The petition stated, that he had been confined fince the 22d of April laft by warrant from the Secretary of Statecomplaining of the feverity of his confinement-ftating his belief, that it was not ufual to confine State Prifoners in a Houfe of Correction-that the affairs of his family had been, ruined by his long confinement, and praying to be heard at the Bar on the allegations ftated in his petition, or for fuch relief as to the Honourable Houfe might seem meet. On the motion of Mr. Courtenay the petition was ordered to lie on the table. Sir J. Milbank faid, that, as connected with the fubject of this petition, he wifhed to afk an Honourable Baronet (Sir F. Burdett) whether he meant to bring forward the motion refpecting the Houfe of Correction, of which he had given notice fome time ago? In confequence of that notice, the Magiftrates for the County had made every enquiry, and were anxious that the Public (hould receive fatisfaction with regard to the management of that prifon. If it should appear that they had exercifed any wanton cruelty, it was proper that this fhould be known; but if, on the other hand, the allegations contained in this petition fhould be found not true, it was equally proper that the Public should be undeceived. Sir F. Burdett faid, that he was exceedingly glad at the opportunity which the call of the Honourable Member afforded him of acquainting the House that unavoidable circumftances had detained him in the country, and that he had hoped he should have been able to lay the information he had collected before the Houfe at an earlier period, had it not been from the obftructions which had been purposely thrown in his way, and which deprived him of the best fource of information on the fubject. At all events, he fhould bring it forward on an early day next week-Tuefday. [That not being an open day, Thursday was appointed.] At the fame time he fhould have a complaint to make to the House of a Breach of Privilege, on account of a malicious Libel published in the Newspapers, in the form of an Order figned by one of his Majefty's Secretaries of State. Mr. Courtenay coincided in opinion with the Honourable Baronet (Sir F. Burdett) as to the nature and neceffity of his promifed motion. With regard to the petition now before the Houfe, he hoped there would now be no objection to an examination into its merits; it came from a man who during a great number of years of military fervice had uniformly poffeffed the esteem and affection of his fellow officers.The conduct of that man, when ferving in America, had moreover the enviable praife and approbation of Sir H. Clinton, and for his part, who knew him in his better days, and when not a breath of calumny or detraction had fullied the purity of his character, he trufted, therefore, that whatever might be the nature of his prefent offence, of which he (Mr. Courtenay) could fay nothing, fome regard fhould be paid to the blameless tenour of his former conduct, which might naturally induce and countenance a belief that he would not have wifhed the prefent petition to be prefented, unless he was confcious it was grounded on facts. At least he (Mr. Courtenay) felt that he was bound as a brother officer, and he hoped he had performed that duty in presenting prefenting the petition of his fuffering and agrieved fellow foldier. Sir John Sinclair called the attention of the Houfe to the notice he had giyen refpecting a motion which it had been his intention to make on the ftate of the public finances.He could not now bring it forward at as early a day as he at first expected, as he understood the Chancellor of the Exchequer had poftponed his budget. A knowledge of the nature of its contents was a neceffary part of what would conftitute his motion. He muft, therefore, beg leave to defer it until the Budget was laid open to the House. MUTINY BILL. The Houfe having next refolved itfelf into a Committee of the whole Houfe on the Mutiny Bill, Mr. Huskisson in the chair. The Secretary at War rofe to move two claufes; the one, he faid, refpected the preffing of carriages, not only carts, but carriages of other defcriptions, for the more expeditious conveyance of troops upon cafes of emergency-a recourfe to fuch means he felt to be peculiarly neceffary during the prefent war, especially when we attended to the nature and difpofitions of the enemy with whom we had to contend.Of the utility of these means we had a ftriking and convincing proof laft fummer, when the troops destined to act against the rebellion in Ireland were conveyed in that manner to the place of their embarkation, and who, if they had not been fo conveyed, could not have arrived in time to effect the purpofe for which they were intended. This power, he believed, might already be vested in the crown in occafions of emergency, fuch as he had alluded to, but he thought it was still better to provide for fuch emergencies by Acts of Parliament. The first claufe he fhould have the honour to propofe had moreover for its object to prevent any wanton ufe that might be made of this power, by not leaving it at the general difcretion of the officers to avail themfelves of it to the burthen and inconvenience of individuals, but to bind them down to the precife fituation in which the exertion of fuch a power might be judged neceffary-befides, the claufe would provide that the carriages fo employed fhould not be taken at the ufual rates, at which those taken for military fervice are ufually estimated, but at the rates ufually taken at the place where fuch carriages may be taken up, and this rate to be regulated by the neighbouring magiftrate. Another claufe refpected the oath of atteftation, which, fince it was ufually enforced, he wished might not be tendered except by a proper Magiftrate. No. 25. 6 I Colonel |