fhip to him to explain it. It might have a bad effect upon children to know that their parents were rich, because it might make them inattentive. Thefe difclofures would, in his opinion, affect the whole intercourfe of mankind. The power which Minifters would thus have of knowing the property of every man in the kingdom, would be a molt power. ful inftrument in their hands; befides, by knowing the wealth of the country, it might lead them to expence. The Bill appeared to him, on the whole, to go against the fpirit of the Liberty of the country. With refpect to its duration, he wished to obferve, that it mult continue three years, and if the War lalted another year, it must continue four years. But there was nothing ftated in the Bill which would prevent its being adopted in future. It was not ftated that it was merely a War Tax, nor was it ftated when it would ceafe, but merely that it fhould not ceafe before a certain period. Upon thefe grounds he thought there would be great danger in paffing the Bill, and therefore he fhould oppofe it.

Mr. Jones expreffed his fentiments as hoftile to the meature: he confidered the power of calling for a specification of Income as a great privation of domeftic happiness.

Mr. Hawkins Browne faid, it feemed admitted by moft, that it was neceflary to raise a large part of the Supplies within the year, and if fo, no meature was fo obvioully good for that purpofe as the one before the Houfe; nor ought we to be 'unthankful to Providence, that, by the great extrafion of our trade, we are able to adopt fo great an idea, and carry it with effect into execution. It was now with us to refcue Europe, which we could not do by any other than vigorous meatures, of which the prefent feemed to be the best.

Mr. W. Smith faid, he thought that the Bill was now very much improved to what it originally stood. As it was in Fits firft ftage, it was cruel, oppreffive, dunjuft; he meant in that part of it which was fometimes called the Inqui. torial Part; but it certainly was ameorated in that part by the claufes which lated to the difcloiure. He however bjected to the principles of the modifi:ations, that they were not founded up. n any regular principle, but upon an

arbitrary fcale, to relieve or increase the ratio. In fhort, he faw fo many diffi culties in the way of the meafure, that he had no hopes of feeing them amended, nor had he confidence enough in himself to propofe any other. He had feveral other objections to the Bill as it now ftood, but he fhould take a future ftage to ftate them, and, at prefent, confine himfelf to oppofe the principle generally.

Lord Hawkesbury faid, the queftion now was, whether the meafure propofed was not the most equal that could be devifed. In the prefent ftate of the country, and of public credit, it was the very beft mode that under the circumftances could be adopted, and much fuperior to adhering to the old fyftem of funding. He trufted, therefore, that the House would not further delay receiving the Report, nor retufe their affent to the Bill, unless they heard better arguments against it.

Sir James Pulteney wished that the Bill could be amended in one inftance: he meant as to difclofure. The fame regulations that were applied to Com. mercial Men he conceived might be applicable to the cafe of Landed Property. Another point alfo in which he thought the meafure might be ameliorated, was by extending the fcale beyond its prefent extent, by which fome relief would be afforded to the middle orders.

The Report was then received without a division.”

The Volunteer Corps Bill was reported.

FRIDAY, DEC. 28.

The Bill for continuing the Sufpenfion of the Habeas Corpus Act, and the Bill for exempting perfons ferving in Volunteer Corps from the Supplementary Militia, were read a third time, and ordered to the Lords.

Mr. Pitt moved, that the Bill for a Tax on Income fhould be recommitted, and the Houfe then refolved itself into a Committee, Mr. Smith in the Chair.

Mr. Pitt propofed a great number of new claufes. One of thefe was to withhold the allowance on the fcore of children from the higher claffes where the child was under fix years of age, which was adopted.

Several other claufes were brought up, and, after a long difcuffion, were incorporated into the Bill.-Adjourned.

FOREIGN

ADMIRALTY-OFFICE, DEC. 25.

Copy of a Letter from the Right Hon. Lord Bridport, K. B. Admiral of the White, &c. to Evan Nepean, Esq. dated the 22d inft.

ENCLOSED is a copy of a letter

from Captain Keats, of his Majefty's fhip the Boadicea, to Vice-Admiral Sir Alan Gardner, Bart. which is tranfmitted to you for their Lordships' information.

I have the honour to be, &c.

SIR,

BRIDPORT.

Boadicea, at Sea, Dec. 9.

I have the honour to inform you, that a fhip privateer, named the Invin. cible Buon parte, mounting 20 guns (12 and 18 pounders) with a crew of 170 men, of various nations, quire new, fixteen days from Bourdeaux, and never Laving made any capture, was this day taken by his Majefty's fhip Boadicea.

I have the honour to be, &c. R. G. KEATS. Vice-Adm. Sir Alan Gardner, Bart.

Copy of another Letter from the Right Hon. Lord Bridport, K. B. to Evan Nepean, Efq. dated the 21ft inft.

SIR.

MY LORD,

I have the honour to inform you, that this morning, at one o'clock, we recaptured the Dorothea, a Danish brig, from Amfterdam, bound to Tangiers, laden with bale goods. She had been taken on the 9th inft. by the Rusée, a French brig privateer from Bayonne, in lat. 42 deg. 30 min. North.

I have the honour to be, &c.
ARTHUR K. LEGGE.

Copy of a Letter from Rear Admiral Harvey, Commander in Chief of bis Majefty's Ships at the Leeward Islands, to Evan Nepean, Efq. dated on board the Prince of Wales, Fort Royal Bay, Martinique, Sept. 8, 1798.

laft, the fhips and veffels of his Majefty's fquadron under my command have recaptured fix British and fixteen American veffels of different denominations, bound to and from these islands, and have alfo detained twenty veffels under neutral colours on fufpicion of having enemy's property on board.

I have the honour to be, &c.

HENRY HARVEY. [Two more letters from Rear-Admiral Harvey fate the capture of 8 French privateers, and the deftruction of a Imall French privateer row boat, by the hips under his command.]

Copy of a Letter from Admiral Earl of St. Vincent, K. B. Commander in Chief of bis Majesty's Ships and Veffels in ibe Mediterranean, to Evan Nepean, Efq. dated on board Le Souverain, Gibraltar, Nov. 27, 1798.

Herewith you will receive the copy of a letter from Rear Admiral Lord Nelfon, inclofing one from Captain Ball, of his Majesty's fhip Alexander, with the capitulation of the Ifland of Goza. Vanguard, at Sea, Nov. 1.

MY LORD,

I have the honour to tranfmit you a letter received from Capt. Ball, dated October 30, together with the capitu lation of the Caftle of Goza, and a lift of Ordnance, &c. found in it; the prifoners are now embarked in the Vanguard and Minotaur till I can get a veffel to fend them to France. Capt. Ball, with three fail of the line, a frigate, and firehip, is entrusted with the blockade of Malta, in which are two fail of the line and three frigates ready for fea; and from the experience I have had of Captain Ball's zeal, activity, and ability, I have no doubt but that in due time I fhall have the honour of fending you a good account of the French in the town of Valetti.

I am, with the greatest refpect, your Lordship's moft obedient fervant,

STR,

HORATIO NELSON.

Alexander, off Malta, O&. 7.30.

I have the honour to acquaint you, that the Commandant of the French troops in the Caftle of Goza figned the capitulation the 28th inft. which you had approved. I ordered Captain Crefwell, of the marines, to take pof

feffion of it in the name of his Britannic Majesty, and his Majesty's colours were

hoifted. The next day the place was delivered up in form to the Deputies of the Ifland, his Sicilian Majefty's colours hoisted, and he acknowledged their lawful fovereign.

I embarked yesterday all the French officers and men who were on the island of Goza, amounting to 217.

I enclose the Articles of Capitulation, and an inventory of the arms and ammunition found in the Caftle, part of which I directed to be fent to the affiftance of the Maltefe, who are in arms against the French. There were three thousand two hundred facks of corn in the Caftle, which will be a great relief to the inhabitants, who are much in want of that article.

I have the honour to be, &c.

ALEX. JOHN BALL. [Then follow the Articles of Capitulation, and a Lift of Stores found in the Cantle of Goza.]

SIR,

ENCLOSED is a copy of a letter written from Sir Harry Neale, Bart. Capt. of his Majefty's fhip St. Fiorenzo, which I tranfmit to you for their Lordfhips' information.

I have the honour to be, &c. BRIDPORT. [Then follows Sir Harry Neale's letters ftating the capture of a Spanish pri vateer and a French brig, and the recapture of an English brig.]

Copy of a Letter from the Earl of St. Vincent, K. B. Admiral of the Blue, &c. to Evan Nepean, Efq. dated at Gib. raltar, Dec. 3.

SIR,

I have the pleasure to inform you, that at dawn of day, yesterday morning, Uhant bearing N. E. five leagues, we captured the French thip privateer La Minerve, carrying fixteen guns, and one hundred and forty men, twentyeight days from St. Malo. She was laying to, waiting to proceed into Breft, and took this fhip for her prize, the Afphalon, of Newcastle, from Halifax bound to London, laden with fugar, coffee, and tobacco; which thip we chafed all day, and this morning had the fatisfaction to retake off the rocks of Albrevrak.

I have the honour to inclose a lift of veffels captured by the privateer during her cruize.

1 have the honour to be, &c.

EDW. PELLEW. Lift of Veffels captured by La Minerve French Ship Privateer, of St. Malo, between the 11th and 31 of December 1798.

Martinus, a Bremen brig, from Lifbon, bound to Bremen, with fugar, coffee, and hides.

Tagus, Portuguefe brig, from Lifbon, bound to Bristol, with lemons and oranges.

Minerva, English fnow, from Provi dence to London, with fugar, coffee, and cotton.

Ann and Dorothea, Danish schooner (captured under the name of Beata Maria), from St. Thomas, bound to Hamburgh, with cocoa and cotton, retaken by his Majefty's fhip Indefati gable.

Afphalon, fhip of Newcastle, John Edgar mafter, from Halifax, bound to London, with fugar, coffee, and tobacco, &c. &c. retaken by his Majefty's fhip Indefatigable.

MY LORD,

Agreeable to the orders which I re ceived from Sir Harry Neale, I have returned to Cawfand Bay in the Triton. A few days ago, after I parted company with the St. Fiorenzo, I captured a French privateer brig of 14 guns and 64 men, just come out of Corunna, and was bound on a cruize off the Weftern Iflands; he is new off the stocks, cop

pered, and fails well; this, with the two brigs I captured in company with Sir Harry Neale, is the amount of our fuccefs.

I have the honour to be, &c. EDW. GRIFFITH. Extract of a Letter from Admiral Sir Peter Parker, Bart. Commander in Chief of bis Majesty's Ships and Veffels at Porifmouth, to Evan Nepean, Efq. dated the 11th inft.

Enclofed is a letter which I have received from Lieutenant Shepheard, Commander of his Majefty's cutter the Pigmy, giving an account of his having captured, on the 8th int. La Rancune French cutter privateer, and retaken two brigs laden with bar iron, which had been taken by the faid privateer. Pigmy

S 2

SIR,

Jan. 9.

I have the honour to acquaint vou, that yesterday noon, Durlitone- Head bearing N. W. two miles, I observed a cutter and two brigs off St. Aldan's, ftanding to the Southward, and immediately gave chace. At forty minutes paft one came up, and retook the brig Lark, Francis Artis, mafter, from Cardiff to London, laden with bar iron; and the brig Dion, Efdras Beft, mafter, from Cardiff to London, laden with the fame. Continued the chace, and at four captured the French cutter privateer La Rancune, commanded by Ant. Fran. Vic. Jos. Panpeville, manned with 21 men, and carrying two fwivel guns, fmall arms, &c. From Cherbourg twenty-fix hours; had made no other capture than the two brigs before mentioned, which she had taken that morning.

I have the honour to be, &c.

W. SHEPHEARD.

Gopy of a Letter from Captain Edward Buller, commanding the Sea Fencibles along the Coast of Devon. Dated Dartmouib, 101b Jan. 1799.

SIR,

I beg leave to acquaint you, for the information of the Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty, that the brig. Sufannah left this port yesterday morning, feven o'clock, for Torbay, and was captured while at anchor off Weft Down Head, five miles from this place, at half past one P. M. by the French privateer L'Heureux Speculateur, mounting 14 guns. The Brixham Sea Fencibles, perceiving an armed veffel, concluded her to be an enemy; and, from her boarding the above brig, fuppofed the had captured her; in confequence of which went off in a beat, armed with pikes and mufquets, fucceeded in re. capturing the brig, which on their ap. pearance,was deferted by the Frenchmen, whom they alfo purfued and took.

Lieutenant Nicholas, with his ufual zeal, with Collector Brooking's afliftance of fmall arms and boat, went alfo from this port with part of the Sca Fencibles, accompanied by a bcat from his Majefty's cutter Nimble, in hopes of capturing the privateer, but was not fortunate enough to fucceed in the attempt. The recaptured brig he towed into this harbour. I am, Sir, &c.

ED. BULLER.

On the 31st of October I received a difpatch from the Bay of Honduras.

Lieutenant-Colonel Barrow informs me, that the fettlers had been attacked by a flotilla confifting of 31 veffels, having on board 2000 land troops and 500 feamen: Arthur O'Neil, Governor General of Yucatan, and a FieldMarthal in the fervice of Spain, commanded in perfon. I have great fatisfaction in tranfmitting the letter of the Lieutenant-Colonel, by which your Grace will be informed, that this armament has been repulfed, and the expedition entirely frustrated.

The Lieutenant-Colonel fpeaks in the handfomeft manner of the conduct of Captain Mofs, of his Majefty's thip Merlin, and of the wonderful exertions of the fettlers and their negro flaves, who manned the gun-boats.

The conduct of Lieutenant-Colonel Barrow, and of the fettlers, in putting the port of Honduras Bay into a reSpectable