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The other bills on the table were forwarded in their re spective stages. Adjourned

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

SATURDAY, JUNE II.

The Uther of the Black Rod defired the immediate attend ance of the Houfe in the House of Peers, to hear the Royal Affent given by commiflion to feveral public and private

bills

The Speaker, attended by feveral Members, accordingly proceeded to the Upper House

A meffage from the Lords informed the Houfe their Lordfhips had agreed to the bill for protecting the trade of the United Kingdom during the war with France; and the Scotch emigrant bill.

Mr. Vanfittart gave notice, that on Monday his right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, would, in the Committee of Supply, bring forward a plan for confolidating the duties of Excife and at the fame time it was his intention to move for leave to bring in a bill for encouraging foreign feamen to enter into the naval fervice of this coun

try.

The Houfe refolved itfelf into a Committee on that part of his Majefty's fpeech of the 23d November, which related to the accommodation and facilities to be afforded to trade.

Mr. Fanfittart obferved, that the Committee must be aware that there were certain articles which could be regulated by the Committee on the bill, without a previous Committee. At prefent, he had only two articles with which he fhould trouble the Committee; they related to imports from the East Indies-the one was China-ware, and the other opium. It was propofed to augment the duties upon thofe articles. With regard to opium, it was fufpected that it began to be used for the purpofe of adulterating beer. was even faid that, in confequence of the prohibition of opium in China, it was likely to become an article of fpeculation in this country. He propofed an additional duty of 8ol. on every 100l. real value of China-ware, imported into this country by the East-India Company- and on every pound of opium imported, an additional duty of 5s. with a drawback of 6s. on exportation; and a duty of 12s. 6d. n every pound of opium imported from the Levant, not the place of its natural growth, with a drawback of 75. on expor

tation.

tation. He added, that in the bill which had paffed last year, relative to brewers, every poffible care had been taken to prevent the adulteration of that necellary article. It was provided, that every brewer, in whofe poffeffion any opum fhould be found, thould pay a penalty of 500l.

Mr. Pattifon obferved, thas the right hon Gentleman had brought forward a charge of a very serious nature against the brewers. He was connected with perfons of great respec-, tability in that line, and he never had heard of such a practice. He wifhed the right hon. Gentleman would ftate fome fact-the characters of the brewers were at flake, if fuch an affertion was fuffered to pafs current.

Mr. Vanfitiart faid, he was far from bringing a general charge. He did not wish to implicate thofe who were of the defcription the hon. Member had alluded to-but certainly, it was strongly fuspected that the practice of ufing opiam had commenced. It was highly neceffary to check and pre

vent it.

Mr. Pattifon faid, he wished it was in his power to give an information on the fubject. He feared it would be very difficult to obtain any. Opium was a drug fo easily fecreted, that nothing was more eafy than to efcape detection. -He felt much for thofe gentlemen who carried on bufinefs fairly and honourably. Sure he was, there was no neceffity for using deftructive drugs-on the contrary, it was more particularly unpardonable at the prefent moment-for the ingredients ufed in brewing were at a price which enabled the brewers not only to make a good and wholesome commodity, but to do fo at a fair profit. He wished the penalty for ufing opium, or oculus indicas, which was equally pernicious, was extended.

Mr. Vanfittart said, the penalty was 500l. for using any drug whatever.

Mr. Pattifon wished the penalty was 5,000l.

The refolutions were agreed to, and the report was ordered to be received on Monday.

The report of the affeffed tax bill was brought up, or dered to be taken into further confideration on Monday fe'nnight, and in the mean time printed.

The report of the affeffed tax confolidation bill was brought up, ordered to be taken into further confideration on Monday fe'nnight, and in the mean time, printed.

Mr. Alexander brought up the report of the Committee of

Supply,

Supply, and the refolution for granting an additional num ber of feamen was agreed to.

Mr. Elliott wished to know whether we had actually 70,000 feamen.

Sir P. Stephens faid, we had not quite fo many; fome detachments of marines might be on thore.

Colonel Bagwell faid, he had received a letter from the city of Cork, informing him, that the merchants of that place, with a degree of zeal, loyalty, and patriotifm which did them honour, had had a meeting, and had voted a very confiderable fum of money for the purpofe of raifing feamen. (Hear! hear!) The feamen to be thus raifed were to be delivered over to the commanding officer nearest that place.

The Exchequer bills' defect bill was read a third time, and paffed.

The Irish fhip protection bill was read a fecond time, and committed for Monday.

Adjourned till Mɔnday.

HOUSE OF LORDS.

MONDAY, JUNE 13.

The further confideration of the claim to the Chandos Peerage was refumed in the Committee of Privileges, when the Lord Chancellor, in a speech of very confiderable length, took a view of the whole of the evidence, and accurately pointed out its bearings upon each fide of the question. Hav ing executed this arduous tafk with great perfpicuity, his Lordship anxiously warned the Houfe against the mifchievous effect that must unavoidably refult, fhould an opinion at any time go forth, that on judicial proceedings their Lordfhips could condefcend to be swayed and influenced to come down in numbers to decide, as out-door applications might defire them to decide, upon grounds of partiality and regard, rather than confcientiously to discharge their duty, and to decide in all judicial proceedings as the justice of the cafe might demand. His Lordthip reminded the Committee of the eloquent and emphatic advice once given to them from a learned and refpectable counsel, long fince a noble Judge, that they ought, in all judicial cafes, to keep covenant with their confciences, in order to guard against fuffering affections to bear hard upon juftice. The advice was found and wife advice, because every thing that was dear and valuable in nur conftitution rendered it indifpenfably neceifary not only that

their impartiality fhould not be fufpected, but that the adminiftration of justice by that Houfe thould be known and felt. on all occafions, pure and incorrupt.

The Earl of Rofslyn, Lord Bolton, and Lord Ellenborough, fpoke after the Lord Chancellor, and the Committee was moved "to adjourn the further confideration of the claim till next day," but that being argued against, the motion was withdrawn.

The Committee then divided on the motion, That the claimant had not fufficiently made out his claim to the fatisfaction of the Committee,'

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The report is to be made to the Houfe on Friday next, and the Lords ordered to be fummoned.

THE CLENGY FARMING AND RESIDENCE BILL.

The order of the day for going into the Committee on this bill, was on motion discharged, and a new order moved and made for going into it next day at three o'clock. Lords ordered to be fummoned.

FOOT'S DIVORCE BILL.

The

The Houfe refolved itself into a Committee on this bill, and after a few words relative to the fettlement provided in the preamble of the bill at the time of the marriage, from the Lord Chancellor to Mr. Garrow, the counsel for the petitioner, and to Mr. Adam, the counfel on behalf of the lady, requesting the infertion of a clause of fome provifion for her, as the perfon who engaged to make good the fettlement aforefaid, by misfortunes which fubfequently had befallen him, was no longer able to do so, to which request the Lord Cancellor faid the Houfe could not accede; the Chairman (Lord Walfingham) was ordered to report progrefs, and afk leave for the Committee to fit again on Wednefday. Ordered.

The proper officer prefented a copy of the third report from the Navy Abufe Committee of Enquiry. Ordered to be laid on the table.

Adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

MONDAY, JUNE 13..

A new writ was moved for the borough of Newport, in Cornwall, in room of the late Jofeph Richardfon, deceased. The Chamberlain of London prefented a number of an

nual

nual accounts of the application of the revenues of the cityof London, as established by Act of Parliament

Mr. Ormsby brought in a bill for the better collection of the revenues of 'reland, accruing from the duties of customs, which was read a first time, and ordered for the fecond reading next day. On motion it was alfo ordered to be printed. On the motion of Sir James St. Clair Erskine, the Houfe. went into a Committee on the exifting laws relative to the militia of Scotland.

A refolution was moved by the honourable Member and agreed to, that steps fhould be taken for making more effectual provifion for the wives and families of perfons ferving in the Scotch militia. The refolution was agreed to. The House refumed, and the report was ordered for next day.

The bill for the better prevention of maliciously cutting and maiming was, on the motion of the Attorney General, read a fecond time, and committed for next day.

The Irith fhip burning bill paffed through the fame stage. The report of the Committee on the confolidation cuftoms bill, establishing new duties on porcelaine and opium, was brought up, and a refolution agreed to that thefe new rates of duties fhould be introduced into the general bill.

Mr. Vanfittart, agreeably to his notice on a former day, moved for leave to bring in a bill for enabling his Majesty to accept the fervices of foreign feamen on board of fhips in the royal navy, or thips employed in commerce. He stated that the number on board each fhip, as during the laft war, was to be not more than one-fourth of the crew.

Leave was given to bring in the bill.

BUDGET.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer then rofe to move the order of the day for going into a Committee to confider farther of the fupply to be granted to his Majesty. The House accordingly refolved itfelf into a Committee.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer then rofe and fpoke in fubftance as follows:

As it will be neceffary for me, Sir, to trefpafs for a confderable time on the patience and indulgence of the Houfe, I thall occupy the attention of the Committee with as few preliminary obfervations as poffible. The obfervations which I fhall introduce will be thofe only which neceffarily and narally arife out of the official duty which I am called upon to perform. I fhall abstain from entering into anv minute deail of the circumstances in which the country is now placed. Suffice

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