had propofed, or to make it part of another and a fhort bill, which would probably follow close upon the heels of the prefent bill, and be immediately introduced, both on the fubject of refidence of curates and the better provifion of the inferior clergy. The noble Lord behind him (Lord Auckland), he was fure, would not, from what he had faid, charge him with having pledged himself to bring in fuch a bill, but he would fairly fay, that he would give it, both in and out of the Houfe, the best affiftance he had it in his power to give; and he could not help thinking, that the object of fuch a provifo as the right rev. prelate had propofed, might be better fecured in that way, than by cloging the prefent bill with it. His Lordship faid, he believed he had now spoken to all that it was neceffary for him to ftate refpecting the prefent bill. He knew not whether he had made himfelf clearly understood, but his opinion was, that it had better pafs as a permanent than a temporary bill. The difference between the two was this: A permanent bill was open to the difcretion of Parliament, and if great inconveniences were found to refult from it, Parliament might think proper to revife and to re-confider it; whereas, if it were a bill for a limited duration, Parliament muft, at the expiration of a certain period, take it into revifion. He had already faid enough, to fhew that he thought it had: better pass as a permanent bill. His Lordship added, that he meant on Monday to move for its recommitment, and he hoped that the Committee would go through and complete all the referved parts of the bill before the Committee feparated. He then meant to move that the bill be printed, and he hoped they would be able to read it a third time on Wednesday.

Lord Auckland rofe, and declared that he thought that the annexation of a clause to the effect thus propofed by the noble and right rev. Prelate, an absolutely receffary qualification of the prefent bill. Without it, he thould confider the bill not as a bill to fecure refidence, but as a bill to invite to nonrefidence. The noble and learned Lord had faid, that they were all agreed, that to fecure the refidence of a clergyman in every parith, village, and hamlet, were defirable. they were all agreed in that effential point, why retufe to make use of the prefent opportunity to enforce it? He had great deference and great refpect for every thing that fell from fuch high authority as the noble and learned Lord, but he could not think that it was right to trust to chance VOL. IV. 1802-3 what

Ff.

If

what might be made a matter of certainty. For his part, thinking as he did, that the fecuring the refidence of fome clergyman in every parish, where fuch refidence could be made practicable, was as great an object as any one object of the bill; he could not reconcile it to his confcience and turn his back upon it, under the confolation that it would be endeavoured to be done at another time. With regard to the fate of the bill, the Houfe ought to do their duty, regardlefs of future confequences. He did not believe that the rifque which the noble and learned Lord apprehended was any rifque at all. The other Houfe would probably throw the bill over the table, but they would immediately bring in another, adopting fome, if not all, of their Lordships' amendments; and he would feel bound to acquiefce in it, if that were the line of conduct the Commons purfued; but he must contend, that the hour of acquiefcence was not yet arrived. He had it in his power, as yet, to act individually as a Peer of Parliament, and he must again remind their Lordships, that they ought not to be governed, in a confcientious difcharge of their duty, by any confideration of what might happen elsewhere; they were to think and act for themselves, and while the bill was before them to make it as perfect as poffible.

Lord Alvanley faid, he entertained the utmost respect for his noble and learned Friend, and thought higher of his opinion than of that of any man in existence; but the noble and learned Lord had not accompanied his objections with his reafons for not agreeing to a motion, in substance and effect fimilar to the provifo moved by the right rev. Prelate. He would endeavour to reconcile his mind to the omiffion, but for the prefent, he owned he felt himself under great difficulty. Instead of a bill to enforce the refidence of the clergy, it appeared to him, that when he gave his confent to the bill, he lent his mind to fupport a bill full of exemptions of a great number of the clergy; a bill, in fhort, that was calculated to invite and encourage the non-refidence of the clergy, rather than to enforce their refidence. His Lordship dilated upon this idea at confiderable length, and noticed many of the points adverted to by the noble and learned Lord.

Lord Walfingham then, at the defire of the Committee, adjourned the Committee, and the Houfe being resumed, read the refolution of the Committee, and moved that the report be received on Monday.

The

The Lord Chancellor moved, that the bill be re-com

mitted on Monday.

Ordered.

HIS MAJESTY'S MESSAGE.

Lord Hobart presented the following meffage from his Majesty :

GEORGE R.

"His Majesty thinks it proper to acquaint the House of Lords, that for the more effectual defence of the united kingdom against the avowed designs of the enemy, and for the purpose of providing fuch means as may be beft calculated for a vigorous profecution of the war, his Majefty deems it important that a large additional force fhould be forthwith raised and affembled.

"His Majefly recommends this fubject to the confideration of their Lordships, and relies with confidence on their zeal and public fpirit, that they will adopt fuch meafures as upon this occafion fhall appear to them. to be moft effectual, and for carrying the fame into execution with the least possible "G. R" delay. Lord Hobart then moved, that his Majesty's message be taken into confideration on Monday next. Ordered. Adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

SATURDAY, JUNE 18.

1

The Chancellor of the Exchequer delivered a message from his Majefty to the fame purport as that prefented to the House of Lords; which being read, he moved, that his Majesty's most gracious meffage fhould be referred to a Committee of the Houfe on Monday next, which was agreed to

nem. con.

A meffage from the Lords fignified their Lordships' affent to the Northampton ordnance land bill, and the amendments in the malicious fhooting and maiming bill. Deferred till Monday the fecond reading of the Scotch cotton manufacturers bill, and leave given to the petitioners against the bill to be heard by counfel. Ordered that the Scotch Highland road and bridge bill be printed.

On the question being put on the second reading of the tax on property bill,

Mr. Ferguson obferved, that the bill, in his opinion, infringed the Act of Union with Scotland, as it was agreed by

Ff2

that

that act that no additional land-tax should be laid on that part of the united kingdom.

Sir Robert Buxton approved of the tax, as he expreffed an opinion on a former occafion, that land ought not to be taxed without every other fpecies of property was taxed

alfo.

Mr. W. Dundas faid, the bill did not infringe the Act of Union; if it did. he fhould be the firft to raife his voice against it. He contended, as did alfo the Chancellor of the Exchequer, that it was not a land-tax, but a tax derivable from property in land.

Mr. Kinnaird thought otherwife, and challenged the right hon. Gentleman to prove the difference between a land-tax and a tax derivable from land.

The bill was then read a second time, and ordered to be committed on Monday.

Mr. Alexander brought up the report of the Committee of supply on the army extraordinaries, which was agreed to. He also brought up the report of the Committee for granting an additional duty to his Majesty on exports and imports, which was ordered to be taken into further confideration on Monday.

The militia fubaltern officers' bill was read a fecond time, and ordered to be committed on Monday.

The excife duty bill was read a first time, and ordered to be read a fecond time on Monday.

The Irish indemnity bill was read a fecond time, and ordered to be committed on Monday next; to which day the Houfe adjourned.

HOUSE OF LORD S.

MONDAY, JUNE 20.

The bills on the table were read a ftage each. Three bills were brought up from the Commons, by Mr. Alexander and others, and read a first time.

DEFENCE OF THE NATION.

The order of the day was moved, for taking his Majefty's meffage into confideration.

Lord Hobart said, that in ring to propofe the order of the day, he did not think it neceffary to occupy much of their Lordships time in order to induce them to adopt the recommendation contained in his Majefty's meffage. He

was

was convinced, that whatever difference of opinion might arife as to the manner of acting on the addrefs, there could be none with regard to the neceffity of following it up by fuch measures as were required by the prefent ftate of the country. He therefore deemed it his duty, in confequence of the fituation he held, to throw out a general outline of the intentions of Government with refpect to the object of the addrefs, and the pledge he meant it should contain. He was fure all their Lordships muft feel the indifpenfible neceffity of placing this country in fuch a fituation, as not only to render it fecure from the attack of the enemy, but alfo to render such an attempt fo little likely to fucceed, as to deter the enemy from carrying thofe defigns into execution, which, it was evident, they had in contemplation. With respect to the plan itself, their Lordfhips would understand, that what he had to propofe was nothing more than an outline. Much would depend on the variety of the measures that would oc cur to carry the plan into execution; therefore, with refpect to the detail, it was not his intention to enter into it. He fhould state the outline, merely that their Lordships might carry it in their minds, and be the better enabled thdifcufs it when it was brought forward. Their Lordships were aware how extremely effential it was, that the plan fhould be carried into effect with as much expedition as poffible. A large and confiderable force was neceffary to be collected in this country for refifting the enemy; and he had no difficulty in ftating, that, on the part of the military, every exertion had been made, and was making, to increafe the force of the regular army by every poffible means; but it was apparent that thofe exertions could not have the effect of producing that force we wished to have ftationed in the country. To produce fuch a force by ordinary means would be fo difficult, that it was incumbent in his Majetty's Minifters to fuggeft extraordinary means, and he was forry to fay, that neceffity required those means fhould be of a compulfory nature. He fhould have much regretted if it had fallen to his lot to have recommended a meafure which the country had never been accustomed to. He was fenfible of the difficulty of obtaining fo great a number of men as were required, without inconvenience to the industry of the country. Upon that fubject he had only to fay, that, although the meafure he fhould propofe, would to a certain degree have the effet of prefling upon the industry of the country, yet it was trifling compared to the danger of expofing the country to the confequences