Colonel Baftard faid, if the hon. Member could prove there had been a collufion, every person who had been accefe fary to the fame ought to be difmilled from his Majesty's fervice. He was of opinion that the papers ought to be laid on the table, in order to make an inquiry whether there was truth in the reprefentation. He was inclined to think there was no ground to fufpect collufion, as he had received a memorial on the fame fubject, figned by no lefs than 40 officers of his Majefty's navy. On talking with thofe perfons fome time after, he found they did not with to proceed in the bufiness; he advised them not, as it might be the means of their ruin, from the refentment they were likely to experience on the part of the Admiralty. If the hon. Member could prove that justice had not been done in the trial of one cause out of the 103, he was entitled to the confideration of the House....

Sir William Wynne expreffed his belief, that the conduct of the official perfons in the Court of Admiralty had ever been fair in the diftribution of juftice. He had feen several of the causes conducted which the hon. Member complained of, the whole of which appeared to have been legally decided. It had been urged, that officers had been deterred from complaints of collufive appearances to the Admiralty, under the apprehenfion of being difmiffed from his Majefty's fervice; in antwer to which he would refort to the fact: Was the honourable Member difmiffed who made the appeal, notwithstanding he had attempted such reprefentations? He did not with to detain the Houfe longer than while he stated, that he did not believe any perfons could be found to discharge the important truft repofed in them with ftriéter integrity than thofe who prefided in the Court of Admiralty at the period when the causes were tried which then became the fubject of complaint.

Captain Harvey faid, no part of the navy had any claim to the veffels. He obferved, that it was naturally the with of! perfons in the navy, that thofe who were connected with their affairs fhould not be connected with the adverse party. His reafon for fupporting the motion was, because Commisfioners were now fitting to whom the paper might be referred.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer stated, that the Commiffioners had only cognizance over prize agency, not of prize. caufes.

The King's advocate opposed the motion of the Chancellor of the Excheqer.

Mr.

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· Mr. Wilberforce faid, that if ever there was a cafe in which an application for a document ought not to be rejected, it was at prefent. It was the province and character of the Haufe not to reject it, provided any fair ground was made out. He urged the Houfe to confent to a propofition which was fo much the with of the officers of the navy.

Sir Stephen Lufhington juftified the conduct of the King's proctor.....

The Chancellor of the Exchequer faid it was not true, that a memorial had been prefented to the Admiralty, which had not been attended to; on the contrary, it had been referred to his learned Friend, who had immediately put an end to what was deemed an unfeemly connection. His reafon for moving for the purpose of getting rid of the order, was on the inerits of the cafe, and from a regard to the proceedings of the Houfe. If he thought it neceffary to have an inquiry, he should move to difcharge the order, because the motion for the inquiry ought to precede that for the paper.

Mr. Hutchinson thought it was a queftion worthy the grave attention of the Houfe, and one which ought not lightly to be treated. He hoped the Chancellor of the Exchequer would not forget the ftate of things, or, at a moment when fo much reliance was placed on the profeflion, meet the queftion by the forms of the Houfe. The object of the inquiry was not perfonal punishment, but merely the amendment of an abufe.

Mr. Alexander faid, that on great occafions of this kind, the Houfe muit condut ifelf on general principles. He thought the King's proctor having a partner was improper, and therefore upon complaint, that connection had been difcharged. His right hon Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer could not have a with to fupport an individual against the feeling of the navy. He thought the complaint ought to be made in the first inflance to the Court of Admiralty, the Judge of which had power over his officers like the Judges of all other Courts. To pafs by the Court, and appeal in the first instance, was a practice which might be productive of material inconvenience.

Sir William Geary was of opinion, that if a cafe could be made out at any future time, an inquiry ought to be inftituted.

The queftion was put, that the order of the day fhould be difcharged, and was carried in the affirmative.

CLERGY

CLERGY RESIDENCE BILL.

The order of the day was moved, for taking into confideration the amendments made by the Lords in the clergy refidence bill.

The Speaker faid, it was his duty to ftate to the House, that in the amendments made by the Lords, there were introduced matters of a pecuniary nature. There were fome ex emptions in cafes where this Houfe had not exempted perfons. In the last amendment was a direct claim to impose a pecuniary penalty. This was a matter with regard to which the Houfe had, and he trufted always would exercise an exclufive privilege. He hoped, therefore, that fome Member would propofe that these amendments fhould be taken into confideration at a diftant day.

Sir IV. Scott moved, that the amendments (hould be taken into further confideration that day three months. He begged leave to say it was his intention to move for leave to bring in another bill upon the fubject.

The motion of adjournment was put, and carried nem.

con.

Sir William Scott moved for leave to bring in a bill to amend the laws relating to spiritual perfons holding farms, and for enforcing the refidence of fpiritual perfons on their; benefices in England and Ireland.

Mr. Speaker obferved, that if the bill the hon. Gentleman proposed to bring in was, in its general nature, the fame; he wifhed the Houfe to obferve, that although it never failed, and he hoped never would fail to affert its privileges in paffing laws, yet, in matters of great importance, it had permitted bills to be brought in on the fame fubject.

Leave was given to bring in the bill.

The additional excife duties bill was read a third time.Upon the motion that it should pass,

Mr. Hutchinson rofe to fuggeft the propriety of the meafure to the confideration of his Majefty's Minifters. He con- ! fidered that it was a measure which bore upon the act of union, and would affect the Irish diftilleries in a way which was adverfe to the fpirit of that act. He obferved, that by the operation of the bill, feveral thousand pounds worth of fpirits in England would avoid paying the new duty.

Mr. Corry faid, he had taken great pains on the subject; there were certainly inconveniencies in the bill, but he knew VOL. IV. 1802 3.

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of no poffible remedy. He was perfuaded that when the country was abont to make a great exertion, there was nothing in the act of union to induce Parliament to hesitate.

Sir Lawrence Parfons faid, he was of opinion the bill was not in oppofition to the principles of the act of union. The Chancellor of the Exchequer ftated, that the inconve nience of the Irish diftiller, in confequence of the bill, was not greater than on the English manufacturer.

Mr. l'anfiitart obferved, that the objections against the bill were not material.

Mr. Wickham juftified the bill, and after fome explanation by Mr. Hutchinfon and Mr. Corry, the bill was palled.

The Irish importation excife bill was read a first, and ordered to be a fecond time the next day.

Mr, Macdowal moved a new writ for Stranraer, in the room of John Spalding, Esq. who had accepted the Chiltern Hundreds.

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The Irish promiffory notes and bills of exchange bill was read a first, and ordered to be read a fecond time the next day. The militia pay and cloathing bill was read a first, and ordered to be read a second time next day.

On the motion of Mr. Corry, the Committee on the faltpetre duties in Ireland was deferred till next day.

The Irish revenue bill was poftponed till Thurfday. The Houfe went into a Committee on the Scotch general defence bill.

The Secretary at War faid, this bill was exaaly like the one which went through a Committee the preceding day. There was, however, fome alteration with regard to the mode of furnishing the quotas. It was found more advisable to refort to the calculation of the militia last year. By fo doing, the number would amount to three-fourths of the number of men raised by the last militia act.

The report was received, and ordered to be taken into further confideration next day, and printed.

The unlawful combination bill was reported, and ordered to be read a third time.

The other orders of the day were deferred, and the Houfe adjourned.

MOUSE

HOUSE OF LORD S..

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29.

The Irish qualifying indemnity bill, the Irish corn bil, the Irish thip protection bill, were read a third time and' and paffed.

Lord Walfingham moved, that the confideration of the ftanding order, No. 126, be adjourned till Friday following. Ordered. And that the ftanding order, No. 154, be

taken into confideration at the fame time.

The tonnage duty bill, the raw hides duty bill, two excife duties bills, and the militia officers augmentation bill, and two private bills, were brought up from the Commons, and prefented by Mr. Alexander and others, and read a first time. Adjourned.

Mr. Somers Cox prefented a petition from the hop-planters of Worcestershire against the ufe of fubftitutes for hops. in the brewing of beer, particularly of quaffia.

The petition was ordered to lie on the table.

Sir W. Scott brought up the clergy refidence bill, which' was read a first and second time, and committed. The.report was brought up, and the bill was ordered to be printed, and the report was ordered to be taken into further confide ration on Friday following.

A metlage was received from the Lords, ftating that their Lordships had agreed to the Irish fhip burning bill, the Englith and Irish corn exportation bill, the Irifh militia transfer. bill, and several private bills.

The fouthern whale fishery bill was read a third time, and passed.

The order of the day being read for the third reading of the woollen clothiers' bill,

Mr. Brooke opposed it, and after stating several objections to the bill, concluded with moving that the third reading fhould be deferred for three months.

A converfation of fome length enfued between Mr. Burland, Mr. Dickinson, jun. Mr. Wilberforce, and Admiral Berkeley.

Mr. Wilberforce faid, as there were important fubjects which food for confideration that night, upon which the

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