Lord Caftlereagh rofe to move for leave to bring in a bill for enabling the Directors of the Eaft India Company to make additional allowances to the fhip-owners who had taken contracts in their fervice, immediately previous to the publication-of his Majefty's meffage declaratory of war with France. His Lordthip, in a fpeech of confiderable length, explained the objects of the bill he propofed, as in conformity with the fpirit of an act which paffed fome years fince, enabling the Directors to make additional allowance to ship-contractors in their fervice, in time of war or imme-> diate preparation for war, in confideration of the extraordinary rife which never fails on fuch occafions to occur on all articles connected with fea ftores and navigation; and he obferved, that many, if not all the contracts to which the bill would have reference, were not entered into during a period of actual or implied war, because a confiderable time previous to his Majefty's meffage in March laft, yet from a very short time fubfequent to the fignature of the definitive Treaty of Amiens, until the day of his Majesty's meffage on the war, the country might be faid to be in an actual ftate of preparation for that war which was then apprehended, and fince that period proved to be inevitable—. and on thefe confiderations, though the thip contractors might not have a claim for additional compenfation, strictly within the letter of the former law, yet in equity their claim was fair upon the fame principle; and to enable the Directors to give them that compenfation was the object of the propofed bill.

Mr. Johnstone decidedly oppofed the principle. The fhip contractors were men, he faid, who very well knew how to take care of themfelves; they made their bargain with their eyes open, and knew perfectly well how to guard themfelves againft all poffible or probable contingencies. If the Company had made with them an improvident bargain on the other hand, they would not be very ready to let them off that bargain. Befides, in fact, thofe men, who had gained to amply by the Company, had on this occafion no ground whatever to complain of lofs; for they agreed for 211. 10s. per ton, which other proprietors were ready to execute at the current market price, which at the highest was but 191. 5s. and might have been done by others at 171. 155. How then could thefe men complain of an improvident bargain, who were to receive fo much more than 302

the

the current prices of their freight? The beft principle of doing juftice in this cafe, he conceived, was for every man to act in his public duty as if he were disburfing his own private money; and upon this ground, he begged to afk, what individual, upon fuch a bargain, would feel himfelf called upon to give more than his contract price; more efpecially when it was fo far above the current rates of freight? In a contract for fhip-building, no allowance would be made for the fubfequent rife on materials, nor could he conceive it equitable or neceffary, in this cafe, to give men, who were already confidered gainers by the bar gain, 5000l. per fhip more of the public money, by way of compenfation for loffes they could not fuftain.

Mr. Francis, Mr. Wallis, and Sir W. Pulteney, oppofed the motion much on the fame ground.

The motion was fupported by Mr. Grant and Mr. Atkins; after which leave was given to bring in the bill.

Mr. Francis moved, that there be laid before the House an account of the amount of the capital ftock of the East India Company, distinguishing the periods when each fubfeription was made, and the amount of the profits on the fame. Ordered.

Lord Caftlereagh prefented the following Meffage from his Majesty :

"G. R.

His Majefty thinks proper to acquaint the House of Commons, that in confideration of the eminent fervices performed in America by the late Geoffry, Lord Amherst, and particularly in the reduction of Canada, his Majefty was induced, on the termination of the war, to grant to Lord Amherft certain tracts of land in that province; but in confequence of fome local circumftances that grant has not been carried into effect. His Majefty, therefore, relies on the juftice and liberality of the Houfe of Commons, that they will make to Lord Amherst fuch compenfation as they shall think fit."

On the motion of Lord Caftlereagh, the meffage was or, dered to be taken into confideration on Friday next; and feveral papers relative to the fame were ordered to be laid be fore the Houfe next day.

On the motion of Col. Stanley, the further confideration of the report of the Committee on the cotton weavers' petition was put off till Thursday next.

The

The Bel! Rock-light-house bill was read a second time, and ordered to be committed next day.

Mr. H. Browne brought up a bill for granting 20,000l. towards making a canal in the Highlands of Scotland. Read a firft, and ordered to be read a fecond time next day.

Mr. Johnstone moved, that there be laid before the Houfe feveral accounts relative to the rates of freight paid by the Eaft-India Company, from the year 1784, diftinguithing the nature of the voyages, the claffes of the veffels, in times of peace and of war; together with the additional allowances for war freight. Ordered.

The Irish malt duty and Portugal wine bonding bills, went through the Committee. Ordered to be reported next day. The affeffed taxes collection bill, and the Irish revenue bill were read a third time and paffed.

PROPERTY TAX.

On the motion of Mr. Vanfittart, the further confideration of the property-tax bill was put off until Wednesday next, on account of there not having been a fufficient number of copies of the bill printed in time for the ufe of the Members.

IRISH LOAN.

The Irish treasury bills loan bill went through the Committee, and was ordered to be reported next day.

He

Mr. Corry then gave notice, that if a loan for one million fhould be contracted for in Ireland, he would fubmit the terms of the fame to the Houfe on Wednesday next. would therefore delay the further progrefs of the prefent bill, in order that the Houfe might have time to determine whether it fhould be adopted or not.

Mr. Corry, in the absence of Mr. Wickham, rose to give notice, that either he himself, or his right hon. Friend, would next day move for leave to bring in a bill, to extend to Ireland certain immunities, which were granted to justices of the peace in England by the act of Geo. II.

THE BANK OF ENGLAND.

Sir Francis Burdett gave notice, that he would next day bring forward a motion relative to the late fraud upon the bank of England. He would have made the motion on that day were it not for the thinness of the House.

Mr. Vanfittart moved for leave to bring in a bill to amend the Thames police act. One of the improvements he meant to introduce into the bill was, that all property found upon

perfons

perfons ftealing the fame out of thips or velfels upon the river, fhould be taken and depofited at the excife office, in order that it might be kept there until the duty was paid.

On the motion of Mr. Vanfittart, it was ordered that the Houfe thould next day refolve itself into a Committee to confider of the act relative to the longitude.

Mr. Vanfittart gave notice that next day he would move for leave to bring in a bill, to make fome regulations relative to prize agents and prize courts.

Mr. Vanfittart moved, that the Houfe fhould next day go into a Committee to take into confideration the taxes under the management of the board of taxes.-Ordered.

Adjourned.

HOUSE OF LORD S.

TUESDAY, JULY 12.

Counfel was heard in the appeal, Anderfon and Cadel. The farther hearing poftponed.

The five millions loan bill, and the Eaft India dock bill, were read a third time and paffed.

WOOLLEN CLOTHIERS' BILL.

The fecond reading of the woollen clothiers' bill was postponed tilt Thurfday.

The Duke of Clarence faid, that he was decidedly hoftile the bill, but did not mean to oppose the second reading.

HIS MAJESTY'S MESSAGE.

Lord Pelham prefented a meffage from his Majefty relative to granting a compenfation to Lord Amherst for the lands in Canada, given him by his Majefty for the fervice of the late Geoffry Lord Amhert, in America. Of these lands local circumstances had rendered it impotlible to take poffeffion. The meffage being read,

Lord Pelham moved an addrefs of thanks to his Majesty for his gracious communication. Ordered.

Several bills were brought up from the Commons, among which were the Dublin port bill, the Queen Anne's bounty regulation bill, and the Irith excife duty collection bill. Adjourned.

HOUSE

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

TUESDAY, JULY 12.

CHAPELS, RESIDENCES, &C. FOR PAROCHIAL CLERGY. Mr. Burton moved, in pursuance of his notice, that leave be given to bring in a bill to promote the building, repairing, or otherwise providing of churches and chapels, and of houfes for the refidence of minifters, and the providing of churchyards and glebes.

The terms of the motion would probably be faid to ren→ der it unneceffary to add many words in fupport of it. The expediency of fome meafure of the fort could not be doubted by any one who was acquainted with the number of parishes, both in England and Ireland, where churches and parfonage houses were either wholly wanting, or unfit to answer the ends for which they were defigned. Important, however, as these defects appeared, it was in vain to expect that they fhould be fupplied at prefent out of the public purfe, which induced him to think it the more neceffary to open the fources of private liberality, as far as could be done without infringing any rule of public policy. He ftated, that as the law now ftood, fo cramped and fettered by a ftatute paffed in the late reign, was every individual in the difpofal of his property, that even the patron or incumbent of a living could not devife a rood of land to make a garden to the parfonage house. All that he withed was to loofen a little the fhackles which had been put upon private property. The only objections to it that he knew, were the fear of throwing too much land into mortmain, the ditherifon of heirs, and the dread of enriching the church overmuch. But he trufted that these objections would be completely obviated, by limiting the benefactions to fo fmall an extent as five acres of land, or 500l. in perfonal property. He would only mention. one other provision which he thould with to fee in the bill, though it was rather declaratory of the exifting law than introductive of any thing new. In the conftruction of feveral modern churches, it feemed to be forgotten that they were destined for all ranks and conditions, and fo deftitute were they of all decent and fuitable accommodation for the poorer fort, as to be utterly inconfiftent with every juft notion of public worship. The bill, therefore, ought in his opinion. to contain a claufe for the remedy of this abufe in future. He concuded with moving in the terms abovementioned.

Mr.