his Majesty could only fufpend the execution of it in any dif trict where three-fourths of the number were raised by volunIt had been found, on further confideration, and on fresh information, that this would be attended with inconveniences, and it was therefore propofed to give his Majesty a difcretionary power to fufpend the act in fuch cafes as he thought proper, where lefs than three-fourths were raised by volunteers. The fecond was a more ftrict provifion against perfons evading the act, by changing their places of abode. The third was, that perfons abfent from England be relieved from the operation of the act, and in fome degree also, those who are obliged to be abfent from home, fuch as travellers, &c. and who do not go away from any intention of evading the act. The laft alteration was, to extend the powers of captains of companies in the appointment of non-commiffioned officers. At prefent they were reftricted to three ferjeants, three corporals, three drummers; it was propofed to increase these to fix each. Leave was granted. The bill was immediately brought in, read a first and fecond time (by permiffion), and ordered to be committed the next day.

The army of referve amendment bill, and the Scotch army of referve bill, were feverally read a third time, and passed. The American affignments bill was read a fecond time, and ordered to be con:mitted the next day.

The Attorney-General moved for leave to bring in a bill to prevent the forgery of foreign bills of exchange, promiffory notes, and orders for payments of money, and foreign copper coin. He faid this criminal practice had arrived to fo enormous an extent in this country, that it drew a kind of reproach on our laws from foreign nations. It had been, in many inftances, detected, and in one particular inftance in the most effectual manner. The Magiftrates had found out a forgery to a very great amount indeed on Portugal, and fo vigilant had they been, and taken their measures fo well, that the detection went over in the fame veffel, or arrived fo nearly at the fame time, that the men who committed the act were taken immediately on their arrival. The crime, however, was become fo prevalent, that it was neceffary to put a stop to it as speedily and effectually as poffible. Leave was given to bring in the bill, which was read a first time, and ordered to be read a fecond time the next day.

The Lord Mayor moved for leave to, bring in a bill to enable the Lieutenants of the city of London to carry into execution an act paffed in the prefent Parliament for the defence of the realm. Leave was given, the bill brought in,

read

read a first and fecond time, and ordered to be committed thé next day.

Mr. Johnstone, previous to the Speaker leaving the chair, made a variety of obfervations introductory to a motion for an inftruction to the Committee that it should have power to confider of the means of a more speedy decision of appeals in matters of prizes.

Sir W. Scott faid, the judges of the prize courts were not of opinion they were inadequate to the adjudication of the caufes before them, or they thould have applied not to the Legislature, but to his Majefty; he, however, did not think it neceffary. It was from particular circumstances fuch a mafs of caufes had accumulated, but he was perfuaded they might be difpofed of without much difficulty.

The motion was put, and immediately negatived.

Mr. Burrowes flated, that he should not bring forward a claufe he had intended, relative to the prize courts abroad, as he understood the fubject was in the hands of his Majefty's Minifters, who had ftated the neceffity of adopting fome measures.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer denied that his Majesty's Minifters had admitted the neceffity of eftablishing prize courts. He had stated it merely as a queflion of expediency with regard to our fettlements in India.

Mr. Burrowes faid, that he was content with the admiffion of expediency, it implied neceffity.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer obferved, that he had not faid the measure was expedient, but that the question of expediency was before Minifters.

The Houfe then refolved itfelf into the Committee.

Sir W. Scott ftated, there must be a confiderable fum fomewhere, arifing from the unclaimed fhares of feamen's prize money. He meant to propofe a claufe upon the subject hereafter, but he had not yet prepared it.

The Committee went through the bill, amended many of the claufes, and introduced others.

The Exchequer bilis bill, the curates bill, and the Prince of Orange's compenfation bill, were read a third time, and paffed.

The Scotch malt duty bill was read a fecond time, and ordered to be read a third time the next day.

The Tortola bill was committed, and the report ordered to be received the next day.

The bill for granting an annuity to Lord Amherst, the

wine prize bill, the Canada courts bill, and the Irifh glebe houfe bill, were read a fecond time, and ordered to be committed the next day.

The Houfe went into a Committee on the Newfoundland fishery bill, in which

Mr. Vanfittart moved a claufe, tending to allow a bounty of 3s. on every hundred of fish imported into Great Britain and Ireland. The refolutions were agreed to, and the report was ordered to be received the next day.

The confolidation and stamp duty bills were committedReports the next day.

The affelfed taxes bill was re-committed, and after fome difcuffion had taken place, refpecting the dimenfions of windows, the Chairman (Mr. Alexander) reported progrefs, and afked leave to fit again the next day.

The Scotch affefled taxes bill was alfo re-committed, and ordered to be reported the next day.—Adjourned.

HOUSE OF LORD S.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 4.

The million and a half Exchequer bills bill, the vote of credit, and woollen manufacturers fufpenfion bills, were read a third time, and passed.

Sir W. Scott brought up from the Commons, the ftipendiary curates bill, and Mr. Bragge the Bristol port bill.

PROPERTY BILL.

On the order of the day being read for the fecond reading of this bill,

'The Duke of Norfolk obferved, that it was fo volumincus as to make it impoflible for him to read and digeft it in fo fhort a pace of time. There was, however, one clufe. which he had very strong objections to, namely, that, which exempted the creditors of the Government, or, in other words, perfons poffeffing property in the funds, from paying their due proportion. He thould not make any motion on it in the prefent ftage, but fhould deliver his fentiments on it in the Committee, which was fixed for the next day.

STIPENDIARY CURATES.

On the fecond reading of this bill,

The Lord Chanceller faid, there was an objection which occurred to him on the first view of the bill, which was, that it militated again the standing order of 1852, prohibiting

the

the grant of public money in a bill which embraced two different objects. The prefent bill included two particular objects-ft. To provide for thofe curates who might be deprived of their livings by the operation of the bills which had already paffed: and, 2dly. A grant of a fum of money to provide generally for them, and render their fituation more comfortable than it would otherwise be. It would remain for their Lordships to confider whether this objection was to be decifive of the fate of the bill.

Lord Suffolk stated, that the bill had his approbation, as far as regarded its rendering the fituation of the inferior clergy more comfortable; but he hoped that no objections, in point of form, would fruftrate the measure, as had been the case with fome other very beneficial regulations. The laws already in force, enabled the bishops to make allowance to curates as far as the amount of 70l. but every one must know, that many incumbents made private bargains with their curates, for the recompence of 30l. or 401. a-year. He was, however, glad to hear, that a bill was now pending for better provifion to be made to the perfons fuffering in their curacies from the confolidated fund.

The Duke of Norfolk faid, his objections to the bill principally arofe from the power given to bithops to diminish the revenues of incumbents one-fifth, which must materially deteriorate the property of individuals, and particularly those 'perfons who were poffeffed of advowfons.

The clause refpeating this object having been then read, his Grace acknowledged that he had been under a mistake in the provifions of the bill.

The Lord Chancellor observed, that it was true the law at prefent authorised bishops to make allowance to curates of 70l. a-year, but no force or power of an act of Parliament could prevent private agreements between incumbents and their curates. There was, perhaps, fome reason to lament that the bill would diminish the patronage and property of individuals, and the more fo as this kind of property was now in the nature of affets, and fold in the fame manner an facility as corn at a market.

The bill was then read a fecond time, and committed for the next day.

GENERAL DEFENCE.

Lord Suffolk faid, that having heard in the country of a measure propofed for an army of referve and the general defence of the nation, he had come to town for the purpofe

of

MISCELLANEOUS.

781

of being better informed with refpect to them. He wished to know how the army of referve was to be drilled, how the officers were to be appointed, and in what manner that force was to be rendered effectual? There was also another subject in which he was defirous of information, namely, how far the city of London had contributed its due proportion of men to the general defence of the country. He hoped it would not be deemed unparliamentary, if he flightly alluded to a difcuffion which had taken place in another House, refpecting our means of defence, and the appointment of a military council. He had received fome letters relating to the proportion offered by the city of London, one of which he had in his pocket; and from the whole of the information.conveyed to him, he was induced to think that blame attached to the city of London, which had not done as much as, in fuch circumftances, might be expected, and what it ought to do. Impreffed forcibly by thefe confiderations, without at prefent naming any particular day, he gave notice, that he should fubmit this fubject to the view of Parliament before the conclufion of the prefent Seffion, late as it was, and hoped his Majefty's Minifters would then attend in their places, in order to give fuch information as he and the public had a right to expect from them.

The Houfe then, on the motion of the Lord Chancellor, reverfed the decifion of the Court of Seffion in Scotland, in the appeal caufe of Bethune v. M'Lean.

The further confideration of the appeal caufe, the Carron canal company v. Ogilvie, was deferred till the first Monday

in the next Seffion.

The farther confideration of the Scotch appeal caufe, Crawfurd v. Coutts, was deferred till the next day; to which day the House adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 4.

General Maitland moved a new writ for the fhire of, Kingofs, in the room of General Clephane, who, fince his election, has accepted the office of Governor of Grenada. Ordered.

The Scotch malt bill was read a third time, and paffed. Lord Amherst's annuity, the wine prizes, the custom houfe officers' protection, and the city of London defence bills, VOL. IV, 1802-3

5 E

went