He had no objection to the petition being brought up, but he could not avoid faying, that he thought it fomewhat indecorous to bring up fuch a petition without the least notice, or the fmalleft intimation having been given to him. If there were any complaints against the proceedings in a Court, the Judge of that Court was certainly the properest perfon to be confulted.

Captain Harvey appealed to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and other Members of Adminiftration, if he had not fhewn them the petition the preceding day, and faid he had put off prefenting it then, at the exprefs requeft of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whom he naturally fuppofed would intimate it to the right hon. and learned Gentleman.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer acknowledged that the honourable Gentleman had informed him of the petition, and had deferred prefenting it at his requeft. He, perhaps, ought to have apprifed his right hon. and learned Friend of it; and it was his intention to do fo, but it had really flipped his memory till the very moment that he faw the hon. Gen-' teman rife that day with it in his hand. He thought, however, that in a cafe like the prefent, where a serious charge was made against the proceedings of a Court, the compliment might and ought to have been paid, of giving intimation of it to his hon. and learned Friend.

Dr. Laurence faid, he fhould not object to the motion, but he thought the petition as new and extraordinary a one as ever was brought before the Houfe-the parties ftating, generally, that they defire an inquiry into all the proceedings of a Court. If there was any neceffity for fuch an inquiry, there was in that Houfe a Committee of Courts of Juftice, to which it would have been moft proper to addrefs themselves. He thought his right hon. and learned Friend had a right to complain of the manner in which this petition had been brought forward. The petitioners wished the proceedings of the Courts to be referred to whom? to the Commiffioners appointed to inquire into naval abuses—and they in their report→→

General Maitland fpoke to order; he faid he thought the learned Gentleman was not in order in alluding to the report of the Commiffioners in fpeaking to the motion of the petition being brought up.

Dr. Laurence conceived himfelf to be ftriatly in order; the prayer of the petition was, that the powers of those Commiffioners might be enlarged fo far as to inquire into the VOL. IV. 1802-3. proceedings

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proceedings of the Courts, and they in their laft report have cat a reflection on the proceedings of thofe Courts. He wifhed the inquiry might go on it it was poflible; but he hoped if it did, it would be complete, and extend, to the grievances and injuries complained of on both fides; he had heard much talk of fictitious appeals again the captors, but he believed there were as many on the other fide.

Mr. Johnstone could not agree with the right hon. and learned Gentleman who spoke laft, that there was any thing extraordinary in the petition. He was certain there could not be any perfon in the navy or in the country that could have the leaft difrefpect for the right hon. and learned Gentleman at the head of that Court. He would not, however, detain the House now, but when the bill came forward, he had feveral cafes to mention, which would evince that most intolerable grievances had existed in the proceedings of these Courts.

Sir W. Scott and Dr. Laurence each faid a few words in explanation.

Captain Harvey faid, the petition was put into his hands unfolicited; many of thofe who had figued it were his particular friends; many of them totally unknown to him. He had been defired to prefent it, and as it came into his hands ohe had prefented it to the House.

The petition was then ordered to lie on the table.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer defired the House to ob ferve, that in not objecting to the motion for the petition to lie on the table, he did not by any means bind himself to fupport the meafure. He would not with to treat it by a refufal with any mark of difrefpe& or harthness, as it came from perfons highly refpectable, and related to matters truly important fo far, and fo far only, he had acceded to the motion.

A meffage from the Lords informed the Houfe, that their Lordships had agreed to the prize-goods bill, and the Irish juftices bill, without any amendments, and to the Bristol harbour bill, with feveral amendments, to which they defired the concurrence of the House.

The bill for removing doubts refpeting the validity of affignments, in purfuance of the 7th article of the treaty with the United States of America, &c. and the bill to extend the powers of Courts of Juftice in Upper and Lower Canada, were feverally read a firft, and ordered to be read a fecond time the next day.

DEFENCE

DEFENCE OF THE NATION.

Colonel Craufurd role to make the motion of which he gave notice fome days ago. Before he entered into the fubject, he said he would affure the Houfe that it was his intention ftudiously to abstain from any details which, from being made public, might have the fmalleft chance to prove of an injurious tendency to the fituation of the country: he therefore hoped the House would fo far honour him with their indulgence as to give him a patient hearing He thought, however, that all this secrecy was needlefs. There could be no doubt but the fituation of the country and its coafts was well known to the enemy; that our plans were also known to the enemy. If we could take a peep into the Bureau de la Guerre, or into Bonaparte's cabinet, we thould find plans

Mr. Frankland here rofe to order, and moved, that the gallery be cleared, which was done accordingly.

After much conversation, Colonel Craufurd agreed to withdraw his motion.

Mr. Fox moved a provifion in favour of the Prince of Wales's cavalry, giving to his Royal Highness more power than he had at prefent; on which the Houfe divided-Ayes, 61-Noes, 38.

Adjourned.

HOUSE OF LORDS.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3.

The Eaft India fhipping bill was read a third time, and paffed.

The Scotch cotton weavers' bill was read a third time, and paffed.

The Irish tea bill was read a fecond time.

The port duty bill, and cuftoms regulation bill, were coma mitted. Adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3..

Mr. Langmeade brought up a petition from the ship owners of Yarmouth, against the Bell Rock light-houfe bill. Ordered to lie on the table.

A perfon from the commiffioners of Westminster-bridge

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brought

brought up the annual accounts.

Ordered to lie on the

table.

A meffage from the Lords informed the House, that their Lordships had agreed to the Eaft-India fhip owners extraordi-nary allowance bill, and the Scotch cotton manufacturers' bill, without any amendments.

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The order of the day was read for taking into confideration the amendments of the Lords to the Bristol harbour bill. On the question that they be read a second time,

Mr. Henderson oppofed it, becaufe, he faid, one of the amendments militated directly against a rule of the House, which had been most strictly adhered to for a century past, and the House bad always fhewn its jealoufy of the Lords trenching on their privileges. It was a rule that their Lordthips could not charge eftates nor discharge them, nor could they alter any rate. One of the amendments, in his opinion, went to the alteration of a rate. He therefore moved, that they be taken into confideration that day three months,

Mr. Bragge, contended, that the amendments in question did not tend to charge any one, or to take off any charge, nor did it alter any rate, therefore the hon. Member's objection did not apply..

Mr. Henderson persisted in his former opinion.

Mr. Hobhoufe faid, he was inclined to think the objection of the hon. Member to the amendments alluded to, was not valid, from the circumftance of the Speaker's not having noticed it as trenching on the privileges of the Houfe, when the amendments were firft brought in. He had always obferved the right honourable Gentleman in the chair extremely jealous of the privileges of the Houfe being infringed, and that he never omitted to notice fuch amendments, the mo ment a bill containing them came into the Houfe, and to acquaint the Houfe of the infringements on their privileges. He was therefore in favour of the amendments being now confidered.

The Speaker took a view of the bill, and concluded by giving his opinion, that the amendments objected to did not affect the privileges of the House.

The amendments were then read a fecond time, and agreed to; and it was ordered, that, the Lords be acquainted therewith.

The Secretary at War moved for leave to bring in a bill to amend the act lately paffed for the better defence of the realm (the Levy en Maffe). He gave a brief sketch of the amendments he meant to propofe. As the act now stood, he faid

his Majefty could only fufpend the execution of it in any dif trict where three-fourths of the number were raised by volunteers. It 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 cates as he thought proper, where lefs than three-fourths were raised by volunteers. The fecond was a more ftrict provision 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 alfo, thofe 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 present they were restricted 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 firft 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 paffed. The American affignments bill was read a fecond time, and ordered to be committed 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 instances, 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 second 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