34 hours; and to the Annual Indemnity Bill. Lord Stanhope rofe pursuant to his promited intention, and said, that after a Jong abfence he deemed it his duty to come down to that House on the fubject of peace. An occurrence had happened which the more invited him, becaufe that peace was offered. which we thought fit to reject. On this account he deemed it incumbent on him to move an Addrefs to his Majefty, that he would be graci oufly pleased to ufe his efforts towards the accomplishment of this defirable object. A divifion took place-Againft the motion, 36-For it, 2. Majority against it, 34. Adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS-Feb. 4. Mr Rofe moved that the part of his Majefty's Meffage relative to the Supply be read, which being read accordingly, he then moved that a Supply be granted to his Majefty, and the Houfe concurring in the fame, he next moved that it be taken into confideration to-morrow in a Committee, which being agreed to, he prefented fome financial accounts. 5. The Houfe in a Committee to take into confideration the Supply to be granted to his Majefty, on the queftion being put by the Chairman, that a Supply be granted, Mr Nicol faid, though he should not oppofe that queftion now, yer when the Specific fum fhould be propofed, it was his intention to oppofe it, as it was for the purpose of carrying on a war, the principle of which was utterly changed, as well as the object. The Committee went through the Re-, Lolution, and the Report was ordered for to-morrow. 10. Mr Sheridan, in pursuance of his notice relative to a Motion of Inquiry concerning the late Expedition to Holland, rofe. He defired that it might be understood, that this was no party quef tion; it was the task and common duty of every man to inquire into the rafon why there was fuch a lavish of British blood and British money, as well as of British character and fame. He admitted, that it Holland could be refcued from France, it was the intereft of this country fo to do, and therefore, as the object was great, the disappointment of obtaining it was in proportion to its magnitude; and he charged the want of common forefight as the cause of that disappointment. Go. vernment, b fore they undertook fo ar duous an enterprize ought to have had pofitive information of the cooperation of that people, and then only embarked in it. He next took a retrofpect of the conduct of the British troops, and their illuftrious Com ander, and paid them the high encomiums due to their courage and exalted heroilm, which he afferted could not be equalled, certainly not be exc eded, confidering the infurmountable difficulties they had to encounter, by any troops in the world; and concluded by faying, that Mifters owed it to their King, to the people, to the army, and to mankind, to Jubmit to an inquiry: expreffing a hope that they would not refift one, he therefore moved, That it be referred to a Committee of the whole House, to confider and inquire into the causes of the failure of the late Expedition to Holland, which being feconded, Mr Dundas faid, that the plan of refcuing Holland was a favourite scheme, and from last spring attracted the parti cular attention of the Government. He hefitated not to fay, that it comprised a threefold confideration; firft, to rescue that country from France; fecondly, to add to the ftrength of this, by diminish. ing her force; and thirdly, by endea. vouring to create diverfions, whereby to diftrefs the refources of the common enemy, and confute his councils,-accomplishing any one of which must be counted an object of the greatest importance. The Right Hon. Secretary then proceeded to a minute detail of the operations of the hips, and of the troops, from the embarkation till the day of the convention, and finally till their return. He reminded the House of the hurricane that retarded their landing, and the opportunity which that and a temporary calm afforded of giving the enemy an opportunity of frengthening themselves, and in the end of defeating our projects, and concluded a very energetic fprech with fiating his oppofition to the motion. Mr Bouverie expreffed his furprise that Minifters fhould refufe an inquiry, and affigu as a reafon that it was very improper to institute one in time of war; for he remarked that when the war would be over, it would be late and ufelefs. Mr Tierney faid, the speech delivered by the Right Hon. Secretary was the moft fingular he ever heard, and condemning it in pointed terms, argued that the motion of his Hon. Friend was juft, neceffary, and reaf, rab'e Mr Sheridan then clofed the debate Parliamentary Proceedings. with an animated reply, and the queftion being loudly called for, the Houfe divided-For the motion, 45-againft it, 216-Mojority, 171. 11. Mr Pitt prefented at the bar of the Houfe a Meffage from the King, to the effect following. That his Majefty thought it right to inform the Houfe of Commons, that in confequence of three hips having arrived from Mogadore, on the coaft of Africa, it was found from the Bills of Health, that their goods had been put on board, attended with very fufpicious circumftances: that his Majefty, with the advice of his Privy Council, and from what transpired refpecting the fame, thought it proper that the fhips and their cargoes fhould be destroyed, conformable to usage; and that the House of Commons fhould confider the allowance that ought to be made to the parties concerned, in confequence of fuch deftruction." Mr Pitt having moved thanks to the King for his gracious communication, ftated, he should now move for a Committee to inveftigate the whole of the matter, whole bufinefs would be to examine the titles of the claimants, and guard against any impofition on the public, as well as prevent a repetition of fuch negligence on the part of the proprietors of fhips in future, as would render any application for Parliamentary aid in like circumstances of no avail. A Committee of seven Members was then appointed accordingly. 13. The Chancellor of the Exchequer brought up the following Meffage from his Majefty: G. R. His Majefty is at present employed in concerting fuch engagements with the Emperor of Germany, the Elector of Bavaria, and other Powers of the Empire, as may ftrengthen the efforts of his Imperial Majefty, and materially conduce to the advantage of the common caufe in the courfe of the ensuing campaign; and his Majefty will give direc tions that thefe engagements, as foon as they hall have been completed and ratified, shall be laid before the House. But, in order to enfure the benefit of this cooperation at an early period, his Majel ty is defirous of authorifing his Minifter to make (provifionally) fuch advances as may be neceffary, in the firft inftance, "for this purpote; and his Majefty recommends it to the Houfe to enable him to make fuch provifion accordingly. The Meffage being read, A GR. 297 it was his intention to move in a Com. mittee of Supply on Monday that 500,000l. be granted to his Majefty for the above purpose. Mr Sheridan wifhed to know whether as great a Ruffian force would be employed as in the laft campaign. Mr Pitt faid, want of immediate communication prevented him giving a direct anfwer, but affured him the Emperor of Ruffia was likely to act in concert, though not in the particular direction which he did last year: at the fame time that the Ruffian force was not likely to be fo large as that employed in the laft cam'paign. The Attorney General, after a short preface, wherein he flated that no occurrence or change had happened fince laft year, when he brought in a Bill fimilar to the prefent, and that the fame neceffi ty exifted for its continuance, moved for leave to bring in a Bill to continue the further fufpenfion of the Habeas Corpus A&t until the 1ft of March 1801. Mr Sheridan reprobated the measure. In his opinion, all the warrants iffed, and all the imprisonments inflicted, under this Sufpenfion Bill were illegal, and that Minifters would hereafter be obliged to apply to Parliament for an Indemnity Bill, in confequence of their unconftitutional conduct in thefe particulars. He then moved an amendment to the motion, viz. “wherever it fhall appear manifest that it is necessary.” This brought on a converfation with the Speaker, Mr Pitt, the Mafter of the Rolls, and Mr Sheridan, when the motion, as diforderly, was over ruled, and the Houfe divided on the original queftion-For the Motion, 69-against it, 9 -Majority, 60. The Bill was brought in, read a first time, and ordered for a fecond reading on Tuesday next, on which day Mr Sheridan gave notice of oppofing it. 14. The Order of the Day being read, for taking into confideration his Majefty's Meffage, Mr Pitt faid it was not his intention to go into the subject of that Meffage this day, but on Monday next he should move for an advance of 500,000l. to enable his Majefty to carry into effect, without delay, the purport of his gracious Meffage, which, on his motion, was then referred to a Committee of Supply on Monday. 17. A Meffage was received from the Lords, acquainting the Houfe of their The Chancellor of the Exchequer faid_Lordships' intention of making commu Ed. Mag. Apr. 1800. PP nications nications to that Houfe, of the refult of their daily inquiries into the causes of the present scarcity of Bread Corn, and requesting a mu ual co-operation and communication on the fubject from the Compons. The Meffage being received, the Spoker fignified to the Meffenger the compliance of that Houfe with the defire of the House of Lords. The Houfe in a Committee of Supply, and the King's Meffage being read, Mr Pitt faid, that as the House had deemed it requifite to purfue a vigorous fyftem of warfare, with a view of fecuring, beyond the poffibility of chance or fate, the permanent fecurity of this realm, he was of opinion few remarks would be neceffary. He would undertake to affert, that by the pending negotiation more real effect would be given to the enfuing campaign, than any hitherto obfained, and therefore to both thefe deferiptions he would continue to recom mend a fteadiness of effort more in proportion than heretofore, as the magnitude of the measure the more increased. There rexifted a difficulty, on account of the feafon of the year, of communication between the Powers of Europe and this Country, which prevented treaties entered into from being fubmitted to that House, but the inftant they should be ratified, they would be prefented. In the interim, he had no hesitation in announcing, that the fum to be paid conditionally in confequence of this last treaty, would not exceed 2,500,000l. He then moved, that a fum not exceeding 5co,oool. be granted to his Majefty, to enable him to make fuch advances as would infure a fteady and speedy co-operation with his Allies against the efforts of the common enemy. Mr Nichol declared that this treaty was the most offenfive of the kind that Great Britain ever embarked in. He faid it was a lavish abufe of the public money, at a time when the country could not afford it at a time when it required upwards of two millions quarters of wheat to fupply the actual deficiency that exifted until the end of harveft next. Corn and money, however, were not the only articles of life that were likely to be carce hay and turnips promised a fimilar fcarcity. We fhould therefore paule before we confented to give away the money of the people in this wanton manner; and till information is obtained on thofe heads, he was of opinion that the motion for voting away so large a fum of money fhould be poftponed, and the debate adjourned. Mr Bouverie was of opinion, that when a fair overture for peace had been made, it was the duty of Minifters to have accepted it; and he thought, that in rejecting it they acted impolitically and unwifely. Mr Joliffe fupported the propriety of voting for the motion, and thought the Government fhould not be impeded in their efforts to carry on with vigour the war. Mr Tierney faid he was determined not to vote one fhilling for carrying on the war one hour longer, nor one farthing for the reftoration of Royalty. The war was neither juft nor neceffary; the reftoration of Royalty was the unequivocal and primary object : he concluded with giving his negative to the motion. Mr Pitt faid that the object, the real and oftenfible object, of the war was security-security against the moft dangerous and inveterate foe that ever existed in or against any country. He then entered into the ufual strain of fhewing the war was not only just and necessary, but unavoidable, and noticed the illiberality of introducing in the debate the circumftance of the fcarcity of corn, which was ever coupled with the war, for the moft mischievous defigns. Proceeding next to the circumftances of the apparent defection of the Ruffians, which he stated would not affect the general caufe, he said that he was happy in being able to state, that we had lately obtained a very confiderable fupply of corn, and he entertained not a fhadow of doubt but we fhould have quite fufficient to meet all the wants of the people; at the fame time he did not hesitate to declare, that it even the cafe were otherwife, that fhould not deter him from profecuting with the utmost vigour the war; for ftill he was proud enough to aver, that we poffeffed refources abundantly fufficient to fupply ourf-lves with corn, and to carry on the war. Mr Wilberforce juftified the neceffity of the war, which he contended was a war against Jacobinism; but even which his Right Hon. Friend was as defirous to put an end to as any man on earth. Mr Sheridan, in a very animated fpeech, urged with many very forcible arguments his opinion, that Bonaparte was capable and defirous of making Peace, and that Minifters would be obliged one day or other to come down in a slope from the high towers on which they they had been battering at him, and fue him for Peace, and ftating his oppofition to fubfidies altogether, concluded with declaring his refiftance to the motion. The queftion was then called for, and the Houfe divided-For the motion, 162 against it, 19-Majority, 143. The Refolution was then put and carried, and the Report ordered to be brought up. 18. The House in a Committee on the Report of the Select Committee appointed to inquire into the caufes of the prefent Scarcity of Corn, Sir J. W. Auder fon, Bart. in the chair, Lord Hawkesbury, adverting to the A&t of the 13th Geo. III. faid, that the Committee had agreed univerfally in one general opinion, which was, that legiflative interference could have very little effect in any thing that related to the fubject in queftion; all that they at this day deemed to be their duty, was to afcertain the deficiencies of that article, and by fome temporary measure try to remedy them. The average quantity of wheat ufed for bread was eftinated at eight millions of quarters annually; of this neceffary quantity it appeared by the Report, that about one month's fupply for the year was actually wanted, or about 6 or 700.000 quarters of wheat. To make up tha deficiency he thought might be accomplished, if, for the next fix or leven months, ftale bread was ufed inftead of new bread; by this an average of one fortnight might be obtained. The next mode would be, to make bread of fuch a compofition as would take in more of the bran; and the third and laft would be, to encourage the ufe of potatoes. These two latter circumftances, even if we could not import more wheat, would certainly make up the deficiency of the other fortnight. His Lordship then moved, That the Chairman be directed to report for leave to bring in a Bill to prevent Bakers from expofing bread for fale, which has not been baked a certain number of hours. Sir J. Sinclair and Mr Tierney said a few words, and the Refolution was agreed to. 19. Lord Hawkesbury prefented a Bill for prohibiting Bakers from vending bread that had not been baked a certain number of hours; which being read a firft and fecond time, went into a Committee, when the blanks were filled, viz. That its operation fhould commence on the 26th inft. in London, and ten miles round the Royal Exchange; and, from and after the 4th of March, that its powers fhould extend to the rest of Great Britain, where the laws of affize of bread already exift. That the penalty, for every loaf expofed to fale otherwife than as by the Act directed, should be gl. and that before one or more credible juftices, upon the oaths of one or more credible witneffes; and finally, that its powers fhould continue till fix weeks after the next Seffions of Parliament. The Attorney General moved the Order of the Day for the second reading of the H beas Corpus Bill. A divifion enlued-For the fecond reading, 98-1gainst it, 12—Majority, 86. The Bill was then read a fecond ume, and ordered to be committed. 21. The Houfe having refolved iffelf into a Committee on the Bill for 'continuing the Sufpenfion of the Habeas Corpus Act, agreed, on the motion of the Attorney General, that the Act fhuld continue in force till the ift of February next. The Bill was ordered to be read a third time on Monday next. A Meffage from the Lords informed the Houfe, that their Lordships had a greed to certain Refolutions, the object of which was to leffen the Confumption of Bread; and the Lords fent to the Houfe a copy of a paper to which they had put their names, and thereby agreed to diminish the Confumption of Bread in their families, and to abstain from all kinds of Paftry. On the motion of Mr Pitt, the confideration of this Meffage was referred to the Corn Committee. The Houfe, pursuant to the Order of the Day, refolved itfelf into a Commit tee to confider the Act of the 21st of the King, and a person from the Bank baving delivered at the Bar of the "Houfe a propofal from the Corporation, the fame was read. It contained an offer on the part of the Bank, that in confideration of the further extenfion of its Charter for the period of 21 years after the expiration of its prefent Charter, the Bank would advance for the fervice of Government the fum of three millions, the repayment of which was to be fecured by Exchequer Bills, payable at the end of fix years: and that, if the money was not then paid, it was to bear an intereft of five per cent. Mr Pitt faid, that as this fubject was to be difcuffed more fully on a future day, he would trouble the Committee with very few words. He fhould merely take notice of the great advantages which Pp2 the the public muft derive, in cafe the propofal of the Bank fhould be complied with. They would have a loan of three millions, without any intereft, for fix years; at the expiration of which period it was reasonable to conclude that the country would be free from the hoftility in which he was now engaged; and in that cafe the 3 per cents. would not be much below par, fo that a loan could be made on very advantageous terms, for the purpose of repaying this fum to the Bank. He concluded by moving, That i is the opinion of the Committee, that it is expedient to continue to the Bank of England, for the period of twenty-one years, after the year 1812, the privileges fecured them by the Act of the 21ft of Geo. III. on condition of their comply ing with the terms contained in their propofa! to that House Mr Tierney wifhed to know whether the propofal for this renewal firft came from Mr Pitt to the Bank, or from the Bank to the Right Hon. Gentleman. Mr Pitt faid, the propofal was firft made by him to the Bank Directors; was then fubmitted by them after they had approved of it, to the confideration and judgment of a Court of Proprietors, who having approved the fame, in mature deliberation, it came back to him; and from that time he and the Bank Direc tors had acted together. Mr Tierney faid, that the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Bank Directors acting together, was a thing he had never heard of before. The Refolution was agreed to, the Report received, and ordered to be taken into further confideration in the Committee of Supply on Tuesday next. Mr Pitt moved the Order of the Day, that the Houfe fhould go into a Committee of Supply, and moved, That the fum of two millions be granted to his Majefty, to defray the Extraordinaries of the Army. After which he moved the feveral annual estimates for the Sup ply of the enfuing year. The Report was brought up and agreed to. Monday next was appointed for the confideration of further Supply to his Majesty. Adjourned. THE MONTHLY REGISTER FOR APRIL 1800. Interesting Intelligence from the London Gazettes. Admiralty Office, Dec. 7 1799. Copy of a Letter from Admiral Lord Viscount Duncan, to Evan Nepean, Efq. dated Yarmouth, the 3d inft. ployed upon, has been occafioned by my wifh to land 57 French prisoners that compofed the Officers and crew of a very fine fchooner privateer, Le Barras, of 14 guns, belonging to Dunkirk, out four days from Oftend, commanded by Citizen Fromentin; which veffel I captured (the Vigilant hired lugger in company) on the 30th ult, ten leagues N. W. of the Texel. I am happy to add fhe had only made one prize, the Jane of Hull from Sunderland, with coals for Embden; the mafter and part of the feamen I found on board the fchooner, making in all 67 in number. I have the honour to be, &c. J Dunbar. Copy of a Letter from Admiral Lord Dun can, to Evan Nepean, Efq. dated Yarmouth Roads, 4th Dec. 1799. SIR, I take great pleasure in transmitting |