was an unwarrantable extenfion of the power of impreffing carriages for his Majefty's fervice. They had been ufed, he faid, not only for conveying baggage, but troops and naval stores. A motion was made for the Houfe to adjourn to Monday the 17th.-Agreed. Lord Hawkesbury, after moving the order of the day for confidering the corn report, wished to poftpone its further confideration... The report was then brought up and read, and ordered to be taken into further confideration on Monday the 17th, The order of the day for confidering the bill for the further encouragement of the importation of corn and flour, was poftponed till Monday the 17th. Lord Hawkesbury moved the order of the day, to confider of the bill for encouraging the growth of potatoes, when a conversation took place refpecting the meaning of the words wafte and common, as applied to land; in fome fenfes they might evidently mean too much, and in others to little, Mr. Jolliffe thought the former word fufficiently expreffive of that defcription of land which it was proper to appropriate to the cultivation of potatoes, and wished to divide on the propriety of leaving out the word, "commons;" but on counting the Houfe, and thirty-three members only being present, an adjournment neceffarily took place. HOUSE OF LORDS. Monday, March 17. THE Ivelchefter Inclofure Bill was read a third time and paffed. The National Debt Reduction Bill; the Bill to prohibit the confumption of Wheat Flour in the manufacture of Starch; and the Hull Pilotage Bill were read a fecond time. Counfel were heard on an appeal from a decree of the Court of Chancery, Fisher v. Sir John Eamer, Knight. Adjourned.. HOUSE OF COMMONS. THE Committee on the bill for a more extended cultiva tion of potatoes was poftponed,. Sir Charles Bunbury moved, that the Committee on the bill for the better maintenance and employment of the poor be alfo deferred till Wednesday the 19th.-Agreed to. Sir John Sinclair gave notice that he would fubmit a mo tion to the House refpecting fome more effectual means of improving wafte lands. Mr. Samuel Thornton gave notice that on Friday the 21st he would trouble the House with a motion for putting into force an existing law, in order to procure a better fupply of fish for the metropolis. Sir William Lemon moved that there be laid before the Houfe an account of the quantity and average price of copper used in his Majefty's navy for these two years past.Ordered. Lord Hawkesbury moved that the Houfe do to-morrow refolve itself into a Committee, to confider of the state of the copper trade and copper mines in this kingdom. Mr. Simeon gave notice that he would make a motion, the object of which was to enable courts of equity to make transfers of stock in the bank. SCARCITY OF CORN.' The House then refolved itfelf into a Committee upon the Corn Importation Bill, Mr. Wallace in the chair; and Mr. S. Thornten moved, that the bounty on the impor tation of corn from the Baltic be the difference between the average price and 85s. inftead of gos. Mr. Jeffrey (of Pool) rofe to re-state and infift upon the the objections which he had on a former occafion urged against the Bill. He was particularly adverfe to offering bounties on fuch occafions; for fuch bounties he was convinced were big with impofitions and frauds, and the fooner they were done away the better, for they only tended to plunder the public purfe. Indeed they could not properly be called bounties; they were nothing more than indemnities of a fallacious and deceptious nature. He had other material objections to the bill, as it appeared to him that it muft be altogether mifunderstood by the merchants here and the fpeculator abroad. To prove this pofition the Honourable Gentleman went into a variety of calculations refpecting the different prices which corn of different qualities would fetch when imported from America, or the Baltic, or when it was brought to fale in different ports of Scotland and Wales. In thefe circumstances, he contended, that the corn merchants would be wholly deceived with regard to the amount of the bounty they were to receive. To him it evidently appeared that great imperfection exifted in the manner in which the average price was attempted to be afcertained: nor could he fee upon what grounds the fame advantages were refufed to importers from the Baltic that that were held out to those who imported corn from the Mediterranean and America.-If fuch a partiality was perfifted in in favour of importers from America and the Mediterranean, it would create a difcouragement and difguft in the minds of the traders from the Baltic, which would induce them to withold their cargoes altogether. The Honourable Gentleman next proceeded to prove that we could expect but a very small fupply from America. Flour was there forty-five fhillings abarrel, or about ninety fhillings per fack. Was it then likely that any attempt would be made to fpeculate on the profit that might propably accrue from importing corn from that country. In Canada the price was nearly fixty fhillings. Our expectations from thence muft alfo fall fhort; in proportion, therefore, as our profpects from America were difcouraging, the more should we invite and encourage the importation of corn from the Baltic; it was his wifh, therefore, that under thefe circumftances we should hold out the fame indemnity to the latter as to the former; if there was any doubt refpecting the truth of the affertions he had made, he was ready to bring the moft refpectable evidence to the bar of the House in proof of what he had advanced. Lord Hawkefoury was at a lofs to discover upon what grounds the fame bounty fhould be granted on corn imported from the Baltic as on that imported from the Mediterranean and America. The Committee made it 85s. for the Baltic that he looked upon as too much rather than too little, when he confidered the difference of the expence arifing from freight, &c. of corn imported from the Baltic and that brought from America and the Mediterranean. The freight from the Baltic would not exceed 18 fhillings; that from America amounted to 30 or 33. The Honourable Gentleman has faid that flour in America was 90 fhillings per fack.In this he could fee no objection to the prefent measure, as the merchant importing grain from thence would have the advantage of the price above go fhillings, and would moreover be sure of a profit if flour exceeded that price. It was not likely that much corn could be had in Wales; lefs likely was it that much could be fpared from Scotland. To thefe objections it was therefore unneceflary to anfwer. All he withed the measure to provide for, was to enfure an idemnity against lofs. The Chancellor of the Exchequer contended, that the obvious and neceffary refult of the measures which the Committee had adopted, was to procure as much corn from every corner of the world as could be well spared; and from the information which came before the Committee, we were juftified in indulging a hope that a large quantity might be procured. The measures adopted by the Committee also tended to procure an early fupply, which would contribute much to lower the price of corn, which ufually ran high before the new harvest came in. The encouragement held out to the importation of corn must prove useful in a double view. It would not only procure a supply of grain, but it would also tend to prevent the mischiefs arifing from fpeculations and collufion at home. As to the obfervations made by the Honourable Gentleman (Mr. Jeffrey) refpecting bounties, he was ready to agree with him in the general principle; but the general principle had nothing to do with the prefent measure-it went on a principle completely the reverse of all thefe exploded bounties-it might be regarded as a species of infurance to prevent too severe a lofs on the part of the importers. It was well known that the merchants who fpeculated in this article in the year 1796, had fuftained great lofs, as the price of corn fell very materially after a fhort time. This would deter them from fuch hazardous fpeculations at prefent, and out of the apprehenfions of the merchant on this head principally arofe our hope. There was, however, no profpect of fuch a rapid fall as that which occured in 1796, at least before a fupply was procured; but it was ftill proper to hold out the encouragement that must arife from a probability of fome profit, and a security against any lofs. He entirely, concurred with his noble friend (Lord Hawkesbury) that the difference in the freight between the Baltic and America fully justified the difference in the bounty. From the Baltic the voyage was comparatively very fhort. therefore be more likely to encourage fpeculation than This might where the voyage was long; for it was not probable that the price should materially alter in fo fhort an interval. It was therefore but just to make a different rate for the Baltic. The Honourable Gentleman fays, that the price of corn may be different in different parts of the country; but if large fupplies are brought to ports of the kingdom where the price is high, they will alfo relieve the greater fcarcity that may prevail in these districts; befides, the price cannot become low in one quarter without influencing it in every other. On every view of the fubject it appeared to him that the measures purfued by the Committee would not only have the effect of procuring the greateft quantity poflible of corn corn, but also of making it the intereft of the importér to fecure the best quality. Mr. Dent was not altogether fatisfied with the proceedings of the Committee. If there was no real fcarcity, the Committee had gone too far; they had raised a confiderable degree of alarm, which inftigated, among other exceffes, to the burning of quantities of wheat belonging to iudividuals; if a scarcity did really exift, they had not gone far enough. In his opinion, more certain means might have been employed to afcertain the quantity of corn in the country. The clergy, for example, might have infpected into the quantity which might be found in each parish. As to an equal bounty being granted on corn imported from the Baltic, he perfectly agreed with the Honourable Gentleman who had fo ably contended for that point. The Chancellor of the Exchequer wished to enter his most folemn and decided proteft against any motion or measure which went to introduce any thing like an inquifitoral enquiry into private property. If a receipt were attempted to be given for aggravating the evil of a fcarcity, and for expofing the country to repeated alarms, or real dangers of a famine, none could be more effectual than surprising the legislature into a fanction of fuch a measure. It would violate every principle out of which grew the activity of commerce, and the rewards of industry, and dry up the principal fcources from which national profperity and wealth. were known to spring. Lord Belgrave was against extending the bounty to the Baltic, and recommended relief being granted only to those where individuals could prove that a lofs was bona fide incurred. It was alfo the Noble Lord's opinion that the bounty fhould be paid only till the end of July and not to go onto end of Auguft. Other individuals might accumulate great advantages, and the public be exposed to great loss, as the price might fall as it did in the year 1796. The Chancellor of the Exchequer could fee no foundation for fuch apprehenfions. The Noble Lord's propofal might moreover be attended with very dangerous confequences. There could be no benefit derived from the new harvest till October; and July and August might be the months in which the scarcity would be moft feverely felt; befides, the price of corn ufually rofe as the new harveft was coming in, and this afforded another reafon for encouraging a fupply. from abroad. Colonel Elford entered into a juftification of the conduct |