Mr. Hobhouse brought up the report of the committee on the Scotch distillery acts; and it was ordered, that the resolution form a part of the new bill to be brought in. - Mr. Hobhouse brought up the report on the slave trade bill, which was ordered to be taken into farther consideration on Friday.

Sir John Newport moved for leave to bring in a bill, for more effectually regulating and providing for the relief of the poor, and for the better management of hospitals and infirinaries in Ireland. His object was to enable the grand juries to raise a further sum than what they were empowered to do under the acts 11 and 20 Geo. III. for making provision for the poor, and assisting houses of industry. He proposed, that the poorer classes of housekeepers should. be exempt from the rate, and that means should be taken for procuring regular returns of the revenue and expenditure of hospitals, and for the better auditing of their ac

.counts.

Mr. Foster objected to bringing forward a bill of this nature at so late a period of the session and when so many Irish members were absent. This he called a new mode of legislation, which had been lately adopted by the right honourable baronet.

Sir J. Newport replied, that there was as great a proportion of Irish members in the house the preceding day as was usually to be found during the session. The honourable member's objection therefore was of no force.

Mr. Wellesley Pole wished, that time should be given for Irish members to consult their constituents on the subject.

Colonel Bagwell represented the situation of the poor in Ireland as requiring immediate attention, and calling for the interference of the legislature. Leave was then granted.

A message from the lords then desired a present conference with the commons, in the painted chamber, on the subject of the resolution respecting the slave trade.

On the motion of Lord Howick the House agreed to an immediate conference; and the messenger being called in, was informed by the Speaker, that the House had agreed to the same; and the managers of the late conference, with several other members, were appointed to conduct the present. The managers having returned in a short time, Lord

1

Henry

Henry Petty informed the House of the result of the conference, namely, that the Lords had taken into consider-, ation their resolution of the 13th of June, and concurred with the Commons in the said resolution.

Mr. Bastard moved for an immediate return to an order of the House of the 18th instant, so far as related to certain orders of the secretary of state for the home department respecting volunteer clothing.

Mr. Windham observed, that clothing had been issued to those volunteers only, to whom it was due, in April last, and that no inference was to be drawn from this, with regard to the future intentions of government on the subject.. A return was then ordered to be made forthwith.

Sir W. Young gave notice, that unless an honourable gentleman brought forward a motion for deciding on the Oude charge before Wednesday next, he was authorised to say, that his noble friend (Lord Temple) would propose a motion to that purpose on that day.

Mr. Paull replied, that he had not the most distant idea of doing so then; and he thought it impossible that the House could be prepared for coming to a decision so soon.

On the motion of the Lord Advocate of Scotland, there was ordered to be laid before the House, an account of all vessels, with their tonnage, entering inwards and clearing outwards from the north and east coasts of Scotland, and from the town of Berwick, for the three last years.

Mr. Alexander brought up the report of the committee of the whole House respecting Greenwich hospital, and the naval chest, and bills were ordered to be brought in pursuant to the two resolutions.

On the motion of Lord Howick, the House then resolved itself into a committee, when his lordship proposed that the sum of Il. 13s. 4d. per cent. be granted out of the proceeds of all prizes taken from the enemy, or destroyed, for the benefit of Greenwich hospital; and 2diy, that the sum of 31. 6s. 8d. per cent. be granted out of the proceeds of the said prizes, for the benefit of the chest. Report to be received the next day.

PRINTING OF THE FIRST OUDE CHARGE.

Mr. Paul then moved, that the fist Oude charge be printed. He conceived that no objection would be made to

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the motion, as the evidence on which the charge was found ed was now before the House.

Sir A. Wellesley opposed the motion, and stated what the House had already done on the subject. The first reso lution of the House for printing it had been rescinded next day. The reasons were, that no evidence was then before the House, and also that a charge of such a nature should not be eventually circulated through the country, before the House could take it into consideration. It did not appear that the House would be able to enter into this charge respecting money transactions in Oude during the present session, but would be obliged to confine itself to that re specting the affair of Oude. He could not, therefore, see any benefit that would arise from printing it, while the cha racter of his noble relative might, in the mean time, re, ceive essential injury; and he therefore trusted that the House would adhere to its former determination.

Lord A. Hamilton supported the motion, and contended that the House was now in a different situation from what it had been formerly in, when it resolved that the charge should not be printed. It seemed then to be agreed, that the proper time for printing it would be when the evidence was before the House; and now that the principal papers were before them, it was proper that they should be fully enabled to compare the evidence with the charge.

Mr. Rose was of opinion, that the House would derive no advantage from printing the charge at present, while the character of the noble lord might receive no trifling injury from its circulation during the recess of Parliament.

Lord Douglas supported the motion, and took that opportunity of declaring that he saw nothing in the charge but what was supported by the papers before the House. Mr. Windham asked what was the reason for printing at all? Was it not for the use of the members? And papers the more numerous and complicated these papers were, it became the more important that the charge which they were produced to support, should also be printed, that the House might be fully able to compare the one with the other. It had been said, that false impressions would be produced; but he did not see much danger of that. A great deal of evidence had already been produced in defence of the noble lord, and more was on the point of being so; the danger of exparte representation would therefore be much diminished. The sooner the House had the charge

in

in their hands, and the longer it was in their possession, the better able would they be to come to a proper decision upon it. He did not like the principle of deferring the printing of the charge till all the evidence in defence was before the House. That evidence might be staved off till the day of trial, and thus prevent the charge itself from be ing fully weighed.

Lord Castlereagh thought that no practical benefit could arise from printing the charge, till they were in possession of the evidence on the part of the defence, as well as of that on the side of the prosecution. He should therefore appeal to the candour of the House, whether, in justice to the noble lord, it could be done during the present session. He had no hesitation in saying, from what he had seen of the evidence, that the charge itself would not fall heavily on the noble marquis. He thought the honourable gentleman premature in his motion, and that the first moment when the charge should be printed,. was when the evidence on both sides was before the House.

Lord H. Petty conceived, that the proper time for printing the charge was, when the evidence brought to support it was before the House, and when a fair comparison of the two could be made. With regard to its affecting the character of the noble lord, he would ask, why was the evi dence in support of the charge ordered to be printed; since it also might produce a partial opinion in the minds of those who perused it?

Sir A. Wellesley explained, and stated, that not a single paper of defence had yet been produced.

Mr. Bankes observed, that charges of such a nature. could not be confined to the House, but would be circulated all over the country. Was it decent that this should take place long before the House had it in their power to come to a decision? No possible advantage could result from printing the charge, while great prejudice might be done to the noble lord; every principle of justice, therefore, must compel the House to withhold its assent to the motion. The evidence was printed from the very necessity of tho case, but no such necessity required that the charge should be printed.

Mr. Grant observed, that the eyes of India, and of the empire in general, were fixed upon the conduct of the House in this business. With regard to the objections urged against the publication of ex parte statements, he was

surprised

surprised at the quarter from whence they proceeded. For he would ask, whether various papers and ex parte statements were not circulated by the friends of the noble marquis, though not among the public, yet among those who were to decide upon the great question to which the motion. before the House referred ?

Mr. Martin did not conceive that there could be any serious objections to the printing. For his part, if any gentleman should propose that copies of it, written in a fine text hand, should be made exclusively for the members, he had no objection; but while it was allowed that every member had a right to take a copy of the charge, he saw no means of keeping it altogether from the public, or preventing them from forming some opinion upon it. The final judgment upon the charge would be with that House, and he did not perceive that it could be of any consequence what opinion was hastily adopted elsewhere upon the subject.

Mr. Alexander thought it would be unfair that the charge should be printed before the evidence was also printed on which it was founded. It was not only in this country that it might be injurious to the character of the noble marquis, but the printed charge would also find its way to India, and might there produce an unfavourable impression.

Dr. Laurence considered the grounds of opposition to this motion as of a most extraordinary nature. The charges against Warren Hastings had, it was well known, remained on the table and were printed above eighteen months be fore they were taken into consideration; and yet it was now argued that the charge before the House should not be printed until the shortest possible time before the House should be called on to decide upon it. But no one attempted to argue in this way excepting those who, he had no he sitation in saying, were the avowed friends, supporters, and advocates of the noble marquis: and would the House allow itself to be dictated to by them? If so, there must, of course, be an end to all hopes of justice in the case. He recollected the story of Sir John Hensey, who was found guilty of high treason; but there was a polite attorney general in that time, who declined to bring him to judgment until the traitor should himself think proper; and that time never coming, the traitor of course was never brought to judgment. Now, in this case he apprehended that if

the