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nature that was not distributable under the prize act, so that no right vested in the captor. He knew of no inftance fince the reign of Queen Anne, where a liberal remuneration had not been given in fuch cafes. In the prefent a number of years, 11 or 12, had elapfed fince the event, and the King, in his munificence and liberality, was pleafed to make a grant of the whole. All the circumstances were under the confideration of the Crown, and it was the royal decifion that the whole fhould be granted.

The queftion being called for, the fame was put, on which the amendment was negatived; and the refolution of the Committee of Supply, that a fum not exceeding 265,3361. be grauted, &c. was formally ratified by the Houfe.

Mr. Dent notified his intention to move on Monday fe'nnight, for leave to bring in a bill to amend the act for raifing the fum of 18 millions by way of annuity, known by the name of the loyalty loan.

The hon. Gentleman then prefented a petition from certain barley growers in the county of Lincoln, which was ordered to lie on the table.

Adjourned till Thursday next.

HOUSE OF LORD S.

THURSDAY, APRIL 5.

The Earl of Westmeath, one of the Irish reprefentative Peers, and Lord Grey de Howic, were fworn and took their feats.

Mr. Fowler, from the commiffioners of the cuftoms, prefented an account of the balances and arrears due from the feveral collectors at the ports in England, on the 5th of Janury laft, as far as the fame could be made up. Ordered to lie on the table.

The bills upon the table were forwarded in their refpective stages.

The order for committing the Scotch bank bill was dif charged, and renewed for the next day.

The Earl of Dartmouth reported his Majefty's answer to a recent addrefs of their Lordthips, refpecting the production of certain papers, the effect of which was, that his Majefty would give directions accordingly.

VOLUNTEER REGULATIONS BILL.

The order of the day being read, for the Houfe to refolve itfelf into a Committee upon this bill,

Lord Grenville obferved, that with refpect to a very important fubject, forming a part of the prefent bill, and which had undergone fome difcuffion previous to the recefs, namely the prerogative of his Majefty to call out the population of the country, it was not his intention to offer any obfervations upon it in the Committee, as he propofed on a future day to bring in a bill upon the subject.

Their Lordships then went into a Committee upon the bill, Lord Wallingham in the chair.

The confideration of the preamble being poftponed, the Committee proceeded to difcufs the claufes and provifions of the bill, and feveral amendments were propofed by Lord Grenville. One of thefe related to the exemptions. The noble Lord obferved, it thould be clear and explicit, how far the exemptions, in certain cafes, were meant to be extended. This was by no means the cafe, as the bill then tood; as, to qualify for thefe, it was neceffary that returns of certain attendances at exercife, &c. fhould be made at three diftin&t periods of the year: the first of thofe was on or before the ift of January in each year, and the last was on the 21ft of September. How a return could be made before the ift of January in each year, was to him inexplicable, yet fo it was provided in the bill; and with refpect to thofe volunteers who did not attend the days of exercife, &c. until after the 21ft of September, as numbers of the working people could not, on account of the harveft, or other neceffary occupations, great doubts obtained as the law at prefent ftood. With a view to obviate these doubts, and to place that part of the measure under fome fyftematic regulation, he moved an amendment to the effect, that no volunteers included in the returns made between the ft of May 1803, and the 1ft of May 1804, fhould be liable to any ballot which took place before the ift of Auguft 1804.

Lord Hawkesbury obferved, that what fell from the noble Lord chiefly referred to the principle of the bill, and not to any part which could regularly fall under the confideration of a Committee. The operation of the bill was for the most part profpective; its object was to repeal the exifting acts upon the fubject; and to provide a fyftem for the future regulation of the volunteer corps. He ditapproved of the noble Lord's amendment.

Lord

Lord Harrowby made fome obfervations upon what he confidered as the total want of fyftem or confiftency in the conduct of Minifters with refpect to the volunteer corps, and adverted to certain parts of the bill in illuftration of his pofition.

Lord King fupported what had fallen from Lord Grenville upon the fubject.

The Lord Chancellor vindicated the conduct of Government upon the fubject in queftion. The noble Lord alfo took occafion to vindicate the conduct of the law officers of the Crown, with refpect to the opinions given, &c. and with which undue licence had been taken; he did not mean. in parliamentary debates, but in pamphlets, and other modes of public difcuffion, where thefe respectable Gentlemen had not an opportunity of defending themselves. He thought this rather hard. He obferved, that on the occafion alluded to, the former courfe of practice had been followed. They fhould confider the impracticability of framing an act fo as to meet every poffible cafe, and to obviate every contingent difficulty. He remarked upon the far greater facility to find fault than to amend.

Lords Grenville and Harrowby spoke in explanation, and feverally difclaimed an intention in what they had faid, to reflect in the flighteft degree upon his Majefty's prefent law officers: the latter Peer profeffed the warmest perfonal friendship for the learned Attorney General.

Lord Hawkesbury thought the courfe adopted with refpect to taking the opinion of his Majefty's law officers, as to the conftruction of the acts, was preferable to promulgating what might be the interpretation of Minifters thereof, and much more fatisfactory to individuals.

The amendment propofed by Lord Grenville was negatived.

On the claufe which went to authorize his Majefty to accept the fervices of additional corps of yeomanry or volunteers, a difcuffion took place.

Lord Grenville contended for the impolicy, in the prefent circumftances of the country, of increafing the number of volunteer corps, or of the number of men to which they now actually amount. He thought, fo far from entertaining an idea of increafing the number of corps, a provifion fhould be made for incorporating fmaller bodies, fo as to render the force in general more fufceptible of fyftematic regulation. Under thefe impreffions he propofed the omiffion of the words in the claufe which enacted as above.

This propofition was oppofed by the Earl of Weftmoreland, the Lord Chancellor, Lord Hawkesbury, and other Peers. One of the leading arguments was, the impolicy of depriving the King of the power of accepting fuch of fers as might be made to replace thofe volunteers who may retire, now an unlimited power of refignation was recognifed; it was not contended that the number of corps ought to be increased, and ftill lefs that the aggregate number, with a reference to the other military fervices of the country, fhould be increafed beyond its prefent amount.

The Lord Chancellor particularly remarked the inconfiftency of those who profeffed to cenfure Government at one time for repreffing the zeal and energy of volunteers in coming forward, and now blamed Minifters for keeping them up in too great numbers. He believed there was not a fingle volunteer who would, in the event of invasion, take advantage of his power of refignation, but would come forward and die, if neceffary, in the defence of the country.

Lord Grenville argued in defence of his propofition, and noticing what had fallen from a noble Lord (Auckland), refpecting the impropriety, under the prefent circumftances, of rendering the country diffident of his Majefty's prefent Government, he faid he for one ftrongly felt a diffidence. He had affigned his reafon for fuch, and it was his object to inspire their Lordships alfo with a fimilar diffidence.

Lord Hobart, in remarking upon the noble Lord's confident affertions of the difficulties thrown in the way of the volunteer fyftem, obferved, that did fuch clogs and diffculties exift, the numbers could never have fwelled to their prefent amount.

The Duke of Montrofe differed from the noble Lord (Grenville) in many of his pofitions, and feemed to think the power should be given, when the liberty of refignation was confidered, to his Majefty to accept the future offers of fervice by volunteers.

The queftion was then put, and the claufe ordered to ftand in its original form.

One or two other amendments proposed by Lord Grenville were also negatived.

On the clause relative to the exemptions from compulfory fervice, a difcuffion took place.

Lord Grenville viewed the fubftance of that claufe as a measure of partiality, from the very obvious nature of its

tendency,

tendency, and as a measure which was framed on principles directly oppofite to thofe principles of freedom and equal diftribution of juftice which are the pride and glory of a British conftitution. His Lordfhip concluded by mov ing an amendment, in fubftance purporting that thofe whofe fervices fhail be hereafter accepted of fhall not be entitled to exemption.

Lord Hawkesbury ftated, that the exemptions were regulated in the moft equal manner poffible. Exemptions had been granted to fome perfons by the Legislature, under à former act. He fubmitted to their Lordthips if it was not juft that the fervice of thofe, whofe offer was not only coextenfive but in fome inftances more extended, fhould be confidered as fairly entitled to the privileges or immunities which had been granted by the former act?

Lord Harrowby called to their Lordships' attention the probability of feveral having entered into volunteer corps with other views than that of defending their country against a threatened invafion. The minds of men were not altogether fo pure that we could fairly fuppofe that when they found themselves threatened with a very fevere fervice, they would not, in many inftances, endeavour to commute it for a lighter and an eafier service.

The Earl of Westmoreland declared that he thought it would be impoffible to frame a measure of this description without being liable to fome objection. The invafion which was now impending, or fuppofed to be fo, could not with propriety be reckoned more alarming than any former state of the country, taking in all the circumftances of the cafe, though that was a point which was too generally dwelt upon. Laft war we had fedition at home in Great Britain, rebellion in Ireland, and an enemy conftantly on the watch to affift the difaffected, and promote the extention of their plans.

Lords Darnley, Carnarvon and King, fupported, the amendment, and urged the impropriety of the claufe in its prefent form.

Lord Bolton allowed the inequality of the operation of the exemptions in fome cafes, but ftated that the prerogative of the Crown fhould be exercised in a liberal and extended view in time of danger.

Lord Grenville declared, that there was no fuch principle admitted in the British conftitution, as that of the Crown having a right to felect any one clafs of its fubjects for exemption, and point out others for military duty; it was ab

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