horrent to the very foundation of a free conftitution. But-it appeared to him, that his Majefty's Minifters had no fixed plan or fentiment by which to regulate their conduct. A variety of inftances were to be adduced if neceffary; for the prefent, however, he fhould content himself with noticing one inftance of their inconfiftency: laft February circular letters were fent to the different Lord Lieutenants of counties, defiring them to expedite the levy for the army of referve as much as poffible, and yet now they wished to fufpend the operation of the act by which that force is to be raifed. In fuch perfons he could place no confidence, and in fuch hands was this bill brought forward with so many inconfiftencies and contradictions.

After a few obfervations from Lord Hawkesbury, Lord Winchelfea, and Earl Romney, their Lørdfhips divided. The numbers were,

For the original claufe

For the amendment

Majority

41

30

The Committee then reported progrefs, and had leave to fit again the next day.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

THURSDAY, APRIL 5.

Mr. Dickens, from the Secretary of State's office for Ireland, prefented an account of the exports and imports, in pursuance of a previous order of the House.

A meffage from the Lords announced their concurrence with the innkeepers' allowance bill, and feveral other public and private bills that had paffed the Houfe previously to the recefs.

Mr. Creevey moved, that the order of the day of the 17th inftant, for taking into confideration the petition against the election for the county of Stirling, be read, in order to its being discharged. The order having been read and diftharged accordingly,

Mr. Creevey moved, that the petition be taken into confideration on Tuesday the 1ft of May; which was agreed

to.

Mr. Secretary Yorke, in pursuance of a former order of the Houfe, brought up lifts of fuch militia corps in Ireland as had volunteered their fervices to Great Britain, which VOL. II. 1803-4.

3 A

were

COMMON were ordered to lie on the table, and to be printed for the ufe of the Members.

Certain accounts relating to the armed fhipping of the country were laid before the Houfe, and ordered to be printed. Mr. Vanfittart moved for the production of the accounts of the outstanding Exchequer bills of laft year, which were accordingly ordered.

Mr. Corry brought in a bill to amend the exifting laws for the better regulation of the linen manufactory in Ireland, which was read a firft time, and ordered to be read a fecond time the next day, and to be printed.

Lord Caftlereagh, in purfuance of a previous order of the Houfe, brought up a copy of the correfpondence that had taken place between the Government of India, and the King of Candy, in relation to the caufes of the prefent war, which was ordered to be printed.

Mr. Purdue prefented certain accounts from the Excife office, which were ordered to lie on the table.

The Dublin police bill was read a fecond time and committed.

LISKEARD ELECTION.

Mr. Sheridan moved, that the order of the day for refuming the adjourned debate on the election at Liskeard be read, which having been read accordingly,

The Speaker recalled the attention of the Houfe to the fituation of the debate on the day of its adjournment. The original motion was that the order of the day for taking into confideration the petition of Mr. Hufkiffon on the 9th inft. be read in order to be discharged,

The queftion therefore having been put that the said order be discharged,

Mr. Burroughs oppofed the difcharge of the order. He animadverted particularly on the inconfiftency of Mr. Sheridan oppofing, in the firft inftance, the legality of the return, and on the next day objecting to the legality of the election. He contended, that the petition of Mr. Hufkiffon did not complain of a double return, but of the inconveniency of being prevented from taking his feat, by means of a fehedule annexed to the indenture of his election, purporting to be a return, but which in fact was nothing, as it had not been legally figned by the returning officer He laid the more ftrefs upon this, as neither of the petitions denied the mayor to be the legal returning officer. The queftion to be tried by the Committee, the hon. Gentleman thought, was quite competent to the Houfe, as Mr.

Sheridan

Sheridan had given up the double return, and concluded by urging, that there was no reason whatever for discharging the order in question.

The Secretary at War stated that he had formerly moved the adjournment, in order that Members, as there exifted fome difficulty in regard to the rules of the House on the fubject, might have time to make up their minds, and to afcertain the ufual practice of the Houfe in fuch cafes. The hon. Gentleman who had juft fat down, he thought, had gone much farther than he ought, as the decision of the Houfe on a former day, in referring the queftion of return to a Committee, had completely fuperfeded every opinion in that refpect. But the petition of Mr. Hulkiffon, he contended, did complain of a double return, or a false return, which to all intents and purpofes was the fame thing, fo far as the proceedings of the Houle were concerned, and which equally required the appointment of a Committee. He argued farther, that Mr. Sheridan might withdraw his petition against the return, and fupport, notwithstanding, the rights of his election. The right hon. Gentleman concluded by fupporting the motion.

Mr. Henderfon could not be convinced, notwithstanding all that had been faid, that the return in queftion was a double return; not a fingle allegation even in Mr. Sheridan's petition went to make a double return of fuch a nature as required the interference of the Grenville act. He argued that the conduct of the theriff was highly culpable, and adduced feveral cafes to fhew that the Houfe ought not to be deprived of the prefence of Members, either from caprice in the electors or obftinacy in a difappointed candidate. He argued that no return was good, unless signed by the returning officer; but the return in queftion was not only not figned, but was pofitively refufed to be figned by the mayor, who was allowed on all hands to be the returning officer.

Mr. Sheridan replied to the objections that had been offered. He maintained that Mr. Hufkitfon's petition did complain of a double return, and turned over to the words which he apprehended muft admit of that conftruction. At any rate the double return had been already recognised by the Houfe, inafmuch as they had fent it to a Committee. So far was the conduct of the fheriff not to be condemned, that measures were now taking against the mayor, on account of his obftinacy in refufing to fign the return in question. The double return, however, was not the shape

3A 2

in

in which they wished the bufinefs to go to the Committee, They wished the right only to be confidered, being certain that in that respect they must have a very decided fuperiority.

Mr. Wm. Dundas oprofed the motion from the inconve niency of keeping the Houte empty by fuch measures, and defeating the legal reprefentation of the country. He would appeal to both parties if the fchedule in question was not a paper which they could both with had never exifted; but as he already perceived the inclinations of the House, he was unwilling to trefpafs on their time.

The question was then put and carried, that the order fhould be difcharged.

And on the motion of Mr. Sheridan, the faid petition was ordered to be taken into confideration on the 3d of May next, the day appointed for the confideration of Mr, T. Sheridan's petition.

Mr. Burroughs then moved, according to a standing order of the Houfe, that the petition of Mr. Hufkiffon be heard firft, as they were now both fixed for the fame day.

The Speaker begged leave to remind the hon. Gentleman that the ftanding order of the Houfe, to which he had alluded, applied only to the conduct of Committees in regard to the priority in queftion.

Mr. Cocks moved that the order for the confideration of the right be now read, in order that it might be poftponed to the fame day fixed for the petitions. His reafon was, that the parties who would be in confequence of this bufinefs brought up to London, might not be detained longer than was abfolutely neceffary.

The Secretary at War obferved, that, if the queftion of ight was once afcertained, the other two queftions would follow of courfe, and would therefore fave the trouble of any further attendance of witneffes.

Mr. Sheridan did not think that any witneffes that might be brought up would refufe their further attendance.

Mr. Cocks then stated that, on account of the thinness of the House, he was willing to withdraw his motion, and gave notice that he would bring it forward again the next day.

Mr. Sheridan preferred another petition refpecting the Lifkeard election, which was ordered to be taken into confideration with the others formerly prefented on the 3d of May next. Adjourned.

HOUSE

HOUSE OF LORDS.

FRIDAY, APRIL 6.

The Committee upon the Irish priests' and deacons' bill, which ftood for this day, was, on the fuggeftion of the Bifhop of St. Afaph, poftponed till Thursday.

On the motion of Lord Auckland, certain accounts respecting the capital, &c. of the Scotch bank were ordered to be laid before the Houfe. Thefe were moved for, his Lordthip obferved, from no inclination on his part to oppofe the meafure, but from the accounts moved for being neceflary, as he understood, for the due illuftration of the fubject.

The bankers' bill, and the Irish militia families provifion bill, were brought up from the Commons, and read a fift time. On the motion of the Bithop of St. Afaph, all the Lords prefent during this feffion were ordered to be Members of the Committee on the St. Pancras poor bill,

VOLUNTEER REGULATIONS BILL.

The order of the day being read, the Houfe refolved into a Committee on this bill, Lord Walfingham in the chair.

The difcution of the fourth claufe was refumed, By this it is enacted, that every perfon enrolled, or to be enrolled, or ferving as an effective member in any corps of yeomanty or volunteers in Great Britain, and who fhall be duly returned or certified as fuch, thall be exempted from being liable to ferve perfonally, or to provide a fubftitute in the militia of Great Britain, or in any additional force raised, or to be raised, for the defence of the realm, or the more vigorous profecution of the war, by any act paffed in this Teffion, &c.

Eail Spencer having referred to this part of the claufe, moved to amend the fame by the addition of the words, "or any fubfequent feffion of Parliament."

This propofition gave rife to a difcuffion in which Lords Spencer, Grenville, the Lord Chancellor, Lords Ellenbo rough, Auckland, Carnarvon, and the Duke of Montrofe, took a part.

It was contended on the part of thofe peers who fupported the amendment, as Lords Grenville, Spencer, Carnarvon, &c. that the principle of exemption having been recognized in, and provided for by the bill, it thould confiftently with parliamentary faith and honour, on which the yolunteer relied on tendering his fervices, be extended

in