against the poffible application of the provifions of the Englith mutiny act.

The Lord Chancellor did not fee the abfolute neceffity of any fuch provifo; however, whether or not, he thought it would be right to defer the confideration of it to fome other ftage of the bill. It might be as well done on receiving the report, or on the third reading of the bill.

The remaining provifions of the bill were then read, and the further difcution of the provifo, propofed by Lord Ellenborough, reserved till Monday, to which day the House adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

FRIDAY, APRIL 20.

The Houfe proceeded to ballot for a Committee to try the merits of the petitions complaining of an undue election and return for the borough of Ilchefter.

Mr. Rofe ftated, as a ground for a motion he intended to make, that the accounts already on the table relative to the ftate of the public révenue, were neither fatisfactory, nor fufficient to enable gentlemen to form any just opinion on this most important fubject. The hon. Gentleman therefore moved, that there be laid before the Houfe an account of the produce of all the permanent taxes in the years ending the 5th January 1803, and the 5th January 1804, diftinguishing thofe which had been impofed previous to the year 1793, 1 and thofe laid on fince; alfo diftinguishing the amount of the duties which had been poftponed previous to the 5th of January 1803, and were received in the course of 1803; also the amount of the duties poftponed previous to the 5th of January 1804, which had been received in the courfe of the prefent year; likewife fhewing the diminution of the revenue in payment of corn bounties.

Mr. Vanfittart affenting to the motion, the accounts were orderedada

On the motion of Mr. Secretary Yorke, the Lords amendments to the volunteer bill were ordered to be taken inte confideration on Monday next.

ر

The Committee on the militia officers bill was put off to Monday. ཉར། འུ

GOVERNMENT DISPATCHES TO INDIA.

Mr. Kinnaird vole to make a motion for papers, to which,

from what had taken place the preceding day in another branch of the Legiflature, he did not fuppole there would be any objection. The ground on which he refted his motion was the notoriety of certain facts, and the right the House had to expect official information on a fubject of fuch importance. The object of his motion was to have laid before the House copies of the dispatches which had been fent by his Majesty's Government to the different prefidencies in India, and the commanding officers there, as well as to the governor of the ifland of St. Helena, on his Majefty's meffages of March and May laft. The meffage of the 8th of March had been known. at Calcutta fo early as the 24th of June, though no official account had reached it till the 5th of July. On the 5th of June a French frigate arrived with, and landed troops at Pondicherry; on the 13th, Linois arrived there, but on the 14th a corvette reached him with difpatches, in confequence of which he cut his cables in the night and escaped. The hon. Member then adverted to the different periods at which the different prefidencies had been made acquainted with the rupture, and contended, that if the facts he ftated could not be controverted, they were a proof of grofs and criminal neglect on the part of his Majefty's Minifters. As to St. Helena, no difpatches whatever had been fent by Government to that ifland, and the first intimation of the rupture was received there in the month of October, from an English frigate which carried a prize thither. He hoped his Majefty's Ministers could prove that every neceffary precaution had been taken to fecure our poffeffions in that quarter, and that if any misfortune were to be the confequence of the efcape of Linois, it would not be attributable to their neglect. The hon. Gen tleman then moved, that an humble addrefs be presented to his Majefty, requesting, that he would be graciously pleased to give directions, that there be laid before the House copies of all the difpatches fent to the different prefidencies in India, and the officers commanding by land and fea there, communicating his Majefty's meffage of the 8th of March. Alfo, of the difpatches to the fame, communicating the rupture with France. Also, an account of the dates of the receipts of faid difpatches refpectively. Alfo, copies of the dispatches to the Governor of the Island of St. Helena, communicating the meffage of the 8th of March, and the rupture, with an account of the dates of their receipt.

Lord Caftlereagh had no objection to the production of the papers; if he could feel any, it was only that they did not go far enough. As to the circumstance alluded to by the hon. VOL. II. 1803-4. Member,

3Z

Member, which had taken place in another Houfe, he could affure him that there would have been no objection in that quarter, if the motion had been brought forward after regular notice. The noble Lord then stated that diftin&t and pofitive difpatches had been fent cut by his Majefty's Minifters, and by the Secret Committee at the India Houfe, to the different prefidencies, and to the officers commanding in India, both on his Majefty's meffage in March and in May, The motions were then agreed to.

ARMY OF RESERVE SUSPENSION BILL.

Mr. Secretary Yorke having moved that the order of the day, for a Committee of the whole Houfe on the army of referve act fufpenfion bill, be read, ftated, that when he had propofed the Committee on the bill for that day, he had hopes that all the clauses which he meant to propofe in the Committee, would have been prepared before that time. This, however, had been found impracticable, and he therefore trufted the Houfe would confent to have the order poftponed to Wednesday

.next.

On the question that the order be postponed,

Mr. Pitt felt himself involved in fome difficulty by the motion of his right hon. Friend. He had given notice, or rather an hon. Friend had given notice for him, of his intention to ftate his opinions at large on the subject, in the prefent ftage of the measure. His intention was to oppofe the motion for the Speaker's leaving the chair, for the purpose of topping the further progrefs of the bill, in order that instead of a bill for fufpending the army of referve act, another meafure might be introduced more likely to be effectual for the public fervice. Of this measure he had given notice previous to the recefs, and had been induced to poftpone it in compliance with the wishes of his Majefty's Minifters. Whether the right hon. Gentleman was prepared or not with the claufes which he meant to propofe in the Committee, was indifferent with refpect to a difcuffion, in which he trufted to convince the Houfe that the bill ought not to be committed at all. The reafon he affigned for putting off the order for going into the Committee, was undoubtedly good against the Committee, but could not apply to a difcuffion which Gentlemen had been led to expect on that day, and the object of which was, to prevent the further progrefs of the bill, if he could convince the Houfe that it ought not to be proceeded with at all. It was his intention, if the motion were to have been perfifted in for going into the Committee, to have opps fed the Speaker's leaving the chair, and after explaining the

nature

nature of the measure which he thought most likely to mee the exigency of the times, to propofe the poftponement of the question for a week or a fortnight, in order to afford Gentlemen time to turn the fubject in their minds, and to form a found and deliberate judgment on it. The Houle would recollect, that he was not then preffing the queftion precipitately forward, but anxious to bring under its ferious confideration an important difcuffion after repeated notices. He was difpofed, therefore, to propose an amendment, by fubftituting Wednesday fe'nnight or fortnight for Wednesday; but should forbear moving it, till he fhould hear what further reafons the right hon. Gentleman had to urge in fupport of his motion. Mr. Secretary Yorke ftated, that when he had propofed on Wednesday last to defer the Committee on the bill, he was induced to fix it for the first open day. He had intended to have propofed Monday, another important queftion having then flood for this day, and when the arrangement relative to that question took place, he felt no objection to fix the Committee for this day, hoping that the new clauses would be then prepared. It was neceffary to frame thofe claufes with great nicety and precifion, and therefore the more time was required. It was important that the difcuffion of this measure fhould not be poftponed further than was abfolutely unavoida ble, and therefore he could not confent to poftpone the confideration of it longer than Wednesday. It would, nevertheless, be open to the right hon. Gentleman to urge his reasons to the Houfe for a further delay on that or any other day, and to explain the plan which appeared to his mind more likely to be effectual to the public fervice, in order, if it should appear to the Houfe preferable to the one now before it, to get. rid of that altogether.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer hoped the right hon. Gentleman would not prefs his amendment; his object was to ob tain a further delay than was propofed, and might very con fiftently be preffed if the motion of his right hon. Friend was for the Houfe to go into the Committee that day. The right hon. Gentleman could not be lettered nor embarraffed by agreeing to the prefent motion; becaufe if he fhould think delay neceffary, he might propose it on Wednesday, on the queftion for the Speaker's leaving the chair. The right hon. Gentleman had certainly, in compliance with what he had flated to be the withes of his Majefty's Minifters, confented to defer his propofition until after the measure in their contemplation fhould undergo a difcuffion. No difcuffion had yet taken place on that fubject, and as he understood the 322

right

right hon. Gentleman to have confented to poftpone his propofition until that fhould take place, he did not think he would prefs it in this inftance. But he thought an acquiefence in the motion of his right hon. Friend due to a circumstance to which he could not regularly advert, but the fact was, that many Gentlemen who had intended to take a part in the difcuffion, were abfent in confequence of an intimation from his right hon. Friend, that it was his intention to apply for this delay. This was really the fact, and it was certainly not attributable to any unfair motives. If, however, he could ascertain the general fenfe of the House to be for proceeding with the bill, he fhould not object to it, though it would be recollected that the words of his right hon. Friend "he hoped to have the clauses ready by this day" implied a doubt whether he could be prepared to proceed with the bill.

Mr. Fox thought the very reverfe was the cafe; and that in place of feeling doubts as to this day, the right hon. Secretary had been on a former day prepared to proceed with the difcuffion, which he had put off exprefsly in confideration of the application on the part of the right hon. Gentleman (Mr. Pitt), unlefs, perhaps, being determined to defer the confide ration of it, he thought he might as well make a compliment of the delay. (A laugh.) But if he was lefs ready on this than on a former day to proceed, was there not reafon to fuppofe that on Wednesday he thould be lefs prepared to proceed than at prefent? In this cafe, he was of opinion that there was no fufficient reason for the Houfe to defer the difcuffion. But the queftion was in much abler hands than his, and he fhould not interfere further.

Mr. Secretary Yorke replied that when the day was fixed for the Committee, he had exprefsly declared that he could not be prepared with the claufes on Thurfday, but hoped to have them ready on this day; and as the hon. Member was not prefent on the occafion, he appealed to the hon. Member (Mr. Long) who had made the application.

Mr. Long affented.

Mr. Pitt obferved, that one of the reafons which induced him to prefs the difcuffion, was a defire to confult the convenience of the Houfe. Another was, his with to bring forward the difcuffion on this fubject previous to any of the other difcuffions of which notice had been given. It was with reluctance, therefore, he confented to his amendment; but as he had the ftrongeft defire to accommodate thofe whofe duty it was to bring forward and arrange the public meafures, he fhould not prefs it in this inftance. He must

fay,