the report was brought up, and ordered to be received to-morrow.—Mr. Secretary Yorke moved also, that the House do go into a Committee on the Irish Martial Law Bill. The House having accordingly resolved into the committee, and the clauses having been filled up, the report was brought up, and ordered to be received to-morrow.-The Report of the Committee of Supply of yesterday on the Transport Service, &c. was brought up, and the Resolutions read, and agreed to. -The Indemnity Bill, after a clause was received into it, on the motion of Mr. Corry, extending the provisions to Ireland, past a Committee of the whole House, and the report was ordered to be received to-morrow morning.-The Irish Sugar Bounty Bill went through the same stage.-The Bill to prohibit Distillatiou from Oats in Ireland was read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time to-morrow.-As also the Portugal Wine Bonding Duty Bill.-The Bank of England Restriction Bill was read a third time and past.-The Malt Duty Bill was read a second time, and ordered to be committed to a Committee of the whole House to-morrow morning.-The Irish Small Note Suspension Bill went through the same progress. -The Five Million Exchequer Loan Bill went also through the same progress.- -The Irish Corn, Potatoe, and Provision Bills, in like manner, past the same stage.-As did also the Curates' Relief Bill, and the English Sugar Drawback Bill.

[IRISH BANK RESTRICTION BILL.]-Mr. Corry moved the order of the day for the second reading of the Irish Bank Restriction Bill; and on the motion that the bill be now read a second time,

Lord Archibald Hamilton rose. He said, he did not see any reason why the restriction of payments in specie should be continued, either on the Bank of England or Ireland, to the protracted period of six months after the ratification of the preliminaries of peace. It must be obvious, his lordship thought, to every person, that the paper currency of Ireland was already carried to an alarming extent. It was his intention, he said, to move in the committee, that there should be a restriction of paper circulation in Ireland, and that the Directors of that Bank should be made responsible for the issues they should make.

Mr. Corry, in reply to the noble lord, admitted that it was, no doubt, a subject of regret, that the paper currency of Ireland was carried to such an extent. He was ready to admit this; but, at the same time, he thought the noble lord had better delay any motion

of that kind till a more advanced period of the session. Many of the members from Ireland were now absent, being engaged on account of the peculiarity of the times, and of the situation of their native country, in their military avocations. Their absence, from such ostensible and laudable motives, would be readily admitted by every man as highly to their honour. He had no objection that this subject should be brought before the House; but he thought it was only fair, that a discussion of this kind should not be entered into in the absence of those gentlemen, who were most concerned, and who were most likely to understand the subject. It was probable that, after the recess, many of the Irish members would be able to attend the House. The hon. gentleman, proposed, therefore, to refer the business till a distant period, when such gentlemen might be present, and when accounts might be produced for that purpose. The hon. gentleman also, he said, would be enabled by such a delay to make up his mind upon the subject.- He concluded by moving, that the bill be committed to a Committee of the whole House} on Monday, the 13th of February.-Agreed

to.

[ORDER FOR COL. GRANT'S ATTENDANCE.1-Colonel F. IV. Grant, who, on account of his absence on the Waterford Committee, had been ordered to attend in his place to-morrow, rose, and expressed his regret that he had given any trouble to the House. He stated, that it had been his intention, notwithstanding his military avocations, to attend, if absolutely necessary, on his duties connected with that House. From corresponding, however, with a friend in London, he was led to understand, that election committees were necessarily dissolved at the termination of the session, and that consequently his attendance on the Waterford Committee was no longer necessary. The failure of duty of which he had been. guilty had arisen from this misapprehension, and not from any intention to transgress the regulations of the House. The moment, he said, he had received the order of that House for his attendance, he had set out from Dundee, where his regiment was now stationed, and where it would be necessary for him to return immediately. His military duties were of an imperious nature. He relied, therefore, on the indulgence of the House, and hoped they would attribute his absence, not to any want of respect for the House, or to any tendency to neglect his duty, but to the misapprehensions he had already stated, and the imperious commands of military duty.

The Speaker stated, that it was usuel, in * T t 2

such cases for the House to say whether they were satisfied with the apology or not, and then either to discharge the gentleman from attendance on the committee, if satisfied; or, if not satisfied with the gentleman's apology, the House would order his attendance to-morrow, as formerly.

Mr. Plumer rose and moved, "that, in consequence of the hon. gentleman's apology, the order for his attendance to-morrow be discharged."-The motion was agreed to, and the order was discharged accordingly.- Colonel Grant returned his sincere thanks to the House for their indulgence.

[EAST INDIA BONDS.]-Lord Castlereagh moved the order of the day, for the House to resolve itself into a committee on the bill for regulating the rate of interest on the bonds issued by the East India Company. On the motion, that the Speaker do now leave the chair,

Mr. Dent rose, not to oppose the committal of the bill, but to call the attention of the House to the principal feature of it, which he considered rather extraordinary, as giving an indulgence to the East India Company, which he thought extremely partial, and one from which every individual and corporate body in this kingdom, was precluded. A few nights since, the hon. Secretary of the Treasury, in answer to a question put to him by an hon, member on his side of the House, respecting the tax on property and income, amongst other things had declared it to be the intention of government, to go through with the assessment of the tax, during the present year, in the manner prescribed by the existing bill. Now the present bill introduced by the noble lord, was calculated to affect, by a side wind, an exemption of the bonds of the India Company from the law to which every other species of public stock was liable; and, consequently, to give those bonds a considerable advantage at market, over Exchequer Bills and every other species of stock; for the whole of the interest payable on Exchequer Bills, amounted to 51. 6 s. 3 d. per cent. per ann. payable yearly, and he could see no reason why an exemption should be extended to India Bonds, which would give them a preference at market over Exchequer Bills, seeing that they engaged a preference by the interest thereon being paid half-yearly. At least, if such an exemption as this was given to the public funds of the India Company, with a privi lege of borrowing at such an extraordinary advance of interest, he could see no right in precluding other corporations from a similar advantage.

Lord Castlereagh rose, and, in answer to that part of Mr. Dent's speech which referred to the Income Tax, said, that the declaration of his hon. friend neither had, nor ought to have, any reference to the affairs of the East-India Company; and he trusted that the House would not consider, at the present crisis, that any regulations which his Majesty's ministers might deem necessary in assessing the Income Tax upon the property of individuals, ought to stand in the way of an important and necessary regulation, most materially interesting to the funds of a great commercial company, with the success of whose concerns the public revenues of this country were so deeply interested. He begged to call the attention of the House to the annual amount of the revenue paid to this country by the East-India Company, amounting, on an average, to £3,226,000 annually; and he trusted the House would feel too sensibly the importance of that concern which the country must have in the welfare of a company yielding such important aid to the state, to refuse, on light or trivial grounds, its assent to such regulations in the management of their funds and capital, as should be absolutely necessary to carry on their commercial concerns, under the present circumstances of the empire, without material disadvantage for it was the province of the East-India Company, even under all the vicissitudes and disadvantages of war, to promote the commercial prosperity of the country in the most distant quarters of the globe; and this was not to be done unless they were enabled to keep a certain quantity of their funds afloat, and prevent them from returning back to their treasury, whereby their capital would be most material y diminished, and their means of trade consequently cramped. This could only be effected by enabling them so to regulate their rates of interest, as to maintain that respectability to their bonds, at market, which would prevent a decided preference of other funds, to the depreciation of theirs. The hon. member had said, that the bonds of the company stood in no need of such aid, for that they at present enjoyed an advantage at market over Exchequer Bills, on account of their interest being payable half yearly. The fact, however, was otherwise; for Exchequer Bills were now at a premium of one shilling above par, whereas India Bonds were at a discount of two shillings. The noble lord then went generally into some financial statements of the company, in support of the bill: and contended that the increase of interest on their bonds was

necessary to give them currency abroad. He concluded by expressing a hope that the House would not refuse this indulgence to a great trading company, in whom the revenue and the state were so materially concerned.

Mr. Johnson said, the statement of the noble lord this night was in perfect consistency with the conduct adopted uniformly by him respecting the affairs of the company. In the last session, he amused the House with a pompous statement of the flourishing situation of their finances, and the brilliant prospects of their prosperity: but what is the first illustration the noble lord gives in this session? Why, a new plea of embarrassment, and a new appeal to the indulgence of the House, for the privilege of borrowing money, to answer their exigencies, at a much higher interest than any other corporate body, or individual in this country, dares venture to offer. Such was the conduct he should ever expect from the noble lord, so long as he presided over the conduct of India affairs; ever complaining of existing embarrassments, and ever holding out specious promises of future prosperity.

Mr. Fansittart said, that the present bill purported no more than a temporary relief to the India Company, from a species of embarrassment which in time of war must more or less affect all borrowers, public or private. The government of the country, at such times, always filled up its loans upon worse terms than were to be had in times of peace; and no company or individual could expect to be exempt from simiJar disadvantages: there was nothing, therefore, unreasonable, or unfair, in this mode of enabling the India Company to meet the terms upon which only their demands could be supplied.

Mr. Charles Grant said, the object of the bill was not to place the company in a better situation, but to prevent it from being placed in a worse situation. India bonds were coming in every day to be paid, and if the Property Tax was to be deducted at the India-House in fractional parts, according to the number of weeks and days upon which it might be necessary to calculate, it would create endless confusion and embarrassment, and must tend to depreciate the bonds.

Mr. William Dundas also supported the bill; and denied there was any truth in the arguments of the hon. gent. opposite him (Mr. Johnson), that there was any proof in this bill of any embarrassment in the cirCamstances of the East-India Company, or

any thing which could found a fair opinion against their prosperity. After some further conversation, the question was put and carried, and the House having resolved itself into a Committee upon the bill, went through the same, and it was ordered to be reported to-morrow.

HOUSE OF LORDS.

Wednesday, December 7.

Lord Hawkesbury presented the papers relative to the Convention entered into between Great Britain and Sweden, on the 25th July, which were laid upon the table. -The Seamen's Desertion Bill was read a second time, and committed for to-morrow. -The Bank Restriction Bill was brought up from the Commons, read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

Wednesday, December 7.

[MINUTES ]-Sir John Newport, returned by the Committee member for Waterford instead of Mr. Alcock, took the oaths and his seat.-A private petition was brought up respecting the widening of the Canterbury Road. Ordered to lie on the table.Mr. C. L. Dundas brought up the report of the Waterford Committee, which stated, that the Committee had found the election of Mr. Alcock illegal and defective, and that consequently they had declared Sir John Newport the legal member.—Mr. C. L. Dundas a'so in pursuance of this report moved, that the Deputy Clerk of the Crown be ordered to attend to-morrow morning, in order to erase the name of Mr. Alcock, and alter the election. Ordered.--Mr. Sargent brought up the report of the Qualification Indemnity Bill. Ordered to be read a third time to-morrow.-Mr. Corry moved the order of the day for a Committee of the whole House on the Irish Sugar Drawback Bill. The alterations adopted by the Committee were purely verbal.-The House being resumed the report was ordered to be received to-morrow.-Mr. Corry moved the order of the day for the Irish Distillery Bill. It was read a second time, and ordered to be committed to-morrow.-Mr. Corry mov. ed the order of the day for a Committee of the whole House on the Irish Promissory Note Bill. The House having resumed, the report was ordered to be received to-morrow. Mr. Corry moved the order of the day for a Committee of the whole House on the Irish Provision Bill. The House hav..

ing resumed, the report was ordered to be received to-morrow.-Mr. Corry moved the order of the day for the second reading of the Irish Proclamation Indemnity Bill. It was read a second time accordingly, and ordered to be committed to-morrow.-Mr. Secretary Yorke brought up the report of the Irish Habeas Corpus Suspension Bill, which was ordered to be read a third time to-morrow. Mr. Hobhouse brought up the report of the East-India Bonds Bill. Ordered to be read a third time to-morrow. The Malt Duty Bill was passed through a Committee, and was ordered to be reported to-morrow. Mr. J. C. Beresford gave notice that he would to-morrow move for leave to bring in a bill to regulate the sale of corn in the City of Dublin.-Upon the motion for the committal of the Curate's Residence Bill, a few observations were made by different hon. members, in the course of which the Chancellor of the Exchequer observed, that most probably all the bills which were in such a state of forwardness would be read a third time on Friday next.-The Curate's Relief Bill passed through a Committee, and was ordered to be reported to-morrow. -Accounts were ordered to be laid before the House of the sums of money which have been issued to his Majesty by Parliament pursuant to addresses of the House, and which had not as yet been made good.-The Wire Bonding Bill was read a second time, and ordered to be committed to-morrow.-The Five Million Loan Bill, the Expiring Laws Bill, and the Sugar Drawback Bill, were committed, and ordered to be reported to-morrow.

-

[IRISH MARTIAL LAW BILL.] Mr. Hawthorn then brought up the report of the committee on the bill for continuing Martial Law in Ireland. The report being read,

Mr. Wilberforce said, it was not his intention to trouble the house with any long or minute discussion. With regard to the necessity of the measure now before the house, he believed there could be only one opinion. He rose, not to oppose the measure nor to deny its necessity, for he was of opinion that such a measure was really necessary in the present circumstances of Ireland, and that it had been suggested by the imperious dictates of necessity alone. The only difference that existed between him and the framers of the bill, was in regard to the mode of carrying it into execution.— He did not wish to trouble the house, but he wished to propose some amendment in regard to the constitution of those courts martial to which the bill alluded. He thought, unless in a case of the most impe

rious necessity, and suggested by the strongest reasons of expediency, no court martial ought to be permitted to sit in such instances which was not composed of seven members at least. If circumstances unhappily required the interference of such courts, it ought to be an object with the legislature to invest them with as much wisdom and deliberative justice as the nature of the case would possibly admit. The number constituting such courts, he thought, ought never to be more than thirteen nor less than seven. There was not less danger from too many than from too few, in the determination of such cases as might come before them. The age of individuals composing those courts, he thought also, ought to be particularly attended to. It was well known, that in the army there were many young men officers, who had not arrived at that age which the laws of the country have wisely fixed as necessary to enable a man to have the conduct of his own private affairs. And could it for a moment be thought prudent that we should entrust the lives of our fellow citizens to men whom the laws of the count:y had judged incompetent to the management of their own private affairs? He thought it was indispensably necessary that the legislature should provide that no minor, that no man under the legal age, should be permitted to sit in any such courts martial. The measure, he allowed, was necessary; but it ought to be the care of that house to appear reluctant to deviate in any degree from the ordinary exercise of the laws: they ought to appear scrupulous in the adoption of any harsh or severe measure, and to remove as much as possible from its mode of execution the appearance of all harshness, injustice, or severity. This he thought might be done by the provisions which he wished to propose as an amendment. He could not conceive that these alterations would render the measure in any shape less effectual. Did he apprehend this as the consequence, he would be the last man to propose them. He knew, indeed, very well, that the government of Ireland would not wish to exercise any authority put into their hands, with greater severity than the urgency of circumstances might require. while he was perfectly conscious of this, he, at the same time, wished that the legisla ture should not trust to any individuals for the upright or lenient execution of any measure; but should prescribe to them their duty by the letter of the law.-What is the circumstance, the hon. gent. asked, that endears the trial by jury to every man of this country? Is not every member of that

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