HOUSE OF COMMONS.

FRIDAY, DEC. 7.

The Sheriffs of London prefented a petition on behalf of the City, praying for the adoption of a plan of cutting a Canal from Blackwall through the Ile of Dogs, for thes better accommodation of shipping, &c. Referred to the committee to whom the former petitions were referred.

Mr. Manning moved for leave to bring in a bill for making Wet Docks, &c. for the greater accommodation of the Port of London.-Granted.

Mr. Sewell presented fimilar petitions from the West India merchants, and which stated, that they would them-: felves defray the expences attending any regulation for ren dering the Port of London more commodious.-Referred to: a committee.

Mr. Hobboufe moved, that there be laid before the Houfe. an account of the money advanced by the Bank of England for the public fervice, and outstanding on the 7th December, 1798. Ordered.

Mr. Rofe brought up a bill for continuing for a further time. to be limited, a bill for preventing and punishing perfons who attempt to feduce any perfon in his Majefty's fervice, by fea or land, from their duty and allegiance, &c. Read a first time; ordered to be read a fecond time the next day.

Sir Wm. Young prefented a petition from the Planters of St. Vincent and Grenada, praying for a loan, to enable them to defend their property againit a ferocious and cruel enemy. Ordered to lie on the table.

The Speaker observed, that no application for public money could be attended to by the Houfe, unless it came by way of recommendation from the Crown.

The bill for continuing the land tax duty on penfions, and fome perfonal eftates, &c. paffed the committee; and the report was ordered for the next day.

LAND TAX REDEMPTION BILL.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer brought up a bill to en large the time limited for the redemption of the land tax, and to amend the act for the fale thereof, &c.-Read a first time. On the question for the fecond reading.

Sir John Sinclair fuggefted the propriety of fome delay in fa important a matter as this...

Mr. Ryden thought the propofition of the hon. Baronet

a fingular

a fingular one; for this matter was amply difcuffed when it was before the Houfe laft year, and this was only to give a facility to carrying into effect' what Parliament had already approved; and fo, he believed, had the great bulk of the country. It was ftrange if the Houfe wanted time to determine whether its own intentions' fhould be carried into effect.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer faid, he propofed the fecond reading of this bill the next day; and as he had no apprehenfion that the bufinefs of the loan would on Monday occupy much time, he fhould think it would be convenient to go into a committee upon this bill on that day; that, indeed, he confidered as the proper ftage for the difcuffion: and as the hon, Baronet feemed to be totally ignorant of the contents, he thould propofe that the bill be printed.

He

Mr. Hey wished that this bill might meet as much difpatch as was confiftent with the nature of the thing; but could not help adverting to the expence with which it had been attended. He thought it his duty, as one of the Repre- · fentatives of the people, to examine into that matter. did not pretend to know the real ftate of the cafe, but he had heard that the expence already incurred was not iefs than one million. He did not ftate thele things lightly; but if he was mifinformed, the minifter would correct him.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer faid, if the plan which the bill was intended to enforce, had coft the public the fum alluded to by the hon. Gentleman, it would have been cheaply purchased; but he had not the most distant comprehenfion, or even guefs, how fuch, or any thing like fuch, an expence could attend the execution of this act. He thould be glad to have fome specific information upon that matter.

Mr. Huffey faid, he could not give the minifter the particu irs. But had the right hon. Gentleman never heard of this, nor any thing like it?

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, faid, never.

The bill was then ordered to be read a fecond time the next day, and to be printed.

MILITIA IN IRELAND.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer brought up a bill to con- » tinue, for a time to be limited, a bill to enable his Majelty to accept of the fervices of fuch part of the militia as may voluntarily offer themfelves for fervice in Ireland, &c. Read a first time; and on the queftion for the fecond reading,

Mr.

Mr. Tierney faid, that he felt fo much difpofed to give every poffible credit and confidence to the noble Lord at the head of affairs in that country, that he was ready, as far as in him lay, to put any force whatever under the direction of that noble Lord. But feeling that mifchief might have been done, and he was afraid that incalculable mifchief had been done in that country, he could not poffibly fupport this bill; and yet fo fituated were things there at this time, that he knew not how to oppofe the meafure now before the Hcufe. Ordered that the bill be read a fecond time the next day.

TAX ON INCOME.

The Income bill being in a committee of the whole House, The Chancellor of the Exchequer obferved, that perhaps the committee would difpenfe with formalities in the prefent ftage of this important proceeding, as the amendments thould be printed; and that he propofed to have the difcuffion of the measure on the recommitment of the bill.

The bill then, pro forma, paifed the committee, and the report was ordered for the next day.

Adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

SATURDAY, DEC. 8.

The Speaker acquainted the Houfe, that he had received a letter from Sir J. B. Warren, in which that gallant Admiral has expreffed the very high and grateful fenfe which he and his officers, and the men under his command, entertained of the honour conferred upon them by the thanks of the Houfe of Commons for their recent conduct on the coaft of Ireland; an honour which, next to the glory of ferving their king and country, they regarded as their neft fiattering reward.

The report of the Scots fmall note bill was brought up; and the bill ordered to be read a third time on Monday, if then engroffed.

The new land tax redemption bill was read a fecond time, and ordered to be committed on Monday.

The report on the Income bill was ordered to be taken into further confideration on Friday next; the bill was alfo ordered to be printed.

The bill for empowering his Majesty to accept the volun tary offers of the English militia to ferve in Ireland, was read a fecond time, and ordered to be committed on Monday; as

was

was the bill for punishing attempts to feduce his Majesty's failors or foldiers from their duty,

Adjourned.

HOUSE OF LORDS.

MONDAY, DEC. 10.

This day the Houfe went into a committee upon Lord Nelfon's Annuity Bill, which was afterwards read a third

time.

Mr. Rickett's Divorce Bill was prefented and read, and ordered to be read a second time on the 26th inftant.

The Lord Chancellor communicated Sir John Borlafe Warren's anfwer to the thanks of the Houfe."

Adjourned to Thurday next.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

MONDAY, DEC. 10.

Mr. Manning brought up the London Wet-Dock, Bill, which was read a first time, and ordered to be read a fecond time on Tuesday fe'nnight.

General Tarleton brought up a Petition from Liverpool, praying for leave to enlarge and improve the harbour of that

town.

< General Tarleton faid, that a petition from a place of fuch commercial importance as Liverpool, diftinguished for honourable enterprife, was deferving of the attention of the Houfe. When, however, the petition came from a body of men fo eminent for public spirit and patriotifm, as thofe he had the honour to reprefent, it came with peculiar claims to regard. He need not remind the House of the readiness and zeal which the town of Liverpool had difplayed on every occafion to promote the fecurity of the country; their ardour in coming forward for their own and the public defence at a critical moment; and their putting their town in a molt refpectable pofture of defence without pecuniary afliftance from the country at large. On every occafion they had given an honourable example to the nation. At prefent, when a new plan of finance was propofed, they had warmly expreffd, their willingness to concur in every plan by which the vigour and refources of the ftate could beft be called into action. For his own part, he confidered it the greatest honour of his life to reprefent fuch a body of men. For fome time his profeffional

'profeffional duties had been susperided; but he hoped speedily to have an opportunity of making up for the time that had been loft; and he hoped that when that time arrived he fhould, on every occafion, exert himself in fuch a manner as to contribute, as far as lay in his power, to the fecurity of thefe kingdoms, and the honour of his Majesty's fervice.

The petition was referred to a committee.

The committee on the land tax bill was, on the fuggeftion of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, put off till Wednesday."

'WAYS AND MEANS-LOAN.

The Houfe refolved itfelf into a committee of Ways and Means: Mr. Hobert in the Chair.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer. When I laft prefented to the committee the view of the Ways and Means of the year, I had it in contemplation to contract for the whole of the loan, which, exclufive of two millions for Ireland, I stated would amount to fourteen millions. Since that period, however, on a view of all the particular circumftances of the cafe, particularly the unaccountable depreffion of the funds, after fo great a rife, I had great reafon to believe that it would be more beneficial for the public intereft to poftpone the bar gain for the bulk of the loan till after Christmas; and to limit the fum at present to be raised in this way to three millions. In the opinion I had formed, I have been confirmed both by what appeared in the courfe of the negociation, and what has fince happened. I thought it right, therefore, to limit the fum to be now bargained for, to three millions, and to referve the remainder till after Christmas. I have the fatisfaction to state, that when I announced my intention, I received numerous offers from many refpectable claffes of Gentlemen; and that I have been able to obtain terms confiderably under the market price of the day. The Gentlemen with whom the bargain was concluded, had come forward actuated by great liberality and zeal for the public intereft; and I am happy to find, and the Houfe will be glad to hear, that though they acted with fo much difinterestednefs on the occalion, they are not likely to be lofers by the bargain. Although the terms were below the market price, they now bear a confiderable premium.

I fhall now fhortly state the terms on which the bargain was concluded. The 3 per cents. confols were at 524. The reduced at 51. For every 100l. in money, then, is to be given 534 per cent. confols, and a proportion of feven-eights

of