the Executive Government, and which gentlemen oppofite him have the candour to confefs have been ufed with difcretion, lenity and moderation, are we at once to throw away as ufelefs and unavailing those very precautions to which the country has been fo materially indebted, merely because we have escaped from those dangers, the existence of which the gentlemen who oppofed him would not fee, or if they faw it, would not own? They must be little read, indeed, in the book of human nature, who did not difcover in the fyftem of jacobinifin which was growing up in this country, every thing that is moft degrading and perverted in human nature; every thing that betrayed qualities that excite the difguft and abhorrence of mankinda fyftem, the progrefs of which may have been arrested by falutary measures which were employed to counteract it, but which is fure to return; for it never can be extinguished as long as the mischievous activity of thofe who are tainted with the principles that fofter and promote it remains unrepreffed. The evil of that fyftem has been propagated with the most inveterate obftinacy-and if what is bad and deteftable is fupported and carried by fuch means, what have we to employ in favour of what is laudable and good but that which is moft likely to fruftrate them? Let us therefore oppofe to that inve terate obftinacy, perfeverance and firmness, and that inveterate obftinacy muft at length yield to our invincible perfeverance. And indeed would it be prudent to Qumber in unfufpicious fecurity, as long as there exift men who are hourly meditating and planning our deftruction-men who never wake or fleep, or walk abroad without a dagger thirsting for our blood! Would it be prudent, until we are fatisfied that this deadly weapon is laid afide, to difarm our breasts of that shield which enables us to defy its point, and has effectually protected and preferved our lives? He could not but rejoice at finding that an hon. Gentleman (Mr. M. A. Taylor) agreed in the fentiments he had now expreffed; but he feared that, though candour feemed to diЯate his arguments in favour of the queftion, yet that his partiality for his political friends would induce the hon. Gentlemen to vote against it. But there was a word or two more which he would beg leave to address to that hon. Gentleman and to his political friends-He would vote for the motion, he fays, had there been a fecret committee appointed, to examine into the neceffity of the meafure, and if the report of that committee justified such a vote. But he would tell that hon. Gentleman that no fuch report was now neceffary. The neceffity of adopting the measure under difcuffion that hon. Gentleman would strongly feel, if he would but reflect with

him upon what has paffed in Ireland; if he would but reflect what were ftill the defigns of the enemy; if he would but reflect that they ftill entertained the hope of realising those defigns on fome future occafion, and that they were anxiously watching for that favourable moment; if he but reflected that oit was through the medium of their traitorous agents in this country that the Irish traitors had carried on their correfpondence with the enemy; thefe reflections, and the confeffion of the traitors themfelves, were doubtlefs fufficient to produce a change of fentiment in these gentlemens minds refpecting the propriety of fufpending the Habeas Corpus; there was therefore no neceffity for a fecret committee, por could any better ground be derived from the report of fuch a committee in favour of the meafure now propofed. The day, however, might come, and perhaps it was not far diftant, when it might be wife and advifable to appoint fuch a committee, that, through its medium the public might be put in poffeffion of the extent of the treafons that have been plotted in concert with the rebels in Ireland, and of the fyftem of co operation adopted and pursued by their accomplices here. The period for that enquiry might come in the prefent feffion; but at the prefent he had every reason to convince him of the neceffity of continuing the falutary precautions by which the country has already been refcued from fuch imminent danger.

Mr. M. A. Taylor and Mr. Alderman Combe faid a few words in explanation.

Mr. Tierney faid, that he voted laft year for the fufpenfion of the Habeas Corpus Act, but he faw nothing in the prefent circumstances of the country that could now juftify his voting for its being continued,

The Chancellor of the Exchequer faid, he did not particularly allude to the hon. Gentleman who spoke laft, though he had him in eye as well as thofe of his friends, who denied the exiftence of the dangers that fince have been made evident, and who refifted the precautionary fyftem which minifters had been anxious to embrace in order to avert thofe dangers. The queftion was now called for, and the Houfe divided,

Ayes
Naes

96

6.---Majority 99.

VOLUNTEER CORPS.

Mr. Dundas rofe to explain the grounds upon which he intended to move for a bill for exempting fuch perfons as enroll themselves in the Volunteer corps from being ballotted for in

the

the fupplementary militia. He faid there was one duty which he had been anxious to perform, and no time feemed more fit for it than the prefent, and that was, to make the acknowledgements of the country to the country, for the unequalled zeal and energy which it had manifefted. The Houfe could not but recollect, that about twelve months ago the country was, he would not fay in a panic, but certainly in ferious expectation that the enemy would make an attempt to invade the ifland. The period he alluded to was juft after the rupture of the negotiations at Lifle. The whole of the force which at that time exifted in this country, amounted in infantry, in regular militia, volunteers, &c. to 84,000 men; the cavalry, regulars, volunteers and yeomanry amounted to about 20,000, making the whole number of armed men in this country at that time 104,000. But in confequence of the threats of the enemy, the people of England felt that they ought to teach the enemy, that any attempt to invade this country would be followed by the total deftruction of the invaders, and the mode which Englishmen took to teach that leffon to the enemy, was to put themselves in a pofture of the most complete defence. Since that period, out of the force which he had mentioned, about 2000 men had been captured at Oftend, who, having entered the purposes of the expedition, had been prevented by the weather froin re-embarking. Befides thefe, a body of 5000 men had been fent to India. It had been judged right to fend 3500 upon a fecret expedition into the Mediterranean. In addition to all thefe, this country had fpared no fewer than 25,000 men to the affiftance of Ireland, making together a body of above 35000 men out of the 104,000 he had mentioned. He had now, however, the happiness to ftate, notwithstanding fo large a body had been fent out of the kingdom, that this country was, by the moft unparalleled exertions, protected by the zeal and courage of 240,000 men in arms. If the country remained true to itfelf-if it kept up that zeal which it had hitherto difplayed, he would announce with confidence, that it would remain in a state of impregnable fecurity. He ftated this with the fincereft fatisfaction, and he confidered it as a proud day for England that he was able to ftate it. That we were in this proud fituation was due to the people themfelves-to them alone the merit belonged. They had thewn by their conduct that they were determined to protect their conftitution and thofe laws under which they had enjoyed fo much happiness. He had faid, we were in a state of impregnable fecurity; he would not have used such strong words, if he had not confidered the nature of the force by which we were defended. Pró

tected

tected as we now were, he certainly looked upon the idea of invafion with derifion. But he wished no man to infer from his present fecurity, that the continuance of his zeal and of his exertions were not neceffary.

At prefent every part of the country was amply fupplied with forces to refift any attempt which the enemy might venture to make. This was the state of the remoter parts of the country. In the fouthern diftrict there were above 32,000 men, under the command of that able veteran, Sir Charles Grey. In the eastern district there were no less than 80,000 men, under the command of another most able general. Befides thefe, the forces were arranged in fuch a manner, that in two or three days time, the forces in these districts might be augmented by above 20,coo men. This was the fituation of the country with refpect to its defence. The country was determined to remain free, and it refted for defence upon its own spirit and determination. When upon former occafions he had moved for fome of the bills for arming the people, fome Gentlemen expreffed a little alarm at putting arms into their hands. He faid then, what he was convinced was true, that by far, very far the greater body of the people were found; and befides, he knew that the best way to make men feel a love for their country was to put them in a way to defend it. This had contributed much to that fortunate and happy change upon which they congratulated each other. He concluded with moving, That leave be given to bring in a bill for exempting perfons ferving in volunteer corps from being ballotted for the fupplementary militia, under conditions.

Mr. Bouverie hoped that care would be taken that no impediment thould be thrown in the way of railing the fupple mentary militia.

Sir William Young thanked the right hon. Gentleman for the compliment he had paid the country. He then defcribed a corps to which he belonged, and which he thought entitled to the exemptions which the right hon. Gentleman had propofed.

Mr. Dundas faid, that from the defcription which the hon. Baronet had given of the corps, he fuppofed it would fall within the exemptions.

Leave then was given to bring in the bill, and Mr. Secretary Dundas and the Secretary at War were ordered to pre pare and bring in the fame.

The Houfe then refolved itself into a committee on the

INCOME BILL.

Several of the cafes of the fchedule were then, with a va→ riety of amendments, which produced much defultory and irregular converfation, agreed to by the committee.

The tenth cafe, which related to the value of the profits of woods, mines, manors, and other profits of uncertain annual amounts, created much difcuffion.

Sir W. Lemon called the attention of the committee to the peculiar circumftance of the Cornish mines, which were very different from those of every other description; they were in general undertaken upon fpeculation, and that under peculiar difadvantages. In one cafe, he knew where a fum of between 85,000l. and 90,00ɔl. was expended, and no return received therefrom until very lately. He thought properties embarked in this very precarious manner, fhould be favourably confidered.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer observed, that the same arguments might be advanced for the exemption of most other works of fpeculation. He faw no peculiar difficulties which undertakings of that kind in Cornwall lay under; they might in fome points of view be confidered as more precarious than the mines in other parts of the country; but on the other hand, there was a confideration in their favour, that by difcoveries, not unfrequently made in the courfe of working, they might be fuddenly rendered a great deal more profitable than mines of other defcriptions. It appeared to him there were but two ways in which the income of fuch concerns could be properly come at; either by taking the actual value within the year, or by taking it at a certain average, which upon the whole, he thought would be best confided to com→ miffioners refident in the country.

Mr. Burdon made a few obfervations to the fame effect. Mr. Percival faid, that confiftently with the principle of the bill, no difference could be made whether the income was derivable from a large or from a fmall capital,

The hon. Baronet complained of the bufinefs in question being in general a precarious fpeculation. So it would be found to be in most others. For inftance, the profefiion which he belonged to, the law; it was indeed a very preca rious fpeculation, and fo a great number of those who em barked in it had experienced; but he begged Gentlemen to confider, that the difadvantages attending fpeculations in the Cornish mines did not arife from this bill; they were not

created