485 House. That noble perfon had held a converfation with a tradefman on the fubject of the bill, who faid his income might, he believed, amount to 300l. a year, and he declared he thought it hard to have to pay thirty pounds out of it for this tax. The tradefman was a barber and hair-dreffer, and upon a little reflection upon the tax faid, "But perhaps if I did not pay the thirty pounds, fo many of my prefent customers would not have their heads upon their fhoulders for me to fhave and drefs." That was, his Lordship faid, the true defence of the bill; for let a man's income be what it may, little or large, he muft pay for its protection, or it will be ftill lefs, and perhaps be loft entirely. The noble Duke had told the Houfe that fomebody or other had projected a tax that would antwer the fame end as the prefent bill, and be lefs felt; viz. a tax on all fucceffions: but furely a very little reflection would ferve to fhew that fuch a tax muft be, in its individual instances, fo enormous as to be ruinous to the laft degree. Hitherto taxes on articles of confumption had been felected by minifters; and it was evident they were wife in fo doing, as the learned and ingenious author who wrote on the tax on collateral fucceffions, that had been in agitation fome few years fince, had proved in his book, but he had already ftated the reafon why it would under the prefent circumftances have been highly impolitic to have relied on any tax that could have been devised of that nature. -imports and exports might poffibly be felected; but it could only be for a fingle year, as the public could not stand the unexpected demand of fo large a fun as must be made on exports and imports to raise the neceffary money more than once. With regard to tythes, about the abolition of which the noble Duke had faid there were but two opinions, as all men were agreed that if a fit fubftitute could be found to be given to the clergy in lieu of tythes, he begged leave utterly to deny that affertion; there was perhaps no one question upon which fuch a variety of opinions prevailed. Nor was it the clergy alone who held tythes, though a clergyman was always invidioufly mentioned when tythes were touched upon; many of the laity held tythes, and held them by as good a tenure as the noble Duke, or any other freeholder, held his eftate. His Lordthip added further obfervations, all tending to refcue the bill from the charges urged against it by the noble Duke. The question was at length put, and the Contents had it without a divifion. The bill was then read a third time and paffed. Adjourned at 10 o'clock. PROTEST PROTEST AGAINST THE SUSPENSION OF THE HABEAS CORPUS ACT. On the motion for the third reading of the Bill for the ful penfion of the Habeas Corpus Act being carried in the affirmative, the following Proteft was entered on the Journals of the Houfe of Lords: DISSENTIENT, ift, Because the exiftence of a confpiracy of an extent fo formidable, and of a nature fo complicated, that the public disclosure of the evidence necefiary to the conviction of one Confpitor might enable his accomplices to afcertain the information of Government, and to elude the juftice of the Country, came ALONE conititute a neceffity fufficient to justify a Peer of Parliament in affenting to any Suspention of the Habeas Corpus. 2dly, Becaufe no meatures have been taken to make fuch neceffity apparent. 3dly, Becaufe, if from private information, or from the general circum. flances of the Country, the Houle were convinced that fuch neceffity did actually exift, it would nevertheless be more confonant with the ufages, and lefs derogatory to the dignity of Parliament, to produce fubftantial Documents, rather than the fuggeftions of Ministers, or the vague fulpicions of individuals, in justification of fo extadina y a measure. 4thly, Becaule the alarms of Minifters are always to be received with miltruit by the Legiflature, when the remedy proposed is an extenfion of THEIR POWER, and a diminutio of the LIBERTY of the SUBJECT. 5thly, Because these principles of jealoufy, applicable to all times, appear to me to be peculiarly To to the prefent, when a fyftem of Government by ALARM has been referred to year after year, and powers, fimilar to those required by this bill, been obtained on the fcore of allegations which fubfequent events have refuted; a memorable example of which occurred in the years 1794 and 1795, when a number of perfons detained under the provitions of a Bill fimilar to this, were all either liberated without trial, or acquitted by a Verdia of their Country. 1.0 6thly, Because the danger of an invafion (the pretence for fufpending the Habeas Corpus laft Seffion) exits io longer: and it is fubverhive of that mutual confidence which fhould fubfilt between the Government and the Governed, to requite with diftruft in their difpofitions, and a continual Sufpenfion of one of the most effential Safeguards of their Liberty, the affections of the People, manifefted in their late exertions at the moment of aların, and in the chearfulnefs with which they have fubmitted to Burthens UNPARALLELED in their preffure, and now confeffedly UNEQUAL in their op.ration. (Signed) HOUSE OF COMMONS. TUESDAY, JAN. 8. HOLLAND. At four o'clock there not being a fufficient number of Members present to conftitute a Houle, an adjournment took place of course. HOUSE HOUSE OF LORDS. TUEDAY, JAN. 22. There was a very full attendance of Peers; among others their Royal Highneffes the Dukes of Gloucefter, York, and Clarence, and many Peers, who have not appeared in the House this Seffion. Prince Erneft alfo was prefent. The Duke of Rutland was introduced with the ufual ceremony, and after taking the oaths, was led to the Dukes' feat in the customary form. The House then waited a confiderable time for Lord Grenville, who was detained from the Houfe by public business; at length his Lordship came, and said he had a Mellage from his Majefty, which he had it in command to deliver, and begged that it might be read to the House. It was immediately read by the Lord Chancellor, and it was afterwards read audibly by Mr. Arnott, and was as follows: GEORGE REX. "His Majesty is perfuaded that the unremitting industry with which our enemies perfevere in their avowed defign of effecting the feparation of Ireland from this kingdom, cannot fail to engage the particular attention of Parliament; and his Majefty recommends it to this Houfe to confider of the most effectual means of counteracting and finally defeating this de- ' fign; and he trufts that a review of all the circumstances which have recently occurred (joined to the fentiment of mutual affection and common intereft), will difpofe the Parliament of both kingdoms to provide, in the manner which they fall judge most expedient, for fettling fuch complete and final adjustment as may beft tend to improve and perpetuate a connexion effential for their common fecurity, and to augment and confolidate the strength, power, and refources of the British Empire." G. R. After which Lord Grenville faid he fhould move, that the Meffage from his Majefty be taken into confideration the next day, and the Lords to be fummoned. His Lordship faid, for the fake of convenience, he would add, that his intention was to move an Addrefs the next day to his Majefty, to thank his Majefty for his gracious communication, and to affure his Majesty that the Houfe would proceed to take into confideration the important fubject of his Majefty's Meffage, and apply such means as fhould appear to them most applicable to the occafion. His Lordships faid, further, that the Addrefs he meant to propofe would be fo drawn, that it would confine confine itself to its profeffed object, without pledging any of their Lordfhips to a particular mode of proceeding, but leave the whole fubject open to their Lordfhips' deliberate judg ment. Adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. TUESDAY, JAN. 22. MESSAGE FROM THE KING. Mr. Secretary Dundas brought up a Meffage from his Ma jefly in effect fimilar to that delivered to the Houfe of Lords. He then moved, That the gracious Meffage be taken into confideration the next day. Mr. Sheridan faid, he took it for granted, that when this Meffage was made the fubject of a Motion to be taken into confideration, it would be propofed to follow the ufual cuf... tom of an Addrefs to his Majefty, with an affurance, on the - part of that Houfe, that they would proceed to the confidera tion of the fubject to which the Meffage refers. He therefore thought it but fair to give notice, that in the view he had of this most important fubject, the bringing forward, at this time, any question whatever upon it, either here or in Ireland, was fo full of danger, fo replete with mifchief, that he fhould endeavour to arret the progrefs of the measure at once. He was convinced it was the common feeling and with of that Houfe (and he hoped of this country), that fuch meafures may be purfued as may lead to reflore cordial harmony between the two countries; but to difcufs any points of Union now, might be fatal to the profperity, perhaps the exiftence, of both. He objected to the time in which this momentous bufinefs was propofed to be difcuffed. He should be ready to join in thanks to his Majefty for his gracious communication; but instead of affuring his Majefty that they would difcufs the fubjects, or take it into confideration, he hould endeavour to perfuade the Houfe to exprefs its regret, that his Majefty's counsellors fhould have advised him to take up this measure at this moment. The Chancellor of the Exchequer faid it was perfectly fair in the hon. Gentleman to give notice to the Houfe of the courfe he intended to purfue. What he collected from him was, that he fhould object to the Addrefs in the first instance; which Addrefs would do more than convey to the Throne an alfurance that the House would take into confideration a propofition, on the face of it fo important to the British empire, as as to be made the fubject of a Meffage from his Majefty. What would be the arguments by which the hon. Gentleman expected that he should fatisfy the House it ought not to proceed to the confideration of that Meffage which his Majefty, in his paternal goodness to his fubjects, and anxious folicitude for the welfare of every branch of the British Empire, had graciously communicated to the House-what arguments the hon. Gentleman had to urge to convince the House it ought to reject, without confideration, any propofition whatever upon the subject matter of that Meffage, he was at a loss to guefs. He thould abftain, at prefent, from any further obfervation. He fhould hereafter take the liberty of fubmitting fome propofitions to the Houfe. To-morrow he fhould propofe only an Addrefs of Thanks to his Majefty, accompanied with an affurance that the matter fhall be confidered with the attention which its importance deferves; and then he should propofe a day for that purpose. A fufficient interval, he propofed, fhould elapfe, before there fhould be any confideration of the fubject. He fhould propofe Thurfday fe'nnight for that purpose: nor fhould he even then propofe to proceed until after the general plan fhall have been fo opened, that every Gentlemen may turn it in his mind. After this another interval was to be propofed, and fufficient time given to confider the general outline of the plan, which, if the Houfe fhould adopt, he fhould propose to have printed, and rendered as familiar to the Houfe as poffible. Then he should propofe to fix a day for the confideration of the whole fubject-a fubject of the utmost confequence certainly, and which, he had no doubt, would receive that attention which its peculiar and evident importance demanded. Mr. Sheridan faid, the right hon. Gentleman took up this fubject as if fomething difrefpectful had been urged by him towards the communication from the Throne; nothing was more diftant from his intention; at the fame time the right hon. Gentleman muft give him leave to remind the House, that while he was talking of " the anxious folicitude and parental goodness of the Throne towards the welfare of the British Empire," every meinber of Parliament had a right to treat the Meffage from his Majefty as the Meffage of his Minifters; nor was it neceffary for him to wait any time to fee whether he should affent to any propofition upon this measure, because he deprecated, at this hour, any difcuffion at all upon the fubject. With regard to the arguments with which he fhould endeavour to prevail upon the Houfe to be of VOL. 1. 1799. 3 R his |