obfervations from Sir W. Pulteney on the irregularity of introducing claufes in that way, after a third reading, and without due notice of their purport, were feverally agreed to, and ordered to make part of the Bill, which was then ordered to the Lords. Here the Speaker fuggefted fome rules to adopt concerning the forms of the Houfe io fimilar cafes hereafter. The Houte in a Committee on the Income Bill, Mr John Smith in the chair, Mr Pitt, Mr Wigley, and Colonel Wood had a fhort converfation on the claufe inflicting a penalty of rool. on perfons acting as Commiffioners not duly authorized. number, infert their statement or fchedule-by which number the Collector will be guided, if the ftatement be deemed fair, to receive the payment, as was the cafe in the year 1793, when under the Act by which money was advanced by loan to feveral perfons in trade, whereby a multitude of individuals were relieved without as much as their names being difclofed. He fuggefted feveral nice and well digefted principles to preserve secrecy under this Act, and to preserve individual credit: and concluded with faying, he should make some further deductions than thofe already fpecified in the Bill, in favour of thofe having chil dren in proportion to their number. Mr Tierney thought that the Blll, with the new claufes to be introduced, should be printed before they were dif cuffed. He was apprehenfive that commercial men would have a fellow feeling for each other, and partiality would prevail. He drew fome comparifons between the Landed and Commercial in tereft, and thought that in this Bill the former were unfairly dealt with. Mr Pitt replied, that the Bill should be printed as amended in due time, and defended his fyftem of diftinction between the Landed and Commercial intereft. The House then proceeded on the different clauses. On the clause being read, compelling the individual to make oath of his income, when doubted by the Commiffioners, and furcharged from the Report of the Surveyor, Mr Wigley moved, that this claufe be left out; on which the Houfe divided, for the motion 4; againft it, 80. Mr Pitt then faid, from a due confideration of the subject, he deemed it proper, in the investigation of income, to constitute a procefs for the commercial world different from that inftituted generally in the Bill for all other claffes, the purport whereof fhould be to prevent that difclofure of a man's fituation which might eventually hurt his trade. He thought it neceffary to apprize Gentlemen of this intention, and in this early ftage of the Bill to give an outline of his plan. To this end two modes would be adopt ed; but with regard to claffes not commercial, that the mere ftatement delivered in by the individual fhould be taken as true, and without further inquiry, if a majority of the Commiffioners were of opinion it was fair; and that if the party fhould be examined by Commifoners, that the affeffor fhould not be prefent at the examination, but that the contents fhould be afterwards fubmitted to him for his affiftance. With regard to commercial men, he fhould propofe a means whereby no inquiry into their affairs should become public. In the first intance commercial commiffioners fhould be appointed, and the ftatement firft delivered to them separately, or to fome perion fworn for the purpofe to fecrecy; that fworn aff:ffors, men in trade, fhould have the examination of the fame, and that the charge or furcharge fhould remain with them; that if the party appeals, he fhall be heard apart, the furveyor not prefent, and deductions made or furcharge fupported, as the Commiffioners of Appeal shall deem juft and expedient: that it will be at the option of any perfon even to conceal their name; but in bocks kept by Gentlemen in trade On the usual Indemnity Qualification in their diftricts, take a given number, Bill being read, Mr Wigley propofed and in the line correfponding with that two claufes relative to Attornies. The The Houfe again divided on the claufe, giving the Surveyor a right to appeal against the individual; a motion being made to reject that allo; for the rejection, 9; againft it, 59. The Surveyor has therefore the right to appeal. 10. Mr Pitt in the abfence of Mr Dundas, brought in a Bill to continue the Act of laft year, for fufpending the Habeas Corpus Act, and detaining in cultody fuch perfons as were fufpected of feditious and treasonable practices. He obferved, that the neceffity of this Bill was fufficiently notorious, and the propriety of continuing it in force fufficiently obvious. Read a firft time. first first authorizing the Judges to admit into the practice of their profeffions perfons who, being articled to one mafter, had finished the remainder of their clerkfhip with another. He moved this, becaufe by the Act now in force concerning Attornies, it is required that the period of five years should be ferved with their firft mafter or his agent." His other claule went to indemnify Attornies who neglected their annual Certificates in certain cales. To both thefe Mr Pitt consented, and a Bill will be brought in accordingly to relieve Attornies. The Houfe then refolved itself into a Committee on the Tax on Income Bill, Mr I. Smith in the Chair, Several clanfes were then proceeded on; that giving the power to Surveyors to appeal from the decifion of the firft Committee, was amended by Mr Pitt, by adding thefe words, "That in all cafes where the first fet of Commiffioners agreed in favour of the ftatement delivered in by the individual, the Surveyor fhould have no right of appeal to the fecond fet of Commiffioners, but that the decision made by the firft fet fhould be final." On the claufe being read impofing the ratio of taxation on Landed Income, and the differences thereof, flating, that the tenant paying rack-rent should be charged for his yearly income but at three fourths thereof, whilft the landlord, tilling his own land, should pay double (that is, be rated for his charge at a year and a half), an amendment was propofed, that a year and a quarter be fubftituted, on which a divifion took place; for the year and a haif, 48; against it, 30; majority, 16. 21. The Order of the day being read for the second reading of the Bill to fufpend the Habeas Corpus Act, there appeared for the motion, 96; against it, 6. The Houfe then refolved itself into a Committee on the Income Bill. Several claufes were amended. Mr Hufkinfon brought in a Bill, which was read a first time, exempting Gentle men ferving in Volunteer Corps from being fubject to the Militia Laws. 22. The Bill for exempting the Volunteer Corps throughout the kingdom from the Supplementary Militia was read a fecond time. The Report of the Indemnity Qualification Bill was brought up, and ordered for a third reading. The Houfe having refolved itself into a Committee on the Tax on Income Bill, The firft clause that excited attention was that of averaging the ratio of income derived by profeffions and trades, upon which a debate took place. The clause ftated, that the rate fhould be made for the first year from an average of the three years preceding the 31 of December 1798. This was fupported by Mr Pitt, Mr Thornton, Mr Buxton, and Mr Wilberforce, and oppofed by Alderman Combe, Sir F. Baring, and Mr Tierney. Mr Tierney fuggefted the fairness of calculating the average for the five years preceding. Alderman Curtis was of opinion, that no mode could fo fecurely guard againft evafion as that of the average of three years: perfons could not easily fo fhape or fhuffle with their books, as to make falfe entries and fallacious balances: already evafion had prevailed, that came within his own knowledge, and it would occur again if not prevented. Mr Tierney expreffed his indignation at the frequent application of the term "evafion." Many confcientious perfons would think themselves juftified to take every advantage of this law, not fo much to evade the letter of it, as to avoid the heavy effects of it; but he could illuftrate this more precisely. It had lately occurred that a very diftinguished person thought it neither fin nor fhame to evade his proportion of donation at the period of the voluntary contributions. He poffeffed a handsome pension; "but having in view the certainty of a place of much greater emolument, refigned the penfion, and then took the advantage of the interim to pay his mite to the voluntary contributions." Mr Pitt immediately afked whether this was an imaginary or a real cafe put by the Hon. Gentleman? as, if the fact was actually as flated, it deferved the moft ferious attention. Mr Tierney faid he stated it as a fact, which he had from refpectable authority. Mr Pitt then replied, that if it were true, it certainly fhould be inveftigated moft severely; under that confideration, he called upon the Hon. Gentleman to NAME the perfon. Several other Members spoke to the like effect, and infifted on the name being given up. Mr Tierney did not imagine that an affertion loosely made by the way of illuftration, could have taken fo ferious a turn. He was not forced to give the name; if it turned out to be untrue, he would would fignify the perfon fo meant to the Chancellor of the Exchequer. He added, it he remained filent hereafter on the fubject, it should be taken for granted he was deceived. Mr Pitt faid, that he had reafon to judge (though he never heard the name mentioned yet of the person) that it alluded to a perfonage who recently did give up a penfion and obtain a place.And he was the more able to declare in the face of the world, that the infinuation was unfounded, fcandalous, and falfe; that perfon was lately appointed one of his Majefty's Poftmafters General, and actually gave up one-fifth of his income. Mr Wilberforce was about to proceed, when the Chairman interrupted him, and fignifying how great and how painful this digreffion was, proceeded in the bufinefs of the Committee, and in the claufe for making deductions on account of children. Mr Pitt arranged it as follows, viz. to perfons poffe fling from 651. to 400l., per annum, an allowance to be made on the fum they pay of 5 per cent. for each child. From 400l. to 1000l. 4 per cent. From 1000l. to cool. 3 per cent. and all above 5000l. 2 per cent. thereby granting more relief to the lower claffes by this Bill than that which they derived under the Bill of laft feffion, which, after fome oppofition made by the Speaker, the Solicitor-General, and Mr Wilberforce, were agreed to. 26. On the motion for the commitment of the Bill for the further fufpenfion of the Habeas Corpus Act, Mr Courtenay rofe and oppofed it. He laid, that the preamble of the act of last year flated fpecial reafons for the neceffity of that act. (He read that preamble, which fignified, that the neceffity of the bill was the threat and fear of invafion). He urged from thence, that no fuch fear exifting now, no neceffity exifted for this Bill. The Bill went through a Committee, and the blank filled, that it be in force till the 21st of May next.-Report brought up. The Secretary at War laid on the table an account of the Militia in actual fer vice. The Houfe in a Committee on the Bill exempting Volunteers from Militia duty, feveral claufes were introduced by Mr Dundas, which were agreed to, as were fome amendments propofed by Mr York. The report was ordered to be brought up. 27. Mr Tierney faid, it was with reluctEd Mag. March, 1799. ance that the circumftance had occurred to him of bringing forward a complaint before that Houfe. In the courfe of the debate lait Saturday evening, he was forry that by any thing he faid he fhould give offence to any Gentleman, in alluding to a rumour he had heard of a Perion not paying to the full extent of his Income, as including a lucrative Office to which he had been appointed. He was perfectly ready to acknowledge, that the Right Hon. Gentieman (Mr Pitt) had. conducted himself on that occafion with relpect, candour, and liberality, for which, he confeffed, he had felt himself obliged. He had then been called upon to name the Perion to whom he had alluded, and he had faid, that he was not obliged to name any one upon mere rumour. The Rt. Hon. Gentleman, with a laudable degree of feeling for the Noble Lord (Auckland) ftated, that he could not conceive it could allude to any one but to the Perfor iately appointed one of his Majeft's Poft-Mafters General; and, with a laudable regard to the credit of Government, he had expreffed a wish for every information on the fubject. Mr Tierney laid he owned he felt the force of what the Right Hon. Gentleman, then Aated, that if that noble Lord was the perfon allu.ted to, he knew that he had done not only what he ought to do according to the law, but had also added a confiderably Voluntary Contribution. He had no doubt of the Right Hon. Gentleman's accuracy on this point, and was perfuaded that the perfon alluded to had any done the fmalleft thing of which he had any caufe to be ashamed. He apprehended there was no other perfon bsfide who was prefumed to have received any injury, and that Noble Perfon being exonerated, from him (Mr Tierney) nothing more could be expected. Notwithilanding this, in the Newlpaper called The Times, of yesterday, the attention of the Public had been called to this fubject in a moft extraordinary way. It gave a pretended ftatement of the converfation which paffed on Saturday evening, interfperfed with political animadverfions, as if the Editor, in ftating what paffed in that House, had a right to interfperfe his own animadverfions on the conduct of its Members. He felt no more interested than any other Member, and, therefore, having ftated this complaint, unless the Houte chofe to interfere, he did not mean to prefs the matter farther upon their attention. The Mafter of the Rolls moved, that Gg the the further confideration of the fubject fhould be poftponed till Monday, which was agreed to. The Order of the Day for the further confideration of the Report of the Income Bill being read, Sir W. Pulteney faid, there was no man more unwilling than he was to oppofe the general will of the Houfe. But with refpect to this Bill, there were many things which, in his opinion, called for the ftricteft attention. The general mode of raifing Taxes in this country rendered them to a certain degree optional, because they were upon confump tion or upon imports, except the Land Tax and the Taxes upon Houfes and Windows. But, by the mode of taxation now adopted, the Minifter might raise not only one-tenth, but two, three, or four-tenths, till nothing remained, and those who would not pay muft have their goods taken. He therefore thought this measure bore no refemblance to the Af feffed Taxes, which, though they were not optional the firft year, yet were fo afterwards, by diminishing their expenditure. But it was faid the Affeffed Taxes did not produce enough, and that they were evaded. He faw no reafon why means might not be adopted to prevent thofe evafions. It was not right to make a man explain his fituation, if it was a bad one; but even if it was a good one, it might be a hardship to him to explain it. It might have a bad effect upon children to know that their parents were rich, because it might make them inattentive. Thefe difclofures would, in his opinion, affect the whole intercourfe of mankind. The power which Minifters would thus have of knowing the property of every man in the kingdom, would be a moft powerful inftrument in their hands; besides, by knowing the wealth of the country, it might lead them to expence. The Bill appeared to him, on the whole, to go against the fpirit of the Liberty of the country. With refpect to its duration, he wished to obferve, that it must continue three years, and if the War lafted another year, it muft continue four years. But there was nothing ftated in the Bill which would prevent its being adopted in future. It was not ftated that it was merely a War Tax, nor was it ftated when it would ceafe, but merely that it fhould not ceale before a certain period. Upon thefe grounds he thought there would be great danger in paffing the Bill, and therefore be fhould oppose it. Mr Jones expreffed his fentiments as hoftile to the measure; he confidered the power of calling for a fpecification of Income as a great privation of domestic happiness. Mr Hawkins Browne faid, it seemed admitted by moft, that it was neceffary to raise a large part of the Supplies within the year, and if fo, no measure was fo obvioufly good for that purpofe as the one before the Houfe; nor ought we to be unthankful to Providence, that, by the great extenfion of our trade, we are able to adopt fo great an idea, and carry it with effect into execution. It was now with us to refcue Europe, which we could not do by any other than vigorous meafures, of which the prefent feemed to be the best. Mr W. Smith faid, he thought that the Bill was now very much improved to what it originally flood. As it was in its firft ftage, it was cruel, oppreffive, and unjuft; he meant in that part of it which was fometimes called the Inqui fitorial Part; but it certainly was ameliorated in that part by the claufes which related to the difciofure. He however objected to the principles of the modifications, that they were not founded upon any regular principle, but upon an arbitrary feale, to relieve or increase the ratio. In fhort, he faw fo many diffi culties in the way of the measure, that he had no hopes of seeing them amended, nor had he confidence enough in himself to propofe any other. He had feveral other objections to the Bill as it now ftood, but he should take a future ftage to ftate them, and at prefent, confine himfelf to oppofe the principle generally. Lord Hawkesbury faid, the queftion now was, whether the meafure proposed was not the moft equal that could be devifed. In the prefent ftate of the country, and of public credit, it was the very beft mode that under the circumftances could be adopted, and much fuperior to adhering to the old fyftem of funding. He trufted, therefore, that the Houle would not further delay receiving the Report, nor refuse their affent to the Bill, unless they heard better arguments againft it. Sir James Pulteney wished that the Bill could be amended in one inftance: he meant as to disclosure. The fame regulations that were applied to commercial Men he conceived might be applicable to the cafe of Landed Property. Ancther point alfo in which he thought the measure might be ameliorated, was by extend xtending the feale beyond its prefent Extent, by which fome relief would be afforded to the middle orders. The Report was then received without a divifion. 28. The Bill for continuing the Sufpenfion of the Habeas Corpus Act, and the Bill for exempting perfons ferving in Volunteer Corps from the Supplement ary Militia, were read a third time, and ordered to the Lords. Mr Pitt moved, that the Bill for a Tax on Income fhould be recommitted> and the House then refolved itself into a Committee, Mr Smith in the Chair. Mr Pitt propofed a great number of new clauses. One of the fe was to withhold the allowance on the score of children from the higher claffes where the child was under fix years of age, which was adopted. Several other claufes were brought up, and, after a long difcuffion, were incorporated into the Bill.-Adjourned. THE MONTHLY REGISTER Interesting Intelligence from the London Gazettes. Admiralty Office, Jan. 26. 1799. Copy of a letter from Capt. Fraser, to Vice-Admiral Kingsmill. SIR, Shannon, Cove of Cork, Jan. 17, 1799: Beg leave to acquaint you, that being on the morning of the 15th ft. in lat. 49 deg. 40 min. and long-nd deg 30 min. W. with his Majefty's fun der my command, proceeding to the rendezvous prescribed by Capt. Faulknor, I faw, and after a chace of feven hours, captured Le Grande Indien, a fhip privateer, from Granville, commanded by Gand Olivier Vubois, carrying 18 brass carronades 18 pounders, and 2 long_12 pounders, manned with 125 men. She was only five days from Granville, had taken nothing, is quite new, with provifions and ftores for a three months cruize. From the circumftance of the prize having carried her main-maft by the board while chaced, (and as the Shannon also fprung a maintop-maft, and tore to pieces two boats in fhifting prifoners,) the wind blowing ftrong with a heavy fea, I hope you will approve of my having accompanied her into port. I have the honour to be, &c. Admiralty-Office, Feb. 8. Lordship, that after a chace of eight hours and a half, his Majefty's fhip Triton, captured the French brig L'Aimable Victoire, mounting fixteen brass eighteen-pounders, two iron fix-pounders, and eighty-fix men; failed from Cherbourg yefterday evening, has not taken tisfied at this capture, as the fails very any thing. I have reafon to feel fafaft, is of large dimenfions, and, being her firft cruize, might have injured the trade of this country. She is quite new, and I think fit for his Majefty's fervice. I am, &c. (Signed) John Gore. Admiralty-Office, Feb. 12. Copy of a Letter from the Earl of St Vincent, K. B. Commander in Chief of his Majefty's fhips and veffels in the Mediterranean, to Evan Nepean, Efq. dated at Gibraltar, the 7th of January, 1799SIR, Herewith I inclofe a lift of veffels captured by his Majefty's fhips under the orders of Commodore Duckworth, at and near Minorca. I am, &c. St Vincent. Spanish fhip Francisco Vavier alias Esperaufa, laden with drugs and bale goods, bound to Cadiz. French privateer Le Tartar on a cruize. Spanish fhip Mifericordia, of Minorca, Gg laden with paper, bound for a market. Spanish fhip Virgin Dolorofa, of Minorca, laden with merchandize, bound to Minorca. Spa |