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their exertions, to prosecute the course in which they had been heretofore engaged so much to their own honour and the public benefit.

The hon. member alluded to some of the arguments used the preceding day, when he was called to order by Mr. S. Bourne, who pronounced that kind of allusion disorderly.

The Speaker stated, that it was not correct to refer to arguments used in a former debate.

Mr. Kinnaird resumed. It had been said by the gentleman opposite, 'that an anxiety had been shewn to avoid any inquiry into the conduct of the late admiralty board by the disposition which was manifested to resist the introduction of this paper. In answer to this he should declare, that nothing could be more consonant to the wish of that board, than that a full and fair investigation of their conduct should be instituted. But what investigation? what inquiry? One by this house: not merely the calumnious assertions of persons now in office. It was, in his opinion, a great reproach to the gentlemen opposite; it was in the highest degree derogatory to their character, that they were not prepared to demand an inquiry, (a proper inquiry) by a committee of the house of commons. He regretted more particularly, after the declaration made by the hon. baronet last night, that they had not enough of fairness in their disposition, or of confidence in their innocence to demand such an inquiry. He considered it as very extraordinary, that at so late a period of the session such a memorial should be presented at all; he should consider it still more extraordinary if it were received after what had been declared from the chair the preceding night, that this was not the proper mode of presenting such a memorial.

Sir A. S. Hamond spoke to order. He appealed to the Speaker, whether or not the mode in which the memorial had been presented was not in strict conformity to his observations.

The Speaker observed, that the way in which the memorial had been originally offered, he had certainly urged as an objection, that it was irregular in such a manner to receive the memorial of individuals. He had then stated two ways by which the facts contained in that memorial could be introduced to the knowledge of the house. The first was by means of a petition from the commissioners of the navy, pleading grievances and praying for redress; the other by moving for the production of such official correspondence as might contain the matter which it was deemed desirable to lay before

the

the house. On the 30th of April last a similar mode had been adopted, in conformity to which the motion of the preceding day had been framed.

Mr. Sheridan requested that the debate might be suspended for a few minutes, to allow him to present a petition from Captain Wood, relative to the conduct of Admiral Duckworth in the West Indies; but a message from the lords being announced,

The Speaker remarked, that nothing was more strictly in order than to allow of the admission of the messengers even in the midst of a debate.

The messengers being accordingly admitted, they informed the house that the house of lords had taken into consideration the answer of the commons to their message, requesting the commons would communicate to them the evidence on which they had been induced to accede to the prayer of the Duke of Athol's petition, and that they had been directed to acquaint the house of commons, that the purport of the request was to obtain information of the grounds of their proceeding; and that the lords conceived that the custom of parliament authorized their requesting evidence touching the bills passed by the house of commons.

The messengers being withdrawn, it was ordered, on the motion of Lord Glenbervie, that a message be sent to the lords, intimating that their request was not warranted by the custom of parliament or the privileges of the house of commons, from which they were determined never to depart.

The usher of the black rod then made his appearance, and desired the attendance of the house in the house of peers, to hear the lords commissioners give the royal assent to several public and private bills, and prorogue parliament.

The Speaker, with the whole of the members present, went up accordingly to the house of lords, and on his return, calling round the table the members, read to them a copy of the speech (for which see the proceedings of the house of lords). The members then separated.

PUBLIC ACTS.

The following BILLS received the Royal Affent in the coufe of the Third Seffion of the Second Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

FEBRUARY 7, 1805,

AN act for continuing and granting to his Majefty certain duties upon malt in Great Britain, for the fervice of the year one thoufand eight hundred and five.

An act for continuing and granting to his Majefty a duty on pensions, offices, and personal estates, in England, and certam duties on fugar, malt, tobacco, and fuff, in Great Britain, for the fervice of the year one thoufand eight hundred and five.

An act to remedy certain omiffions in an act, passed in the last fefsion: of Parliament, intituled An act for the relief of certain insolvent debtors."

FEBRUARY 22.

An act for raifing the fum of three millions by loans or Exchequer bills, for the fervice of Great Britain, for the year one thousand eight hundred and five.

An act for explaining and amending an act, made in the forty-third year of his prefent Majefty, for confolidating certain of the provisions contained in any act or acts relating to the duties under the management of the commiffioners for the affairs of taxes, and for amending the fame, fo far as relates to the power of acting as commiffioners in certain districts.

An act to continue, until fix weeks after the commencement of the next feffion of Parliament, an act, made in the last feffion of Parliament, for continuing an act to empower the lord lieutenant, or other chief gover nor or governors of Ireland, to apprehend and detain fuch perfons as he or they fhall fufpect for confpiring, against his Majefty's perion and government.

An act to indemnify such persons in the United Kingdom as have omitted to qualify themieives for offices and employments, and for extending the times Imited for thofe purposes refpectively, until the twenty-fifth day of December one thoufand eight hundred and five; and to permit fuch perfons in Great Britain as have omitted to make and file affidavits of the execution of indentures of clerks to attornies and folicitors to make and file the fame, on or before the fift day of Michaelmas term one thousand. eight hundred and five.

An act to indemnify all perfons employed in the difpofal of coals in the coal market in the city of London, who have incurred penalties under certain provifions of an act made in the forty-third year of his prefent

Majesty,

Majefty, for establishing a free market in the city of London for the fale of coals, and for preventing frauds and impofitions in the vend and delivery of all coals brought into the port of London within certain places therein mentioned.

An act to continue and amend an act, paffed in the seventeenth year of his prefent Majesty, for repairing the road from the town of Derby, through Afhborne, to Hurdloe Houfe, in the county of Derby.

MARCH 1.

An act for amending an act, paffed in the laft feffion of Parliament, for granting additional annuities to the proprietors of stock, created by two acts, paffed in the thirty-feventh and forty-fecond years of his prefent Majefty.

An act for allowing veffels employed in the Greenland whale-fishery to complete their full number of men at certain ports for the present seafon. An act for repairing several roads leading to and from the town of Crewkerne, in the county of Somerset.

MARCH 12.

An act for raifing the fum of twenty-two millions five hundred thousand pounds by way of annuities.

An act for granting certain additional rates and duties in Great Britain on the conveyance of letters.

An act for making further provifion for the effectual performance of quarantine.

An act to enable the company of proprietors of the canal navigation from Manchester to Bolton, and to Bury, to raise money to complete the fame.

An act to enable the company of proprietors of the Surrey iron railway to raise a further fum of money for completing the said railway, and the works thereunto belonging.

An act to enlarge the term and powers of two acts, paffed in the twentyninth year of his late Majefty, and the feventh year of his prefent Majefty, for making a road from the east side of the parish of Saint Matthew Bethnal Green, in the county of Middlefex, to the east end of Church-street, in the faid parish, and to open a way into Shoreditch, and for keeping the fame in repair.

An act for making and maintaining a road from Hollinwood, in the township of Chadderton, to Featherstall, in the townfhip of Hundersfield, in the county palatine of Lancatter, and for making and maintaining feveral branches of road to communicate therewith.

MARCH 18.

An act for granting to his Majesty additional duties in Great Britain on horfes used in riding or for drawing certain carriages, and for consolidating the said additional duties with the prefent duties thereon.

An act for granting additional duties ou falt in Great Britain.

An act for granting to his Majesty additional duties in Great Britain on the amount of affeffiments to be charged on the profits arifing from pro perty, profeffions, trades, and offices.

An act for punihing mutiny and desertion; and for the better payment of the army and their quarters.

An act for enabling the company of proprietors of the canal navigation 4 I

VOL, III. 1805.

from

from Manchester to or near Ashton under Lyne and Oldham, more effec-. tually to provide for the difcharge of their debts, and to complete the faid canal, and the cuts and works thereto belonging.

An act for enabling the company of proprietors of the Peak Forest canal, more effectually to provide for the discharge of their debts, and to complete the faid canal, and the cut, railways, or stone roads, and other works thereof.

MARCH 22.

An act for the regulation of his Majesty's royal marine forces while

on shore.

MARCH 25.

An act for granting to his Majefty, until the twenty-fifth day of March one thoufand eight hundred and fix, certain rates and duties, and to allow certain drawbacks and bounties, upon goods, wares, and merchandize, imported into, and exported from, Ireland, in lieu of former rates and duties, drawbacks, and bounties.

An act for granting to his Majefty, until the twenty-fifth day of March one thousand eight hundred and fix, certain inland duties of excise and taxes in Ireland, in lieu of former duties of excise and taxes.

An act for granting to his Majefty certain ftamp duties in Ireland.

An act for repealing certain duties upon letters and packets sent by the poft within Ireland, and granting other duties in lieu thereof.

An act for granting to his Majefty a duty upon malt made in Ireland, and upon fpirits made or diftilled in Ireland, for the year one thousand eight hundred and five.

An act to continue, until the twenty-fifth day of March one thousand eight hundred and fix, and to amend, feveral acts for regulating the draw. backs and bounties on the exportation of fugar from Ireland.

An act to enable the lords commiffioners of his Majefty's Treasury of Great Britain to iffue Exchequer bills, on the credit of fuch aids or íupplies as have been, or fhall be, granted by Parliament for the fervice of Great Britain, for the year one thoufand eight hundred and five.

An act for further continuing, until the twenty-fifth day of March one thoufand eight hundred and fix, an act, paffed in the forty-third year of his prefent Majefty, for difcontinuing certain drawbacks and bounties on the exportation of fugar from Great Britain, and for allowing other draw

backs and bounties in lieu thereof.

An act to continue an act for fufpending the operation of an act, of the feventeenth year of his prefent Majefty, for reftraining the negotiation of promiffory notes and bills of exchange, under a limited fum, in England, until fix months after the ratification of a definitive treaty of peace.

An act for continuing feveral laws relating to the permitting the warehoufing of fpirits in Ireland for exportation; for charging a duty on the fame when taken out for home confumption; and for regulating the exportation to Great Britain of spirits not warehouíed, until the twenty-ninth day of September one thoufand eight hundred and five; to the prohibiting the exportation from, and permitting the importation to, Great Britain of corn, and for allowing the importation of other articles of provifion without payment of duty, and to the prohibiting the exportation from Ireland of corn or potatoes, or other provifions, and to the permitting the importation into Ireland of corn, fith, and provifions, without payment of duty, until the twenty-fifth day of March one thousand eighthundred and fix.