134,159 14 5

322,143 5

1798

8

Friday, December 7.

Mr. Chancellor PITT brought up a bill to enlarge the time limited for the redemption of the land tax, and to amend the act for the fale thereof, &c. which was read a first time.

On the queftion for the fecond reading,

Sir JOHN SINCLAIR fuggefted the propriety of fome delay in fo important a matter as this.

Right Honourable DUDLEY RYDER thought the propofition of the honourable Baronet a fingular one; for this matter was amply difcuffed when it was before the House last 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.

Mr. Chancellor PITT faid, he propofed the fecond reading of this bill to-morrow; and as he had no apprehenfion that the bufinefs of the loan would on Monday occupy much time, he should 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 honourable Baronet feemed to be totally ignorant of the contents, he fhould propofe that the bill be printed.

Mr. HUSSEY wifhed 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 representatives of the People, to examine into that matter. He did not pretend to know the real state of the cafe; but he had heard that the expence already incurred was not lefs than one million. He did not ftate these things flightly; but if he was mifinformed, the Minifter would correct him.

Mr. Chancellor PITT faid, if the plan which the bill was intended to enforce, had coft the public the fum alluded to by the honourable gentleman, it would have been cheaply purchafed; but he had not the most distant comprehenfion, or even guess, how fuch, or any thing like fuch, an expence could attend the execution of this act. He should be glad to have fome fpecific information upon that matter.

Mr. HUSSEY could not give the Minifter the particulars. But had the right honourable gentleman never heard of this, nor any thing like it?

Mr. Chancellor PITT-Never.

The bill was then crdered to be read a fecond time to-morrow, and to be printed.

Mr. Chancellor PITT brought up a bill to continue, for a time to be limited, a bill to enable His Majefty to accept of the fervices of fuch part of the militia as may voluntarily offer themselves for service in Ireland, &c.—Which was read a first time; and on the queftion for the fecond reading,

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 mischief 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 measure now before the House.

The bill was ordered to be read a fecond time to-morrow.

The income bill being in a Committee of the whole House, Mr. Chancellor PITT obferved, that perhaps the Committee would difpenfe with formalities in the prefent ftage of this important proceeding, as the amendments fhould be printed, and the bill be afterwards recommitted; and that he propofed to have the difcufffon of the measure on the recommitment of the bill.

The bill then, pro forma, paffed the Committee, and the report was ordered for to-morrow.

Saturday, December 8.

Mr. SPEAKER acquainted the House, that he had received from Sir John Barlafe Warren the following Letter, in return to the thanks of this Houfe, fignified to him by Mr. Speaker, in obedience. to their commands of the 21ft day of November laft.

SIR,

Canada, Barn Pool, 6th December, 1798.

I beg leave to acknowledge the receipt of your Letter of the 22d of November, inclufing the Refolution of thanks of the House of Commons.

It is difficult for me to express the fenfe I entertain of the high honour conferred upon me, by fo auguft an Affembly as the Hufe of Commons of Great Britain, by their vote of thanks, and their approval of my conduct, with that of my Brother Officers, Seamen and Marines, on the 12th of October laft; and which I have, in obedience to your com

mands, communicated this day to the officers and feveral fhips companies that compefed the fquadron.

The greatest encouragement that an officer can receive to a faithful difcharge of his duty, is to obtain the good opinion of his Country, expreffed by their reprefentatives in Parliament affembled.

I am convinced that the officers and men, with whom I acted on the absve day, as well as myfelf, will continue to preferve the most grateful remembrance of fo high a diftinction, to the latest hour of their lives; and we rely upon your goodness to make thefe fentiments known to the honourable Houfe of Commons.

I take the liberty to return you, Sir, my best acknowledgements for the very pelite manner in which you have been pleafed to fignify to me the thanks of the Houfe; and also to affure you that I feel moft fenfibly, the favourable light in which you are pleased to confider thofe events of fervice in which I have been concerned fince the commencement of the war, but more particularly in the defeat of the armament commanded by Monfeur Bompard; as it may have been the means of preferving Ireland from the calamitous confequences which foreign interference and invafion might have produced in that country.

I have the honour to remain, with the utmost respect,

Sir,

Your most obedient humble fervant,

The Right Honourable HENRY ADDINGTON,

Jc. Sc. &c.

JOHN BORLASE WARREN.

Monday, December 10.

General TARLETON faid he held a petition in his hand from the Mayor, Aldermen, Bailiffs, and Common Council of the town of Liverpool, praying that leave may be given to bring in a bill to improve and extend the harbour of Liverpool. If this petition came only from a refpectable commercial body, it would be entitled to the attention of the Houfe; but when it was recollected that the town which he had the honour of reprefenting, had preffed forward when the enemy threatened our fhores, and evinced the highest degree of public fpirit, by putting the port of that borough into the best and most honourable fate of fecurity, fcarce waiting for the permiffion of the Legiflature, it was with pleasure that he embraced this opportunity of paying that juft tribute to their public fpirit, as well perfonal as pecuniary, as he believed he should foon have an

opportunity of making up in his profeffional line for loft time, in his profeffion, for the fafety and honour of the country :—which petition was then read, and referred to a Committee.

The House having refolved itself into a Committee of Ways and Means, pursuant to the order of the day,

Mr. Chancellor PITT faid, that he fhould not be under the neceffity of troubling the Committee at any great length. When he had given notice to the House of his intention to propose the Ways and Means of the year, he had it in contemplation to have fubmitted the whole amount of the loan of fourteen millions, exclufive of Ireland. He had, however, found, that it would be much more beneficial for the public fervice to defer the bulk of it till after Christmas, because he had every reafon to believe that it might be obtained upon better terms for the public then, than it could be at the present moment, The opinion he had formed had been confirmed by what paffed at the time of negotiating the loan, and by what had occurred fince. He had thought it, therefore, to be his duty to raise only a loan of three millions for the exigences of the public fervice, till after the recefs. It was with confiderable fatisfaction he stated to the Committee, that numerous offers had been made for this loan of three millions; that a very great degree of cordiality and zeal for the public fervice had been manifefted by all the parties; and that the loan had been taken by an offer confiderably under the market price. He had, however, also the satisfaction of knowing that the parties who had taken the loan were not likely to be lofers by their bargain. The temporary depreflion of the funds had been removed; and a bargain made below the market price of the day afforded now a confiderable premium. At the time of negotiating the loan, the 3 per cents. were at 52, and the reduced at 5.12.

For every 100l. in money advanced, the fubfcribers were to have 100l. in the 3 per cents. which was worth 521. 1os. and also a proportion equal to about seven, eighths of 100l. in the reduced, which was 871. 9s. 6d. reduced; the value of which in money was 461. 12s. 11⁄2d. In addition to this, as the payments were to be made in three inftalments by the 22d February, no discount was propofed to be given for prompt payment, because the inftalments. would be soon enough for the exigencies of the public fervice. An allowance, therefore, was to be made in lieu of the difcount on prompt payment; which allowance would amount to 1 3s. 4d.; the whole fum then given for every 1ool. advanced would be, viz.