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merely on fuch as the appearance or the neceffity of the cafe might require. Nothing that had fallen from the Honorable Baronet had at all gone to prove that any thing in the prefent eftablishment was fuperfluous. He admits that the fruits of our naval fuperiority are confpicuous in the fplendid victories we have atchieved in the protection afforded to our trade and commerce and in the imprifoned ftate of the enemy's fhips, which continue to be blocked up in all their ports. This, it feems, is enough for him; but the war ought to be profecuted with vigour and fpirit; it should be a war of attack, and not merely of defence as the Honourable Baronet would have it; but the few men now dif puted about might make the difference between an offenfive and a defenfive war. The latter would be pufillanimous and, inglorious; the former what becomes the honour of the British people, and the proud fituation in which the nation now ftands. To rest in the languor of a defenfive war would be permitting France to recover from the blow by which the has been astonished and confounded; but following up the glorious advantage of our victories will alone lead to the attainment of that great bleffing which the exertions of the country aspire to, a safe, durable, and honourable peace. To economy he trusted he was as zealous a friend as the Honourable Baronet, but in a time of war he was no friend to economy of exertion-in certain cafes fuch economy would be ruin the spirit that would dictate it could lead to nothing but to a war merely and purely defenfive, and to the protraction of the conteft to an incalculable length-it is a fpirit that by paralyfing our energies and crippling our exertions, would permit the enemy again to breathe and recover from his difmay, and perhaps place the happy termination of hoftilities at a diftance not eafy to be afcertained.

General Tarleton affured the Houfe, and the Honourable. Baronet who opposed the refolution, that neither he, nor those political friends with whom he had the honour to act, either now, or ever did entertain an idea, of oppofing any thing that went to strengthen our naval department, which was the pride of the nation and its best defence; on the contrary, they had always approved of the measures that had that tendency, and gave them all the countenance in their power. To the British navy alone could the country look for a termination of the war, and the attainment of a secure and honourable peace-to our navy the country owed all the

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glory of its victories, and the impofing attitude in which it now stood; these great and glorious advantages should not be rifked for any trivial or partial reduction of expence.Such a reduction would be unwife and improvident in the extreme; the maintenance of our naval fuperiority should be our greatest study and our proudest boaft; and firmly was he convinced that the timely addition of Sir Roger Curtis's detachment to the force under Lord St. Vincent had principally, if not folely, contributed to turn the tide of war in favour of Great Britain, and for this vigilance and attention the Admiral had every claim on the thanks and gratitude of the country.

The Refolution was then put and agreed to, with only one diffenting voice, namely, that of Sir John Sinclair.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer moved, that the House fhould refolve itself into a Committee of Ways and Means fo-morrow. Ordered.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer then moved, that the Act of the 38th of his prefent Majefty be read, empowering his Majefty to avail himself of the voluntary offers of the English militia to extend the ordinary circle of their service.

The Act being read,

The Chancellor of the Exchequer faid, that the Houfe must be aware of the invaluable effects produced by the finguJar gallantry of thofe regiments of Militia who had so nobly stepped forward with so seasonable an offer of their fervices, to aflift quelling the rebellion in Ireland-but great and happy as thefe effects might be, their beneficial operation might prove ineffectual fhould any diminution be prematurely made in the caufe from which it was derived. The state of Ireland might fooner or later difpenfe with that caution, but whether the whole, or only a part of that force could fafely be drawn from it, it was not at prefent his intention to examine. His with merely was, that the act fhould be continued in force fome time longer, and in this with he made no doubt but that the wifdom of the Houfe would' concur. He then concluded by moving for leave to bring in a Bill for continuing for a time to be limited, the act alluded to.-Leave granted.

Adjourned.

HOUSE

HOUSE OF LORDS.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 28.

Lord Grenville brought a meffage from his Majefty on the fubject of Lord Nelfon's annuity, fimilar in effect to that delivered to the House of Commons on a former day, and defiring their Lordships to concur in the measure therein recommended to the Commons.

After the message had been read by the Lord Chancellor, and at the table,

Lord Grenville faid, it was wholly unneceffary for him to detain their Lordships by a fingle word upon that fubject, as the fenfe of the Houfe on the great merit and importance of Lord Nelfon's fervices had been fully and warmly expreffed by all the noble Lords who fpoke in the debate, which was concluded by an unanimous vote of the thanks of the Houfe to that noble Lord and his officers, a tribute in the highest degree honourable and flattering to them. He would, therefore, trouble their Lordships no further than by reading and moving the words of an Address to his Majefty, returning his Majefty their thanks for his gracious communication, and affuring his Majefty that the House would concur in the meafure recommended.

The Addrefs was agreed to nem. diff..

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The Earl of Elgin and Earl of Dumfries then took the oaths and their feats.

Several accounts were delivered at the bar from the commiffioners of the cuftoms, and a variety of petitions, &c. in cafes of appeal, were moved, read, and ordered to lie on the table.

Adjourned to ten o'clock the next day.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 28.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer moved the order of the day, for the Houfe to refolve itfelf into a committee of the whole Houfe to confider of ways and means for railing a fupply granted to his Majefty.

The Houfe having refolved itfelf into a committee, he moved the following refolutions:

"That it is the opinion of this committee, that towards raising the fupply granted to his Majefty, the feveral duties impofed on fugar by the 27th, 34th, and 37th of his prefent Majeffy, and alfo the duties of excife of

tobacco

tobacco and fnuff, directed in the last feffion of Parliament to be continued until the 5th of March 1799, fhould be further continued until the 5th day of March, 1800.

"That four fhillings in the pound and no more be impofed on all pen. fons, offices, &c, and continued.

That the duty on malt, &c. be continued from the 23d of June, 1799, to the 24th of June, 1800.

These refolutions were agreed to, and the Houfe being refumed, the report was ordered for Friday; on which day there will be a further committee of ways and means.

Several public accounts were brought up from the commiffioners of the customs, which were ordered to be laid on the table.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer moved the order of the day on Lord Nelfon's annuity bill; which was for its commitment.

The bill went through the committee, and the House being refumed, the report was ordered for Friday.

Deferred a committee of fupply until Friday.
Adjourned.

HOUSE OF LORDS.

THURSDAY, Nov. 29.

The Houfe having affembled, in order to proceed to Weftmifter Abbey, agreed at its rifing to adjourn to Wednefday

next.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
FRIDAY, Nov. 30.

Mr. Wilberforce Bird brought up a bill for continuing for a limited time, the act of the laft feffion of parliament, for regulating the mode of iffuing promiffory notes and bills of exchange for fmall fums of money. Read a first time, and ordered to be read a fecond time on Tuesday next.

Mr. Hobart brought up the report of the Committee on Lord Nelfon's Annuity Bill, which was read, agreed to, the bill ordered to be engroffed, and read a third time on Monday next, if then engroffed.

Mr. Steele moved, that the thanks of the House be given to the Rev. Dr. Reynell for the fermon which he preached the preceding day before the Houfe at St. Margaret's Church, and that he be requested to print the fame.-Ordered; and that Mr. Steel and Sir William Younge do acquaint him therewith,

Mr.

Mr. Hobart brought up the report of the Committee of Ways and Means; the refolutions being read and agreed to, bill or bills was ordered to be brought in upon them.

ARMY ESTIMATES.

The Secretary at War moved the order of the day, to confider further of a fupply, which being read, the House refolved itself into a Committee of the whole House.

The Secretary at War then proceeded to open the army eftimates; his great object in doing which, he faid, was to fhew the difference between the prefent and former estimates. The difference between this and the last year would be something more than one million. The objects which had created this difference were the Supplementary Militia; the Provifional Cavalry, the Volunteer Corps and, Barracks. He proceeded to enumerate the articles which compofed the incréafe. The cftimates for the year 1797 amounted to the fum of 6,900,cool. Thofe of the following year were voted at two different times. The first fum (5900,000l.) was confiderably less than that of the preceding year, and would have answered for the charges of the last year, were it not that other objects, not expected at the time the estimates were made, arofe out of the fituation of affairs that afterwards took place; the charges therefore attendant upon thofe new arrangements, added to thofe already estimated for the year 1798, (2,316,000l.) amounted in the whole to the fum of 8,305,9231. The objects which he alluded to, were the calling out of the Supplementary Militia, the Provifional Cavalry, and the Volunteer Corps, together with the increase of barracks. Befides thefe increafed eftablishments, which were to be kept up for the enfuing year, there were fome Volunteer Corps that had not been called out till the prefent time, and others that had confiderably encreased fince the last estimate; on this account the estimate for the enfuing year would amount to somewhat more than the fum of 9 millions. There was one circumftance which had swelled the estimate of 1798 above that of the preceding year, and that was the augmentation of pay to the army; and, he apprehended, that was an increafe which muft continue. He declined entering into any arguments upon the neceffity of it, because the fubje&t had been amply difcuffed when it was first under the confideration of Parliament. There were fome other things alfo which he thould state, in order to explain the difference of the excess in one year, from what it had been in another.

The principal heads of thefe eftimates were those which

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