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The Earl of Guildford was ftill of opinion that the difcuffion ought not to be gone into in the abfence of the Noble Duke. He thought it would be with more fatisfaction to themselves, to the people of this country, and to the people of Ireland, to proceed in the prefence of the Noble Duke, and therefore he must persist in defiring to poftpone the subject; he accordingly moved, that the Order of the Day be difcharged.

The Duke of Norfolk faid, he should move that their Lordfhips be fummoned at a future day, to take this business into confideration. He differed from those who saw so much necellity for the prefence of the Noble Duke. He conceived the matter to reft entirely between the Noble Earl who had been recalled, and the Committee of the Privy Council at large, and not at all with any particular individual of the Cabinet.

The Order of the Day being difcharged, Lord Grenville faid, whenever the motion, of which the Noble Duke had given notice, fhould be brought forward, he fhould give it his decided negative; it was to him, therefore, matter of indifference, whether the bufinefs came forward on that or any other day. He faid this without intending to convey any idea, that he concurred in the propriety of fome fuggeftions which he had heard that day.

The Earlof Lauderdale faid, that no one lamented more than he did the indifpofition of the Noble Duke (Portland), and wished to know what his indifpofition was. He learned, he said, it was the gout; and if a flying gout, he observed, the motion may fly from day to day, and ever be kept off. In fuch circumstances, he faid, fummoning the Houfe was all a farce. It was agreed by their Lordships, that the fubject should ftand for Friday fe'nnight.-Adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

THURSDAY, April 30.

ELECTION COMMITTEE BILL.

Mr. T. Grenville faid, that fuch a spirit had difcovered itfelf in the Houfe with refpect to enforcing the attendance on Election Committees, that he conceived that the ftanding orders would be fully fufficient for the purpofe, and confequently that the regulations, which he had propofed by a new Bil', would no longer be neceffary. He therefore moved to withdraw the Bill.-Granted.

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CAPTAIN FAULKNOR.

General Smith moved, "That an humble Addrefs be prefented to his Majefty, praying that his Majefty would be gracioufly pleafed to direct that the monument to the memory of Captain Faulknor fhould be erected in the cathedral church of St. Paul, London, instead of the collegiate church of St. Peter, Westminster."-Agreed to nem. con.

NUMBER OF TROOPS IN GREAT BRITAIN.

General Macleod moved for a return of the number of troops in Great Britain. He anticipated one objection to his motion, namely, that such a return would have the effect to give information to the enemy. But he was affured, that the enemy were already in poffeflion of more accurate information on the fubject, than even the Members of that House.

The Secretary at War faid, that the Hon. Gentleman had certainly anticipated the objection which he meant to have made. Such a motion as he had now propofed, was by no means common in time of war.

Colonel Maitland faid, that he fuppofed the object of his Hon. Friend in bringing forward the motion, was to apprife the people of Great Britain of the extent of the burden which they had to bear. He hoped, however, that he would withdraw it for the prefent, in order to bring it forward in a more confined fhape.

General Macleod faid, that as he had moved only for a return of the number of the troops, and not for any information with refpect either to their ftation or the manner in which they were to be employed, he had hoped there would have been no objection to his motion.

The Secretary at War ftill perfifted in his objections.

Mr. Fox faid, that the motion was highly proper, both in a political and economical point of view. He adduced several inflances in the American war, in which fuch motions had been made, and had always been granted.

The motion was negatived.

INNKEEPERS.

The Houfe having refolved itfelf into a Committee of the whole Houfe upon the Bill for the relief of Innkeepers;

The Secretary at War faid, that in reality he did not fee why originally innkeepers fhould have been the objects on whom foldiers ought to be billeted more than other people; but as things were fo fettled, and the charges of innholders made on their guests were proportioned to the burden they were made to bear before the war, he thought that what happened before

the

the commencement of hostilities ought not to be taken into

confideration.

The grievances they had to complain of were when troops were ftationed in quarters, by which they allege they lofe each day three-pence per man; another lofs alfo arofe to them. from the horfes; and a third from troops on march, at which time they are obliged to furnish them with provisions at the rate of fixpence for each dragoon, and fixpence for the horse, and four-pence for every foot foldier-However, as many barracks had been lately erected, it was a great fet-off to their loffes, which was a matter worthy the obfervation of the Committee. He would therefore propofe, after forming a juft eftimate of what they might probably lofe, where they ftated their lofs to be one filling, to allow them fixpence; where ten-pence, to allow them five-pence; and where threepence, to allow them two-pence.

There was alfo a matter which he wished to correct, namely, the privilege of recruits remaining in free quarters feven days after their being inlifted. It had been often the cafe that recruiting parties had flifted their quarters, and availed themfelves, to the great detriment of the innholders, of this privilege. He would therefore propofe, that a fmaller number of days or free quarters fhould be allowed them.

Mr. Plomer objected to that claufe which limited the duration of the Act to the end of the war; he thought that from the marching and counter-marching of troops after the war, it fhould continue at leaft a year longer, as many inconveniences muft arife to innholders from this circumftance.

A long and defultory converfation then enfued between Mr. Huffy, Mr. Baker, and the Secretary at War, on one of the claufes of the Bill, when

Captain Berkeley propofed the introduction of two diufes, the first purporting an exemption of the benefits arifing from the Bill to fuch innkeepers as might increase the price of posting; and the fecond, invefting magiftrates with a power, in cafe of an increafe in the price of hay, oats, &c. of impofing an adequate price on pofting.

A long converfation then enfued on this claufe, in which Mr. Baker, Mr. Plomer, Mr. Hufey, Captain Berkeley, General Smith, and Mr. Buxton took a part; after which Captain Berkeley agreed to withdraw the claufes, promiting at the fame time to introduce a Bill founded on the fame.

The Houfe being refumed, the report of the Committee was ordered for to-morrow..

RECAL

RECAL OF THE LORD LIEUTENANT OF IRELAND.

Mr. Jekyll gave notice, that from unforeseen circumstances, he could not with propriety fubmit his motion which flood for that day, refpecting the recal of Earl Fitzwilliam from the Viceroyship of Ireland. He would, with the leave of the Houfe, defer it to Tuesday fe'nnight.

The fecond reading of the Dead Body Bill was deferred to Wednesday.

The commitment of the Dutch Property Bill, and the third reading of the Infurance Bill, were deferred to next day. Adjourned.

HOUSE OF LORDS.

FRIDAY, May 1.

Lord Grenville moved the Order of the Day, which was to take his Majefty's Meflage on the affairs of the Prince of Wales into confideration.

The Meflage being read,

Lord Grenville, in conformity to the notice he had given, rofe for the purpose of moving an address to his Majefty. He reminded their Lordships of what he had faid the preceding day, and declared he did not intend to enter into any detail on the prefent occafion, because that fhould be left to a future opportunity. It was not proper, in his opinion, for their Lordfhips to come to any fpecific refolution that might bind or pledge either the Houfe or any one Noble Lord, for various reafons, one of which was obvious-he meant the practice of Parliament, by which it was understood that all legislative measures relating to public expences, fhould originate in the other Houfe of Parliament. He hoped that what he had to propofe would meet with the unanimous concurrence of the Houfe; it was nothing more than an addrefs in anfwer to his Majefty's most gracious Meflage in general terms, affuring his Majefty of what he was perfuaded the breafts of all their Lordships felt, great refpect for his Majefty and the Royal Family, and a with that they should have a provifion suitable to their dignity. What meafures fhould be taken to relieve his Royal Highness from his embarraffment, to prevent his being fubjected to any fuch hereafter, or even what should be his eftablishment, were points for future confideration. He should, for the prefent, only move that an addrefs be prefented to his Majefty; the fubftance of which was to return his Majesty their Lordships thanks for his gracious communication: To affure his

Majefty

Majefty of the intereft their Lordships had in the happiness of his Majesty, and every branch of his illuftrious family: That their Lordfhips will take the fubject of his Majefty's gracious communication into their most serious confideration, and that they will be ready to concur in fuch measures as may be, under all the circumftances, thought neceffary for making a provifion for his Royal Highnefs the Prince of Wales, &c.

The Addrefs being read, and the question put,

The Earl of Guildford faid, he did not mean to oppose this Addrefs. The Noble Secretary of State had fo worded it, that it appeared to him to be perfectly unexceptionable, as it did not pledge Noble Lords to any meafure whatever. The Noble Secretary of State had very properly kept out of the Addrefs all thofe topics which might, perhaps, have prevented that unanimity which was fo defireable on the occafion, and he hoped there would be but one fentiment upon it. He rofe, however, even in that stage of the proceeding, to make an obfervation relative to the latter part of the Meffage, and fay a few words upon it; his observation might perhaps be thought more fit to be made on a future day, when the fubject should come more properly before them, but he thought it right to mention it. He had heard in many places of one idea of adjufting the object of his Majesty's Meffage, which he was perfuaded would be far from rendering it palatable, and he wished it to be made as palatable as poffible. What he alluded to was an idea of exonerating the civil lift, and throwing the burden on the people. Such a measure was unwife in itself, and was extremely painful even to be heard fuggefted. He hoped, whatever the plan adopted might be, care would be taken to leave the Prince of Wales perfectly free and unem barraffed. A proper provifion was due to his high rank and exalted station; an income, which on account of the peculiar dearness of provifions and all the neceffaries of life, ought far to exceed that allowed to any former Prince of Wales. The Public were bound to make that provifion for the Prince, not only as he was the heir apparent to the Throne, but on account of the amiable Princefs who had been invited to this country, an invitation in which both Houfes of Parliament by their addreffes might be faid to have concurred. With refpect to the income of his Royal Highnefs, and the mode by which he was to be enabled to difcharge his incumbrances, it did not appear to him to be very material whether they were to be difcharged by a direct specific impoft upon the Public, or out of any fhare of the income to be fettled on his Royal Highnefs. His Royal Highnefs fhould at all events be placed in a fituation, that would render any further application of this nature, to

Parlia

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