rogatories by counfel. He referred alfo to fome exculpatory letters of Colonel Prefcott and General Dundas; and so far he affured the Houfe was the conduct of Sir Charles Grey and Sir John Jervis from being without a precedent, as it had been pretended, that it was directly the reverse; for when the French made a conqueft laft war, of the island of Grenada, the property was all confifcated, and a file of mufqueteers were fent on fhore to annul all debts on English mortgages or to English merchants, although he acknowledged that upon the remonstrances of Mr. Pigot and Mr. Scott, who were dispatched to the French court for that purpose, fome remiffions were made. Mr. Lufbington in explanation afferted that what had been called an act of confifcation in the island of Grenada was nothing more than an act of fequeftration from all the abfentees. Some mifconduct, he confefled, was used in the enforcement of this act, but fatisfaction was foon given. He did not difpute, without the authority of Generals and Majors, but what the victors in fuch a cafe of conquest had fuch a right to the application of the property; for the Memorials of the planters and the merchants had not difputed it; but it was thought that in Martinique and Guadaloupe the rights of war had been extended with too much rigour. Sir William Young explained. Mr. St. Andrew St. John confirmed what. Mr. Grey had faid. Mr. Jekyll was forry to differ from his Hon. Friend (Mr. Francis), as to the imputation which would fall on Sir Charles Grey and Sir John Jervis, if the papers moved for fhould be Jaid on the table, and the, inquiry refufed. Inftead of any imputation on them, it would be a proof, that after the papers were infpected the Houfe were fatisfied with their conduct. In regard to the expediency of inquiry, he could not but confider the Houfe as a tribunal which would enforce the attendance of every neceflary witnefs; and as to the abfence of the troops, when it was faid they were going to action, he believed it to be nothing more than that they were going to be put in motion. He fuppofed no perfon was difpofed to contravene the rights of war, which have been infifted on by every writer on the laws of nations, from Pufendorff down to Vattel. Although his Majesty's advocate had pronounced on partial facts, none fuch would be produced before a tribunal competent to inquiry; and therefore he concluded the Houfe would coincide in his caveat to Sir William Scott's argu ment. With regard to the charge of calumny, he faid, he was not difpofed to calumniate, nor was it in fact calumny, but accufation. What the intent of the investigation was, was not the queftion now before the Houfe; and, however foon or late the feffions might clofe, he did not doubt but upon such a case as this, they might infure a full attendance. The question on the first motion for a copy of the declaration of Sir Charles Grey and Sir John Jervis, was then put and carried. The next was for a copy of fuch memorial or other papers as had been prefented to them, or either of them, relative to the conduct of Government, after certain iflands in the West Indies became fubject to the British arms; which, after a few words from Mr. Secretary Dundas and Mr. Grey, was ordered. A copy of fuch memorial as had been prefented to minifters on the fame fubject, together with the answer given by them to that memorial.-Ordered. Copy of the reports of the law officers of the Crown upon the memorials, &c. Sir W. Scott faid a few words. Mr. Fox oppofed this on the grounds that the opinions of the law officers were not to bias the opinion of the House. The Attorney General agreed with Mr. Fox, and the motion. was withdrawn. Mr. Grey, after reading a letter in which the conduct of Sir Charles Grey and Sir John Jervis was highly complimented, and making a few obfervations on the neceflity of the Houfe having the fulleft information on this fubject, moved for a copy of the memorial prefented to the Duke of Portland, in answer to the memorial of the Weft India planters and others, on the conduct of Sir Charles Grey and Sir John Jervis.-Ordered Copy of the feparate inftructions, tranfmitted to Sir Charles Grey and Sir John Jervis, relative to a booty allowed. to be taken for his Majefty's army and navy, at St. Lucie and Guadaloupe, &c.-Ordered. Copy of a letter from Mr. Dundas, of the 7th of March. 1794, relative to a plan propofed by Sir Charles Grey, &c.Ordered. Copy of all proclamations iffued in Martinique by General Prefcot, General Dundas, and Colonel Myers, &c -Ordered. The Secretary at War brought up the report of the Innkeepers Relief Bill, which was read, agreed to, and the Bill -ordered to be read a third time the next day, if then engroffed. -Adjourned. HOUSE HOUSE OF LORDS. TUESDAY, May 5. The royal affent was given by commiffion to the Bill for an additional duty on Receipts; to the Bill for regulating Franking, &c. and to feveral other Bills.-Adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. TUESDAY, May 5. The Bill for augmenting the Royal Corps of Artillery, and for providing a number of feafaring men for the fervice of the Navy out of the Militia, was read a third time, and paffed. Colonel Maitland intimated an intention of moving for an account of the troops which have lately ferved on the Continent, and now returned to this country. But after a few words from the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the form of the motion, fo as to meet the object which the Hon. Colonel had in view, he deferred it to a future day. The Houfe having refolved itself into a Committee of the whole House, to confider of amendments to the last Dutch Property Bill, came to feveral refolutions, which, on the fuggeftions of General Smith and Mr. Taylor, were ordered to be printed. Mr. Porter deferred his motion, relative to fubalterns in the infantry, to Friday. The House in a Committee agreed to certain bounties to mafters of ships, furgeons, and other perfons concerned in carrying flaves from the Coast of Africa, in case the mortality on board fuch fhips did not exceed a certain rate. The report was ordered to be received the next day.. The further confideration of the report of the Bill for preventing the removal of poor perfons until they become actually chargeable, was deferred to Friday.—Adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. WEDNESDAY, May 6. A meffage was received from the Lords, ftating, that the royal affent had been given by commiffion, to twenty-one public and private Bills. On the Order of the Day for reading a fecond time the Bill to prevent the ftealing of dead bodies, &c. a motion was made VOL. III. T that that the Houfe be counted, when only twenty-two Members being present, an adjournment of courfe took place. HOUSE OF COMMONS. THURSDAY, May 7. The Eau Brink Drainage Bill was read a third time, and on the question for pafling it, Mr. Joddrell propofed a clause, the operation of which was to indemnify thofe who had oppofed the Bill for their expence. A fhort converfation took place, and the House divided ; For the Claufe 9 36 The other Orders of the Day being deferred, the House adjourned. HOUSE OF LORDS. FRIDAY, May 8. The Earl of Lauderdale ftated, that fome papers had been lately laid upon their Lordfhips table, in pursuance of a motion which he made in February laft, relative to fees in the departments of the Secretaries of State, to which the returns prefented to their Lordthips were defective at least one-third. He understood that there were three Secretaries of State; but by the accounts which he alluded to, it fhould feem as if there were only two that were offices of receipt: His countryman, Mr. Dundas, enjoyed one of them; and it was a hardship on him to hold fo many offices, and to do fo much public duty, if he was not paid for it. His Lordship pointed out the defectiveness of thefe accounts, and ftated the neceflity of amending them. Lord Grenville admitted that Mr. Dundas had feveral offices, and faid, it was evident that the Public derived great advantages from the fervices of that Right Hon. Gentleman. The reafon why there was no account of fees in the three departments of Secretaries of State was, that no fees were taken at the office of Secretary of State for the War Department: Becaufe, as his Right Hon. Friend held another office, he did not receive all the emoluments of a Secretary of State. Lord Lauderdale contended, that thefe accounts ought to be more fpecific. With regard to the fervices of Mr. Dundas, he was of opinion that what he received from the national purfe purfe was equal to the value of any fervices which any individual could render the Public. He had nothing to move on this fubject at prefent; but as he faw the Houfe was remarkably fuil, although he was aware that it was fomewhat irregular, he would take the opportunity of giving notice, that on Wednesday, the 27th of this month, he fhould have a measure to bring forward relative to the power of the prefent rulers of France to hold the accustomed relations of amity and peace with other nations. He would not then state the words in which he should convey his motion, nor would he fay whether it fhould come in the form of an addrefs to his Majesty, or a refolution of that House; because he had learnt from paft experience the advantage that was fometimes taken of those previous notices for he remembered an old proverb, "A burnt child dreads the fire;" and therefore he would not again put himself within reach of the flame. He had feen the fairness with which candour, in ftating the precife words of an intended motion, had been treated by his Majefty's minifters. He had witneffed the manner in which they had canvaffed for fupport out of that Houfe too often, to afford them the fame opportunity again. He wifhed, however, at present to state to their Lordthips, that after the material change which had happened lately in the affairs of France, and after what had happened in the affairs of Europe at large; after many of the other powers, fome of them once our own allies, had thought that the prefent Governors of France could hold the accustomed relations of amity and peace with other nations, it was not improper for us to come to the fame conclufion. He would then only move, "That their Lordfhips be fummoned to attend their duty in that House on Wednesday the 27th of this month." The day was altered to the 28th, at the requeft of Lord Grenville-and the fummons was of courfe ordered. Lord Grenville then faid, that whatever the motion of the Noble Earl might be, he fhould be perfectly prepared to oppofe it, on the grounds which the Noble Earl had just stated. EARL FITZWILLIAM'S RECAL. The Order of the Day having been read, for their Lordships to be fummoned, The Duke of Norfolk rofe, and faid, he felt confiderable embarraffment in attempting to execute the tatk which he had taken upon himself that day, in conformity to the notice that he had given; and from the magnitude of the fubject, he withed it had been in abler hands, as he was fure the importance of it was fufficient to attract the attention of their Lordhips. In confequence of the fudden recal of Earl Fitzwilliam T 2 from |