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the army or navy, he propofed to introduce a claufe in their favour, whereby they might, at their quitting the fervice, by paying up the deficiency to the focieties to which they refpectively belonged, be ftill entitled to partake of the advantages derived from them.

The other Orders of the Day were deferred till Friday. The Houfe then adjourned, after which they proceeded, with the Speaker at their head, to prefent the Addrefs of Congratula tion on the Prince's marriage, to his Majefty.

HOUSE OF LORDS.
FRIDAY, April 17.

HIS MAJESTY'S ANSWER TO THE ADDRESS.

The Earl of Mansfield informed the House, that he had waited upon his Majefty, with their Lordships Addrefs;. to which his Majefty returned this moft gracious Antwer;

"My Lords,

"I thank you for your congratulations upon the marriage of my fon, the Prince of Wales. Nothing can be more acceptable to me, than the repeated proofs which I receive of your affectionate attachment to me and my family."

His Lordship added, that he had waited upon her Majefty with the Addrefs, and received, in return, a most gra

cious anfwer.

An apology was made for the Duke of Leeds, who was to have waited upon their Royal Highneffes the Prince and Princess of Wales, but who was prevented through indifpofition. The order was difcharged, and a new one made, in which the Earl of Carlisle, Lord Grenville, and Lord Mulgrave, were appointed to carry the Addrefs to their Royal Highneffes.

Several public and private Bills were brought from the Commons, and read a first time. The Stamp Duties Bill, the County Quota Bill, Hair-Powder Bill, the Militia Pay Bill,' the Navy Bills Bill, and the Highgate Road Bill.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
FRIDAY, April 17.

The Speaker stated, that on Wednesday he had waited on his Majefty, attended by feveral of the Members, with the Addrefs

F 2

Addrefs of congratulation on the nuptials of his Royal Highnefs the Prince of Wales, to which his Majefty was pleased to return the following moft gracious answer:

"I receive with the most cordial fatisfaction this very dutiful and loyal Addref, which is peculiarly gratifying to me, as a fresh proof of your attachment to my perfon and family, and of the warm interest you take in whatever concerns my domestic happiness."

The Marquis of Titchfield acquainted the Houfe, that the Gentlemen appointed to attend her Majefty on the fame occafion, had attended her Majefty accordingly; and that her Majesty was pleased to say,

"Gentlemen,

"I am very fenfible of the zeal and attachment of the House of Commons, for the King and the Royal Family, on all occafions; and do not in the leaft doubt that they take confiderable share in the joy on the prefent occasion.”

A meffage was received from the Lords, ftating that their Lordships had agreed to feveral private Bills.

EXCHANGE OF PRISONERS.

Mr. M. Robinson faid, that a Noble Lord had fome time fince mentioned that there was a great number of wounded failors and land officers confined in the prifons of France; if fuch was the fact, as he had good reason to believe, fome means ought certainly to be adopted in order to procure their release by an exchange of prifoners; and if no other Member, who was better qualified, thought proper to take up the fubject, he fhould avail himself of an opportunity to bring it forward at an early period.

Mr. Secretary Dundas faid, that he would not have it underftood that the subject was at all neglected; proper measures had been taken refpecting it.

FRANKING.

On the question being put, that the Franking Bill be read a third time, Mr. Porter propofed to bring up a clause to prevent the abuses of franking at the public offices, on which a converfation of fome length took place; but as a Committee had been appointed to examine into the fubject, it was agreed that the debate on the claufe fhould be adjourned till Monday fe'nnight,

SUPPLY.

The Order of the Day was read for the House to refolve itfelf into a Committee of Supply. The accounts of the diftribution of different fums for the fervice of the year 1794, were ordered to be laid before the Committee.

Mr.

Mr. M. A. Taylor thought this a proper opportunity for addrefling one or two queftions of inquiry.-Near his house he had feen a board, which announced the erection of an office for the Tranfport Board, and he therefore defired, as he had never before heard of that department, to be informed whether its existence had been of long duration, or whether it was newly eftablished? and he likewife afked, whether the commiffioners were feparate from thofe of the Navy Board, or under their direction?

Mr. Rofe replied, that it was a department eftablished upon the neceffity of the times, and not without a due deliberation. An order of Council had first been issued, and it was afterwards confirmed by letters patent. The Navy Board had been fo much employed upon other affairs during the war, that it was abfolutely expedient to create a separate board for the transport fervice, if we were defirous of carrying our measures on with vigour and effect; and fince this establishment the persons employed in it have been fully occupied. It was not original, he faid, for in fo early a period as Queen Anne's time there was a fimilar inftitution.

Mr. M. A. Taylor faid, that he was forry to obferve that while the expences of the country were increafing, the patronage of the Crown was alfo extended, and it was doubtful to him whether the country would long be able to fupport this accumulating preffure of expence and patronage. If nothing more fatisfactory was faid on the fubject, he should think it neceffary to make it the fubject of a future motion.

Mr. Rofe faid, that there were only three commiffioners, and they had been transferred from one Navy Board to the other. Mr. M. A. Taylor said, that the Public derived no advantage from this diminution of commiffioners at the one Board, if the whole arrangement was attended with an additional expence.

Mr. Secretary Dundas faid that it had been inftituted at the fuggeftion and defire of the Navy Board, and that the business at the Tranfport Board had from experience been found to be done well and œconomically.

Mr. Fox faid that he was not fatisfied with this general fort of eulogium. He wished to know whether this new Board was attended with an additional expence, and if fo, in what manner it was defrayed.

Mr. Secretary Dundas ftated that the Board had been exifting for fome time, and had been regularly charged among the other accounts. Mr. Dundas acknowledged that they were to be defrayed by the Public, and furthermore affirmed he was both willing and ready to answer any other questions relative thereto, because there was no mystery in the bufinefs, but on

the

the contrary, that occafion to refer to it has already happened in the carriage of ftores and troops. It would not have been inftituted if Government had not really found it neceffary.

Mr. Fox admitted, that if neceffry it was proper, but neverthelefs it was the duty of the Secretary of State, or fome other perfon, previously to have informed the Houfe of the reafons and ground of its neceflity, and not have firft established it, and then involved the House in fuch a delicate embarrassment as the refufal of the fupplics for it. It might be neceffary, but minifters are refponfible for ftating that neceffity. Perhaps, however, as it was not a new inftitution, the expences may already be defrayed; and if they were, he fhould be glad to know in what manner?

Mr. Rofe replied, "By the extraordinaries of the navy."

Mr. M. A. Taylor feared that the establishments would continue in peace as well as war; and he was well aware that fuch an establishment must confiderably increafe the public expences, fince there are not only commiffioners, but clerks and fecretaries, &c. to provide. Upon thefe conditions he thought it a branch of his duty always to inquire in fuch cafes, whether the offices were near his premifes or thofe of the Right Hon. Gentleman, though he supposed the latter might be most in want of them.

Mr. Rofe then moved a refolution, that 740,000l. fhould be voted to his Majefty for the deficiencies of grants of last year. Upon this a long converfation enfued, wherein Mr. Huffey ftated that 100,000l. was unaccounted for, and touched upon the withholding of the money in the Pay-office.

Mr. Fox, Mr. Montague, General Macleod, and General Smith were the fpeakers in this converfation, when, upon the paffing of the refolution, Mr. Rofe promifed to procure a more specific and particular account.

The fum of 848,9151. was next refolved on to be granted, after fome flight obfervations from Mr. Fox, for making good the deficiencies in the confolidated fund.

SCOTCH QUOTA BILL.

On the question that the Scotch Quota Bill be read a third time,

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General Macleod, after ad ting to the thinnefs of the Houfe, obferved that the regulations of this Bill operated in the nature of a land-tax, and were therefore in direct violation of the articles of the Union, by which the land-tax for Scotland was limited to 48,000l. and declared to be for ever fixed and irrevocable. Befides, the Bill would operate differently in Scotland, from what it did in England; by the Bill for England, the:

burden

burden fell on all who inhabited houfes not exempted from taxes; in Scotland it would fall entirely on the land-holders; his own fhare would amount to about a hundred and fifty pounds. This was furely a partial and oppreffive regulation. Not lefs oppreffive was the mode by which the land-tax was raifed in Scotland; any perfon who should refufe to pay, was liable to have foldiers quartered upon him, till fuch time as he fhould fubmit to the demands of the collectors. When the land-tax for Scotland was fixed at 48,000l. it was in the proportion of four fhillings in the pound for England; the additional expence of 34.6751. to which the land-holders would be fubjected by the regulations of the prefent Bill, brought it up to no less than a fum of feven fhillings in the pound for Scotland. Such a grofs infringement of the articles of Union on the part of minifters, was by no means calculated to afford an encouraging example to the other country (Ireland), with which they were faid at prefent to meditate a fimilar union. He concluded with moving that the third reading of the Bill fhould be put off till that day fe'nnight, in order to afford time to contrive fome more equitable mode of carrying its regulations into effect.

The Lord Advocate for Scotland faid, that thefe objections to the principle of the Bill having been deferred to fo late a stage, and full opportunity having been fubfequently afforded for the confideration of the Bill, he could by no means consent to the propofed delay.

General Macleod faid, that he had intimated his objections to the Hon. and Learned Gentleman at a meeting in Scotland, but had been neceflarily prevented from attending the Houfe during the former ftages of the Bill.

Mr. Courtenay faid, that he was no judge of the juftice of the obfervations on the breach of the articles of the Union, yet he thought them fufficient to justify the delay.

The Houfe divided on the queftion, that the third reading be put off till this day fe'nnight:

Ayes
Noes

Majority

6

35

29.

The Bill was read a third time and paffed,

Adjourned.

HOUSE

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