out gradual prohibition, but on the contrary, rapid accumulation. The House should never retreat from its pledges, but always testify its horror and disgust at this iniquitous traffic. It was shocking after all that had been accomplished, that the system should remain, with all its complicated machinery of crimes and sorrows, to as large an extent as when we pronounced our glorious decision against its existence. How could we justify ourselves from criminality, if we failed to exert our due influence, or connived at the baseness of those who carried on the traffic under the shadow of that naval superiority, by the protection of which alone Portugal traversed the seas? The abolition was not merely intended to absolve the national conscience, and wash out the deep and damned spots of our iniquity; it was intended also to open some better views for oppressed and wronged Africa, and generous attempts had been made to soothe her sorrows. But where was the hope of consummating so noble an object, if 70 or 80,000 wretched Africans were to be annually dragged from their native land, and sent in chains to slavery on a foreign soil? Let that House feel in common with every generous heart in the country. As we had inflicted upon Africa an irreparable injury, let us feel a just anxiety to sink our injustice in oblivion, by deeds of kindness and of humanity; by binding up the wounds which we had given her, and by diffusing over her the various comforts, charities, and blessings of civilized and social life. or 21 shilling piece, that there shall be 44 of these, and one ten shilling and sixpenny piece in the pound weight troy, of the fineness of 22 carats of fine gold, and 2 carats of allay; and that every pound weight troy of monies of gold shall be in value 46l. 14s. 6d. 2. That according to this standard the guinea, or 21 shilling piece contains 5 dwts. 8 grs. of gold. 3. That prior to the restriction of cash payments by the Bank of England in 1797, the paper of that Bank, of the nominal value of 21 shillings, was of the marketable value of 5 dwts. 8 grs. of gold, because it was convertible, on demand, into a guinea. 4. That the value of a pound weight troy of gold coin, or of gold bullion of equal fineness, in Bank of England paper, of which the general currency now consists, has of late been 661. 5. That according to this value of gold, the paper of that Bank of the nominal value of 21 shillings, is of the marketable value of 3 dwts. 19 grs. of gold. 6. That the difference between the value of his Majesty's gold coin, and the value of the paper money of the Bank of England, is equal to the difference between 5 dwts. 8 grs. and 3 dwts. 19 grs. of gold. That is to say, the value of Bank paper money is less than the value of his Majesty's money by 28 per cent. 7. That the House will, early in the next session of parliament, take this circumstance into its most serious consideration, with a view to restore the currency to that value, which is declared by his Majesty's indenture to be the right standard of the money of England." The first Resolution being read, Mr. Wilberforce thought he should lose The Chancellor of the Exchequer said, that nothing practical by yielding to the noble he did not conceive it necessary to repeat lord's request, as he believed government the arguments upon which the House had, to be sincere and zealous in the cause. If after mature deliberation, come to conclunecessary to renew his motion next session, sions which the hon. baronet's Resolutions he trusted it would be agreed to unani- proposed to overthrow, and therefore be mously. He paid very high compliments should content himself with moving, " that to gentlemen who had spoken, particularly this House do now adjourn." Which moto the last speaker. tion was agreed to, and the House accordingly adjourned to the 20th instant. The motion was then withdrawn. STATE OF THE CURRENCY.] Sir Henry Parnell, after a few prefatory remarks upon the State of our Currency, to which he thought it peculiarly necessary to call the attention of the House, proposed the following Resolutions:-1. "That it is declared by the indenture between his Majesty and the officers of the Mint, bearing date the 28th Nov. 1771, that the right standard of his Majesty's monies of crown gold is, in regard to the piece which is called a guinea, $ HOUSE OF LORDS. MR. PALMER'S GRANT BILL.] On the second reading of this Bill, the earl of Morton observed, that a Bill for granting a compensation to Mr. Palmer had three times come up to that House, and as often been rejected. A fourth Bill had now come up, and he thought it was incumbent upon some of those noble lords who sup tianity in India, as that would tend to the utter ruin of our empire in that quarter. ported this claim, to point out before the Bill passed (if it was to pass) what new merit had been discovered in Mr. Palmer within the last fortnight, to call for the reward which was now proposed to be given to him.-The Bill was read a second time and committed for to-morrow. EAST INDIA COMPANY'S CHARTER BILL.] The Earl of Lauderdale regretted that none of the ministers were present to give some explanation respecting this Bill, several parts of which passed his comprehension. He had waded through 79 folio pages of the Bill, but could not understand the meaning of several of the clauses. The appropriation clause in particular was so worded as to leave it utterly in doubt what was meant by it. He trusted that noble lords on the other side would be able to give some satisfactory explanation upon these points to-morrow, and also that their lordships in general would endeavour to make themselves masters of the Bill before they came to the second reading, although it certainly appeared to him quite incomprehensible. HOUSE OF LORDS. Friday, July 16. EAST INDIA COMPANY'S CHARTER BILL.] Earl Stanhope stated, that he had a number of Petitions from different parts of the country to present, respecting the diffusion of Christian knowledge in India, from the counties of Wilts, Yorkshire, Lancashire, Wales, and so forth. He observed that the Resolution voted by the House of Commons was in favour of the object of the petitioners," by all just and prudent means." Such were its words, and the petitioners conveyed their unfeigned ap probation of that sentiment. His lordship then presented the petitions: the various titles of which being read, they were ordered to lie on the table.. Earl Grosvenor stated, that he also had a variety of petitions to present on the same subject, and expressed his hope, that if the Bill passed it would pass in its present shape, with reference to the subject of these petitions. The noble earl then presented the petitions alluded to, which, in like manner, were ordered to lie on the table. The Earl of Lauderdale, with reference to this subject, trusted that the aid of power would not be called in to attempt to give effect to the propagation of Chris(VOL. XXVI. ) The Earl of Buckinghamshire deprecated the resorting to the aid of power with a view to this object, and observed that on the contrary there was a clause inserted for the first time in this Bill making it imperative upon the government of India to secure to the natives the free exercise of their religion.-His lordship, on moving the second reading of the East India Com pany's charter, thought it unnecessary to enter into any argument upon the subject, the principle of the Bill being strictly in conformity with the principle of the Resolutions already voted by the House. It had been thought expedient to enact regulations, with the view of separating the territorial and commercial accounts of the East India Company, and as a part of this object, it was directed that the advances made from the commercial funds of the Company here on account of the territorial government, should be repaid in India out of the revenue, not out of the surplus, but as a regular charge upon the revenue. Upon the average, however, of the last two years, there would be a surplus equal to the amount of this charge, which was about 1,200,000l. . The Earl of Lauderdale wished for some explanation as to the clauses respecting the appropriations, and particularly as to the manner in which the re-payment of the sum advanced from the commercial funds was to be classed? The Ear! of Buckinghamshire said in the fourth appropriation. The Earl of Lauderdale declined entering at length into the subject at this advanced period of the session, and particularly when he looked around and observed the thin attendance of their lordships. With respect to the proposed separation of the territorial and commercial accounts, it would be easy to make out accounts which would tell different ways, and he regretted that no printiple was laid down in the Bill to regulate distinctly the manner in which the accounts were to be stated. The remittances from India to repay, as proposed, the advance from the commercial funds of the Company here, must be made either in goods or bills. Both came nearly to the same point, as the bills bought of the merchant must be given on account of goods which he had exported to this country. Was not this, therefore, a principle that tended to destroy the hopes of the free trader to India, (4 1) the two Houses of Parliament had acceded to, regulates the intercourse with our Eastern possessions, on principles in absurdity unparalleled. inasmuch as the Company being compelled to make a large import of goods, whether they were wanted or not, those goods must be sold whatever might be the loss upon them, and thus the free trader would not "Because, even the slightest examinaonly be precluded from making a profit tion of this Bill makes it apparent that its of his imports, but must frequently sus-enactments are no less repugnant to the tain a heavy loss. This was rendered the political welfare of our Indian possessions, more evident by an account upon the than subversive of those commercial printable, as it appeared that the Company ciples, on which the Company's trade can must be under the necessity of importing alone be conducted with any prospect of goods to the amount of 6,000,000l. He success:—whilst they must render it utdeprecated also the system of drawing from terly impossible for the merchants of this the provinces of India, to which no return country, with prudence, to engage in that was made. It was this exhausting system free trade which government have prowhich impoverished our Indian territories; fessed by this measure to impart. and it was to this system, rather than to the Bill, that he objected, convinced that it must progressively become worse, and that the Company must be frequently under the necessity of coming to parliament for aid. He had thought it right to make these few observations, but considered it would be useless for him to attend the details of the Bill. The Earl of Buckinghamshire contended, that our Indian provinces, so far from being impoverished, were in a highly improving and prosperous state, and that there was every reason to believe that the effect of the Bill would be to throw into the hands of our own merchants the whole of that trade to India which was now carried on by foreigners. He denied the correctness of the account referred to by the noble earl, contending that the true account was that delivered upon oath to their lordships' committee by Mr. Cartwright, which made the amount of investments required by the Company 'something more than 4,000,000l. a sum considerably less than that mentioned by the noble earl. The Bill was then read a second time, and committed for Monday. THE EARL OF LAUDERDALE'S PROTEST AGAINST THE SECOND READING OF THE EAST INDIA COMPANY'S CHARTER BILL.] The Earl of Lauderdale entered the following Protest upon the Journals; "Dissentient' "Because I cannot consent to participate in the disgrace this House must incur, by presuming to pronounce, within 48 hours of its introduction, on the propriety of giving a second reading to a Bill, 67 pages in length, which, with a thorough contempt of every thing that could be considered as salutary in the Resolutions For, by enacting, That a sum equal to the actual payment that has been made from the funds at home, on account of the territorial charges in the preceding year, shall, in each and every year, be issued in India, for the purpose of the Company's China and India invest'ments, or of remittance to England'— this Bill, in truth, sanctions the utter ruin of our territorial possessions, by providing that they shall be annually robbed of mil-> lions without return, whilst, by fixing the value to be yearly remitted from that country, without regard to the extent of European demand for its produce, it departs from every true principle of trade, and prescribes a rule which must be ruinous to the commercial interests of the Company-to those of the merchant who is foolish and ignorant enough to participate in such a trade-and even to the welfare of our manufacturers of British muslin, and of all home-made articles that naturally enter into competition with the commodities of the East. "Because the despoliation of our territorial possessions in India-the destruction of the commerce of the Company, as well as of the profits of the free trader, and the injury our manufacturers must sustainare not the only evils with which this ́ Bill threatens the country. "For it discloses to the public the melancholy information, that, instead of having any hope of now receiving from India that long-boasted financial aid, the Bill of 1793 taught them to expect, government anticipates the certainty of the people of this country being taxed, and of our resources being farther exhausted, to suspend the ruinous crisis, our erroneous policy in the management of our Indian possessions must ultimately occasion;-as it enacts, that the residue of the Bills drawn ITINERANT AUCTIONEERS' BILL.] On the question for the second reading of this Bill, from sending up the proposition which their lordships had repeatedly rejected, he recommended the adoption of the present Bill. The Bill passed through a committee, and was reported. HOUSE OF LORDS. Tuesday, July 20. The Earl of Lauderdale, pursuant to notice, opposed the measure. He reDOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY BILL.] On marked, that the Bill rejected by the other the third reading of this Bill, the archHouse, contained some salutary clauses, bishop of Canterbury, and the bishop of for the object of preventing those nu- Chester, each said a few words, not with merous frauds and injurious results to the the least intention of opposing the Bill, fair trader, which arose from the practice but contending that it had not been called of mock anctions, and of itinerant auc- for by any attempt to inflict penalties tioneers, not only throughout the country, upon, or impede the worship of Unitarians, but in the metropolis itself; provisions of to whom liberty of conscience, in their that kind, he in vain sought for in the present peculiar interpretation of the Scriptures, Bill. And having expatiated on the inju- was extended as amply as to other disrious tendency of such practices, the sup- senters, in that tolerant spirit which chapression of which, he thought, the Billracterized the church of England. The by no means went to effectuate, he said he should therefore move, that it be read a third time that day three months; which, on the question being put, was ordered accordingly. MR. PALMER'S GRANT BILL.] On the question for going into a committee on this Bill, The Earl of Morton adverted to the repeated rejection by that House of a Bill for granting a compensation to Mr. Palmer, and observed, that he could not discover any merit in Mr. Palmer's invention, which entitled him to the reward proposed to be given to him. At all events, he trusted that some noble lord who supported this Bill, would state to the House what new merit had been discovered in Mr. Palmer, to entitle him to 50,000l. when only ten or fourteen days had elapsed since a Bill for granting him a compensation had been rejected. The Earl of Liverpool observed, that the former Bills had been founded on a claim of right, and proposed to give Mr. Palmer an enormous sum. It was on these grounds, that he had objected to them. The present Bill, however, gave up the claim of right, founding itself in a demand upon the generosity of the House to reward an invention, which he conceived, had been highly advantageous to the pub. lic, whilst at the same time the sum proposed to be given was much less than that before claimed. Upon these grounds, and as the House of Commons had desisted Bill was then read a third time and passed. HOUSE OF LORDS. The House met at half past one o'clock, the doors having been some time previously opened for the admission of ladies and gentlemen having peers' orders. The greater part of the peers' seats were occupied by ladies elegantly dressed, and the space below the bar was much crowded. On the entrance of the Lord Chancellor prayers were read by the bishop of Chester. Counsel were called in on two Writs of Error. Soon afterwards the dukes of York, Clarence, Sussex, and Cambridge entered the House in their robes. The other peers present were also in their robes. Several of the judges, amongst whom were Lord Chief Baron Macdonald, Mr. Justice Bayley, Mr. Justice Gibbs, Mr. Justice Dampier, &c. also attended. At twenty minutes past two a royal salute of artillery announced the arrival of his royal highness the Prince Regent. Soon afterwards his Royal Highness entered the House in procession, the earl of Liverpool carrying the Sword of State, earl Bathurst the Cap of Maintenance, and the earl of Yarmouth the Prince Regent's Coronet as Prince of Wales, attended also by lord Gwydir, as Deputy Great Chamberlain of England: the earl of Cholmondeley, Lord Steward; the marquis of Winchester, Groom of the Stole; the Kings at Arms, Heralds, Macebearers, &c. His Royal Highness having future government of the British possessions in India, as will combine the greatest advantages of Commerce and Revenue, and provide also for the lasting prosperity and happiness of that vast and populous portion of the British Empire. taken his seat upon the throne, the Royal Dukes being seated in their chairs to the left of the throne, the earl of Liverpool standing close upon the left of his Royal Highness, and the marquis of Winchester on the right, the other lords who formed part of the procession standing on each side, and the Lord Chancellor behind to the right, sir Thomas Tyrwhitt, the Gen-jects to which our attention has been calltleman Usher of the Black Rod, was sent to command the attendance of the Commons. Shortly afterwards the Speaker, in his full dress robes, accompanied by a great number of members, appeared at the bar. THE SPEECH OF THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS AT THE BAR OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS.] The Speaker, who held in his hand the Vote of Credit Bill, then addressed his royal highness the Prince Regent as follows: " "But, Sir, these are not the only sub ed: other momentous changes have been proposed for our consideration. Adhering, however, to those laws by which the Throne, the Parliament, and the Government of this Country, are made fundamentally Protestant, we have not consented to allow, that those who acknowledge a foreign jurisdiction, should be authorized to administer the powers and jurisdictions of this realm ;-willing as we are, nevertheless, and willing as, I trust, we ever shall May it please your Royal Highness; be, to allow the largest scope to Religious "We, his Majesty's most dutiful and Toleration. With respect to the Established loyal subjects, the Commons of Great Church, following the manificent example Britain and Ireland, in Parliament assemof the last Parliament, we have continued bled, have closed the supplies for the serthe same annual grant for improving the vice of the present year and, reflecting value of its smaller Benefices; and we upon the various transactions which have have, at the same time, endeavoured to come before us, we look back with satis- provide more effectually for the general faction upon those which concern our do- discharge of those sacred duties of a Church mestic policy; entertaining also a confident Establishment, which by forming the moral hope in the prosperous issue of those great and religious character of a brave and inevents which must regulate the settlementtelligent people, have, under the blessing of our foreign relations. of God, laid the deep foundations of British greatness. "Sir,-by your Royal Highness's commands, we have also turned our views to the state of our Foreign Relations. In the North, we rejoice to see, by the Treaties "Under the pressure of great burdens at home, and the still continuing necessity for great exertions, a plan has been devised and executed, which, by a judicious and skilful arrangement of our finances, will, for a considerable period, postpone orlaid before us, that a strong barrier is greatly mitigate the demands for new taxation, and, at the same time, materially accelerate the final extinction of the National Debt. Our reviving Commerce also looks forward to those new fields of enterprise which are opening in the East; and, after long and laborious discussions, we presume to hope, that (in conformity with the injunctions delivered to us by your Royal Highness at the commencement of the present Session) such prudent and adequate arrangements have been made for the erected against the inordinate ambition of France; and we presume to hope, that the time may now be arriving, which shall set bounds to her remorseless spirit of conquest. "In our contest with America, it must always be remembered, that we have not been the aggressors. Slow to take up arms against those who should have been naturally our friends by the original ties of kindred, a common language, and (as might have been hoped) by a joint zeal in the cause of national liberty, we must, |