British Parliament to be Members of their respective Houses on the part of Great Britain in the Imperial Parliament, and fixing the meeting of the faid Imperial Parliament on Thursday, the

22d of January. The Proclamation was accordingly read, which concluded the proceedings of the British Parlia

ment.

MONDAY, DEC. I.

AMESSAGE from the Lords acquainted Houfe, that their Lordships had agreed to the Bills for prohibiting the Exportation, and encouraging the Importation of Corn and other Provifions.

Mr. Sheridan rose to make his promifed motion. He began with ordering the Clerk to read that part of his Majefty's Speech relative to the late correfpondence between this country and France; which being accordingly read, he faid, that in reflecting on that speech, and the correfpondence to which it re.. lated, it became the duty of that Houfe to have formed an opinion thereon, and to have tranfmitted the fame to his Majefty. Minifters, however, did not adopt fuch demeanour, and it was therefore his duty, as one individual who compofed the clafs of Members of the Legiflature, to adopt a conduct on the occafion, which Ministers had thus omitted; that which he should therefore fubinit would be a propofition to Parliament, requesting the King to difcontinue all continental connexions during the prefent conteft, and to advife his Majefty to make a feparate Peace with the French Republic. He founded thefe propofals upon two propofitions, and the conclufions drawn from thefe two propofitions, viz. the art, that from the beginning of the prefent war, the confederacy formed against France had all of them mercenary views in confideration, and therefore, by their own ftrife, endeavouring to obtain each his refpective purpofe, the general object was defeated; and, fecondly, because there appears good ground to know that in every Treaty, whether attempted or actually commenced, however fincere Minifters might have appeared, yet they never were really fo; and the conclufion from thence is, that whilft they remain in office, war must be for ever carried on, unless the voice of the people, through their reprefentatives, calls out for a feparate peace. The whole conduct of our Allies, beginning with the King of

Pruffia, here underwent a ftrict and

fevere examination by the Hon. Gentleman. He entered into a minute detail of their behaviour towards this country feriatim, ending with that of the Emperor of Ruffia, on whofe demeanour he was pleafed to make many farcattic remarks; and concluded a moft animated fpeech with moving an Addrefs to the King, the purport of which was, to befeech his Majelty that he would be graciously pleased not to omit any opportunity of making a feparate peace, or fanction any new engagement or Treaty with any Foreign Power which might either retard or prevent it.-Which being feconded by Mr. Grey,

Mr. Windham faid, he could not think of following the Hon. Gentleman through the immenfe maze of argument which he had offered; but he thought the Motion nugatory and abfurd.-He then went over the grounds fo often trodden, of the utility and policy of continental alliances; in doing which, he dwelt most particularly on the uniformity of conduct in the Emperor of Germany, and contended, that although it was to be lamented that many of our friends had deferted us during the conteft, yet that nevertheless, whilft their confederacy did last, it benefited the common caufe. He admitted that we had made fome facrifices, but they were not equal to the advantages we obtained by the war, if nothing more, we have faved our Conftitution by it, whereas all the neighbouring nations have either injured or loft theirs by it. We, therefore, chofe the leait of two evils, a continuance of that War by which that Conflitution is preferved, in preference to that baneful and precarious peace made by French fraternization. If fuch a peace is to be made, it certainly was not for those with whom he had the honour of acting to take any part in it. That must devolve on thofe more enamoured of French manners, French politics, and French reform, than he or his colleagues

the Secretary at War, the public were now put in poffeffion of the melancholy fact, that no prospect of peace was to be expected from the prefent Minifters; their language was now, for the first time, plain and unequivocal. He then replied to all the arguments of Mr. Windham, and fupported, in a tile of fuperior wit and argument, the fpeech of Mr. Sheridan; and concluded a most elaborate and eloquent (peech, which lafted above an hour and a half, by giving his hearty allent to the Mo

TUESDAY, DEC. 2.

Mr. Robfon, after fome preliminary obfervations, in which he stated that the expence incurred by keeping up the prefent number of cavalry was enormous and beyond all precedent, concluded by moving,

"That an humble Addrefs be prefented to his Majesty, praying him to direct that the utmost economy be used in the expenditure of corn, confumed by the cavalry in the fervice of Great Britain."

Mr. Windham, after obferving that the utmost economy was already used, oppofed the motion as unneceflary.

The gallery was then cleared; but the Houfe not confifting of forty Mem

bers, Mr. Robfon's Motion of courfe fell to the ground.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 3.

At four o'clock the Speaker counted the Houfe; but there being but thirty fix Members prefent, an adjournment, of course, took place till

"

THURSDAY, DEC. 4.

The Bill for compelling Magiftrates and Overfeers to adminiiter Parish Relief in Subftitutes, was read a first time. On the motion for the fecond reading, a converfation arofe, in which Mr. Grey and Mr. Nichol objected to the compulfory claufe, and recommended that the Bill thould give the Magiftrates a difcretionary power on the fubject of dtribution. The Bill was then ordered to be read a fecond time to morrow.

The Report of the Committee was, alfo brought up, granting indemnities on the importation, to the amount of 75s. on peas, 50s. on barley and beans, and 455, on oats, The Report was then

ordered to be taken into confideration to-morrow.

The Houfe in a Committee on the Bill for afcertaining the population of the country, went through a Committee, and was ordered to be read a third time to-morrow.

Mr. Robfon gave notice of his intention of refuming the Motion relative to the ufe of oats by cavalry horses on Wednesday next.

Mr. Jones then rofe, in conformity to his notice on the fubject of the War, and faid, that finding now, from what had fallen during this fhort Seffion from his Majelty's Ministers, that they were determined to carry it on, right or wrong, fo was he refolved to fubmit a Motion this night, which thould, if carried, prevent them. This war had almoft reduced England to the degrading circumftances of having now but two claffes of people; the wealthy and the poor. All the middling claffes were abforbed in thefe, reduced by taxation, the fcarcity of money, and the of life. Paper currency had superfeded more awful fcarcity of the neceffaries coin, and British money was fcattered all over the world, in fubfidizing avaricious and mercenary allies, all of whom, beginning with the foreign corps in his Majefty's fervice, he enu

merated.

The Hon. Gentleman then went into a difcuffion of all our expeditions, and glanced at Egypt, but went nearly over the fame fentiments already repeated on that fubject; and thence he adverted to Ireland, and emphatically faid, the conquest of that country was the only victory Minifters had ever gained; and concluded by moving an Addrefs to the King, the purport of which was, "To entreat his Majefty to difmifs his prefent Minifters."

Mr. Nichol faid, this was precisely the Motion the conduct of Minifters called for; and he was of opinion, that nothing short of its adoption could produce a peace. The question being called for, the Houfe divided: For the Motion, 13; against it, 66; majority against it, 53.

No Member in the habit of fupporting Government took any part in the debate...

1

fome length contended, that the fituation of the country could not at all warrant the fufpenfion of the Habeas Corpus Act, a fufpenfion that he would always ftrongly object to, as Minifters had in all cafes abufed the power it intrufted in their hands. Measures of caution, he faid, were not any longer neceffary againit feditious meetings, as no fuck meetings did now exift; and that the fufpenfion of the Conftitution could only be juftified by treafon exifting in the country.

Mr. Pitt juftified the propriety of bringing in the Bill now, as it would expire on the ift of February next, and in the fhort interval of ten days from the meeting of the Imperial Parliament, to the expiration of the exifting Act, no opportunity could poflibly be afforded of difcuffing it effectually.

Mr. Tierney faid, the reafons affigned by a former Attorney General, when he first brought this measure into that Houfe, in 1798, were, "the apprehenfion of invafion, and the danger to be dreaded from the Jacobins here, who would concert with them." By the arguments adduced in favour of the measure now, it appears, that just the reverfe is the reafon now fet forth. The people are loyal and tranquil. Jacobinifm knows not where to hide its diminished head, and invasion or the dread of it is no more. He concluded a very animated fpeech againit the Bill.

The Houfe divided-For the Mo tion, 51 against it, 13; majority in favour of it, 38.

Leave was accordingly given to bring in the Bill.

The Houfe in a Committee on the Bill for encouraging the Importation of Herrings and the Herring Fishery,

Mr. Ryder propofed two claufes, both of which were agreed to, viz. one to prevent the impreffing of feamen who may be employed in the herring trade; the other to take off the duty on falt ufed in curing herrings in the

bulk.

The Report was brought up, and the Bill ordered for a third reading to

morrow.

The Houfe, in a Committee of the whole Houfe, came to a refolution that the Chairman fhould be inftructed to move for leave to bring in a Bill for making the port of Amfterdam, in the Iland of Curaçoa, a free port. The Houfe afterwards agreed to the Report, and leave was given.

FRIDAY, DEC. 12..

The Attorney General brought in a Bill for continuing the Sufpenfion of the Habeas Corpus, which was read a first and fecond time,

Mr. Bragge obtained leave to bring in a Bill to explain, amend, and enlarge the powers of the Land Tax Redemption Bill.

Mr. Ryder moved, "That the fum of 50,000l. be granted to his Majesty, to be expended, under certain regulations, in forming depots of herrings, and other fish, for the fupply of the feveral parts of this kingdom," which was agreed to.

The Refolutions moved yesterday by Mr. Ryder, for giving falt duty free to the Herring Fishery, protecting the men from being impreffed, and for granting the bounty on pilchards not exported, were reported, and agreed to, and a Bill ordered to be brought in on the fame.

The Bill for the better Maintenance of the Poor, and for diminishing the Confumption of Wheat Flour, was reported, with feveral amendments, and ordered to be read a third time to-mor

row.

SATURDAY, DEC. 13.

At four o'clock the Speaker counted the Houfe; and there being only thir ty four Members present, it was adjourned.

MONDAY, DEC. 15.

An account of the quantity of Bank of England notes, iffued into circulation, from the 25th of March 1797, to the 25th of March 1800, was prefented, and ordered to lie on the Table.

The Habeas Corpus Sufpenfion Bill was read a fecond time.

Mr. Pitt brought in the Naval and Military Seduction Bill. It was read a first time.

TUESDAY, DEC. 16. The Land Tax Redemption Expla natory Bill was read a first time.

The Houfe refolved itself into a Committee on the Habeas Corpus Sufpenfion Act.

The Attorney General moved to fill up the blank with the words, "Six weeks after the ft day of February next. The Refolution was agreed to, and the Report ordered to be received

to-morrow.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 17.

The Report of the Committee, relative to the extenfion of the Quarantine Laws to the lands of Jerfey and Guernsey,

was received, and a Bill to that effect ordered to be brought in.

The Alien Bill went through a Committee, when the time for its continuing in force was fixed till fix months after the conclufion of a general peace.

The Bill for making the port of Amsterdam, in the island of Curaçoa, a free port, went through the Committee, and was ordered to be reported to-morrow.

THURSDAY, DEC. 18.

The Report of the Committee on the Land Tax was brought up, which was agreed to, and the Bill ordered to be engroffed and read a third time to

morrow.

The House having refolved into a Committee on the Navy and Army Seduction Bill,

Mr. Abbott moved, that instead of extending to the next Seffions, it thould coincide with the Irish Bill, and extend to the term of feven years.

The question being put, the blank was filled up to the rft day of August 1807.

The House in a Committee on the high Price of Provisions,

Mr. Ryder faid, that any measures which could tend to improve the application of the corn we had on hand, was equivalent to increafing it. He therefore would fubmit fuch as he was convinced, if paffed into a law, would have that effect. For this purpose he had three objects in view the firit, to prohibit the manufacturing any flour but that from whence the broad bran only is extracted; the fecond, to fix an affize upon the bread fo made from flour of that kind; the third, to allow bakers to make bread of other materials befide the whole meal, provided the fame does not exceed in price that affize which will be affixed to the whole meal loaf. For the accomplishment of the first object, he moved, that the cloths, wire fcreens, and machinery in corn mills, fhould be used, of fuch a ftructure only as would make fuch flour, or whole meal.

The Refolution was paffed, and a Bill ordered thereon. '

The Bill to fufpend the Habeas Corpus Act was read a third time, and paffed.

FRIDAY, DEC. 19.

The Bill for making the Port of Amfterdam, in the island of Curaçoa, a free port, was read a third time, and paffed, as was alfo the Alien Continuation Bill.

VOL. XXXIX. JAN. 1801.

The Bill for prohibiting the manu facture of fine Bread was read a fecond time.

SATURDAY, DEC. 20.

A new Writ was ordered for Midhurft, in Suffex.

The Grenada Merchants, the Army and Navy Seduction, and the Land Tax Redemption Bills, were read a third time.

The Coarfe Flour Bill was committed. The operation of the Bill in London and forty miles round, to commence on the 24th of January 1801, and in the reit of Great Britain on the 31ft of the faid month, under a penalty, of baking fine bread, for each peck loaf, not exceeding 51. nor less than 10s. but two weeks later being allowed for the fale of fine bread from flour on hand. The afflizes to alter according to the above-mentioned dates; the Report was immediately received, and ordered to be read a third time on Monday.

MONDAY, DEC. 22.

Mr. Pitt moved, that the House fhould, at its rifing, adjourn to Monday next.

Mr. Robfon oppofed the Motion for an adjournment, which the state of the country, he faid, did not admit of. The object of the meeting of Parlia ment was to lower the price of provifions; but provifions progreffively rofe every week fince Parliament met, which was caused by the cry of fcarcity they fet up, and which had made the meeting fo far from a relief, that it had become a misfortune to the people. Such a conduct had raised the price of provisions, not only at home, but abroad, in every country throughout Europe, whence we might have obtained relief, and produced well nigh a famine in effect. The Speaker, with fome Members, at tended the Lords, on paffing the Bills. When they returned, Mr. Robson refumed, and moved, agreeably to notice, an Addrefs to his Majefty, "That no Oats fhould be permitted to horses in the fervice of Government exceeding the weight of thirty-five pounds the Wincheiter bufhel, by which regulation all the Oats of a better quality could be converted into the food of man.”—But the question of adjournment was put and carried.

The orders which ftood for the day were, the third reading of the Hemp Imported Duty Bill, the Population

I

Bill,