countenanced the prefent meafure. But they were not, perhaps, aware that the queftion had been in fome meafure already decided. By the articles of the union with Scotland, it was determined, after great deliberation, that the militia of England and of that country fhould be confined, in refpect to their fervices, to the countries by which they were feverally paid. His Lordship defended the meeting of the militia colonels at the Thatched-houle, and challenged any noble Lord to point out why, or where, it was unconftitutional for a number of officers, all of them, without fcarcely an exception, either Peers of Parliament, or Members of another Houfe, to affemble and exprefs their opinion on a fubject which moft materially concerned them. His Lordship expreffed his mot decided diffent to the bill.

Lord Hawkesbury fupported the meafure, and found fault with the refolutions entered into by the officers who fubfcribed their names to them. He confidered it as a very great error in them, to fpeak as leniently as he could of their conduct, to have affembled in an official and military capacity, and to have published the refult of their deliberations at that meeting.

Lord Romney condemned the meafure, and vindicated the conduct of the meeting at the Thatched-houfe, of which he had the honour to be one.

Lords Hawkesbury and Fitzwilliam explained, the latter of whom being called to order by the Lord Chancellor, fat down.

The question being put on the fecond reading, the House divided:

Lord IIawb fbury faid, at that late hour he would not move for the second reading of the other bill before their Lordthips, the Irith militia augmentation bill, but confine himfelt to moving, that the bill, now read a fecond time, thould be committed for the next day.

Lord Grenville had infinitely greater objections to the fecond bill, than to the one juft read, and would ftate thofe objections at fome length the next day. He agreed with the noble Baron, that it was then too late to enter upon the dif cuffion of it.

Adjourned at eleven o'clock.

3Y 2

HOUSE

HOUSE OF COMMON S.

THURSDAY, APRIL 19.

A ballot was to have taken place for a Committee to try and determine the merits of the Ilchefter election; but owing to there being only 75 members present at four o'clock, the ballot could not proceed, and therefore the House adjourned.

HOUSE OF LORDS.

FRIDAY, APRIL 20.

IRISH MILITIA.

The order of the day, for the fecond reading of the Irish militia augmentation bill, having been read,

Lord Hobart ftated, that it was not his intention to enter much upon the merits of the measure recommended and to be provided for by the bill for the augmentation of the Irish militia, which he intended to move fhould be now read a fecond time. The question had, in a great measure, been difpofed of by the arguments that had been urged the preceding night, and he would only trouble the Houfe with a few of thofe which he conceived to be most material. It had been much objected to the measure, when under difcuffion in another place, that it would not add to the difpofable force of the country. From this he muft beg leave to diffent; for, although certainly the 10,000 Irish militia that were to be raifed, were not of that defcription of force that would be fubject to be fent upon ordinary military fervice, yet they might be confidered, to a certain extent, as a disposable force, inasmuch as they might enable his Majesty to detach an equal number of the regular force wherever it may be neceffary. With respect to any oppofition that the bill may meet with, although it was in all refpects of the fame precife tenor with a fimilar measure brought forward by the late Adminiftration, he could not expect, on that account, that it would be found lefs objectionable, particularly by a noble Lord on an oppofite bench. could perceive a fixed difpofition in that noble Lord to decry thofe measures of the prefent Government, which bore the greatest affinity to the meafures of that Government in which he filled a diftinguished place. Although that noble Lord had formerly fanctioned fimilar meatures, and fupported them

He

with all his acknowledged ability, yet the very circumstance of their being introduced by the prefent Minifters, was fufficient to induce him to condemn them as abfurd, puerile, and inefficient. It would be for the noble Lord to establish his confitency, but he profeffed he could not difcover upon what principle of that kind the noble Lord could now reprobate thofe measures he but a very few years ago approved. He withed noble Lords to understand that measures' are now purfuing to augment the difpofable force to the amount of 25,000 more than at prefent; confequeatly it would be feen that Government are not inattentive to their duty. The noble Lord adverted to the obfervations which had been made the preceding evening, refpecting the correfpondence carried on by a noble Lord (Redefdale) in Ireland, and observed that he never before that evening had conceived that private correfpondence ought to be made the fubject of public avowal or disavowal on the part of Government. lie then moved the second reading of the bill.

Earl Spencer profeffed that his objection to this measure did not originate in any opinion which he might have formed on the letters alluded to by the noble Secretary of State. With respect to the principle of the meafure, he muft condemn it altogether. It is impolitic at the prefent moment to take fo large a portion of the force as 10,000 from the defence of Ireland. He muft alfo contend, that it is impolitic and unwife to make such an addition for limited fervice only. We ought to add to our difpofable force, and therefore, inftead of increasing the militia of Ireland, at the rate of four guineas per man bounty, he would advife Minifters to give even the bounty of ten guineas for an equal number for general fervice. The noble Earl was happy to congratulate the House upon what they had just heard from the noble Secretary of State, namely, that it is in contemplation to augment the difpofable force; but he could not help obferving, that the whole of the meafures of the prefent Adminiltration were calculated to thwart and cross each other. He concluded with giving his decided negative to the motion for the fecond reading.

Lord Grenville would not enter into any length of difcuffion on that day, as many noble Lords befide himself were much fatigued from the length which the debate of the preceding evening had taken; he withed it, however, to be underftood, that it was not becaufe his opinions were changed. He thould take another opportunity of difcuffing the mea

fure,

fure, and would not fuffer any obfervations which might be made by noble Lords oppofite, refpecting the acts which had palled during the time in which he formed a part of the Adminiftration, to prevent him from giving his decided opposition to a measure, which he confidered as one of the moit weak, pitiable, and puerile measures which have difgraced the prefent Ministry. Whatever might have been the conftruction of the acts to which the allufion had been made, the Houfe would recollect the difference of fituation in which the country is placed at the prefent period, and at the time 10 which the noble Lord had alluded. If Ministers could not difcriminate, the Houfe and the country would; and nothing fhould deter him from delivering his fentiments openly and fairly as an honeft Member of Parliament. He trusted the proper notice would be given of the next stages of the bill, as many noble Lords not prefent wished to difcufs it.

The Lord Chancellor acknowledged, that he was never more furprised, than at the declaration of the noble Baron that he would not debate the principle of the bill at prefent. When that noble Lord on the preceding evening, with all the gravity that belonged to him, declared, on its being propofed to read the bill a fecond time, that he had more objections to make to it than to the bill which they had then debated, he really thought that the Houfe had a right to expect that he would come down prepared to state thofe objections. His Majefty's Minifters were fully prepared to enter upon the difcuffion: they felt within them all the strength and spirit of giants refreshed; and they challenged the noble Lord to the conteft. He, for one, was prepared to defend the prefent measure, which, in common with all the other measures of the prefent Minifters, were branded by his noble Friend (he hoped he would allow him to call him fo now, he hoped he fhould call him fo when all the nonfenfe of politics was over) with the epithets of puerile, inconfiderate, and he knew not what. He faw no reafon why the difcuffion fhould be delayed, unless the noble Lord did not feel himfelf fo confident at that moment as he appeared to be the preceding night.

"

Lard Grenville did not wish to difconcert the good humour of the noble and learned Lord. If, as he had declared, the Mimifters felt like giants refreshed," he could affure the noble Lord, that thofe on the fame fide of the Houfe with him, did not feel, from any thing which had lately occurred in that Heufe, that they had any reafon to fuppofe that they

had

had been difcomfited. But really the caufe why he wished to poftpone the difcuffion was, that many noble Lords, who found it impoflible to attend that evening, were anxious to be prefent when the principle fhould be debated, and it was his with to accommodate them. As that might as well be done on the confideration of the report, or on the third reading, he faw no abfolute neceflity for prefling it in the prefent ftage of the bill.

Lord Hawkesbury delivered a few words in reply, and propofed that the bill thould be committed for Monday; and if no amendment took place, it might be reported on the fame evening, and the debate take place on the next day, on the third reading.

The bill was then read a fecond time, and committed for Monday.

The Houfe next refolved itself into a Committee on the Irish militia transfer bill, in which

The Bfhop of St. Afaph drew the attention of noble Lords to an inconvenience to which, in his opinion, the officers and privates of the Irish militia, who should come over under the authority of this act, would be fubject. The laws of Ireland, and particularly the 31ft of the King, ailowed perfons profeffing the catholic religion to become members of the army and militia in that country. But that was not the cafe here. By the 1ft of George I. all perfons entering into the army were obliged to take the teft, the oaths of fupremacy and abjuration, and in cafe they should not, would be fubject to various civil incapacities, befides a fine of 500l. He wished the militia of Ireland, who in confequence of the prefent bill fhould come over here, to be protected against the operation of that penal law.

This brought on a converfation, in which the Lord Chancellor, Lords Hawkesbury, Grenville, Carnarvon, and Ellenborough, took part. The latter noble and learned Lord was of opinion, that the Irish militia coming here, would come over with all the privileges and immunities that they were entitled to under the militia laws of their own country. He thought it would be very hard indeed, if when they came over here from principles of the pureft patriotism and loyalty, they fhould be covered with penalties and difabilities. It was his opinion that they would not be fubject to the operation of the mutiny law of this country; however, if there was no other objection to it, he thought it would not be improper to introduce a fpecial provifion to protect them

againft