HOUSE OF COMMONS.

SATURDAY, APRIL 28.

Mr. Corry brought up the report of the Committee to which the petition for the fale of the Archbishop of Dublin's palace had been referred. Referred to a Committee

of the whole Houle on Monday.

A petition was prefented from the debtors confined in Dorchefter gaol, praying relief. Ordered to lie on the

table.

Mr. Alexander brought up the reports of the Committees of Supply and Ways and Means. The refolutions were feverally agreed to, and bills ordered accordingly.

On the motion of Mr. Secretary Yorke, the militia officers' completion bill was read a third time, and passed. Adjourned till Monday.

HOUSE OF LORD S.

MONDAY, APRIL 30.

Two bills were brought up from the Commons, and read a first time.

Earl Spencer moved for an addrefs to his Majefty, for the production of the dates of the difpatches forwarded by Government to the Governor of St. Helena, prior to and fucceeding the date of his Majefty's meffage of the 8th March.

Lord Hobart fuggefted that the ufual mode of moving for papers would be the more proper, which was, that the proper officer be ordered to lay before the Houfe, &c. To fuch a motion he had no objection. The noble Earl fhaped his motion according to the fuggeftion, and it was agreed

to.

DEFENCE OF THE COUNTRY.

Lord Hawkesbury, previous to the order of the day being read for their Lordships to be fummoned on the notice of the motion refpecting the ftate of the defence of the country, rofe and requested that the noble Marquis would confent to poftpone the motion for a few days. The reasons which had induced him on the part of his Majefty's Government to make this requeft were of fo peculiar a nature, that his duty would not permit him to ftate to the Houte

more

more fully the grounds of them. He could however affure the House, that they were fuch as to authorize him in making the request.

The Marquis of Stafford conceived the noble Secretary of State would not have moved the poftponement of a motion which was of the utmost importance to the country, unless he had fome very fufficient reafons to adduce. It was far from his with to prefs the motion on that day.

Lord Grenville declared, that it would have afforded him more fatisfaction, if the noble Secretary of State had communicated to the Houf the nature of thofe circumftances which induced him to request of ais noble Friend to postpone the motion he intended bring forward on that day. On fuch important and delicate occafions, it was usual for perfons standing in the fituation of the noble Lord to be more explicit. If the delay folicited was for the purpose of uiting his particular convenience, although that certainly was not fuch a ground for deferring the motion of his noble Friend as could be ftated to be a very strong one, yet he for one was not inclined to refufe any realonable accommodation to the noble Lord; but if the reafons which induced the noble Secretary of State to call for the delay of a few days, retted upon higher confiderations, it would be better that their Lordihips thould know that fuch was the fact. Let tuole grounds be explicitly stated, let it be fairly avowed that fuch were the motives that have operated to requeft this pottponement, and he was perfuaded, that nothing would appear on the part of oppofition to impede his Majesty's paternal efforts to appoint fuch an Adminiitration as would beft provide for the honour, the interetts, and the fecurity of the ftate He would not oppofe the pottponement of his noble Friend's motion for a few days; and as he thought the noble Lord incapable of trifling with the feelings of the Houfe, or the feelings of the country, he would not only concur in his request, but propofe that their Lordships thould adjourn to that particular day to which his noble Friend was requested to defer

his motion.

Lord Hawkesbury thought that, after having stated that peculiar circumitances exifted, which rendered it highly advisable that the noble Marquis thould defer his motion to a future day, it was not very candid on the part of any noble Lord, confidering the fitua ion in which he stood, to call on him for an explanation of thofe circumftances. He would ftate again to their Lordihips, and he would state it

not

not only upon his official credit, but upon his character as a man, that the circumftances he alluded to were neither light nor trivial, but weighing fufficiently upon his mind to induce him to make the application he did to the noble Marquis. He could not concur with the noble Baron as to the propriety of an adjournment; he faw no necefîity for it. There was nothing in the ftate of the country, or of public affairs, to juftify fuch a meafure; on the contrary, it would be productive of extreme inconvenience, should the whole courfe of public bufinefs be stopped, as it most certainly would be, if the propofition of the noble Baron were adopted. He had faid every thing that he thought neceffary, upon every confideration of public prudence, to induce the noble Marquis to poftpone his motion; if he fhould not fucceed, it would be the fubject of regret to him, and in that alternative, he would not hesitate to mect the noble Marquis, and to enter fully upon the fubject.

The Earl of Carlifie wifhed that the noble Secretary had fpoken more plainly and explicitly, as to what his reafons were for requefting his noble Relative to poftpone his motion. He knew but one circumftance which ought to weigh with the noble Marquis, and the reft of their Lordships, to cause the poftponement of the great question that it was intended to fubmit to them; a circunstance which he was perfuaded would fend every noble Lord, and every man in the Houfe, home contented and rejoiced, and that was, the certainty that his Majefty's Ministers were to retire from the fituations they filled at prefent. He was inclined to take the fenfe of the Houle upon the motion of his noble Friend.

Lord Hawkesbury remarked, that as the noble Marquis had not in fact made any motion, it was competent to him either to postpone or difcharge the notice of the motion he had given.

Earl Fitzwilliam coincided in opinion with the Earl of Carlifle, and withed for fome fpecific declaration on the part of Minifters.

The Lord Chancellor objected to the motion of the noble Lord (Grenville) for the Houfe to adjourn, on the ground that private business would be much inconvenienced. It was alfo neceffary, that their Lordships fhould fit for the purpofe of paffing money bills; there were other bills unconnected with the fubject of the noble Marquis's motion, which it was highly neceffary thould be expedited, and on which their Lordships could entertain no difference of opinion. On these grounds,

grounds, from a fenfe of duty to his country, as well as a fenfe of duty to his King, he would oppofe the motion of the noble Lord.

Lord Harrowby fupported the opinions of the noble Lord (Grenville) with refpect to the neceffity of difcuffing the noble Marquis's motion; and thought his Majefty's Minifters fhould have diftin&tly stated the circumftances which led them to request the delay.

Lord Melville truffed that should it be the pleasure of the Houfe to confent to the noble Secretary's request, and the noble Marquis in courfe poftpone his motion, without an adjournment, that no bufinefs, on which any difference of opinion could arife, would be brought forward.

The Marquis of Abercorn admitted it to be the privilege of noble Lords to make motions whenever they thought proper; the noble Lord oppofite (Grenville) was in the habit of not only making motions, but also of forcing those of his noble friends upon the Houfe: for his part he (as no doubt many other noble Lords had done on the prefent occafion) came up from the country to attend the noble Marquis's motion; but the reasons which had been adduced by the noble Secretary were fufficient to fatisfy his mind for the poftponement, and he thould vote against the adjournment.

Lord Grenville withed Minifters to inform the House to what day in particular they defired his noble Friend's motion fhould ftand over. If it was for a longer period than three or four days, he thould moft ftrongly oppofe the delay. Their Lordships had been fummoned for that day, and he confidered it as 'difrefpectful on the part of Minifters to defire the poftponement, and that merely on the fuggeftion of a noble Lord, unfupported by any fubftantial ground whatever. A noble and learned Lord had ftated, that if the House should adjourn, much inconvenience would accrue to private individuals. However true that might be, he thought his Majefty's Minifters were bound to pledge themselves to the House, that no business of a public nature, on which any difference of opinion could arife, fhould be brought forward during the delay, if their Lordships thould confent to that delay; and if on the prefent occafion the noble Secretary refufed to give the reasons for poftponing his noble friend's motion, he fhould at least give a pledge, that on a future occafion those reasons fhould be openly and fairly ftated. On no other grounds could he give his confent to the delay.

Lord Hawkesbury remarked that this was the first time, and a melancholy picture indeed it afforded of the times, that a

faction

faction was fo ftrenuous in preffing a motion upon the House. (A loud cry of bear! hear! from the oppofite fide of the House.) When any noble Lord had pledged the refponfibility of his fituation, which he did not mean to urge, fo much as the pledge which he had just given of the credit due to his private character, that at prefent, the reafons which operated with his Majefty's Ministers to request the delay, would hereafter be explained fatisfactorily to the Houfe; he conceived, fuch a pledge in honour fhould be confidered as binding, and therefore he was ill prepared to expect such an oppofition, when in candour and liberality he had a right to the indulgence of the Houfe. He could not fee any good grounds for the adjourn. ment, and therefore fhould oppose it.

Lord Mulgrave hoped that his Majefty's Minifters did not mean" to keep the word of promise to the ear, and break it to the hope." The noble Lord was of opinion, that after fuch a length of time had elapfed fince the notice of the motion intended to be made by the noble Marquis, no public business fhould have a prior difcuffion. He was furprifed to hear the' noble Secretary attach the name of "faction" to any of their Lordships. He would afk why thofe noble Lords who oppofed the delay, were denominated a faction? For this reafon, because they oppofed, and would not give in to a fallacy, (a loud cry of hear! hear!) because they were not inclined to give credit to a bare affertion, made in gentle and mild terms by the noble and candid Secretary, (hear! hear !)-Unless Minifters would pledge themselves that the noble Marquis's motion fhould have the priority of all other public business, he fhould oppofe the delay.

After fome explanation between Lords Hawkesbury and Grenville,

The Marquis of Stafford proposed that his motion should ftand for Friday.

The Earl of Carlisle objected to the delay, unlefs Ministers would pledge themfelves to ftate the grounds of the application on fome future day.

Lord Hawk fbury could not confent to enter into any fuch engagement for the reafons he had already advanced, namely, that it would be incompatible with his public duty.

Some further converfation enfued, and at length the Marquis of Stafford's motion was agresu to.

Their Lordships were ordered to be fummoned for Friday. Lord Hobart gave notice of a motion that he intended to fubmit to their Lordships on Wednesday, on which he was fatisfied no difference of opinion could prevail. It was

for