the teftimony of the whole body of juftices corroborated the statement of Mr. Child. Mr. Harry Burges, of the county of Middlefex, was fo well acquainted with the whole of this affair, that he had thought it incumbent on him to address a petition to this hon. Houfe, ftating, that no deception had been practifed, relating the whole of the circumftances of the cafe, and praying that the Houfe would, in juftice to the parties who had thus been accufed, refrain from coming to any conclufion upon the fubject of the late election at Lifkeard, until they had an opportunity of defending themfelves. This petition Mr. Sheridan prefented.

Mr. W. Dundas faid that he certainly ought not to be fevere in any argument with the hon. Gentleman oppofite him (Mr. Sheridan), as it was fo well known that he never was levere himself in the courfe of his arguments. He then moved that the Clerk of the Crown do attend with the writ which had been iffued, and the return which had been made on the laft election for the borough of Liskeard.

These documents were accordingly produced and read; and were in fubftance what is ftated in our account of the preceding day.

The writ was directed to Thomas Rawlins, Efq. the fheriff, and the precipe was iffued and figned by him. From this Mr. Sheridan inferred that he was the only perfon whom the Houfe could recognife in the management of the business of the election.

Mr. Pitt, however, contended that the bufinefs which the House had to attend to in the prefent cafe, was not, whether this or that perfon was returning officer, or which perfon fhould have been returned; it was fimply this, whether a thing which was not in unity with itfelf could be confidered valid; and if they determined that it was not valid, whether the addition of fuch an invalid inftrument to one which was on the face of it valid, could conftitute two valid inftruments, and thereby be reckoned a return? He then referred to an act, the 25th of the King, chap. 24. by which it was declared that, in cafe of a special return, or in a cafe where there was no return, the Speaker should send a notice to the returning officer of the state of the representation, or the non-representation of that particular place, defiring him to proceed accordingly. If the case was not authorized by the law officers of the Crown, he fuppofed that the Houfe would be induced to exercife that fummary power which is vefted in itself in cafes where their conduct is not regulated by a particular law.

Mr.

With refpect to a regular army, ffible that we should be refpected by r enemies, or 'fecure ourfelves, the ecies of force was every day becomIt, and it was now indeed become e to recruit the army, for we were to men for not going into it: we as bounty for men going into the vifion for the wives and families of rere now giving 35 guineas bounty he army of referve, and alfo prochildren fhould be fupported: hat a man would enter into the gave up his freedom for life, for nd that without any provifion mily? With refpect to the miextremely politic to increase a we had done, fince it was not e empire, as the regular force which Minifters took in miliconfcientiously approve. By oufe, we fhould exclude threeen in the kingdom from the of raifing a large difpofable large body of men enjoying ch were both oppreffive and diftreffed claffes of the comhe burthen, which thefe priupon thole who, of all the bear it. We were raifing cient force at the best, and aprovement, at the fame time painful apprehenfion that fuch egree be unavailing: for Genromoted this fyftem were under that certain meafures, however ot be tried or attempted to be carar that the regulations would not hom they were defigned to operate, at the fyftem of volunteer force was w he was of opinion that a machine le of war fhould not be of a delicate made of thofe hardy and tough mateof bearing the rudelt fhocks. He muft

alfo

Mr. Fox explained the term returning officer; he ftated that it was to be understood in two senses, the one the officer within the particular diftrict, and the other the sheriff of the county, who alone was recognised by that House. The Grenville act was imperative on the House, and where an undue return was complained of, it was the duty of the House to go into a Coinmittee that the whole of the cafe might be fairly investigated. A petition of an extraordinary nature had once been presented to that House, which contained nothing on the face of it explaining the nature of the difpute, but as it concluded with a complaint that an undue return had been made, the House had thought it its duty to go into a Committee.

Mr. William Dundas remarked, that the cafe alluded to was that of the Rev. Mr. John Horne Tooke, and if the House extended its generofity to a cafe which involved its own dignity only, he could not conceive how that could apply to a cafe where there was a fallacy in the whole of the argument, on the fuppofition that a double return had been made. If fuch tricks were allowed, the whole of the feats in Cornwall might be overturned by the fub-sheriff.

Mr. C. Wynne ftated that the sheriff would in such a cafe be liable to be fent to Newgate in the first instance, and to be fued at law in the fecond inftance for penalties with double cofts. If the House took upon itfelf to decide the merits of petitions, there was no telling where they would ftop.

Mr. Sheridan declared that he poffeffed none of the soft alperity of the hon. Gentleman oppofite (Mr. W. Dundas), he was not induced to attack a gentleman who was not prefent, and prevent him or his friends being heard in their own juftification. Some of his harsh expreffions might have come out in the warmth of debate, and he had no doubt that upon cooler reflection, if he was to fee thefe gentlemen, he would make a very handfome apology.

Mr. Burroughs faid, that, in his opinion, the law was very clear refpecting the acknowledgment of a returning officer, and in fupport of this opinion, he read an extract from an act paffed in the reign of Henry the Sixth, inferring from thence that the fheriff was the medium between the clerk of the Hanaper and the returning officer. He concluded with moving, that the deputy clerk be ordered to take the document off the file, which appeared to him to be an invalid return.

Mr. Pitt feconded the motion, but at the fame time expreffed a with that fome of the law officers of the Crown would declare what was their opinion on the fubject. If they differed

from

from him he would very readily retract, and he had no doubt that his hon. and learned Friend would be very willing in that cafe to withdraw his motion.

The Attorney General opposed the motion on this ground, that the Sheriff's name was indorfed on the back of the writ, and he therefore conceived that the queftion as to this double return muft, according to law, be referred to a Committee. After a few words from Mr. Deverell,

Mr. Dundas rofe, and recommended to his hon. Friend to withdraw the motion. The right hon. Gentleman took occafion to difclaim any perfonal allufion whatever to Mr. T. Sheridan, who was interefted in this proceeding, and intimated that if the hon. Member on the oppofite fide (Mr. Sheridan), who had thought proper to allude to his profeffion in the courfe of the evening, fhould again do fo, he gave him warning that he would alfo refer to that hon. Member's former life. He should certainly pay him in his own coin. In the fingular tranfaction which gave rife to the debate, he was willing to think that Mr. T. Sheridan was not at all concerned, but he was by no means equally ready to acquit the hon. Member.

Mr. Sheridan was not aware that any reference to the right hon. Gentleman's former profeffion would be difagreeable to him, particularly as it was a profeffion of the higheft credit. He had himself ferved his terms with a view to follow that profeffion, and he was now very forty that he had not. However, as to the hon. Gentleman's warning that he would pay him in his own coin, if his profeffion fhould be again alluded to, he did not know well what he meant. The coin he dealt in was nothing more than common fense and judgment in the exercife of his duty in that Houfe; and he had no objection, but rather a with, that the right hon. Gentleman would deal in the fame coin. The motion being withdrawn,

A converfation arofe as to this queftion, whether the matter as to the right of voting in Lifkeaid, which ftands for the 10th of next month, fhould precede or follow the confideration of Mr. Hulkiffon's petition as to the double return? Mr. Fox, Mr. Sheridan, and Mr. C. Wynne, were for the precedency of the queftion of right. Mr. Pitt and Mr. Bankes spoke on the other fide. After fome obfervations by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Speaker, Mr. Tierney, and Mr. Bragge, the confideration of the petition of Mr. Hufkiffon was appointed for the 9th of April, and the deliberation upon the' right of voting, &c. at Lifkeard, was poftponed from the roth to the 17th of April.

Mr. Kinnaird gave notice that at an early day after the re

cel's