Hon. Member on the prefent occafions. His Lordfip, after ftating the preroga. tive of the Executive Power with his ufual perfpicuity, contended, that in cafe it was not neceflary to have recourte to war, Minifters fhould not lay before the House the documents attending the prefent difcufiions, further than they thought was confiftent with propriety. He fupported this propofition on the ground that it might lead to irritation in difcuffion, from which nothing good

or useful could arife.

Mr. Elliott was defirous to have explanation from Minifters.

Mr. Canning, Sir W. Pulteney, and Mr. Trench, feverally fupported the motion, which was then put and carried. 603,500l. was then voted for wages for the 10,000 feamen for twelve lunar months; 290,000l. for victuals; 330,0col. for wear and tear of the thips; and 27,000l. for ordnance.

The report was ordered to be received on Monday.

The Chairman of the Committee on the Coventry Election reported, that Captain Barlow was duly elected; but that Nathaniel Jeffries, Efq. was not duly elected.

MONDAY, MARCH 14.

The Secretary at War moved for leave to bring in a Bill for confolidating the different Acts relative to the Militia. It was intended, inftead of burthening the parishes at prefent, as was the practice, to throw the burden on the counties; there were claufts for the prevention of the many frauds committed by fubftitutes; and there were claules empowering parifhes, where families are particularly burdenfome, to provide fubititutes. -Granted.

INDIA BUDGET.

On the motion of Lord Caftlereagh, the Houle went into a Committee on the Eaft India accounts, Mr. Wallace in the Chair.

Lord Caftlereagh began a fpeech of great length by ftating, that certain documents from India had not arrived; but that thele, important as no doubt they were, did not preclude him from the ftatement he was about to make, which was founded upon documents which were now before the Committee. The reve nues of the East India Company divide themselves into two branches; their expenditure at home, and their expenditure abroad. The expences of the Company, he had to ftate, had been confiderably increased by the expedition of the Indian

army to join the British in Egypt. Having gone a good deal into these fubjects, his Lordship entered into a minute statement of the affairs of the Company, as conneated with the different Presidencies and fettlements in India, their factories in China, and their fales, aflets, and charges, at home. From a general conparilon of debts and aflets, there ap peared to be an increase of debts in India to the amount of 3,034,1301. and a decreafe of debts at home to the amount of 571,3061.; making the increase of debts 2,462,8241. The increase of affets in India was 544,3691.; that at home 1,393,0241.; making the general increase 1,942,3931. From this fum, his Lordfhip oblerved, there was to be dedu&ted a decrease of the balance in favour of the Company at China and St. Helena to the amount of 187,042). The net increale of aflets would then stand at 1,755,851. From this view, the fate of the concern would be worle than it was at the conclufion of the preceding years by a fum of 797,4731. Having gone through the different items of the Budget, he concluded by entering into a profpective view of the Company's affairs, and more particularly with respect to the meatures to be adopted for liquidating the India debt. That debt he fhould take at eighteen millions and a half; of which

xteen millions bore an annual intereft of no less than 1,408,7911. This great object to free the Company from to heavy a preffure, was to convert it into an European debt. This would put the Company into the poffeflion of a confiderable fund for the extinction of their debt, because the difference of intered between an Indian debt to the amount he had itated, at 9 per cent. and an European debt at 5 per cent. would afford to the Company a faving of about 5,380,000l. a-year. He wished here to obferve, that it was not in contemplation to liquidate the whole of the debt; it was proper, for many reasons, that a part of the debt should remain: one of thote reafons was, that the natives thould have an intereft (independent of the advantages they have under our Government) in the ftability of the Company. Suppole then the amount of debt to be reduced was 12,000,000l. and the fum applicable to the reduction to be 2,000 cool. a-year, it would obviously be liquidated in Ex years, and the interelt due upon the remainder, taking it even at 6 per cent. would be only 240,000l. a-year. He prefumed that the intereft might, under

thele

tia Officers doing duty as Artillery-men fhould have pay as fuch.-Leave given.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16.

Mr. H. Browne reported from the Committee on the Nottingham Election, that the Committee had determined, that Jofeph Birch and D. P. Cooke, Efqrs. were not duly elected; that the election was void, with refpect to a Burgess to ferve for Nottingham; and that the Petitions against the returns were not frivolous or vexatious. The Committee had alfo come to feveral refolutions, the fubitance of which was, that the Returning Officer had not done his duty; and that, during the election, feveral difgraceful riots had taken place, and outrages been committed, which were completely fubverfive of the freedom of election, &c.

The minutes of the Committee were ordered to be taken into confideration on the 20th of next month; and it was directed that no new writ should be iffued until fubfequent to that confideration.

Captain Markham rofe for the purpofe of calling the attention of the Houfe to a fubject of great delicacy. On Friday laft, in a debate, an Hon. Member in his eye (Mr. Dent) had infinuated, that improper transactions had taken place on the Stock Exchange; and fince that statement had been made, feveral impreffions very unfavourable had gone abroad with reSpect to Sir Thomas Trowbridge, as having fold out a large quantity of stock in confequence of the information he obtained from his official fituation in the Board of Admiralty. He then proceeded to ftate the facts, as contained in an affidavit made by Sir Thomas's agent; wherein that Gentleman fwears that he fold out Sir T.'s ftock, not in confequence of any orders from the gallant Knight, but from the tenor of inftructions he received a long time ago to fell out, fhould there be any profpect of the funds getting low. He concluded by faying, that he meant to move for a Com mittee to investigate the matter.

Mr. Dent vindicated himself from any perfonal reflection on Sir Thomas: he merely repeated, generally, what had been current in the city.

Mr. Addington having spoken in high terms of the honour of the gallant Knight, Mr. Dent explained, and the proposed enquiry was dropped.

Mr. Addington moved, that his Majesty's Message relative to the Civil Lift, of the 15th of May 1802, be read. This having been done, the Right Hon. Gen

tleman refumed. Laft Seffion the Hou had thought proper to relieve the Civil Lift from the debt which had been accumulated during the fixteen years preceding; but in doing fo, had not adverted to the provision neceflary for the Household. He concluded by moving for a felect Committee of twenty-one Members to enquire into the charges on the Civil Lift, and to report.-Or-. dered.

Mr. Alexander brought up the Report of the Committee upon the Irish Militia A&.

Upon the refolution being read a fecond time for increafing the bounty from two to four guineas,

Mr. Windham entered his folemn proteft against the measure, from a conviction that it was bad. He was no friend to the Militia fyftem in its beft ftage; but to that of Ireland he had a particular averfion. The latter could not be raised but by bounty; which mode was a total fubverfion of the conftitutional principle of the Militia. It was impoffible, he faid, to bring the Militia to that ftate of perfection which the regulars poffefs; and if inexperienced leaders were placed over inexperienced followers, the confequence, in time of danger, might be easily forefeen. He concluded with ob. ferving, that if the Militia had been capable of offenfive operations, Bonaparte would never have dared to cross the Alps, and the battle of Marengo would not have decided the fate of empires.

The Secretary at War denied that the raising the Militia by bounty tended to diminish the recruiting fervice, and was of a far different opinion respecting the utility of the Militia in general. In 1780, they faved the metropolis; and in Ireland, they helped to put down rebellion. He enumerated their several services during the war; and confidered the fentiments of Mr. W. as tending to mifchievous conclufions.

Sir W. Pulteney, General Tarleton, Sir L. Parfons, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, fpoke to the fame effe&; and the question was carried without a divifion.

THURSDAY, MARCH 17.

Frederick Shuttleworth was brought to the Bar, for the purpose of being repri manded by the Speaker. The Speaker, in a very folemn and impreffive manner, delivered himself to the following effect: "Frederick Shuttleworth, the Chairman of the Select Committee appointed to try the merits of the Petition complaining of

an

an undue election for the town of Nottingham, has reported, in behalf of the Committee, that you have been guilty of grofs prevarication, and moft improper misbehaviour, in giving your evidence before the Committee. Such conduct is the most offenfive of which a man can be guilty; as it tends to deftroy the facred obligation of truth which binds man to man, operates to defeat the ends of justice, and breaks up the confidence that keeps together the bonds of fociety. In the difgraceful proceedings that diftinguished the last election for Nottingham, in giving your evidence, you vainly attempted to fupprefs the truth. Your education and habits of life, in fo doing, exhibited a pernicious example to others. In the punishment of your offence, the lenity of the Houfe has been confpicuous. You were committed to the cultudy of the Serjeant at Arms, and fpared the difgrace and infamy of being fent to a common gaol. You have expreffed contrition for your offence in your Petition to this Hule. You now go forth tigmatifed and difgraced to the public and your friends; and nothing can efface your offence but a fevere and continued repentance for your misconduct, and a rict regard to the civil and political rights of your fellow-fubjects. You are now discharged, on paying your fees."

Mr Addington moved, that the Speech of the Speaker should be inferted in the Journals of the Houle; which was agreed

to.

FRIDAY MARCH 18.

Sir M. W Ridley reported from the Committee on the Great Grimsby Election, that J. H. Loft, Elq was not duly elected, and that William Mellith, Eiq. ought to have been returned in his tead, The Committee had come to a refolution, that the Mayor, the returning officer, bad been guilty of great partiality The refolution was ordered to be printed, and taken into confideration on fuelday the 29 h initant

Mr Dickenson brought up a Bill. continuing the Sufpention f Actions against Clergymen for Non-residence. Read a fit, and ordered to be read a fecond tine on Monday.

The Secretary at War moved the fecond reading of the Militia Officers'

Bill.

Lord Folkstone objected to the fec nd reading, on the ground that the Bill went to reduce the dignity of the Militia, by admitting improper perions to

VOL. XLIII. MAY 1803.

affociate with people of rank and fortune; befides which, a number of Halfpay Officers would enter the Militia in preference to the regular fervice. Were the Bill put in force, he could almost wish that qualified Officers would leave their regiments.

The Secretary at War replied, that no part of the Bill was new; on the contrary, it was entirely founded on the various provisions of the Acts of last Seffion. The Bill merely allowed, that those who had ferved before were qualified to ferve again; it alfo allowed those who were not qualified to serve, but there was nothing conpulfory upon the Lord Lieutenants to give fuch Gentlemen appointments. The principle of the Bill was merely for completing the Officers.

Mr. Sheridan obferved, that any Gentleman who oppofed meatures of this nature at the prefent period fhould take care to be well fortified with argument, and, unless fo prepared, he ought rather to propose fome expedient more canly acted upon. What the Noble Lord had faid with regard to the qualified Officers going out, thould any Gentleman unqualified enter, was the mott fingular remark he had ever heard. It was well

known, that for a long time back the Subalterns were not qualified; but what mult a Lord Lieutenant fay, when he is obliged to fill up other vacancies with unqualified perfons? Why, that it is owing to the shamele's want of public fpirit in the young gentry of the country, who are running about hunting and horfe-racing in every direction. wifhed the Militia to be officered and led on by the property of the country; but fhould that not be attainable, Government was obliged to elect Officers where they could find them.

He