SLAVE TRADE. Sir Wm. Dolben then moved, that the House do now refolve itself into a Committee to confider further of the Slave Carrying Bill. The Houfe refolved itself accordingly into the fame Committee, when Mr. Wm. Smith propofed a claufe for increafing the heigth of fhips between decks, which he contended fhould not be less than five feet perpendicular. General Tarleton opposed the claufe, as there was no argument adduced to prove its neceffity from any recent inftance of inconvenience, or any new calamity or cruelty on the part of the captains of ships fo employed. The mortality among the flaves was not near fo great as on board the fhips employed as tranf ports for the troops to the West Indies. Sir Wm. Young was for exerting every endeavour to narrow and contract the Slave Trade as much as poffible. He would therefore fupport the clause. Mr. Sewell opposed the claufe; and faid that, if it was nega tived, he would bring forward a claufe propofing a certain fcale in flave-carrying fhips, to regulate their depth thofe of 150 ton and under fhould have 4 feet 4 inches depth; thofe of 200 ton 4 feet 6; of 250 ton, 4 feet 10; thofe above 250 ton, 5 feet 2; and thofe of 300 ton and upwards, 5 feet 8. Colonel Gafcoigne and Mr. Sewell oppofed the claufe, which was fupported by Mr. Smith and Mr. Vanfittart, after which the Houfe divided. Majority 28 Mr. Wm. Smith next propofed a claufe for regulating the fuperficial space for each flave, which he estimated at eight feet, and which he afferted on the authority of the infpector of the tranfports (Sir T. Fitzpatrick) was the fmalleft that could pof fibly be allowed for each perfon. This clause was warmly oppofed by Colonel Gascoigne, Mr. Sewell, and General Tarleton; after which the House again divided. Friday, May 11. The Bills on the Table were forwarded through their feve ral ftages. Adjourned. HOUSE HOUSE OF COMMONS. REGULATION OF NEWSPAPERS. The Attorney General brought in his Bill for regulating the publication of newspapers. The Bill directs, that affidavits fhall be made of the names and places of abode of the proprie tors, printers, editors, conductors, and publishers of newfpapers; of the place where fuch paper is printed, directing alfo that notices left at the abode of the parties fhall be deemed good fervice, and that fuch affidavits fhall be received as evidence in courts of law. The Bill was read a first time, ordered to in printed, and read a fecond time on Tuesday the 15th inftant. SLAVE TRADE. On the Report of the Slave Carrying Bill being brought up, Colonel Gafcoigne faid, he had in his hand a petition from feveral merchants who were in town, objecting to the propofed regulations. He conceived, therefore, that permiffion ought to be granted them to be heard by their counfel at the bar against the Bill. From the diftance between London and the different places concerned in the trade, it had not been poffible for the perfons to be informed of the various claufes. He fhould therefore move that the report be taken into confideration on Friday the 18th inftant. Mr. Wm. Smith was against the Motion. Knowing that the Members for Liverpool had been confulted on the different clauses, and that they had repeatedly confulted their conftituents, he fhould oppofe the deferring of the Report, and vote for its being taken into confideration now. Strangers were now directed to withdraw; but the House did not divide. We understood that the petition mentioned by Colonel Gafcoigne was received; counsel ordered to be heard upon it on Wednesday the 16th; to which day the confideration of the Report was deferred. SALT TAX. The Houfe refolved itfelf into a Committee on the Salt Duty. The Chancellor of the Exchequer faid, that the object he meant to propofe was, to execute what had been already men. tioned to confolidate the old duties with the new, and to increase the collection by the prevention of frauds. He therefore propofed feveral resolutions, which were agreed to, and ordered to be reported next day. In a Committee of Supply, feveral fums were voted for the pay of the fubaltern officers of the militia in time of peace, for the pay and clothing of the militia, and for the Veterinary College.--Adjourned. HOUSE HOUSE OF COMMONS. Saturday, May 12. SUPPLY. Mr. Serjeant brought up the Report of the Committee of Supply, which, being read a firft and fecond time, was agreed to. ft. Pay and cloathing of the Militia for the year 1798. 28. Provifion to be made for fubaltern officers of Militia, eftimate 1100l. 3d. A grant of 1500l. to the Veterinary College. Mr. Rofe brought up the Report of the Committee on confolidating the old duties on falt, with those laid on in the prefent feffion of Parliament; they are twenty-five in number, and very voluminous; which were read a first and second time, and agreed to.--Adjourned. HOUSE OF LORDS. The Bills on the Table were forwarded in their respective ftages.---Adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. The further confideration of the Lancashire Quarter Seffions' Bill was poftponed to Friday the 18th inftant, as was the Convoy Protection Bill to Wednesday the 16th inftant. Adjourned. HOUSE OF LORDS. The Duke of Leinfter took the oaths and his feat as Vifcount Leinster.---Adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. A petition was prefented by Mr. Tierney from the Borough, against the Butter Bill. Ordered to be laid on the Table. TWISLETON'S DIVORCE BILL. In a Committee upon Twifleton's Divorce Bill, The Speaker defired the ftanding order of the Houfe to be read; it was, that no proceedings fhould be had upon a divorce, in any cafe of divorce where it did not appear that an action had been maintained, and damages given, in the courts below, without fufficient caufe being fhewn for fuch an action being maintained." The Speaker then declared, that he had defired the order to be read, because in the preamble to the Bill it was not ftated that fuch an action had been maintained. He con ceived that the Counsel fhould be called upon to fhew caufe for this variance from the usual form. Mr. Adam and Mr. Bailey appeared as Counsel for Mr. Twifleton. Mr. Adam faid, that the allegation in the preamble was different from those ufually introduced. He fhould therefore bring witneffes to prove that there was a previous deed of feparation. At the fame time he should state that there was an adjudged case in the Term Reports, in which it was given as the opinion of the Judges, that fuch a deed was a bar to any action for criminal converfation. The deed of feparation was then produced, and the adultery proved. The Bill was then ordered to be reported. NEWS PAPER BILL. On the Order of the Day for the second reading of the newfpaper Bill, The Attorney General faid fome alterations would be made in the claufes of the Bill in a Committee, which he deferred to Friday the 25th inftant. Mr. Tierney declared, that it would be more fatisfactory to him to difcufs the Bill after the trials at Maidstone had been concluded. At the fame time he wished it to be understood, that he did not pledge himself to agree to the principle of the Bill, though he did not enter into the difcuffion of it in the prefent ftage. Mr. Hobhoufe conceive that many of the claufes were objectionable. He was a friend to the control of the licentiousness of the prefs; but he could not go to the length of feveral of the claufes. The Bill was then read a fecond time, and the commitment of it fixed for Friday the 25th inftant. Adjourned. HOUSE OF LORDS. Read the Bills on the Table, and then adjourned to Friday, on which day their Lordships were fummoned upon the Militia Officers Bill. HOUSE OF COMMONS. De Vifmes Naturalization, Twifleton's Divorce, and Beverley Drainage Bills were read a third time, and paffed. LANCASTER QUARTER SESSION BILL. Colonel Stanley moved the Order of the Day, for the third reading of the Lancafter Quarter Seffions Bill. Lord George Cavendish oppofed it. He faid the Bill was no vel in its principle, a direct violation of chartered rights, and No. 28. ** 6 M had had no recommendation but its being agreeable to a certain number of the juftices of the county, while it might prove equally inconvenient to others. Lord Belgrave fupported it as highly expedient. Mr. Jekyl contended there was no ground of expediency submitted to the Houfe to juftify the measure, and that it went to revolutionize the whole magistracy, and introduce a central-tribunal into the country. He concluded with ftating, that papers had been difperfed by two Noble Lords of the other Houfe, calling upon Gentlemen to come forward and fupport the Bill, and, affigning as a reafon, that thofe who oppofed it, had avowed their determination to retard its progrefs, defeat its utility, and throw it out. This he confidered, if not a breach of privilege, to be at leaft unparliamentary, and hoped the House would not pafs fuch an infringement of its rights unnoticed. Mr. Peel fupported the Bill, which, he faid, was in conformity with the wishes of five-fixths of the people of Lancashire. Colonel Stanley alfo fupported the Bill. Mr. Dent contended, that this Bill would violate the chartered rights of the people of Lancaster, and therefore gave it his decided oppofition. The Master of the Rolls, Sir Richard Hill, the Attorney-General, and Lord Hawkesbury spoke in favour of the Bill. The Gallery was then cleared for a divifion, but we underftood that it did not take place, and the Bill was read a third time. Mr. Secretary Dundas prefented a petition from Lancashire, praying an equal tax upon all property. PROVISIONAL CAVALRY. Mr. Secretary Dundas faid, in bringing forward a measure refpecting Provifional Cavalry, he would now state the general outline of the principle, and of the object of the Bill: In other future ftages of it, he might more particularly detail the reafons why it was not thought advifeable to avail ourfelves of the whole force of the Provisional Cavalry. It was fhortly founded upon this ground, that fince the paffing of that Bill, the zeal, fpirit, and energy of the country had fo much exerted itself, that it was now no longer neceffary, nor would Government be juftified in calling out the whole force of Provifional Cavalry. The whole number amounted to fifteen thousand men, which, if called out, would be an annual expence to the country of from one million two hundred thousand pounds to one million five hundred thousand pounds. If he should be asked, why then vote fuch a force if not wanting? he fhould fay, that when he proposed this measure originally, he felt, that it was a right and important meafure, and that it was wife to provide for the defence |