fally approved of, and that it was not introduced for the purpose of afcertaining the various cafes in which it might be prudent to grant cofts, but in order to ftrengthen the hands of the magif tracy. Mr. Wilberforce then proceeded to difcufs the amend ments and alterations propofed, when he was called to order by the Speaker. The Mafter of the Rolls contended, that the prefent order fhould ftand, and that the Bill ought not to be referred to a Select Committee. The House then divided on Mr. Percival's Motion. The Report of the Alien Bill being brought up, a clause was propofed, and agreed to, to prevent the captains of ships from landing aliens without a certificate. Mr. Johnes moved, that from the time of iffuing his Majefty's proclamation, his Majefty's Secretary or Secretaries of State hall take proper fecurity for every licence granted to aliens. Mr. Windham oppofed the refolution, and expatiated at large upon the merits and fufferings of the emigrants, drawn from their country for their virtues and their loyalty, and now fought to be shut out from this their only refuge, by the propofed refolution. Such, he contended muft be the effect of demanding fuch fecurity, for, in their unhappy fituation in a strange land, how could they obtain it? As a body of men, fuch as he defcribed them, he could have no hefitation to be responsible for their integrity and proper conduct; but, the Honourable Gentleman probably meant an ingenious reflection on something that had fallen from him on a former occafion, when he talked of fecurity for individuals. If he did not mean fo, and that his claufe was ferious, it certainly would go the length of shutting the door of this country against thefe unfortunate men, who, in all their mifery and diftrefs, in all their fufferings, which had been fo great, that notwithstanding the bounty of Government, many of them had died for want, and under fo many temptations, had in no inftance been guilty of the flighteft mifconduct, or forfeited their claims to our protection. Mr. Johnes faid, that the fpeech of the Honourable Secretary at War, confifted of" Farce, Comedy, Tragedy, Wilkes, Foote, and Junius,---all too much for one poor, fimple perfon." Englishmen did not want Frenchmen to protect them. The expence of fupporting them laft year amounted to not less than 138,000l. while there were in England ten thoufand fervants 5 B 2 in in want and out of place. His object, however, was not to fend them all away, but to feparate the good from the bad. The Chancellor of the Exchequer faid that on that principle the House was unanimous. But every principle that went to divide the meritorious from the undeferving, and to guard against those emiffaries of France, who fought to infinuate themfelves into this country, for the purpose of spreading its poifonous principles, and aiding its hoftile purpofes, fhould induce us as much to cherish thofe loyal and meritorious fufferers, who fought a refuge in this country, as to deteft the authors of their misfortunes. They were to us an awful warning, from which we might learn to regulate our conduct; and it was a fentiment of proud fatisfaction for that Houfe, that we were able to maintain our national character of generous independence in giving an asylum to thofe unhappy men driven from their own, and he would fay difgracefully expelled from many of the neutral nations. On the ground then that no practical security could be found by perfons in their fituation, he would object to the claufe. It would be prepofterous in the extreme to divide the good from the bad for the purpofe of granting a kindnefs to the former, and at the fame to enact a law which would deprive them of its enjoyment. Such, he contended, would be the effect of the fecurity required, whatever its nature, which the Honourable Gentleman did not think fit to detail, taking it for granted, no doubt, that no fpecies of fecurity whatever could be procured, and that it would be idle, under fuch circumstances, to particularize any. Mr. Pitt here entered into a defence of Mr. Windham; his Honourable Friend, he faid, had never offered to be refponfible for individuals. He had only stated that the preponderance of the good fo much out weighted the bad, he could anfwer for the conduct of the whole body, though not for that of individuals. In this fentiment he heartily concurred, and he could now adduce a proof, that it was well founded. He could ftate that this body of men had felt fo much gratitude for the protection they had received, and fo much local allegiance to the Government under which they lived, that they had made a voluntary offer to draw their fwords against thofe who fhould dare to introduce among us thofe principles of which they had been themselves the victims. He rejoiced that this offer was made, because he confidered it a pledge of their worth, and a recommendation to our esteem, but at the fame time he rejoiced that this generous offer was not accepted; not that he would not feel the utmost confidence and fecurity combating at the fide of an emigrants corps, but because it would be unbecoming to put in the van a fet of loyal men to combat with their countrymen, however different in character character and in principles; and further, because it was unneceffary, while there were hundreds of thousands of British subjects panting for the honour, to confer it upon others, This much he stated, to fatisfy thefe gallant men of the reasons on which their offer was refufed, and that the rejection did not proceed from any fufpicion of their integrity, their valour, or their courage. Mr. Keene fupported the claufe. Mr. Martin thought the fupport afforded to French emigrants redounded highly to the honour of this country, and recommended it to Mr. Johnes to withdraw his motion, which Mr. Johnes, perceiving the fenfe of the House against him, ac-. cordingly did. The Bill, with the amendments, was then ordered to be engroffed. Lord Belgrave moved the Order of the Day for the House to refolve itself into a Committee on the Treating Act. Several new claufes were propofed by Mr. Simeon, which were objected to by Lord Belgrave, Mr. Pitt, and others. Mr. Tierney faid that---as the claufes were new, and in his' mind important, they ought not to be rejected, without being difcuffed in a fuller Houte. He accordingly moved, that the Chairman of the Committee might report progrefs, and afk leave to fit again. This was oppofed by the Mafter of the Rolls and Mr. Windham, when the Houfe divided on Mr. Tierney's motion; For it Majority 19 30 - II The Committee again divided upon bringing up the clauses, and the numbers were the fame against their being brought up." An amendment was proposed to one of the claufes, and the gallery was cleared for a divifion; but there not being forty Members prefent, the Houfe adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. The Tea and Tax Duty Bills were read a first and fecond time, and committed for Monday the 30th inftant. An accout of outstanding Exchequer Bills on the 5th of April laft, was prefented by a Clerk from that Office, and ordered to lie on the table. HOUSE HOUSE OF COMMONS. The Secretary at War brought up an account of the charges of Foreign Corps in the fervice of Great Britain.-Ordered to be laid on the Table. CUSTOMS. Mr. Rofe moved the Order of the Day on the Bill for abolifhing certain Offices, and regulating certain other Offices in the customs, and applying certain fees to the fuperannuated fund. The Order being read, he brought up a claute providing for the fuperannuated fund, and providing alfo that none thail be upon that fund, but such as shall be proved, to the fatisfac tion of the Commiffioners, to be unfit for their former bufinefs; and directing that a lift of fuch perfons fhall be laid be ore both Houses of Parliament every Seffion. The claufe was agreed to, and added to the Bill by way of rider. then paffed. MILITIA. The Bill Mr. Secretary Dundas moved the Order of the Day on the Bill for better dividing the Militia into Regiments, Battalions, and Companies, for augmenting the number of field officers, &e. The Houfe refolved itself into a Committee of the whole House upon the Bill. Colonel Mitford was as defirous as any one could be to augment the military force of this country; but he thought that the Militia fhould be governed by the Militia Laws; or, if they were to be amended, the amendments should be of the fame fpirit as the old militia law, inftead of their being governed by thofe who governed the army; any additional power that might be wanted for the appointment of officers, ought to be given to the Lords Lieutenants of the counties. He entered into a brief history of the militia, and obferved upon the constitutional jealoufy with which the militia law was originally framed. He obferved alfo, that, in many refpects, the principle of that law had been departed fron, in the enactments, of fubfequent ftatutes upon that fubject, and was ftill further departed from in the prefent Bill. He thought that the qualification of the fuperior officer fhould be different from what the prefent Bill required. He faid none of thefe things from any distrust that he had in any part of our military force, nor from any want of confidence in his Majefty's Minifters; he only made these ob fervations merely to call the attention of the Committee to the true nature of the fubject. Mr. Secretary Dundas had great refpect for the Honourable Member who had juft fpoken, both for his character and fitua tion. He was perfectly ready to move for leave to withdrawn this Bill altogether, and to propofe nothing whatever for the regulation of the militia, provided that Honourable Gentleman could get any four Members of the Houfe to join him, and meet together, and bring forward any propofition whatever, which they would flatter the Houfe would have any general concurrence. But before the Committee difmiffed the Bill now before them, they would do well to recollect that this was not a Bill for the regulation of any particular corps, but for a large establishment, three times as large and much more unwieldy than any militia that was known before in this country. It was a measure of neceffity from the extraordinary situation in which we ftood. It was not a permanent measure, for it was to continue only during the war. Permanent regulations might be made upon the fubject of militia in time of peace. He thought there would be no conftitutional jealoufy against the measure that had for its object the regulation of a force for the defence of the country during war. He then went over the moft material parts of the Bill, and pointed out their ufe. If, however, any better plan than this could be adopted, he was perfectly ready to give up this, and wait any length of time for another (if the enemy was ready to do the fame thing) provided any body had another to offer. General Tarleton thought many of the obfervations of the Honourable Gentleman who commenced this conversation quite conftitutional; but he did not think they were well timed. We should not now look at any thing but the crifis in which we are; to look at the fituation of this country, and of the enemy, to fupport his Majesty's Minifters in every measure that tended to ftrengthen the country, and to enable it to prepare for the enemy, was the great duty of that Houfe at the prefent moment. Arrangements of various kinds he hoped to see made at the conclufion of the war. Colonel Sloane was of opinion alfo, that the crifis in which we are was chiefly to be looked to; and we should make our military force as powerful as poffible, and that without loss of time. The Committee then proceeded on the claufes of the Bill, and the Report was ordered to be brought up next day. ASSESSED TAX BILL. The Houfe having then refumed the debate on the third reading of the Confolidated Affeffed Tax Bill, Sir William Pulteney rofe, and moved, as an amendment to the Bill, that it be allowed to vary, alter, and amend the faid Bill during the present Seffion of Parliament. This amendment was agreed to. Mr. Wigley then moved, that fuch perfons as had horfes employed in the Provifional Cavalry, fhould not be obliged to pay |