HOUSE OF LORDS. SCOTCH PEERAGE. The Lord Chancellor, in a fpeech of more than two hours, entered into all the arguments for and against the Peerage of the Earl of Errol, and concluded by declaring that in his judg ment his titles were valid. The Peers confirmed this opinion, and Lord Errol's election as one of the fixteen Representatives of the Scots Peerage is confirmed; but without allowing cofts on the Petition. Adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. Merchants Seamen's, Stoke, Mandeville, Hinton and Hor ton Inclosure, Cook's Divorce, Froome Canal, and Cambridge Roads Bills were read a third time. WET DOCKS. Mr. Alderman Combe prefented a Petition on behalf of the Company of Fishmongers in the City of London, against the Bill for making Wet Docks, and praying to be heard by Counfel against fuch parts of the Bill as may affect them. Mr. Manning stated, that the Bill had been before the Houfe now for a great length of time; this was its fecond Seffion. The Corporation of the City of London was now in the course of oppofing it by Counfel before the Committee to whom the Bill was referred. He knew of no diftinct matter that could be urged by the Fishmongers Company, that was not likely to be urged by the whole Corporation. He apprehended that Petitions of this kind were brought forward by the City Remembrancer. He thought that if applications of this kind were granted, they would occafion a delay which would be very injurious to the progrefs of the Bill. Mr. Alderman Combe faid, the Petition was brought to him by fome of his Conftituents, with a defire that he should prefent it. He knew of no intention to create any unnecessary delay in the progrefs of the Bill. The question, that the Petitioners be heard by Counfel, was put and negatived, and the Petition was ordered to be laid on the Table. FORESTALLING AND REGRATING BILL. Mr. Mainwaring moved the Order of the Day for the fecond reading of the Bill for preventing Foreftalling and Regrating of Cattle, &c. which being read, he said, that he understood feveral Gentlemen expreffed a wifh to have an opportunity of objecting to this Bill. He therefore would move, That it be read a fecond time now, with a view to its being fent to a Commit tee tee above stairs, and after that to be reconfidered by a General Committee of the House. Mr. I. Hawkins Browne faid, he thought the Bill fo replete with objectionable parts, and, indeed, fo objectionable in principle, that it was not fufceptible of modification fo as to render it at all useful, or even harmless. While the House attended to the relief of the people against the high price of Meat, they should not be inattentive to the interests of the Breeders of Cattle, who, being in general engaged in large land concerns, would fuffer great loffes from the operation of this Bill. He therefore wifhed the Honourable Gentleman would withdraw his Motion, and bring in a new Bill. Mr. Hobhoufe faid, he very much doubted the policy of Legillative interference in the regulations of the price of commodities; but he wifhed the Bill to go to the Committee, as he fuppofed it might be poffible to modify the particular parts that were objectionable. Mr. Baftard faid, that the object of the Bill was to break a combination which had raised the price of provifions to an inordinate height. It was a fact too notorious to be difputed, that meat paffed through feveral unneceflary hands, between the Grazier and the Confumer, every one of whom had a profit upon it. It was by this means the price was raised; and the provifions of this Bill would relieve and lower the price to the confumer, without detracting one farthing from the profits of the Breeder, Grazier, or Farmer. Mr. Vanfittart wifhed the Bill to be read a fecond time, and to go to a Committee, as fome regulation of the kind as neceffary. The Speaker faid, the Bill contained in it no objectionable part which it was not in the power of a Committee to obviate. The Bill was read a fecond time, and referred to a Com-> mittee. Mr. Mainwaring moved, that the Report of the Committee appointed to confider the Cutting Butcher's Petition be referred to the Committee. Sir William Pulteney faid, this was a measure of very great. importance, and he hoped the House would not fuffer it to be thought that it was finally adjufted. PRINCESS ROYAL'S MARRIAGE. The Chancellor of the Exchequer moved a Congratulatory Addrefs to their Majefties on the Marriage of Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal to His Serene Highnefs the Prince of Wirtemberg, which was agreed to nem. con. The Chancellor of the Exchequer then moved a Complimentary Meffage to his Serene Highness the Prince of Wirtemberg and his Royal Confort, which was also agreed to nem. con. DISMISSAL DISMISSAL OF MINISTERS. Mr. Alderman Combe rofe to make his promifed Motion for the difmiffal of his Majefty's Minifters. He obferved, that when he confidered the great magnitude and importance of the fubject on which he had to requeft the indulgence and attention of the Houfe, he found himself under the deepeft degree of embarrafinent. He was fully fenfible of his own inability to do it that justice which it deferved, and could heartily have wished that it had been committed to the charge of those whofe eminent mental qualifications rendered them fo much more capable of giving to it that weight of impreffion which, he was confcious, he muft fail to do. A due fenfe of his duty, however, had overcome every objection on that head, which his diffidence and confcioufnefs of his own inability had raised; and the recollection that he had received the inftructions of his conftituents, which he fhould ever hold himself bound to comply with, to bring forward this Motion, had determined him to do fo in the best manner he was able. He once more regretted that it had not fallen into more able hands. He flattered, himself, however, the candour and liberality of the Houfe would induce them to make every fair allowance in his favour, and to excuse fuch defects as might appear in his Addrefs to them, on the fcore of the fhort time he had fat in Parliament, and the few opportunities he had had of delivering his fentiments in public. He then took a concife view of the prefent Adminiftration from their commencement to the prefent moment. In the year 1784, it was well know what fecret influence was used by those who are now in power, and it was needlefs for him to detail the particulars of that time, and the powerful arguments which had been often urged against the principle upon which. that power was obtained. The Houfe recollected alfo the manner in which the prefent Administration had acted in the different armaments against Spain, and against Ruffia, in which they had made use of all their influence in Parliament to prevail upon the majority to adopt measures which were notoriously against the voice of the people at large, and which they themselves afterwards abandoned, and by which they degraded their own Parliamentary majority. These things he only glanced at incidentally, for as they did not form any effential part of the matter which he had now to fubmit to the Houfe, he should not dwell upon them. He fhould confine himself to the caufe which his conftituents had for inftructing him to come forward and to take the part which he was now taking. That cause was the prefent unfortunate war. It was, he believed, the general and almost universal opinion of the people of this country at the prefent moment, as well as that that of his conftituents, that the calamities which preffed fo hard upon the people, were in a great mealure, if not wholly, owing. to Minifters having plunged us into that prefent war. He would not deny that at the commencement of it, the war appeared to be popular, but it had long ceased to be fo, and he believed nothing had fo much contributed to that effect, as the weakness and incapacity which Minifters had continually discovered in their mode of carrying it on. They had, from the beginning declared it to be both juft and neceffary. In both these points he had always differed with them. But even allowing, for the fake of argument, that it was fo, it was but reasonable to expect that they fhould have produced, and laid before the public, fome real or oftenfible ground or caufe on which it was undertaken, and entered into. Every private individual, before he quarrels with his neighbour, always looks upon himself as bound to affign his reason for fo doing; and furely in a quarrel between two great nations nothing lefs ought to be expected. If we look, however, faid he, to the conduct of Minifters from the commencement of the war with France, it is in vain that we feek for any one fixed or fettled principle or motive by which they were guided. Sometimes it was for one purpose, then it was for another; and to the prefent moment the country is equally in the dark, as it was at the firft. It is needlefs, faid the Alderman, to take up the time of the Houfe by calling their attention any farther back than January 1794. The oftenfible caufe of the war at that time was faid to be the reftoration of Monarchy in France. That form of Government in France, appeared to Minifters fo abfolutely neceffary for the welfare and interests of this country, that it was held out as a fufficient cause of all the load of expences we might incur and the whole catalogue of calamities which were likely to attend it, and which have enfued to fo deplorable an extent. This caufe, however, did not long remain to them. Events of the moft melancholy nature rendered that ground no longer tenable. It was found neceffary to choose a new one, and the next which was held forth for the amufement and gratification of the people, and for the excuse and justification of Minifters, was indemnity for the paft and fecurity for the future, upon this plea the people were called upon to fupport the war for a confiderable time; but this again was abandoned, and it appeared, that in proportion as the French were fuccefsful, Minifters changed their ground. Then they said that we must purfue the war, until there should be established in France, a Government capable of maintaining the accustomed relations of peace and amity with other powers.'--At this very time that plea appeared to him to be ridiculous, for France had then proved it was capable of maintaining the rela tions of peace and amity with other powers, for it had entered into alliance with fome, and had preferved that alliance. Some time after this Minifters fmoothed themselves down, and foftened their language; they admitted that France was in a state in which we might endeavour to negotiate with them; and after taking a very circuitous and feeble mode to negotiate, they received for anfwer that if any negotiation was to be opened, it must be carried on at Paris; upon this Lord Malmesbury was fent to Paris. The event of that miffion, as well as the manner in which it was carried on, were much too well known to the House to need any detail. It was from a general view of all these things combined that he maintained that the infincerity of Ministers was visible to every man in the kingdom who chofe to look impartially at their conduct, and that their incapacity to manage the affairs of this country was manifeft. As manifeft did it appear to him that these Ministers could never conclude a peace with France upon terms that would be honourable, or in any way advantageous to this country. They had all of them in turn ufed the most irritating and abufive language against the French, a circumstance which every man must feel to be a great hindrance to the carrying on any negotiation with confidence. They had always ftated this war to be a war against French principles. They had attempted, but in vain, to extinguish thefe principles by the fword. From all thefe confiderations it appeared to him that nothing could be more manifeft than the propriety of the Motion with which he should conclude. He must repeat, that he lamented the subject had not fallen into abler hands, but he had done his duty in the best manner he was able. He had one confolation, however, which was, that he did not only follow the dictates of his own mind, but also followed the general wish of his Conftituents; their inftructions alone would be enough for his authority, and their judgment should always be fufficient for his guidance. He concluded with moving, "That an humble Address be prefented to "his Majefty, praying that he will be pleafed to difmifs from "his Councils his prefent Minifters, as the best means of ob"taining a fpeedy and honourable peace." Sir William Milner fupported the Motion, in doing which he was perfuaded that he followed the unanimons with of his conftituents; for the City of York had unanimously expreffed their opinion upon that fubject in the Petition and Addrefs which they had directed him to prefent to his Majefty. He was convinced alfo, that if the Members of that Houfe were to act as their conftituents heartily defired they fhould, they would, almoft to a man, vote for the present Motion, and endear themfelves to the public at large. He verily believed, that unless the |