Sir William Pulteney moved an Amendment, by fubftituting "to-morrow" for "this day fe'enninght." On this there was a divifion.

For Monday fe'ennight,

For to-morrow fe'ennight,

Majority,

28

14

14

The Refolutions of the Report of the Committee of Ways and Means were read twice and agreed to; after which the Houfe adjourned.

HOUSE OF LORDS.

Tuesday, July 4.

The Royal Affent was given, by Commiffion, to the Stamp Duties Bill, including Newspapers, and Attornies Certificates Bill; the American Treaty Bill, and feveral private Bills.

The Commiffioners were Lord Kenyon, (for the Lord Chancellor,) the Duke of Roxburgh, and Earl Spencer.

The Bills on the Table were forwarded in their feveral ftages. Adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

Tuesday, July 4.

INSOLVENT DEBTORS BILL.

The House refolved itself into a Committee upon the Infolvent Debtors Bill.

The Attorney General propofed that the blanks fhould be filled up. The provifions of the Bill were extended to prifoners charged in execution on or before the 1ft of January, 1797, whofe debts fhould not exceed 1200l. The Report was ordered to be received on Thursday the 6th inftant.

Mr. Wigley moved the fecond reading of Manning's Note Bill, which was opposed by

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, who objected to the Bill, becaufe he did not think it proper that the general law, on this particular point, fhould be altered in favour of one perfon to the dif advantage of another, elpecially while that point was under litigation. After a few words from Mr. Wigley, in fupport of the Bill, the question was put, and negatived without a divifion.

Mr. William Smith moved that there be laid before the Hcufe, the net produce of all the taxes during the years 1793, 1794, 1795, and 1796, diftinguishing the amount of the each tax each year.---Ordered.

On the Motion of Mr. Wilberforce, the Bill for permitting perfons profeffing the Roman Catholic religion, and Proteftant Diffenters, to ferve as Officers in the Militia, was read a third time and passed.---Adjourned.

HOUSE

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

Wednesday, July 5.

Colonel Fullarton moved, that the 22d of his Majefty, refpect. ing elections, be read. It was read accordingly. He then moved for leave to bring in a Bill to amend that Act, in order to extend the provifions of it to Scotland, in order to prevent officers of the excife and cuftoms from voting at elections.---Agreed to.

The Houfe refolved itself into a Committee of Ways and Means.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer moved, that towards raifing the Supply, 646,250l. be granted to his Majefty by way of Lottery. The Lottery to confift of 55,000 tickets, at 11l. 15s. per. ticket. He also moved, that 3,200,000l. Exchequer Bills be granted to his Majefty, and that the allowance to the fubalterns of the Army and Militia fhould be defrayed out of the Land Tax. Agreed to.

The House refolved itfelf into a Committee on the Bill for regulating the height between decks in flave ships.

Mr. W. Smith moved, that the height fhould be four feet three inches.

Mr. Gafcoyne propofed four feet.

After fome converfation, in which Mr. Smith declared it to be his intention to propofe next Seffion, that the height should be confiderably greater, it was fettled that the height in the prefent Bill fhould be four feet one inch.

The House refolved itfelf into a Committee on the foreign trade to India.

Mr. Anftruther moved for leave to bring in a Bill to regulate the trade of foreign fhips belonging to powers in amity with his Majefty, to the British poffeffions in India.

Mr. Alderman Curtis hoped that fome time would be given to examine the Bill, because it gave a confiderable degree of alarm to the fhip owners.

Mr. Anstruther faid, that the Bill fhould be printed, but that it would be impolitic to delay the paffing of it.---Leave was given to bring in the Bill,

The Scotch Militia Bill was read a third time and paffed.
Adjourned,

HOUSE OF LORDS.
Thursday, July 6.

MESSAGE FROM HIS MAJESTY.

Lord Grenville acquainted the Houle, that he had in his hand a meflage from his Majefty, which he moved might be read. This was ordered acordingly, and it was in words the fame as that which was delivered, and which appears in the proceedings

of

of the Commons. The meflage being read, his Lordship moved that an humble Addrefs be prefented to his Majesty, thanking him for his moft gracious communication, and to affure his Majefty, that the Lords would comply with the contents of the fame.

The Duke of Norfolk afked if the day was to be named for taking the meflage into confideration? No anfwer being returned, after a fhort paufe, his Grace faid, that as a Negotiation was at this time pending, and as it was generally underflood the French meant to demand fome conceffions, he thought it would not be well or prudent to make at this time any provifion which might appear as if we meant to continue the preference to Portugal in regard to her wines, as that might be an obftruction to any commercial Treaty, or perhaps even difadvantageous to a Treaty peace itself.

Lord Greuville faid, this was a question of policy which he did not think he was authorized to difcufs at prefent.

On the fecond reading of the Catholic and Proteftant Diffenters Supplementary Militia Bill,

The Duke of Norfolk faid that it was his intention to move an Amendment for an extention of the Bill. At prefent, he said, it only went to empower Roman Catholics and Proteftant Diffenters to hold Commiffions in the Supplementary Militia and Provifional Cavalry. He meant to move that they be enabled to hold Commiffions in the regular standing Militia.

Lord Grenville moved that the Second Reading of the Bill might stand over to Tuesday next. Ordered.---Adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
Wednesday, July 5.

MESSAGE FROM HIS MAJESTY.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer brought down the following Meffage from his Majefty:

"GEORGE R.

"As the fate of the public bufinefs may enable his Majefty to put an end, in a fhort time, to the prefent Seffion of Parliament, his Majefty, in the mean time, recommends it to his faithful Commons to make provifion for any extraordinary expences that may be required for the further fervice of the year; and particularly to afford pecuniary afliftance, if neceffary, to his faithful Ally the Queen of Portugal, to enable her Majefty to repel any attacks that may be made upon her by the common enemy.

"

The Meflage was ordered to be referred to a Committee of Supply.

INLAND NAVIGATION.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer ftated, that on account of the advanced period of the Seffion, and the objections that had been

made

made to the propofed tax on Inland Navigation, he would not, for the prefent year, prefs the tax; but he wifhed it to be understood that he confidered it as a proper object of taxation, if it fhould happen that further taxes thould be deemed neceffary. He also gave notice that he should in the Committee of Supply, propose a substitute for the tax on Inland Navigation, and alfo fome further provifions for the better accommolation of the Cavalry.

Leave was given to bring in a Bill to prevent the counterfeit ing of the copper coin of the kingdom, made or to be made in confequence of any proclamation from his Majefty.

EAST INDIA JUDICATURE.

The Report of the Eaft India Judicature Committee was brought up, and on the queftion for its being read,

Major Metcalfe entered into fome remarks upon the Refolution refpecting the penfions to be granted to the Judges of the fupreme Court of Judicature. The falary and perquifites of the Chief Juftice of Bengal amounted to 90641. a fum nearly double the falary of the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas of England, and greater than that of the Chief Juftice of the King's Bench. It was clear, therefore, that if the Chief Juftices of Bengal chofe to live with ceconomy, and confine their expences within 60col. a year, the remainder would, at compound intereft for twelve years, produce a fum of 81,cool. if they reduced their expences to 5000l. a year, the remainder of their falary and perquifites would, at compound intereft for the fame term of years, realize a fum of 108,000l. a fum furely fufficient for all the purpofes of comfortable retirement. The advantages of the inferior Judges were in the fame proportion, and therefore he thought the propofed allowance unneceflary and extravagant.

Mr. Dundas obferved, upon what had fallen from Major Metcalfe, that the Judges muft, to realize such a fortune, be as old as Methufalem, and behave as Jews employing their money in tranfactions that were ufurious.

Major Metcalfe denied that it would be ufury, for 12 per cent. was the legal rate of intereft in India.

The Houfe divided upon the Refolution refpecting pensions,

For it,
Against it,

Majority

33

3

39.

The other Refolutions were then read and agreed to.

Adjourned. No. 46.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
Friday, July 7.

BILL FOR INSOLVENT DEBTORS.

The Infolvent Debtors' Bill was recommitted to a Committee of the whole Houfe, in which two claufes were added; one that all debtors who are entitled to any annuity, or to the benefit of any deeds, charters, &c. fhall be obliged to veft them in the hands of affignees, for the benefit of their creditors. The fecond, that creditors fhall be allowed to prove their debts, the fame as if the debtor had become a bankrupt. The Report was brought up, and ordered to be received on Monday the 9th inftant.

Mr. Bragge brought up a petition from the Merchants, &c. of Nottingham, against the Ship Owners' Bill.

COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, in a Committee of Supply, moved, that his Majefty's Meffage might be read, which being done---he faid he fhould not trouble the House more than to state that in compliance with the purport of the Meffage he had to propofe, that the Committee would agree to the granting of the fum of 500,000l. for whatever extraordinaries may accrue in the courfe of the prefent year. Out of this, he faid, it might be neceflary to afford fome pecuniary affiftance to our Ally the Queen of Portugal, in cafe the war fhould unfortunately continue. He was not competent, at that time, to fay how far that afliftance would extend, but he was confident it would not go beyond the fum of 200,000l. He was convinced the House would be of the fame opinion with himfelf, that it was neceffary to preserve the independence of fo valuable an Ally, and that the advance was not more than is requifite, and what good policy requires. There were fome other objects to which the vote of credit applied; one was, to prevent feveral foreign corps, amongft which was the Prince of Condé's, now employed in the Weft Indies, from being made a permanent expence. There were also fome gratuities which his Majefty had it in contem plation to bestow on fome other corps. Thefe were the chief of the exigencies which were to be provided for by the Vote of Credit of 500,000l. which, he doubted not, would appear very reasonable and proper to every Member of the Committee. The Refolution was agreed to.

The House resumed; the Report brought up, and ordered to be received on Monday the 9th inftant.

In a Committee of Ways and Means,

The Chancellor of the Exchequer faid, that what he had mentioned yesterday, he fhould then repeat with regard to the tax on Inland Navigations, and that was, that though he had deter