appeared to him to be proper to be adopted, bore fo finall a comparison with the whole of the very comprehenfive scheme, that he fhould be obliged to oppofe it, in fome future ftage of the bill: his lordfhip faid, he did not think it would be decent or candid for him, upon his own private opinion, to fet his face against the bill in its firft ftage, by oppofing its introduction, fince there were many new members in the House,

foners by this act appointed fhall give a preference to the tenants in poffeffion, in the purchase of any reverfion, rent, fine, or acknowledgment, payable to his Majefty in right of his faid principality or county palatine; and that the faid commiffioners, or any

of them, are authorized to agree with the faid tenant, on fuch terms that the said tenant purchafing the premifes may have a profit of five per cent. in the purchase thereof, taken upon the rate of the prefent rent charge to his Majefty, and the value of the accustomed fine on any renewal of leafes: provided, that if the faid tenant doth not pay one fourth part of the purchafe money at the time of making the agreement, and one other fourth part on fealing his conveyance, and give fuch fecurity as by the faid commiflioners fhall be approved, for paying the refidue within one year, the faid fale to be void, and if any of the faid tenants refufe to purchase, and pay as aforefaid, the faid eftate fhall be fet up to fale, and fold to the highest bidder, paying and giving fecurity as aforefaid: and that no conveyance fhall be conclufively made, until the bargain be approved by the lords of the treasury.

And for the more profitable difpofition of the foreft lands, it enacts, That the faid commiffioners fhall caufe a furvey to be made, diftinguishing in the feveral parts thereof the timber, wood, and underwood; an entry whereof to be made in the obfervations on the faid furvey, and to be returned to the commiffioners; diftinguishing alfo the quality of the foil, and the mines, if there be any, or the probability of minerals to be found, to the best of their skill.

It likewife enacts, that after the faid furvey is compleated, the commiflioners fhall hear and adjudge the rights of all perfons claiming common of pafture, agiftment, pannage, turbary, or any other common of pasture in the faid forefts; and, upon an examination of the value of their feveral rights, eftimated on the profits of the number of cattle which have been ufually kept thereon, or other profits by right of common, convenient portions of land fhall be fet out according to the value of their several rights.

And, for the better encouragement to the faid inclofure, and to prevent partiality, or inconvenient introduction of strangers, it enacts, that it shall be lawful for the faid commiffioners, to offer the preference of the residue of the said forest lands to those perfons who hold in law or in equity, lands of inheritance within the faid forefts, according to the value of the land held by each perfon; and the commiffioners fhall caufe the faid lands to be divided into convenient portions, according

Hofe, who, though they might have a general knowledge on the fubject, could not be properly informed upon it, to determine what line of conduct to puriue, until the first reading of the bill, when he presumed the honourable gentleman would move the Houte to order it to be printed, by which means the members would be put in poffeffion of all the neceffary information, and that then it would become his lordfhip's

to their feveral interefts, and the fame to be valued at the profit of five per cent. to the purchasers, with a provifo, that if any of the borderers thall refufe to purchase on the fame terms, the portion of him or her refufing, fhall be offered to the perfon whofe eftate lies next to the faid portion, and thus, until all have refused; and if all fhall refufe to become purchafers, the land to be fet up to the highest bidder.

That if any perfon or perfons entitled to a portion of land in compenfation for right of common, be minded to fell the fame, in two years after the allotment aforefaid, he tha!l give the preference to the borderers, in manner aforefaid, before he thall contract with any ftranger, otherwife the fale to be void.

That if any mines thall be difcovered within any of the faid foreft lands, the fame to be confidered as the property of the feveral proprie tors of the land in which the fame are found, fubject only to the provilions of the ift and 5th of King William.

It further enacts, that no perfons, except thofe already entitled by leafe or grant from his Majefty, fhall enter into any mine, in any of the forefts by this act directed to be fold, or within the faid prin cipality and county palatine, without the confent of the proprietor of

the faid lands.

That if any perfon enjoying a leafe of which the reverfion is in his Majefty, for fearching and working of mines, upon any lands, other than those in their own proper feifin, the faid reverfion fhall be offered, at the rate appointed for the fale of lands by this act directed, to the holders of lands feverally over which the faid rights extend; and in cafe the faid proprietors should refufe to purchase the fame, the faid rights to be offered to the leffees or grantees of the particular eftate, and in cafe of refufal, to be fet up to fale to the highest bidder.

The commiffioners to reserve from fale, any portion of land, not exceeding two hundred acres in each allotment, where it may feem most convenient for the building of a town or village, and to put the fame into town lots, and to grant the fame in fee, on fecurity given for the building of houfes and cottages thereon.

It alfo enacts, That when any part of the said forefts is wate, and not within any parish, or where the parish may be deemed by them too large, the commiffioners may allot and fet apart from fale any portion of land, not exceeding two hundred acres in any one portion; to be an endowment for building a church to be let for the faid purpose, for

fuch

fhip's duty to fuggest such objections and observations to the Houfe as might occur to him.

The Houfe refolved, That leave be given to bring in the bill on the 19th instant.

February 16,

In a committee of fupply on the motion of Sir Richard Sutton, came to the following refolutions: that 13,4521. be granted as a compenfation to the trustees for putting in execution an act of laft feflions for vefting lands for the security

of

fuch term, as to their difcretion fhall feem meet; the rents to be in the bishop of the diocefe, to hold the fame in truft, that the fame be ap plied towards the building of the faid church, whenever fifty houfhol ders in the neighbourhood shall certify that a church is wanting.

That when the church fhall be built, it fhall be lawful for the bishop of the diocefe, to fettle the bounds of each church district, which, after fuch appointment, shall be declared a parish, with a provifo, if it fhall be proved to the fatisfa&ion of the commiffioners, that any impropriator fhall by fuch difpofition be proved to fuffer any detriment by fuch diftribution, he shall be compenfated, according to his lofs, from the fund arifing from the fale of the foreft lands.

That the collation to the faid parishes, fhall be in the bishop, and his fucceffors; and when the bishop fhall collate to the faid new church, the allotted lands fhall be divested from the bishop, and vefted in the rector, and to be in full of tythe.

And, for the more fpeedy collection of the arrears of rents, and duties, payable to his Majefty, in right of the faid principality or county palatine, and for the relief of thofe indebted to his Majefty, it further enacts, that it fhall be lawful for the commiffioners, at their difcretion, on examining the parties, to compound the fame; and if it fhall appear neceffary on prompt payment, or fecurity given for payment within one year, which fecurity they are authorized to take, and compel payment by procefs out of the exchequer, as debts due to the crown; and the barons of the exchequer are required to iffue the process.

That upon payment of the money into the exchequer, the debtors fhall ftand difcharged of their original debts,

It further enacts, That all fums of money produced by fale of any lands, or hereditaments aforefaid, or by the payment or compofition of any debts, be made part of the finking fund.

And that all records relative to the principality of Wales, or palas, tine of Chester, by this act united to the crown, fhall be delivered to the keeper of records in the rower, rolls chapel, or exchequer, there to be kept with true catalogues of the principal heads thereof,

VOL. XVIII.

Mr.T.

of docks, ftores, and fhipping, at Plymouth and Sheernels, and for defending Tilbury Fort.

And 29,6711. for the like purpose at Chatham.

Mr. T. Townshend complained of the manner in which the Townsend. motion was expreffed, and faid it was unusual: the honou rable baronet had moved for a fpecific fum; whereas it was customary to move in the committee of fupply for a fum not exceeding a given fum. And he thought, that in compliance with an established cuftom, thefe two words "not exceeding," fhould be inferted in the motion.

Hon, Mr.

The honourable Mr. Marsham obferved, that the public Marbam. had been obliged to give five and thirty years purchafe for them; he wifhed therefore to know whether the value had been determined by a jury, or whether the fums now moved for, were in confequence of a bargain made by the treatury, without the intervention of a jury.

Mr.Roberts.

Sir Richard Sutton faid, the fums he had moved for, were in confequence of a verdict, a jury having fat upon each eftimate as to the omiffion of the words "not exceeding,” it was by no means material; and if the honourable gentleman would rather have them inferted than left out, he had not the leaft objection to gratify him: his only reafon for leaving them out, was, that as the fums had been fpecifically allowed by the juries, he thought it unneceffary to qualify his motion, and had therefore moved for the fpecific fums fo allowed. Agreed to. Adjourned to the 19th.

February 19.

Right hon. T. Townshend ftated to the Houfe that Mr. Roberts, who was ordered to be taken into the custody of the ferjeant at arms, was now in town, and from the circumftance of his fituation it was evident that his abfence from the Houfe, on the day of the call, was the effect of indifpo fition; he had been influenced by no private or perfonal motives in feconding the motion for taking him into cuftody; and he therefore begged leave to move, That he fhould be difcharged from the cuftody of the ferjeant at arms."

Ordered.

Mr. Roberts then came to his feat, and in a fhort speech expreffed his gratitude of thanks to the Houfe for their indulgence and lenity, and affured them it was not contempt or negligence that had made him disobey the call of the House: he was confined by illness, and was actually found in bed by the meflenger of the Houle, and it was his misfortune that

his colleague was alfo unwell, fo that neither of them could appear in their places, to apologize for each other.

Mr. Burke now brought in his bill, intitled, An act for Mr. Burkes the better regulation of his Majefty's civil eftablishments, and of certain public offices, for the limitation of penfions, and the fuppreffion of fundry, ufelefs, expenfive, and inconvenient places; and for applying the monies faved thereby to the public fervice." It was read a first time, and ordered to be printed, and Mr. Burke moved that it should be read for the fecond time on Thursday next.

Earl Nugent rofe, and objected to its being read on that day. EarlNugent It was too early for fo important a purpose. There were many young members who could not be conceived to be in poffeffion of the plan, large and comprehenfive as it was, and who could not make themselves mafters of it in fo fhort a time. Gentlemen would confider that there was not one day before Thursday on which they could read it with the attention which it deferved, fince it could not be printed before Wednesday morning, and Wedneíday was the Faft Day. He was one of thofe who thought, like the noble lord in the blue ribbon, that there was a great deal in the bill which Parliament ought not to adopt, and fomething which perhaps upon confideration they might find to be proper and wife; it comprehended various innovations unprecedented in our conftitution, and which merited the moft mature deliberation. Many weighty arguments had been urged against it laft year, and principally this, that it tended to violate the facred rights of property. Yet he would freely acknowledge that feveral claufes of the bill met his hearty confent, for that man must be abfurd or profligate who would deny that œconomy was neceflary, or that corrupt influence ought to be fupported; he was of opinion however that the contractors bill would anfwer almoft every purpose which the bill was intended or calculated to effect. He concluded with moving an amendment, by inferting the words " Monday, the 26th," inftead of "Thursday, the 22d."

Mr. Burke ridiculed the idea of the Houfe being unac- Mr. Burke quainted with the principle or the tenor of his bill. There was not a member in the Houfe, new or old, who did not know its nature and tendency at this moment as well as they could poffibly do if the reading of it again was put off for months. The principle was known; and as to the other objection of the noble lord, that fome of its provisions were fit, and fome the contrary, he would not be fo diforderly as Tt12

to