horses, that are or have been generally quartered or lodged in the building; 6th, the name of the proprietor of the building; 7th, the name and rank of the officer or person by whom the building was taken on the part of government; Sth, the weekly rent or hire of the building; 9th, the yearly rent or hire of the building; 10th, the name and rank of the officer or person, or officers or persons, through whose hands the rent, or hire, has been paid to the proprietor of the building; 11th, the time when any alteration (if any) in the rent or hire of the building was made; 12th, the weekly rent or hire of the building, subsequent to such alteration; 13th, the yearly rent or tire of the building, subsequent to such alteration; 14th, the time when the building was given up, if not now occupied by government; 15th, the account of the whole of the sums which have been expended in repairs upon the building; and the said returns do exhibit all the names and descriptions of the said buildings, following one another in due chronological order, the building first taken by government standing first, and the building last taken, standing last." Lord Howick felt no inclination to withhold any information that could be conveniently produced on this subject; but from the extent and wording of the honourable gentleman's motion, he had some doubts of the practicability of obtaining the returns to it in any reasonable time. It was well worth the attention of the Ilouse not to lose sight of this subject. The honourable gentleman had stated, that his motion was precisely the same as one that had been agreed to last session; but on reference to the barrack department, he found that the returns to that motion could not have been prepared without the aid of twenty additional clerks, and for a long period. The House would consider, whether it would be expedient to order the accounts now called for to be produced at the expence of so much time and labour, when the attention of two commissioners, the military commission, and the other commission appointed at the suggestion of the military commission, for examining persons upon oath, were both employed in investigating this subject. If it should appear that these commissioners were negligent or inattentive, it would be for the House to determine how far it would be right to comply with the motion. Colonel Barry could contradict the assertion of the ho- M nourable nourable gentleman with respect to the barrack department in Ireland, from an experience of ten years. But he agreed with the same gentleman that it would be desirable to avoid, as much as possible, the use of temporary barracks. But when it was found necessary to march a body of troops to a particular point, where there were no accommodations, it was necessary to hire buildings at any rent that should be demanded. The barrack-master-general in Ireland felt the propriety of putting the barracks of that country on the same footing as in this, and attended particularly to the economy of expenditure in his department. Mr. Robson contended that the papers he called for could be produced in one day; and if not, that the House ought not to separate without any inquiry why, in a department in which 591 persons were employed, the accounts could not be produced without delay. In his own defence he should state, that a motion which he had the honour to make last session, relative to one district, had had the effect of lowering the rents of barracks in that district one-half, and he had a right to expect a similar reduction in every other district. He should not, however, finding the papers refused, press his motion to a division, because he believed it to be the intention of his majesty's government to make the reformation he wished for. After a few words from Colonel Porter, and from Lord Howick and Mr. Robson, in explanation, the motion was negatived without a division. Mr. Robson deferred his motion relative to the barrack expenditure in foreign stations, particularly Sicily. The expence in that island was nearly as great as in Great Britain, and he hoped it would turn out to be such as the ex-. penditure in Corsica formerly. Mr. Jenkinson presented a petition from the warden and inhabitants of the cinque porte of Dover, in Kent, praying for the continuance and amendment of the act for regulating pilots. Ordered to lie on the table. Mr. Vansittart presented, pursuant to order of the House, a return of the out-pensioners of Chelsea, of the number of men for whom bounties had been charged, as having been enlisted at the regimental head-quarters of regiments, &e. which were ordered to lie on the table, and to be printed. A message from the lord's acquainted the House, that their lordships had agreed to the Cape of Good Hope trade bill bill, the barrack account commissioners bill, and the Irish. election bill, without any amendments. Ordered, on the motion of Mr. Wilberforce, that an humble address be presented to his majesty, for copies of such further correspondence between his majesty's secre taries of state, and the governors of the West India islands, as had not been laid before the House last session. Mr. Hobhouse brought up the report of the committee relative to the relief to be afforded to the West India trade. The resolutions respecting the bounties and the exportation: of sugars, and warehousing the same, were agreed to; and the resolution for levying an additional duty on brandy, was postponed, with a view to its being submitted to a committee of ways and means. The House then, on the motion of Lord Henry Petty, resolved itself into a committee of ways and means, Mr. Hobhouse in the chair, On the resolution being moved, that the additional duties/ of 2s. 6d. and one shilling respectively be granted on brandies imported for home consumption, and for exportation, *) - Mr. Rose observed, that the duty on brandy was at present 13s. 6d. per gallon, and would by this additional duty be raised to 16s.; that the original cost was but 2s. 6d. per gallon, and that such a high daty, compared with the prime cost of the article, would become an extreme temptation to smuggling, and would not operate as any material relief to the West India trade. Besides he did not think the regulations for the prevcation of smug gling would be as effectual as expected. 1 Lord Henry Petty stated, that the system of rewards to vigilant and active revenue officers, would have a very beneficial effect, and that the West India merchants were of opinion, that the addition to the duty on foreign spirits would afford them relief, General Gascoyne was of opinion, that this additional duty on brandy combined with the preference to be given by the public boards to the consumption of rum, would be of material assistance to the West India trade. The resolutions were then agreed to, and, the House having been resumed, the report was ordered to be received the next day. Ordered, on the motion of Sir John Newport, that the M 2 House House should the next day go into a committee on the sugar drawback bill. Sir John Newport postponed his motion for granting the inland duties in Ireland, to a future day, in conse quence of the important business that was to come on this evening. TRADE TO SOUTH AMERICA, Lord Temple moved the order of the day for the second reading of the South Sea trade bill. On the motion that the bill be now read a second time, Sir Charles Price observed, that as he had but that day presented a petition from the governor and directors of the South Sea Company against the bill, the petitioners were› not prepared with counsel. If, therefore, he should suffer that stage of the bill to pass, he hoped the House would allow them to be heard by counsel, tonching their rights,' which would be invaded by the bill in the committee. Mr. Rose stated, that though the South Sea company had not for forty years carried on any trade to the South Sea, it was yet not legal for any ships to trade in that sea, without a licence from the company. It had been mentioned to him, that the ships which had sailed for Buenos Ayres on the first account of its capture, had sailed without such licences, in which case the voyage was illegal from the outset; and in this view, the question was an important one, because this circumstance would have a very serious effect upon the policies of insurance on these vessels. Not having seen a line of the bill, he wished to be inform ed, whether it was proposed to give it a retrospective opera tion. Lord Temple had intended to explain the object of the measure, if even he bad not been called upon by the right honourable gentleman. By the charter of the South Sea company, no vessels could legally be embarked in a trade to the South Sea without a licence from that company. The vessels had sailed to Buenos Ayres without such licence, and, consequently, their voyages were illegal. They were consequently liable to seizure, not alone by the agents of the South Sea company, but by any privateer or letters of marque, which might fall in with them. He had not been himself in town when this event took place, but as soon as the illegality of the transaction was adverted to, his majesty's ministers had determined on the meeting of Parlia ment ment to propose a measure to legalize these voyages, They had conferred with the directors of the South Sex company, i and discussed the question.--On the 14th of Jannary a draft of the bill then before the House was communicated to the directors, which was returned on the 5th, with such alterations as they thought necessary to be made in it. Government had acceded to and adopted these hinendments with a single exception, and therefore, he did not think that any case had been made out for deferring any stage of the bill. Mr. Jacob contended that the South Sea company had not carried on any commerce for sixty-five years past, since the commencement of the war that began in the year 1710. Antecedently to that period, they had carried on a little trade to South America, by which they lost more than they gaired: the expences of their factories at Carthagena, Porto Bello, Panama, and Lima, having exceeded the profits of their commerce; so that there had remained to them, but a small part of the assiento contract. The South Sea company, therefore, could not benefit by this trade. It was besides impossible that they should, as they had no capital, their capital being lent to government; and be fore they could again embark in that trade, it would be! .necessary for them to come to Parliament o be enabled to raise a fresh capital. Though they could not benefit by the trade to South America, a trade which was extremely beneficial to the country had risen upon the rains of this trade, namely, the Southern whale fishery trade, which afforded a considerable nursery for British seamen: The company came, therefore, with a very bad grace to Parlia ment, to press a right which they could derive no benefit from, to the exclusion of a trade from which the public would derive advantage. But by the act of 1802, all persons had a right to trade to the western coast of South America, without any licence, either from the Sonth Sea company, or from the East India company, both of whom claimed a monopoly in these seas. Though the country had been put to much expence by the Spanish armament in 1791, to establish the right to carry on the fur trade at Nootka Sound, that trade had since fallen into the hands of Americans. As to the question respecting the policies of insurance, he had the best legal authority for saying, that the defect in law existed, and therefore he thought that the matter demanded the pressing attention of the House. Mr. f |