' for a valuable consideration; and therefore praying, that they may be heard, by their counsel, against the said bill passing into a law.' Ordered, that the said petition do lie upon the table until the said bill be read a second time; and that the petitioners be then heard, by their counsel, against the said bill, upon their petition, if they think fit.—Mr. Patteson seeing the right hon. secretary to the treasury in his place, wished to ask, whether it was the intention of government to continue, or make any alteration in, the duties imposed on Malt last session, which would expire on the 25th of next month? Mr. Vansittart informed the hon. member, that the subject had occupied the earnest attention of the Treasury, and that it would shortly be his duty to bring the question under the consideration of the house.—Mr Vansit to which he had alluded in opening the ways and means for the year; and he trusted the house would agree in the propriety of adopting it. Upon all due consideration of the subject, it appeared, that brandies would bear an addition of 28. 6d. | per gallon on all brandies imported for home consumption, and of 1s, per gallon on brandies imported for re-exportation. The noble lord moved the following resolutions: "That a bounty of ten shillings per cwt. be allowed on the exportation of all double-refined sugar, over and above the allowances now made on the exportation of refined sugars. That a bounty of two shillings per cwt. be allowed on the exportation of all raw and muscovado sugars, under the price of forty shillings per cwt.; and of one shilling per cwt. on all raw and muscovado sugars, of between forty and forty-five shillings per cwt.; when-tart presented to the house, pursuant to ever it shall appear by the notices in the London Gazette that the average prices for the antecedent quarter have been of the respective amounts stated. That an additional duty of two shillings and sixpence per gallon shall be imposed on brandy or foreign spirits, imported for home consumption: and of one shilling per gallon on all brandies imported for the purpose of re-exportation." The resolutions were agreedber 1806, distinguishing whether on half to, and the report was ordered to be received to-morrow. HOUSE OF COMMONS. their orders, 1. “A return of the number of men wanting to complete the establishment of the regular army on the 1st Januaary 1805, 1806, and 1807, distinguishing the British from the foreign troops, and the cavalry from the infantry. 2. A return of the number of persons employed on the 1st January 1807, to levy men for the army under the orders of the 27th Octo pay, retired from the army, or not having at any time held a commission therein; specifying the number of men raised in ' each month by such persons: 3. A return of the number of casualties by deaths, disWednesday, February 18. charges, and desertions, which have taken [MINUTES.] A new writ was ordered place in the regular army, from the 1st for the county of Armagh, in the room of January 1805 to the 1st January 1807, viscount Acheson, now earl of Gosford.-distinguishing each year; also specifying Sir Charles Price presented a petition from the governor and company of merchants trading to the South Seas and other parts of America and for encouraging the Fishery, taking notice of the bill for repealing so • much of an act, made in the ninth year of queen Anne, as vests in the South Sea Company, or Corporation, by the said act erected, the sole and exclusive privilege of carrying on trade and traffick to and <from any part whatsoever of South America, or in the South Seas, which now are, or may at any time hereafter be, in the ⚫ possession of his majesty, his heirs, or successors; and setting forth, that, if the same should pass into a law, it will totally deprive the petitioners of their chartered rights and privileges, which they obtained the dates to which the casualties have been reported from the several foreign stations; 4. A return of the number of desertions which have taken place in the army at home during the years 1805 and 1806, distinguishing each month, and specifying the number of men in each month out of which such desertions have taken place; 5. A return of the number of out pensioners on the establishment of Chelsea Hospitals, distinguished into their respective classes as to amount of pension, as estimated at Christmas 1806: 6. A return of the number of men for whom bounty has been charged, as enlisted at the head quarters of the several regiments serving in Great Britain, from the 25th of September to the 24th of Decem ⚫ber 1806 inclusive, so far as the Accounts have been received.' guineas a year were paid for a piece of land, at a considerable distance for that purpose. The stories of the building were but five feet high, and extremely inconvenient, and there were no drains to carry off the water. He was sure, when he stated these circumstances, that the house would not think him too anxious in pressing the inquiry. In bringing the question forward, he did not mean to impute blame to any [BARRACK ABUSES.] Mr. Robson, pur suant to notice, rose to move for certain papers relative to abuses in the barrack department. As the papers he had to move for were precisely the same as those which had been ordered last session, but which, in consequence of the dissolution of parliament, could not be regularly returned to the present parliament, he did not appre-man; the evil originated in a bad system, hend any objection to his motion. But as from which it had grown up to its present it had appeared to some of his friends that extent, and his majesty's ministers might he was too anxious in prosecuting the in- not yet have had time to take the necessary quiry into this subjeet, he should make one measures for preventing the state of the or two observations in answer to such opi- barracks from being a reproach to the nions. Four years had elapsed since he country. He knew not whether the barhad first recommended and pressed an in- rack he had adverted to was rented or had quiry into the expenditure department, and been purchased, but his motion would since that period six millions had been reach that fact. It was unnecessary for granted for that service in Great Britain, him to state to the house the utility of ecoand two millions for Ireland. If his sug nomy. He understood that the barrack gestions had been acted upon, there would department in Ireland was in as bad a have been a saving of two millions effected state as in Great Britain, and he was the for the public, out of the sums paid for the more alarmed at this, because he looked at hire of buildings, the repairs of buildings, the expenditure of that country in the and the rent of temporary barracks. In the gross, which was now nearly equal to the Second Report of Military Inquiry there charge for Great Britain, and could not appeared a case which he should refer to but reflect, that fifteen-seventeenths of in support of this assertion. It was there whatever sums should be expended for stated, that a Mr. Page, who became bar- barracks in Ireland, would be to be derack-master at Winchester, in 1801, leaguing frayed by this country. The honourable with a Mr. Green, a lawyer, bought a house gentleman concluded by moving, "That which had been before rented as a barrack, there be laid before this house a return of for 631. per annum, but which was not all the buildings of every description, rented worth more than 301. after which the go- or hired by government, and used as barvernment had been charged 1631. The racks or places for lodging, or containing whole sum that had been paid for this bar officers or soldiers of the army, or of perrack, since the year 1794, amounted to sons or horses attached to the army; that 17007. though according to the usual allow the said return do embrace every building ance of officers, only 337. 10s. ought to have which has so been rented, or hired, and so been paid for it, as it did not appear that the used, in the whole of Great Britain and barrack had been occupied by officers for Ireland, between the 1st day of January, more than one year of the whole term. This 1793, and the 1st day of January, 1807: certainly called for inquiry. He begged also that the said return be exhibited in fifteen to call the attention of the house to the case columns, placed in the order and containof a barrack called the Queen's Barracks, ing the several heads here following, viz. near Weymouth, which he had visited in the 1st. the date of the year and of the month middle of Sept. This barrack contained and day when each building respectively 700 and sometimes 800 men, and though so was taken; 2d, the county and parish in great expence was incurred, the accommo- which the building is situate; 3d, the name dations for the officers and men were ex- or phrase describing the building; 4th, the tremely bad. The building was in a low number of officers that are, or have been situation, in a narrow street, near a public generally quartered or lodged in the brewhouse, without any convenience of building; 5th, the number of non-comwater, but from a pump, which was at a missioned officers and men, and of horses, distance, and often dry, without any place that are or have been generally quarfor exercising the troops, so that sixtytered or lodged in the building; 6th, 1 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; 8th, 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 hire 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 said, he felt no inclination to withhold any information that could be conveniently produced on this subject; but from the extent and wording of the hon. gentleman's motion, he had some doubts of the practicability of obtaining the returns to it in any reasonable tine. It was well worth the attention of the house not to lose sight of this subject. The hon. 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 commissions, the military commission and the other commission appointed at the suggestion of the military coinmission, 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 said, he could contradict the assertion of the honourable gentleman with respect to the barrack department in Ireland, from an experience of ten years. But he agreed with the hon. 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 barrackmaster-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, in reply, said, that he was persuaded if the noble lord would take the trouble to read the motion at length, he would then see whether or not such an account already existed in any public office, and if it could not be produced in a day or two, he should still insist that the house ought not to separate till his motion was consented to. Such a document ought to be ready by this time, considering the length of the notice given upon the subject. There were no less than 591 established clerks in the Barrack Department, and therefore it could not be alleged that there was not sufficient help to enable the Barrack Master to comply with the request of a member of parliament. Last year he confined his inquiry to one parish or district in the Isle of Wight, and in that place he had since found that the rents of Temporary Barracks were reduced one half. Barns hired for that purpose, and rated at 2,2007. were now lowered to 1,1007. by means of the motion he had formerly made upon this subject. All this he could prove to have taken place, although he was now to be refused the production of that which would enable him not only to bring several Barrack-masters, to the bar, but also to save the sum of two millions to the public. As he believed, however, that some reform was in agitation by ministers themselves, he could assure them, that he was not disposed to satisfy any revenge upon this occasion, but merely to press upon them the necessity of a speedy reformation in these abuses. All he wished to know was, where the new account in that department began, and where the old one ended? But since he felt an opposition to this inquiry, merely on account of the mode he proposed, in order to attain this object, he should have no objection to give up his motion without dividing the house. Lord Howick begged the hon. gentleman and the house distinctly to understand, that he had not refused him any papers, which could, with propriety, be produced. If his motion could possibly have been complied with, without interfering with the commissioners already appointed, nobody could be more ready than he was, to support such inquiries.-The motion was then put from the chair, and negatived without a division. Mr. Robson further stated, that he should, upon a future day, submit a motion to the house, that would reach the Barrack Departments upon foreign stations. He hoped the charges abroad, (for instance, in the Island of Sicily) would not be found such as were formerly existing in the Island of Corsica. [SOUTH SEA TRADE BILL.] 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, touching their rights, which would be invaded by the bill, in the committee. 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 minis ters had determined, on the meeting of parliament, to propose a measure for legalizing these voyages. They had conferred with the directors of the South Sea Company, and discussed the question. On the 14th of January a draft of the bill then before the house was communicated to the directors, which was returned on the 15th, with such alterations as they thought necessary to be made in it. Government had acceded to and adopted these amendments 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 1740. Antecedently to that period, they had carried on a little trade to South America, by which they lost more than they gained; the expences of their factories at Carthagena, Porto Bello, Panama, and Mr. Rose stated, that though the South Lima, having exceeded the profits of their Sea Company had not for forty years car-commerce; so that there had remained to ried on any trade to the South Sea, it was yet not legal for any ships to trade in that sea, without a license from the company. It had been mentioned to him, that the ships which had sailed for Buenos Ayres on the first accounts of its capture, had sailed without such licenses, 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 in formed, whether it was proposed to give it a retrospective operation. Lord Temple said, he had intended to explain the object of the measure, if even he had not been called upon by the right hon. 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. 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; and before they could again embark in that trade, it would be necessary for them to come to parliament to 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 ruins 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 parliament, 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 license, either from the South Sea Company, or from the East India Com-him to report to the house, which are as pany, 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. Tierney stated, on the part of the East India Company, that they had only been apprehensive that the trade, when permitted, might be extended to other parts; for instance, to China; these were in the contemplation of the government, and, when they had received satisfactory assurances that the trade should not be extended beyond its precise limits, they had ceased to have any objection to the bill. Sir Charles Price stated, that the object of the petitioners was to have their right ascertained, and for that purpose they had presented themselves to the house, without meaning any opposition to the whole principle of the bill.-The bill was then read a second time, and ordered to be printed. On the motion that it be commiited on Monday, | follows, viz. 1. "That it is the opinion of this committeee, that a Bounty of 108. be allowed for every hundred weight of all double refined Sugar exported from Great Britain, over and above the bounty allowable on the exportation of refined Sugar in loaf complete and whole, and lump duly refined. 2. That whenever it shall appear by notice in the London Gazette, that the average prices of Brown or Muscovado Sugar for the preceding quarter of the year, taken in manner directed by an act of the 32d of his present majesty, shall not have exceeded 40s. for an hundred weight, exclusive of the duties of customs paid or payable thereon, on the importation into Great Britain, then, and in every such case, there shall be paid and allowed a Bounty of 28. for every hundred weight of Sugar the produce of the British Plantations exported from Great Britain; and if, by such notice as aforesaid, it shall appear that the said average prices of Brown or Muscovado Sugar shall have been at or above the price of 408. and shall be under 45s. for an hundred weight, then, and in every such case, there shall be paid and allowed a bounty of one shilling for every hundred weight of such Sugar exported as aforesaid. 3. That the bounties now payable on the exportation of sugar and sugar candy be allowed on depositing the same in warehouse for exportation. 4. That it is the opinion of this committee, that an additional duty of 2s. 6d. be charged upon every gallon of foreign brandy, spirits, aqua vitæ, or strong waters (other than rum, spirits, or aqua vitæ of the produce of the British colonies or plantations in America), Mr. Rose, now that he understood that the bill was to have a retrospective operation, approved of it so far as related to the covering the vessels from capture; but with regard to its retrospective operation as to the policies of insurance, he had some doubts. The underwriters had a legal right to decline the obligation of the policies, and though it would not be very ho-imported into Great Britain, or taken out nourable in them to take advantage of that of any warehouse in which the same may circumstance, he did not think it clear that have been secured for home consumption. parliament should take such right from 5. That an additional duty of 1s. be charg them, if they should think proper to acted upon every gallon of foreign brandy, upon it.-The bill was ordered to be committed on Monday. [SUGAR DRAWBACKS.] Mr. Hobhouse reported from the committee of the whole house, to whom it was referred to consider of the several acts relating to the Drawbacks and Bounties on Sugar exported; and also, of an act made in the 43d of his present majesty, for granting to his majesty, until 12 months after the ratification of the definitive treaty of peace, certain additional duties of excise in Great Britain, the Resolutions which the committee had directed VOL. VIII. spirits, aqua vitæ, or strong waters (other than rum, spirits, or aqua vitæ, of the produce of the British colonies or plantations in America), imported into Great Britain and exported therefrom, or taken out of any warehouse in which the same may have been secured for exportation to parts beyond the seas (except to Ireland)." The three first Resolutions being read a second time, were agreed to by the house. The subsequent Resolutions were postponed. [ADDITIONAL DUTY ON FOREIGN BRANDY.] The house having resolved it31 |