HC Deb 04 February 1805 vol 3 cc222-3

Lord Henniker took the oaths and his seat for the county of Rutland.—Sir E. Nepean brought up an account of the expences and debt of the navy, to the 31st Dec. 1804.—The coal merchants' indemnity, and the Surry iron railway bill was read 2d time, and ordered to be committed.—Mr. Rose brought up the bill for making better provision for the quarrantine service, which was read a. 1st time. On his, moving that the bill be read a 2d time, he said, he felt it necessary to explain to the house the objects of the bill. The act of the 39th and 40th of the king invested his maj. and council with certain powers, which it was the purpose of this bill to enlarge and extend. His maj. by that bill, was enabled by his proclamation to subject to quarantine all vessels coming from countries infected with the plague. The present bill extended the like power with respect to ships coming from any countries infected with any other epidemical diseases which might be dangerous to the health of this country. It also went to empower his maj. to force persons who may have landed in this country from on board of such vessels clandestinely, to return on board forthwith on pain of death. It also had a clause to indemnify the members of the privy council for obliging certain persons who had landed from the wreck of a vessel from Gibraltar, and obliged to perform quarantine, to return on board of the vessel so wrecked, and take with them the persons resident in a public house where they had taken refuge, after their landing, in consequence of which some of those persons, were drowned. He admitted the case was certainly a hard one; but it was but a partial evil compared with the much more extensive and alarming one which the order was calculated to prevent. He concluded by moving, "that the bill be read a 2d time on Friday next. Ordered.—Mr. Alexander brought up the report of the qualification indemnity bill. The amendments were agreed to, and the bill ordered to be read a 3d time to-morrow.