Commons Sitting of 27 March 1805

MINUTES.
Mr. Curwengave notice that he should more to-morrow that a humble address be presented to his majesty, praying that he would be graciously pleased to order copies of the Attorney and Solicitor General's opinions relative to the rights and claims of the Duke of Athol in the isle of man, to be laid before the house.—Mr. Dick onson, conformably to an order of the house, presented the papers relating to Sir Home Popham; which were ordered to lie on the table.—Sir J. Newport, according to

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notice, made a motion respecting Irish Hospitals and Asylums for Lunatics, &c. but after some conversation on the subject between Mr. Alexander, Dr. Duigenan, Mr. Bastard, Mr. Rose, and lord Temple, the hon. baronet withdrew the motion for the present.—The Neutral and Foreign Ships bills, the Customs Duty. bill, and the Excise Duty bill, were read a second time. Mr. Johnson, from the secretary of state's office in Ireland, presented an account of the sums due by the commissioners of the navy, on account of sums advanced by collectors in Ireland for seamen's wages, up to the 5th of Jan. 1805. Ordered to he on the table.—Mr. Rose brought in the United States' Commercial Treaty bill, and the Spanish Merchandize bill; which were read a first time.—Sir H. Dalrymple presented a Petition from the Inhabitants of Androssan, in the County of Ayre, against the Corn bill. Ordered to lie on the table.—Mr. Calcraft presented a petition from the inhabitants of the parish of St. Pancras against the Poor Bill, which was ordered to be on the table till the second reading of the bill, when counsel should he heard in support of the petition.—The Secretary at War brought in a bill for augmenting the rates to be allowed innkeepers for non-commissioned officers and privates who shall he quartered on them; which was read a first time.—Adjourned.

IRISH SMALL NOTES BILL.
Mr. Fosterconformably to the. notice which he gave on Monday last, moved for leave to bring in a bill to restrain the negotiation of promissory notes and Ireland Bills of Exchange under a limited sum in Ireland. The right hon. gent. observed, that he should have moved for this bill long since, but that he had waited for a silver currency, now coining, to supply the place of those small, or silver notes, as they were termed. Every person in the least acquainted with the state of Ireland must acknowledge and lament the ill effects produced by the issue of notes under 5l. in that country: the object of the bill, therefore, was to restrain the further issue of a paper medium, which has inundated Ireland, and injured it most materially in every respect.
Mr. R. Martinsaid, he was inclined, at first, to oppose the intended restriction, but he had since changed his opinion, and now approved heartily of the measure. He could not but congratulate the country in in having a chancellor of the exchequer who
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was capable of effecting so desirable an object. He hoped, however, that the right hon. gent. would see the propriety of allowing private banks to issue small notes, on a plan similar to that recognized by parliament in England. Private banks in this country had leave to issue small notes under 5l.; he trusted, therefore, that the same indulgence would be granted to banks of the same description in Ireland, not for the benefit of the banks, but for the accommodation of the public.
Mr. Fosterreplied, that the policy of granting such a privilege to private banks, as that suggested by the hon. gent. required serious consideration; it would be competent, however, to the hon. gent. to bring forward the subject at some future period; he should not then trouble the house with any further observations, but confine himself to the object and substance of the bill for which he had the honour of moving.
Mr. Magenssaid, that as the right hon. gent. had mentioned an intention of the bank of Ireland to issue silver tokens, to relieve the necessity of silver notes, he would be glad to know the nature of them.
Mr. Fosteranswered, that, in addition to the Spanish dollars now in circulation Ireland to a considerable amount, bank tokens of 10d. and 5d. each, in order to answer Irish currency, would be issued.—The motion was then read from the chair, and leave given to bring in the bill.

IRISH POST ROADS BILL.
Mr. Fosteralso moved for leave to bring in a bill to amend an act, for the repair of post roads, passed in the parliament of Ireland, in the 32d of the king. The object of the amendment was, that postmasters may be enabled to send the mails by mail coaches, or otherwise, with greater safety and expedition than could be done at present, from the badness of many of the public roads, which, by the bill, should be repaired and altered, where the public convenience and advantage made it necessary.
Colonel Bagwellobserved, that if the bill were not speedily passed, it must lie over till next year, because the money for the proposed improvement was to be assessed by the grand juries at the assises.
Mr. Fostersaid, he did not wish to precipitate public business; but, at all events, that delay was necessary for accomplishing the object of the present measure. In the first place. surveyors must be sent to exa

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mine and measure the ground wherever improvement was to be made; the returns of the surveys would be, of course, a tedious work; hence it was obvious, that hurry would not answer the purpose on the present occasion.—Leave was granted to bring in the bill.—The right hon. gent. likewise moved, for leave to bring in a bill to amend the Irish Spirit Licence bill, as far as it regarded distillers. The right hon. gent. observed, that it might be necessary to inform the house, that the law in Ireland did not allow more than four gallons of spirits to be carried from any distillery without a permit; the consequence of which was, that Liverpool jars, containing a quantity somewhat smaller that the law specified, had been employed for the purpose of taking advantage of the act. It was not unusual to have 20 or 30 men running from one establishment with liquor thus conveyed. The object of the bill which he meant to bring in was to remedy this detriment to the revenue. Leave was granted.—Adjourned.