—The sheriffs of. London presented at the bar the petition of the lord mayor, aldermen, and common council of the city of London, in council assembled, against the prayer of the Catholic petition, now on the table of the house.—Ordered to lie on the table till the day for taking said petition into consideration.—Mr. Leycester informed the house from the bar, that pursuant to their order he had waited on the lords with their request to their lordships, that they would permit lord viscount Melville to attend the committee appointed to consider further of the matter of the tenth report referred to them, in order to his being examined; and that their lordships had signified their intention to send their answer by a messenger of their own.—Mr. Jeffery gave notice, that he should on Monday make a motion relative to the number of vessels that had been fitted out and stored in his majesty's yards during the administration of lord St. Vincent.—Mr. Tierney submitted whether the hon. gent. ought not in candour to state the nature of the papers for which he intended to move; and whether, if he intended to make them the ground of charge upon the noble earl, it would not he more fair at once to move for an inquiry into his conduct, than to bring forward a charge upon an ex parte statement.—Mr. Jeffery stated his object to be, to procure a document whereby the comparative state of the navy then and at present might be ascertained, and whether the former administration of the admiralty was entitled to the approbation of the house.—The chancellor of the exchequer brought up the bill for continuing, for a time to be limited, the act for appointing the commissioners of naval inquiry, which was read a first time; also the bill for appointing commissioners to inquire into the different departments of the public expenditure therein mentioned, and 593 to report thereon to the house.—Read a first time.