Commons Sitting of 5 February 1806

MINUTES.
Mr. Hase,from the governor and company of the Bank of England, presented an "account from the Bank of England, of the receipt and expenditure of 7,615,167 l. 7s. 6d. in one year, from 3d Feb. 1805, to 31st Jan. 1806, by the commissioners for the reduction of the National Debt; and of the receipt of 1,906,104 l. 17 s. 1¾d. to be applied in the quarter between the 1st Feb. and the 1st May, 1806."—The secretary at war presented, pursuant to order, the several accounts moved for by Mr. Sheridan, respecting the additional force bill. The right hon. gent. observed, that those accounts were very voluminous, perhaps too much so for general reading, but among them was a recapitulation paper, which. contained the substance of the whole. For the printing of this paper only, it was his intention at present to move. If it were not on perusal deemed satisfactory upon the .subject referred to, it would be competent to any gentleman to move that the whole of these papers should be printed. The several papers were ordered to lie on the table, and the recapitulation paper was ordered to be printed.—Mr. Manning presented a petition of several directors of the London Dock Company, setting forth, "that several acts were passed, in the 40th, 44th, and 45th years, of his present. majesty, for making wet docks, basons, cuts, and other works, for the greater accommodation and security of shipping, commerce, and revenue, within the port of London; and that the petitioners have made great progress in forming the docks, and in executing the other works by the said acts directed to be made; but the whole of the said intended works cannot be completed unless the petitioners shall be authorized to purchase certain houses, lands, and hereditaments contiguous to the present prescribed limits of the said docks, and which are wanted for the purpose of carrying the said acts fully into execution; and that the powers and provisions of the said acts have, in some respects, been found defective and insufficient, and it is necessary that the same should be altered and enlarged, and some further powers granted; and therefore praying, that leave may be given to bring in a bill for the purposes aforesaid." Ordered to be referred to a committee,—Mr. Wilberforce brought in a
164
bill for enabling the justices in the West Riding of Yorkshire to erect court houses, &c.; which was read a first time.—Mr. Alexander brought up the report of the committee on the malt duty bill; the amendments were agreed to, and the bill was ordered to be read a third time to-morrow.—On the motion of sir C. Bunbury, a new writ was ordered to be issued fur Suffolk, in the room of lord viscount Brome, now marquis Cornwallis.—,Mr. Alexander brought up the report of the committee on the pension duty bill, which was agreed to, and the bill ordered to be read a third time to-morrow.—On the motion of Mr. Fellowes, the order made last session for a return of the resident and non-resident clergy was read, and the return was ordered to be made forthwith.—On the motion of Mr. Fox, new writs were ordered for the borough of St. Mawes, in the room of the right hon. W. Windham, who, since his election, had accepted the office of one of his majesty's principal secretaries of state; for the county of ,Northumberland, in the room of the right hon. C., Grey, who, since his election, had accepted the office of first commissioners for executing the office of lord high admiral of Great Britain; for Calne, in the room of lord Henry Petty, who, since his election, had accepted the offices of chancellor and under-treasurer of his majesty's exchequer,—Mr. Huskisson brought in the three bills, for which he yesterday obtained leave, granting annuities to lady Nelson, lord Colling-wood, and sir It. Strachan. They were read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time to-morrow,—Mr. Fox gave notice, that to-morrow he would move to postpone to a future day the consideration of the petition, complaining of an undue election for the county of Middlesex.

AUDITORSHIP OF THE EXCHEQUER.
The house resolved itself into a committee upon the bill respecting the auditorship of the exchequer, Mr. Fox in the chair.
Mr. C. Wynnesaid, that in consequence of the suggestions of a right hon. gent. (the Attorney-General) on a former evening, he had to propose a clause, which he trusted would be perfectly satisfactory, and would serve to remove every objection that had been made to this bill. The nature of this clause, the hon. gent. described to be, that the auditor of the. exchequer, upon accepting the office of one of the commissioners of the treasury, should appoint a trustee to hold the office of auditor, which

155
trustee should be responsible to the auditor for the salary, and to the public for the due execution of the office.—Upon the clause being read,
The Attorney-Generaldeclared that this clause entirely removed the objections which he had yesterday stated, as arising in his mind against the bill.—This clause, with another, enacting, that any person accepting the situation of trustee, should not vacate his seat in the house, was then agreed to; the house was resumed, and Mr. Fox having brought up the report, it was received and agreed to, and the bill having been read a third time, was passed, under the title of a bill, empowering the auditor of his majesty's court of exchequer to constitute a trustee in the case therein mentioned; and Mr. Fox was ordered to carry it to the lords, which he did, accompanied by a number of the members.