Commons Sitting of 4 March 1806

MINUTES.
Lord J. Townshend,took the oaths and his seat.—Lord Ossulston gave notice that he would to-morrow bring forward a motion relative to the debt of the East-India company.—Mr. W. Smith presented a petition from Messrs. Chalmers and Cowie, Swedish merchants under the following circumstances: when a committee of the house was appointed, during the late scarcity, to enquire into the causes of the high price of provisions, &c. two Swedish merchants had appeared before that committee, and undertook the importation of a large quantity Of herrings, from Sweden, with a view to relieve, in some measure, the distresses of the people. Under the sanction of the committee they sent out a cutter to Gottenburgh to buy up the herrings before the news could arrive, which might have raised the price of herrings in Sweden. A great quantity was provided, and in this situation it was found necessary by government, in pursuance of a more pressing policy, to lay an embargo on Swedish vessels. None could consequently come here from Sweden; and though the merchants had immediately done every thing in their power to dispose of the herrings to the best advantage, they had lost no less than 35,000 l. by the speculation. They

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applied to the lords of the treasury who sent the matter to be examined by the commissioners of the customs. It had afterwards been before a committee of parliament, but the press of public business prevented a report. The affair, therefore, must be brought forward anew. It was a peculiarly hard case, and deserved the attention of the house. The petition was then ordered to be referred to a committee.—Mr. Babington presented a Petition of the court of directors of the Sierra Leone Company, setting forth, "that in the mouth of Dec. 1803, the petitioners presented a petition to the house, praying for a sum of money to be granted to the said company, to enable them to maintain the colony of Sierra Leone; and that the said petition was referred to a committee, who, after a full and particular examination of the matters contained in it, made their report to the house on the 27th of Feb. 1804; and that the committee stated in the said report, that the objects for which the colony of Sierra Leone was established were likely to be more effectually attained by transferring the civil and military authority of it to the crown: but they were also of opinion, that unless such a transfer should be effected, and until it took place, there appeared no better means of discharging the obligations of government towards the Nova-Scotians and Maroons, or of obtaining the other beneficial purposes proposed by the institution of the colony, than by supporting the company's government as now established; and the committee also reported, that the expence of the civil Establishment of the colony could not be estimated at less than 10,000 l. per ann.; and the expence of the volunteer force for the defence of the place at 4000 l. per ann., exclusive of a sum of 8000 l. which was necessary to complete the fortifications; and that in consequence of the said report the house granted to the said company a sum of 10,000 l. to defray the expence of the civil establishment of the colony for the year 1804; a sum of 4000 l. to defray the expence of the volunteer force for the same year; and a farther sum of 4000 l. (in part of 8000 l.) to be applied to the purpose of completing the fortifications; and that during the last session of parliament the house renewed the grant of 10,000 l. to defray the expence of the civil establishment of the colony; and 4000 l. to defray the expence of the volunteer force in the year 1805; and that the recommendation of the committee to
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transfer to government the civil and military authority of the colony has not yet been carried into effect, although application for that purpose has been made to his majesty's government by thy petitioners; and therefore praying the house to take the premises into consideration, and that the sum of 14,000 l, may be granted to the said company for the expences of the said settlement for the year 1806; and also the sum of 4000 l. (being the remainder of the sum of 8000 l.) for the purpose of completing the fortifications." Ordered to lie upon the table.—Lord H. Petty, moved the order of the day for the further consideration of lord Collingwood's annuity bill; which being agreed to, he said, that the circumstances of lord Collingwood's family made it necessary to advise what had been before proposed, and he had it in command from his majesty to recommend that revision. He then moved, that it should be recommitted for Friday next; which was agreed to. His lordship next moved, that the house should to-morrow resolve itself into a committee to consider of the circumstances of lord Collingwood's family; which was agreed to.—The Foreign Soldiers' Enlistment bill was read a second time, and committed for to-morrow.— Lord Temple, in moving the order of the day for taking into consideration the subject of allowing wool to be imported into the united kingdom from the British colonies in America, wished to observe to the house, that the importation of this article was already allowed from the united states of America, from Spain, and other countries, and that what he now proposed was no more than an extension of it to our own colonies. Mr.,Harrison wished that the provisions of the bill should be confined to a limited time; to which the noble lord replied, that he could have no material objection. The resolution to that effect was then agreed to; and a bill ordered to be brought in upon it.—The Marine Mutiny bill went through a committee, and the report was ordered to be received tomorrow.—Mr. Alexander reported from the committee of supply; the resolutions which the committee had directed him to report to the house; viz. 1. That a sum, not excepting 1,045,353 l. 12 s. 11 d. be granted to his majesty, for the ordinary of the navy, including half-pay to sea and marine officers, for the year 1806. 2. That a sum, not exceeding 1,980,830 l. be granted to his majesty, towards the buildings, re-

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buildings, and repairs, of ships of war in his majestY's and the merchants' yards, and other extra works, over and above what are proposed to be done upon the heads of wear and tear and ordinary, for the year 1806. 3. That a sum, not exceeding 1,250,000 l. be granted to his majesty, for the hire of transports, for the year 1806. 4. That a sum, not exceeding 400,000 l. be granted to his majesty, for defraying the charge of prisoners of war in health at home and abroad, for the year 1806. 5. That a sum, not exceeding 45,000 l. be granted to his majesty, for defraying the charge of sick prisoners of war, for the year 1806. 6. That a sum, not exceeding 30,000 l. be granted to his majesty, for defraying the charge of the establishments and hospitals relating to his majesty's sick and wounded seamen at home and abroad, for the year 1806.

IMPEACHMENT OF LORD MELVILLE.
Mr. Whitbread,from the committee appointed to draw up articles of impeachment against Henry lord viscount Melville, informed the house, that further matters had come to the knowledge of the said committee, in the course of the examinations taken before them, with respect to the conduct of the said lord viscount Melville, during the time that he held the office of treasurer of his majesty's navy; which I information the committee think it of importance to communicate to the house, if the house shall please to receive the same. It was thereupon ordered, "That the said committee have leave to report such further matters as shall have come to their knowledge in the course of the examinations taken before them with respect to the conduct of the said lord viscount Melville, during the time that he held the office of treasurer of his majesty's navy." Mr. Whitbread accordingly reported from the said committee such further matters as they appeared to them; and he read the report in his place, and afterwards delivered the same, together with an Appendix thereunto, in at the table, where the report was read. It was also ordered, that the said Report be taken into further consideration upon Friday next, and be printed for the members of the house. A copy of the report will be found in the Appendix to the present volume.

WOOLLEN MANUFACTURERS.
Mr. Wilberforcepresented a petition of the manufacturers of Woollen Cloth in the county of York, setting forth, "that from
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the great increase in the manufacture of Woollen Cloth in the said county, and the very different methods of manufacturing the same, by machinery and otherwise, the acts now in force respecting Woollen Cloth are very inadequate to regulate and direct the same; and therefore praying, that leave may be given to bring in a bill for the better regulating and directing the trade and manufacture of Woollen Cloth in the said county." The hon. gent. stated that though the signatures to it were few in number, yet those represented a very numerous body, and might be called the domestic manufacturers of the Country. He wished to apprise the house, that it was a distinct petition from that presented on the part of the finishers, and others; and, he had to say, in behalf of the petitioners, that they only wished for the patient attention of parliament, and would then be content with any measures the legislature, in its wisdom, might think proper to adopt.—Ordered to lie on the table.
Mr. Peter Moorepresented a petition on the same subject, from the Cloth Workers of York and Lancaster. He hoped that as the hon. gent. (Mr. Wilberforce) had said a few words in favour of his own petition, he would also say something in favour of the petition which he held in his hand. This petition had been presented for three years successively, and last year it was put off upon an understanding that the subject was to be seriously investigated by the ministers. The change, however, which took place, had prevented the desired effect from this circumstance. But, however, the present ministry had agreed to take the affair into consideration, and he, was now authorised to state, that this petition was brought forward with the sanction of office.
Lord Templeexpressed the wishes of ministers to afford every facility possible to the steps that might be taken for the settling of this business. It had engaged the attention of the privy council, and it had occurred to them that another bill should be brought in to continue the suspension of the present regulations, with a view to bring in a bill as soon as possible, to fix the proper regulations. In his opinion one bill would not answer the purpose.He thought that different bills would be requisite, according to the various points to be settled.
Mr. H. Laseellesexpressed his satisfac-

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tion at what had fallen from the noble lord. It always appeared to him that the various points embraced in this business could not be properly settled without the authority of government, and this therefore was a course of proceeding which he had always recommended. He was doubtful, however, whether the matter could be finally settled in the course of the present session. There were a great variety of points to be considered, such as the difference in the quality of the articles, the machinery, and the 7 years apprenticeship required at present from those who exercised the trade. He would give no opinion now on that head, but he hoped that the whole would be minutely examined when the bills came to a committee. The. Woollen Clothiers of York had not as yet been heard on this subject, though others had enjoyed that advantage. He was earnestly desirous that this business might be soon and completely settled.
Mr. C. Brookesaid, he was so sensible of the necessity of some effectual regulations, that he was willing to give every assistance in his power towards a revision of all the laws upon the subject.
Mr. H. Lascelleswished lo submit whether it would not be proper to appoint a committee for revising the laws relating to the Woollen Manufacture in general?
Earl Templereplied, that he did not know of any objection to it.
The Speakerthought it might be right to remind them, that the practice of the house with the view of convenience, in such cases was to appoint a committee of revision, in preference to bringing in a number of different bills.—The petition was then ordered to lie on the table; as was also another petition to the same effect, from the Cloth Workers of Wilts, Somerset, and Gloucester.