§ 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 35,000l. by the speculation. They 345 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 10,000l. per ann.; and the expence of the volunteer force for the defence of the place at 4000l. per ann., exclusive of a sum of 8000l. 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 10,000l. to defray the expence of the civil establishment of the colony for the year 1804; a sum of 4000l. to defray the expence of the volunteer force for the same year; and a farther sum of 4000l. (in part of 8000l.) to be applied to the purpose of completing the fortifications; and that during the last session of parliament the house renewed the grant of 10,000l. to defray the expence of the civil establishment of the colony; and 4000l. to defray the expence of the volunteer force in the year 1805; and that the recommendation of the committee to 346 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 14,000l, may be granted to the said company for the expences of the said settlement for the year 1806; and also the sum of 4000l. (being the remainder of the sum of 8000l.) 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 1,045,353l. 12s. 11d. 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 1,980,830l. be granted to his majesty, towards the buildings, re- 347 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 1,250,000l. be granted to his majesty, for the hire of transports, for the year 1806. 4. That a sum, not exceeding 400,000l. 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 45,000l. be granted to his majesty, for defraying the charge of sick prisoners of war, for the year 1806. 6. That a sum, not exceeding 30,000l. 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.