Commons Sitting of 27 March 1806

MINUTES.
Mr. Irvingfrom the office of the inspector-general of Exports and Imports, brought up an account of Imports and Exports from Tortola.—Mr.Johnson, from the office of the chief sec. in Ireland, brought up an account of the woollen yarn imported into that kingdom for a certain period. —Mr. Hase, from the bank, brought up an account of the amount of Exchequer bills issued under the act for renewing the Bank Charter, and an account of those that were still unprovided for. —Mr. Roberts, from the office of the Paymaster-General of his majesty's forces, brought up an account of the sums drawn from the exchequer for the service of the year 1805, and of the balances remaining in the hands of the Paymaster on the 5th of Jan. 1806.—Mr. Vansittart brought in a bill for farther continuing an act for encouraging the Fisheries, &c. Also a bill to enable the commissioners of the treasury in Ireland, to issue Treasury bills, on the credit of the aids of the year. —Mr. Huskisson moved for an account of the amount of the arrears, as far as they can be collected, on the Property Tax, for the years ending the 5th of April 1804, and the 5th of. April 1805, respectively. —Mr. Fellowes moved for a committee to examine and consider the returns respecting the Non-resident. Clergy, presented to the house on the 17th inst, and to report thereon. —Mr. Whitbread reported, that he had taken to the lords their message of last night, requesting them to provide accommodations for that house, in Westminster-hall, at the trial of lord viscount Melville. —Mr. Giles observed that the accounts laid before the house, of the expences of the commissioners for regulating the civil affairs of the Navy, were defective. He therefore moved, "that there be laid before the house, an account particularly specifying the several items composing the sum of 10,000 l. for the year 1805, and the sum of 10,000 l. for the year 1806, stated to the lords of the Admiralty by the commissioners for revising the Civil Conceros of the Navy, as the amount of the
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expences attending the business of their commission; together with an account of all charges or expences hitherto paid, incurred, or allowed by the said commissioners".

MILITARY ESTABLISHMENTS.
Mr. Yorke,pursuant to notice, rose for the purpose of moving for certain documents relative to the operation of the bill called the Levy en Masse bill, to which he understood none of his majesty's ministers intended to object; and when he stated his purpose, he trusted that the house would be of opinion it would be both desirable and necessary, that those documents should be before them preparatory to bringing forward, the plan of national defence understood to be now in the contemplation of his majesty's ministers, and which it was to be hoped would be brought forward at some period or other, in the fullness of time. By this bill, which had passed in the year 1803, it was intended, as one of the modes of defence against the menaced invasion, to call out so much of the population of the country as were capable of bearing arms; who were to be divided into three classes, and, first, to be enrolled; secondly, trained to arms, during every month of October; and, thirdly, rendered useful for any military purpose to which they might be respectively judged fitting. With respect to the dangers of invasion, he was persuaded that, if our navy continued those gallant and victorious exertions, the many eminent instances of which had been displayed of late, there was not much chance of an attack of that nature. Upon the former occasion, though the government had made some progress in availing itself of the powers by this bill vested, yet as it was. disposed to prefer a voluntary to a compulsory service on the part of the people, and as so great a number of men pressed voluntarily forward, beyond all calculation of expectancy, the government, therefore, preferred the services of the volunteers to a forcible levy en masse; not, however, totally abandoning the alternative of the bill, should it be necessary to carry its operation into effect. He had in his hand, a copy of the returns made from every quarter of the country, in the first year, of the number of men in each district, properly classed; and what he now wished to move for was, the returns of the years 1804 and 1805. He hoped his majesty's ministers had those documents before them, as they certainly would be important for the consideration of the, house in discussing the

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plan of defence, whatever it was, now in contemplation, and for the explanation of which the public were extremely anxious, and particularly the volunteers, who were very desirous to be informed as to what was intended towards them. For it was extremely important, if the services of the volunteers were to be relinquished under the new arrangement, that not a single fire-lock or sabre should be taken from their hands until the country was assured of a more adequate establishment. He concluded by moving for the returns of men enrolled under the levy en masse act, in every district throughout Great Britain, in the last and preceding year.
Mr. Secretary Foxsaid, that so far was he from being averse to the production of the documents now moved for by the hon. gent. that he should support his motion. The subject was so very new to his own experience, that he knew very little indeed of the present state of the matter. However, as the bill had been passed now three years, and his majesty's present ministers had been so short a time in office, if any remissness or delay was chargeable in procuring those returns for the last two years, their share of the blame certainly was not the largest. He was pretty confident that the subject of the right hon. gent.'s motion would from a very principal feature in the plan of defence now in the contemplation of his right hon. friend, not now in his place, (Mr. Windham), who was certainly as anxious to bring his plan forward, and felt as much regret for the unavoidable delay that had occurred, as any other member of that house. As to the objects of his right hon. friend's plan, he should think it premature to say more at present; but he could assure the house, that no delay had occurred that was at all avoidable, and he hoped that in a very few days his right hon. friend would be able to bring his plan forward.
Mr. Sturges Bournehoped the right hon. gent. would not bring forward his plan without timely notice. Indeed, as it had not come forward sooner, and so considerable a number of gentlemen must be absent during the assizes, who would wish to be present at the discussion of such a measure, he thought it would be desirable to postpone it till after the recess.
Mr. Foxexpressed his hope, that his right hon. friend would be able, in his place tomorrow, to give notice of the day on which he should be ready to bring his plan forward,
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and if not then, on Saturday, if the house should be disposed to sit on that day. But with respect to the suggestion of postponing the proposition of the plan until after the recess, he did not think that could be necessary, as it would be desirable to make some progress with the least possible delay and to bring forward any bills on the subject that might be thought necessary.—The motion was then put and carried.

WATERFORD WRIT.
Mr Secretary Fox,pursuant to his notice on a former day, moved, that the deputy clerk of the crown be ordered forthwith to attend at the bar of the house. Upon his appearance, Mr. Fox moved, that he be asked whether any return had been made to him by the returning officers for the election at Waterford, in consequence of the writ last issued for the election of a representative for that city? The question being answered in the negative,
Mr. Foxmoved, that the sheriffs of Waterford do attend at the bar of the house on Monday fortnight.
Mr. Lee,with great deference to the right hon, gent., begged leave to suggest, that although delay had occurred in the necessary return, still, on enquiry, it might turn out that no blame justly attached any where, and that the delay might be owing to sonic cause wholly different from either neglect or intention on the part of the sheriffs. He begged leave to observe therefore, that as a previous enquiry had been directed to the clerk of the hanaper here, it might also be expedient to direct a similar enquiry to the clerk of the crown and hanaper in Ireland, to ascertain whether any return had been made to his office by the sheriffs of Waterford, before those gentlemen were put under the necessity of performing a journey of six hundred miles, upon a business on which it might turn out they were not culpable.
Mr. Foxmost readily acquiesced in the suggestion of the hon. gent; withdrew his motion, and substituted another, that the clerk of the Crown and Hanaper in Ireland, be directed to communicate forthwith, whether any return had been made to him, in answer to the writ to him directed for the election of a member for Waterford, and at what time such return was made?" The right hon. gent. at the same time, intimated, that if it should appear, that any great or extraordinary delay had occurred before the making of such re

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turn, he should hold the sheriffs of Waterford answerable.