The deputy usher of the black rod, appeared at the bar, and required the attendance of the house in the House of Lords, to hear the royal assent given by commission to certain public and private bills. The speaker accordingly attended, accompanied by several of the members, and, on his return, informed the house that he had heard the royal assent given by commission to the 3 millions Exchequer-bills bill, the Customs duty, Exports and imports, Appraisement duty, and several other public and private bills.—Sir J. Anderson obtained leave to bring in a bill for amending an act of the 43d of the king, for preventing the damaging of raw hides and skins in London, Southwark, and for 15 Miles round.— Mr. Byng brought up a bill for embellishing the area of Bloomsbury square; which was read a first time.—A new writ was ordered for the election of a member for the county of Chester, in the room of W. Egerton, Esq. deceased.—On the motion of lord Temple, the house resolved itself into a committee on the Tortola Free Port bill. In the committee, lord Temple proposed a clause, permitting the importation of sugar into this country from Rhode harbour, in the is[...]and of Tortola, to the amount of 4500 h[...]gs- heads annually. After a conversation, in 1031 the course of which Mr. Rose, Mr. Perceval, lord Castlereagh, and Mr. Johnstone, opposed the clause, and lord Temple and Mr. Vansittart supported it, a division took place, when there appeared, for the clause, 31; against it, 19, Majority, 12.