Commons Sitting of 17 February 1807

MINUTES.
A message from the lords announced their lordships' assent to the Irish Customs Regulation bill.—The house was ordered to be called over on Thursday next.—The following members were appointed by ballot, to try and determine the merits of the petition, complaining of an undue election for the borough of Liskeard: sir Charles Pole, sir Charles Mordaunt, E. R. Portman, esq. John Maitland, esq. Michael Sims, esq. Joseph Cripps, esq. John Hudson, esq. John Leveson Gower, esq. hon. Courtenay Boyle, Richard Trevanion, esq. Edward Long, esq. Charles Edmonston, esq. R. H. Bradshaw, esq.: Nominees, Thomas Creevey, esq. right hon. Charles Long.—The following members were appointed to try the merits of the petition, complaining of an undue election for Sudbury: lord Brooke, Michael Hicks Beach, esq. hon. sir A. Wellesley, hon. Robert Curzon, lord Grenville Leveson Gower, Jas. Graham, esq. hon. W. Augustus Townshend, William Mellish,
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esq. sir C. M. Burrell, bart. lord Archibald Hamilton, Henry Swann, esq. hon. A. C. Bradshaw, sir William Paxton; Nominees, sir John Doyle, bart. Robert Hurst, esq.
A petition of the tanners of Ulverstone and its vicinity, in the county of Lancaster, was presented to the house, and read: taking notice of the bill for indemnifying persons who have incurred penalties for regrating and engrossing Oaken bark; and for repealing so much of an act of the 2d year of king James the first, as prohibits the same; and praying, that the same may pass into a law. A petition of the tanners of the district of Armagh; and also, A petition of the tanners of Gorey and its vicinity, in the county of Wexford, were also severally presented to the house, and read; likewise taking notice of the said bill; and setting forth, that if the object and clauses of the said act of the 2d year of king James the first, to prevent the regrating or re-selling Oak bark, should be carried into execution, the annihilation of the tanning trade in Ireland would be the inevitable consequence; and therefore praying, that the house will not permit the provisions of the said act to be enforced. And the said petitions were severally ordered to be referred to the consideration of the committee, appointed to take into consideration the act, made in the 2d year of king James the first, intituled, "an act concerning tanners, curriers, shoemakers, and other artificers occupying the cutting of leather."—Sir Edward Knatchbull reported from the committee, to whom the bill for extending, to sums of greater amount than forty shillings, the provisions of three acts, passed in the 5th, 6th, and 10th years of his present majesty, for the recovery of small debts within the hundreds of Blackheath, Bromley and Bekenham, Rokesley otherwise Ruxley, and Little and Littleness, in the county of Kent, and of Wallington, in the county of Surrey, and for amending the said acts, was committed; that the committee had examined, and found that the standing orders of the house, relative to bills for the more easy recovery of small debts, had been complied with; and that the committee had examined the allegations of the bill, and found the same to be true; the report and amendments were read, and agreed to.—Ordered, that the bill, with the amendments, be ingrossed.
Sir Charles Mordauntreported from the Committee, to whom the petition of

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several inhabitants of the town of Birmingham, and the hamlet of Deritend thereto adjoining, in the county of Warwick, was referred; that the committee had examined the matter of the said petition, and had directed him to report the same, as it appeared to them, to the house; and he read the report in his place, and afterwards delivered it in at the table, where the same was read. Ordered, that leave be given to bring in a bill to alter, amend, and enlarge the powers of an act, passed in the 25th year of his late majesty, for the more easy and speedy recovery of Small Debts within the town of Birmingham, and hamlet of Deritend thereto adjoining, in the county of Warwick; and that sir Charles Mordaunt and Mr. Dugdale do prepare, and bring in, the same.—Resolved, that when the house shall have proceeded upon Thursday next to the appointment of select committees for the trial of the several petitions which are appointed to be taken into consideration upon that day, and the names of the members shall be drawn and called for that purpose, Mr. Speaker do direct the name of every member so called, who shall be absent from the house, to be set aside; and that a list of the names of such absent members be reported by Mr. Speaker to the house, at such time as the house shall think fit to appoint.—Resolved, that, upon the report of the list of the names of such absent members, the members for whose non-attendance, on the appointment of the said select committees, a sufficient excuse shall not be made, and allowed by the house, shall be forthwith ordered to be taken into the custody of the serjeant at arms attending this house, and shall not be discharged out of custody without the special order of this house.—A petition of the master, wardens, and commonalty, of the art or mystery of the curriers of the city of London; and also, a petition of the master, wardens, and commonalty, of the mystery of cordwainers of the city of London, were severally presented to the house, and read; taking notice of an act, made in the 2d year of king James the first, intituled, an act concerning tanners, curriers, shoe-makers, and other artificers occupying the cutting of leather;' and setting forth, that the petitioners are interested in many of the provisions contained in the said statute, and the more especially in such parts thereof as regulate the well tanning and dry
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ing of leather; and therefore praying, that, before any alteration is made in the said act, they may be heard, by themselves, their agents, or counsel, in support of such parts thereof, as they conceive to be beneficial to themselves and the public at large.—A petition of the master tanners of the city of Waterford; and also a petition of the tanners of Stradbally, in the queen's county, were likewise severally presented to the house and read; taking notice of the bill for indemnifying persons who have incurred penalties for regrating and engrossing Oaken Bark, and for repealing so much of an act of the 2d year of king James the first as prohibits the same; and praying that the same may pass into a law. And the said petitions were severally ordered to be referred to the consideration of the committee, appointed to take into consideration the said act.—Resolved that an humble address be presented to his majesty, that he will be graciously pleased to give directions, that there be laid before this house, copies of any commissions issued by his majesty, for the Sale of Lands in the British West India Islands, between the years 1765 and 1775, inclusive. Ordered, that the said address be presented to his majesty by such members of this house as are of his majesty's most honourable privy council Earl Temple reported from the committee appointed to consider of the expediency of permitting the use of Sugar and Molasses in the Distillery and Brewery, for a time to be limitted, under the circumstances now affecting the trade of the British Colonies in the West Indies, and to report the same, with their observations and opinion thereupon, from time to time, to the house; and who were empowered to report the minutes of the evidence taken before them; that the committee had considered the matters to them referred, and had directed him to report the same, as they appeared to them, to the house, together with the minutes of the evidence taken before them; and he read the report in his place, and afterwards delivered the same, with an appendix thereunto, in at the table, where the report was read. Ordered, that the said report do lie upon the table; and with the appendix, be printed for the members of the house,.—Mr. Hobhouse reported from the committee of the whole house, to whom the bill to provide more effectually for regulating the Drawbacks and Bounties on the expor

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tation of Sugar from Ireland, and for allowing British plantation sugar to be warehoused in Ireland, was committed; the amendments which the committee had made to the bill, and which they had directed him to report to the house; and he read the report in his place, and afterwards delivered the bill, with the amendments, in at the table, where the report was read. Ordered, that the said report be taken into further consideration upon Friday next.—Mr. Hobhouse reported from the committee of the whole house, to whom the bill to amend several acts for the sale of his majesty's Quit Rents, crown and other rents, and of certain lands forfeited and undisposed of, in Ireland, was committed; the amendments which the committee had made to the bill, and which they had directed him to report to the house; and he read the report in his place, and afterwards delivered the bill, with the amendments, in at the table, where the amendments were read, and agreed to by the house. Ordered, that the bill, with the amendments, be ingrossed, and read the third time to-morrow.—The bill for extending to German Yarn the provisions of an act, made in the last session of the last parliament, for permitting Prussian yarn to be imported in foreign ships, on payment of the like duties as if imported in British ships, was read a second time, and committed to a committee of the whole house, for to-morrow.

PETITIONS AGAINST THE SLAVE TRADE ABOLITION BILL.
A Petition of Joseph Marryat, esq. agent for the island of Trinidad, was presented to the house, and read; setting forth, "That the petitioner observes, with inexpressible concern, that a bill is now depending before the house for the Abolition of the Slave Trade; and that the operation of such a measure, if passed into a law, will inevitably ruin many British subjects, who have embarked their property in the island of Trinidad, confiding in the encouragement held out by his majesty's ministers; and that the whole of the sugar estates in the said island are in a state of infancy, all of them having been cleared and put into cultivation since the year 1784, and many of them Since the year 1797, when the island was surrendered to the British arms; and that, in consequence of the encouragement held out to British subjects by his majesty's ministers, purchases were made from the
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Spaniards of those estates which had been settled under the cedula of Spain, at the very high prices of from 50 l. to 60 l. sterling per acre, and large sums of money have been expended in erecting works and buildings upon the different plantations, for the manufacturing of sugar and distillation of rum, upon an expectation that the planters would be able, as their capitals increased, to acquire by gradual purchases a sufficient number of negroes to cultivate their estates to advantage; and that none of the estates in the island are as yet sufficiently stocked with negroes; and, if this bill should pass into a law, the lands thus cleared and purchased, and the buildings thus erected, would become of little or no value, from the impossibility of cultivating the one, or making the intended use of the other; and that the government of Spain has lately issued cedulas inviting settlers to the Spanish main, by the offer of liberal grants of land, an open trade with all nations, the free importation of slaves, and exemption from taxes and from duties on imports and exports for ten years, advantages which, from the facility of the communication between the adjacent Continent and Trinidad will, after the abolition of the Slave Trade, be powerful temptations to the inhabitants of that island to emigrate with their negroes to the opposite coast, and thus to depopulate a British settlement to aggrandize those of the enemy; and therefore praying, on the part of his constituents, that the said bill may not pass into a law; and that he may be heard by counsel at the bar of the house, and may be permitted to give evidence in support of the case of his constituents."
A Petition of the planters, merchants, mortgagees, annuitants, and others, interested in the British West India colonies, whose names are thereunto subscribed, was presented to the house, and read; setting forth, "That the petitioners observe, with the deepest concern and alarm, that a Bill for the Abolition of the Slave Trade has passed the house of lords, and is now depending before this house; and that the trade to Africa for labourers has been, for a great number of years, sanctioned, approved, and encouraged by royal charters and proclamations, and by repeated acts of the British legislature, which declare, in the strongest terms, a most anxious desire to regulate, extend, secure, and preserve this trade, pronounced by par

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liament to be highly advantageous to Great Britain, and necessary for supplying her plantations and colonies with a sufficient number of negroes; and that the British West India colonies were settled, and have ever been cultivated, under the solemn faith of those charters and proclamations, and of those laws which have confirmed the West India colonists in the most perfect assurance and confidence that they should continue to obtain supplies of negroes from Africa; and that the cultivation of those colonies cannot be carried on without supplies of African negroes; and that the settling of the interior of those islands, which is greatly conducive to their safety, cannot he promoted, if the slave trade shall be abolished; and that, if the bill should be passed into a law, the worst consequences will ensue from it, destructive not only to the properties of the British planters, and of their creditors, whose fortunes have assisted in cultivating the plantations in the West Indies, and are now secured upon them, but also deeply injurious to the interests of the British empire at large, as all descriptions of property in this kingdom must suffer most severely by the effects of a plan that shall operate to destroy the great capital invested in the British West India colonies, and to cut off a commerce which pays in duties annually to Great Britain upwards of three millions, employs more than sixteen thousand seamen, contributes one third to her whole exports, and one third to her imports, consumes annually of her manufactures and produce six millions, and which is preeminently distinguished as the most secure and independant source of national prosperity, and a principal support of the naval superiority of this country; and that this measure, if it should be carried into effect, must diminish, in a very few years, the property invested in the British West India islands, and open the means of hastening the progress of rival colonies; must forbid the supply of losses of negro population, which general causes, or accidents, or diseases peculiar to the climate, occasion, and which humane and provident management is unavailing to prevent; must stop the completion of establishments already begun, at a great expence, and put an end to the increase of small settlers in the interior of the islands, so necessary for their security; and, in short, must inflict extreme present injury, and eventual decay and ruin, upon
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those colonies; and that an immediate consequence of the abolition will be the loss of the white population of the colonies, at present composing the militia, the principal defence of the country, by taking away the hope and the means of bettering their fortunes, their only inducement for venturing to those islands; and that many persons in the West India colonies, already settled and attached to the soil, will, from the same causes, emigrate to countries where they will meet with more encouragement and protection; and that those who must, from necessity, remain, will be left exposed to all the calamities attendant upon revolt and insurrection; and that the operation of the bill, if it shall pass into a law, will be to violate the system of colonial law, relative to property, the provisions of families, and the securities of creditors; and that the petitioners assure the house, that their statements are founded on the basis of truth; that they are advanced by those, whose local knowledge, and whose due and fair regard to their own welfare, afford them the best opportunities of forming correct conclusions, and that they can be established by evidence; and that the agitation of the question of an abolition of the slave trade is at all times pregnant with great mischief; and that the petitioners must view, with peculiar alarm, a renewed discussion of that question, at a period when the existence of a black power, in the neighbourhood of the most important British island in the West Indies, affording a memorable and dreadful lesson, recorded in characters of blood, of the issue of doctrines intimately, constantly, and inseparably connected with the abolition of the slave trade, ought most powerfully to have inculcated the necessity of discountenancing all such discussions, which tend to alienate the minds of the negroes in the British West India colonies from a state of subordination, and which hold forth no prospect whatever of real good, but, on the contrary, if persevered in, will be a fruitful source of enormous evil; and that the petitioners shrink, with horror, from a contemplation of those scenes, which that country has frightfully exhibited; and that confiscation cannot be authorized without proof of delinquency; and that the characters of the petitioners have been traduced, but delinquency has never been proved; and that the petitioners, duly weighing these considerations, and apprized of the constant exer

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tions displayed by the commons in parliament assembled, in raising this country to its present state of power and security, are desirous of expressing their reliance, that the wise interposition of the house will reject a measure, which cannot be adopted without occasioning so great a sacrifice of the national resources, at a juncture when those resources are more than ever necessary to enable the country to make head against the most formidable enemy it ever had to contend with; and therefore praying, that the said bill may not pass into a law; and that they may be heard, at the bar of the house, by themselves, or their counsel, against the same, and that they may be permitted to produce evidence."
A Petition of Edmund Pusey Lyon, esq. agent for the island of Jamaica, was also presented to the house, and read; setting forth, ?That the petitioner observes with the deepest concern and alarm, that a bill for the Abolition of the Slave Trade has passed the house of lords, and is now depending before this house; and that the fatal tendency of the measure of abolishing the slave trade, and the destructive consequences which must result from its accomplishment, have impelled the petitioner's constituents to instruct him to give the most strenuous opposition to this bill; and that the trade to Africa for labourers has been for a great number of years sanctioned, approved, and encouraged, by royal charters and proclamations, and by repeated acts of the British legislature, which declare in the strongest terms a most anxious desire to regulate, extend, secure, and preserve this trade, pronounced by parliament to be highly advantageous to Great Britain, and necessary for supplying her plantations and colonies with a sufficient number of negroes; and that the British West India colonies were settled, and have ever been cultivated under the solemn faith of those charters and proclamations, and of those laws which have confirmed the West India colonists in the most perfect assurance and confidence, that they should continue to obtain supplies of negroes from Africa; and that the cultivation of the island of Jamaica cannot be carried on without supplies of African negroes; and that the settling of the interior of that colony, which is greatly conducive to its safety, cannot be promoted if the slave trade shall be abolished; and that if the bill should be passed into a law, the worst consequences will en
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sue from it, destructive not only to the properties of his constituents, and the proprietors of the other British West India colonies, and of their creditors, whose fortunes have assisted in cultivating the plantations in the West Indies, and are now secured upon them, but also deeply injurious to the interests of the British empire at large, as all descriptions of property in this kingdom must suffer most severely by the effects of a plan that shall operate to destroy the great capital invested in the British West India colonies, and to cut off a commerce which pays annually in duties upwards of three millions to Great Britain, employs more than sixteen thousand seamen, contributes one third to her whole exports, and one third of her imports, consumes annually of her manufactures and produce six millions, and which is pre-eminently distinguished as the most secure and independent source of national prosperity, and a principal support of the naval superiority of this country; and that this measure, if it should be carried into effect, must diminish in a very few years the property invested in Jamaica, and the other British West India islands, and open the means of hastening the progress of rival colonies, must forbid the supply of losses of negro population, which general causes, or accidents or diseases peculiar to the climate occasion, and which humane and provident management is unavailing to prevent; must stop the completion of establishments already begun at a great expence, and put an end to the increase of small settlers in the interior of the islands, so necessary for their security; and, in short, must inflict extreme injury and eventual decay and ruin upon those colonies; and that an immediate consequence of the abolition will be, the loss of the white population of the colonies, at present composing the militia, the principal defence of the country, by taking away the hope and the means of bettering their fortunes, their only inducement for venturing to those islands; and that many persons in the British West India colonies, already settled and attached to the soil, will from the same causes emigrate to countries where they will meet with more encouragement and protection; and that those who must from necessity remain, will be left exposed to all the calamities attendant upon revolt and insurrection; and that the operation of the bill, if it should pass into a

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law, will be to violate the system of colonial law relative to property, the provisions of families, and the securities of creditors; and that the petitioner assures the house, that his statements are founded on the basis of truth, that they are the result of the full and mature consideration of his constituents, whose local knowledge, and Whose due and fair regard to their own welfare, afford them the best opportunities of forming correct conclusions; and that they can be established by, evidence; and that the agitation of the question of the abolition of the slave trade is at all times pregnant with great mischief; and that the petitioner must view with peculiar alarm the renewed discussion of that question, at a period when the existence of a black power in the neighbourhood of the island of Jamaica, affording a memorable and dreadful lesson recorded in characters of blood, of the issue of doctrines intimately, constantly, and inseparably connected with the abolition of the slave trade, ought most powerfully to have inculcated the necessity of discountenancing all such discussions, which tend to alienate the minds of the negroes in the British West India colonies from a state of subordination, and which hold forth no prospect whatever of real good, but on the contrary, if persevered in, will be a fruitful source of enormous evil; and that the petitioner shrinks with horror from a contemplation of those scenes which that country has frightfully exhibited; and that confiscation cannot be authorized without proof of delinquency; and that the characters of the petitioner's constituents have been traduced, but delinquency has never been proved; and that the petitioner, duly weighing these considerations, and apprized of the constant exertions displayed by the commons in parliament assembled, in raising this country to its present state of power and security, is desirous of expressing his reliance, that the wise interposition of the house will reject a measure, which cannot be adopted without occasioning so great a sacrifice of the national resources, at a juncture when those resources are more than ever necessary to enable the country to make head against the most formidable enemy it ever had to contend with; and the petitioner therefore prays, that the said bill may not pass into a law: and that he may be heard at the bar of the house, by himself or his counsel, against the same; and that he may be per
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mitted to produce evidence in support of the case of his constituents."
A petition of the planters, merchants, and others of the city of Glasgow, connected with the island of Trinidad, was also presented to the house, and read; setting forth, that the petitioners were induced to invest their capital in the settling of lands in the said island of Trinidad, upon the faith of the assurances held out by his majesty's government, when it was ceded to this country, that they would be allowed to clear and cultivate the property in the manner usually practised in the West India islands, by the labour of negro slaves, which alone is adapted for that purpose; and that, by the bill now pending for abolishing the slave trade, the importation of negroes into this new colony is prohibited; and, if it should pass into a law, the interest of the petitioners will be most materially affected, the capital sunk in the improvement of the lands will be greatly diminished, if not altogether lost, and the time and labour already consumed in the prospect of future and distant returns will be totally misspent; the petitioners therefore repose in the good faith of his majesty's government, upon which his subjects have always had the surest grounds to rely, and upon which the petitioners in particular acted with the most unlimited confidence when embarking on this business, that such consequences will be averted, and that the interest of the settlers in this colony will be preserved; and therefore praying, that the house will give permission to import negro slaves into the said island until the lands actually granted have been duly and sufficiently supplied, or to permit the petitioners to be heard, by counsel at the bar, for their special interest, or to take such other means for their relief as to the houfe may seem meet."
A petition of John Anderson and Alexander Anderson, of Philpot Lane, London, merchants, proprietors of Bance Island, in the river Sierra Leone, on the windward coast of Africa, was also presented to the house, and read; setting forth, "that by an act, made in the 25th year of his late majesty, intituled, "an act for the application of a sum of money therein mentioned, granted to his majesty, making compensation and satisfaction to the Royal African Company of England;? "that whereas it appears, that a certain island, situate in the river Sierra Leone, on the said coast

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of Africa, called Bance Island, with a fort and buildings thereon, having been formerly in the possession of the said Royal African Company, was, in the year 1728, deserted by the said company and their agents; and the said fort has been some time in the possession of Alexander Grant, John Sargent, and Richard Oswald, of London, Merchants, who have disbursed a considerable sum in the preservation and improvements of the said island and fort, for which it is just and reasonable they should have a recompence: Be it therefore enacted, that the said Alexander Grant, John Sargent, and Richard Oswald, shall be at liberty, notwithstanding the present act, to continue in the quiet possession of the said island, fort, and buildings thereon, and that the same shall henceforth continue and be absolutely vested in them, their heirs and assigns;" and that upon the faith and right granted, and the protection afforded to them by the said act, the said Alexander Grant, John Sargent and Richard Oswald, established large factories upon the said island, called Bance Island, with many dependent factories in the neighbourhood, and laid out and invested a very great capital therein; and that the petitioners afterwards purchased the right and interest of the persons entitled to the said island, with the slaves and other property thereon, and are now the sole proprietors thereof; and that in the year 1794, by an invasion of American and French subjects, the property of the petitioners, in the said island alone, to the amount of 20,000 l. sterling, and upwards, was destroyed, and the petitioners have since replaced, and laid out, the amount of such property so destroyed; and that the petitioners have, at great risque and labour, and at an immense expence, established a great trade at the said island, called Bance Island; and that the Petitioners did so upon the assurance and belief that, by the said act, the property of the said island was as perfectly vested in, and secured to them, as any other species of property which the subjects of these realms possess under the sanction and protection of the law; and that the petitioners apprehend the bill now depending in parliament, to put an end to the slave trade, will render their property on Bance Island of no value, and likewise prevent their being able to collect the debts due to them, as the people on the coast of Africa
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have no other means of making payment but by slaves; and therefore praying, that the said act may not pass into a law, and that they may be heard by counsel, and they hope their prayer will not seem unreasonable, considering they hold the property under an act of parliament, in which is acknowledged the justice of recompence to the proprietors, for the money disbursed in the preservation and improvement of the said island."—And the said petitions were severally ordered to lie upon the table, until the engrossed bill from the lords, intituled "an act for the abolition of the Slave Trade," be read a second time; and that the petitioners be then heard by their counsel, agents, and witnesses, against the said bill, upon their petitions, if they think fit.

SCOTCH CLERGY.
The Lord Advocaterose, pursuant to notice, to bring forward a motion upon this subject. The noble lord, after some remarks upon the propriety of enabling the clergy to preserve that independence of circumstances, and that decency of appearance which were necessary to secure the due deference of their station, and not unfrequently to give effect to their instructions, called the attention of the committee to the manner in which the clergy were provided for in Scotland. In many instances their provision was extremely inadequate, and his object was to remove that inadequacy. With a view to that, he conceived it necessary that the commission of Teinds, which had heretofore belonged to the court of session, should be transferred to the court of exchequer. The reason for this transfer must be obvious to those who were at all acquainted with the comparative engagements of these two courts. In the court of session there was, in fact, such a crowd of business, that that court had not leisure to attend to the discharge of this commission, while the court of exchequer was fully enabled, without any inconvenience, to execute every thing that appertained to it. The one court was really a bankrupt in its business to the country, notwithstanding the extraordinary activity and diligence of the judges, and particularly that of the chief judge, who was indeed a model of industry; while the other court was comparatively disengaged. The removing therefore the superintendence of teinds to a tribunal which had time to attend to it, was of course desirable. Ithe next place, he proposed to create

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fund for the provision of the clergy, from the stipends received by patrons from the death of an incumbent to the induction of his successor. Such receipts patrons had heretofore disposed of for such purposes as they thought proper to consider pious; but it was now generally felt, that the erection of the fund he had mentioned, would be by much the most pious application of it. The noble lord concluded with moving "for leave to bring in a bill for repealing certain parts of the act of the parliament of Scotland passed in the fourth session of the first parliament of queen Anne, intitled, ?Act anent Plantation of Kirks and Valuation of Teinds;' and for vesting in the Court of Exchequer in Scotland, the said powers: and for regulating the proceedings of the said Court of Exchequer, as to the exercise of such powers."
The Speakerobserved, that as this motion concerned religion, the regular mode of proceeding, according to the standing order, would be to take it into consideration, in the first instance, in a committee of the whole house.—After a few words from lord A. Hamilton, the house resolved into the committee suggested by the Speaker, the resolution proposed was agreed to; and on the house resuming, the chairman obtained leave to bring, in the bill.
The house, after lord H. Petty had announced his majesty's acquiescence in the measure, resolved itself into a similar committee on the motion of the Lord Advocate; and the noble lord proposed that leave should be given to bring in a bill to improve the stipends of such of the parochial Clergy of Scotland as are precluded from farther augmentation by the exhaustion of their teinds.
Mr. W. Dundashoped he should not be represented as hostile to the interests of the Scotch clergy, who were a most respectable body, and for whom no man had a higher respect than he had, if he thought it right to state here that in making a suitable provision for their maintenance, regard ought always to be had to the situation in which the order had for two centuries stood. That situation was that of a middle rank, between the common people and the gentry, moderating the pride of the latter and the turbulence of the former. He thought the application of the revenues of vacant benefices might exceed the moderate and suitable provision he proposed.
Lord Archibald Hamiltonconsidered this a measure of the utmost importance. He had received many communications respecting it, and hoped that time would be allowed to all parties to investigate its merits.
The Lord Advocatewas disposed to accede to any period of delay that could be reasonably expected, and he had no doubt that upon a fair consideration of its merits, such persons as might at present misunderstand it, would be reconciled to its provisions. To afford therefore to any who opposed the measure an opportunity of correcting their errors, and amending their feelings, he proposed if the bill should be read a first time, to move that it be printed, and the second reading fixed for this day three weeks.—The house having resumed, the report was received, and the chairman obtained leave to bring in the bill moved for by the lord advocate.

SUGAR DRAWBACKS.
On the motion of lord Henry Petty the house resolved itself into a committee of the whole house, to consider of granting relief to the West India Trade, Mr. Hobhouse in the chair.
Lord H. Pettystated to the committee, that as the subject which he was about to bring under their consideration, was so generally known, and the principles upon which the measures he proposed to adopt were grounded were so obvious, that it would be necessary for him to trouble the committee with a very few words indeed. The great stock of sugar on hand, arising partly from the situation of the continent, and partly from other circumstances, called for legislative interference, and the house he was sure, would take the necessary measures for that purpose. The object of the resolutions he had to propose was, to encourage the exportation of sugars, and the consumption of rum. The first he proposed to do by allowing bounties, and permitting sugars, which might be taken out of the warehouses for home consumption, to be returned to the warehouses for exportation, with proper provisions to prevent their being taken out again for home consumption, without paying the necessary duties. This regulation would have the effect of inducing foreigners to make this country the depot for the supply of the continent. The other object was to be effected by laying an additional duty on brandy. This was the article of regulation

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to which he had alluded in opening the ways and means for the year; and he trusted the house would agree in the propriety of adopting it. Upon all due consideration of the subject, it appeared, that brandies would bear an addition of 2s. 6d. per gallon on all brandies imported for home consumption, and of ls. per gallon on brandies imported for re-exportation. The noble lord moved the following resolutions: "That a bounty of ten shillings per cwt. be allowed on the exportation of all double-refined sugar, over and above the allowances now made on the exportation of refined sugars. That a bounty of two shillings per cwt. be allowed on the exportation of all raw and muscovado sugars, under the price of forty shillings per cwt.; and of one shilling per cwt. on all raw and muscovado sugars, of between forty and forty-five shillings per cwt.; whenever it shall appear by the notices in the London Gazette that the average prices for the antecedent quarter have been of the respective amounts stated. That an additional duty of two shillings and sixpence per gallon shall be imposed on brandy or foreign spirits, imported for home consumption: and of one shilling per gallon on all brandies imported for the purpose of re-exportation." The resolutions were agreed to, and the report was ordered to received to-morrow.