§ Mr. Whitbreadbrought up his bill for promoting 795 and encouraging Industry amongst the Labouring Classes, and for the better Regulation and Relief of the Necessitous Poor; which was read a first time. On the question that the bill be read a second time, he expressed his regret that he should not be able to bring forward the second reading, on the day on which he had at first proposed, because he felt himself in the same situation with several other hon. members, who would be obliged to attend their duties as country gentlemen, at the Quarter Sessions and at the Assizes. Being upon his legs, he wished to take that opportunity of adverting to the very alarming situation of public affairs, and putting a question to the right hon. the chancellor of the exchequer whether it was in the contemplation of his majesty's ministers to submit an immediate proposition to the house, founded upon the distressing circumstances, in which the late calamitous intelligence from the continent shewed the world in general, and this country in particular, to be placed. If any such proposition were intended, he trusted, that it would not be brought forward without proper notice, and that the right hon. gent. would not think of discussing a question of so much importance, whilst a large proportion of the members of that house would be necessarily absent.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer ,in reply to the hon. gent., rose to do that, which it had previously been his intention to do, as soon as that hon, member should have sat down; namely, to give notice on the part of his noble friend, the secretary of state for war and the colonies, to, bring forward a, motion on Friday next, relative to the military state o f the country. He should he sorry, therefore, that the observations which had fallen from the hon. gent. should induce the house to suppose, that Friday was an inconvenient day for that purpose. He could see no reason why his noble friend might not on Friday open his plan to the house, because that plan could not be carried into effect without a bill, in the various stages of which there would be frequent opportunities, during the course of next week, of discussing its merits. But if it should be the feeling of the house, or even the wish of the hon, gent., himself, that the motion of his noble friend should be deferred to Monday, he had no hesitation to say, that his noble friend would not have any objection to put off his motion to that day. If, on the contrary, the house should feel that no inconvenience would arise from having the general exposition of 796 the plan made on Friday, under an understanding that it would be to be dismissed in detail, after the introduction of the measure founded upon that exposition, he availed himself of that occasion to give notice of the intention of his noble friend, to bring forward the motion on Friday.
§ Mr. Whitbread ,though desirous of being present at all the stages of so important a question, did not feel disposed to object to the course proposed by the right hon. gent. But he begged leave to submit, whether the proposition of the noble lord might not be made on Friday, and the discussion upon it adjourned to the Wednesday following.
Lord Howickexpressed his entire acquiescence in the arrangement proposed by the right hon. gent., and declared himself personally obliged to him for his early communication to him of the intention of the noble lord, respecting the important motion which he was to make on Friday. He wished to be informed, whether, as there was every appearance of engagements having been entered into with foreign powers, it was likely that any communication would be made to the house on the subject of such engagements at an early day. This question he put, because he thought it important that the house should have some information upon the subject, but if the right hon. gentlemen opposite should consider it incompatible with their sense of public duty to give an answer, he should not press the matter further.
Mr. Secretary Canningreplied, that undoubtedly certain engagements had been entered into with foreign powers, and that it had been the intention of his majesty's ministers not, to suffer parliament to separate without making a communication upon the subject. These engagements had, however, been contingent, and ministers had thought it better to defer that communication for a short time, in order to ascertain whether the contingency upon which the engagements depended would take place, It never had been ,the intention of his majesty's government to suffer the present session to elapse, without making a communication to parliament; and he had reason to thinks that early in the next week, he should have the authority of his majesty to make a communication on that subject to the house.