HC Deb 11 March 1807 vol 9 c79
Mr. Frankland ,

chairman of the Yarmouth election committee, reported that the sitting members, Messrs. Harbord and Lushington, were duly elected, and that the petition against them was not frivolous or vexatious.—On the motion of Mr. Tierney, it was ordered, that there be laid before the house a monthly return of desertions from the army, from the 1st of January to the latest period; also a return of the effective strength of the army, from which the said desertions had taken place at the same periods; also a weekly account of the number of recruits raised in the same period, distinguishing Ireland from Great Britain.—On the motion of Mr. Kenrick, it was ordered, that there be laid before the house, an account of the number of causes tried by the court of exchequer in Scotland during the last 15 years.—Mr. Herbert, after commenting briefly on the important question now before the house, touching the expulsion of one of its members, and observing that it was desirable, in addition to the report of the committee of precedents, to have every other information calculated to give a full and fair view of all parts of the case, moved, that the Proceedings of the Court Martial for the Trial of John Fenton Cawthorne, esq. colonel of the Westminster militia, laid before the house, April 8, 1796, and ordered to be printed, be now reprinted. Mr. Tierney objected to the motion on the ground of the expence, trouble, and delay of printing a voluminous mass of papers, when the question before the house was not whether the expulsion had justly taken place, but whether the member expelled could legally sit again. Mr. Bankes thought the papers ought to be printed, in order to afford a full view of the case. Mr. Sturges Bourne, Mr. Hurst, Mr. Simeon, Mr. Osborne, and Mr. Fuller, argued to the same effect. Mr. C. Wynne wished this question to be reserved for future discussion. The Speaker thought it right to observe, that when this business had been first before the house, it had been thought right to print not only the sentence of the court martial, but the whole of the proceedings relating to the case. Upon which, it was ordered that the whole of the proceedings be reprinted.—On the motion of lord Folkestone, it was ordered, that there be laid before the house copies of papers tending to shew in what capacity William Drake, the witness on Mr. Paull's petition, had served in the navy.—Ordered, that the orders for reporting the names of members who do not appear on the appointment of select committees for trial of petitions complaining of undue elections and returns, do not extend to members who are petitioners, or petitioned against, during the trial of the respective petitions in which they are concerned, or to members serving on committees actually sitting.