Commons Sitting of 12 November 1813

COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY.
The House having resolved into a Committee of Supply,
Mr. Arbuthnotmoved, that the sums of 10,500,000 l. and of 5,670,700 l. be granted to his Majesty to take up the Exchequer bills, out-standing, under the acts of last session.—Agreed to.
The House then resumed, and the Report was ordered to be received to-morrow.

WAYS AND MEANS.
The House then resolved itself into a Committee of Ways and Means; and the annual taxes on malt, pensions, sugar, tobacco, and snuff, were granted, towards raising the Supply.
The Chancellor of the Exchequersaid, that the tax on sugar, consisting at present of three distinct duties, was productive of great inconvenience. At present, also, the drawbacks on sugar exported were charged on the consolidated fund, which caused an apparent diminution of that fund, and a correspondent increase on the sugar duties. This, though of no disadvantage to the public, produced a prejudicial inaccuracy in the accounts. He, therefore, gave notice, that he should during the present session propose some measure to remedy these defects.
The House then removed.

INSOLVENT DEBTORS IN THE ISLE OF MAN.
Mr. Hornersaid, he held in his hand a petition similar to four or five which he had before presented, not only
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from the same body of persons, but from the same individuals—the prisoners confined for debt in Castle Rushen, in the Isle of Man. This Petition was read; setting forth;
"That during the time the Act was pending, which passed in 1811, for the relief of Insolvent Debtors in Great Britain, a clause was introduced extending the benefits thereof to persons confined for debt in the Isle of Man, which clause, upon consideration thereof in the House of Lords, was withdrawn; and that, in the year 1812, a Petition was presented to this House on behalf of the prisoners confined for debt in the Isle of Man, praying relief, but which Petition was withdrawn; upon an understanding that, during the ensuring summer recess, such steps would be taken by the Manks legislature as would render any further application to parliament unnecessary; and that, in pursuance thereof, the petitioners were in have hopes an Act would have passed so as to have relieved them before this period; and that the Manks legislature had passed last year such a Bill for their relief as could not receive the royal assent; and that, thought his Majesty's subjects in the most distant parts of the globe have been relieved by the Act of last session, the petitioners are still in the same unhappy situation, some having been confined upwards of seven years; and praying, that the House will take their case into consideration, and grant such relief as to them may seem meet."
The Petition was brought up, and ordered to lie of the table.

The Militia Service Bill was brought in and read a first time.