Lords Sitting of 3 June 1805

MINUTES.
The Duke of Atholl's Annuity bill was brought from the commons by colonel Stanley; the Leith Harbour bill by Mr. R. S. Dundas; and the Bankrupts' Privilege bill, by Mr. se eant Lord Holland referred to what he had thrown out on a former evening relative to the proceedings touching the trade between the Island of Jamaica and other British settlements and the Continent of America, and declared his intention of taking an early opportunity of bringing forward a motion upon the subject.

CORN BILL
On the occasion of the second reading of the Corn bill;
The Earl of Suffolkalluding to the Paddington Canal bill expected from the commons, said the present system of the corn market was a very bad one, and tended to support monopolies. The corn exchange, or market, was by no means large enough; there were but few places for the exhibition of samples; and these being in the hands of a few individuals, a great opportunity for monopoly was evidently afforded. He would therefore recommend the erection of a large and more commodious corn exchange in room of the present one, and also the establishment of another corn market, in the vicinage of Paddington. The same observations would nearly apply to the supply of the metropolis with coals, and to the present coal exchange; towards ameliorating which he should propose to the house, early in the next session, some propositions, the general object of which he had just stated.

SMUGGLING PREVENTION BILL.
The order of the day being moved for the second reading of the Smuggling Prevention bill:
Lord Hollandcalled the attention of the house to the petition he had presented on a former evening from the inhabitants of the islands of Guernsey and Jersey, praying to be heard by their counsel against certain provisions of the bill. It was his intention to move, that the petitioners should be heard by their council.
Lord Hawkesburysaid, that the objections of the parties were stated rather as against certain provisions of the bill, than to its principle. The committee was of course the fittest stage for the hearing of counsel, and to that he had no objection.—The bill being read a second time, and committed for to-morrow,
Lord Hollandmoved that the petitioners
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be heard by their counsel in the committee, and that the lords be summoned for to-morrow, on which motion both were ordered.

CUSTOM HOUSE FEES REGULATION BILL.
On the question for going into a committee on the Custom-house Fees Regulation bill;
The Duke of Norfolkcensured the procrastination which delayed the bringing forward a bill of such importance, and disapproved of its being attempted to be passed through that house as a matter of course, as the bill went not only to affect those who held their places during pleasure, but the emoluments of those who held patent places; a description of tenure, which was always held as sacred as any other kind of property. Many of those persons were even ignorant of such a bill being before parliament; he should therefore propose, that the progress of the bill be postponed for a little time, until the parties alluded to should be aware of what was going forward.
The Earl of Westmorelandobserved, that he should not on his part object to postponing the committee till to-morrow.
The Duke of Norfolkthought this too short a postponement, in reference to what he had stated. It was at length agreed to postpone the committee on the bill in question till Friday.

DUKE OF ATHOL'S CLAIM.
The Earl of Westmorelandmoved, that a message be sent to the commons, requesting they would furnish their lordships with a copy of the evidence upon which they had passed the bill for indemnifying John duke of Athol, &c. for his claims on the revenues of the Isle of Man.
The Marquis of Buckinghamwas well aware that the present moment was not the usual time to make any observations upon the bill, as it had only just been ordered to be printed; but he rose merely to observe, that he and many noble lords now absent, might not think themselves justified with the evidence that might be brought from the house of commons, and therefore he wished now to enter his caveat against any objection that might hereafter be made against the production of other grounds of evidence; and against any idea that the evidence taken before the commons, and being admitted by their lordships, should preclude any noble lord from moving for whatever documents he might deem necessary to throw light upon a measure that had been hastily taken up at the close of the session, and which to him appeared of considerable importance, whether it concerned an individual or the public.
The Earl of Westmorelandnever intended, by making the present motion, to preclude any noble lord from calling for whatever additional information he might judge necessary to elucidate the nature of the question.
The Lord Chancellorobserved, that there was nothing unusual or extraordinary in the motion; it only requested the evidence taken before the house of commons, as a part at least of the grounds upon which that house might proceed; but it never could be conceived of a nature to preclude any further evidence which any individual of that house might be inclined to move for. For his part, he knew nothing of the matter at present, but when it came to be decided upon, he should form his judgment from the whole of the evidence then before the house.
The Marquis of Buckinghamshortly explained, and said, he wished to put in the claim he had alluded to, not only on his own part, but on those of some other noble lords then absent, who might wish to deliver their sentiments upon the measure—The question was then put, and the message ordered to be sent to the commons.—Adjourned.