Sitting of 1 December 1803

Preamble
[MINUTES.]—
Mr. Smithinformed the house, that his Majesty had been waited upon with the address of this house, and had ordered the proper officers to prepare and lay before the house, the several estimates accordingly.—Sir P. Stephens presented estimates of the expense of maintaining prisoners of war, sick and in health; also an estimate of the expense of transport service, for the year 1804. These estimates were ordered to lie on the table; and Sir P Stephens gave notice, that he should move them in the committee of supply to morrow.—Mr. Hobhouse brought up the report of the committee of supply. The resolutions were agreed to, nem. con.—Lord Castlereagh brought in his bill, for regulating the interest on East-India bonds. The bill was read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time on Monday, and to be printed.—Mr. Vansittart brought in the bill for continuing the restriction, on payments in specie by the Bank of England. Read a first time, and ordered to be read a second lime tomorrow. Mr. Hobhouse brought up the report of the committee of Expiring Laws. The resolutions were for the continuation of the act 39 Geo. III. for prohibiting the exportation, and encouraging the importation of corn the act for regulating the trade with Malta; the act of last session, relating to the drawback on the exportation of sugar; and the act relating to the exportation of sugar to Ireland. The resolutions were post-

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poned, and referred to a committee of the whole house to sit tomorrow.—The house went into a committee on Mr. Jarvis's bill, for preventing the desertion and collusive arrests of seamen. Several verbal amendments were made, the blanks were filled up, and the report ordered to be received tomorrow.—Mr. Vansittart moved, that tomorrow the house should resolve itself into a committee, to consider of ways and means, for rating the supply granted to his Majesty.—The Chancellor of the Exchequer gave notice, that to-morrow, in the committee of ways and means, he should move, that leave be given to bring in a bill to empower his majesty to raise five millions, by loan, on exchequer bills, for the service of the year 1804.—The Chancellor of the Exchequer gave notice, that to-morrow, in the commute of ways and means, he should move the land and malt taxes, for the year 1804.—The Chancellor of the Exchequer moved, that there be laid before the house an account of the outstanding exchequer bills, on the 1st December, 1802, and 1st December, 1803. respectively.

STEPENDIARY CURATES BILL.—
Sir William Scottrose to move for leave to bring in a bill to encourage the residence of stipendiary curates. It would, he said, be in the recollection of gentlemen, that a bill had been brought forward on this subject last year, which had passed that house, but was rejected in another place, on account of a money provision, which had been annexed to it, of such a nature as to be conceived inconsistent with the forms of that place. He had the satisfaction to state, that it was not now necessary to annex to the bill any such provision, as intimation had been given, that it was intended to bring forward a separate measure, for the purpose of providing, in a less objectionable way, for those of that deserving class of men, the stipendiary curates, who should be displaced, by the operation of the bill for enforcing the residence of the clergy. The bill, which he should propose, would, therefore, be the same with that which the house had passed in the last session, with the addition of a clause, which would facilitate its operation, and the omission of the clause, in consequence of which, the former bill had been rejected in the upper house. If leave should be given to bring in the bill, his intention was, that it should be read a first and second time, as soon as the forms would admit, and then printed and left some time for consideration.—Leave being given, the bill was accordingly brought in, and read a first time, and
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ordered to be read a second time to-morrow. It is then to be committed, in order to fill up the blanks pro forma, when it is to be printed; and after a sufficient interval for consideration, to be recommitted for discussion.

CURATES RELIEF BILL.—
The Chancellor of the Exchequer(who was not in the house when Sir William Scott made the above motion) said, he understood that a motion had just been made, and leave given, to bring in a bill similar to that of last session, to encourage the residence of stipendiary curates. It would be in the recollection of gentlemen, that in the progress of the former bill, a motion had been made, for the house to go into a committee, to consider of the propriety of making compensation to such curates as should be deprived of their cures by the bill for enforcing the residence of the clergy. The provision, which the committee thought it adviseable to make, had been incorporated with the bill, and the bill had been rejected in the other house as informal, it was now designed, to bring forward a plan, for the relief of these deserving men, in a separate bill. He should therefore move, "that the house should tomorrow, resolve itself into a committee of the whole house, to consider of the expediency of affording a temporary relief to such curates as have been or shall be displaced, in consequence of the act of last session, for enforcing the residence of the clergy." He was authorised to state, that the proposition had the consent of his Majesty.

FORTIFICATION OF LIVERPOOL.—
Mr. Dentmoved for leave to bring up a petition from the merchants of Liverpool, praying for leave, to bring in a bill, to enable I hem to fortify their harbour and town at their, own expense.—The Chancellor of the Exchequer said, the petition was recommended by his Majesty, so far as the crown was concerned.—The petition was accordingly brought up and read. It stated, that the commander in chief, and other general officers of that district, had represented the harbour and town of Liverpool to be in a very inadequate state of defence. The mayor, bailiffs, and other officers of the corporation, having, on their part, offered to raise a great portion of the necessary fortifications at their own expense, the merchants wished to con tribute to carry the plan into full effect, so that floating batteries may be stationed across the mouth of the harbour, and by erecting batteries on such points of the coast as were thought to require fortification. For this purpose voluntary donations had been sub-

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scribed, but the amount of them being insufficient, it was wished to raise the remainder of the necessary sum by loan, as a security for which the merchants were willing to pledge their ships, and other property. It was to enable them to raise this loan, that the aid of Parliament was required.
The Chancellor of the Exchequersaid, that though some of the gentlemen near him had communicated to him the substance of the petition, he was not acquainted with the form of it, till he had heard it read. If he had been aware of the words, in which it was expressed, he would not have exercised in its favour, the discretion which his Majesty had vested in him, to give the approbation of the crown where he should think it called for. What were the avowed designs of the enemy, referred to in the petition; and what the zeal and spirit of the merchants of Liverpool to resist these designs, which he had no doubt were as great as those of any other class of his majesty's subjects, were matter, into the discussion of which, be was not now disposed to enter. There were, however, words in the petition, which, if the house should order a bill according to the petition, would render that bill objectionable. The petition alluded to works to be raised for the defence of the harbour and town of Liverpool; the house would not countenance the raiding of any works, without the express order of the King. He gave every credit to the zeal and public spirit, from which the petition originated. This remark, he was called upon to make, by his not being aware of the particulars of the petition when he gave, his Majesty's consent; a defect which the house itself would correct, and which it would allow him to supply. He recollected an instance of a similar petition in 1798. He had not then objected, for he could not make any objection; but his sentiments were such as he now slated, and he was glad to find they had the approbation of the chair. [The Speaker appeared by signs to coincide in the sentiment of the Chancellor of the Exchequer.] It would be for the house to decide, whether it would sanction the precedent then established.
Mr. Creeveythought it never had been conceived by the inhabitants of Liverpool, that their town and harbour were particularly in want of fortifications. During the last war, and all former wars, they looked upon themselves as perfectly secure; but now the commander in chief of their district (Prince "William of Gloucester) found out that Liverpool was a very vulnerable place, and very much in danger of attack. If, contrary to his own judgment and that of many others,
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such fortifications were necessary, let them be defrayed, as they ought to be, by the public; let them not be imposed as a partial and heavy burthen on Liverpool itself, but let them be erected, at the general expense of the nation. It was, besides, an error to conceive that the expense would fall on the majority of the inhabitants, if the money were to be raised in the manner proposed by the petition: it would fail on a very small part of these inhabitants.
Mr. Dentmoved, that the petition be referred to a committee, to consider the matter thereof, and to report the same as it should appear to them to the house.
The Chancellor of the Exchequerbegged to be understood, not to pledge himself to the measure, by giving his Majesty's consent, so far as his Majesty was concerned. He had given it thus qualified, in order not to debar the petition from coming before the house.
Mr. Dentsaid, the measure proposed in the petition, had certainly the sanction of the majority of the most respectable merchants of Liverpool. The town had already raised a considerable sum by subscription. Twenty thousand pounds had been raised, but that was not sufficient; it was to supply the deficiency, that the measure stated in the petition was resorted to. If assistance was necessary, he was sure, though he had no pledge, that it would be afforded. It would have been highly indecent in the town, when informed by so high an authority as its commander in chief, and the general officers under him, not to shew the greatest alacrity to come forward in the most liberal manner.—The petition was referred to a committee.

Preamble
Their lordships met at the usual hour-Certain accounts, relative to the bounties granted by Queen Anne, were laid on the table. The house then went into a committee of privileges. Strangers were ordered to withdraw, and soon after an adjournment took place.