Sitting of 22 February 1804

MINUTES.—
Two ballots stood for this day, but the one for Carrickfergns was only obtained.—About five o'clock Mr. White appeared at the bar with the following list of names of members chosen to form the Committee:—Sir Wrottesley, Bart. T. Brooke, Esq. Right Hon. G. Rose, W. Praed, Esq. Sir J. Honeywood, W. Smith, J. Jekyll, Esq, P. C. Bruce, Isq. C. Chapman, Esq. J. Jarvis, Esq. G. Johnstone, Esq. D. Jephson, Esq. J. H. Durand, Esq. Nominees; H. Alexander, Esq. J. Graham, Esq.: being regularly sworn, the Committee retired to fix the time and place for their proceedings.—The second reading of the Volunteer bill was, on the motion of Mr. Secretary Yorke, deferred till Monday.—The Sheriff of London presented a petition from the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Council, praying for leave to bring in a bill to explain and amend the powers granted by a former act, authorising the establishment of a coal market. The petition was referred to a Committee.—Dr. Duigenan, agreeably to his notice on a former day, rose to move for leave to bring in a bill to fix the age for receiving priests orders in Ireland. The learned member made a few observations to shew the necessity of the measure. Frequent impositions took place as the law now stood. He knew of several instances where, by a fraud on the bishops, persons much under the age required by the rubrics ordination ought to be obtained. He was proceeding to illustrate this position, when the Speaker suggested that the motion ought regularly to originate in a committee. Alter a few words of explanation betwixt Mr. Francis and Dr, Duigenan, the suggestion of the Speaker was adopted, and the House agreed to resolve into the Committee to-morrow.—Mr. Blackburn presented a petition from the: journeymen callico printers of Lancashire, Derby-hire, Cheshire, and certain counties of Sea land, complaining of the conduct of the masters in the said trade, in taking such an excessive number of apprentices as to throw the greater part of the journeymen cut at employment. The petition stated, that this multiplication of apprentices commenced about the year 1792 and that since then the proportion of apprentices to journey-men has been generally not less than as 70 to 30. That at one house in Lancashire, 197 apprentices were reared in the course of 10 years, and that during that period no more than 95 persons, journeymen and apprentices included, were at any one time employed.
Therefore this house reared 102 persons more than it could find employment for. The petition complained of other hardships suffered by the journeymen in the said trade, and stated that it was a general practice among the masters to take apprentices with-out any indentures, and that the revenue upon stamps was thus materially defrauded. The petition was referred to a Private Committee.—Col. Howard presented a petition from certain merchants in London and Ports-mouth, and proprietors of lands in Surrey, Sussex, and Hants, praying for leave to bring in a bill, enabling them to raise a sum of money for the formation of a canal betwixt London and Portsmouth. The petition was referred to a Committee.—sir W. Geary brought in the Marine Fishing Society Bill, which was read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time tomorrow.—A petition was presented from the magistrates and landholders of Leicestershire, praying for leave to bring in a bill to establish a new poor-rate in that county. The petition was referred to a Committee.—Several private petitions were brought in, and referred to Committees without opposition—Adjourned.

Preamble
Lord Malmesbury was introduced, and took his seat as Earl Malmesbury. He was introduced between Earls Camden and Ux-bridge.—The Bishop of Clyne took the oaths and his seat.—Witnesses were sworn in the West-India Dock Bill.—Lingham's Divorce Bill was read a tiret time, Adjourned.