Sitting of 31 January 1805

MINUTES.
The coal factors' indemnity bill was read a first, and ordered to be read a second time,—The house went into a committee on the malt duty bill, and in pursuance to instruction, received two clauses, the one a clause of credit, the other a clause authorising to make up the deficiency in said duty out of the supplies of the year 1805. The report was ordered to be received to-morrow.—The house' also went into a committee on the pension office, personal estate, sugar, tobacco, and snuff duties bill, in which, pursuant to instruction, clauses of the same description were received as in the former.—The report was ordered to be received to-morrow.—Mr. Foster moved the order of the day for taking into consideration the message they had received on Monday last from the lords. Sir T. Featherstone and Mervyn Archdall being present, intimated that they were willing to go to the lords, with the leave of the house. It was therefore resolved, that sir T. Featherstone and Mervyn Archdall have leave to wait on the lords; and that a message be sent to their lordships, informing them of this resolution.—On the motion of Mr. Rose, the house went into a committee on the quarantine act of the 39th and 40th of the king. Certain resolutions having been read and adopted, the house resumed, and leave was given to bring in a bill accordingly. —Mr. Graham presented an account of the number of convicts on the river Thames and at Portsmouth which was laid on the table.—Mr. Parr, from the African company, presented certain annual accounts relative to the affairs of that company.— Mr. Kinnaird gave notice, that he should move, on Tuesday next, for a copy of the report of the navy board to the admiralty, dated the 24th Nov. 1804, respecting the state of the Romney, the Nassau, and the Sybille, when under the command of sir Home Popham. If the facts in the report should turn out to be agreeable to the information he had received, he should think it his duty to endeavour to induce the house to take some further proceedings in the investigation of this business. —Mr. Giles, begged leave to call the attention of
164
the house to a subject of considerable importance. Two years had already elapsed since the board of commissioners of naval inquiry had been established under the authority of parliament. By the provisions of the bill, by which that board was constituted, its operation was limited to 2 years, from the 22d of Dec. 1802, and to the end of the next session of parliament. In consequence of the postponement of the meeting of parliament till after Christmas in the present session, that act would naturally determine with the present session, 12 months earlier than the period that was in the contemplation of parliament at the time of enacting it; for had the house met at the usual time, the date of the lapse of 2 years would have fallen within the present session, and of course the operation of the bill would he extended to the end of next session. His view in rising, therefore, was to ascertain from his maj.'s ministers, whether it was their intention to take any measures to prolong the duration of this beneficial act? Some minutes elapsed after Mr. Giles sat down, without any answer being given to his inquiry, upon which he rose again, observing, that from the silence of the gent. on the other side, he concluded that it was not in the contemplation of his maj.'s ministers to continue the bill. In that case he should feel it his duty to submit a motion to the house on the subject, which he fixed for Monday fortnight.—Adjourned.

MINUTES.
Mr. Parke was heard for the respondents, and Mr. Nolan in reply for the appellants, in the Scotch appeal Smith and others v. Lucena and others.— The farther consideration was postponed till this day fortnight, to enable the house to avail themselves of the opinions of the 12 judges in the case of Lucena v. Craw ford, which involved certain points essential to the decision of the present case.—Earl Camden moved, that an address be presented to his majesty, praying he would be pleased to order certain accounts relative to the state of the regular, militia, and other force of the country, at different periods, to be laid on the table, distinguishing those for general and limited ser-

163
vice, those raised in the ordinary mode of recruiting, and those raised under the additional force bill. Adjourned.