Sitting of 24 April 1806

MINUTES
Mr. Glassfordtook the oaths and his seat for Dunbartonshire, in the room of sir J. Colquhoun, who has accepted the Chiltern Hundreds —Mr. Fellows moved, that a committee be appointed to enquire into the expediency of repealing so much of the act of the 2d of James I. as related to the making and vending of boots and shoes. —Lord Castle reagh moved for a return of the number of effective men in the army, from the 1st of Jan. 1793, to the 1st of Jan. 1801, the recruits procured in each year, and the bounties given them: 2dly, of the number of men raised for rank, permanent or temporary, during the same period.—Lord Howick presented the estimates of the expences arising from the additional pay ordered by his majesty in council to be given to the officers and seamen of the navy, between the 1st of May, and the 31st of Dec., 1806. —Mr Paull gave notice, that on Monday he would move for the printing of his first article of impeachment against lord Wellesley. —Ordered, on the motion of Mr. Whitbread, that a message be sent to the Lords, with a list of witnesses to be summoned to attend the trial of lord Melville, and Mr. Whitbread was ordered to bear the message to the Lords. It was afterwards ordered, that a note be given to the serjeant at arms, with the name of the right hon. George Tierney, and orders to serve him with notice to attend at all times the trial of lord Melville.

EX-PARTE CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS.
Mr. Serjeant Bestrose and addressed the house as follows: —Some time since sir, I obtained leave to bring in a bill to prevent the publication of ex-parte evidence against persons accused of felonies and other crimes previous to trial. It appeared to me, at the time, to be a necessary measure; and I must confess, that I am of the same opinion still. That opinion, sir, has since been confirmed by what happened about six years ago, at a trial for murder, before Mr. Justice Grose, at the Old Bailey. From the evidence, the learned judge was induced to direct the jury to acquit the prisoner. They, however, staid out many hours; and on their return, the

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foreman informed his lordship that the reason of their delay was, that many of the jury were unable to separate in their minds the evidence, from what they before had read or heard of the circumstances relating to the transaction. This communication was made to me by Mr. Justice those himself; and I think is sufficient to justify me for having made the motion. But, sir, as a great number of persons of high station and character, and for whose judgment upon all subjects, I have the greatest respect, seem to think, that this measure might, in some degree, trench upon the liberty of the press, and as no man holds that sacred principle in higher estimation and value than I do, I should be the last to do any thing which might be thought to have a tendency to bring it into danger; and, with those impressions, I wish now to give notice, that it is not my intention to press the measure any farther.

CUSTOMS DUTIES BILL.
On the motion for the third reading of this bill,
Mr. Alderman Prinsepbegged leave, without intending to oppose the present bill, to call the attention of his majety's ministers to the operation of the additional duty on the silk manufacture. Since the year 1787, the duty on silk had been encreasing, and yet no alteration had been made on the draw-backs upon that article. By the present bill, the duty would be raised from 7s.4d. on thrown silk, to 12 s.; and, on the raw material, from 3s. to 5s. He thought that a draw-back should be allowed in proportion to the encrease of the duty since 1787, as an encouragement to so important a branch of our national fabrics. But as it would be competent to ministers to make a provision to that effect in a subsequent act, he should, in the present instance, be content with calling their attention to the subject.
Mr. Vansittartassured the worthy alderman, that there would be no reluctance on the part of government to give every encouragement to that manufacture, if it should appear, after a proper enquiry, that such encouragement was necessary. This, however might be done in a subsequent bill.
Mr. Barhamexpressed his approbation of the liberal and candid manner in which ministers had listened to such representations as had been made to them on these subjects. He hoped that such modifications would be introduced into the duty on sugar, as would make it possible to pay it.
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He thought that a committee should be appointed to examine the state of the colonies, in many respects, as this at present was not well understood. The late chancellor of the who certainly was competent to form an accurate opinion on this subject, had said, that he never could learn the profits of the planters on any average price of sugar. If he found other gentlemen of the same opinion with him, he would, on some future day, propose such a committee as he had adverted to.
Lord H. Pettysaid that certainly, on the part of his majesty's ministers, there must be a disposition to give every sort of attention to this subject, and to listen to every important representation. He agreed that the subject was one of some difficulty, and, that an enquiry of one sort or another would be very desirable.
Mr. Rosecontended, that such an enquiry would be batter conducted by the inspector-general than by a committee of the house.
Mr. Barhamonly meant, by proposing a committee, to give assistance to government, and, if there could be a better mode than this, he would have no objection.—After a few words from Mr. Johnstone and Mr. Manning, the bill was read a 3rd time and passed.

AMERICAN INTERCOURSE BILL.
Lord Sheffieldsaid, that in his opinion the papers now on the table did not sufficiently explain the nature of the bill now before their lordships. He had therefore to move for several others, by which the object of the bill might be more fully and satisfactorily explained. His lordship then proceeded to move for a long string of papers respecting the number and tonnage of the vessels employed in that trade at different periods since 1797.
Lord Hollandobserved, that the object the noble lord had in view might easily be ascertained from the papers already on the table. To prepare and produce the papers would, in his opinion, be only productive of much mischief. The papers, however, were granted; and lord Sheffield gave no-

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tice, that he should, on Tuesday next, move that the 2nd reading of the bill be deferred till Monday se'nnight.

IMPEACHMENT OF LORD MELVILLE.
Lord Walsinghamreported from the committee appointed to seach for precedents of proceedings on impeachments, the ceremonial proposed to be observed on the trial of lord Melville, which had been recommended to them for alteration. His lordship having read the report,
The Earl of Radnormoved to add to it, in conformity with three precedents of impeachments previous to that of Mr. Hastings, that the peers should remain in their places, and not depart from them during the trial on each day.—A long conversation ensued between lord Auckland, the earl of Radnor, lord Holland, lord Eldon, earl Stanhope, the earl of Westmeath, earl Spencer, the duke of Cumberland, the earl of Darnley, bishop of St. Asaph, and lord Ellenborough. Most of the above peers objected to the proposition, as tending by its strictness, to cause great inconvenience to the peers attending on the trial, whilst, at the same time, there was no doubt at all that that order would be preserved which the solemnity of such an occasion required.
The Earl of Radnorconceived that the motion ought to be agreed to, in order to insure that strictness of order which was requisite on a solemn trial by impeachment, but in order to have a public attendance at its discussion, his lordship moved to adjourn the debate till the next day, and that the lords be summoned. On this motion the house divided; Contents 9; Non Contents 15; Majority 6. The report of the committee was then agreed to.

INSOLVENT DEBTORS' BILL.
Lord Ellenborough moved for several Accounts of Prisoners confined for debt in the prisons of the Metropolis, at different periods; which were ordered.
The Earl of Moiraexpressed a wish that the 2nd reading of the Insolvent Debtor's bill, which stood for this day might be postponed till Monday se'nnight.
Lord Hollanddeclared his readiness to accede to this request, and moved to discharge the order, which was renewed for Monday se'nnight, and the lords ordered to be summoned for that day.
Lord Eldonpresented three petitions from certain mercharats and tradesmen of the cities of London and Westminster, and the Borough of Southwark, praying that the bill might not pass into a law.
Lord Hollandpresented a petition from the debtors confined in the county gaol of Leicester, praying that the bill might pass into a law.