part, he felt very reluctant to introduce legislative restrictions, either with respect to corn or agriculture. He proposed as an amendment, that "the word now be left out of the motion."

Mr. ELLISON objected to the bill upon fimilar grounds.

Mr. MARTIN expreffed his hopes that fomething would be done for the relief of the poor labourer. He lamented that the Chancellor of the Exchequer had given up the plan he had once brought forward refpecting the poor.

On the question that the word now stand part of the motion, it was carried in the negative. It was then moved and carried, that the bill be read a fecond time on this day fix months.

bill is loft for this Seffion.

In a Committee of Supply,

Thus the

Mr. Chancellor PITT moved the Army Extraordinaries in the fhape of Refolutions as follows: .

Army Extraordinaries for the year 1800
Deficiency in former Grants

Secret Services

To make good the like Sum pursuant to Addresses,

£. 2,500,000

447,000

Convicts at home

Bills drawn on the Lords of the Treasury from New

South Wales, and not yet come to hand

Charge for fuperintending Aliens

The House refumed, the Report was brought up, and ordered to

be received on Monday.

Mr. Rose brought up the Scots' Diftillery Bill, which was read a first and fecond time, and ordered to be committed on Monday.

24,074

6,369

32,535

Monday, February 24.

The Right Honourable the LORD MAYOR prefented to the House a petition of His Majefty's most loyal and dutiful fubjects, the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Liverymen, of the city of London, at the Guildhall of the faid city, the 19th day of February 1800, in common hall affembled; fetting forth, "That the petitioners deeply lament the calamities infeparable from a state of war, but more particularly those which have refulted from the present conflict, because they conceive it to have been more indefinite in its object, and devastating in its progrefs, than any war this country has hitherto been engaged in; and that the petitioners deprecate wars undertaken either for the fecret or avowed purpofe of impofing a government on another country, or in any manner interfering in its internal concerns; and that, impreffed with these confiderations, they have not in any inftance fanctioned or approved of the prefent war, but, on the contrary, have, by inftructions to their reprefentatives in Parliament, by petitions addressed to His Majesty, and to the House, endeavoured to ftop that effufion of human blood with which Europe has fo long been deluged; and that, in their petition prefented to the House so far back as the 26th of January 1795, among other things, they stated it as their opinion, that none of the ends propofed by the prefent war had been or appeared likely to be obtained; and that in their said petition they further declared it to be their decided conviction, from their view of public measures, that the principle upon which the war appeared then to be carried on neither was, nor could be, effential to the profperity, the liberty, or the glory of the British empire; and humbly praying that the House, difclaiming all right of interfering in the internal concerns of France, would be pleased to take fuch measures as they in their wisdom fhould think proper, for the purpofe of promoting a speedy peace between Great Britain and the powers with whom we are now at war; and that, to the inexpreffible concern and difappointment of the petitioners, the war was unfortunately perfifted in, and more than five years have elapfed fince that period, during which time the fears and apprehenfions which they then expreffed to the Houfe have not only been realifed but greatly exceeded, a feries of the most melancholy events and unexampled misfortunes have enfued; the petitioners forbear to detail the long and bloody catalogue of disasters which have attended the war, with the various expenfive and deftructive expeditions we have been engaged in, which have produced the most serious effects upon the commerce and manufactories of the

country; the petitioners will not enumerate the long train of afflicting events attending the late unhappy rebellion in Ireland, and the present distracted and unfettled ftate of that country; neither will they dwell upon the exorbitant price of provifions, which bears fo hard upon the middle and poorer claffes of the people, already borne down with an intolerable preffure of taxation, all which circumstances separately, and combinedly, powerfully folicit the return of peace; and that, in this alarming fituation of public affairs, it is with the deepest regret they have obferved the overtures of the French Conful for terminating hoftilities rejected by His Majesty's Councils, and a defign more openly avowed than at any former period of profecuting the war for the purpose of restoring to the Government of France the antient line of the Bourbon family; the petitioners are the more astonished at such a proceeding, because they did not conceive it poffible that, after a bitter and unavailing conflict of seven years, after a facrifice of fo many thousands of lives and so many millions of money, His Majefty's Minifters could want the refult of experience and the evidence of facts to demonstrate to them the impracticability of a project fo utterly incompatible with the true interests of these kingdoms; the petitioners cannot fufficiently imprefs upon the House the impolicy of perfevering in a contest which, even if it were to prove fuccefsful, appears to be principally calculated for the aggrandisement of our allies, who have nevertheless, on different occafions, fhewn no reluctance to conclude a peace, and whofe exertions, even in their own caufe, can only be procured by the lavish expenditure of this devoted country; and, conceiving that no adequate advantage can arife from a further profecution of hoftilities, and that the prefent period is highly favourable to negotiation, the petitioners pray, that the Houfe will take fuch meafures as they in their wifdom may think proper, towards promoting an immediate negotiation with the Government of France, for the purpose of restoring to His Majefty's fubjects the bleffings of peace, as foon as it can be obtained on fafe and honourable terms."

Mr. Alderman ANDERSON faid, he rose merely to state, that the petition in question was not the petition of the Livery of London; it was the petition of a faction, and he trufted of a very small faction of that refpectable body. He was happy to say that it was figned by no more than fifty-feven names. On Wednesday, when the question was put in the common hall for petitioning the House of Commons for peace, he was confident that it was carried in the negative. The Chief Magiftrate, however, thought fit to fay that it was carried in the affirmative. Upon that, a great dif

turbance arose; and, as many were discontented with the decision which had been given, it was propofed to divide the hall. It was not above two thirds full, and the measure might have been easily executed : however, this propofal was rejected, and another plan adopted; the Lord Mayor faid, that as there was a difference of opinion as to the true fenfe of the hall, he would put the question a fecond time, and choose two perfons to affift him with their opinion as to the refult of it. At that moment the beadles and conftables all left their pofts, rufhed into the hall, and were followed by a promiscuous rabble.* The fecond time, he allowed, the mo

* In confequence of this affertion, the following declarations and affidavits were made. The firft is a letter from Mr. Temple, the Hallkeeper, to the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor :

"My Lord, Guildhall, London, Feb. 26. "I have confidered the queftion put by your Lordship to me this day, and can with great truth fay, that I did, on the 18th of this inftant February, receive from your Lordship written inftructions to keep the gates of Guildhall locked up on Wednesday the 19th, till the City Marthals came and took poffeffion, to prevent improper perfons from going in: and that in obedience to fuch inftructions I did lock the gates on the faid 19th inftant, and kept them fo locked till about half an hour after eleven o'clock, when the City Marshals came and took poffeffion of the doors; and farther, that I have been eight years keeper of the said Guildhall, during which time I have feen many Common Halls, but do not remember to have feen any that had more the appearance of being entirely compofed of Liverymen, or that was conducted with more decorum. And that during the faid Common Hall being held, I was going about the hall at various times, but I did not at any time perceive any mob or body of people whatever rush into the hall, nor hear from any other perfon that fuch a circumftance had happened. And in farther compliance with your Lordship's with, I have no objection to atteft the truth of the above re prefentation upon oath if required.

"I remain, Sir, &c.

"To the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor."

GEORGE TEMPLE.

"I George Temple do hereby folemnly fwear, that the above reprefentation, figned by me, is a faithful statement of the proceedings therein referred to.

"Sworn at Guildhall, London, this

28th day of February 1800, before JOHN PERRING."

me,

GEORGE TEMPLE."

"John Brodley, one of the Under Marfhalmen of the city of London, maketh oath, and faith, that he was employed by the principal Marfhal to keep the main door of the Guildhall on Wednesday the 19th inftant, for the purpose of preventing improper perfons from getting into the common hall on that day. That he was at the faid main door when it was firft opened, and continued there until near three o'clock. That the beadles of the

tion was carried by a decided majority; but who composed that majority, the Houfe from these circumstances would judge. A poll was then demanded, but refufed, because the law officers had faid that fuch a flep was unprecedented. The Recorder was not prefent; and the Common Serjeant, &c. had merely faid that they had never feen fuch a thing, but that there was no law against it, and it lay entirely with the Lord Mayor whether it fhould take place or not. There could be no doubt that a great majority of the Livery were against the motion, and this would have appeared had a poll been taken. The only measure now left by which they might fhow their real fentiments was to draw up a counter-petition. That had been drawn up, was already figned by more than 700, and would be prefented to the Houfe in a few days.

The LORD MAYOR faid, that he trufted it would be found that he had endeavoured to difcharge his duty on that occafion with the utmost impartiality; and though he was free to confefs, that his opinion, as an individual, was in favour of the petition he had just prefented, yet he was determined not to yield to his partiality; nay, if there had been even a doubt of the number on each side, he would have leaned to that which was by no means confonant to his feelings, or the political opinions on which he acted. He confidered himself in that fituation which the Speaker was in, in the House of Commons. On the firft fhew of hands he had no doubt in his mind that the majority was in favour of the prefent petition; but

different companies were within his view; and that they did not quit their posts until a very confiderable time after the fecond thew of hands was taken; and that he did not fee (nor could it poffibly happen without his feeing it), any mob or any body of people whatever rush into the hall. JOHN BRODLEY."

"Sworn at the Manfion-house,

London, the 23th of Febru-
ary 1800, before

G. M. MACAULAY."

"London, Feb. 25, 1800.

"We whofe names are hereunder written, are beadles of the feveral companies of the city of London, to which our names are affixed, and were appointed by our employers to attend at Guildhall on Wednesday the 19th Feb. inftant, for the purpofe of preventing any perfons from going into the Common Hall on that day, uniefs they were of the Livery; and we do declare, that we do not know that any perfon did go into Guildhall, while we were upon duty on that day, but Livery men. 'That we did not leave our ftations at the door for a confiderable time after the fecond fhew of hards was taken; and that we did not at any time perceive that any mob, or any body of people wh: fever, ruined into the hall; nor could it be done without our knowledge.”

Signed by the BEADLES of forty-eight Companies.