of tools ufed in the manufactory of watches, which would be greatly injured by the prefent Bill.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer replied, that those persons were much mistaken if they fuppofed that the exportation of their manufactures would be injured.

The House then divided; for the Speaker's leaving the Chair, --42---Againft it, 7.

The Bill was then read paragraph by paragraph, in the Committee of the whole Houfe, and the fifth of Auguft was the day fixed for the Bill to begin to be in force.

On the Claufe for exempting the King and all the Royal Family being read,

Mr. Bouverie obferved, that that would only be depriving the illustrious perfons who belonged to the Royal Family, of the means of contributing towards the expences of the war. As for the King himself, he ought never to be mentioned in a Bill of that kind, because every body muft fuppofe that his Majesty was not to be taxed; at the fame time he hoped the time would come, when the King would fee the neceffity of contributing to the expence of the war from his private purfe. He would move that the Claufe be omitted altogether. A divifion then took place---For the Claufe, 35---Against it, 7.

Mr. Jolliffe afterwards divided the Committee on that part of the Claufe which went to exempt the fervants of the Royal Family. For the exemption 35, against it 8.

Mr. Rofe introduced a Claufe to exempt the fervants employed in husbandry, belonging to perfons inhabiting houses which come under the exemptions already mentioned; alfo unbeneficed clergymen, non-commiffioned officers and privates in the army, militia, &c. and all feamen in his Majesty's navy, and in the merchant fervice. This Claufe was agreed to.

The Bill was then reported to the House, and the report was ordered to be received next day.

UNLAWFUL OATHS BILL.

In the Committee on this Bill, the Solicitor-General moved a Clause, making the offence against it felony; and the punishment transportation for 7 years.

Adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
Wednesday July, 12.

The Speaker, as foon as he had taken the Chair, informed the House that he had communicated to Mr. Hatfell, the refolution of the preceding day, who had requested him to return his moft grateful thanks to the Houfe for their unanimous vote of approbation of his conduct; and alfo further requested that the Houfe would appoint Mr. Dyfon to the place of affift

ant

ant clerk.

The Houfe gave its approbation to the appointment, and Mr. Dylon took his feat at the Table.

Mir, Percival moved for leave to bring in a Bill to enable his Majetty the more eafily and effectually to grant conditional pardons to perfons under fentence of Courts Martial, and to regulate imprisonments under fuch communications.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer moved for leave to bring in a Bill for allowing gold wares to be manufactured at a standard lower than that which is allowed by law at present.

Mr. W. Bird faid, that he was afraid this alteration would be productive of injury, as the great preference to English watches was in foreign markets, that the gold of the cafes was of fuperior value.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer ridiculed this idea, and faid that he had often heard, and could easily conceive, that perfons would buy watches from the fuperior workmanship of the wheels and infide works; but he could not conceive it poffible that any perfon who wished to possess a valuable metal, would lay out his money for that purpofe in the purchate of watch cafes. Mr. W. Bird explained.

Leave was given to bring in a Bill.

A petition was prefented from the Inhabitants of Dudley and Penryn against the Ship Owners' Bill.---Ordered to lie on the Table.

AMERICAN TREATY.

In a Committee of Supply, the fum of 38,4541. 14s. 31d, was granted to his Majefty to defray the fum awarded by the Commifiioners under the 7th article of the American Treaty to the 5th July 1797.

The Bill for allowing gold wares to be manufactured at a ftandard lower than is allowed by law at prefent was brought in by ivir. Rote, and ordered to be printed.

The Bill impofing an additional Stamp Duty on Deeds, was read a third time and paffed. Adjourned.

HOUSE OF LORDS.
Thursday, July 13.

The Houfe refolved itfeif into a Committee of Privileges upon the claim of Sir Adam Ferguflon to the Peerage of Glencairn. The Lord Chancellor entered into a long hiftorical review of the title of Glencairn, and concluded by moving, that the Claimant had not fhewn nor made good his claim to the Peerage in queftion. The Motion was agreed to nem. diffent.---Adjourned.

HOUSE

Thursday, July 13.

A Bill was brought in, and read a first time, to enable his Majefty more eafily and effectually to grant conditional pardons to perions under fentences by Naval Courts Martial, and to regulate the imprisonment under fuch sentences.

The additional Horfe Duty Bill, and Mr. Macklin's Bill were pafied.

The Report of the Committee of Supply was brought up, and the Refolution for enabling his Majefty to discharge the expences incurred by the Commiffioners under the American Treaty, was agreed to.

The unlawful Oaths Bill was paffed.

The Copper Coinage Bill was paffed.

The Male Servants additional duty Bill was committed, as was the East India Judicature Bill.

Leave was given to bring in a Bill to permit the Deputy of the Clerk of the Houfe of Commons to receive letters free of Poftage.

SHIP OWNERS' BILL.

On the Order of the Day for the further confideration of the Ship Owners' Bill.

Mr. Smith moved that it be re-committed.---Agreed to.

Mr. Wilberforce again fuggefted the propriety of propofing first the Amendments, and then printing the Bill.

Mr. Smith hoped that the modifications to be made in the Bill, would render it fatisfactory to all parties. The chief objection was that the burden of proof of delivery was upon the Merchants, but in its amended frate it would be found that the whole burden would be upon the Ship-owners. Another alteration was to make the Bill temporary.

Mr. Wilberforce ftill urged the neceflity of giving time to the petitioners to confider the alterations.

The Mafter of the Rolls difapproved of the Bill on account of its retrospective operation.

Mr. Ryder fupported the Bill.

The Mafter of the Rolls replied, and conceived that the Bill would be attended with inconveniences.

The Solicitor General confidered the Bill as innovating upon. the laws of all maritime nations.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer was for the Bill, and enforced the neceffity of fome temporary measure after the agitation of the fubject for fufpending actions commenced on grounds not foreseen.

Mr. Wood entered into a detail of the cafe of Smith and Shephard, which had occafioned the Bill.

Mr.

Mr. Percival and Sir. W. Pulteney were against the Bill. Mr. D. P. Coke was against this as a temporary measure. A Divifion took place upon the queftion, whether the Ship Owners fhould be exempted from refponfibility in tideway rivers in the fame manner as upon the high seas.

For it
Against it

Majority

33

8

25

Several other Amendments were made in the Committee, and the Bill was ordered to be reported.---Adjourned.

HOUSE OF LORDS.
Friday, July 14.

On the further reading of the General Inclofure Bill, the Lord Chancellor fpoke at confiderable length, and after pointing out various objections to the principle and claufes of the Bill, he moved that it be rejected. The Bill was rejected accordingly.

SURGEON'S CORPORATION BILL.

On the Order of the Day for the third reading of the Bill for incorporating the Corporation of Surgeons into a college, counfel was ordered to be called in, and Mr. Plomer and Mr. Randal Jackfon were heard on behalf of Petitioners (Members of the Corporation) against the Bill, and concluded by requesting, in their name, that their Lordship's would confent to poftpone the confideration of the Bill to another feflion.

Mr. Warren, Counfel for the Bill, proceeding to reply, obferved, that the Learned Gentlemen who were against it had entered into much extraneous matter.

The Bishop of Rochefter expreffed his with that the Counfel would confine himfelf to the two principal objections made. against the Bill, namely; 1. with respect to the dominion of the college; and, 2. with regard to the penalty of rol. on perfons practifing within ten miles of London, without a licence from the college.

Mr. Warren accordingly made fome fhort obfervations on thefe two objections, and maintained that the reafons urged in favour of them were unfounded.

Mr. Plomer made a very able reply, when the question on the third reading of the Bill was deferred to Monday the 17th

inftant.

Adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

Friday, July 14.

Cuftoms Duty, Lottery, Bank Forgery, Eaft India Trade, Exchequer Bills, Militia Subalterns, and Clocks Duty Bill, were read a third time and paffed.

The Houfe in Committees, went through the Scotch Notes, Confolidated Fund, Stamp Regulation, Cavalry, Riding-norfe Duty, and Scotch Election Bills.

The Male Servants Duty, and Eaft India Courts Bills were repealed.

Some regulations were made concerning the mode in which the London Wet Dock Bill fhould be prefented next feffion.

INDIA BUDGET.

The House refolved itielf into a Committee of the whole Houfe to confider the Finances of India, and the feveral documents upon that fubject were referred to the faid Committee.

Mr. Secretary Dundas ftated, that although the Finances of India were of a very extenfive and complicated nature, he should not waste much time in their difcuffion, because the difficulties which exifted formerly were now removed. Heretofore the accounts of fome of the fettlements were imperfect and confufed, but by fome prudent and neceflary regulations which he had eftablifhed, they had of late years been reduced, he believed, to a tolerable ftate of accuracy and precifion. The accompts which he was then about to fubmit to the Committee had been made out to the latest poffi le period, and fo far as related to the explanation of their statements, he propofed to follow the fame plan which he had hitherto adopted, excepting that he meant to confine himself merely to their refult, and not to enter fo particularly as he had done into their detail. He left other Gentlemen, however, to make what obfervations, and propofe what queft ons they thought proper. The papers were upon the Table to refer to, if his statements fhould be incorrect; and whenever any difficulty fhould arife he would readily endeavour to remove it. Having prefaced thus much, he thought it furthermore neceffary to add, that he first intended to bring forward the results of the accompts applicable to cach fettlement feparately, and then a general view of them combined. After that he fhould proceed to an examination of the Houfe accompts, and finally, fhew the flourishing state of the Company's finances, by giving a comparifon of the accompts prefented this year with the estimate on which the arrangement of 1793 was formed. The abitract of each statement would, as ufual, confift of three divifions; the firft, containing the account of the Average Revenue of the three last years; the fecond, a comparifon of the Eftimate and actual Amount of the Revenue and the Charges during the last year; and the third, an Eftimate of Charges and Revenues for the prefent year. Having faid thus much for elucidation, he proceeded to the following detail : 10 G BENGAL.

No. 46.