THE

ON AVARICE.

HE covetous man is the most constant lover in the world, but most unfortunate in the choice of his mistress, because she never giveth him content; and most unhappy in his love, because he is ever jealous lest others should partake in the free enjoyment of her; but in case he sees any prospect of gain thereby, any man may have the use of her for a time. His love appears many ways, but chiefly in this, that he starves himself to feed her. Her beauty and true proportion never afford him delight, for he is much better pleased with her when she is grown to a monster. He generally hates all those that are in want, but especially his poor children and relations, neither can he endure that any one should shew them kindness, because that puts him in mind of his duty, which he is resolved that way never to perform.-He will at no time be guilty of the sin of Ananias and Saphira, for no man can truly accuse him that ever he promised to part with a single farthing towards the relief of his neighbour and because he likes not the advice of the apostle in this particular, he is fully determined not to follow their precepts in any thing. He is also a great dissembler, and a most notorious liar, for he ever seems willing to grant the borrower's request, but in excuse always pretends poverty. He is in continual fear of thieves; and housekeeping he looks upon as the greatest piece of extravagance imaginable—he shuns it on all occasions. The word Building, is as fearful to him as the word Stand, on the highway. He will never spend a farthing in repairs, till he be in danger of perishing under the ruins of a rotten house; for he holds it a sin to kill a quick and growing stock by burying it in a dead pile. He accounts simony no crime, but rather thinks it an absurd thing to bestow any thing upon those men that never speak well of him. Though old age creeps fast upon him, he is never desirous to make his will; either because he is unwilling to die, or because these words, I give and bequeath, would prove mortal to him.-Thus is he killed at last, with an item, that all his life-time only took pleasure in his items of receipts, and summed up to a farthing. But because his disbursements do not agree with the same, his account is yet to make.

A

THE HANDSOME MAN AND UGLY WIFE:

AN ORIENTAL APOLOGUE: BY WILLIAM BELOE, F. S. A.' YOUNG man remarkable for his beauty and elegance of person, was married to a woman exceedingly deformed and ugly one evening as they were sitting together, My dear," said he, "I congratulate you, I am the messenger of good news; you and I are certainly to be in Paradise." May God," said the woman, always make you the messenger of good news, but what is the occa"sion of your present warm address to me?" "Why," returned the husband, "I shall certainly go to Paradise. It was my lot to "have such a woman as you for my wife, I have borne it patiently:

you will also go to Paradise, because I was given you, and you are "thankful; now God himself has said by Mahomet, that the patient " and thankful are to be blessed in Paradise."

PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS.

HOUSE OF LORDS, MARCH 5.

HE Royal Assent was given by commission to the Bill for Manning the

Taoyal A Manit Wand Marine Mutiny Bills; together with three more

public, and ten private bills.

13. The Order of the Day being read, that the Bill for raising a Loan of eighteen millions be read a second time,

The Earl of Lauderdale said, that it was understood, that the loan proposed to be granted to the Emperor should be discussed at the same time as the loan for Great Britain. Their lordships were well aware, that the speculation of this Austrian Loan had given rise to much gambling. It was therefore proper, that it should be as speedily as possible ascertained, whether this loan was to take place or not. It had been held out, that, without granting a pecuniary assistance to the Emperor, we would not be able to open the next campaign with brilliancy or effect. It was therefore of consequence to know whether we were indeed to have the advantage of his co-operation. In this critical situation of the country, when one misfortune was treading upon the heels of another, and when every day added something to the gloominess of the prospect, it was material to know what was our ground of hope from fresh measures, and what was the quarter on which we could depend for assistance. This being the case, he should take the liberty to ask the Noble Secretary, whom he saw in his place, whether or not the loan was to be granted to the Emperor, and whether we were to expect the benefit of his co-operation in the next campaign.

Lord Grenville said, that formerly the loan had come before the House in consequence of a message from his Majesty. In that message his Majesty informed them that as soon as the arrangements with the Emperor were finally settled, he should take the earliest opportunity of communicating them to the House. That communication he had not yet been authorised to make, and in this situation he did not conceive himself bound to reply farther to the questions of the Noble Lord.

The Earl of Lauderdale said, that from this he was to understand that the arrangements with the Emperor were not yet finally settled. This being the case, he called upon the House and the public to reflect in what situation the country was placed, when at a period so near the commencement of the campaign, we were ignorant whether we were to have any co-operation, or what were the means by which we were to carry it on.

The Loan Bill was read a second time.

On the question, That the Wine Bill be read a second time,

The Earl of Lauderdale objected to the early period at which the duty was to commence, as oppressive and unprecedented.

Lord Grenville made a short reply, after which the bill was read a second time, as were also the Bills granting additional duties on Teas, Spirits, &c.

16. The Royal Assent was given by commission to sixteen public and private bills, among which were those for raising an additional duty on foreign wines and spirits, tea, coffee, cocoa, &c.

26. The two Bills for empowering his Majesty to raise a certain sum on the security of Exchequer Bills, the Bill for granting certain additional duties on the Customs, and the National Debt Bill, were read a third time and passed.

Lord Grenville delivered a Message from his Majesty, which was read by the Lord Chancellor, to the following effect:-That his Majesty, relying on the zeal and faithful support of the House of Lords, in a vigorous prosecution of the war in which he is engaged, hopes that he will have the concurrence of the House in enabling his Majesty to defray any extraordinary expences which may be incurVOL. IV. M m

red for the service of the present year, and to take such measures as the exigencies of the case may require.

It was ordered, on the motion of Lord Grenville, that his Majesty's Message be taken into consideration on the morrow, and that their Lordships be summoned.

27. The Royal Assent was given by commission to eight public and eight private bills.

The Order of the Day was read for summoning their Lordships to take into consideration his Majesty's Message; which being read, Lord Grenville moved an Address to his Majesty, thanking him for his gracious communication, and expressing the determination of their Lordships to concur in making a suitable provision for the extraordinary expences that might be incurred in the prosecution of the present just and necessary war, and to take such other measures as the exigencies of the times might require.

The Earl of Lauderdale objected to the terms in which the Address was conceived.

Lord Caernarvon said a few words in support of it. Lord Grenville replied. The Duke of Norfolk said, that he could have wished to know the particular sum intended to be granted to his Majesty, and whether the provision to be made on the marriage of the Prince of Wales, was to be included in the sum to be granted.

Lord Grenville replied, that it would ill become him to anticipate any determination of Parliament.

The Address was agreed to, and ordered to be presented to his Majesty.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

March 2. Sir William Pultney moved, "That at the time appointed to ballot for a Committee to take into consideration the elections or returns of Members of Parliament, when the Serjeant at Arms shall be sent to the Members, all proceedings of other Committees shall be suspended till after the ballot shall be effected. Ordered.

The Bill for carrying the Loan of 18,000,000l. into effect, was read a first time.

In a Committee of Supply Mr. Pitt proposed, that 1,863,00l. be granted towards funding Navy Bills; as also the sum due to the Landgrave of HesseCassel, and to the executors of Mr. Oswald. Agreed to.

Sir Thomas Gascoign, for Arundel, took the oaths and his seat.

The Order of the Day being moved for the second reading of the Bill imposing additional duties on Wines, Mr. Alderman Anderson said, he held in his hand a Petition from several Wine Merchants, complaining of the period at which the act was intended to be put in execution, and praying that the operation of the Bill might be deferred to the day on which the bill received the Royal Assent. The Alderman stated, that the petitioners did not object to the principle of the bill, they only wished that the ordinary course should be observed with respect to this bill; and that it might not have a retrospective view; he therefore conceived there could be no objection to the petition being brought up, and moved accordingly.

The Speaker informed the House that a petition against a tax bill could not be received in the same session of its introduction. He would not, however, assert that cases had not occurred in which the House had not refused to receive such petitions, and if the worthy magistrate would consent to withdraw his motion till to-morrow, he would avail himself of the interval to search for precedents, and impart to the House the result of his researches on this subject.

Mr. Rose observed, that the proceedings complained of in this petition were by no means unprecedented. When the duties on wines were reduced, the same

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course was adopted, and the dealers could not have been taken unawares, as notice had previously been given by the officers when they took stock.

Mr. Grey was of opinion that the petition was perfectly regular. It was, he said, presented against the regulations, and not against the principle of the bill, He remarked, that the tea dealers were differently treated, as the duty on their articles did not commence till after the next East India Company's sale.

M Alderman Anderson, with the consent of the House, withdrew the petition. 4. The Hon. Richard Ryder, for Tiverton, was introduced and sworn. Mr. Alderman Anderson again moved to have the petition which he presented the preceding day received.

The Speaker informed the House, that he had searched for precedents on the subject, and found that, since the year 1711, it had been the uniform practice of the House not to receive any petition against a tax bill; and there was a case in point: in 1760 the brewers presented a petition against a malt bill, which was rejected nemine contradicente.

The question was then put, That the petition be received, which was negatived without a division.

Mr. Alderman Anderson hoped, notwithstanding the rejection of the petition, that the prayer of it might be attended to when the Wine Tax Bill should come into a committee.

5. Mr. Pitt moved the commitment of the Wine Duty Bill. The House accordingly resolved itself into a committee. When Mr. Pitt proposed that the new duty should attach on the stock in hand from and after the 23d of February last, Mr. Alderman Anderson moved as an amendment, that the duty should not attach till the bill should become law; on which the House divided, for the amendment 30, against it 70. The bill then went through the committee, and was ordered to be reported the next day.

The Secretary at War moved for the appointment of a committee to take into consideration the amount of the expences that would be incurred by making a provision for Subaltern Officers in the Militia in time of peace, which, after some opposition from Gen. Tarleton, was agreed to, and the Committee appointed.

The House resolved itself into a committee on the Bill for furnishing an additional number of Seamen for the Royal Navy. Mr. Pitt called to the recol lection of the House, that his Majesty had judged it expedient to lay an embargo on all shipping throughout the kingdom, until a certain number of men were provided. It was now proposed that the embargo should be partial, and that as soon as any port had furnished the number of men proportionate to its trade, and other local circumstances, the embargo should be taken off, and the vessels suffered to proceed on their respective voyages. This regulation had been adopted on the suggestion of a large majority of the masters and ship-owners, as being more convenient for the purposes of trade, and more beneficial to the general interests of the country. After some conversation, the House was resumed, and the report of the committee ordered to be received.

6. The Wine Duty Bill was reported, ordered to be engrossed, and to be read a third time on Monday. The duty to commence from the 23d of February; and if any sold since that time at the old price, the wine merchant authorized to require the additional duty of his customer.

The Franking Bill was presented, read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time on Monday.

Alderman Curtis contended for a greater extension of the privilege than allowed by the Bill.

Mr. Burton wished there was a spirit in the House to give up the privilege at

once.

Sir Watkin Lewes moved for leave to bring in a Bill to regulate the Militia of the City of London. In the absence of Mr. Sheridan, he contented himself with stating, that the difference between this bill and that of last year was, that the men were to be raised by assessment instead of ballot. This, and a few other

alterations, would, he said, render the measure perfectly agreeable to his fellowcitizens.

Leave was given, and a committee appointed to propose and bring in the

same.

9. On the motion, That the Wine Duty Bill be read a third time, General Tarleton produced a letter from his constituents, complaining of the great hardships to which they would be exposed by the operation of this new tax, especially from the unexpected date of its commencing. He adduced several instances to prove the grievances complained of; and also contended that the new duty would bear peculiarly hard on other descriptions of persons, namely, on the subaltern officers of the army, and persons who purchased wine several months ago, and for convenience were obliged to keep them in licensed cellars. He contended that the tax would operate as a post facto law, and as a kind of requisition. He would therefore propose, that the 23d of March be substituted in place of the 23d of February.

Sir W. Milner seconded the motion, and adduced other examples to corroborate its necessity.

Mr. Pitt opposed it; upon which the motion was negatived without a division. Mr. Pitt then moved a rider to the bill in favour of admirals, captains, and other officers of the navy. Ordered to make part of the bill.

In consequence of a motion made on the 26th of February by Mr. W. Dundas, relative to the delay of a writ for a member to serve in Parliament for the Stewarty of Kirkcudbright, the Speaker read a letter from Lord Garlies, adducing the reasons, and offering apologies for the delay. His lordship, on motion, was ordered to attend in the House on that day se'nnight.

Mr. Pitt brought in a Bill for rendering more effectual an act passed in the present session, for raising a number of men throughout the country to increase his Majesty's naval forces. The object of it was to continue in office all churchwardens and parish overseers till the object of the bill was accomplished.

In the committee on the Customs Duty Bill, Mr. Pitt moved that timber of small dimensions, such as was used in building cottages, &c. and such as was imported from Norway, not exceeding ten inches square, be exempted from the operation of that bill, which, after some observation, was agreed to.

Mr. Alderman Anderson proposed, as a rider to the Ship Owners Bill, that no place of rendezvous be opened for the entering of seamen within the county of the city of London. Agreed to.

The Franking Bill being read a second time, Mr. Wilbraham suggested a regulation, that in his mind would answer the object of the bill, viz. the establishing a Sunday post from London, which he imagined would tend more effectually to increase the revenue.

A conversation took place on the proposed clauses of the bill, which was put an end to by the Speaker saying, the committee would be the proper stage to propose such suggestions.

10. General Smith rose to discharge the order of the day for a motion relative to the memorials of officers serving in the East Indies. He said, the motion related to a subject of great importance, involving the rights and interests of the whole Indian army of at least 65,000 men. Of these 16,000 were commissioned officers, not one of which, under the present establishment, could attain a higher rank than that of colonel; whereas our army at home was almost an army of generals, no less than 280 appearing on the list. This limitation of rank in the Indian service he represented as a great injury to the officers, and after reading various extracts from the petition of the Company's officers to the Directors, he concluded by the following resolutions :

1. That it is the opinion of this House, that the military officers of the East India Company do now, and have for a long while, laboured under great and unmerited grievances.

2. That they have conducted themselves on every occasion, so as to deserve the approbation and protection of the House,