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But was he, becaufe he differed in opinion with another perfon, to deferve the apellation of a flave? Such language would not, he was convinced, have been ufed by the Noble Duke in private life, and he thought should not have been used in public debate. Their Lordfhips ought not to have heard it. The Duke of Bedford faid, that in the obfervations he had made on the countenance given to the carcer of Ministers by that Houfe, he addrefied no perfonality to any particular Lord,. but he felt it to be his duty to deplote an acquiefcence that could not be juftified by reafon, and that was fo fatal to the country. He referred again to the evidence of Mr. Giles, Mr Kaikes, and Mr. Bofanquet, to fhew that they clearly understood the Chancellor of the Exchequer, that neither Loan nor advances were to be made to the Emperor without their previous knowledge, and he reafferted that for the whole of the laft two years the declarations that they made, and the warnings they gave the Chancellor of the Exchequer, ought to have determined him from the drain of Cafh from the Bank, which had brought on the calamity of the ftoppage of payments.

Lord Grenville faid, that at that late hour of the night he fhould not trespass much upon the attention of their Lordships, particularly after the very full and fatisfactory reply that had been given to the arguments of the Noble Duke. With refpect to the arguments which the Noble Duke had drawn from. the evidence, they appeared to him wholly inconclufive. He had contended, becaufe Mr. Raikes did not contradict fome of the evidence given by Mr. Giles, that, therefore, the other part of that Gentleman's evidence was to be invalidated, though he had given it deliberately, and with his mind fully drawn to the fubject. The Noble Duke feemed to be very much in the habit of confidering nothing as true, that was not true when carried to the utmoft extent, and therefore had contended, that the caufe affigned in the Order of Council as leading to the run upon the Bank, could not be true, becaufe it was poffible that fome other caufes might tend in a flight degree to the fame conLequence. But if their Lordship's confidered the fubject ma turely, it was impoflible that the Noble Duke was correct in his argument, when he afferted, that the remittances to the Emperor were the caufe of this drain upon the Bank. A Noble Earl (Liverpool) had stated very truly, that the circulating cafh of this country amounted to upwards of thirty millions; the whole quantity of paper might, at the very low calculation, be taken at twice that fum, fo that the whole circulation of the country amounted to above one hundred millions; was it then poffible to fuppofe that remittances to the Emperor to the amount of nine hundred and fixty thousand pounds, could have fuch an effect

effect upon a circulation of one hundred millions? But what was decifive upon the subject was, that when thefe remittances began, the exchange was only not against this country, but during their continuance it turned decidedly in our favour. Much had been faid upon the minutes of the converfation which paffed between the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Bank Directors.

With refpect to thefe minutes, he begged to fay, that it did not appear to him fair to take in evidence minutes of a converfation, when thofe minutes were in fome cafes not taken till a day after the converfation took place. But even upon these minutes, the construction of the Noble Duke could not be maintained.--Noble Lords had talked of Government having the direction of the Bank; but if their arguments were founded, the Bank would have the direction of the Government. It was impoffible to fuppofe that the Chancellor of the Exchequer could mean to give a promise to the Bank Directors, that he did not mean to make any remittance at all without their confent. Such a promise would be wholly inconfiftent with his public duty. Indeed, the Bank could not have understood him as meaning any fuch thing, or they would afterwards, when they fufpected that private remittances were making, have charged the Chancellor of the Exchequer with a breach of his promife. He would not detain their Lordships longer upon this fubject; he had intended to make fome obfervations upon the language which the Noble Duke had thought proper to make ufe of; but much of what he had intended to fay was anticipated by the fevere reproof which that Noble Duke had already received. Whether the language which the Noble Duke had thought proper to employ was calculated for his audiences in Palace-yard, he did not know; but he was fure it ought not to be used in that House. This was the first time that a Peer had accused a Committee of their Lordships of making a wilful mif-statement in a Report; and when fuch a change was made without the leaft fupport in fact, the Noble Duke fhould recollect, that thefe expreffions must recoil upon himself; though, perhaps, other Noble Lords would feel their own dignity, and that of the affembly they were addreffing, to retort his language upon him. It was, in fact, a perfumptuous affertion that all the talants, integrity, virtue, independent fpirit, and patriotism of Parliament, and the country, was centred in and confined to the very small body of fifty or fixty perfons, with whom his Grace was connected, and who alone had oppofed the reft of the kingdom in the measures of his Majefty's Government though the present war; and if the fame monopoly of virtue and talent No. 36.

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was confined to the few who agreed with the Noble Duke out of doors, the country must be in a deplorable ftate indeed. The Duke of Bedford faid, he did not feel that the Noble Lord, who had juft fat down, had reproved him feverely. As long as he existed, he should deliver his opinions clearly, without being in the smallest degree intimidated or deterred by mifre prefentation. He never did prefume that there was no virtue in the House; he believed, on the contrary, that there was; he believed too that there was a great deal in the House of Commons, but if he were to take, as the criterion to judge by, the support that had been given to the measures of Adminiftration, he then should be inclined to think that there was a deficiency of virtue in the country.

The Earl of Guildford made a fhort reply to Lord Grenville. The queftion was now called for, and the first Resolution moved by the Duke of Bedford was negative without a divifion Adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
Monday, May 15.

MAIDSTONE ELECTION.

Mr. Sylvefter Douglas brought up the Report of the Commit. tee appointed to try the merits of a Petition against the Election for the Borough of Maidstone. The Report was, that the Committee had decided Major General de Lancy to have been duly elected; the Petition of the Mayor and Freemen not frivolous or vexatious, and the oppofition to the fame not frivolous or vexatious.

AFTERNOON LECTURES.

Mr. Lufhington brought up a Petition for leave to present a Petition on behalf of the Lecturers in London, Westminster, and the Bills of Mortality: it stated, that owing to a mistake, they had fuffered the period to elapfe for prefenting their Pe

tition.

After fome obfervations from the Speaker, expreffive of his own perfonal knowledge of the truth of their allegation that the delay had arisen from overfight, the Petition was brought up: it complained of the hardships under which they laboured, in confequence of their being fupported by voluntary contributions, a mode of remuneration not only degrading to their facred functions, but precarious in its amount, and therefore prayed a permanent establishment, to be defrayed after the manner of parochial impofitions.

The petition being read, was moved to be referred to a Committee.

Mr. Baker inquired more particularly as to the nature of the

petition

petition, and how far a Bill, in compliance with it, would operate as an additional burden on the country.

Mr. Lushington faid, the Bill would extend only within the Bills of Mortality; the petition did not pray for any increased contribution, but a ftipend, which fhould be certain, by being payable out of particular rates.

Mr. Mainwaring said, if it was intended to come out of the poor's rates he should certainly be against it. He thought it would be impofing a tax the people were ftrangers to, and had no right to pay.

Mr. Lufhington recommended the petition to be referred.

Mr. Wilberforce faid, he was difpofed to favour the object of the petition.

The fame was referred.

EAST INDIA COMPANY'S OATH BILL.

Mr. Metcalf moved the Order of the Day for the fecond reading of the Bill to empower the Directors of the Eaft India Company to adminifter certain oaths to owners and commanders of fhips, &c. in their fervice.

Mr. H. Browne oppofed the principle of the Bill, upon the general ground of impolicy, in multiplying oaths unneceffarily, &c.

As did alfo Mr. Wilberforce and Sir Richard Hill.

Mr. Fox faid, he had fometimes entertained the thought of offering to Parliament fome general regulation upon the subject of multiplying oaths. He thought that no man ought to be made to take an oath, unless where the taking of a false one were attended with a penalty.

The question for reading the Bill was now put and negatived on the Motion of Mr. H. Browne, and was ordered to be read a fecond time this day four months.

SLAVE TRADE.

Mr. Wilberforce faid, that as the fubject to which he now wifhed to call the attention of the House, had been so often difcuffed, it would not be neceffary for him to take up much of their time. If he could but bring the Houfe to a recollection of those principles which they once profeffed, and of the duty which it owed itself, his object would be accomplished; but he was forry to say that the Houfe feemed wholly to neglect the obliga tions they had entered into. There was a time when the House felt much upon this fubject; but it was fingular, that in proportion as their judgment became more convinced of the propriety of the Abolition, in the fame degree they feemed careless about the event. It was not denied that the Slave Trade could only exift upon a violation of every principle of humanity and justice, and that it retained one third of the globe in ignorance and bar

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barity. All this was admitted; yet, when Parliament was called. upon to redrefs it, they fuffered themfelves to be fwayed by mercantile confiderations. They agreed to abolish it at a certain period, yet when that period came they retracted their refolution. These confiderations, he hoped, would have due influence on those who wished to preferve the character and dignity of Parliament. The object he had in view was, to give effect to that measure which the House had voted previous to the Recefs. Gentlemen must be convinced that all attempts at internal regulations in the colonies must be fruitles, while the Planters had an intereft in violating them. The oppofite course should then be adopted, and the Planters fhould be taught that it was their intereft to obferve them, which could only be effected by an Abolition of the Slave Trade.

Mr. Wilberforce then went curforily through the general topics against the Slave Trade; which, as they have been fo often repeated, and fo fully detailed, we forbear now to report at length. He concluded by moving, "That leave be given to "bring in a Bill for the Abolition of the African Slave Trade, "at a time to be limited, and that the Houfe do now resolve it"felf into a Committee of the whole House to consider of the "faid Motion."

Mr. Ellis faid, that after the Addrefs to the King, which had been voted by the House fo lately, on a Motion made by him for promoting internal regulations refpecting the Slaves in the different Inlands, the granting the prefent Motion would imply an avowed diftruft and fufpicion of his Majefty, and his fervants difpofition to comply with that Addrefs; and that without the ftatement of a fingle ground. If that measure had been furreptitiously carried through the House, there might be fome colourable pretext for the prefent Motion; but having been carried after full difcuffion, to affent to the present Motion would be fuch inconfiftency, as the dignity of the Houfe fhould avoid. He faid, the Honourable Gentleman could not poffibly, upon his own fhewing, look forward with any hope of having his plan, if acceded to by the Houfe, carried into execution: for he himfelf had infifted that the Planters were fo adverse to it from selfintereft, and the officers of the Army and Navy from corrupt prejudices, and a relaxation of moral principles occafioned by their refidence in the Weft Indies, that both the one and the other were incompetent to judge of, or carry into effect, such a meafure; those people, therefore, would of course be warm and zealous opposers of the execution of any law to that effect. He thought it rather extraordinary, that in the Hon. Gentleman's animation on this his favourite project, it had never ocurred to him to pay a visit to the Weft Indies, and be himself an eye

witness

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