answer the purposes of national expedience. At the time the loan will be propofed, the quantity in the market will probably be 25,000,0001, and the effect of this enormous quantity, if continued, muft neceffarily be greatly to reduce their value. It thould be recollected, faid the hon. Member, that last year, when the financial negociations were commenced, we had only 20 millions in Exchequer bills, and we fhould paufe before we departed from the eftablished maxims of ftate policy which had been hitherto regarded with fo much advantage. It was the more wife at this time to economize the pecuniary refources, as we might be led into a prodigious expenditure. We may be conftrained to call out the volunteer force, and to fupport, in confequence, the expence of this immenfe military body. No lets a fum than 16 millions is to be raised between the present time and the 5th of April next. Another motive for the prefetence of a large loan to a fmall one, to excufe the itiue of Exchequer bills, is, that the loyalty loan is to be provided for. If the amount of Exchequer bills were to be fo extravagantly increafed, we could not rely upon this refource for that and fimilar emergencies; and next year, if the Minifter proceeded as he had done, we fhould have to fund, for Exchequer bills in addition to the periodical loan the neceffities of the ftate will require. Exchequer bills are now, and have been for the laft month, at a discount. He withed, that instead of eight millions in this way, only three millions fhould be iffued. It would, perhaps, be faid that the iffue of Exchequer bills is not now greater than at some former periods. Looking, however, at the four laft budgets, the quantity was never fo burthenfome as at prefent in that' interval. It was true, that under the former Adminiftration they had been extended to 36 millions; but the impolicy was foon difcovered, and as foon as poffible the diminution was effected. On every view of the cafe he could not difcern any reafon why the loan might not in the prefent inftance be increafed, and the bills diminifhed five millions. If there was a plaufible objection, it was, that the public had been led to expect the approaching loan fhould not exceed 16 millions; but he was confident the right hon. Gentleman would not barter away the fubftan-tial interefts of the country to avoid difappointing this expectation. He was fure the Chancellor of the Exchequer had the benefit of the ftate neareil his heart, and would be equally difpofed to.facrifice private feeling or popular applaufe to promote it.

M›.

Mr. Vanfittart agreed in the general principle, that an exceffive illue of Exchequer bills would be injurious to the country, but denied that that was the cafe in the prefent inftance. There were no bills outftanding of an earlier date than April 1:03, and from the quantity difcharged, the market required a new iffue. Thofe now outstanding would be materially diminished this year, and as the whole expenditure of the year was to be provided for by the ways and means of the year, without including Exchequer bills, a large amount of them would be paid off in the courfe of the year, and the quantity in the market, at any period, would never exceed the quantity at any former correfponding period.

Mr. Johnstone tated, that, from an attentive inveftigation of the price current, he had found that Exchequer bills had been at a discount of one per cent. from 1ft January to the prefent time.

Mr. Dent alfo afferted that they were at a discount.

Mr. Vanfittart and the Chancellor of the Exchequer explained, that the bills that had been at a discount were only thofe that bore an intereft of three-pence a day; none of thofe iffued by the prefent Government bearing an intereft of 34d. a day, were at a discount.

The refolutions were agreed to, as well as thofe refpecting the pay and clothing of the militia, and the allowance to militia officers. Bills were ordered accordingly.

CATHOLICS IN THE IRISH MILITIA.

his vote

Mr. Dillon faid, he was not aware when he gave in favour of the Irith militia offers bill, that the Roman Catholics in the Irifh militia, as foon as they came over here, would be fubject to the penalties of the statute of Geo. I. He wished to know, whether the right hon. Gentleman oppofite had provided any remedy for fuch Roman Catholic militiamen, against thofe penalties. If not, he thould, on an early day, submit a motion to the Houfe on the fubject.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer replied, that the hon. Gentleman might have answered his own queftion. He could not have provided any remedy, but by a legislative meafure, of which the hon. Gentleman would have been aware, if it had been brought forward. He had only to obferve, that there was nothing applicable to the Irish militia, which was not equally applicable to the Irish Catholics in

the

the regiments of the line, nor had they any thing more to apprehend.

Mr. Kinnaird moved, that there be laid before the Houfe anaccount of the dates of all difpatches fent out by the Secret Committee of the Eaft-India Company, to the different prefidencies in India, from the 8th March, the day of his Majefty's meffage, till the rupture with France. Ordered.

Mr. Kinnaird gave notice, that on Monday he thould move an humble addrefs to his Majefty, praying that his Majefty would be graciously pleased to order to be laid before the Houfe, a lift of all officers on the half-pay.

Adjourned till Monday.

HOUSE OF LORD S.

MONDAY, APRIL 23.

Counsel was heard in the caufe Hunter. Lord Kinnoul, which was ordered to be proceeded in on Thursday.

The Irish linen manufactory bill, and feveral private bills, were brought up from the Commons.

The Irith militia augmentation bill went through a Committee, and was ordered to be read a third time the next day.

The other bills on the table were forwarded in their feveral stages.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

MONDAY, APRIL 23.

Lord Marsham, Chaiman of the Committee on the Middlefex election, reported, that Benjamin Weal, ordered to be taken into cuftody for di obedience to a fummons of the faid Committee, had appeared before the Committee and given his evidence. The faid Weal was, on petition, ordered to be brought up the next day to be discharged.

Lord Henry Petty reported from the Committee on the Ilchefter election, that Mr. John Manners was duly elected, and that the petition of Mr. Ogle was frivolous and vexa

tious.

Mr. Dillon gave notice of his intention to move, on Monday next, for leave to bring in a bill to exempt Catholics

ferving

ferving in the Irish militia, from the pains and penalties of the ftatute of George the First.

Mr. Charles Dundas prefented a petition for leave to bring in a bill for defraying the expences of profecutions out of the county rates in England and Wales. The petition was referred to a Committee.

Mr. Corry ftated, that a loan of a million and a quarter had been contracted for in Ireland, and gave notice that he fhould fubmit a motion with refpect to it in the Committee of Supply on Wednesday.

Mr. Corry brought in a bill for continuing certain acts relating to the duties in Ireland. Read a first time, and ordered to be read a fecond time the next day.

On the motion of Mr. Secretary Yorke, the amendments of the Lords in the volunteer bill were, according to the precedent on the militia bill in 1757, referred to a felect Committee to report thereon to the House as it should appear to them to be right.

Mr. Alexander brought in bills for defraying the charges of the pay, clothing, and allowances of the British and Irith militia, and raifing the fums of 8,000,000l. and 1,500,000l. on Exchequer bills; which were all read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time the next day.

On the motion of Mr. Secretary Yorke, the House went into a Committee on the militia officers bill. The report was ordered to be received the next day.

On the motion of Mr. Sheridan, the confideration of the petition, relating to the right of voting in the borough of Lifkeard, was deferred from the next day till Thursday.

Mr. Kinnaird moved, that an humble addrefs be prefented to his Majefty, praying that his Majesty may give directions, that there be laid before the Houfe a lift of half-pay officers, diftinguishing the ranks, and ftating thofe that were on the staff, thofe that were unemployed, and those that were unfit for service. The object of the motion was to ground on it a motion for allowing full pay to fuch officers of the half pay as were engaged in the volunteer fervice.

The Secretary at War agreed to the addrefs, but wifhed to be understood not to pledge himself to the motion with which the hon. Gentleman meant to follow up the lift when produced.,

DEFENCE OF THE NATION.

Mr. Fox-I am afraid, Sir, that I fhall find it neceffary VOL. II. 1803-4.

4 A

10

to make fome preliminary obfervations before I proceed to ftate my motion to the Houfe on the military defence of the country. Thofe preliminary obfervations are rendered neceffary by the conftruction which has been put by many perfons on the zeal which has been manifefted by the people in fupport of the war. That great zeal has undoubtedly been manifefled by all defcriptions of perfons, is a truth which I have much pleasure to obferve; but the attempt to conftrue this zeal into an approbation of the principle of the war itself, or of the conduct of his Majefty's Ministers in involving the country in that war, is what I will not permit to pass unobserved, for it is not a fair construction, nor can it be fupported by any fair reafoning or found deduction. The zeal which has been difplayed by the people of England is most honourable to their feelings; it does not fpring from any approbation of the war, much less from any approbation of the measures of Government, but that motive which will ever be infeparable from the breast of Englishmen-a determined refolution to refift the menaces of a foreign enemy. Their zeal has been displayed in the maintenance of all that is dear to them, in the defence of their country against the threats of invafion, and in the fupport of its glory, and may in truth be termed a zeal fhewn in felf-defence. It is not a proof that they either confider the war as originally neceffary, or that they approve of the fpirit and temper of thofe negociations by which it was brought on. I, in common with every one of my fellow fubjects, partake of the zeal which I have defcribed, and I know that that fpecies of zeal is not fingular to myself. However unwifely, however unneceffarily we plunged in the war, that war was immediately followed by the threat of invafion, and the country was brought into the most imminent danger, according to the belief of all ranks of people, by the formidable preparations of the enemy. In that cafe is it poffible for any man to interpret the zeal which burst forth into any other motive than that of felf-defence? The coun-. try at large ftood forward to protect them felves and families against the danger, whatever might be the caufe from which it fprung. If this fort of zeal is to be argued upon as a proof of the popularity of the war, or if Minifters are allowed to confider it as a proof of the approbation of their measures, then we may fairly fay that it is only neceffary for Government to plunge the nation in the greateft poffible danger, in wrder to obtain the univerfal fupport of the people. The

character