opening and fhutting the ports; and that ports; and that part of the table being read, which enacts, "That the ports fhould be opened for the importation of foreign corn, when the price of British corn fhall amount to 48s. or upwards. Mr. Powys objected to the admiffion of foreign wheat until the produce of this country fhould be at the average price of 52s, instead of 48s. The prefent bill was founded unfortunate ly upon the corn bill of 1773, which repealed the corn laws that had exifted for upwards of a century before, and under which old laws the trade had flourished; but fince the repeal of them by the act of 1773, the principle of which was followed in the prefent bill, that trade had been deftroyed, and we were now become a corn-importing, instead of a corn-exporting country. Mr. Ryder remarked, that it would be imcompetent for the honourable gentleman to move his amendment in the prefent Committee; the only mode which could, at that time, receive an adoption, must be a motion to negative the whole table. Mr. Powys contended, that it was the fame thing, as the Committee perfectly understood his object. He moved to have the table omitted. But the motion was negatived. Friday, 8th April. The petition of certain houfe-keepers of London and Westminster, refpecting the characters of fervants was referred to the confideration of a Committe. Mr. Minchin rose, and begged leave to prefs upon the attention of the houfe, that a very confiderable fum of mony was paid for hemp to foreign nations, who, fo far from being upon a friendly footing with this country, had at prefent rather given us cause to regard them in a conttary point of view. Befides, it was in the power of thofe nations, on whom we depended for a fupply of the commodity, at any time, by cutting it off, most materially to injure the intereft of our manufactures. He propofed, therefore, that wafte lands which at prefent were ufelefs, fhould be improved for the purpose of culture of hemp, and that the owners of the lands fhould contribute a fum in proportion to the degree of advantage which they might derive from this improvement, in order to diminish the oppreffive burden of the poor's rates. Thus, a confiderable fum, which in one year, he stated to amount to not less than a million and a half, fent abroad for the purchase of hemp, would be faved to the coun try, the manufactures would benefited, and the country in part relieved from a moft enormous impofition. concluded with moving, "That a Committee be appointed to enquire into the ftate of the culture of hemp, in this country." He Mr. Wilberforce obferved, that he felt it neceffary to remind the House that they would foon have an opportunity of taking into confideration the whole merits of the most important question concerning the flave trade. In order to form a juft and correct judgment upon it, it would prove requifite not only for every Member of the Houfe to peruse the evidence which had been taken in the Select Committee up ftairs, but also to read the evidence given before the Privy Council. As the whole of this evidence was extremely voluminous, it would require great attention, before gentlemen could draw the just conclufions. Mr. Wilberforce added, that he meant at once to move for the entire and total abolition of the flave trade, without any other propofitions or refolutions on the subject. Mr. Chancellor Pitt begged leave to move a Select Committee, to enquire into the ftate of the public income and expenditure. As the words of the motion would fufficiently explain the nature of it, he need only propofe that that this Committee be appointed by ballot, in the fame manner as other Committees of the fame nature had been appointed on former occafions. The Speaker then read the words of the motion, the substance of which was, that the feveral public accounts, and other papers prefented to that Houfe, during the prefent feffion of Parliament, be referred to the confideration of a Select Committee; that they fhould confider and report the amount of the public income and expenditure during the last five years; and that the faid Committee be alfo directed to enquire what the public revenue and expenditure might be expected to be in future, and what alteration had taken place in the amount of the national debt fince the 5th of January, 1786. Mr. Fox rofe and objected to the appointment of a Select Committee by ballot; but this objection being anfwered by Mr. Chancellor Pitt, the Speaker put the question on the first motion: "That the feveral accounts, and other papers presented to this Houfe, in this feffion of Parliament, relative to the public income and expenditure, be referred to the confideration of a Select Committee, and that the faid Committee be directed to examine and state the fame, and also to report to the House what may be expected to be the annual amount of the faid income and expenditure in future," Mr. Chancellor Pitt next moved, "That the number of the faid Committee be nine. "That the faid Committee be chofen by balloting. "That the Members of this Houfe do on Monday next, at two o'clock, propofe lifts to be put into glaffes of nine perfons' names, to be of the said Committee." Thefe motions were carried. The order of the day for taking the report of the Quebec bill into farther confideration, having been read, Mr. Huffey begged leave to inform the Houfe, that he had a petition to prefent from a number of very ref pectable perfons againft the bill in queftion. They had conceived that it was likely to prove prejudicial to their trade. The petition was brought up and received. It contained the prayer of feveral merchants, warehousemen, and manufacturers of Quebec, that the bill might not pafs into a law, inafmuch as, after having duly weighed the confequences of it, they feared that it would be attended with great injury, particularly to their trade and commerce. The petition was ordered to lie on the table. The Speaker then put the question, "That this report be now taken into farther confideration." Mr. Huffey moved "That the bill be re-committed." Mr. Fox remarked, that the bill contained a variety of clauses, of the utmost importance, not only with refpect to the country to which they immediately related, but to Great Britain. Many of these claufes appeared to be very exceptionable, and fuch as he could by no means fubfcribe to. The bill proposed to give two Affemblies to the two provinces, and thus far it met with his approbation; but the number of perfons of whom thefe Affemblies were to confift, deferved particular attention. Although it might be perfectly true, that a country, three or four times as large as Great Britain, ought to have reprefentatives three or four times as numerous, yet it was not fit to say, that a fmall country fhould have an Affemby proportionably fmall. The great object in the inftitution of all popular Affemblies was, that the people fhould be fully and freely repre fented; and that the reprefentative body fhould have all the virtues and the vices incident to fuch Affemblies. But when they made an Affembly to confift of fixteen or thirty perfons, they seemed to him to give a free conftitution in appearance, when, in fact, they withheld it. In Great Britain we had a feptennial bill; but the goodness of it had been confidered doubtful, at leaft, even by many of thole who took a lead in the prefent bill. The right honourable gentle man (Mr. Pitt) had himfel fupported a vote for the repeal of that act. He did not now mean to difcufs its merits; but a main ground on which it had been thought defenfible was, that a general election in this country was attended with a variety of inconveniences. That general elections in Great Britain were attended with feveral inconveniences, could not be doubted; but when they came to a country fo different in all circumftances as Canada, and where elections, for many years at left, were not likely to be attended with the confequences which they dreaded, why they fhould make fuch Affem. blies not annual or triennial, but feptennial, was beyond his comprehenfion, A feptennial bill did not apply to many of the moft refpectable perfons in that country; they might be perfor engaged in trade, and if chofen reprefentatives for feven years, they might not be in a fituation to attend during all that period; their affairs might call them to England, or many other circumstances might arife, effectually to prevent them from attending the fervice of their country. But although it might be inconvenient for fuch perfons to attend fuch Affembly for the term of feven years, they might be able to give their attendance for one, or even for three years, without any danger or inconvenience to their commercial concerns, By a feptennial bill, the country of Canada might be deprived of many of the few reprefentatives that were allowed by the bill. If it should be faid, that this objection applied to Great Britain, he completely denied it; becaufe although there were perfons engaged in trade in the British House of Com mons, and many of them very worthy Members, yet they were comparative ly few; and therefore he should think that, from the fituation of Canada, annual or triennial parliaments would be much preferable to feptennial. Of the qualification of electors he felt it impoffible to approve. In England, a freehold of forty fhillings was fufficient, five pounds were neceffary in Canada. Perhaps it might be faid, that when this was fairly confidered, it would make no material difference, and this he fufpected to be the cafe; but granting that it did not, when we were giving to the world, by this bill, our notions of the principles of elec tion, we should not hold out that the qualifications in Great Britain were lower than they ought to be. The qualifications on a Houfe were ftill higher; he believed, ten pounds. He thought that the whole of this confti tution was an attempt to undermine and contradict the profeffed purport of the bill: the introduction of a popular government into Canada. But although this was the cafe with refpe&t to the two Affemblies although they were to confift of fo inconfiderable anumber of members, the legisla tive Councils in both provinces were unlimited as to numbers. They might confift of any number whatever, at the will of the Governor. Instead of being hereditary councils, or councils chosen by electors, as was the cafe in fome of the colonies in the Weft Indies, or chofen by the King, they were com pounded of the other two. As to the points of hereditary, powers, and hereditary honours, to fay that they were good, or that they were not good, as a general propofition, was, not eafily maintained; but he faw nothing fo good in hereditary powers and honours, as to incline us to introduce them into a country where they were unknown, and by fuch means diftinguish Canada from all the cal nies in the West Indies. In countries were 1 were they made a part of the con- a new conftitution, and laying down Aitution, he did not think it wife to new principles, to enact that the cler deftroy them; but to give birth and gy fhould have one feventh of all life to fuch principles in countries grants; he muft confefs, appeared to where they did not exist, appeared to him an abfurd doctrine. If they him to be exceedingly unwife. He were all of the church of England, could not account for it, unless it was this would not reconcile him to the that Canada, having been formerly measure. It might be asked, why a French colony, there might be an fhould not they have as much as thofe opportunity of reviving thofe titles of of the church of England? In this honour, the extinction of which, fome country, we had that which fome congentlemen fo much deplored, and to demned and others praifed; we had a revive in the Weft that fpirit of chi- kind of fhew, but ftill a proportion valry, which had fallen into difgrace muft be obferved. The greatest part, in a neighbouring country. He of thefe Proteftant clergy were not thought thefe powers and honours of the church of England; they wholly unneceffary, and tending ra- were chiefly what are called Proteftant ther to make a new conftitution worfe Diffenters in this country. There than better. If the council were were, therefore, going to give to Dif wholly hereditary, he should equally fenters one feventh part of all the lands object to it; it would only add to the in the province. Was this the propower of the King and the Governor; portion, either in Scotland; or any for a council, fo conftituted, would other country, where thofe religious only be the tool of the Governor, as principles were profeffed? It was not the Governor himself would only be the proportion, either in Scotland, or the tool and engine of the King. in any other ecclefiaftical country in He did not clearly comprehend the Europe; we were, therefore, by this provifion which the bill made for the bill, making a fort of provifion for Proteftant clergy. By the Proteftant the Proteftant clergy of Canada, clergy, he supposed to be understood which was unknown to them in every not only the clergy of the church of part of Europe; a provifion, in his England, but all defcriptions of Pro- apprehenfion, which would rather teftants. He totally difapproved of tend to corrupt than to benefit them. the claufe which enacts, "That The regulations were likewife, in part, whenever the King fhall make grants obfcure, because, after it had ftated of lands, one feventh part of thofe that one feventh portion of the land, lands shall be appropriated to the Pro- fhould always be fet afide for the Proteftant clergy." He had two objec- teftant clergy, it did not ftate how it tions to thefe regulations, both of fhould be applied. The bill was like them, in his opinion, of great weight, wife exceptionable, as far as it related In all grants of lands made in that to the regulation of appeals. Suitors country to Catholics, and a majority were, in the firft inftance, to carry. of the inhabitants were of that per their complaints before the Courts of fuafion, one feventh part of those common law in Canada; if diffatifgrants was to be appropriated to the ffed with the decifions of thofe Courts, Proteflant clergy, although they might they might appeal to the Governor not have any cure of fouls, or any and Council; if diffatisfied with Congregations to inftruct. One tenth their judgment, they might then appart of the produce of this country peal to the King in Council; and was affigned, and this, perhaps, was next, to the House of Lords. more than one feventh part of the land. He wished to deprive no clergy' man of his juft rights; but in fettling POL.MAG.VOL. XXI. SEPT.1791. The French Conflitution, as prefented to the National Affembly by the Committees of Conftitution and Revifion, on Friday, Auguft 5 T [Continued from our laft, page 126.] SECTION III. Of the Royal Family. HE Prefumtive Heir fhall bear the name of Prince Royal. He cannot go out of the Kingdom, without a decree of the Legiflative Body, and the King's confent; If he is gone out of it, and "af ter attaining the age of eighteen," he do not return to the kingdom, on being required to do fo by a Proclamation of the Legislative Body, he is held to have abdicated the right of Succeffion to the Throne. II. If the Prefumptive Heir is a minor, the relation, of full age, and next in order to the Regency, is bound to refide within the kingdom; In cafe of his going out of it, and not returning on the requifition of the Legislative Body, he fhall be held to have abdicated his right to the Regency. III. The Mother of the Minor King, having the care of him, or the Guardian Elect, if they go out of the kingdom, forfeit their charge: If the Mother of the Prefumptive Heir, a minor, go out of the kingdom, the cannot, even after her return, have the care of her Minor Son become King, but by a Decree of the Legislative Body. IV. A law fhall be made to regulate the education of the Minor King, and that of the Minor Heir Prefump tive. V. "The Members of the family of the King, called to the eventual fucceffion to the throne, enjoy the rights of Active Citizens, but they are eligble to no places, employments, or functions which are in the nomination of the People." "Excepting the Departments of the Miniftry, they may obtain the places which are in the nomination of the King; nevertheless they cannot be Commanders in Chief of any army by Land or Sea, or execute the functions of Ambassadors, but with the confent of the Legislative Body, granted on the propofition of the King." VI. "The Members of the King's Family called to the eventual fucceffion of the throne, fhall add the denomination of French Prince to the name which shall be given them in the Civil Act proving their birth, and this name can neither be patronymic, nor formed of any of the qualifications abolished by the prefent Conftitution." VII. "The denomination of Prince cannot be given to any individual, and shall not carry with it any privilege or exception to the common right of all French Citizens." VIII. No real apanage (in land) fhall be granted to the Members of the Royal Family. The Younger Sons of the King fhall receive, at the age of twenty-. five, or on their marriage, an annuity, the amount of which fhall be fixed by the Legislative Body, and which fhall terminate with the extinction of their male heirs. IX. "The Acts by which shall be legally ascertained the births, marriages and deaths of French Princes, fhall be prefented to the Legislative Body, which fhall order them to be depofited in the Archives." |