PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. Copy of the answer of the Commissioners of Naval Enquiry to the above letter, Copy of a letter from sir A. S. Hamond, Comptroller of the Navy, to the Lords Declaration of sir Francis Burdett, not to defend his Election for Middlesex Papers relative to the Debt due to the Crown, from John Fordyce, esq. App. Resolutions of Censure against lord Melville, moved by Mr. Whitbread, on the ELEVENTH REPORT of the Commissioners of Naval Enquiry; ordered to be App. Petition of G. B. Mainwaring, esq. and certain electors of Middlesex, against the return of sir Francis Burdett Petition of the Roman catholics of Ireland Petition of the Master Printers of London and Westminster Petition from London, respecting the petition of the Roman catholics of Ireland Petition from Dublin, respecting the petition of the Roman catholics of Ireland Petition from the city of Oxford, respecting the petition of the Roman catholics Petition of John duke of Atholl Petitions relative to the Tenth Report of the Commissioners of Naval Enquiry; from the electors of Southwark, 376; from London, 377; from Salisbury, 378; from Middlesex, 593; from Westminster, 594; from Bedford, 619; from Norfolk, 620; from Southampton, 622; from Northumberland, 622; from Berkshire, 650; from St. Albans, 729; from Cornwall, 845; from Coventry, 846; from Essex, 846 Petition from the Navy Board, respecting Mr. Tucker's petition List of the majority in the commons, on Mr. Whitbread's motion of censure against lord Melville, April 8, 1805 List of the minority, on ditto THE Parliamentary Debates During the Third Session of the Second Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and of the Kingdom of Great Britain the Nineteenth, appointed to meet at Westminster, the Fifteenth Day of January, 1805, in the Forty-fifth Year of the Reign of King GEORGE the Third. [Sess. 1805. HOUSE OF LORDS. sent parliament; and that the said election Wednesday, March 13, 1805. commented on the 23d day of July 1804 at Brentford, in the said county, and that [MINUTES.]-Counsel were heard in the poll taken at the said election concontinuation, and at great length, relative to tinued open for 15 days; at which said the Scots' Appeal, the earl of Kinnoul and election J. Shaw, esq. and sir W. Leighton, others. the hon. Mr. Maule and others, knt. were sheriffs and returning officer for viz. Mr. Alexander, as second counsel for the said county; and the petitioners further the appellants, and Mr. Romilly as leading state, that the said sir F. Burdett, his agents, counsel on the part of the respondents.state, that the said sir F. Burdett, his agents, Mr. Alexander brought up from the Com- his behalf, with divers wicked and evil disfriends, managers, partizans, and others on mons the Mutiny bill, the Additional Salt posed persons, regardless of the laws against Duties bill, and the Additional Property bribery and corruption in the election of Tax bill.-The bills upon the table were forwarded in their respective stages. pains and penalties of perjury, and subornamembers to serve in parliament, and of the Among these, the Pleasure Horse Duty tion of perjury, and in violation and debill went through a Committee, and was reported: and the bills brought up from the security of the franchises of the real fiance of the laws and statutes provided for the Commons were severally read a first electors in this kingdom, and intending and time.-Adjourned. devising to defeat the rights of the real freeholders of the said county of Middlesex, and to defraud them of their privilege of electing a knight to serve in this present parliament for the said county, did combine and confederate together, by means of fictitious and pretended voters, to obtain an apparent and colourable majority on the poll in favour of the said sir F. B.; and by these and other corrupt and unlawful means, to procure the said sir F. B. to be returned to serve in this present parliament for the said county of Middlesex, in opposition to the votes of the majority of the real freeholders of the said county; and, in furtherance of the said unlawful purpose, did procure great numbers of wicked and evil disposed persons to represent themselves to be freeholders of the said county, and to assume the names and descriptions of real HOUSE OF COMMONS. Wednesday, March 1S. [MIDDLESEX ELECTION.] Mr. H. Thornton presented a petition from G. B. Mainwaring, esq. sir W. Gibbons, sir W. Curtis, H. Thornton, esq. W. Mellish, esq. and S. P. Cockerell, esq.; setting forth, "That the petitioners now are, and at the time of the last election of a member to serve in this present parliament for the county of Middlesex were, freeholders of the said county, and claim to have had a right to vote at the said election; that at the said election sir F. Burdett and the petitioner G. B. Mainwaring, esq. were candidates to represent the said county, as a knight of the shire for the same, in this preVOL. IV, B freeholders of the said county; and did, on every day during the said election, and more particularly on the latter days thereof, send, and procure to be sent, divers of the said pretended freeholders to Brentford, in order to vote for the said sir F. B.; and that, notwithstanding many of the said persons, so sent and procured to be sent as aforesaid, after they had entered their names and descriptions on the poll, but before they had completed their votes, were detected and exposed by the agents and inspectors of the petitioner G. B. Mainwaring, yet that the said sir F. B. his agents, friends, partizans, managers, and others on his behalf, by various means, arts, and devices, did cause and procure great numbers of such false, pretended, and fictitious freeholders to take, being duly required to take, the freeholder's oath, and the oath against bribery, and did cause and procure the same persons to be received on the poll, and their votes to be entered for the said sir F. B.; and, in furtherance of the said unlawful purpose, did cause and procure divers persons to personate real freeholders of the said county, and in their names to give their votes for the said sir F. B.; and did cause and procure divers other persons to vote for and in respect of freeholds, to which they had not any right or pretence of right; and did also cause and procure divers persons to vote more than once for the said sir F. B.; and by gifts and rewards, and by promises, agreements, and securities for gifts and rewards, did procure divers persons, as well those who were qualified to vote as also those who claimed or pretended to have a right to vote at the said election, and also others who had no pretence or colour to such right, to vote at the said election for the said sir F. B.; and, in furtherance of the said unlawful purpose, did prevail on the said sheriff to receive and put upon the poll, after 3 o'clock, on the 15th day of the said election, the votes of 10 persons for the said sir F. B. who had no right or title to vote at the said election; and that by these and other unlawful and corrupt practices, the said sir F.B.his agents, friends, partizans, managers and others, on his behalf, did procure a colourable and apparent majority of 1 vote for the said sir F. B. on the poll over the petitioner G. B. Mainwaring; and the petitioners further state, that the said sir F. B. his agents, friends, partizans, managers, and others on his behalf, did artfully and unlawfully cause and procure great numbers of persons to be t admitted to vote at the said election said sir F. B. who had no right what vote at the said election, and among many persons who had not any co pretence of right to vote at the sai tion; and did also cause and procure persons to personate real freeholders said county, and in their names their votes for the said sir F. B. ; a cause and procure divers persons more than once for the said sir F. B. said election, and to vote for freeb which they had no right, or prete right; and did also cause and procure persons to be admitted to vote for t sir F. B. who by gifts and rewards, a promises, agreements, and securities f and rewards, were bribed and corrup give their votes for the said sir F. B. that the said sheriff did permit to vot did receive on the poll, the votes of persons in favour of the said sir F. E had no right to vote at the said electio at said election did reject the votes of persons having a right to vote, and wh dered their votes at the said election petitioner G. B. Mainwaring, and who to have been received and admitted to at the said election; and that by the said and other unlawful means the said riff did put and place upon the poll votes for the said sir F. B. including th the votes of the before-mentioned 10 sons who had, no right whatever to v the said election, and whose titles to were examined into, and to whom the holder's oath and the bribery oath we ministered, and whose votes were p upon and added to the poll after 3 o' on the 15th day of the said election; that the said sheriff did admit on the for the petitioner 2832 votes, thereby ing to the said sir F. B. an apparent an lourable majority of one vote on the over the petitioner; by means whered said sir F. B. is now wrongfully return serve in this present parliament as a kr of the shire for the said county of Mid sex, whereas the petitioner had and hat the said poll a large majority of legal v of the real freeholders of the said co over the said sir F. B. and was there duly elected a knight of the shire to re sent the said county of Middlesex in present parliament, and ought to have b returned, and ought now to be decla duly elected instead of the said sir F. B. the return of sir F. B. ordered to be acco ingly amended and altered; and the p of one vote over the petitioner, in manifest violation of the rights and privileges of the petitioners, and all other the real freeholders of the county of Middlesex, whereas the petitioners alledge, and humbly insist, that the said G. B. M. had a large majority of legal votes at the said election, and ought to have been returned accordingly; and therefore praying, that the house will take the premises into their consideration, and will grant to the petitioners such relief, and will take such other measures for vindicating the freedom of election, and the franchises of real freeholders, as to the house shall seem meet."-Ordered to be taken into consideration on the 9th of April. tioners further state, that the said sir F. B. by himself, his agents, friends, managers, partizans, and others on his behalf, previous to and at the said election, was guilty of gross and notorious bribery and corruption: and that at and during the said election, and previous thereto, the said sir F. B. by himself, his agents, friends, managers, partizans, and others on his behalf, by gifts and rewards, and promises, agreements, and securities for gifts and rewards, did corrupt and procure divers persons, as well those who were qualified to vote as those who claimed or pretended to have a right to vote at the said election, in their own names, or in the names of others, or for the freeholds of others, to give their votes for him the [IRISH BUDGET.]-Mr. Foster moved the said sir F. B.; and did also by gifts and order of the day, for the house resolving itrewards, and promises, agreements, and self into a committee of Ways and Means. securities for gifts and rewards, corrupt and He also moved, that several acts relating to procure divers other persons, being quali- the revenue in Ireland should be referred fied to vote at the said election, to refuse to the said committee; and that it should be and forbear to give their votes at the same an instruction to the committee to consider for the petitioner, contrary to the law and of the said acts. The house having resolved custom of parliament, and the laws and sta- itself into the said committee, the right hon. tutes of the realm enacted for the preven- gent. rose and spoke as follows-Sir, hav¬ tion of bribery and corruption; and the pe- ing detained the committee last year at contitioners further state, that the said sir F. B. siderable length on the subject of the situation by himself, his agents, friends, managers, of Ireland, I shall not now have occasion to go partizans, and others on his behalf and at so much into detail. I shall begin with a few his charge, after the teste of the writ for observations as to the state of the trade of the said election, and at and during the said Ireland, and I am happy in saying, that alelection, and before the election of the said though the trade has not so much advanced sir F. B. to serve in parliament for the said as I could have wished, yet it is in a far county of Middlesex, did give, present, and better situation than it was some time ago, allow to divers persons who had votes, or A very short statement, will elucidate this claimed or pretended to have right to vote position. The imports were to the amount at such election, money, meat, drink, en- of 5,700,000l. last year. The imports for tertainment, and provision, and make pre- the 5 years preceding, were, on an average, sents, gifts, rewards, and entertainments, 5,711,000l. so that in fact, the imports for and make promises, agreements, obliga- the last year is rather less than the average tions, and engagements to give and allow of the former 5 years. The exports amountmoney, meat, drink, provision, presents, re-ed to 4,980,000l. last year, which is much wards, and entertainments, to and for such beyond what they have reached at any pepersons having or claiming or pretending to riod during the last 10 years; therefore, the have right to vote in the said election, and question stands thus: there has been no to and for the use, advantage, benefit, emo- alarming decrease in the imports last year, lument, profit, and preferment of such per- and the exports exceed the amount of the son and persons, in order to his the said sir preceding years. With regard to the exF. B.'s being elected, and that the said sir ports, there is something extremely consoF. B. might be elected to serve in this pre-latory to be remarked. The linen trade has sent parliament for the said county of Mid- increased: during the three quarters of the dlesex, in violation of the standing order last year ending in Oct. the exports were and regulations of the house, and in de- within 2 millions of yards of the exports of fiance of the laws and statutes of the realm the whole of the preceding year; therefore for preventing charge and expence in the we may conclude, that the exports of the election of members to serve in parliament; whole of last year will have greatly exand that, by the aforesaid and other corrupt ceeded the exports of former years. In the and unlawful means, the said sir F. B. ob-imports of last year, as compared with the tained an apparent and colourable majority preceding year, there is an excess of some of the materials of manufacture; that excess is on the raw materials only, such as cotton yarn and cotton wool. With regard to the linen trade, the whole of the excess during the 3 quarters of the last year, compared with the 3 quarters of the preceding year, is 3 millions of yards; the principal part of this increase arises from the exports to the colonies in the West Indies. Here allow me to remark, that if in laying on taxes we do not hinder trade and manufactures, we do well; and if in taking off taxes we promote trade, we do better. Last year the export tax on the linen trade was taken off, and there was an excess of 3 millions of yards: so far with respect to trade. We stand not in the situation we did some years ago; we are not in a declining way, taken upon a comparison with former years. The balance of the imports over the exports for the last five years, amounts to 1,195,000l. a year, official value. Take the excess of last year, and it is only 655,000l. so that the excess of the import over the export trade is not one half of what it has been for the last five years. With respect to the debt of Ireland, let us see how it has increased. I shall not enter into the cause or the means of preventing so large an increase. We can at least shew that we have stopped the progress of that increase. In Jan. 1804, the debt of Ireland was 53 millions. The year before it was only 43 millions, so that there was an increase that year of 10 millions. The increase now will not be half that amount; so that we may say we are in a better situation than we were at the close of the last year.-Having stated the situation of the trade and the debt of Ireland, I will proceed to lay before the committee the demands, and the Ways and Means for meeting them. The whole charge of the year 1805, for the debt of Ireland, including the sinking fund, is 2,611,6231. The proportion of 2-17ths of the sum raised by Ireland for the joint charge for the service of the year, is 5,403,1021. British, or 5,853,3601. Irish, making together the sum of 8,454,9831. which is the sum Ireland is to provide to pay the interest of her debt, and her quota of contribution. Certainly it is a very large sum, and one cannot apply one's attention too much to the means of lessening it. In order to meet this demand, I shall take the revenues of Ireland at 4 millions. I shall explain my reason for taking them at that sum presently. A loan has been settled for 2,500,000l. which is 2,708,3331. Irish. A further loan is intended of 1 million. There was a residue, on the 5th Jan. of the loan of last year, the amount of 7 38,7 891. British, or 800,354 Irish, which has not been transmitted to th Irish treasury, and I shall therefore bring forward. This comes to 8,508,6871. meet a charge of 8,464,9831. The ne thing will be to raise the Ways and Mear for the interest of 2,500,000l. English, an 1,000,000l. Irish. On 2 millions, at 6l. 17s. 7d. per cent. th British Irish charge is 172,062 186,40 On 1,000,000l. suppose at same rate, Making in the whole a charge, in 68,82 cluding the sinking fund, of £.255,25 I have stated that. I take the revenues o Ireland at 4 millions. I shall now explai the reason why. They produced last yea 2,800,000l. The principle I go on is t put the revenues at a full peace establish ment, and to raise the additional war ex pences. I suppose that the revenues wil produce 1,200,000l. more than last year It is pleasant to know, that the taxes which the house thought proper to impose las year, with the exception of the taxes on excise, have operated, in the gross, per fectly to my satisfaction. The whole re venues of the country, for the two quar ters ending Midsummer 1804, amount to 1,334,000l.; for the two quarters ending 5th Jan. 1805, 1,886,000l. The excess of the two quarters ending 5th January is 552,000l. more than the excess of the preceding quarters. Without going into minutia, I state the revenue to have gained by an acquisition of 552,000l. I know that the duties on the distilleries are not collected as they ought to be. I am well warranted in saying, that if a proper mode of collect ing them had been resorted to, they would have amounted to considerably more than they have done. I am persuaded, that, with the addition of the duties on the distilleries, collected as they ought to be, the revenues of Ireland, in time of peace, will not produce less than 44 millions; stating the interest of the debt at 2 millions, there will be 2 millions over. Now 2 millions. cannot be expended in a peace establishment, unless 15 millions are expended in England. In talking of the collection of the revenues, I believe many gentlemen who hear me can bear testimony, that there is not a city or county in Ireland where the duties on distilleries are perfectly collected; they are not collected in the counties of Galway, Tyrone, or the province of Connaught. As to the city of Dublin, I do not wish to des |