hould be taxed, until, by encouragement, the exertions of our people were confirmed into habit. For want of fuch encouragement the Greenland fishery, which formerly employed 150 fail, was now dwindled into 60. For this purpose bounties were abfolutely neceffary to encourage our fifhers, and to bring the conteft between the two nations to a fairer ground of equality. Mr. Beaufoy then proceeded to state a number of refolutions, enforcing the minute of this plan; but before they were agreed to, a converfation took place of a very defultory nature, and which it is impoffible for us ftrictly to report. Mr. Rolle was afraid it might interfere with the fisheries in other parts of the king dom. Lord Graham was for giving the scheme as much encouragement as poffible. After which the Refolutions paffed the Committee. The House then refolved itself into a Committee, Mr. M. A. Taylor in the chair, to take into confideration the different Petitions which had been presented against the Tax on Retail Shops. Sir Watkin Lewes arofe in pursuance of the notice he had formerly given, to move It was a duty, he for a repeal of this tax. faid, to his conflituents, which he was proud to perform. The papers he obferved on the table, which stated the actual produce of the fax, exhibited an amount far fhort of what had been originally calculated. As an experiment, it had therefore failed; and when in addition to this it was confidered how much difcontent and how much diffrefs had been occafioned by its decided partiality and oppreffion, he hoped that the Right Hon. Gentleman who had introduced it into the House, would not at prefent entertain any ftrong objections to its repeal. Mr. Alderman Sawbridge feconded the motion, and added, that as the evidence which had been given on a former day at the bar of the Houfe, tended fully and inconteftibly to demonftrate the injuftice and impolicy of the tax, it was his with that it should now be read. The Chairman gave his opinion, that the reading the evidence in the fame Committee in which it had been given, was perfectly in order. The evidence was then read, and took up about an hour in the repetition. Mr. Sawbridge then obferved, that when the Minifter had first introduced this tax, he had fupported it by the allegation that it would fall entirely on the confumer. This idea experience had fhewn to be totally unfounded; he hoped therefore that the Right Hon. Gentleman would yield to the withes of the nation, by giving up the tax. prefent, he said, was not with him a question of party; his objections to the tax were EUROP. MAG. The folely drawn from its diabolical nature, as be- Mr. Amyatt, Aldermen Newnham and Sir Edward Aftley faid he faw nothing fo reprehenfible in the tax as gentlemen thought proper to attribute to it. Mr. Pitt rofe and remarked, that the queftion before the Houfe was in itself extremely important, yet its merits lay within a very narrow circle. He had attended, and he hoped with impartiality, to every argument that had been used; and were he convinced that the complaints were just which had been fo loudly reverberated, he would be the first to move for its repeal; but the prefent fituation of our finances would not perinit him to give up any fource of revenue on trivial grounds, or unfold complaints ; and he still hoped he should be able to convince the Houfe that the tax neither in its principle or operation was unjust. Whilft he could not prevail on himself totally to abandon the tax, he felt the claims of humanity in a correfpondent degree with the Hon. Gentleman who had laft ipoken, (Mr. Francis) and it should certainly be a claufe in the modification of the Act, that those who were exempted from parish rates, should be alfo excufed the payment of this tax. The evidence at the bar, had convinced him that fome modification was neceffary; but that evidence was divided into two parts, each of which was with him attended with different effects. The first part tended to prove that the tax was a perfonai tax, and could not be levied on the confumer; and the fecond, that it was particularly grievous on a certain class of shopkeepers. With respect to the first, he was by no means convinced of its impoffibility. Very few had paid it; and from the little experience that had been had, it would be idle to fay, that to raise it on the confumer was impracticable. At laft the Houfe divided, when there appeared for a repeal of the tax, Ayes 96 173 77 Mr. Burke refumed this day the proceedings preparatory to an impeachment of Mr. Haftings: He had a great many motions to make for papers, which were feverally put; and upon each the House debated in a very defultory manner. Mr. Dundas oppofed the motion. He faid, that fo far was there from being an appearance of war in India, that on the oth of November, the date of the lait difpatches, се all all was profound peace throughout India. Whatever might have been the conduct of Mr. Hastings, whether cenfurable or otherwife, prior to that peace, he was ready to declare, that in diffolving the most formidable confederacy that ever was formed in India, and putting an end to a war that threatened us with nothing less than a total expulfion from that country, Mr. Haftings had done an act which challenged the thanks and gratitude of Great-Britain. Mr. F. Montague faid, that if reafons of State were thus brought in bar of an impeachment, every culprit might be fereened from juflice; and it would be impoffible to bring any man to trial who might stand well with Government. Mr. Fox obferved, that in the cafe of the Rana of Gobid there was prima facie evidence that an ally had been abandoned; and therefore he would not believe there was a ferious intention in the Minifter to withhold papers, when there was, upon the very face of that proceeding, fuch a prefumption of guilt. The Chancellor of the Exchequer bore his tellimony to the tranfcendent merit of Mr. Haftings, in diffolving the confederacy of the four greateft powers in India against the British intereft, and preíerving our territories in that part of the world, by a peace with the Mahrattas, which he conceived to be a moft brilliant atchievement. It had been performed by great exertion of great abilities, that marked the ftarelman, and not by perfidy to our allies; he had detached thofe powers from each other, by fowing jealoufies between them; and thus he becaine the faviour of India. But if the steps he took to effect that great work were made public; if the moft fecret negociations were laid open, by which the infidelities of the different powers to each other would be discovered, and placed in the face of day, we were not to expect that any power would ever treat with us again. He would therefore oppofe the motion as it then flood; but as the cafe of the Rane of Gohid might Stand upon different grounds, he would not object to the production of fuch papers as might relate to him. The Houfe then divided on Mr. Burke's motion, when there appeared for it 44agan it 87-Majority 43. tee, the Marquis of Graham in the chair, on the petitions against the Shop-tax, when Mr. Burke then made fome other motions relative to papers. The oriental natnes in the motions occafioning fome laughter, Mr. Burke remarked, that thofe names might strike people in this country as being harth; they were not, however, in all likelihood more oflentive to our ears, than our names might be to theirs; and he did not know, whether in the nature of things, if Henry Dundas was a lefs fonorous name than Rogonaut Row. Adjourned. MARCH 6. The House refolved itfelf into a Commit Mr. Pitt moved fome refolutions for the reduction of the Shop-tax, in a proportionate degree of one third clafs, from houfes of 51. rent, to thofe of 301. Alderman Le Mcfurier wished that fome time might be given to know whether the Shopkeepers could in any degree be satisfied with the diminution now proposed. For his part, he apprehended that it would be in no degree fatisfactory, because the perfons who found themfelves most affected by this impofition were the Shopkeepers of this metropolis, who certainly would find no alteration in the propofal of this day. Among his conftituents in the borough of Southwark, as "well as the other Shopkeepers either in Lon don or Westminster, there were very few indeed, even of the poorest rank, whofe rent did not exceed gol. a year, while the mott opulent Shopkeepers in the country fcarcely paid a rent amounting to that fum; and it was within the knowledge of every one wha feveral Shopkeepers in the metropolis paying ever attended to the fubj. Et, that there were rents of more than 100l. who were in more diftrefs, and greater objects of compaffion than thofe in the country, who paid no more than 51. a year. After this the following refolutions passed: Refolved, "That all the dutics charged by an act, made in the lait Seflion of Parliament, intituled, "An act for granting to his Majefty certain duties on retail fhops (except the duties charged upon any house, the annual rent whereof fhall be gol. or upger paid or payable." wards) do ceafe, determine, and be no lon Refolved, the duties charged upon fuch hou'es, there That in lieu and instead of fhall be rated the following rates, viz. building, any part whereof shall be used as "For and upon every houfe or other any goods, wares, or merchandize, of the a fhop, for the purpofe of felling by retail yearly rent or value of 51. and under 10l. there fhall be paid the annual fum of fourpence in the pound of fuch rent. "For and upon every fuch houfe, &c. of the yearly rent or value of tol. and under 151. there fhall be paid the annual fum of eightpence in the pound of fuch rent. "For and upon every fach house, &c. of the yearly rent or velae of 151. and under gol. there fhall be paid the annual fum of one failing in the pound of fuch ren". "For and upon every fach house, &c. of the yearly rent or value of 201, and under 251. there fhall be pawi the annual fum of ane fitting and threepence in the pound of fuch rent. "And for and upon every fuch houfe, &c. of the yearly rent or value of gl. aud under gol. there shall be paid the annual fum Capt. Luttrell rose to state the estimates of the Ordnance. Those he made out at confiderably lefs than last year; the ordinaries being lower by 90,000l. and the extraordinaries by 50,000l. The Ordnance allo was without debt, and had no extra charges. The plans and operations, however, in which the Board was engaged were likely to exceed these estimates hereafter. Capt. Luttrell fated the expence of foreign fervice, but called the attention of the Houfe in particular to the works going forward at Fort Monckton and thofe at Portsmouth. He then moved, that the fum of 296,000l. be granted to his Majefty for the estimate of the Ordnance. Mr. Taylor wifhed to know whether any further fortifications were to be carried on at Portsmouth. The Chancellor of the Exchequer ftated, that the Houfe had already decided that queftion; but he begged to call their attention to this particular, how far the Houfe was pledged by that vote to complete the old, by an abandonment of the new fyftem. This he confeffed himself not perfectly fatisfied in, and he referred it therefore to the decision of the House. Mr. Holdfworth ftated great exceffes arifing from an increafe of the corps of Engineers, and the corps of the Royal Artillery. Sir Grey Cooper faid, the fifty thoufand pounds which lay in the Treafury, unappropriated, would come with more propriety under difcuffion in the Committee of Ways and Means. Mr. Fox contended that the House had no right to share the refponfibility connected with the executive power of the State. Captain Macbride vindicated the conduct of the fea-officers in the opinion they had given on the fubject of the fortifications. Sir H. Harbord did not think the Ordnance expenditure conducted with economy. Mr. Hammet faid a variety of hand fome things of the noble Duke at the head of the Ordnance. Captain Luttrell alfo entered at large into a vindication of the noble Duke. He reprobated the freedom that had been ufed with his Grace, and pointed fo much of his animadverfions to Capt. Macbride, that every one felt the allufion. He cautioned the Hon. Gentleman against dealing in perfonalities, and ufing a language in which every chimney-fweeper would excel him. Capt. Macbride appealed to the Houfe that the Hon. Gentleman combated a man of ftraw, as what he had faid did not apply to a fingle word which had fallen from him in the conversation alluded to. Mr. Dempiter complained of fuch enormous eftimates under a peace establishment. They exceeded the estimates during all the preceding wars, except the two laft. He begged that Minifters would recollect, that at prefent the people of this country had no enemies but the two per cents. the three per cents. the five per cents. and the long annuities; and it was the bufinefs of the House to provide against these. Mr. Sawbridge had heard the noble Duke praised for his economy, and his love of liberty. He had once thought well of him, but had now changed his opinion, and he was in poffeffion of facts which he thought rendered him culpable in both thefe refpe&ts. He read a long feries of charges against him from a newfpaper, which he faid he could fubftantiate. And he added, that his Grace had openly, by the candidates own confeffion from the huftings, violated the freedom of election. Mr. Steele faid, the Hon. Gentleman's diflike of the Duke, as he had heard, arofe from the noble Duke's difregarding a request of the Alderman's, who had written to him on a particular fubject, but to which application no answer was returned. Mr. Sawbridge faid he had made no charges but what he could prove-He dared the Hon. Gentleman to prove his. He protested he never had the honour of writing to the noble Duke in his life. After fome further converfation, the motion was put and paffed.. A tedious debate then enfued on Mr. Haftings's delinquency, and the propriety of granting fome papers moved for by Mr. Burke. After much (peechifying and explanation on both fides. the queftion relative to the papers was at laft pur, and the House divided, when there appeared, laft Mr. M. A. Taylor, purfuant to notice, introduced his motion for the purpose of extending the operation of an Act paffe Seffion, refpecting the Courts of Confcience in the city of London, the borough of Southwark, and Westminster. He had received many folicitations to this effect from feveral principal towns, particularly Briftol: it was not his with, at prefent, to enter into a detail of thofe grievances, as they were nume rous, and in a high degree inhuman, infomuch that for a trifling debt a perfon might lay in prifon for lite; that the limits ne Cc a would would now prefcribe to imprisonment were, for twenty fhillings, 20 days; forty thillings, 40 days. Another grievance was, that Commiffioners were appointed to try caufes in thofe Courts very little qualified for the purpofe, as they were but too often found to be illiterate, and of courfe incompetent to the fubject; it would be his with, therefore, to include the qualification of thofe Commiffioners in his bill, which fhould require, that each fhould poffefs to the amount of 201. per annum in laud, or 500l. in perfonal property; and that he believed perfons of this property might, if they refufed to act as fuch, be compelled by a writ of mandamus. Mr. Ballard moved, that there be laid before the Houfe an account of the feveral fums expended, either by the King or the Public, in bringing perfons to justice and conviction, fince the first of January 1775, as far as they can be made up. He alfo moved, that an account of the names of all fuch perfons as have been guilty of felonies, &c. be laid on the table. The Chancellor of the Exchequer faid, that many plans had been laid for the purpose of decreasing thofe difturbers of the public peace; but that, on examination, they had hitherto proved inadequate-that a plan, however, was at prefent in agitation, which promised to have the defired effect, but that transportation in the mean time would be very expensive. The Chanc. of the Exchequer then moved, that all the papers relative to the finances of this country be committed to a felect Committec,chofen by ballot, for their examination, and report-to be printed, and then to lay upon the table for the opinion of the Houfe, that a proper fyltem may be formed for the future fources of this country, and a plan deliberately and properly digested for the gradual difcharge of the public debt under which this kingdom labours. Mr. Fox faid, he acceded to the motion with chearfulness, as it perfectly coincided with a fimilar motion of his when he laft lat in office. The Chancellor of the Exchequer feemed to think, that it would not be found fimilar to his (Mr. Fox), as the finking fund was not the object Mr. Fox had in view. Mr. Francis, in a motion for the amendment of Mr. Pitt's Eaft-India Bill, with refpect to the juridical part of it, expatiated on the difadvantages he lay under with refpe&t to ability, in bringing forward an object of fuch m. gnitude, and the prejudice and power he had to contend with, which he hoped would give way to the cause of humanity and truth-He obferved, that the Hon. Gentlemen's bill was attended, in point of judicature, with many evil confequences-that, inttead of being received with open arms in India, it had given rife to inquietude - to meetings and petitions, that he believed would foon arrive-The reafon he anticipated thofe petitions was, that the Houfe might justify its humanity and generofity in refcinding fuch claufes as might, in their wisdom, appear impolitic. This Bill, he said, was productive of many mischiefs, as it subjected every man that came from India to be examined on oath, with respect to the amount of his property :-it fubjected him to interrogatories, in cafe of fufpicion; and in failure of both, it held out a high price to informants-the father was called to betray the fon-the fon the father-and, after this oath, if any were fo unfortunate as to have lent a fum that he did not recount, he was deemed equally culpable in the Bill-this was an invitation to perjury, as the guilty would not ftop at an oath, and interrogatories increased it.This Bill alfo deprived the Indian delinquent of the inestimable privilege of being tried by jury. He obferved, that the principal evils complained of in India fince the year 1773, chiefly came from the power committed to the hands of Mr. Hastings, who had the cafting voice in the Council of four; whereas, if it had been five, as before, there would have been lefs fubject of complaint; and concluded with moving, "That leave be given to bring in a Bill to explain and amend an Act made in the 24th year of the reign of his prefent Majefty, entitled, an Act for the better regulation and management of the affairs of the East-India Company, and of the British possessions in India, and for establishing a Court of Judicature for the more fpeedy and effectual trial of perfons accufed of offences committed in the Eaft-Indies." Mr. Dundas owned, that he had not made up his mind for this debate, as he expected that a fhort time would bring the subject forward in a very full degree; that as to the complaint of being examined on cath, and then to reply to interrogatories, was nothing new-it was common in cafes of bankruptcy, where life was concerned; and as to the challenging a jury, it was well known a fpecial jury is not challenged; and that when the trial relative to Lord Pigot was going on in the King's Bench, he heard many gentlemen converfant in India affairs wonder that it was conducted by jury-that impeachment was not a trial by jury, and yet an Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Burke) preferred it; and if Mr. Haftings goes up to the House of Lords, he cannot peremptorily challenge one of them.-It is true he had heard of commotions and meetings in India, but believed they were exaggerated; however, as he intended in a fhort time to apply his thoughts more particularly to this fubject, he should fay very little more at prefent. Mr. Jolliffe and Mr. Anftruther said a few words, after which the previous queftion was put and carried without a divifion.-Adjourned. MARCH 8. MARCH 8. A new writ was ordered for the election of a member for the borough of ChippingWycombe, in the county of Bucks, in the room of Lord Viscount Mahon, now become Earl Stanhope, by the death of the late Earl his father, and as fuch called up to the Houfe of Peers. The Houfe then proceeded to ballot for the Committee moved for yefterday by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, to take into confideration the various papers that had been laid upon the table, relative to the flate of the public revenue and expenditure. The Houfe was called over by the clerk; and each member prefent, on hearing his name mentioned, went up to the table, and put into a glafs a lift of nine members, the number of which the committee is to confift. When all the lifts were in the glafs, the House appointed a Committee of fcrutineers to examine them, and report who are the nine members who have the majority on the ballot. The following is a lift of the Commitee chofen: Right Hon. William | W.Wilberforce, Efq. The Speaker requested, that the knights of the thire, &c. would prepare lifts against this day fortnight, of fuch perfons as might appear qualified, in their opinion, to take upon them the office of land-tax commiffioners. Mr. Francis, in the absence of Mr. Burke, moved, that certain papers, previous to the general felection of thofe already moved for, relative to the correfpondence betwixt Mr. Haftings and Mr. Devaynes be immediately printed, particularly a letter from Mr. Haftings in 1784, for the ufe of the members of that Houfe, in order to enable his honourable Friend to proceed, without delay, in his impeachment. The Chancellor of the Exchequer thought it more eligible to wait till the whole should be printed, that the fubject might come more fully before the Houfe; that proper referenes might be made, and inferences drawn, in fo complicated a fubject: as he did not wifh, however, to ftep forward as the voluntary advocate of Mr. Haltings, he hoped fome friend of his would give their opinion on the propofition. Major Scott objected to this particular mode of proceeding, as a particular paper thus felected from the general mals, might induce an unfavourable impreffion with refpect to Mr. Haftings; and firit impreflions were not eafily crafed; it would alfo, in his opinion, protract the business. Mr. Francis thought otherwife.-Let the accufer, faid he, felect fuch papers as may feem to ftrengthen the accufation; and the accufed, on the other hand, fuch as may Mr. Marsham moved, to extend the principle of Mr. Crewe's bill to the ordnance and navy, in order to fecure the freedom of election, by debilitating the fuffrages of certain officers in thofe departments. Mr. Honeywood feconded the motion, from a conviction of its utility, and the general wifh of his conftituents to have it carried into execution. It was unanimoufly agreed to. Adjourned. MARCH 10. Mr. Francis moved, that the copies of let ters relative to the affair of Benares, from the Court of Directors to Mr. Haftings, with his answers thereto, be printed for the ufe of the members. The motion was feconded; after which a fhort converfation took place. The motion, however, was agreed to. The Houfe refolved itself into a Committee on the militia bill, Mr. Neville in the chair. He The claufe being read for calling out the militia once every year, the Chancellor of the Exchequer rofe to give his fentiments relative to this regulation. He was, he faid, a friend to the principle of the bill, because it was exceedingly neceffary for the continuance of a militia. He was of opinion, however, that he should be wanting in his duty if he did not ufe his endeavours to render it useful to the ftate at the leaft expence to the country; though he did not wish to pufh the arguinent of economy to a rigid extreme in a matter of fuch importance. He was much obliged to thofe gentlemen who had zealoufly fupported him. would prefs what he had to fay with diffidence. If it did not meet with the concurrence of the Committee, he would very cordially agree to the modification of it in what manner they might judge to be beft. In reafoning on this point, he might argue with propriety from the difcipline and regulation of the regular forces. In time of peace it was well known that no regiment mustered more than two-thirds of their war complement. Something of the fame nature might obtain in the militia. He would propofe, that the whole fhould be ballotted for and mustered; and if two-thirds of the complement in time of peace were called out and difciplined, it would anfwer every purpose that might be required. In this manner, inftead of 130,000l. annual expence to the nation, go,oool. would only be incurred. This formed a confideration which merited attention. He concluded with moving a claute to be inferted for the above purpose. This propofal gave fcope to a converfation of |