Sidebilder
PDF
ePub
[blocks in formation]

Parliament. King's Speech and Debates. Duke of Richmond's Plan of Fortification rejected. - Mr. Pitt's Plan for reducing the National Debt. Duty on Wine transferred to the Excise.-Commission for enquiring into the Forests and Land Revenues of the Crown. Impeachment of Mr. Hastings. Amendment to the India Bill. Convention with Spain respecting the Logwood Cutters. Commercial Treaty with France. Works at Cherbourg and other Measures in France. - Ferments in the United Provinces. Death of the King of Prussia.- Swedish Diet. - Emperor of Germany's Proceedings. Empress of Russia. Rebel Beys of Egypt defeated.-Death of Kien Long, Emperor of China. - Attempt on the King's Life by Margaret Nicholson.

[ocr errors]

In the speech from the throne with which the session of Parliament was opened, January 24th, after notice was taken of the amicable conclusion to which the disputes had been brought that threatened the tranquillity of Europe, and of the suspended state of the attempt to adjust the commercial intercourse between Great Britain and Ireland, the attention of the House of Commons was particularly called to the establishment of a plan for the reduction of the national debt. In the debate on the usual address, Mr. Fox took occasion to censure the ministry for their neglect in cultivating continental alliances, to which he attributed the ascendancy which France had gained in the concerns of the United Provinces. He then entered into a wide field of European politics, and alluded to several instances in which ministers had been blameable in not taking advantage of the occurrences of the time. He was replied to by Mr. Pitt in a tone of

sarcasm; and the debate would not here have been touched upon, had it not served to display the different sentiments of these eminent persons relative to the important subject of the degree in which this island ought to involve itself in the affairs of the continent.

The first question of importance that came under parliamentary discussion related to a measure proposed by the Duke of Richmond, master-general of the ordnance, which was that of fortifying the dock-yards of Portsmouth and Plymouth. A board of naval and military officers, of which the Duke was president, had been appointed by the King, which had taken into consideration the plan proposed for that purpose, and made their report upon it; and an estimate of the expence had been given by a board of engineers, amounting to 760,000%. After the estimate, and as much of the report as was thought advisable, had been laid before the House of Commons, Mr. Pitt, on February 27th moved a resolution importing a general approbation of the design of fortifying the dock-yards of Portsmouth and Plymouth. A debate followed in which the measure was fully discussed by speakers for and against the question. Among the opposers Mr. Sheridan was particularly distinguished, and his speech had probably a considerable effect on the decision. When the division took place, the Ayes and Noes were exactly equal, the numbers of each being 169; and the Speaker, as usual in such cases, being called upon for his casting vote, he gave it on the negative side, which put an end to the project.

The suggestion concerning the reduction of the national debt, introduced into the King's speech, was followed up, early in the session, by the minister's motion for a select committee to examine and report what might be expected to be the future annual amount of the income and expenditure. This report having been laid before the House, Mr. Pitt, on March 29th, brought in his proposition for the gradual diminution of the debt, which has since produced such remarkable effects. After a statement at large of the actual and probable

financial resources of the country, he drew the following conclusions. 1st, That the yearly income of the state exceeded the permanent level of its expenditure by 900,000l.: 2d, that this sum might be augmented to a million by means nowise burdensome to the people : 3d, that although the present establishment exceeded in some points those stated in the report of the select committee, yet there were ample resources to overbalance such excesses without having recourse to new taxes: 4th, that the ways and means of the present year would be sufficient to furnish the supplies, together with 250,000l. quarterly, towards a fund for paying the national debt. With respect to the mode for securing the due application of this fund to its object, he proposed to vest in a certain number of commissioners the full power of disposing of it in the purchase of stock in their names for the public, to whom should be issued from the exchequer the annual million in quarterly payments, previously to any other money, except the interest of the national debt itself. He calculated

that the interest of the stock so purchased, accumulating at compound interest, together with the annuities which would fall into that fund, would in 28 years amount to a sum that would leave a surplus of four millions annually to be applied, if necessary, to the exigencies of the state. In appointing the commissioners he said he should endeavour to choose persons of weight and character corresponding to the importance of the trust; and he mentioned the Speaker of the House of Commons, the chancellor of the exchequer, the master of the rolls, the governor and deputy governor of the bank of England, and the accountant general in chancery, as proper to be of the number. He concluded with moving an annual grant of one million to commissioners for the purpose above-mentioned, to arise out of the sinking fund.

The policy of the principle of making the income of the state so far exceed its expenditure as to leave a surplus for the discharge of the national debt, being universally acknowledged, the motion was carried without

a division. Various objections, however, were made to the mode proposed by Mr. Pitt for effecting this purpose, which were a subject of debate; and Mr. Sheridan formed upon them a series of resolutions, which were negatived without a division. Additional clauses were also proposed, and admitted; and the bill, having passed both houses, received the royal assent.

On May 22d, Mr. Pitt brought in a bill for transferring certain duties on wines from the customs to the excise. He stated that the amount of the duty on wines was considerably less at this time than it had been in the middle of the last century, which defalcation he attributed, partly to the importation of large quantities of foreign wine without paying the duty, and principally to the sale of a spurious home-made liquor under its name, both which causes would be removed by the present bill. Objections were made, which especially regarded the mode of trial adopted by the excise laws, as being abhorrent to the law of the land; and Mr. Beaufoy moved an amendment, to give the subject, in cases of information consequent upon this bill, an optional right of being tried by jury; which was negatived by a majority of 95 to 30. The bill afterwards passed into a law.

A

On June 23d, in pursuance of a message from the King, Mr. Pitt moved for a bill to appoint commissioners for enquiring into the condition of the woods, forests, and land-revenues belonging to the crown. strong objection against this bill was taken from the unlimited power it gave to the commissioners to call for and keep all titles, plans, and documents relating to land holden of the crown. Mr. Jolliffe, who made this objection, moved amendments for the protection of title-deeds, and for obliging the commissioners to report their proceedings to the House, which were admitted without a division, and the bill passed the Commons. In the House of Lords it was severely animadverted upon by Lord Loughborough, on account of the inquisitorial and other new powers conferred

by it, but on a division it was carried by 28 votes against 18.

A motion of Mr. Marsham, for a bill to extend the disqualifications for voting at elections for members of parliament to persons holding places in the navy and ordnance offices, was opposed by the minister, and negatived by a large majority.

This session of parliament was remarkable for the commencement of that public prosecution of Mr. Hastings for his conduct as governor-general of British India which so long engaged the public attention. The subject was first introduced to the House of Commons by Mr. Burke in February. After causing the clerk to read the resolutions of censure and recall of Mr. Hastings moved by Mr. Dundas in May 1782, and observing that he agreed with the friends of Mr. Hastings in the opinion that these resolutions should not be suffered to remain a mere calumny on their journals, he took a view of the different modes of proceeding against state delinquents, and gave reasons for preferring that of impeachment. He concluded by moving for copies of the correspondence which, from January 1782, had passed between Warren Hastings, Esq. and the court of directors, relative to presents and other money received by him; which was carried. After various other motions for papers, some of which passed, and others were rejected, Mr. Burke, in his place, on April 4th, made a charge against Warren Hastings, late governor-general of Bengal, of sundry high crimes and misdemeanours; and delivered in the nine first articles of this charge, the rest, amounting in the whole to 22, being presented in the following week. Mr. Hastings, on the 26th, requested by petition to the House that he might be permitted to be heard in his defence to the several articles, and might be allowed a copy of the same; which was granted.

As the vast compass of this celebrated prosecution renders it impossible to give a clear view of the nature of the several charges, and the arguments produced in their support and refutation, within the limits of a suc

« ForrigeFortsett »