ever stand intitled to his fupport for the fingular act of service that had diftinguished his adminiftration. It had proved the falvation of the country, which, as fubfequent events had fhewn, muft have been undone, if the noble Marquis had not made the peace. Mr. Dundas enlarged on this circumstance, and faid, it ought to entitle the noble Marquis to the gratitude and respect of that House, declaring, that although when he had heard that noble Marquis fpeaking of the prefent Administration, he certainly did not like him the better for fo fpeaking; yet, that nothing could or ought to obliterate from his mind the extraordinary merit of that one act of his adminiftration. Whenever the day fhould come, that a motion fhould be made for refcinding the Refolution from the Journals on the fubject of the peace, he should hold it to be his duty ftrenuously to argue in fupport of that motion. Mr. Fox defired, that it might be understood, that in any Mr. Fox. thing which he had that day, or at any time faid of the noble Marquis in question, he had always confined himself to his Public conduct, and by no means intended to allude to any part of his private life. To have done fo, would have been impertinent, unwarrantable, and ungentlemanlike. With regard to the peace, his opinion was not in the fmalleft degree altered refpecting it. So far from it, that it ftood confirmed in the strongest manner; and if ever a day fhould come, when a motion fhould be made for refcinding the Refolution which stood upon the Journals, he was prepared not only to repeat and maintain his former arguments, but to fupport them with additional arguments grounded upon fubfequent occurrences. The queftion of the amendment was then put and carried; and afterwards the main question fo amended was put, when the House divided, and the numbers were, Ayes, 113-Noes, 188.-Majority, 75. The following State Paper, which contains an Account of the whole Navy of Great Britain, as made up to the day of the commencement of the prefent feffion of Parliament, was lately laid on the table of the House of Commons, for the perufal of the Members: State of the Navy, including all the Ships in Commiffion, in Ordinary, and building, on the 23d of January, 1787. In Commiffion. At home, as guardships, twelve fhips of the line. Cruizers on the English and Irish ftations, nine frigates and thirty floops. VOL. XXI. 3 G At At the feveral ports fitting for ftations, three ships of 50 guns, one of 44 guns, eleven frigates, and twelve floops. On the Mediterranean ftation, with Commodore Cofby, ne fhip of 50 guns, three frigates, and one floop. On the coaft of Africa, one floop of 18 guns. In America, four frigates and eight floops. At Jamaica, one fhip of 50 guns, one of 44 guns, two frigates, and three floops. On the Leeward-Iflands ftation, three frigates, and four Loops. In the Eaft Indies, two floops of 16 güns. Going to Botany Bay, one frigate and one floop. Total of fhips in commiffion-Twelve fhips of the line, five of 50 guns, two of 44 guns, thirty frigates, and fixtytwo loops. State of the Ordinary. In ordinary at Plymouth, Portsmouth, Chatham, Woolwich, and Deptford, one hundred and twenty-feven fhips of the line, thirteen of 50 guns, one hundred and nine frigates, and fifty-feven floops. Ships building. In the King's yards, eleven fhips of the line, two of which are of 100 guns, four of 98, and five of 74 guns, and one of 50 guns. At the merchant yards, seven ships of the line, and five frigates. There have been condemned and broke up, or fold fince the naval return of last year, one ship of 64 guns, two frigates, and seven floops.. The number of feamen, including marines, borne on the books of the fhips in commiffion, was ftated at 27,390 men. The Houfe adjourned. Thursday, 8th March. No material occurrence took place, excepting that the House went up with the following address. The humble Addrefs of the Right Honourable the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in Parliament assembled. "Moft gracious Sovereign, "We, your Majefty's moft dutiful and loyal fubjects, "the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in "this prefent Parliament affembled, having taken into our "moft ferious confideration the provifions contained in the "treaty of navigation and commerce concluded between your Majefty and the moft Chriftian King, beg leave to "approach your, Majefty with our fincere and grateful acknowledgements for this additional proof of your Ma<< jefty's conftant attention to the welfare and happiness of "your fubjects. "We fhall proceed with all proper expedition in taking "fuch steps as may be neceffary for giving effect to a fyf"tem fo well calculated to promote a beneficial intercourse "btween Great Britain and France, and to give additional permanence to the bleffings of peace. "It is our firm perfuafion, that we cannot more effectu"ally confult the general interefts of our country, and the glory of your Majesty's reign, than by concurring in a "measure which tends to the extenfion of trade, and the "encouragement of induftry and manufacture, the genuine "fources of national wealth, and the fureft foundation "of the profperity and happinefs of your Majefty's do"minions." Friday, 9th March. The only bufinefs which took place was, that Mr. Speaker reported, that both Houfes did, on the preceding day, attend His Majefty with their addrefs; to which His Majefty was pleased to give this most gracious answer: "My Lords, and Gentlemen, "I return you my thanks for this loyal and dutiful ad"drefs. "The declaration of your fentiments, formed after the "moft ferious confideration of the treaty of navigation and commerce between me and the Moft Chriftian King, af"fords me the trueft fatisfaction; and I receive," with "pleasure, the affurances of your intention to proceed with "all proper expedition in taking fuch fteps as may be necef"fary for giving it effect." The Houfe adjourned. 3 G 2 Monday, Mr. Gilbert Mr. Burke. Mr. Chan Monday, 12th March. Mr. Gibert begged leave to fubmit to the confideration of the House, that the Committee fitting above ftairs, for the purpose of inquiring into the state of the laws refpecting the poor, had found their powers inadequate to the purpose, and that feveral of the parish officers had neglected, and others refused to deliver in the accounts called for, to rectify which he should move that the faid Committee might have power to fend for all perfons, papers, &c. relative to that business. The motion paffed. Major Scott made a motion for certain papers respecting affairs of India. Mr. Burke defired to be informed, whether the honourable Major's motion tended to poftpone the intended business relative to the contracts. Major Scott replied, that it did not. This motion alfo paffed. Mr. Chancellor Pitt obferved, that he had not fo thoroughcellor Pitt. ly digefted his promised motion, refpecting a reduction of the duties on Portugal wines, as to be able to bring it that day before the House, and that he fhould on the morrow make a previous motion with regard to spirits. Mr. Demp fter. Mr. Chan. Mr. Dempfter faid, that he had perused a Calcutta Gazette, which particularly mentioned, that the Eaft-India Company had iffued an order, directing that none of their fervants be permitted to write home to their friends in England, any account refpecting the affairs of that country. He therefore begged leave to move," that all correfpondencies be"tween the fervants of the Company, fince the year 1784, "be laid before the Houfe." Mr. Chancellor Pitt avowed himself a ftranger to any cellor Pitt. fuch order, and afked time to inquire into it, for which purpose Mr. Dempfter withdrew his motion. Mr. Chan The Houfe adjourned. Tuesday, March 13th. The House resolved itself into a Committee of the whole House, to take into farther confideration fo much of His Majefty's moft gracious fpeech to both Houfes of Parlia ment, upon the 23d day of January laft, as relates to fimplifying the public accounts in the various branches of the revenue, and Mr. Steele took his feat at the table. Mr. Chancellor Pitt obferved, that it was not barely in cellor Pitt compliance with the ftipulation in the treaty of commerce with France, that the idea of reducing the duties on brandy was adopted, but in a great measure, with a view to add ftill farther farther to those encouragements of the fair and legal trader, which had always been fo much the object of his wifhes and of his diligence. To this end, he fhould not be satisfied with fimply reducing thefe duties to the ftandard provided for by the treaty, (to feven fhillings per gallon) but would propofe to reduce them as low as five fhillings per gallon, which he hoped would effectually drive the fmuggler out of the market. In confequence of this extraordinary reduction of the duty on brandy, he fhould also propose to make a proportional reduction of the duty on rum, that so this article might not fuffer in its confumption; and this reduction was fuch as fhould make the whole of the duties (thofe of excife and customs united) four fhillings per gallon. Having thus ftated the general intention, he proceeded to argue upon it, from several ftatements of calculation, and general principles of policy. It had, he said, not unfrequently been the practice in this country to feek for an increase of revenue, by an actual reduction of duties, and that practice had in many inftances proved highly fuccefsful. It was, therefore, in pursuance of that principle, and with a view to fhare the profits of the smuggler between the state and the fair trader, that the prefent propofal was made. There had, upon an average, of about three years, been fmuggled into this country, about four millions of gallons of brandy. This calculation, the Committee would fee, could not, from the nature of the fubject, admit of any degree of accuracy, But as far as it could, it had been endeavoured to be afcertained by all the investigation which could in fuch a case be applied. The officers of the revenue on the coafts, had received directions for the laft three years to ufe every degree of diligence, and every effort in their power to collect fuch materials of information on the subject as might lead to that defirable object, the forming a judgement of the true state of the illicit trade in this commodity; and from every information which could be obtained through fuch channels as were open for information, there was the greatest reafon to compute the brandy finuggled into the kingdom at the amount which he had ftated. Between this quantity fmuggled, and that which was legally imported and paid the duty, there was a moft enormous difference, for the latter did not amount to above fix or feven hundred thousand gallons. Were the whole of the reduction to be made to operate as a dead lofs upon the revenue, and not to be compenfated by any increase in the legal importation, that lofs would amount to about 200,000l. per annum-but then, if by the reduction fuch a blow was to be given to the fmuggler, as to throw the importation of but eight hundred thoufand gallons, out of the four millions at prefent illegally imported, |