officers, 18,4611. - Barrack department, 461,4511. Ordnance: For land service, 2,278,1971. Unprovided for in 1805, 301,460l.-Ditto, 1806, 262,3651.-For Ireland this year, 471,2421. - Ordered to be reported to-morrow.

The House then went into a committee on the American Intercourse Bill, in which Mr. Rose introduced a proviso, granting a power to the King, with the advice of his Privy Council, to suspend the said act, or any part thereot, if it should be found necessary. The act to continue in force for six weeks after the expiration of the next session of Parliament.

6. After some routine business had been disposed of, the Hon. C. Johnstone, presented a petition from Mr. Elliot, upholsterer, of Bond-street, stating that Mr. Mills, the member for St. Michael's, owed him upwards of 1,000l. for which he had obtained a judgment: to prevent which Mr. M. had brought a writ of error. The petitioner therefore prayed that the prisoner might not be discharged by an order of that House. Several other petitions were presented to the same effect, and were ordered to lie on the table.

The Hon. C. Johnstone moved for a return of the names of those officers appointed inspecting field-officers, and of those of the colonel, lieutenant-colonel, and inajor, on the half-pay list of the army. With regard to the first branch of the motion, he begged to be understood as conveying no reflection on the volunteer force. On the contrary, he highly applauded such an institution; as he had little doubt that the country would soon have occasion to trust to the volunteers for its defence. He, however, understood, that 60 inspecting field-officers of volunteers had been appointed, 49 of whom were unknown, never having served in the regular army. The motions were then agreed to.

On the motion of Mr. Huskisson, the House resolved into a Committee of Supply; when resolutions were agreed to, ordering an issue of 10,500,0001. for paying off exchequer bills, issued under an act of the 46th of the King, for the service of the year 1806, outstanding and unpaid. A farther sum of 3,000,0001, was voted for paying off certain exchequer bills, issued under another act of the same year; and a sum of 4,500.0001. to pay off other exchequer bilis, issued under a subsequent act of the 46th of the King. A number of resolutions for miscellaneous services for the year were agreed to; among which was one, granting 175,000l. for foreign and other secret services. The report was ordered to be received to-morrow.

The American Treaty Continuance Bill was read a third time, and passed.

STATE OF THE NATION.

Mr. Whitbread rose to submit his opinion on this subject to the House, and had begun

situation of the country; when

Mr. Denis Browne moved the standing order, for the exclusion of strangers; on which the galleries were immediately cleared. - Mr. W. then continued his speech to a considerable length, and concluded by moving that a committee be appointed to inquire into the state of the nation. It is said, that a spirited answer was made by Mr. Milnes, who insisted that the inquiry would be vague and delusive; that it was an attempt to censure the change of administration, and embarrass the government. He therefore moved that the House do adjourn.

Sir A. Pigot answered Mr. Milnes, and was followed by Mr. H. Smith and Mr. Montagu.

Mr. Wilberforce alleged, that he would give his support to any specific subject of inquiry, but must withhold his assent to the establishment of a committee on principles that comprehended every subject of consideration.

Lord Milton supported the original motion; as did also Mr. H. Smith, Lord Howick,

and Mr. W. Smith.

Mr. Bathurst, Mr. Croker, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Mr. Canning, supported the amendment.

After a short reply, the House dividedFor the amendment, 322-Against it, 136Majority for ministers, 186.

7. The Speaker read a letter from Mr. Mills, entreating to be discharged from the custody of the Marshal of the King's Bench, that he might attend his duty in Parliament. His letter was, on the motion of Mr. Percival, submitted to a Committee of Privileges.

Mr. Sheridan adverted to the standing order enforced yesterday, for the exclusion of strangers, which he considered to have been made very improperly: he gave notice that he should move on Thursday that this order be taken into consideration.

Mr. D. Browne stated, that he had moved the standing order, under a strong feeling and sense of duty. He was sorry for it, after it had been carried into effect.

The Speaker observed, that it was one of the most ancient and undisputed privileges of the Commons, that all strangers that appeared in the House came there from mere sufferance. Besides, there was a standing order for such strangers to be taken into custody, whenever a member should observe any in the House.

Sir S. Romilly obtained leave to bring in a bill for altering the practice in courts of equity, in cases of delivery of bills, in causes where members of Parliament are defendants.

MEMBERS' PLACES AND PENSIONS.

Lord Cochrane rose, pursuant to notice on a former day, and observed, that he should not have brought forward the present motion, had he not conceived it to be a shame for men of such a description to live in that way upon the people, who could not support themselves. Had it not been for the new plan of finance submitted by the late administration in the last Parliament, he was apprehensive the new administration would have been puzzled to have devised ways and means for the year. By the motion he meant to offer, he did not wish to deprive ministers of any patronage they possessed; neither did he intend to prevent them from rewarding long and arduous services in the country's employment. His idea was, that no pension ought to be granted to any man who did nothing, or who had done nothing, to entitle him to it. The House was unanimous in its opinion of the effect to be expected from such pensiorsand offices being allowed to remain; and he should therefore move, that a comunittee be appointed to examine and inquire into all offices, pensions, places, fees, emoluments, perquisites, and gratuities, held by any member of the House, paid out of the public revenue of the country, or from any fees from courts of law; or whether any such place, &c. be held by the wife or child of any such member, whether in reversion or otherwise; also that the committee shall have power to extend its inquiries throughout all his Majesty's dominions, and that it have authority to send for persons, papers, and records.

The motion was seconded by the Hon. C. Johnstone.

Mr. Bankes opposed the motion, on the ground that the institution of such a committee would imply a notion, that the present Honse of Commons was corrupt in the extreme. Besides, Lord C. ought to have kuown, that there was no precedent for such a motion to be discovered on the Journals. He thought the motion unfair, as the Finance Committee had just been revived.

Messrs. Curwen, Whitbread, J. Smith, Luthbridge, W. Smith, N. Calvert, Lord Petty, and Mr. Sheridan, supported the motion; and Mr. Perceval moved that it be referred to the Committee of Finance. The House at length divided on the original motion; when there were-For it, 61-Against it, 90.

Mr. Perceval then moved, that it be an instruction to the committee on the public Accounts, that they report all cases of pensions, offices, fees, and emoluments, resulting to all persons whatever, excepting those in the navy, army, excise, &c. exceeding in amount the sum of 2001. per annum.

Mr. N. Calvert objected to the motion, because it was worded in an unusual way.

Lord Cochrane also resisted the motion, and moved his original one, by way of amendment. On this a discussion of considerable length ensued, in which the amend-, ment was supported by Lord H. Petty and Mr. W. Smith; and Mr. Wilberforce and Mr. Perceval spoke against it. On this the

House again divided-Ayes, for the Amendment, 60-Noes. 161.

8. Mr. Grant presented a petition from the Enst India Company, praying liberty to raise. money by the issue of bonds until they could increase their capital, or obtain aid through some other means.

Mr. Crevey objected to the reception of this petition by the House, inasmuch as it was contrary to all former precedent to comply with such a petition, or even to receive it without a pretious investigation of the Company's affairs in a tuli discussion of the India budget. -The petition was, however, referred to a committee of the whole House.

Mr. S. Bourne made his motion, for an account of the pensions granted, and the places created, in certain years. The House, he said, would recollect, that in 1782 a bill was passed for reducing the amount of the existing pension list to 90,000l. a-year, and limiting in future its highest extent to 95,0001. and would find, from the documents for which he was about to move, that in no year since that time had the amount of the pensions granted, exclusively of those given with the consent of Parliament, amounted to the full extent authorised by law. He then moved for an account, shewing the state of pensions on the civil list, exclusive of the allowances to foreign ministers, up to April last. -Ordered.

The Committee of Privileges reported, that in conformity to the precedents to which they had referred, they were bound to consider G. G. Mills, Esq. a member of Parliament, and to resolve that he is entitled to pariamentary privilege.

Mr. P. Moore said, he knew Mr. M. and had endeavoured to mediate between him and his creditors; but Mr. M. had refused to comply with the agreement he had made. The petitions referred to the Committee charged against Mr. Mills debts to the amount of 25,000l. and other pettions, he understood, were ready to be presented, charging 5,0001, more. Was it to be tolerated, that any man should be at liberty to avail homself of the privileges of a seat in Parliament, to elude his responsibility to his creditors, and deprive them of all remedy for the recovery of their property?

Mr. Rose said, the Committee found themselves so completely bound down by the precedents to which they referred, that they had no alternative left but the resolution they had come to. After a long discussion, an order was made for the discharge of Mr. Mills from custody.

SALE OF COMMISSIONS IN THE ARMY. The Hon. C. Johnstone moved an address to his Majesty, praying, "That there be laid before the House an account of every sum of money received for commissions, occasioned by death or dismissal, or in chose cases of promotion in which officers have not been allowed to dispose of their commissions, from the 1st January, 1795, to the present year, and the names of the persons by whom paid, and to what purposes the said sums were applied."

The Secretary at War considered this motion as an interference with the prerogative of the King, whose sole right it was to dispose of commissions. He then entered into some explanations relative to the half-pay fund;

to Lord Hood's agent, for the prizes at Tou lon.

NAVAL ABUSES.

Lord Cochrane said, he had been induced to require several papers relative to the naval service to be laid before the House, in order to shew how much many parts of that service were carried on to the material injury of the country. He did not desire any retrospect whatever, but wished to recommend it ear

chief for his successfül exertions to check the practices of army brokers. After this explanation, he said he did not mean to object to the papers.

Mr. C. Johnstone disclaimed having paid any attention to the malicious rumours on this subject; and the motion was agreed to,

Lord H. Petty, after some allusions to the resolutions of the Committee of Finance of last session, relative to the means of discharging the national debt, moved for leave to bring in a bill for altering and amending the acts for the reduction of that debt; but after some conversation, it was agreed that the House should go into a committee on Tuesday, to consider Lord Petty's resolutions.

The House was afterwards occupied in making regulations in the American Intercourse Indemnity Bill.

9. The Wexford election petition was ordered for consideration on the 24th inst.

The bill for preventing the granting of offices in reversion was read a third time, and passed; as was the American Intercourse Indemnity Bill.

Mr. Whitbread obtained leave to bring in a bill for establishing parochnal schools in England and Wales, for the education of the children of the poor. Mr. Whitbread said, that he had another bill to propose: in the last Parliament he had divided it into four heads; two of which he intended to postpone, and the other two to press upon the consideration of the House. He should now

move for leave to bring in a bill "for the encouragement of industry among the labouring classes of society, and for the rehef and regulation of the necessitous poor."Leave given.

Sir A. Wellesley obtained leave for a bill to prevent more effectually insurrections and disturbances in Ireland. There was another part of the bill, which would go to prevent improper persons having arnis, The mode by which this would be done would be, by obliging people to register their arms, and by preventing the forging of pikes.

After much accusation and recrimmation between the leading members on each side of the House, relative to the revival of religious animosities, leave was given to bring in the bill.

venting such things from occurring in future. He should first move, he said, "for copies of all letters and representations made from the schooner Felix to Captain Keates, while commanding the squadron off Rochefort in 1805, respecting the state of that vessel, and the state of the seamen on board." He then read some letters from officers of that schooner, respecting her bad state and want of stores; and alluded to the Atalante, which was sent to sea, making 20 inches of water in an hour. He believed there were more men lost on the Rochefort station last winter, than would be sufficient to the task of cutting out the squadron at that port. The next motion he should make, would be for "an account of the number of ships andmen kept off the port of Rochefort, specifying the time they had been out," with a view to prove that our sailors were exposed to unnecessary severity. He continued to descant on the system of economy pursued under the late administration, particularly in the naval bospitals, where lint was not even allowed for dressing wounds. The lint, he said, had been cut off by Lord St. Vin

cent.

Sir S. Hood defended Earl St. Vincent; and said, that the loss of the Atalante was through the carelessness of those who had the f watch.

Admiral Harvey also censured such a mode of attacking persons who held the highest commands; and declared that he had never known any cause of complaint in the fleet he commanded.

Admiral Markham considered the present motion as one that stabbed at the very vitals of the navy and its discipline. He contended, that more had been done towards supplying the navy with fresh provisions during the administration of Lord St. Vincent, than under any former administration; and that the surgeons' necessaries had been cut off either by Lord Melville or Lord Barham.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer considered the motions of Lord C. as unnecessary; as the complaints ought to have been made to the Board of Admiralty, instead of making inflammatory and publie disclosures; and no person could suspect Lord St. Vincent of any intention to injure

the service.

Mr. Windham' agreed with the Chaneel

4

1

lor; as did Mr. R. Ward, Sir C. Pole, and Mr. Sheridan.

Lord Cochrane replied; after which, the question being called for, it was negatived with only one dissenting voice.

In a Committee on Irish Finance, a variety of sums were granted for different public purposes. A petition of the India Company to issue bonds, instead of increasing their capital, was agreed to,

SATURDAY, JUNE 27.

FOREIGN-OFFICE, DOWNING-STREET,

JUNE 24.

BARON REHAUSEN, his Swedish Majesty's Minister Plenipotentiary at this court, this day delivered to the Right Hon. George Canning, his Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, a note, announcing the blockade of the port of Dantzic by the naval forces of his Swedish Majesty: of which note the following is a

TRANSLATION.

The undersigned, Minister Plenipotentiary of his Majesty the King of Sweden, has the honour to notify to the Ministry of his Britannic Majesty, by order of his court, that the town and fortress of Dantzic having fallen into the hands of the common enemy, his Majesty has judged it indispensable, for the ultimate protection of commerce in the Baltic, to blockade by a sufficient force, and in the most rigorous manner, the entrance of the port of Dantzic; and that therefore the entrance of that port is, and must be considered as being in a state of blockade.

The undersigned avails himself of this opportunity to renew to his Excellency Mr. Canning the assurances of his high considera

tion.

Dutch Company's armed brig Maria Wilhel mina. On the following morning we arrived off Batavia, the Terpsichore leading the fleet through the very intricate navigation in a most judicious manner, preceded by the Sea Flower. I directed the frigates and brig to enter the roads between the island of Onrust and Java, the line of battle ships taking a more circuitous passage. On discovering us as we approached, the Dutch national frigate Phenix, Aventurier, and Zee Ploeg brigs, two of their Company's armed ships, and two armed brigs, imunediately run on shore, followed by the merchantmen; the William corvette having previously struck to the Terpsichore on passing Onrust, The shoal water prevented our anchoring sufficiently near to fire with effect on the bat teries or the ships on shore, The boats of the squadron accordingly assembled alongside the Terpsichore, which, with the Sir Francis Drake, had been place i as near as possible to cover them, and were led in to destroy the enemy's ships by Captain Fleetwood Peilew, under a heavy fire from the ships and the batteries. On approaching the Phoenix, the crew abandoned her, and on boarding she was found scuttled. The guns were unmediately turned on the other ships, while the boats were destroying the remainder, when she was also set on fire and burnt, with the

whole of the enemy's armed force, and nearly 20 merchantmen,

The gallant conduct of Captain Fleetwood Pelew, Lieutenant William Fitzwilliam Owen, commander of the Sea Flower, and Lieute nant Thomas Groule, first of the Culloden, the officers, seamen, and marines, employed under their command in this important duty, is deserving of every praise. The service was directed with great coolness and judgment, and executed in the most steady, zealous, and active manner. Though exposed to the continued fire of the enemy, happily with little effect, the only loss sustained being one marine killed, one marine and three seamen wounded. The enemy's two remaining line of battle ships had unfortunately quitted this anchorage, or must inevitably have shared a similar fate. The Dutch admiral was left at Batavia. I have landed the prisoners upon parole, under an assurance from the governor that they shall not serve again until regularly exchanged. The necessary destruction of the William corvette has deprived me of an opportunity of rewarding the services of Lieutenant Owen on this