the advice of the noble marquis's connections were attended to, the day of judgment would never come, although, strange to tell, those connections were sometimes heard calling out for a speedy trial. To-night, however, their language was, that it would be absurd to think of going into any of the charges until the next session. The learned gentleman concluded with observing, that no answer was given to the question of the honourable director (Mr. Grant), relative to the ex parte publications from the friends of the noble Marquis.

Mr. W. Pole declared, and pledged himself to the fact that his noble relative had never written or published, or authorised to be published, a single line in answer to the charge to which the motion before the House referred, nor had any of the noble lord's friends either, to his (Mr. Pole's) knowledge.

Mr. Sheridan thought the understanding was, at the time he had the honour to make a motion upon this subject, that the charge alluded to should not be printed until all the evidence connected with it should be printed also. Now as a great deal of that evidence was not yet before the House, he did not think that this motion could be consistently acceded to at present; at the same time he could see no objection to print the charge with the evidence.

Mr.Archdale concurred in the opinion of the last speaker. Mr. Paull was astonished at the opposition made to this motion. When it was asserted that this charge contained strong allegations against the noble marquis, gentlemen should bear in mind, that much stronger allegations were to be found in the dispatch of the India directors, of which so many thousand copies had been published, and also in a letter addressed by the secretary of the India directors to Lord Castlereagh when at the head of the board of controul. Gentlemen might determine to protect Lord Wellesley; but his conduct had been decided upon elsewhere, and that by the persons most interested and best acquainted with the subject; and a majority of 980 India proprietors had, against a minority of 175, pronounced, by a solemn vote, that the noble lord's conduct was highly culpable. The honourable gentleman proposed to the gentlemen on the other side, if they would not agree to the present motion, to fix upon some day not later than the 10th of July for the printing of this charge.

Mr. Johnstone lamented that a question of such trifling,

or

or rather of no importance, should be so often pressed upon the attention of the House. The honourable member, in opposition to the remarks of his learned friend (Dr. Lau rence) asserted, that the demeanor of the honourable gentlemen behind him (Sir A. Wellesley, and the honourable W. Pole), was marked by good temper and propriety, although he was ready to own that his learned friend's remarks would be somewhat applicable to the noble lord who generally sat on the same bench with him (Temple) who seemed resolved to dictate what course the House should pursue in this investigation. The honourable member denied that the court of India proprietors meant to declare any opinion as to the charges against Lord Wellesley in the vote of approbation which they had thought it their duty to pronounce upon the conduct of their own directors.

Mr. Holt Leigh conceived, that delicacy to such an illustrious character as the noble marquis required that the charge should not be printed without the evidence.

Lord Folkestone was for printing it.

Lord H. Petty said, that, as there appeared little doubt that the evidence would be soon printed, and as the only objection to printing the charge was, that it ought not to be printed before the evidence, he conceived the best way would be to postpone the motion for the present. He, therefore, moved the previous question.

This motion was asquiesced in by Mr. Paull, and Sir A. Wellesley, and agreed to without a division.

AUDITORS COMMISSION.

The House having resolved into a committee of supply, Lord Henry Petty moved that a salary not exceeding 15007. a year should be granted to each of the commissioners first named in the new commission for auditing public accounts, and a salary of 1200l. to the other commissioners; and also an additional sum for incidental expences attending the said commission.

Mr. Bankes considered the salaries rather too high, and the commissioners too numerous. At the same time, the honourable member took occasion to recommend the adop tion of a principle in this arrangement which ought, in his judgment, to prevail in all the public offices-namely, an increase of salary to the subordinate officers, who, it was known, were the only efficient persons, and a proportionate decrease of the salaries of the principals. Those upon

whom

whom the onus of the public business devolved ought, in, common justice and policy, to be adequately rewarded. -Lord Henry Petty said, that, from the importance of the institution to which this motion referred, it was thought right to place the gentlemen who were to conduct, it upon; the same footing as the principals of other public boards," namely, those of customs and excise; and upon that footing the amount of the salaries was adjusted. As to the num ber of the commissioners, he hoped he had already, stated enough respecting the quantum of the business they had to go through, to satisfy the House and the country upea that point; and with regard to the other point alluded to by his honourable friend, he could assure him that care wouldbe taken in this arrangement that the business should not be left to the lower officers, but that the commissioners should be obliged to do it themselves.

After a few words across the table between Lord Henry' Petty and Mr. Huskisson, the motion was agreed to, the House resumed, and the report was ordered to be brought up the next day.

WEST INDIA TRADE BILL.

On the order being read for the further consideration of the report,

Lord Castlereagh hoped the noble lord would not proceed in the business that night, as many gentlemen had gone away on the supposition that it would not come on, on account of the absence of a noble lord (Temple), who had taken an active part in introducing the bill. Those gentlemen might wish to deliver their sentiments, both in the present stage and when the bill should be in the committee, and also upon the third reading. He hoped, from the candour of the noble lord, that he would agree to postpone this business till a farther night.

Lord H. Petty said he could not forego the bringing forward this measure in its regular course. He could not see any reason why gentlemen who wished to debate it should have left the House. They had notice both from the orders of the House, and by express communication from himself, that it would come on that day, and he could not conceive what circumstance could make them understand that it was not to come on. He could not delay measures of importance merely because gentlemen did not chuse to attend.

VOL. III. 1805-6.

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Mr. Yorke and Mr. Huskisson considered, that it would be improper to press forward a business of such importance, in the absence of gentlemen who wished to be present at the discussion of it.

The Attorney General thought that no sufficient reason had been assigned for the absence of any member who wished to be present at the discussion. If they had but taken the trouble of asking if the business would come on, they would have been answered in the affirmative.

Sir C. Price expressed a hope, that when the discussion came on, he would be able to advance some new grounds, which might influence many members to change their opi

nion.

Mr. Windham allowed it was customary to postpone a business when a sufficient reason was assigned, but not when there was no reason at all, but merely that several gentlemen who were in the habit of speaking upon the question, chose to absent themselves that night. The only fact that the House knew was, that those gentlemen were not in their places; but as to the allegation of the noble lord, that they understood the business was not to come on, he was at a loss to conceive what could have inclined them to think so.

Lord Castlereagh, with some warmth, said, that the noble lord (H. Petty) when he had been longer in office, would learn, that it was not the most fair and prudent exercise of his authority to press subjects forward to discussion in the absence of those who could assist materially in the discussion.

Mr.Giles thought th t merely on an allegation stood what they would the trouble to inquire. After a few observati

the business should not be retarded that some members had misundere known, if they had but taken

om Sir James Pulteney, the bill passed the committee, as ordered to be engrossed, and read a third time the next day se'nnight.

The East India shipping bill was read a second time, and committed for the next day.

MILITIA BILL

The order of the day for the second reading of the militia tests bill being read,

Mr. Yorke enquired of the right honourable secretary,

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whether

whether it was intended to extend the principle of this bill, or of the training bill, to Scotland?

Mr. Windham answered, that certainly there was no such intention as to the training bill, nor did he think there was any upon this bill either. But as to the latter he was not prepared to answer so decisively.

Sir William Elford requested to have some explanation from the right honourable gentleman, as to a point which he did not fully understand, in his speech upon the opening of his military plan, namely, whether he proposed to abolish the ballot for the militia altogether, and recruit that force by bounty, or merely to suspend the ballot by way of experiment, until the militia should be reduced to the number at which they were in future to remain ?

Lord Castlereagh was surprised at the policy of declining to extend this bill and the training bill to Scotland, which was a part of the empire so peculiarly distinguished for its military character. There might be reasons of po licy for not extending the principles of those measures to Ireland; but, he could not conjecture that they were ap plicable to Scotland.

a

Mr. Windham observed, in reference to what had fallen from the honourable baronet (Sir William Elford), that more proper time would come for considering the question relative to the mode of keeping up our militia force in future. It would be a point very fit to be mooted hereafter, whether that force should be supplied by ballot, or whether recourse should be had to recruiting by bounty. But at present the intention was rather to let the vacancies which might occur in the militia, remain unsupplied until that body should be reduced to the standard at which it was intended permanently to continue.

Sir W. Elford asked whether, if, for instance, a regi giment of militia should be reduced one-half, none of the vacancies in that regiment should be filled up until the whole of the militia body should be reduced to the standard which the right honourable secretary had in view?

Mr. Windham answered, that the intention was exactly the affirmative of the honourable baronet's question.

Sir James Pulteney took occasion to recommend a farther recruiting from the militia. Indeed, notwithstanding the objections urged to the principle of that plan, he nei ther saw nor heard of any mischief that resulted from the practice, at either time that the experiment was tried,

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