HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



113 



Lords Auckland and Ilawkesbury 

 supported the bill, and lord Ellcn- 

 Lorough opposed it, as om>, that 

 went to punish the inuoceut as well 

 as the guilty. 



On the da)' appointed for the fi- 

 nal discussion, lordGrenville again 

 supported the bill, on the grounds 

 he had before urged. 



The Lord Chancellor considered, 

 that this bdl rested on principles 

 very like those of the corresponding 

 society, and reform clubs. He con- 

 sidered it most unconstitutional, and 

 unprecedented, as the punishment 

 was not intended to fall upon the 

 guilty, but upon all, indiscriminate- 



After a pretty long discussion, 

 the house divided : for the bill 39, 

 against it 32. 



Previously to the termination of 

 the session, Mr. Windham took an 

 opportunity of asking for informa- 

 tion from ministers, respecting the 

 case of ca])tain Wright, who was 

 made a prisoner of war, when com- 

 manding his majesty's sloop " Vin- 

 ccgo," and who had since been com- 

 mitted to close confinemt-nt in the 

 Temple, for refusing to answer in- 

 terrogatories put to him by the ene- 

 my, after his capture. 



house of commons liad the proud 

 satisfaction of seeing the national 

 debt diminished, and the resources 

 and prosperity of the country in- 

 crease ; that the commons had deli- 

 berated, with unceasing solicitude, 

 on the best system for military de- 

 fence ; and, that the voluntary zeal 

 of all ranks of people, to obtain the 

 necessary discii)line, had co-operated 

 powerfully M'ith the measures taken 

 by parliament. They trusted, that 

 with the blessing of God, this em- 

 pire wonld outlast the storms, that 

 had overwhelmed the continent of 

 Europe ; and that the other nations 

 might witness the destruction of 

 a tyranny, founded on fraud and 

 violence, and cemented with inno- 

 cent blood, and that they might re- 

 cover their ancient power and inde- 

 pendence." 



His majesty then addressed his 

 parliamentf. In the lirst part of 

 his speech to both houses collective, 

 ly, he praised the wisdom with 

 Avhich they had direftcd their atten- 

 tion to the encouragement and im- 

 provement of the volunteer force, 

 which the ardour and spirit of his 

 subjects had enabled him to carry to 

 an unprecedented height : he con- 

 cluded by noticing the additional 



On the 3 1st of July, the session force bill. He thanked the house 



closed. On that day tha speaker, 

 in presenting some bills for the royal 

 assent, addressed his majesty on the 

 throne*. He stated, " tiiat the 



of conunons for the addition they 

 had made to his civil lislj, and for 

 the extensive provision which they 

 liad made for the exigencies of the 



public 



* Vide " State Papers "' page f 91 



t Vide " State Papers," jiai^e 599. 



t ^Ir. Adflineton, while, chancellor of the exchequer, movod rortain resolutions 

 for the purpose of ])uying the debt on the civil list, and iiuMeasiiig its cstablisli- 

 irient. Tlie debt, tliat was to be paid off, auiountod to 590,0()0A and the annual 

 increase he wished to make to the civil \ht was 60,000/. The delu. had been two 

 years and a half in contractins, and the nerossity of iiiriuTiug it had ajipeartv) 



fron 



the laH and present bessJou. 

 Vol. XIAI. 



1 various reports upon the subject, \vlii>.li had been Ijolijio parllanifut duriiis; 



llie tau'-es of the debt, were the iutreajcd salail<'» 

 JL ani. 



