HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



34 



CHAP. V 



I'arliamentary Proceedh^gs co?itinued. — Short Discussion in the House of 

 Lords, upon the Suspension of the Irish Habeas Corpus. — Debate in the 

 House of Commons on the Defence of the Country. — Opened by Mr. JFind- 

 ham. — Motion made by him. — Opposed by 3Ir. Canning. — Division. — Mo- 

 tion lost. — Bill for the Abolition of the Slave Trade, thrown out by a small 

 Majority. -^Debate on the Continuation of the Commission for the Enquiry 

 into Xaval Abuses.— Division thereon. — Opposition to the Salt Duty Tax. 

 — Bill carried on a Division. — Mr. Sheridan^s Motion for the Repeal of 

 the Additional Force Bill. — Debate. — Mr. Pitt — JFindham — Lord Cas- 

 tlereagh. — Motion lost upon a Division. — Debate in the House of Lords on 

 the Defence of the Country. — Division. — Case of the Sheriffs of Middlesex, 

 — Committed to Neugate. — The Agricultural Horse Duty Bill thrown out 

 on the Second Reading. — Salt Duty Bill carried vpon a Division- 



A SHORT discussion took place, 

 in the house of lords, on the 

 2 1st of February, on the second 

 reading of the bill for suspending 

 the habeas corpus act in Ireland; 

 previously to which lord Gren- 

 viilo moved for a statement of the 

 conditions upon which persons im- 

 prisoned, upon charges of sedition 

 or treason, in Ireland, had been li- 

 berated, except as far as the same 

 may relate to information given, or 

 to ,bc given, respecting any trai- 

 toriMjs proceeding, kc. which was 

 nf>ia(ivid. The arguments upon the 

 bill itself in no way differed from 

 those in the house of commons. 

 The Duke of Clarence, after ob- 

 serving on the precipitancy with 

 which it was hurried through the 

 house, declared, that, were it in his 

 power, he would rejeft it altoge- 

 ther, but as he found that was im- 

 j)ossiblCj he contented himself with 



moving, as an amendment, that in- 

 stead of the words, " six weeks af. 

 " ter the next session of parlia- 

 " ment," should be substituted the 

 words, " six weeks after the pas- 

 " sing of this act," which, he said, 

 would be a sufficient interval, either 

 for an enquiry, or a message from 

 his majesty, stating the instance of 

 traitorous conspiracies in Ireland. 

 This motion boing also negatived, 

 the bill went through all the remain- 

 ing stages, and passed on the same 

 evening. 



On the same day the subject of 

 the defence of the country gave rise 

 to a very long and animated debate 

 in the house of commons. It was 

 opened by Mr. Windham, who 

 moved for a conimiitee to review 

 the several acts passed, in the two 

 last sessions, for the defence of the 

 country, and to consider of such 

 other measiMcs as may be necessary 



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