HISTORY 
noble secretary had shewn, and, 
for the present, withdrew his mo- 
tion. 
Earl Spencer, approved of the 
motion being withdrawn, under 
these circumstances, especially as 
the whole of the negotiation, was 
likely soon to come under the con- 
‘sideration of their lordships. 
The same day, the chancellor of 
the exchequer, made a similar apo- 
logy, for not making a communi- 
eation, as was expected : unfavour- 
able circumstances had prevented 
his. being able to do’ so; but, he 
expected, he should, ina day or 
two, as the differences between the 
two countries, must soon be brought 
to a decisive result. 
Although there were above 450 
members present, yet not a single 
observation was made, on what fell 
from the chancellor of the exche- 
quer ; 
diately retired. 
The next day, and the following, 
the house made some farther pro- 
gress in the clergy bill. 
On the 12th, the attorney gene- 
ral, moved for leave to bring in a 
bill, to indemnify all persons, con- 
cerned in executing two orders of 
council: the one for allowing the 
exportation of seed-corn to Norway ; 
and the other, for preventing the 
exportation of naval and military 
stores to France, Spain, and the 
Batavian republic. The first order 
was made, in consequence of an 
application from the Danish go- 
vernment ; which stated, that, from 
- the failure of the last harvest, Nor- 
way was in danger of a famine, if 
it could not import seed-corn. As 
to the second, government having 
received intelligence, on the 3Ist 
of March last, that thirty-three tons 
OFTEUROPE.: 
and the members imme- 
131 
‘of salt-petre and gunpowder, were 
preparing, to’ be ‘exported ‘to Am- 
sterdam and Antwerp, ''sent orders 
to prohibit the exportation, with as | 
little noise and publicity as possi- 
ble. From the situation of this 
country, with respect to those 
powers, the measure was. neces- 
sary; but still a bill of indemnity 
was wanting. 
Mr. Coke (of Norfolk), did not 
object to the first order of council, 
but still he considered the bill, as a 
bill of patronage, as ministers had 
selected certain persons, to send 
the barley and oats over to Norway, 
instead of leaving it to fair compe- 
tition’ at the market. He never 
yet knew a minister, of this coun- 
try, who attended, as he ought, to 
thé’ landed interest. 
The chancellor of the excheauer, 
in reply, said, that government 
knew‘nothing of the persons, who 
were to export this corn. 
Mr. Fox thought, if a commu- 
nication had been made to parlia- 
ment before, the competition would 
have been more fair and open. 
Leaye was then given, to bring 
in the bill. 
The following day, lord King 
moved, in the house of lords, ** that 
a committee should be appointed, 
to inquire into the state of the 
finances of the country.” The ac- 
counts, which had been presented 
with so much exultation, appeared. 
to him very defective, and mate- 
rially fallacious; and -he thought, 
at the present times, the most mis- 
chievous consequences might result, 
from the entertaining a false idea 
of the financial situation of the 
country. After a variety of <tate- 
ments, in which he compared 
our revenue and expenditure; he 
K 2 endeayoured 
