+ 
Public Affairs—Britifh Parliament. 
in the funds of the bank, which, he was 
fully perfuaded, would be found compe- 
tent for all the demands upom.it. The 
fole caufe was, the extraordinary drain of 
cath from the capital, which thefe un- 
founded alarms had occafioned ; that 
drain had been as fudden as unexpected— 
beyond all average of trade, and the ufual 
£0 arfe of banking. Mr. Pitt contended, 
that the cancas. of the bank, of {pecie, 
te government, were not, on an‘av eee 
greater than thofe of former pericds, be- 
tore he had any fhare in his Merey 
councils; fince, almoft all the fums ad- 
vanced for government, had been paid in 
bank notes, with which government had 
again repaid them, He infifted ftrongly 
on the necedjity ot confining the commit- 
“tee folely to the {pecific chjeét pointed 
out; and repsefented the inconvenience, 
which would refult from conneéting that 
with any extraneous matter. With re- 
fpceét to another loan, for the purpofe of 
paying the bank, he dotibted not but 
duch a propofition one be made within 
a fhort period; but he did not think the 
moment of alarm the exact time to bring 
at forward with etiect. 
Mr. DeEnrT faid, he lamented that the 
debates fhould have produced fo much 
perfonality on both fides the houle ; and 
declared, that, in his opinion, the only 
difference between the parties was, that 
thofe who chad places, wifhed to rien 
them; and thofe who were out of of- 
fice, wilhed to get’ in. fe added,' that 
we were af war witha Peon; who did 
not believe in a Belg; egy indeed, 
were fo wicked, as not to believe any 
thing at all. 
Mr, SHERIDAN, who had prefented 
himfelf with Mr. Dent, rofe, and ina 
Ae o ‘pleafantry, when tended tore- 
~ tieve the, gloom of the houfe, obferved, 
— he was not at all forry, that he had 
iven-way tothe laft {peaker ; for, with 
e& to his sides the great per- 
sity which had pafied during the 
@chate, he had to fay, that he hardly ever 
-oblerved lefs perfonality ; but be that as 
itmyght, it was very fiugular, the cbfer- 
“vation fhould’ have come from the hon. 




. gentlemen, who, in his extreme regard 
‘0 delicacy, had branded both fides oF the 
-houfe as unprincipled rogues; who con- 
tended only for places, Waelout the {mail- 
eft regard to the duty they owed to their 
country. But what ftruck him moit for- 
cibly in the gentleman’s curious fpeech, 
was, his declaring, that we were at war 
with a people, who did not believe in a 
Being: it muft of courfe be fuppoied, 
that they conhdered us all aS non-eutities : 
[ Marchy 
“but if he only meant to fay, that our ene- 
mies did not believe in the exiftence of 2 
Divine Being, he, for his own part, could 
not conceive that to be any juft reafon 
for prodigality on our part ; nor’ did he 
think, that more powder and ball. was 
neceflary to kill an etheift, than another 
man. Mr. Sheridan then ‘took a view 
of the arguments employed by the mi- 
nifterial fide of the houfe, and concluded, 
by moving, as an amendment to the ori- 
‘ginal motion, the following addition, 
< And alfo to enquire into the caufes 
which have produced the order of coun- 
cil, together with their opinion thereon ; 
and: alfo' te face ehe grounds of the con- 
tinuation and confirmation of thé faid or= 
der, f 
Mr. DuNDAS contended, he the 
amendment negatived the motion, and- a 
condemned it. Mr. Grey and Mr. Fox 3B 
gave ittheir fupport. The Attorney-Ge- 
netal and Mr. Pitt argued againft — Me 
The houfe at length divided, when there 
appeared, - earoes 
For the amendment a 33° Fah 
Againtt it - > Be ae 
The minifter’s. motion was then car= 
ried 7#€7. con. 
Mr. Fox then moved a 
“That. it avas the a of the houfe to + 
enquire into the caufes which had pro- = 
duced the: order of. council, ‘Agreed 
m He gave notice, that the. next. day, 
he fhould move fora com mittee to enquire 
yinto the farte. ; 
On the firf day of Ma Fehe ig follow- 
ing: gentlemen were chotea. by ballot, 
fae, a committee, to enquire itor the ftate 
of the Bank of Englands Son 
Sir John s Scott, W.thufley,. -as3 
J. Hawkins Browne, W. ‘Wilberforce. Bird, 
Charles oe Wm. Plumer, 
rE W. Anderfon, Tho. Powys, ° 
. Fane W. Wyndham, 
ae Gretwihe: : r John Mitford, 
Wm, Wilberforce, Blackburne. 
Charles Grey, 
On the fecond reading of a bill, for 
authorifing the Bank of England to iffue 
notes, value 20s. and 4os. the houfe re- 
folved itfelf intoa committee ; the report 
was received, and the bill read a third 
time. In the courfe of the debate upon 
this fubjeét, Mr. Grey reprobated the 
conduct of miniiters, for oringing the 
nation into fo many difiiculties, as would 
inevitably attend the adoption of the 
meafure then before the houfe. <A fair 
man failing every where elfe might-go te 
the bank with a twenty-fhilling Hote, 
and be ee cafh for it. This the 
bank would do in conformity to the re- 
quifition of the lords of council; and, 
Mc. 
refolution, . =" 

