1796-] 
“Some of the provisions of this bill are 
of a very extraordinary nature. The 
examination of a witness, who may be 
afterwards murdered, maimed, or secret~- 
ed, is made evidence to convict before a. 
jury. Magistrates may stop strangets, 
and examine them, and, if their answers 
are not satisfactory, comrait them: to 
gaol.—A justice may enter any house 
during the night, and such of the inha- 
bitants as are from home, unless they 
can prove that they were absent on their 
tawful occasions, are to be deemed disor- 
derly, and sent on board the fice. 
eee = SEE RS are 
BRITISH PARLIAMENT. 
oO’ the rgth of February, Mr. Ho- 
bart brought up the report of the vote 
ef credit bill, for granting 2,500,000l. 
for the exigéncies of the present year. 
Upon which Mr. Gey rose, and ob- 
served, that though he had uniformly 
opposed the present war, he had never 
opposed the supplies to carry iton. Ac- 
cording to his ideas of the subject, the 
constitutional view,on which the vote of 
credit was considered, was, that after 
the estimates of the year were provided, 
a sum of money was. entrusted’ to the 
discretion of the ministers, to answer 
any extraordinary services that might 
eccur during the recess of parliament,, 
and for which no precise provision could 
be made. For this reason, it had been 
the invariable practice to propose such 
a vote near the conclusion of the session. 
On this occasion, he was surprised that 
the opposite course had been taken, and 
that, at so early a period, this provision: 
should be settled. This circumstance 
convinced him, that the public expences 
were not fairly stated, and that the sums. 
voted for the estimates of this year, were 
to be applied to the deficiencies of the 
last ; and that this vote of credit was 
therefore called for, at an unusual pe- 
tiod, to be diverted to purposes, totally 
different from its proper destination. He 
‘wished that some regulation should be 
‘adopted, which would extend to the ap- 
plication of prospective expences ; for if 
Ministers applied the sums raised by the 
vote of credit, to deficiencies with which 
the public were unacquainted, the most 
‘valuable prerogative of that house, as 
stewards of the public, would be violated. 
He, therefore, moved, that the, report 
_ @f the vote of credit should be taken into 
~ Consideration, that day three weeks. The 
Motion was opposed by Mr.Rose 5 and, 
Britifh Parliament. 
149 
after a short debate, was negatived with- 
out a division. 
On the 22d of the month, a motion 
bemg made for the vote of credit bill to 
be yead a third time, Mr. Grey renewed 
his opposition to it, and ‘moved, that the 
third reading of the bill should be de- 
ferred till that day three weeks. Mr. 
Grey’s motion was opposed by Mr. Pitt, 
who observed that it had been usual to 
postpone a vote of credit till the latter 
end of the session, but it had been, and 
might be, brought forward wih the 
other supplies. He had adopted the me= 
thod of bringing it forward, as part of 
the budget ; and he believed that to be 
as constitutional as if he had reserved it 
to a day or two previous to the conclu- 
sion of the session. Mr. Grey had ex- 
pressed a suspicion that the sum might 
be applied to the. payment of charges al- 
ready incurred. £t was possible part of 
the sum might be applied in that way ; 
but he maintained, that a convenience 
to the nation would be the result. TH 
any of the estimated services were paid 
out of this purse, and the extraordinary 
exigencies, when they should happen, 
supplied out of the purse belonging to 
the estimated services, there would al- 
ways be less ofa dead capital necessar¢ 
for the services taken all together; sw 
that it was convenient to Government, 
and beneficial to the nation, to have 
these two purses in common. 
Mr. Grey’s mction was supported by 
Mr. Fox and Mr. Sheridan ;. and it wag 
observed by the latter, that Mr. Pitt’s 
plan destroyed the power of the purse, of 
which the house was so jealous. Tao 
vote a sum for the services of Govern- 
‘ment that: should be necessary, and te 
grant no more, was the object of the 
House in this department. In times of 
emergency, votes of credit were added, 
but with caution. The largest sum of 
last war was a million. The present. 
vote was for two millions and a half. 
The magnitude of the sum given by the 
“ote was alarming. If the House were 
te proceed in this manner, appropriation 
of particular sums would be ridiculous, 
and the whole might be thrown inte a 
vote of credit, without enquiry, Tha 
house then divided; for Mr. Grey’s 
motion 26, against it toa. The bisd 
was afterwards read a third time, and 
passed. 
' Owthe 26th, a long debate took place 
im the House of Commons, reiative t 
fixtcen resolutions, brought up from a 
committe; by Mr. Wilham Smith, 
censiing 
I 
