330 
There were many infiances, at the time 
of marriage fettlements being made, of 
the next relations to one of the parties, 
giving fums of money, that the landed 
eftates might be made to fall on them, as 
collateral heirs, in cafe of failure of iffue. 
To tax eftates defcending to perfons un- 
der fuch circumftances, would be a griev- 
ance. 
Mr. Pitt replied, that neither of the 
objections firft tated could apply to the 
bill, which was only a modification of the 
tax on liquors. The tax could never 
fwallow up a capital, for then it muft 
ceafe to be a productive tax; and it was 
to be paid in amanner lefs a burden than 
any other, by being taken from property 
never till then enjoyed. As to the other 
objeftion, if land fhould, from failure of 
iffue, come to a near relation, in confe- 
quence of arrangements in marriage fet- 
‘tlements, where a valuable confideration 
had been given, in that cafe, fuch per- 
fon fhould be confidered as a purchafer, 
and could not fall under the operation of 
the bill. , 
Mr. Grey remarked, that this was a 
partial and bad mode of laying on a land 
tax; and if a man fucceeded to an en- 
tailed eftate, he could not borrow money 
on fuch eftate to pay the tax. Many 
‘vexations muft alfo arife from men having 
their affairs expofed to a Government 
commifliozer. It would add to the in- 
fluence of Government, and new exi- 
gencies might arife every year to increafe 
the tax. 
On a divifion, Mr. Pitt’s motion was 
carried by a confiderable majority. 
On the 6th of May, Mr. Grey, agree- 
ably to a former notice, rofe to make his 
motion for impeaching minifters, for a 
mifapplication of the public money. He 
began by obferving, that though it might 
be unattended with fuccefs, to bring for- 
ward any fpecific charge againft mini- 
fters, cf having mifapplied the money 
for the public fervice, end alfo of having 
prefented to the infpe€tion of that Houfe 
falfe accounts of fums, &c. he thought 
he could not difcharge his duty, if he 
did not enter into a ftri€t inveftigation of 
their conduét on this head; they had 
violated the laws by which the fumsto be 
expended were appropriated to fpecific 
purpofes;—they went one ftep farther: 
_--They had not only mifapplied the 
“public money, but had endeavoured to 
cover that mifapplication, by giving in 
falfe accounts to that Houfe. He then 
moved a number of refolutions, tending 
t@ criminate ministers, &c. 
Hiftory of the Britifo Parliament. 
[May 
Mr. Pitt fpoke in vindication of the 
conduét of the minifiry, and was an{wer- 
ed by Mr. Fox. Mr. Grey’s refolutions 
were at length rejeéted, by a motion of 
Mr. Steele’s for the order of the day, 
which was carried by a great majority. 
The numbers, in favour of Mr. Steele’s 
motion, on a divifion, were— 
Ayes, 209 
Noes, 38 
On the 9th, the Houfe. of Commons 
refolved itfelf into a committee of fupply, 
when the fum of 500,000l. was granted 
to his majefty for the difcharge of the 
navy debt; 1,350,000l. for defraying the 
extraordinary expences of the army for 
the year 1796; 438,035]. 3s. 6d. for the 
foreign troops raifed, and to be raifed, 
for the fervice of Great Britain, in the 
fame year ; 290,000]. for defraying the 
expence of the erection of barracks; and. 
1500l.for the ufe of the Veterinary college. 
On the roth, a debate took place in the 
Houfe of Commons on the ftate of the 
nation, in confequence of the following 
motion, made by Mr. Fox:— 
“ That an humble Addrefs be prefented to his 
Majefty, moft humbly to offer to his royal 
confideration that judgment which his faithful 
Commons have formed, and now deem it their 
duty to declare, concerning the conduét of his 
Minifters in the commencement, and during the 
progreis of the preient unfortunate war. As 
long as it was poffible for us to doubt from what 
fource the national] diftreffes had arifen, we have 
in times of difficulty and peril thought ourfelves 
bound to ftrengthen his Majefty’s Government — 
for the protedtion of his fubjeéts, by our confi- 
dence and fupport; but our duties as his Ma- 
jefty’s Counfellors, and as the Reprefentatives 
of his People, will no longer permit us to dif- 
femble our deliberate and determined opinion, 
that the diftrefs, difficulty, and peril, to which 
this Country is now fubjeéted, have arifen from 
the mifconduét of the King’s Minifters, and are 
likely to fubfift and increafe; as long as the fame 
principles which have hitherto guided thofe Mi- 
nifters, {hail continue to prevail in the Councils 
. of Great Britain, 
* Itis painful for us to remind his Majefty of 
the fituation of his dominions at the beginning of 
this war, and of the high degree of profperity to 
which the {kill and induftry of his fubje@s had, 
under the fefeguard of a free Conftitution, raifed 
the Britifh Empire, fince it can only fill his mind 
with the melancholy recolleGtion of profperity 
abufed, and of opportunities of’ fecuring perma- 
nent advantages wantonly rejeéted. Nor fhall 
we prefume to wound his Majefty’s benevolence, 
by dwelling on the fortunate confequences which 
might have arifen from the mediation of Great- 
Britain between the Powers then at war, which 
might have enfured the pormanence of our prof 
perity$ , 
