282 
been figned, to place the country in the 
mof awkward fitvation.; and would the 
Noble Lord fay, 1f the bafis of the negoti- 
ation was changed, were thofe obliged to 
fupport it who voted for the Preliminaries? 
‘The events which had taken place had 
totally changed’ the nature of the Prelimi-. 
naries. The tone and temper on which 
France acted, was for the purpofe, he con- 
tended, of fubverting and overturning 
this country. He conceived the &tuation 
of the country to be dreadful; there was 
an apathy and blindnefs that. foreboded 
évery thing difcouraging. _ Eyery country 
on the Continent was at the, mercy of 
France—her object was univerfal empire. 
‘The following members bore a fhare in 
the debate :—Mr. Cornwallis defended the 
Minifters; “Mr. Baker, Lord Caftlereagh, 
Dr.. Lawrence fupported the arguments 
adduced by Mr. Elliot and Mr. Windham, 
to whom the Attorney-general replied. 
The queftion was then.put and carried, 
and the fums voted :—309,5771. for de- 
fraying the expence of 61,coo men for 
guards and garrifons in Great Britain ; 
423,000]; for 120,000 men for ditto in 
Ireland ; 386,651]. for the plantations ; 
6,351. for Eaft India recruits; 41,1891. 
for fericibles in Great Britain; 34.013 
for ditto in Ireland 5. 99,0641. for barracks 
in Great Britain; 59,3071. for foreign 
corps. The Houfe then refolved itfelf 
into a committee of ways and means; and, 
on the motion of the Chancellor of the 
Exchequer, voted the fum of 1,000,000. 
to his Majefty by loan in exchequer bills. 
The Chancellor of the Exchequer brought 
‘up the account of the amount of penfions 
granted by his Majefty fince the year 1786, 
which was ordered to be referred te the fe- 
Je&t committee on the civillii. Mr. Dick- 
infon, the next day, moved for. leave to 
bring in a bill for farther continuing the 
a&t paffed laf feffion refpeCting the non- 
refidence of the clergy. In the committee 
it wes his intention to move that the fur- 
ther continuance be limited to two or 
three months. Leave was accordingly 
given to bring inthe bill. The report 
of, the committee of the army eftimates 
being brought up, Mr. Robfon, after fome 
obfervations, launched out into defultory 
matteron the different items, when he was 
called to order by the Speaker; but he 
proceeded, and obferved that the country 
was completely drained of cafh, as he had 
it from good authority, that Government 
refufed to pay one of its own acceptances. 
The Speaker again interpofed, and faid 
that fuch a rcileétion was highly diforder- 
ly. A warm altercation enfued between 
Mr, Alexander, the Secretary at War, and 
| State of Publie Agairsin March, 1802. ~ 
Mr. Robfon- (who declared the, bill ala | 
[ April d 2 
luded to had been prefented to the Sick 
and Hurt Office), and the Chancellor of 
the Exchequer ; when the latter obferved; 
that he had learned fince he came into the - 
Houfe that a bill had been prefented for. 
the paltry fum of rol. 7s. but, through. | 
fome unfortunate miftake, was perhaps not 
paid. Mr. Robfon faid the fmallnels of 
the fum rendered the matter the more de- 
ferving of notice, After a defultory con- 
verfation, in’ which Dr. Lawrenée and 
other members fpoke, the Chancellor 
pledged himfelf, that he fhould bring the 
bafineiS before Parliainent. 
difpoling of the orders of the day, ad- 
journed. ..The sth of Marth, thé Ameri; 
can Treaty was read a fecond time, and 
ordered to be committed on Tuefday next. 
The 8th of March, the non-refidence 
penalty bill, the mutiny bill, and the bill 
for raifing one ‘million by exchequer bills, 
were read afecond time. The Chancellor 
The. report - 
was then agreed to, .and the Houfe, aiter - 
of the Exchequer gave notice, that on 
fonday he fhould move for a committee _ 
to confider the ftate of the corn-trade. The. — 
Right Hon. Gentleman then faid, that, 
though he was not perfectly regular, he 
fhould take occafion to advert to an occur- 
rence that had taken place on Thurfday 
laft. An Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Robfon) 
had charged the Government of the Coun- 
try with infolyency. He faid, that bills had 
been difhonoured at the public offices. On 
enquiry, it turned out, that the ufe of the 
plural number was wrong, and that this 
mighty charge amounted to no more than 
one bill for gl. at the office of the Sick - 
and- hurt; but the non-payment of this 
arofe not from inability to pay. It was 
an objeét at the Treafury not to fuffer 
large fums to accumulate at the public 
offices, and therefore they might fall fhort 5 
and he challenged any one to fay, that no~— 
tice. of the demand had been made at the 
‘Treafury, Mr. Martin thought the-{mall- 
-nefs.of the fum was no excule,.if, inftead 
of gl. it had been only gos. or a very. 
large. fum; the bill in queftion was paid 
to the houfe in which he was concerned in 
the way of bufinefs; “he knew nothing 
more of the affair. Mr. Robfon, in con- 
fequence of what had pafled on Thuriday, 
thought. it a juftice to himfelf to make.a 
matter, which he then incidently mea- 
tioned, the fubject of a particular motion. 
The next day, after fome further converfa-_ 
tion, turning chiefly..as to whether Mr. 
Robfon made ufe of -thé.word ‘*' mfal- 
vency,’” a divifion took -place. 
Houtfe 
having 
feventy-nine; again# it, two, The 
For the: |. 
_motion for paifing to the order of the day 
