584 
of difcuffion the preceding night. As it 
was underftdod that Monday was fixed for 
the difcuffion of the papers, Mr. Sheridan, 
and fome other members, wifhed that> the 
confideration of them might be deferred 
beyond Monday. On a queflion being put 
by Mr. Whitbread, Lord Hawkefbury ad- » 
~gnitred that a farther propofal had been re- 
cdived from France fince the departure of 
Lord Whitworth, but it was fuch as the 
country could not accede to. On being 
further. quelt.oned by Mr. Grey, he faid, 
3t was true that Ruffia had offered its me- 
diation ; and explained the purport of the 
€ommunication from Paris, fince Lord 
Whit worth’s departure, to be, that France 
would agree to our retaining Malta, pro- 
vided we would affent to their occupying 
Otranto and the Gulph of Tarento. 
* On Monday, May 23, the important 
difcuffion took place op’ the papers rela- 
tive to the negociation, In the Houfe of 
Lords, the addrefs was moved by Lord 
Peiham, and was defended by the Dukes 
of Cumberland and Clarence, by Lords 
Mulgrave, Melville, Moira, Rofslin, &c. 
and was partly oppofed by Lord Stan. 
hope, the Duke of Richmond, the Mar- 
quis of Lanfdown, and others, who con- 
ceived that the negociation might have 
been protracted with fome advantage, and 
a profpect of fuccefs. An amendment 
was moved by Lord King, but was nega- 
tived by a majority cf 142 td 10. 
In the Houte of Commons, the crowd 
of perlons introduced by the members 
was fo great, that the Reporters could 
yot gain admittance, An amendment was 
propoled by Mr. Grey, which in fubftance 
went to recommend to his Majefty, that 
every opportunity of reftoring peace fhould 
be embraced. "The addrefs and the war 
were ftrenuoufly defended by Mr. Pitt, 
and fome other members. The debate 
was continucd on the fucceeding evening, 
in the courfe of which Mr, Fox delivered 
a long and able fpeech in favour of peace, 
admitting that the provocations of France 
were great, and the government of Bona- 
parte extremely tyrannical, On a divifion, 
the numbers were, for Mr. Grey’s amend- 
ment, 67 3 forthe origina] addrefs, 390. 
No debate of any great importance oc- 
curred till the 3d of June, when a motion 
was introduced into the Houfe of Lords 
by Earl Fitzwilliam, for the cenfure of 
_minifters; and this motion ferved very 
clearly to thew the prefent ftate of parties 
in this country. The one party, headed 
by Lord Grenville, Earl Fitzwilliam, &c. 
were for a direét cenfure upon adminiftra- 
tion. 
Melville, Mulgrave, &c. (Mr, Pit’s pat. 
State of Public Affairs in Fune, 1803. 
an adjournment. 
The cther party, headed by Lords» 
[ July i 
ty,) were for a middle courfe, and moving 
This was however fpi- 
ritedly refitted by the Minifters, who in- 
fitted on having their merits or demerit§ 
decided on by a direét negative, or the 
contrary. On the divifion the numbers 
were, for the adjournment, 18; againft 
it, 106. The queftion for a cenfure on 
Minifters paffed in the negative without a 
divifion. : 
The fame fubject was agitated on the 
following day in the Houfe of Commons; 
on the motion of Colonel Patten. Mr. 
Pitt took the fame middle courfe as his 
party in the Houle of Lords, and moved 
the order of the day 5; while the Grenville 
party, including Mefirs. Canning, Wind- 
ham, &c. were for a direct. cenfure. The 
Minifters in a manly way difclaimed all 
palliatives, and called for a pofitive de- 
cifion on their conduét. The numbers 
were, for the order of the day, 56 ; againft 
ity 3333 majority, 297. And on the quef- 
tion for a vote of cenfure, ayes, 34.3 noes, 
2763; majority, 243. Mr. Fcex took no 
part in the debate, and went out before 
the divifion. Mr. Sheridan, Mr. Erfkine, 
and many of the Whig party, voted with 
Minifters. 
On the 13th of June, the Chancellor of 
the Exchequer opened the Budget. The 
whole of the fupplies were, for England 
and Ireland, 33,700,679]. of which Ire- 
land was to make good 3,302,459!. He 
propofed to raife part of the fupplies, viz. 
12,000,000]. for both countries by loan, — 
of which Ireland was to take 2,000,000l. 
the reft he propofed to raife by a war-tax 
within the year. For this end he pro- 
pofed a land-tax of one fhilling in the 
pound upon the proprietor, and ninepence 
on the occupier; which he eftimated at 
3,375,0001. ‘To this was added a tax of 
one fhilling in the pound upon the funds, 
and a tax on income acquired in other 
ways. The whole of the war-taxes he 
eftimated at 4,500,o001. The recapitula- 
tion was therefore as follows : 
Malt duty - - £-  750;000 - 
Duty on penfions, &c. = 2,000,000 
Exchequer bills - = 3,000,000 
Surplus confolidated fund - 6,000,000 
Excheq. bills forBank advances 1,500,000 
Bounties remaining inExchequer 37,782 
Lottery = - - 400,000 
Loan - . - 10,000,000 — 
War-taxes, ataround fum 4,500,000 
ee) 
Total ways and means .30,687,782 
The Irith. Budget, and the particulars 
of the new tax bills, &c. we fhall give in 
NEW, 
our next Nuguber. 
