: \ 
‘75, again't it 144. 
1801.] | 
na and other places, left no doubt of its 
amounting to a force of between 7 and 
8oco- men. There needed no other proof 
that the place was neither defencelefs, nor 
eafily affailable; and how’ fecure they 
thought them/elves was evident. Befides, 
he was expofed to an additional force of 
13,000 men, which the enemy could very 
foon draw upon him from the other :pro- 
vinces. In addition to all this, the fleet 
with which he was obliged to communi- 
cate, was-expofed in an open bay, from 
which it could be drivén by any fhifting 
_ of the wind to the weftward, and thus de- 
- prive the troops: of taking poffeffion of 
the fhipping. He then proceeded to dif- 
culs the: particular charges brought by 
Mr. Sturt. He could prove (he faid) that 
he did not forget to fummon the town, as 
he had, at that moment, the fummons in 
his pocket ; but to have. fent it at the 
time when he was determined to retreat, 
he thought, could only expofe the army 
and the Britifh charaéter to ridicule. He 
concluded with exculpating the minifters 
as well as himfelf, ftating, that the in- 
telligence he received at Quiberon, ref- 
pecting the ftate of Ferro], turned out, in 
fat, to be erroneous; and, whatever 
might be the opinion of certain officers in 
the expedition, he would content himfelf 
with the confcioufnefs of having ated to 
the beft of his judgment. Mefirs. Pitt 
and Dundas fpoke at fome length againft 
the motion, and expreffed, their fatisfac- 
tion at the defence made by General Pul- 
teney. After arguing the queftion ina 
variety of fhapes, Mr. Grey concluded by 
giving his afient to the motion. Earl 
‘Temple was of opinion that blame attach- 
ed fomewhere with refpect to this expedi- 
His Lordflitp therefore was for an 
enquiry. Mr. Dent fupported the motion. 
The houfe then divided; for the motion 
- The next day the houfe went into acom- 
mittee of fupply. Inthis committee were 
voted the fums of 4,000,000 to pay off and 
difcharge the Exchequer-bills iffued for the 
fervice of the year18003; 1,000,000). to 
pay off the Exchequer-bills iffued en the 
credit. of 'the duzies upon exports and im- 
ports. Mr. Rofe brought in a bill for 
raifing the fum of 28,000,000l. by, way of 
annuity, for the fervice of the year 1801, 
which was read a firft, and ordered to be 
read a fecond time toemorrow. Mr. Rote 
brought up the bill for raifing additional 
duties on timber, horfes and paper, which 
were feverally read a fir time, and all ore 
dered to be read a fecond time the next 
day, excepting the norfe tax, which, on the 
State of Public Affairs in March, 1801. 
2547 
motion of Mr. Jolliffe, who meant to op- 
pofe it, was deferred till Monday. _ 
On the 27th of February, Mr. Sheridan 
faid, that obferving on the book of orders 
the notice of a motion which ftood for this 
day, grounded on the rumours afloat ref- 
pectine the ftate of his Majefty’s health, he 
rofe for the purpofe of deprecating any 
difeuffion on that fubjeét at prefent. He 
fhould therefore move, © That the houfe, 
adjourn to Monday.”? Mr. Pitt {aid, from 
the neceffity of the cafe, he was obliged 
ftili to appear and to fit as one of his. Ma- 
jefty’s minifters ; and he aflured the houfe, 
that fo long as eircumitances fhould render 
it neceflary for him to retain that character, 
he ihould not. fail, under any difficulties 
that might arife, to execute the duties of 
his office to the beft of hisjudgment. He 
approved of tie motion of Mr. Sheridan. 
Adjourned to Monday. : 
On the: sth of March, Lord William 
Ruffell moved the fecond reading of the 
PoorRelief Biil, He fated, as the reafon 
for his prefling the meafure, that no fteps 
feemed to have been taken by the com- 
mittee above ftairs. Mr: Jolliffe oppofed 
the motion. Mr. Rofe protefled himfelf 
a friend to the principle of the bill, and 
wifhed it to go intoa committee. The 
Solicitor General deprecated the meafure, 
and wifhed the bufinefs to reft in its pre- 
fent ftate. Mr. Horne Tooke ftrongly 
oppofed the meaftire, on the ground of its 
totally reverfing the eftablifhed order of 
things. He was an enemy to every de- 
parture from the eftablifhed and approved 
principles. The meafure in fact, went to 
create two different forts and clafies of 
paupers, to wit, paupers receiving alms, 
and paupers releafed from the obligation 
of paying them. He alluded to the notice 
given on a preceding evening, of a motion 
fer his expulfion; and intimated his con- 
vittion, that he fhould be able to prove , 
and eftablifh his right to a feat in that 
houfe. He then went over the ground he 
had trodden on a former night, relative to 
the neceffity of increafing the price of la- 
beur to its due proportion to the necefla~ 
ries of life, and re-urged his arguments 
concerning the nature and fituation of the 
national creditor. He wifhed the poor to 
receive the full price of their labour, not 
in the fhape of alms, but of hire. The 
houfe then divided on the motion for the 
fecond reading. Ayes 55, noes zg. Ma- 
jority 26. The bill was then read a fe- 
cond time, and committed for Monday. 
On the 13th of March the fame bill came 
on again, when: Lord William Roffell 
moved that the Speaker do leave the chair. 
M m2 The 
