reason for delay, and the committee proceeded in the consideration of the bill.

Mr. Shaw stated, that he had instructions from the sheriffs and coaimons of the corporation of Dublin to oppose that part of the bill which went to appoint barris ters to the magis racy. He proposed therefore, that the barristers should only act as assessors, and moved that the six barristers should be left out, and that the number of magistrates should be twelve instead of eighteen.

This amendment was opposed by Sir Arthur Wellesley and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Croker, &c.; and supported by Mr. C. Beresford, Sir J. Newport, &c.

The committee divided on the question that the word eighteen stand part of the clause:

Ayes
Noes

Majority

The amendment was of course rejected.

66

27

39

When strangers were admitted, the committee were discussing the point, whether the magistrates should be deprived of their votes for members of parliament, and Sir A. Wellesley expressed his willingness to introduce a clause to that effect.

Mr. Beresford proposed, that none of the barristers should be allowed to issue warrants in that part of Dublin which was more properly the city. This was negatived without a división.

Mr. Shaw proposed that the lord-lieutenant should not have the power of dismissing these magistrates, except for misconduct, neglect of duty, or incapacity.

Sir A. Wellesley observed, that his would give them a tenure of their offices, resembling that of the judges; and he could not consent to the amendment in that sense.

After a few words from the Chancellor of the Exchequer the prop sition was withdrawn; it being understood that it would be brought f rward again on the report.

After a considerable discussion, the remaining clauses were agreed to. The house resumed, and the report was ordered to be received on Monday.

Mr. D. Giddy brought up the report of the committec of supply of Wednesday. The resolutions read and agreed to.

The same honourable member then brought up the report of the committee of ways and means. The resolu tion which relates to the duty on the exportation of spirits from Ireland to England, was ordered to be recommitted. The other resolutions were agreed to, and bills ordered pursuant to the same.

The ten millions and a half annuities bill was committed, and ordered to be reported this day.

The barrack estates and the sugar and coffee exportation bills were each read a third time and passed.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer gave notice that he would to-morrow move for leave to bring in a bill for levy. ing the duty to be raised on spirts distilled from sugar, and to reduce the duty on colonial coffee.

The orders remaining on the list were then disposed of, and the house adjourned.

HOUSE OF LORDS.

FRIDAY, JUne 10.

The orders of council warehousing bill, and the Irish glebe house bill, passed through committees, and were reported. Adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

FRIDAY, JUNE 10.

Mr. Bankes postponed his motion relative to the property of foreigners in the British funds till Monday, intimating that he should then move, that the account of property in that situation laid before the house should be referred to the committee of ways and means.

The hare shooting bill was committed. To be reported on Monday.

MESSAGE FROM HIS MAJESTY.

Mr. Canning brought up a message from his majesty, to the following effect: "His majesty thinks it proper to inform his faithful commons, that he has concluded a treaty of alliance and subsidy with the king of Sicily. His majesty has ordered a copy of it to be laid before the house, and trusts to his faithful commons to enable his

majesty to make good the engagements contained therein."

On the motion of Mr. Canning, it was ordered, that his majesty's most gracious message be referred to the committee of supply.

Mr. Canning immediately brought up a copy of the treaty, which was ordered to be printed.

He then stated, that though this treaty was now for the first time brought forward, it was no new transaction, but one which the present ministry had found to have been in the contemplation of their predecessors, and that in the year 1805 it had been intended to conclude a treaty with the king of Sicily, by which a subsidy of 300,000l. per annum was to have been granted to that monarch. The events which occurred towards the end of that year, however, were sufficient to account for nothing being then done to bring the treaty to a completion. In the beginning of the following year, things con'inued in a similar state. In the autumn Mr. Drummond had been sent for the purpose of adjusting the business, but on the return of the treaty, it was found to contain stipulations to which his majesty had been advised not to assent; and it was but lately that the business had been finally arranged. He had thought it necessary to say this much, that the house might see that this was not a new measure.

The British fishery bill was read a second time, and committed for Monday.

The Brazil trade bill was brought in, read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time on Monday.

The loan bill, and the Irish revenue bill, were reported, and ordered to be read a third time to-morrow.

In a committee on the Cape of Good Hope trade, a resolution was agreed to, for a bill to regulate the trade to that settlement during the war.

In a committee on the South Sea fishery, a resolution was passed for continuing the bounties granted by the act of the 3 th of the king.

Both reports to be received to-morrow.

The Irish malt duty bill, permit bill, and barrack audit accounts bill, were severally read a second time, and committed for to-morrow.

The malt regulation bill, Irish auction duty bill, and Scotch clergy bill, were read a third time and passed.

The Paddington coal bill was committed. To be re ported to-morrow.

Mr. Huskisson brought up the smuggling prevention bill, and a bill for the issue of exchequer bills on the head of the aids and supplies for the year 1808. Read a first time, and to be read a second time to-morrow.

Mr. Huskisson presented an account of the expence of architects, and others, in the barrack department.

He took this opportunity to state that, from a calcula tion that had been made, if salaries had been granted to the architects as had been recommended instead of a per centage on the accounts, they would have received onethird more than had been actually paid to them. In private buildings, the per centage allowed was five per cent; by the East India company, and other public bodies, from three three-fourths, down to three per cent. and the government allowance was only two and half per cent.; so he presumed to think they would deal providently, by continuing on the old footing..

Mr. Sheridan presented a petition from Nicholas Gray, an attorney in the court of common pleas in Dublin, and a similar petition from another person of the name of James Dickson, complaining of their having been unjustly imprisoned. Both petitions were ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. Sheridan then gave notice that he should on Monday submit a proposition as to the general disposal of these and similar petitions.

Mr. Sheridan also gave notice that he should, on Monday next, apply for information on a subject, on which he knew the public feeling was at present greatly interested. He meant the affairs of Spain. Gentlemen on the other side might believe that he would not require any information which it might be improper to grant, or to urge what they might wish as a matter of sound discretion to refuse. But, unquestionably, it was proper, that at a moment like the present, there should be some discussion on this important subject.

Sir John Newport gave notice that he should on an early day in the next session, submit to the consideration of the house a measure for the more equal distribution between landlord and tenant in Ireland of the assessed taxes, which at present fell entirely on the tenant.

LICENCES TO PUBLICANS, &C.

Mr. Sheridan rose to move for leave to bring in a bill to amend the act for licensing alehouse-keepers, inn-keepers, &c. Alluding to the meetings held for some time past, at the St. Alban's taveru, for the purpose of preventing any rise in the rate of posting, he took occasion to express his reprobation of all such combinations among lords and commons, as, if attempted among the poor and labouring classes of the community, would be deemed illegal, and punished as such. Seeing an honourable member and magistrate for the county of Sussex, however, in the house, he could not refrain from candidly stating to him a cir cumstance relating to that honourable member which had reached him (Mr. Sheridan), and by the honourable member's explanation of that circumstance he should be enabled to judge, whether he must not extend his bill further than he originally intended. The circumstance to which he alluded was this; that at one of these meetings at the St. Alban's tavern, it having been doubted, whether it would be better for them to apply for the interference of parliament, or to proceed in their own parliament, that honourable gentleman (Mr. Foller) had said, that they were both idle measures, and that the one he re commended to the magistrates of Sussex was the effectual mode, namely, to stop the licence of every person who presumed to raise the rate of posting. He gave the ho nourable member an opportunity of saying, whether the fact was or was not so ; and concluded by moving for leave to bring in the bill.

Mr. Fuller said, that instead of being either lord or commoner, as the honourable gentleman would have it be supposed all the associators at the St. Alban's tavern were, his informant must have been a post-master. He never did say what the honourable gentleman had stated. He had said, that the best mode of effecting their purpose was by encouraging a competition; and where there was only a single house, to encourage a rival. He had said, that the power of checking the evil in this respect, where charges were enormous, was in the breast of the magistrates themselves; and that they were foo frequently enormous, he instanced the charge of 150. made by an innkeeper on the French ambassador for a breakfast. He had as much

regard