masters' regulation bill, were read a second time, and committed for Monday.

A message from the lords stated their lordships' assent to the barrack-office franking bill. On the motion of Mr. C. W. Wynne, the lords' amendments to the pauper lunatics bill were agreed to.

The Westminster improvement bill was ordered to be read a second time on Monday.

The committee on the sugar distillery bill was postponed till Monday.

Mr. McDowall's estate bill went through a committee, and was ordered to be again committed on Monday.

Mr. C. W. Wynne gave notice, that he should on Monday move an humble address to his majesty, praying that he would be graciously pleased to order that a prison be erected for the reception of pauper and criminal lunatics.

Mr. Bankes gave notice, that he should on Monday make a motion relative to the British museum. Adjourned.

HOUSE OF LORDS.

MONDAY, JUNE 20.

The Cape of Good Hope trade bill, the subdivisions clerks bill, &c. were brought up from the commons and read a first time.

The Lord Chancellor moved an instruction to the committee of privileges to sit to-morrow, on the Roxburgh peerages, to confine themselves in the first instance to the effect which the deed executed by the earl of Roxburgh in 1618, had on the descent of the peerages, which was ordered:

On the third reading of the Paddington canal coals bill,

Earl Moira chiefly objected to the limited quantity prescribed by the bill; but at this late period of the session, he should not now embody his objections into an amendment. He had other objections to the bill, but he should forbear urging them at present, for the same purpose.

Lord Suffolk persisted in his objections respecting the unequal duties, as the main cause of the high price of coals in different parts of the country.

The bill was then read a third time and passed. On the motion for taking into consideration the report of the local militia bill,

Lord Fitzwilliam had many objections to the measure; but his chief objection arose from the bill making its provisions applicable to persons who had already been balloted under the training act. He should therefore move an amendment, to exempt from the operation of the bill such persons as were already liable to the provisions of the training act.

Lord Hawkesbury did not think any inconvenience, such as that apprehended by the noble earl, could arise. from the training act. For there was no danger of the provisions of the two bills clashing together, as it was not the intention of government to put the training act into

execution.

Lord Holland thought it would be more open, manly, and decided, to repeal the training act altogether, than thus to suspend or annul its operation.

After a few observations from the Marquis of Buckingham against the bill, the report was agreed to, and the bill ordered to be read a third time to-morrow,

On the motion for the third reading of the hare shooting bill, Lord Stanhope observed, that in his opinion, the existing laws on this subject were better than the proposed law. He should therefore move that the bill be rejected.

The Lord Chancellor put the question on this motion, which being negatived without a division, the bill was read a third time and passed.

The further consideration of the Scotch judges annuity bill, of the Scotch teinds bill, &c. was deferred till Thursday, on the motion of Lord Lauderdale, and the lords to be summoned.

The Irish bank bill was read a second time, and com mitted for Wednesday; on which day it is understood the debate will take place on the clause to be proposed by Lord Grenville.

The second reading of the sugar-distillery bill, and the committee on the Dublin police bill, were deferred till Friday, for which day the lords are also summoned.

The American trade bill, the West India auditors) bill, &c. went through the committee, and were reported without any amendment. Adjourned. 3

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

MONDAY, JUNE 20.

Mr. Rose brought in a bill for continuing the suspen sion of penalties under certain obsolete acts, relating to the woollen manufacture. Read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time to-morrow.

Mr. Ashley Cooper presented accounts relating to the clothing of the German legion and the artillery drivers.

Mr. Foster brought in a bill for granting certain countervailing duties on spirits imported from Scotland into Ireland; read a first time, and ordered to be read a se cond time to-morrow.

Mr. Rose gave notice that the Attorney General would to-morrow move for leave to bring in a bill to amend the acts relating to a distribution of prize money.

The American trade bill, the silk excise duties bill, the Welch coals bill, the exchequer bills bill, the sugar dis tillery bill, the assessed taxes bill, the Irish jail bill, the Tower hamlets bill, went through a committee; the reports to be received to-morrow.

The report of the committee of ways and means on the postage of letters to Madeira, was brought up and agreed to, and a bill ordered accordingly.

The lottery bill was reported, and ordered to be read a third time to-morrow; also the paymaster's bill, and the outports warehousing bill; the report of the coffee customs bill was ordered to be received to-morrow, on which day. the third reading of the stamp duties bill was also fixed. The house in a committee agreed to a resolution for continuing the acts of last year, relating to the southern whale fishery.

The herring fishery bill was read a third time, and passed, with a clause limiting its duration to a period of years.

On the motion of Mr. Bankes, a committee was appoint ed to examine the accommodations at the British museum, for the lodgment of the Egyptian antiquities..

Mr. R. Wynne moved that an humble address be presented to his majesty, praying that he would be graciously pleased to give directions for erecting a separate prison for lunatics detained under criminal charges, according to the act 40 Geo. III.

After a few words from Mr. Rose, leave was given to bring in the bill.

LOCAL MILITIA.

On the motion for the third reading of the Scotch local militia bill,

. Mr. Yorke lamented that he had not been present to state his sentiments with respect to the general defence of the country on the English local militia. He would now state his opinions of what ought to be done with a view to this object, in a general manner, in order that they may be considered previous to the next session. Buonaparte being now employed in advancing his power by more near and more certain means, the design of invading this country was suspended, in order to be resumed in a manner, and at a time, when it could be attempted with greater chance of a successful result. He acknowledged that our numerical force was amply sufficient in extent, and in arrangement as nearly perfect as it could be. He saw no reason why the training act should not be adopted in Scotland as well as in England. But he approved of the extension of the local mi litia to Scotland. He entered into a comparative statement of all the plans of defence, and urged the necessity of submitting to some rigorous system to enforce a training adequate to the emergency. The severity of the French military code far exceeded that of ours; and it was only by a rigorous system that proper energy and discipline could be established. He insisted on the vigo. rous system of preparation pursued by Buonaparte, and expressed his conviction, that naval, as well as military means of invasion, would be in a few years in the power of that determined enemy. He adverted to the situation of Spain, and commended the gallantry and spirit displayed by the Spanish people. He also praised the spirit of the Swedes; but he did not think that much sécurity could be looked for to this country from either of these quarters. He stated the various escapes of the French fleets from their ports, notwithstanding the vigilance of their blockades, and from that he argued the possibility of effecting a descent on the British islands. The French, like the ancient Romans, transported the men of all nations; and made every nation the instrument of the subjugation of another. Mr. Yorke also expatiated on

the effect of the practice adopted by Buonaparte of granting military fiefs to his generals, and contended, that by the introduction of that principle, in one successful cam paign, here, the effects of the Norman conquest may be a second time realized. It was necessary, on all these con siderations, to have such a military organization as would be amply adequate to our defence and deliverance, without at all calculating on the navy. The object, therefore, to be principally attended to was, how the whole body of the people could be brought into action if the occasion should arise. And tha object, he thought, was not very sufficiently provided for. He was aware that much had been done in the way of fortification on the coasts of Kent and Sussex; but nothing in proportion to the vast sums voted for the ordnance service, He meant to propose a secret committee to enquire into this expenditure generally. He thought there should be several lines of posts and works between the coast and the centre of England; at every successive chain of which a stand may be made, supposing us to be driven from that more advanced. He supposed Plymouth and Portsmouth were in a perfect state of defence, But the Isle of Wight also should be in a state of perfect security. Without a perfect facility of communication between the great naval arsenals and the fleet, the services of the navy could not be perfectly provided for He feared that the coasts of Essex were not as well defended as those of Kent and Sussex. He thought the same degree of security ought to be extended to these coasts and the coasts of Scotland. He thought it essential that the communica tion between Great Britain and Ireland should always be kept open, and therefore that all the points of intercourse on the Irish channel should be fortified. The preservation of the capital was next to be attended to. He had thought the fortification of London unnecessary, while Austria and Prussia were unbroken, and the weakness of Russia unproved. But now his opinions were changed with circumstances. He thought fortification and faci lities for making a stand, ought to be established at several points between London and the coast. He adverted to the plan formed under the administration of lord Sidmouth, with the approbation of lord Cathcart, for erecting fortifications round London itself, where the population of the capital should be enabled to arrest the