above general expenditure) for the reduction of debt, is 14,515,4731.; and that, in the latter, it may be estimated to be 15,104,1177:-by which it will appear, that in the latter year the debt to be redeemed would exceed the debt to be probably incurred, by the sum of 2,892,8061.

"In addition to this surplus of income applicable towards the diminution of the debt, your committee feel warranted by the improved and apparently improving state of the public credit, and consequent increased value of the public securities, in directing the attention of the house to the probability of a reduction, at no distant period, of the interest on a part of the funded debr; the result of which, besides the incidental encouragement which every description of productive industry and commercial enterprise could not fail to find, in the facility of borrowing upon advantageous terms, would be a very considerable saving in the permanent charge of the national debt.

"Your committee do not think it necessary to submit any prospec

tive calculations upon this subject; but if, by the continued blessings of peace, and a system of persevering economy, the public credit of the country, aided by the uninterrupted operation of the sinking fund, should attain to the point at which it stood in 1792, your committee observe with satisfaction, that a diminution of charge might be effected by the reduction of interest alone, which would be an annual saving of between two and three millions sterling. Looking forward to this event, as the resource which promises the greatest and most substantial relief to our finances, and feeling that in its attainment the country would find at once the evidence of existing ease, and the pledge of growing prosperity, your committee cannot better conclude this report than by expressing their anxious hope that nothing will arise either in the state of our foreign relations, or in the administration of the domestic concerns of the empire, to call for exertions which might tend to retard or disappoint the prospect of this most desirable improvement.”

THE

HE remainder of the session of parliament was principally occupied with debates on the further suspension of the habeas corpus act; or with collateral and connected debates on the state of the country, and the cases of some of those who

had been taken up on charges of high treason, &c.; and with resolutions and debates respecting the finances of the country. As the debates on the further suspension of the habeas corpus act (with the exception of that in the house of com

mons

mons on the first reading of the bill for that purpose) present little that is interesting or novel, we shall merely notice all but that, which will require a more full account. With respect to the finances of the country, as they appeared to ministers and opposition, they will be most fully and clearly seen, in the debates on Mr. Tierney's resolutions. The debate on the situation of the country, introduced by Mr. Brougham on the day preceding the close of the session, though miscellaneous and unconnected, deserves a full account-not merely as illustrative of the opinions on that important topic entertained by ministers and their opponents, but as displaying considerable eloquence in several of the speeches.

House of commons, June 16The usury laws bill having been reported, Mr. Vansittart said he should oppose it in a subsequent stage, being of opinion that we were not yet arrived at a state for passing such a measure.

Sir F. Burdett complained that Oliver, a government spy, had gone down to the north, and endeavoured to excite persons to riot and sedition. He also stated, that an infamous Irish spy, named Reynolds, was flourishing under the auspices of government, and had sat on a late grand jury.

Mr. W. Wynne interrupted the honourable baronet by moving for the exclusion of strangers, upon which Mr. Brougham moved an adjournment. The latter question was, put three times, and was negatived on the first division by 162 to 29, on the second by 157 to 26, and on the third by 130 to 26.

In a committee of supply, Mr. Bennet aksed ministers whether Mr. Reynolds, of infamous memory,bad

not been appointed consul-general at Malta.

Lord Castlereagh said several ju ries had given credit to Mr. Reynolds's testimony, and he did not understand why the honourable member should attach infamy to Mr. Reynolds's character, unless it rendered a man infamous to be instrumental in the discovery of treasonable practices. Mr. Reynolds had been employed in his majesty's service in Portugal, and also as postmaster-general; and had performed his duties with great integrity and credit; and therefore he (lord C.) had no hesitation in recommending him as consul-general to Malta.

Sir F. Burdett said, he always understood that Mr. Reynolds was a man of notoriously infamous character. It had been proved on a trial, in which he gave evidence, that he had been guilty of the most atrocious crimes.

Lord Castlereagh did not think Mr. Reynolds's character was tainted with any thing more than rebellion, though that was a great taint; but he had avowed his error, had expressed his contrition, and had manifested his sincerity in a court of justice, by bringing traitors to deserved punishment.

June 18.-Lord Folkestone again adverted to the regulations at Reading gaol, by order of the secretary of state, by which, contrary to the 31st of the king, the magistrates were prevented from visiting the state prisoners confined there; and concluded with moving for copies of all instructions from the secretary of state to all gaolers to whose custody persons had been committed under the act for the suspension of the habeas corpus act.

The attorney-general, solicitorgeneral, and lord Castlereagh op

posed

posed the motion; and contended that the care of state prisoners had all times belonged to the secretary for the home department, under the prerogative of the crown, with which it was not the intention of the act of the 31st of the king to interfere.

Sir S. Romilly, Mr. Brougham, lord A. Hamilton, and Mr. Wynn, maintained that there was no exception in the act, and consequently that the secretary of state had illegally assumed a dispensing power. On a division, the motion was negatived by 85 to 56.

Mr. Lushington brought up a bill for renewing the former acts for the prevention of smuggling; a bill for allowing British goods to be exported to America on the same terms as to other friendly nations, according to the late convention; and a bill for securing the post-horse duties;—which were severally read a first time.

House of lords, June 19.-On the order of the day for the third reading of the habeas corpus act suspension bill, a long debate took place.

The duke of Bedford, lord Donoughmore, earl of Essex, lord St. John, marquis Wellesley, and lord Holland opposed the measure; and the earl of Westmorland, viscount Sidmouth, marquis Camden, lord Somers, earl of Harrowby, and the lord chancellor, supported it.-Reynolds, Castles, and Oliver, the informers, having been mentioned in terms of reprobation by the opponents of the bill, it was stated on the ministerial side, that Reynolds had saved Ireland by the information which he gave previous to the break. ing out of the rebellion in 1798; that Castles had not informed until five weeks after the riots of the 2d of December; and that the reports 1817.

in the newspapers respecting Oliver contained much exaggeration.

The third reading was carried, on a division, by 141 to 37, and the bill passed.

In the commons, the same day, sir E. Brydges, after some observations, moved for leave to bring in a bill to amend the act of the 43d of the king relative to copyrights; and so far as regards the act passed prior to queen Anne's act, giving eleven copies of books published to the universities, &c., and also as far as regarded limited editions of books.

Mr. Peel and lord Palmerston opposed the motion, which went to affect a regulation recently adopted by the house, as one highly advantageous to literature, after a very full and ample consideration.

Sir S. Romilly and sir F. Burdett supported the motion before the house. They considered the act lately passed as unjust and unfair, and as operating not to the advantage, but to the discouragement of learning. It took property from individuals to give it to large public bodies, who, if they wanted books, could well afford to purchase them.

Mr. Banks and Mr. Smith of Cambridge also opposed the motion.

Mr. Ponsonby supported the motion. He thought the argument, that obliging the poor author to give a certain portion of his property to different corporate bodies, and to receive nothing in return, as a way to encourage learning, was the most extraordinary argument he had ever heard. As to the wish of the learned universities to get their books for nothing, it did not surprise him at all. It was the character of all great corporate bodies, learned or unlearned, to get all they could for nothing, and in re.

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tura

turn to give away as little as possible. He thought the universities should buy their books if they wished to have them; or if they were to be given to the universities, they should be given them by the public, and not at the expense of individuals.

Mr. Croker was against the motion. He considered the bill which it was now sought to repeal, as one greatly beneficial to authors. In return for the portion of property ⚫ which an author thus parted with, they had their copyrights, &c. well protected.

Mr. Ponsonby and Mr. Croker explained.

Mr. Brougham supported the motion for bringing in the bill, and Mr. Findlay opposed it.

Mr. C. Wynn was in favour of the present motion. He thought that even those persons who were favourable to the bill formerly pass ed, would agree that it required to be revised. He saw no reason why the author of a book should be subjected to a tax of eleven copies of his work to the universities, any more than a man who planted timber should afterwards be subject to a tax of eleven trees, from each plantation he might make, to the navy of the country.

The house then divided, when the numbers for bringing in the bill were 57-against it 58- Majority,

1!

Sir F. Burdett wished to know whether the spy, Oliver, had been authorized by ministers to make the use, which he understood he had made, of his name, having introduced himself to several individuals with his (sir F. Burdett's) compliments. He was proceeding to animadvert upon the wickedness of employing men whose interest it

was to promote treason, when, being called to order by the speaker, he re-stated his question.

Lord Castlereagh said, if the ho, nourable baronet's name had been used in the way complained of, he might ascribe it to other grounds than the commands of ministers. He was confident lord Sidmouth would never abuse the public confidence reposed in him; and as to himself, he should continue to take such measures as seemed necessary to ensure the peace of the country, though such measures might disturb the peace of traitors, or even involve the honourable baronet's name.

Mr. Brougham asked if measures had been taken to bring Oliver to condign punishment, should the atrocities alleged against him prove true?

Lord Castlereagh assured the house, that lord Sidmouth had never authorized any improper conduct in the person alluded to, and if such had been the case, he doubted not it would meet with due repre hension.

A motion by sir J. Newport, for an address to the prince regent to institute an inquiry into the state of Ireland, was negatived by 59 to 10.

House of lords, June 20,-The royal assent was given by commis sion to the mutiny bill, watch and ward bill, agent-generals' bill, and others.

In the commons, the same day, Mr. Stuart Wortley presented a petition from Barber Beaumont, esq. against the alehouse licensing bill. Ordered to be printed.

The house, in a committee of supply, voted several sums for the navy, and for miscellaneous services in Ireland.

The habeas corpus suspension

bill was received from the lords, and was ordered to be read a first time on Monday.

Sir S. Romilly having presented a petition from Hull againt the bill, lord A. Hamilton took occasion to censure the conduct of the lord advocate for Scotland, in framing a third indictment against Mackinlay, who had already been twice before a court of justice for the same of fence. This observation gave rise to a long conversation, in the course of which Mr. Brougham, Mr. Abercromby, Mr. Ponsonby, Mr. Curwen, and others, concurred in disapproving of the conduct complained of; and the attorney-general, Mr. Dundas, lord Castlereagh, and Mr. Canning, deprecated the agitation of the question in the absence of the lord advocate.

Mr. B. Bathurst presented the report of the committee of secrecy, which was read. It is to the same effect as that presented in the house of lords. On the motion for its lying on the table, lord Milton stated that he had been one of the committee. The facts alleged in the report were in the main correct, but they were too highly coloured; and he differed from the committee as to the remedy, which, instead of a general suspension of the habeas corpus, ought, in his opinion, to be something of a local nature, like the act by which Ludditism had been put down. After a general conversation,-in the course of which lord Cochrane was called to order, for calling the report a scandalous libel on the people of England,-the motion was agreed to.

The house having gone into a committee of ways and means, the chancellor of the exchequer proceeded to take a general view of the financial state of the country, premising that the report so recently

made by the committee of finance would supersede the necessity of his going into a minute detail. He then stated the supplies under various heads, amounting, in the aggregate, to 18,001,3007. exclusive of 4,136,503 7. for the discharge of navy and transport debts, interest on exchequer bills, &c. He then recapitulated the particulars of the ways and means already voted, amounting to 9,541,5377. and leaving a sum to be provided for of 12,600,000. This he proposed to raise by issuing 9,000,000l. in exchequer bills here, and treasury bills for 3,600,0007. in Ireland. The money might have been raised by loan on advantageous terms; but he found an issue of exchequer bills would be still better. Since he last addressed the house on the financial state of the country, the funds had improved 20 per cent. Cash payments were in the course of resumption, without any stock, and the remaining restrictions on the bank would be wholly removed by the 5th of July next year. The result of the financial operations of last year had been an actual diminution of the public debt to the amount of 3,400,000. In the course of this year he looked with confidence to a further diminution of at least 500,000l. He then observed, that the difficulties did not arise from any domestic circumstances, but from the general state of depression of the continental kingdoms, which depression prevented the consumption of British articles. Yet, notwithstanding all this, the credit of the country was looking up, and our commerce improving. Under all these circumstances, he trusted he should hear no more of reducing the interest of the national debt, or of breaking faith with the public creditor, but that the spirit and loyL2

alty