Lord Mulgrve obferved, that the fubject ought not to drop Lord Mulwithout a farther investigation. He wifhed, that upon in- grave. quiry, the gentleman accufed could have proofs of his innocence; but it became the Houfe to proceed. He remaked, that the friends of Mr. Mortlock had not advised him to act agreeably to the rules of rectitude and decorum. He apprehended, that if the motion of the honourable Baronet were to pafs, it would operate in the eyes of pofterity against the character of Mr. Mortlock: it would appear, that he had been guilty of a breach of privilege, and that from fome unknown or concealed motive, the inquiry had been dropt. The gentleman's character ought either to be cleared or condemned; he would therefore, if the honourable Baronet withdrew his motion, move that the report be recommitted.

General Adeane mentioned, that he had delivered in a cor- General rect lift, and that he knew of no alteration till the difcovery Adeane. now in question.

Mr. Rolle was entering into a detail of the transactions in the Committee, when

Mr. Sheridan obferved, that if the honourable gentleman Mr. Sheriwent into any statement of what happened in the Committee, dan. it would be more candid to relate the whole proceeding.

Mr. Fox faid, that it was not a fubject which claimed the Mr. Fox. examination of the Houfe; for ftrictly confidered, there did not appear to him either a crime or a criminal.

The Attorney General was not for relinquishing the bufi

nefs, though he had no objection to lenity.

Mr. Chancellor Pitt thought that the subject ought to be Mr. Chaninquired into, efpecially as the Houfe had already spent a cellor Pitt. confiderable time in debating the merits of the tranfaction. Of the two propofitions now in agitation the latter he confeffed was the most eligible; and that for poftponing the bufinefs till this day three months was hugatory and improper.

Sir Francis Baffet's motion was then withdrawn; when

Lord Mulgrave moved, "that Mr. Mortlock's cafe be Lord Mul"again referred to the Committee who had already made their grave. report on the fubject.”

66

The House then divided, when there appeared-Ayes 79;

Noes 81.

Mr. Drake then moved, "That Mr. Mortlock's cafe be Mr. Drake. "again referred to a Committee of the whole House:" and propofed, that upon the confideration of the report the Houfe fhould form a decifion.

A divifion again enfued-The numbers were-Ayes, 97; Noes 76.

The Earl of Surrey remarked, that it was needlefs for him The Earl of to expatiate much upon the obvious neceffity of introducing Surrey. a reform

Mr. Martin

Mr. Sheridan.

Mr. Powney.

Mr. Burke.

a reform in Parliament, because this point had been so frequently agitated in the Houfe. Every one out of doors admitted the propriety of a more equal reprefentation of the People in that Houfe. The, fituation of the country was in this view very deplorable; and no one, if he laid his hand on his heart, could diffent from him in opinion, that fomething was neceffary to be done. He did not mean to prescribe any immediate remedy; that might b a cafe of nice difcuffion; he wifhed it to be referred to others more able to judge; he would therefor content himself with moving," That a "Committee, &c. be appointed to take into confideration "the ftate of the reprefentation of the country."

The motion being feconded,

Mr. Martin rofe and faid, that he could not avoid returning his best thanks to the noble Earl for bringing forward a matter of fo much confequence, and with regard to the principle of which he fo firmly coincided with him in opinion,

Mr. Sheridan expreffed his regret to fee a point of fo much importance treated with fo much indifference: he had conceived that the bare ftatement of the evil complained of, would have produced an eagerness in gentlemen to deliver their opinions on the fubject. He, for his own part, felt much zeal in concurring with his noble friend on the motion, and he hoped it would obtain the approbation of the House.

The Houfe then divided on the motion - Ayes, 64; Noes, 95-Majority against the motion, 31.

It now became a queftion with the Houfe, whether it fhould proceed to the confideration of the militia bufinefs, or to Mr. Haftings's trial.

Mr. P. Powney contended, that the propofed bill for regulating the militia fhould be taken into confideration; there was no end to trials and impeachments; fuch objects were not entitled to precedence; they commonly appeared irrelevant. Why then obftruct the procedure of the Houfe, by obtruding them unneceffarily on its attention? This game had been fa often played, that he was determined in the prefent inftance, if poffible, to put a stop to it. He would take the sentiments of the Houfe on the question.

The House then divided on the order for going into the confideration of the militia business-Ayes 45-Noes 78. The order of the day being then read for the House to refolve itself into a Committee for the farther confideration of the charges against Mr. Haftings,

Mr. Burke mentioned the great inconvenience which he laboured under from an inceffant attention to this business

He

He expreffed his inclination that fome mode of general arrangement of the bufinefs might be adopted, as the evidence was now nearly concluded on his part.

This gave rife to a converfation betwixt him, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Attorney General, and Mr. Fox. It chiefly turned on this general point: whether the Committee fhould decide on the criminality of the charges, one by one, or give decifion on the whole collectively taken. The Speaker at last reminding the gentlemen, that the precife queftion under difcuffion was, that he fhould leave the chair; the House refolved itfelf into a Committee.

Mr. Burke, previous to the calling of evidence, obferved, Mr. Burke. that he hoped to bring the question respecting the arrangement of the business into agitation upon the enfuing Monday, and fome of the great articles of impeachment upon the Monday following.

He was informed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer that the Monday following was already engaged.

Mr. Fox then asked why he might not bring forward the matter on Friday fe'nnight? To, this he agreed. On which Major Gilpin was called to the bar and examined.

After which the Houfe was refumed and adjourned till Wednesday.

Wednesday, 17th May.

Mr. Dempfter begged leave to prefs upon the serious con- Mr. Dempfideration of the Houfe, the melancholy circumftances into fter. which the result of a divifion on the preceding evening would plunge the hawkers and pedlers. They would become deprived of an opportunity of levying their debts, and expofed to the caprice and oppreffion of juftices of the peace, who had and would difpofe of them as whim or refentment might direct. He wished therefore to move, "That leave be "given to bring in a bill for fufpending during one year, an "act of His prefent Majefty, so far as it related to the "prohibiting hawkers and pedlers from vending their goods "within two miles of a market town, or in counties wherein "the juftices of the peace had not authorised their traffic." The motion being feconded,

Mr. Chancellor Pitt entreated Mr. Dempfter to with- Mr. Chandraw his motion only for the prefent, as there might as yet cellor Pitt. arife difficulty in digefting it fo as to do the hawkers and pedlers that justice with refpect to their debts which was his object, and for which he apprehended there might be fome reafon.

To this Mr. Dempfter agreed.

Mr. Mortlock.

Mr. Chan

It was then moved, "That the report of the Commit"tee which stood as the order of the day refpecting the con"duct of Mr. Mortlock, in altering the names of the col"lectors of the land tax for the county of Cambridge should "be poftponed till a fubfequent day."

Mr. Mortlock declared, that it was never his intention to do any thing which might in the smallest degree affect the privileges of the House.

The motion was agreed too.

Mr. Chancellor Pitt having obferved, that no defign could cllor Pitt. poffibly prove more diftant from his thoughts than that of unbecomingly prefuming to prefs on the notice of the House any plan, the adoption of which it had already reprobated, added, that with refpect to the fortifications, he by no means confidered the late divifion of the Houfe as going the full length of wholly fetting afide every fcheme of this nature: gentlemen had entertained a variety of fentiments with reIpect to the estimates which had been given in and the fortifications propofed; but ali feemed to agree, that the fortification of our dockyards was abfolutely neceffary. The old works which had been erected for that purpose, were either fallen into dif-repair, or, if put on their proper footing, were inadequate to the end for which they were intended. It was therefore neceffary, that they should be put as foon as poffible on a respectable footing, and that new works fhould be immediately erected for the purposes of fecurity. It had been his intention on a former occafion, to have fortified the island in fuch a manner, and on fo extenfive a scale, that in events of hoftility the nation might have been enabled to have carried on a war with greater freedom and with more effect than ever it had done. Various schemes of fortification had been propofed for that purpose, but in his general view he had been thwarted. The negative however which the House had given to the propofition on that occafion did not go to the length of rejecting all schemes of fortification whatever: the Houfe had not decided in every inftance against the demolition of old works or the erection of new. In this confidence he should move, "That an estimate of the expence of fuch parts of "the plan of fortifications which the land officers of the "late Board reported to His Majesty would give a rea"fonable degree of fecurity for the dockyards at Portsmouth

and Plymouth, as appear moft neceffary to be carried ❝into immediate execution, specifying fuch fums for each ❝ work as can be conveniently employed in the year 1786, "towards their completion be referred to a Committee of ❝ fupply."

To carry into execution this object it was propofed, that this year the fum for old and new works at Portsmouth of 48,5581. 195. 2d. fhould be expended; and that for old and new works at Plymouth, the fum of 14,7731. 15s. 5d. fhould be employed; fo that the whole of the annual expenditure of 1786, on the fortifications propofed, exclufive of the purchase of land, amounting to 25,6931. 4s. 1d. would not exceed 63,332l. 14s. 74d. Some parts of the plan contained in the estimate had been formerly proposed as matter of urgency, other matters had not, and it would remain with the Houfe whether they fhould be adopted.

Mr. Pitt's motion having been feconded,

Mr. Baftard rofe to oppofe it, and remarked, that the right honourable gentleman had been used with moderation when the question was formerly agitated; but that moderation he had abufed. The foldier who had brought the treasure he found to the Roman Emperor had been defired by him to use it; but the treasure of moderation which the right honourable gentleman had carried to the Mafter General of the ordnance, he had been advised by him to abufe. He confidered the motion as a fecret attack on the declared fentiments of the Houfe. The file which had been formerly prefented was too hard to be swallowed, and was now pounded, that it might go down with the greater cafe. The fpirit of the Mafter General of the ordnance had migrated into that Houfe, and could not too foon be expelled beyond its walls. On fuch occafions, it became the indifpenfable duty of the Commons unanimouf ly to refist fuch indecent and unconftitutional encroachments.

Mr. Fox objected against the motion as likely to lead the Mr. Fon Committee into difcuffions which, as they related to pro feffional objects, and the defence of the nation, belonged more efpecially to a fecret Cabinet. The prefent estimate was VOL. XX.

H h

founded