the nature of circumstances that might occur from day to day. He hoped, however, that the whole Houfe would concur with him in his opinion, that the preparations to be made for our fecurity fhould be in proportion to the preparations of the enemy, and not left as matter of chance and calculation. Whatever gafconading the enemy might ufe; however much they might endeavour to delude their fubjects, by holding out to them the wealth of this country as booty and plunder; he was fure that in proportion as fuch language was held by them, in that fame proportion would the spirit and zeal of the country be excited. By being fo prepared, the country would be put into fuch a condition, that every man might fleep in peace in his bed; and whoever fhould inculcate to the enemy that we had any thing to dread, that enemy would find, in every attempt they might make, nothing but confufion and deftruction. He concluded by moving, That leave be given to bring in a Bill to enable his Majefty to order out a certain proportion of the Supplementary Militia, and to provide for the neceffary augmentation of men in feveral companies of militia, by incorporating the Supplementary Militia therein.' Leave was given to bring in the Bill the Bill was immediately brought in, read a first time, and ordered to be read a fecond time next day. The Committees of Supply and Ways and Means were deferred from Friday till Monday.-Adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. The Sheriffs of London prefented a Petition from the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Council, praying for leave to bring in a Bill to continue the Acts of the 7th and 17th of the prefent King, refpecting the admeasurement of coals. The Petition was ordered to be referred to a Committee. The Sheriffs of London prefented another Petition from the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Council of the City of, London, against the Wet Dock Bill, and praying to be heard by Council at the bar, against the faid Bill. Mr. Alderman Lufhington faid, that in order to prevent an idea that the City of London was inimical to the improvement of the port of London, he thought it right to say, that they were engaged in preparing a plan for fuch improvement. If that plan fhould not be acceptable to the public, another ought to be adopted; for certainly the port ought no longer to remain in its prefent defective state. The City were permitted to be heard by their Council against the Bill. The The Chancellor of the Exchequer brought a Meffage from his Majefty, which was read by the Speaker. The Meffage was to the following effect: "G. R. "His Majefty having taken into his Royal Confideration the eminent and fignal fervice performed by Lord Vifcount Duncan, Admiral of the Blue, in an engagement with the Dutch Fleet, under the command of Admiral De Winter, on the 11th of October last, a fervice not only honourable to himself, but highly beneficial to this kingdom; and his Majefty being defirous to beftow fome confiderable and lafting mark of his royal favour on the faid Lord Viscount Duncan for fuch fervice, hath determined to give and grant to the faid Lord Viscount Duncan, and to his two next fucceeding heirs male, on whom his title fhall defcend, a net annuity of two thoufand pounds. But his Majefty not having it in his power to give or to extend the fame beyond the term of his own life, recommends to his faithful Commons to take fuch his intention into their confideration, and to adopt the neceffary measures to enable his Majefty to give and grant the fame, and to fettle the faid annuity on the faid Lord Vifcount Duncan, and his two next fucceeding male heirs, on whom his title fhall devolve, in fuch manner as may be moft effectual for their benefit." The Chancellor of the Exchequer moved that the Meffage might be referred to the confideration of the whole Houfe, on Monday next. Mr. Wilberforce Bird moved for an account of taxes ending the 5th of January, 1798. Mr. Mainwaring prefented a Petition for the repeal of an Act paffed laft Seffion, entitled, an act for impofing a duty on perfons using clocks and watches. He obferved, that the petition, as well as thofe prefented before the recefs, came from a large body of mafters, dealers, and workmen. He understood it was not the intention of the Chancellor of the Exchequer to oppofe the fame; therefore he did not think it neceffary to ftate the matter of the petition. He would only move, that the feveral petitions prefented to this Houfe by the manufacturers in the different branches of the watch and clock-making bufinefs might be referred to a Committee, to report its opinion to the Houfe. The Bill for enabling his Majefty to embody the Supplementary Militia was read a fecond time. The Chancellor of the Exchequer expreffed a wifh that the bill might be committed for Monday next. With refpect to the principle of the bill, he was fure it could meet with no oppofition; but he had deferred the commitment of the bill till Monday, in order that Gentlemen might have time to confider of it. He then moved, that fuch a number of copies might be printed as would be neceffary for the Members of the House. A djourned. 4 D 2 HOUSE OF COMMONS. Monday, Feb. 12. On the Order of the Day being read for the Houfe to refolve itself into a Committee, for the purpofe of taking his Majesty's Meffage, refpecting Lord Duncan, into confideration : The Chancellor of the Exchequer faid, that fome circumftances had come to his knowledge refpecting another illuftrious naval commander, who had gained a brilliant naval victory, in another part of the world: he wished therefore to defer the confideration of his Majefty's Meffage till Wednesday, in order that both the cafes might be taken into confideration at the fame time. Mr. Jekyll expreffed his conviction that the Right Honourable Gentleman alluded to Lord St. Vincent. The Chancellor of the Exchequer made a motion of affent. Mr. Johnes inquired whether it was in the contemplation of Government to make any propofition refpecting another diftinguifhed commander, Sir Richard Onflow? The Chancellor of the Exchequer replied, that he could not enter into the confideration of the fubject. No man had a higher refpect and veneration than he had for Sir Richard Onflow; but his Majesty's recommendation, upon occafions like the prefent, had always been confined to the Commanders in Chief. Mr. Onflow faid, that connected as he was with the Gentleman alluded to, he wished only to fay, that the inquiry made by an Honourable Member was entirely without his previous knowledge. Adjourned. HOUSE OF LORDS. Lerd Grenville brought down two Meffages from his Majefty, one relative to Lord Duncan, the other to the Earl St. Vincent. (The former was exactly fimilar to that brought down to the Commons on Friday the 9th inftant; for the latter, fee the proceedings of the Houfe of Commons of this day.) The Meffages were ordered to be taken into confideration on Thurfday the 15th inftant, to which day the House adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. The Chancellor of the Exchequer delivered the following Meffage from his Majesty : "G. R. "His Majefty having taken into his royal confideration the cminent and fignal fervice of John Earl St. Vincent, Admiral of the Blue, Blue, in an engagement off Cape St. Vincent, on the 13th of Febru ary, 1797, with the Spanish Fleet, under the command of Don Jofeph De Cordova, a fervice not only highly honourable to himfelf, but extremely beneficial to this kingdom; and his Majefty being defirous to bestow fome confiderable and lafting mark of his royal favour on the faid John, Earl St. Vincent, for fuch fervice, hath determined to give and grant to the faid Earl St. Vincent, and to his two next fucceeding heirs male, to whom the title fhall defcend, a net annuity of two thousand pounds. But his Majefty not having it in his power to give or to extend the fame beyond the term of his own life, recommends to his faithful Commons to take fuch his intention into their confideration, and to adopt the neceffary measures to enable his Majefty to give and grant the fame, and to fettle the faid annuity on the faid Earl St. Vincent, and his two next fucceeding male heirs, on whom his title fhall devolve, in fuch manner as may be most effectual for their benefit." He moved, that the above Meffage be taken into confideration on the fame day with the Meffage from his Majesty refpecting Lord Duncan. Agreed to. In a Committee of the whole Houfe, Mr. Rofe moved that leave be given to bring in a Bill to amend the 28th of the King relative to the performance of quarantine. The Corporation Causes Bill went through a Commitree. Ordered to be reported. Adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. General Walpole faid, that before the recefs, he had given an intimation of his intention to bring forward a motion relative to the fituation of the Maroons, and the treatment they had received. He underflood that complaints had been made relative to loffes that had been fuftained by many of those unfortunate people; and he wished to know, before he brought forward a motion, whether Government had taken any steps to alter their fituation, or redrefs the grievances they complained of? Mr. Dundas faid, he could not give a diftinct answer to the Honourable Gentleman's enquiry, because the papers relating to the fubject he had alluded to did not regularly come to his office; but he had received certain papers which he had not had time to perufe, and as foon as he thould, he would give the Honourable Gentleman all the information which they contained upon that fubject. HIS MAJESTY'S MESSAGE. The Houfe refolved itfelf into a Committee to confider of the Meffage from his Majefty for granting an annuity to Lord Viscount Duncan. The The Meffage refpecting Lord St. Vincent was referred to the confideration of the fame Committee. The Meffage being read, The Chancellor of the Exchequer faid, that he should not trouble the Committee, but as Lord St. Vincent's victory had priority in time, and as this day, the 14th of February, was alfo the anniversary of that victory gained by him, he should move the refolution for granting him an annuity first. He therefore moved, That it is the opinion of this Committee, that the annual fum of 2000l. be granted to his Majefty, out of the Confolidated Fund, to commence on the 14th of February, 1797, to be fettled on the Earl St. Vincent, and his two next fucceeding heirs on whom his title fhall defcend.' Mr. Jekyll faid, he was glad the Chancellor of the Exchequer had of himself mentioned that this was the anniversary of that glorious victory which it was now propofed to reward. It would remind the Houfe, that his Majefty's Ministers had fhamefully fuffered a whole twelvemonth to elapfe, without even mentioning the Earl St. Vincent, or expreffing the leaft intimation that it was intended he should receive any pecuniary remuneration from the Throne. He was fatisfied the public mind muft have felt a confiderable degree of indignation at the delay which Minifters had fuffered to take place with refpect to the propofed reward to Lord St. Vincent, as well as at the manner in which the bufinefs was now brought forward. The Houfe muft have felt, the Committee must have felt, the public must have felt, and for himself he was perfuaded at this moment, that fo far from the proposed annuity to Lord St. Vincent being an act of juftice and national gratitude due to his merits, it was merely compulfory on the part of Ministers, and adopted because they felt they could not do otherwife, while a fimilar propofition was made with regard to Lord Duncan. He remembered the time, however, when a Right Honourable Gentleman oppofite to him, the near relation of that Noble Lord concerning whom a meffage had been first brought down to the Houfe, fpoke in raptures of the glorious achievements of Lord St. Vincent. He remembered that a Gentleman, who he believed was Member for Montgomery, and another Gentleman who reprefented the County of Suffolk, fpeaking of this event as one which stood unrivalled in the naval annals of the country; as one of fuch magnitude with respect to the advantages it had rendered the country; as one reflecting fuch glory on the British name, that it deserved to be peculiarly marked with fome diftinguishing honour on the part of the Crown. At that time a miferable queftion of form was interpofed as an obftacle to that addrefs, although an Honour able |