Prices of Grain.- Meteorological Diary of the Weather.-Bill of Mortality. AVERAGE PRICES of CORN, from Sept. 11, to Sept. 16, 1780. Wheat Rye Barley Oats Beans COUNTIES INLAND. Bedford Cambridge 4 52 Huntingdon 4 Ο 02 Northampton 4 21 1/2 Rutland 82 21 9/2 3 92 9 Derby 92 II Northumberland 4 3 8 012 21 72 7,2 5 2 12 669 31 7/2 10 8 Monmouth Somerset 5 72 10 Cornwall Suffex WALES, Sept. 4, to Sept. 9, 1780. A Meteorological DIARY of the Weather for OCTOBER, 1779 THE Gentleman's Magazine; For SEPTEMBER, Debates in Parliamen', continued from p. 356. Feb. 21. 1780. therefore who were of a different opi nion from that part, complain that their fentiments have been mifrepreR. S-th (mem. for fented, and are defirous of carrying Nottingham) held a, their complaints before the fame tribu paper in his hand, Anal before whom that mifreprefentation which he called a had been carried. For God's fake, proteft from part of faid he, is there any thing myfterious his conftituents, a- in all this? Or is there any thing in it gainst a petition pre- unfair? Are not all men in this king. fented to the Houfe B dom upon an equal footing with respect from another and more refpectable part to their liberties? As men are apt to of his conflituents, and expreffed his differ in their political fentiments, fhall want of knowledge of the forms of the only one fet of politicians be heard? Houfe to enable him properly to intro- and thofe who differ from them have duce it. Col. B-ré did not wonder that the Cnever be juftified. And as to the hon. their mouths fhut? This furely can hon. member did not know how to dif- gentleman's jocular manner of treating pofe of his proteft, as no experience in the contents of the paper, becaufe fignthe forms could have taught him to in- ed only by the fix junior counsellors of troduce a paper, the like of which had the corporation of Nottingham, he faw never before been offered to be prefent-Dnothing improper either in the ftyle or ed. Bt fo far, he faid, would he be from difcouraging the proteft, that he petition itself. manner that was not extorted by the intended to move, that the fix men who had figned it fhould be examined at the be read, and it was read. He then Mr. B-ke defired the petition might bar of the Houfe, in order to learn the appealed to the Houfe if there were any grounds upon which they affure parlia-grounds for the feverity of the protelment that a branch of the British enpire is not loft to this country. Mr. Fx was at a lofs, he faid, in what light to confider the paper, whether as a libel, a declaration, or a maRifesto. E F tors. He was with his hon. friend of the public purfe, and rewarding the [Col. B-ré] for opening the ftrings fix righteous counfellors of Nottingham, as foon as they fhould have auof the national profperity. thenticated the good accounts they give Attor. Gen. faid it required no great depth of penetration to difcover the light in which it ought to be confidered. containing nothing improper; and Ld N-th juftified the proteft, as A number of men of a certain clafs, af- though it could not be received, as confuming to themselves the right of peti-taining no prayer, yet it was not to be tioning to parliament for a particular condemned as libellous because it dif purpose, in the name of the whole, approved of the violent proceedings athough only approved by a part; thofe gainft which it was levelled. 1 G Th The order of the day being called for, In this ftate it came before the House Sir G. Sv-le moved, That an on the prefent day [Feb, 21.], when humble addiefs be prefented to his Ma- Ld N-b propofed an amendment, by jefty, that he will be graciously pleafed adding after the words or otherwife, to give directions, that there be laid be- "and payable at the exchequer." This fore the Houfe an account of all fubfiit- A amendment, his lordship faid, would ing pentions granted by the crown dur- appear neceffary, when the real state of ing pleasure or otherwije; fpecitying the the penfion-lift was precifely undesamount of fuch pentions refpectively, flood. All was not penfion that apand the times when, and the perfons to peared upon the penfion-lift. A great whom, fuch penfrons were granted. number of falaries were paid under that This motion was agitated on the 16th, B denomination. Thofe deducted, not but the fudden illness of the Speaker in- more than 50,cool. would remain for terrupted the debate, which was ad- penfions, a fum too trifling to be with journed to this day. Ld N-gt ob held from government wore it only to jected to the motion on the point of de- be employed, as an hon. member [Col.. licacy, as there were a long lift of Lady B-e] oblerved on a former occafion, Bridgets, Lady Maries, and Lady Jen- Cin fecret fervices. His lordfhip thought nies, who would be much hurt by hav- the county meetings must be ill inform ing their names entered as penfioners ed, when they made the favings in that of the state, and expofed all over the department a leading article in their list kingdom in magazines and news-pa- of grievances. [Here fome gentlemen pers, by which they would lofe much of were observed to laugh.] Gentlemen, his their confequence among their neigh-D lordship said, might laugh, but laugh, bours. ing in the hearer is but a pitiful way of impeaching the argument of the fpeaker. His lordship repeated it, that if the people of England did but know that all that was to be gotten by expofing the names of feveral honourable perfons, E on the penfion-lift was only the faving of a few thoufand pounds by the mot rigid oeconomy, their hearts would revolt at the idea of fuch a motion. The hon. baronet, whọ made it, acknowledged he did it with reluctance. Ta F expofe the neceffities of antient and no ble families to the prying eye of malig♦ nant curiofity, was not only wanton, but cruel; to hold up the man who has a penfion to the detraction of him that hates him because he has none, is in its nature odious and contemptible; to furGnish matter for news-paper writers for them to drefs up for the entertainment of the public at the expence of the nobleft, perhaps the worthiest and moit deferving members of the ftate, was what might be expected from an indifcrimi Sir George faid, that no man felt more for the delicacy of the ladies in that refpect than himself; but that was not the object he had in view. His constituents wished to know how far those douceurs increafed the influence of the crown, not what bounties were bestowed by it on perfous of high rank but fmall fortunes, to enable them to maintain their family dignity. Mr. C-nw-ll explained the nature of the penfion lift, which he faid was of two kinds, that paid out of the privypurfe, and that paid at the exchequer. Thofe paid by his Majefty's bounty, the gentleman who made the motion had acquiefced in the reafons given for concealment; and as for thofe paid at the exchequer, it was generally undertood, that none were iffued there to members of that house. Mr. T. T-fb-d obferved, if that was the cafe, there could be no reason but the ludicrous one of the noble lord[ Ld N-g-t] for withholding the fatistac-nate expofure of the penfion-lift. With tion required; which reafon he thought too trifling to be feriously infifted upon. Ld N-th thought the motion very improper, but did not feem at that time much inclined to oppofe it. refpect to the money granted to the King for his civil lift, he infifted that it was granted freely and without con troul, and was as much under his Ma jefty's direction as the rents of any gen tleman's tleman's estate in that Houfe; but the money granted for the public fervice Rood, he faid, upon another footing, for which those who had the difpofal of it was accountable. Mr. D-nn-g wished to have heard the fentiments of other gentlemen on this fubject before he had rifen; but fearing that at a late hour he should not be able to make himself heard, he chofe to deliver what he had to fay thus early in the debate. ftate, and to restore her to her natural vigour, The bafis of British liberty might then be widened, and true conftitutional freedom established through every part of the empire. Such are the people's views in ftriking at the root of Athat corrupted tree whofe fafcinating fruit is fo pernicious that all who tafte are inftantly infected. The noble lord is apprehenfive, left the delicate feelings of his penfioners fhould be hurt by the detraction of the malignant, who envy The noble lord, who had just pro- Bing their good fortune with only to fhare pofed an amendment, had endeavoured it. His lordship muft furely have borto reprefent the motion as trifling and rowed his idea from that fupreme coninfignificant, and fo in fact he would tempt with which every pimp and pamake it by narrowing it by an artful rifite, every law wretch, who has any amendment; but he infitted, that if the how, or by any means, obtained a motion fhould be received pure as it C place or a penfion, looks down upon came from the hon. baronet's mouth, him who has none. What independent and unmix'd with state-craft, it would member in this Houfe can lay his hand appear to be one of the most moinentous upon his heart, and fay, he never felt that had ever been agitated in that the infolence of office? Such cogent House. He had entertained fome reafons against the motion may make a hopes, he faid, by the frank manner in deep impreffion on fome men's minds, which the noble lord gave his content but let the goaded jade wince, our withers to the introduction of the motion, that are untouch'd. His lordship would fain he meant to have given it countenance preferve appearances. He will lay beand fopport; and, unacquainted as he fore the House the fums paid at the exwas with minifterial arts, he could hardly chequer; that is, he will fhew us what credit that a noble lord, in a department we may know, and do not want to fee; fo high and important, could adopt in but what we cannot otherwife know, language what he abhorred in his heart. and do want to fee, fhall be hidden from Such artifices, however, were too grofs our fight. From fuch a line of conto deceive, and too deteftable to be juf duct, is it to be wondered that the petitified. The favings from 50,000l., al- tioners from the feveral counties should lowing the reduction as the noble lord F be ill-informed! and yet his lordship has flated it, is certainly not an object makes their ignorance matter of furof great national concern, though ma- prize, and at the fame time refuses to naged with the molt rigid oeconomy; furnish them with better information. but the faving of money is only a fe- Such reafoning as this would move the condary, the reduction of the influence rifible mufcles of any man's face; and of the crown is the primary, object. Ghe acknowledged that his was not unIf by a reduction of 40,000l. annually affected. we could cut off forty members from that phalanx whom no confiderations of public neceffity can influence, whom no meafures, how ruinous foever, can move, from the ftandard of the minifter of the day, the end would be great, andH the achievement glorious. Millions now waited in fanguinary and unavailing contests would be faved, or converted to heal the wounds of a bleeding nation; to recover her from her fickly A noble lord too [Ld N-g-t], from motives of delicacy of another kind, was against the motion when firft offered. His lordship's apprehenfions were excited, left the feelings of the Lady Betties and the Lady Jennies, the companions of his youthful days, should be wantonly touched, and their nakedness expofed; but his lordship would reft eafy on that account, provided his po litical friends might be fuffered to ilip |