Prices of Grain. Meteorological Diary of the Weather.-Bill of Mortality. AVERAGE PRICES of CORN, from Oct. 9, to Oct. 14, 1780. COUNTIES upon the COAST. Wheat Rye Barley Oats Beans s. d.js. 012 d.s. ds. d.ls. d. 41 102 4 62 7 York 21 82 03 Durham 62 CI 5 30 02 4.2 1:3 I 103 こ 4 Cambridge 26 Northumberland Cumberland 4 6 9 Westmorland Northampton 4 Lancashire Rutland Leicester 4 82 8/2 10 Monmouth Somerfet 2 Salop Dorfet 5 1Ο 4 A Meteorological DIARY of the Weather for NOVEMBER, 1779 November North Wales 4 513 32 of I 213 South Wales 22 ditto 29 8 57 ditio: 29 84159 55 cloudy morning and evening, bright mid-day fair and fometimes bright, crifp air a very fine bright foft day a fine foft grey day, but no fun 1779. Wind. SSW little. 30 159 2 W hazy dull warm day S ditto WNW W WNW a very fine bright day a black, cold, churlith day clouds and funthine at intervals, cold wind cloudy heavy day, very wet turbulent evening clear frofly morning, black milling afternoon cloudy morning, bright afternoon fmart bright frofly morning, cloudy afternoon 41 heavy black day, but neither rain or froft ditto 29 2 42 40 25 NE 26 W NW NNNNNNNN23 27 E 28 SSTV 29 30 S W Chriftened. Males 39 freih 29 4 ditto 29 hard froft in the night, very bright day frott rather abated,clou.morn, and even, bright mid-d. an exceeding foggy day, with much rain turbulent, wet night and morning, bright afternoon mart froft early, very wet dark day turbulent night and morning, very wet black day fnow carly, wet day, tempestuous evening 46 fair day, and tolerably bright 48 44 Bill of Mortality from Sept. 26, to Oct. 17, 1780. Buried. 1582 Whereof have died under two years old 594 Peck Loaf 25: 444. Between 2 and 5 146 | 50 and 60 ΤΙΣ 10 and 20 41 70 and 80 87 THE Gentleman's Magazine; For OCTOBER, 1780. Debates in Parliament, continued from P. 404. R. C-ke prefented a petition from the county of Norfolk, to which Mr. B-c-n objected, as not being the petition of the county, a proteft having. been entered against it. But on Mr. C-ke's flating to the Houfe the methods made ufe of to procure the proteft, the petition was received, and ordered to lie upon the table. A deration, and their grievances redreffed; but, unwilling to diftrefs government, was for railing the money wanted by a vote of credit. He inveighed bitterly against minifters for protracting the American war; and folemnly declared his belief, that national bankruptcy would be the confequence of continuing it. Ld N-th did not deny the tencur gof the petitions that had been prefented, but combated the propriety of the meafure pr. pofed. It might be the withes of the people, he faid, to eftablish a fyftem of ceconomy in matters of state, but it could not be the Mr. C-ke then complained of the inattention of minifters to the protection of trade on the coafts of this kingdom, and inftanced fome recent infults committed on the coafts of Norfolk by the enemy's privateers; toplight of the petitions, as not containwhich both Mr. R-b-n, fecretary to Ld N-th, and Mr. B. G-fc-ne, replied in detence of the admiralty. Cwishes of the people to stop the meafures of government by withholding the neceffary fupplies; or if it were their wishes, he should not think himfelt bound to obey them. He made Mr. B-ke then rofe to introduce his bill for a general reform, which was read a first time, and after a long converfation, in which a variety of mifcellaneous matter was warmly difcuffed, was ordered to be read a fecond time. The order of the day was then called for, and the Houfe in committee went into the fupply. Mr. B-moved, that a fum, not exceeding 385,3854, be granted for the ordinary fervice of the navy. This gave rife to a very warm debate. Mr. D-d H-tly objected to the granting of money till the petitions of the people were first taken into confi ing the fenfe of the people, but of a party; and particularly inttanced the petition of the county of York, figned, as it was boafted, by 9000 freeholders, which were fearce a third of the freeE hoiders of that opulent fhire. Sir Geo. S--le remarked on the fallacy of his lordship's calculations, which, he faid, were of a piece with his estimates, and generally differed from the truth confiderably. In this Finftance he affured the Houfe that his lordship had exceeded at least one half. He cautioned his lordfhip against deceiving himself, or foring him.elf to be deceived a fecond time by flatterers and fycophants. He would not believe that the voice of the Colonies was contained in their petitions; he would not give car to virtuous admo nition; nition; he would not allow that the people were determined because they were temperate; nor would he be convinced of his error till he had lost the country, Mr. T-p-c L-tt-ll repeated his A former arguments, to fhew the impropriety of granting enormous fums for naval purpofes without fpecifying the particular ufes to which thofe fums Should be applied. See p. 11c. He was antwered by Ld M-lg-ve, who fhewed the impracticability of conforming to that rule, as the exigences of war rendered any given rule impoffible. Sir G. -ge informed the Houfe, that a motion was framing that he believed would meet the wishes of the Houfe. And Mr. M-ch-n read the motion as an amendment, to this effect: "And that accounts be laid upon the table of the application of the fums voted laft year for the ordinary and extraordinary of the navy, fpecifying the particular fervices from the 1st of Jan. to the 31st of Dec. 1779;" which being agreed to, the motion paffed without oppofition. Feb. 24. Mr. P. J. C-ke moved for leave to bring in a bill, to exclude contractors from fitting in the House, which was agreed to. the negative; and the refolutions of Feb. 25. No debate. Adjourned to The fecond reading of Ld Beauchamp's bill, for amending an act of the 32d of his late majefty, intituled, "An act for relief of debtors, &c." was called for; but petitions having been prefented, praying to be heard B by counfel againit it, the counsel were called in, when Mr. Lee, as counfel for the committees of Wellminster and Southwark, opposed the bill, on the ground that it went to a total alteration of the law of the land, to an exCtention of the laws of bankruptcy to perions not in trade, and to the eftablishment of a permanent act of infolvency. Mr. Silvefter followed Mr. Lee on the fame fide, and urged the impropriety of fuch an alteration, when trade was embarrafled, and credit funk to the lowest ebb. Mr. Erikine, counsel for the committees of Middlefex and divers parishes, went more fully into the merits of the bill, and pointed out the frauds Eand abutes daily practifed by perfons claiming the benefits of acts of infolvency and the bankrupt laws. He faid it was a common trick for perfons in the laft predicament to bargain for Mr. C-ke then moved for leave to goods to a large amount from itranbring in a bill, for reftraining or re- F gers, in order to enable their eftates gulating the power of admitting hono- to make a better dividend among their rary freemen from voting for members old creditors, and by fo doing to feof parliament; and that it be an in- cure a majority to fign their certifi ftruction to the committee appointed cates. He inftanced one man, who, to draw up the bill, that they do in- having thus got himself clear, drove fert a claufe," that every perfon not in his own carriage by the very comentitled to freedom by birth or fervi-Gmiffioners to whom he had but lately tude in any town, &c. fhall be obliged furrendered, and splashed both them to have his admiffion certified on a and his creditors with the dirt of his zol. ftamp." This laft claufe was ob- chariot wheels. jected to, on the ground that honorary freemen extended the right of voting; that the power in queftion might be employed to good as well as bad purposes; and that the greater number of perfons that were to be corrupted would render corruption the more difficult. It therefore paffed in Mr. Bearcroft replied in favour of the bill; but the House being in fome diforder he was not well heard. H La B-ch-p, after noticing that difadvantage, begged the attention of the Houfe while he went over the fame ground. He defended his bill againit all the objections that had been made made to it; fhewed that it was not he is not worth five pounds in the only founded in humanity but in good world, his working implements, the policy; that trade would be benefited bedding and cloaths of himself and by clearing the gaols from debrots, family, excepted; he is then to be who were of no ufe to their creditors brought before a court, and the affior the community while continued in davit and proper documents exhibited. a ftate of confinement; and that many A If the court is fully fatisfied that the frauds would be obviated by it which debtor has fworn the truth, then the were now practifed under various de- court is to award the man his liberty; ceptions. He then proceeded to ftate but that award is not to cancel the both the principle and the purpose of debt; he is just as anfwerable to his the bill, which had not, he was fure, creditor as before, and whenever his been clearly understood, or it would Bacquirements enable him to pay, he not have been fo strenuously opposed. may be called upon as if no fuch aIt was, he faid, merely a continuation ward had ever been made. The of the Lords act of the 23d of Gen. II. whole object of the bill, his lordship with this only difference, that it went faid, was to prevent an honest but unto the relief of debtors who owed lar- fortunate man from spending that time ger fums than one hundred pounds; and Cin a prifon, which may be better emthat, inftead of putting it in the power ployed in providing for his family, of the creditor to prevent his debtor and in acquiring the means of paying from obtaining his liberty on giving his just debts. With regard to the up his all, it vetted the right of a ne- bill's opening a door for perjury, as gative in the judges in open court, had been alledged, fo far from it, that where it was furely more confonant to Dit was in a particular manner calcu. real and fubftantial justice to place it, lated to prevent it, by placing a nega than to fuffer it to remain in the power tive in the court, if there appeared the of the creditor, who from motives of leaft fufpicion of fraud; nor was it refentment was lefs likely to decide lefs pointed against acts of infolvency impartially in his own caufe. It had, fo much complained of, which it he faid, been admitted by one of the g tended to render totally unneceflary; counfel, that among the great number and as to fwindlers and cheats obtainof debtors that now crowd the goals in ing benefit from it, there was a claufe and about the metropolis, there might framed on purpole to exempt them. be fifty under confinement who were His lord hip replied to Mr. Erfkine's detained by inexorable creditors, ac- obfervations relpecting the bankrupt tuated by motives of revenge, with- F laws, the abufe of which, he faid, was out the least hope of obtaining the not in the power of human policy to payment of their debts. Let gentle- avoid; but in the bill now under conmen, before they declare their oppo- fideration there was no fuch abuse to fition to the bill, afk themselves, Whe- be dreaded. If the creditor was fplashther the liberty of fifty Englishmen fo ed by his debtor's wheel, he might circumftanced was not an object wor-caufe his carriage to be feized the next thy their attention? But the great error, it feems, which has occafioned this violent oppofition to the bill, is an idea that has gone abroad, that it was to take away the power of arrests for debt, and that it enabled the debtor totally to wipe away the claim of his creditor, by only making an affidavit that he had refigned his all. The bill means to effect neither of thofe purpofes. If the debtor refigns his all to his creditor, and makes allidavit that day. Upon the whole, his lordship faid, his bill was intended to deprive the debtor of the power of infulting his creditor on the ene hand, and to reftrain the creditor from tyrannizing over his debtor on the other; for which reafon his lordship hoped the Houfe would fuffer it to go into committee, where it might be more fully difcuffed. Mr. Cy opposed the bill, and complained of the lenity fhewn to pro. fiate debtors, who had already too much latitude given them to defraud honest industrious tradefmen. A foldier, he obferved, had hardly fixpence a day for his toil and his danger: and fhall a lazy knave have 4d. to indulge himfelt in idlenels and the luxuries of a prifon? He could never a gree to it. of the French king, should sway him He faid, the hon. gentleman had great eloquence indeed; and though he could not help admiring the wreath of flowers which fprung from the fertile bog of his understanding, he was not A to be deceived by him. He believed the whole bill to be a concerted scheme between him and the treasury-bench to alter and repeal the falutary laws of George the Second. Ld W-ft-e fpoke in favour of the bill; faid, in Holland debtors had a fhilling a day, and in France 4 fous; and yet very few debtors were in pri- B fon in either country. Men in this country were often thrown into gaol without a penny in their puries, or a friend to affift them. Were they to perish because they had been unfortu nate? Or were they to be fuffered to die by inches because they had been profufe? He was for reterring the bill to committee. Ld O-g-y objected to the bill, as holding forth a too great temptation to perjury; which, he said, was the national vice. He inftanced a man at the custom-house, known by the rame of The Damn'd Sul, that would fw ear any thing for any body for a reward. E Mr. Swge thought better of the bill fince Ld B-ch-p's explanation of it, and was not againft referring it to a committee, provided the third reading was fixed for a diftant day, and in the mean time the bill printed, that the public might have time to confider it in all its parts; which was agreed to. Ld N-th moved for a vote of thanks to Adm. Sir Geo. Rodney for his late fignal fervices, which was unanimoutly agreed to. Several members thought an empty vote of thanks too poor a recompence for fuch important fervices. And The hon. Mr. M—r—m threw out a hint to the Houle, whether it Mr B-ke was for carrying the ef- might not be proper, while the admifect of the bill fill further than the rai's fervices were yet alive in the me. author of it, and that honell debtors mory of minifters, to addrefs his Mashould be effectually cleared upon giv.jefty," that he would be gracioufly in up their all, never more to be pleafed to beftow fome high poft of called upon by the claims of their honour upon the admiral," left, if the fortune of war fhould turn against him, his iccent fervices might be forgotten. creditors. Mr. Fx declared, that though he had brought in the Westminster peti-This was oppofed by tion against it, he could not in his F confcience oppofe its going into committee He approved the principle of the bill, and was fevere on Ld C-g-y for his charging perjury as a national vice from the tingle inftance of one triend to the devil. Ld Nib as unprecedented; coupling, he faid, a vote of thanks with an addrefs to his Majetty for a reward, would frequently be attended with confequences which it was not eafy to forefce, and therefore, though no inan Ghad a higher fenfe of the gallant admiral's merits than himself, he was unwilling to establish a precedent in his favour, which the Houfe might hereafter have caufe to repent. Ld Geo. G―rd-n followed Mr. Cy, as being fage in the ways of the world. He made light of the opinion of the Houfe in matters of trade and much more to of that of the members as individuals, most otH whom he faid, wers debtors, and not cred for. Neither the treafuny-bench, nor the man who had lately borrowed a plan of œconomy from the cabinet This produced much converfation, and was terminated at last by a kind of compromife; Ld N-th partly engaging that he fhould be properly provided for. Col. B-ré took occafion to draw the |