Ye Gods annihilate but space and time, And make poor Munster happy. He concluded with faying, he thought it wifer to abide by the experimental fuccefs of the plan purfued by Parliament hitherto, than to truft to thr wildom of any Right Hon. Gentleman's ipeculations in embryo. The Houfe divided, For agreeing to the amendment, 64 86 16.] Mr. Solicitor General moved, that the proper officer acting under the Commiffioners for making turnpike-roads in this kingdom, do forthwith lay before the Houfe, on oath, an account of all fums of money borrowed upon every fuch road respectively fince the 29th of October, 1757, and the intereft payable thereon, and alfo of the fums paid off fince that day, and how much remains due at this day, upon every of the faid roads. And alfo, that the Speaker do write circular letters to the feveral Sheriffs of the counties of this kingdom, together with the faid or der, and do require fuch Sheriff to deliver the fame to the several clerks and treasurers, of the respective turnpike-road, and to make a return thereof to this Houle. Ordered accordingly. And he alfo moved, that a Committee be appointed to enquire into the state of the turnpike roads in this kingdom.-And a Committee was appointed accordingly. Mr. Brownlow, after ftating the great advantages that had arifen to the public from the Tyrone collieries, and the further benefits they are likely to produce, if properly encouraged, by which the neighbouring counties will not only be amply provided for, but alfo in a fhort time the city of Dublin would receive a very confiderable fupply of coal, begged leave to prefent a petition from John Staples, and James Caulfield, Efqrs. proprietors of the Drumglafs colliery, in the County of Tyrone, paying the Houle to grant them 2000). out of the navigation funds, in order to enable them, the more effectually to carry on their work. Mr. John O'Neill feconded the motion, and ftated the great advantages the North of Ireland received from the Tyrone colliers. The Chancellor of the Exchequer faid, he had no objection to the petition being received or read; but he obferved, that the navigation funds were at prefent contiderably in debt, and there were to many applications on that head, that it would be almoft impoffible for every gentleman's object to be complied with: In his opinion, it would be much better to let the fund artt clear itfeif of its debt, and then let the navigation funds be applied to works of real public utility. M. Gardiner faid, that part of the fund could not poffibly be better applied than complying with the prayer of the petition, now offered to be prefented by his Right Hon. Friend, for from the number of bogs that have been drained in the North of Ireland, and its being to extremely populous, that if the Tyrone colleries fhould be put a stop to, a scarcity of fuelling, in that valuable part of the country, would be the confequence. Mr. Corry declared his intention, that when the difpofal of the navigation funds should come on to be difcuffed, he would certainly bring forward petition frem the inhabitants of the town of Newry-praying, that part of the fund should be appropriated for the encouragement of the Newry Canal. Mr. Stewart, of Killimoon, obferved, that laft feffion he had moved for a committee to enquire into the fate of the Tyrone collieries; that the committee had reported thereon, and which report was now in poffeffion of the House. The petition was received, read, and on the motion of Mr. Brownlow, it was referred to the confideration of the Committee. Mr. Stewart then moved, that the plans and eftimates annexed to the report of the Committee appointed in the laft teffion, to enquire into the state of the navigation from Lough-Neagh to the collieries in the county of Tyrone, and of the best method of working faid collieries, be referted to faid Committee--Ordered accordingly. Mr. Forbes moved for leave to bring in a bill to ditable any perfon from being chofen a member of, or from fitting or voting in the House of Commons, who has any pension, during pleafure, or for any number of years, or holds any office or place of profit created after a certain time under the Crown, and to limit the amount of penfions.-Leave given Mr. Hartley faid, he had a petition in his hand, that was figned by feven thousand inhabitants of the city of Dublin, paying taxes, complaining of the grievances they lie under from the operation of the Police-act, and praying redress, He faid it was not a petition from any faction, but it was a petition from raen, refpectable both for their property and character. He then moved that the petition be now received. The petition was received, read and ordered to lie on the table The petition flated, that by an act of parlia ment palled in the 26th year of the reign of his pretent Majefty, entitled an act for the better execution of the law within the city of Dublin, and certain parts adjacent thereto, and for quieting and protecting poffethons within this kingdom, for the more expeditious tranfportation of felons, for reviving, continuing and amending certain ftatures therein mentioned, and for repealing an at paffed in the 17th and 18th years of the reign of his present Majesty, entitled an act for improving the Police of the city of Dublin, the lever al acts heretofore made for the ap pointment and fupport of a nighty watch, thro the feveral parishes of this city, and the liberties thereof, are repealed, and an establishment, called a Police, under the controul of a few magiftrates, has been adopted in the room of the nightly watch, with certain powers in the said act exp effed; that the taxes now levied on the inhabitants of this city, under, and in confequence of said act, for the fupport of such eftablifhment, appear to the petitioners to be treble the amount of the former former taxes levied for fupport of the parith watches; that the petitioners being loaded with fuch weight of taxes, might reasonably have expected they would have reaped benefits equivalent thereto, by the prefervation of the peace and good order in this city; but the petitioners humbly beg leave to reprefent to the House, that inftead thereof, they have found from experience that the fecu rity of the perfon, habitations and properties of the inhabitants has been rendered more precarious and uncertain fince the establishment of such police than before; that the crimes and immoralities to which this city was before fubject are rather increased than diminished; and therefore the petitioners are convinced that fuch ettablishment has by no means antwered the good intention of the Legislature, but on the contrary, has been injurious to the civil rights and properties of the inhabitants of this city, and to the magiftracy thereof; that the petitioners from the feyeral circumstances and facts before ftated, humbly beg leave to repretent, that no guard what ever, independent of, and not under the controul of the par fhioners of the refpective parishes, can poffibly afford fufficient or fatisfactory fecurity to the perfons and properties of the citizens of Dublin; that an act of Parliament was paffed in the 17th and 18th years of his prefent Majefty, entitled an act for improving the Police of the city of Dublin; and the petitioners are hum bly of opinion, that a law tounded upon the principles of the faid act, as to a wardmote, would afford a conftitutional guard for this city, effectual for the protection of the inhabitants, at half the expence of the prefent police eftablish ment; and therefore praying to be heard by counfel in fupport of the allegations of their petition, and for relief. Mr. Hartley then moved, that the petitioners have leave to be heard by counsel at the bar. Attorney General, (conceiving that Mr. Hartley had faid the petition was figned by 7000 names, oblerved, he was glad it did not come from a faction, as then indeed it would be formidable.) He wanted to know what good it would anfwer from hearing counsel at the bar? The act they complained of, was near expiring, and is it against that they would with to have counfel? And the bili now before the Houfe is to amend the law complained of. He remarked on fome of the fignatures to the petition, and alfo on the name and profeffion of the perfon who was chairman of the affociated parochial committees, who had met for the purpose of petitioning Parliament against the Police law. Mr. Malon faid, that in the barony he lived in, difcontented people had been invited to come to town and fign the petition. He further faid, that the order of the Houle was, that whenever a petition was offered to be prefented, the nature and intent of it should be explained; for by the standing order of the Houfe, it a petition went against a tax it was ina fmiflible. Mr. Beresford profeffed he had not any very great relpe&t for this petition. Mr. Stewart obferved, that as the petition was received, there could be no poffible objection to hearing the petitioners by counsel. Mr. Grattan faid, the petition did not go against the tax, but it prayed for regulation. Here the petition was read again. the petitioners be heard by counsel was agreed to. The bill for amending the Police-act was, pursuant to the order of the day, read a fecond time. Не Mr. Marcus Beresford then moved, that the said bill be committed on Tuesday next. now went into the nature and extent of the bill; he faid it had been found that the number of men employed under the existing law, had been totally inadequate to the great extent of this metro. polis, and it was the intention of Government to employ one hundred men, who were to do duty in the day time, and by that means the whole four hundred would be enabled to do the nightly duty, which would remove every complaint of want of fufficiency of protection. That there were under the present establishment forty petty conftables, who did duty on horfeback at a falary of 30l. a-year, befides the expence of their horfes; and it was proposed to reduce this number to twenty, by which a confiderable faving would arife: That there were to be eight infpectors appointed, two to each divifion, to be called infpector of the watch, who shall do duty on foot and on horfeback, as occafion fhall require, and who are to be appointed by the Commiffioners of Police, by and with the approbation of his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant. It was propofed by the bill, that a fufficient perfon fhould be nominated by the chief governor to mufter the petty conftable, watch conftable and watchmen, once in every month, and before such mufter shall be made, to give notice to the Lord Mayor of the city of Dublin for the time being, and make returns on oath of fuch mufter, and of the number of men in the actual employ of the faid Commiffioners of Police, to the clerk of the Privy Council, and the perfon fo appointed fhall make fuch oath before the Lord Mayor of the city of Dublin, or fome other Juftice of the Peace for the county of the city of Dublin, not being one of the Commiffioners or Juftices of Police. There were other paragraphs in the bill which were only matters of regulation-and there were alfo licenfes to be taken out by perfons following trades of a certain defcription, and by dealers in old clothes, which were rather objects more of Police than of Revenue; thefe petty taxes were intended to be transferred from the Revenue Board to the Commiffioners of Police; and there was a claufe, obliging the Commiffioners to lay a ftate of their receipts and difbursements before the Commiffioners of Impreft Accounts, and if any furplus remained, it was to be paid into his Majefty's Exchequer; thefe, he observed, were the general outlines of the bill, but there was no additional rate of taxes to be impofed. He faid he had a communication with the fervants of the Crown on the fubject of the bill, and it had alfo the approbation of his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant, who had paid very great attention to the confideration of the Police establishment, both in refpect to the employments and falaries held under it. And the motion made by Mr. Hartley, that Right Hon. Mr. Gardiner obferved, that before the Houle ought to go into a committee on the bill, it was neceffary that the exifting funds of the Police establishment, together with the nature and application of faid fund, and how they have been applied, fhould be laid before the Houfe. He afked was the whole of the revenue fubje& to the inspection of the Commiffioners of Impreft Accounts-he faid the exifting funds are very numerous, and in his opinion fully adequate for the fupport of a well regulated Police, the tax, he observed, was an exceeding heavy one, Mr. M. Beresford faid, he could not poffibly eighteen pence for every shilling minifters money was a monitrous fum, and in the Earl of confent to delay the bill any longer; he had al Meath's Liberty, which he has the honour to re-ready accommodated the Hon. Gentleman as far as he could, and he should infift on taking the prefent, and which was part of the Police diftri&t, the tax was almost inlupportable, he said there fense of the House on the question. was a valuation on houses, in that quarter, which were of no value, and from the poverty of the inhabitants, and the wretchedness of the dwellings, it was almost impoffible to collect the tax-he again infifted, that it was abfolutely neceffary, to know the actual receipt and expenditure of this inftitution, before the House fhould go into a committee on the bill. deration was of very great confequence, and went to affect both the higheft and loweft, that longer time would be given for going into the commitree than Tuesday; the fubject was of very great importance, and he should therefore move, that the faid bill be committed on Saturday next. The Attorney-general faid, there was no claufe in the act to oblige the Commiffioners of Police t> fubmit their accounts to the Commiffioners of impreft accounts. Mr. Marcus Beresford faid, the accounts are now before the Commiffioners' of Impreft Accounts. He obferved, that at the first establishment of the inftitution, a ium of money was paid to the Commiffioners for neceffary purposes, and they involved this fum with their own funds. He likewife faid, that his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant had called on the Commiffioners of Police, to lay their accounts before the Commiffioners of Impreft Accounts. Sir F. Hutchinfon faid, he was very glad to hear the Lord Lieutenant had called for their accounts, as he had, when that bill was laft feffion under difcuffion, moved that a claufe fhould be inferted in it, to oblige the Commiffioners of Police to produce their accounts annually before the Commiffioners of Impreft Accounts, but his motion had been negatived. Attorney General said he remembered that the Hon. Baronet had made that motion, but there were fo many amendments propofed, that though a clause of that nature was intended to have been inferted, yet through mistake it had been unintentionally omitted. Mr. Gardiner faid, it was no answer to give, that because there is an omiffion in the Police act, there should be no account given of their funds, this House had a right to call for their accounts, and to command the officers of that board themielves; he declared himself a friend to a good and a well regulated Police, and though the principles of the bill might be fair and equitable, yet he fhould vote going into the committee on the day moved. for by the Hon. Member, till he fhould know, what fums of money have been enllccted and expended by the commiffioners of Police. Mr. M. Beresford said again, that the accounts were before the commiffioners of Impreffed accounts, and it would take fome time before they could get through them. Mr. Holmes faid, the accounts are now be fore the auditor of the Impreft accounts, but there cannot poffibly be a report made on them for fome time. Mr. Hartley hoped, as the bill now under confi SITE Newenham hoped, that the house would a confiften ly, and not let their votes appear contradictory-A few minute before, they had agreed to let the petitioners be heard by council, and now they are going to contradict that vate, by not giving them time to prepare evidence and briefs; it is true, they have two days, but that is not fufficient to prepare matters of fuch importance, and regulate the examination of witneffes. The question was then put on Mr. Hartley's motion, when a divifion took place. For agreeing to Mr. Hartley's motion for going into the committee on Saturday next, 25 81 Against it, Tellers for the Ayes, Mr Hartley and Mr. Gar- Tellers for the Noes, Mr. Marcus Beresford and Mr. Hartley then moved, that the bill be com mitted on Friday next. This was oppofed by the Attorney General, as he could not fee the smallett reason for poftponing the bill. Mr. Brownlow and Mr. Burgh of Old-town, were for agreeing to the motion, as the time required was not to very diftant, and it would be but reasonable to comply with it. The motion for Friday was negatived without a divifion. And the bill ftands committed for Tuesday next. account of all the Mr. Gardiner moved, that the proper officer do lay before the Houle an receipts of the commifioners of Police, fiace their inflitution, and alfo of their expenditure, diftinguishing the different heads, of receipt and expence up to the 25th of December, 1787. Ordered accordingly. Sir E. Newenham moved, that the petition of the inhabitants of the barony of Donore, in the county of Dublin, prefented to this House on Tuesday the 12th day of this inft. February, and now lying on the table, be referred to the committee on the Police bill; and he also moved, after ftating the great poverty of that barony, that the faid committee be empowered to receive a claufe or clauses for the relief of the inhabitants of the barony of Thomas-court and Donore, in the county of Dublin.-Which were ordered accordingly. At one o'clock on Sunday morning the House adjourned. 18.] Mr. Trench moved for returns of buri als, fees, &c. for the purpose of removing bary ing grounds out of the city. He faid, he hoped to accommodate the feelings and prejudices of every one, and that it would be creditable to ́establish |