an Index of Texts. By the Rev. Peter Roberts. 4to. 16s. Deighton, Cambridge; Cadell and Davies, London. Travels.

Travels through the Interior of Africa, from the Cape of Good Hope to Morocco; in Caffraria, the Kingdoms of Mataman, Angola, Maffi, Monoemagi Mufchako, Bahahara, Wangara, Haouffa, &c. &c. and thence through the Defart of Sahara,

and the North of Barbary to Morocco, between the Years 1781 and 1797. By Christopher Frederick Damberger. With a Map and three coloured Plates. Tran-flated from the German. 8vo. IOS. 6d. Longman and Rees.

Another Tranflation; with coloured Plates and a Map. 8vo. Ios. 6d. Phillips. Travels in Atrica. By Mungo Park. 8vo. With Plates. IQs. 6d. Nicol.

HOUSE OF LORDS. Monday, Dec. 15. 1800.

LORD CAMDEN presented the fecond report from the Committee on the scarcity.

Lord Darnley gave notice that on Friday next he should make a motion on that fubject, and moved they should be fummoned for that day.-Ordered.

Lord Holland gave notice, that on the fame day he fhould take an opportunity of moving for the inftructions fent to Lord Keith and Sir Sydney Smith, relative to the evacuation of Egypt. He then said, that on a former occafion he stated his hopes that fome noble Lord, whofe talents and authority could give more weight on the bufinefs, might fubmit the difcuffion of the late negociation and correfpondence between Lord Grenville and M. Otto, which, in his opinion, might have been made to terminate in a folid and honourable peace for this country. The prefent feffion was perhaps too much advanced for that difcuffion; and, fhould the fubject not be taken up by fome more competent peer, he fhould feel it his duty to bring that subject forward on the meeting of the Imperial Parliament.

PARLIAMENT

provisions into effect. To this propofition, as detailed in the bill, he felt the

greatest repugnance, it being decidedly hoftile to the fpirit of the established ecclefiaftical conftitution of the country, which went to ordain, that none other than Ecclefiaftical Duties fhould be exacted from the Minifters of the Church. He therefore propofed, as an amendment, that these parts imposing the specified duties on the Clergy should be omitted.

The Earl of Hardwicke was of opinion the expunging of the clause which had committed to the clergy, in their several diftricts, the authority of making returns of their parishioners, was improper. They acted as civil commiffioners in various ways, and he thought them by far the moft proper perfons to make these returns.

The Lord Chancellor differed completely from the noble Earl, and was of opinion, that the end and object of the bill would be as effectually obtained by committing to the magiftrates that charge which the noble Earl would have confided to the clergy. Whenever the clergy acted in civil occupations they did it optionally, whereas by the claufe ailuded to in this bill, they were compelled to act.

Earl Hardwicke faid he was happy to hear the explanation that had been given, as it would have been unfair to have impofed a compulsory obligation on a part of the clergy of the kingdom, and not on all of them.

The amendment was agreed to, and the bill read a third time and paffed.

to the Houfe; the firft was, to refer to the Committee of their Lordships the Confumption of Oats, and to refolve that the ufe of them for feeding horfes kept for pleasure thould be prohibited; and the fecond, to confine, by Act of Parliament, the Confumption of Bread in all families, who keep one male-fervant, to one quartern loaf for each individual per week. He thought they might be enforced by a penalty, half to become the property of the informer, and the other half to go to the parish wherein the information was laid. He concluded by moving his firft refolu

tion.

Lord Camden was decidedly of opinion that the adoption of fuch a refolution would by no means answer the expectation which it might lead the public to imagine would be the cafe, for, upon enquiry, the Committee had found the number of horses kept for fuch purposes as the noble Lord had alluded to were very much exaggerated, as instead of 500,000, as far as the Committee could collect from the very beft accounts, they did not exceed 211,000 and from a variety of circumftances that attended many of thefe, he knew not how they could be confidered as horfes kept for pleafure. With refpect to the other refolution, he thought it was equally unmeceffary and improper, having more reliance upon the fpirit and zeal of people in paying attention to the Royal Proclamation than from any compulsory meafures; on this part alfo the Committee had made enquiries, and from the evidence delivered to them by the Mafters and Wardens of the Bakers Company, 'it appeared, upon the beft average that could be made within a few days of that Proclamation being iffued, that the confumption did not exceed a quartern loaf per week in fuch families who had the means of procuring other food.

The Duke of Bedford thought the fubject worthy investigation, as there, could be no manner of doubt, if a confiderable faving could be made in the confumption of oats, that it would materially tend to lower the prices of other grain.

Lord Grenville ftrongly reprobated the idea of making fervants informers against their employers. The encouraging informers, upon any occafion, he confidered as a meafure that could only be defended in cafes arifing from mere neceffity; but to eftablish them in a man's

Tuesday, Dec. 23.

ALIENS REGULATION BILL.

The order of the day for the House to refolve itself into a Committee upon this bill, being read,

Lord Holland rofe to oppofe it. He could not help noticing what he muft call the cruelty of the provifions. He lamented the exceffive powers that had been vefted in Minifters, by which they were empowered to fend any Alien out of the kingdom, or to detain them in confinement, thereby preventing their return to their native country. Any perfon, in the contemplation of the Bill, fufpected of political machinations in the country might be placed in such a situation. The principle, in his mind, too nearly refembled the odious one of the Lettres de Cachet, under the old Government of France. On thefe grounds, he faid, the Bill fhould have his decided negative.

Lord Grenville faid, the immenfe concourfe and influx of the subjects of a neighbour

neighbouring country into this, rendered the Bill neceffary. The principles and practices of a number of thefe, and their machinations against the really free conftitution and mild government of this country, were too well known to need recapitulation; there were num bers of Aliens at the fame time in the kingdom, doubtlefs of a different defcription. Under these circumftances, fuch extraordinary and peculiar powers were deemed expedient to enable Government properly to difcriminate between these descriptions of perfons,and to guard against the deftructive confequences of treasonable machinations; and he muft obferve, that never, to his own perfonal knowledge, or even as far as he could learn from information, did any of thefe inftances of abufe against innocent perfons, alluded to by the noble Lord, exift.

The different claufes and provifions were then paffed by the Committee without amendment.

EVACUATION OF EGYPT.

Lord Holland rofe to make his promifed motion for the production of certain papers relative to the above subject. He defcribed the fubject as one of the greateft importance, whether it was viewed with regard to the immenfe quantity of blood that was fpilled in confequence of the infraction of the Treaty, with regard to the fecurity of our Eaft India poffesfions, with regard to the negociation for peace, or with a reference to the character of this country for good faith. The moft serious confequences were obviously to be apprehended to our Eaft India poffeffions, fhould Egypt be a French Colony; and all thefe calamitous circumftances, he infifted, took their rife from the fatal infraction of the treaty of El Arifch. He then moved for copies of certain orders, inftructions, and communications fent out to Lord Keith, commander in chief in the Mediterranean, and to Sir Sidney Smith.

Lord Grenville faid, there was no folid ground for bringing a charge againft his Majefty's minifters, which was intended by the noble Lord's motion. He trufted there was no occafion to take up the time of the Houfe, in endeavouring to refute pofitions, which upon the face of them were fo ill fupported. He feared no contradiction in afferting, that the continuance of the French Army in Egypt was occafioned by the breach of

the convention of El Arifch; that they had practifed a grofs deception upon the Ottoman Government, and amuted them with hopes from a negociation which they broke. His Lordfhip concluded with giving his negative to the motion.

Earl Darnicy declared his doubts whether, in point of policy, minifters were juftifiable in throwing obftacles in the way of the French army evacuating Egypt.

Lord Hobart faid, he thought that a more ftriking inftance could not be felected, of the determination of Government to adhere to good faith, than in the inftructions which they had årft given to prevent the French returning from ~ Egypt, and afterwards in acceding to the Convention of El Arisch, permitting that return.

Lord Holland faid, the noble Secretary supposed that he (Lord Holland) had faid, that if the French had evacuated Egypt, there would have been no obsta cle to the late propofed negociation, He certainly could not have stated a propofition fo contrary to his opinion, for he confidered the demand of a Naval Armiftice by the French as a very extraordinary, novel, and infuperable obstacle to the negociation.

The Houfe then divided, contents 2, (Earl Darnley and Lord Holland.)Non-contents 12. Majority 10.

ARMY AND NAVY SEDUCTION BILL.

Lord Holland rofe to oppose the bill. He contended, that it was highly improper at so late a period of the Seffion, to introduce a bill which went to add another to the long lift of capital punishments. This practice of making fevere laws upon temporary occafions, either defeated their object, or were productive of great mifchief; for either the great feverity of the punishment deterred Juries from finding them guilty, or elfe, if the paflions of men were indulged, the lives of perfons might be facrificed to a temporary cause.

Lord Grenville faid, the queftion then before the Houfe was, not whether there was or was not in our Penal Code, too many capital punishments, but whether the bill before the Houfe ought to pafs? There were but two points which the Houfe had to confider:-firft, whether this was an offence that ought to be punifhed with death? And, fecondly, whether fuch a punishment was likely to operate as a prevention of the crime?

with refpect to the first point, he did not conceive that a doubt could exift upon the fubject; in fact, this offence was nearly allied to the greateft crime that could be committed againft fociety, namely, Treafon; and fo far was it from being of a temporary nature, that it feemed to him to be a measure at all times neceffary for the fecurity of the State. As to the period of the Seffion at which it was brought in, the noble Lord would recollect that this bill was not now brought in for the arft time, and that it had repeatedly met with the fanction of Parliament.

The bill then paffed the Committee without any amendment.

Wednesday, Dec 14.

The bill for granting bounties on the importation of wheat, barley, rye, oats, India corn, &c. was read a fecond time, and ordered to be committed on Friday. The other orders of the day being difpofed of, the Houfe adjourned to Friday.

Friday. Dec 26.

The bills on the table, among which were the coarse bread and corn bills, went through their refpective ftages, and feveral were left for a third reading to-morrow, when the Houfe adjourned.

Saturday, Dec. 27

Their Lordships met pursuant to adjournment, and read a third time nine public bills and feveral private ones, preparatory to their receiving the Royal affent, and thus terminating the bufinefs of the Sellion. Among the private bills were the bill for afcertaining the population of the country, the ftale bread bill, the quarantine bill, and the Eaft India undreffed hemp-bill.

Wednesday, Dec. 31.

THE PROROGATION.

This day at three o'clock, the King came down in the ufual ftate to the House of Lords, and being feated in his royal robes on the throne, and the Commous having come, the Speaker, on coming up to the bar, and prefenting the Exchequer-bills bill, addreffed his Majefty in the following words:

"Moft Gracious Sovereign, "The bill now tendered to your Majefty by your faithful Commons, completes the provifion which has been made

for the feveral branches of the public fervice, till that period, when your Majefty will receive the advice and affiftance of your Parliament of the United Kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland. Impreffed with a well-grounded confidence in the ftrength and refources of the Empire, and partaking, as they earneftly do, of that folicitude for the reftoration of peace, of which your Majesty has given a recent, though unavailing proof, your Commons are convinced, that nothing can contribute more effectually to the accomplishment of that great object, than to manifeft the ability and determination of this country, to be fully prepared for the further profecution of a conteft, the continuance of which may juftly be afcribed to the unwarrantable pretenfions of the enemy.

"But on no occafion nas the attention of your Parliament been more deep.. ly and anxiously engaged, than by these important confiderations, to which it was peculiarly directed, at the o; ening of the prefent Seffion, in confequence of your Majefty's paternal concern for the welfare and comfort of your people. To alleviate, to the utmoft of their power, the preffure upon all defcriptions of their fellow-fubjects, and upon the poorer claffes in particular, your Commons have deemed to be the firft, and the most urgent of their duties.-The measures, adopted for this purpofe, are thofe, which they trust, are beft calculated to afford fubftantial and extentive relief, and to provide for the neceffary demands of the year. Much of their efficacy muft, however, dep: nd upon that temper, good fenfe, and fortitude, which this country has difplayed under the fevereft trials, and which were never more confpicuous than at the prefent conjuncture.

"Thefe, Sire, the laft proceedings of your Parliament, previous to the Great Æra, now on the point of commencing, are the indication and refult of that Common Intereft, and Fellow-feeling with the people, by which it has ever been actuated, and which are the best Safeguard of all that is moft valuable in focity. To that Era your Commons look forward, with a conndent expectation, that the Confolidated Wisdom, and authority of the Legislature of Great Britain and Ireland, under the aufpicious Government of your Majefty, and of your illuftrious Houfe, will diffuse, throngh