Sir Charles Burrell did not agree with the last speaker. He insisted on the many mischiefs produced by the law in its present state, in keeping thousands of people out of employ.

Mr. Thomson wished that the hon. baronet (sir F. Flood) had lived in the reign of queen Elizabeth, which he so much admired. He might then have vied with a celebrated baronet and orator of that time, (sir Walter Raleigh), who said he had seen that princess make war like Alexander, hunt like Diana, and walk like Venus. With respect to the advantages ascribed to the law of apprenticeship, the fact was, that not one trade in three was subject to it, and that those had improved most, which were not.

Mr. Lockhart proposed a variety of additional clauses, enforcing attendance upon divine service, by apprentices, &c.

Mr. Wrottesley suggested whether it was not better to let the Bill pass pro forma, and defer the discussion of the clauses to some future stage?

Mr. Philips expressed a similar opinion, and hoped the hon. member would consent either to withdraw his clauses, or put them into another Bill.

After some further conversation between Mr. Lockhart, Mr. Serjeant Onslow, Mr. Thomson, and sir Frederic Flood, the clauses were withdrawn. The House then resumed, and the report was ordered to be received on Tuesday.

PRINCESS OF WALES.] Mr. Methuen rose and said, that not perceiving any intention to ameliorate the condition of her royal highness the Princess of Wales, he should, unless any thing occurred in the interval, move, on Tuesday next, that her Royal Highness's Letter be taken into consideration.

HOUSE OF LORDS.

Friday, June 10.

luded. There had been cases, indeed, where the troops had been landed first, and the communication made to parliament afterwards; but that was only where there was an emergency which did not permit delay in the landing of the troops till the proper communication could be made to parliament. Here the landing of the troops was a mere matter of convenience, which might have been the subject of previous arrangement, and where there had been nothing to prevent a communication being made before the troops were landed. It was also, in point of principle, worthy of notice, that these troops were not even in British pay, and consequently not at all under the controul of parliament. The question was put merely on the constitutional ground, and not from any desire that the convenience might be withheld from the illustrious monarch to whom the troops belonged.

The Earl of Liverpool said, he had nothing to complain of, either as to the nature of the question, or the manner in which it was put. None of the troops, to which the noble marquis alluded, had as yet been landed in this country, as far as he knew; and he had, in answer to the question, only to state, that he expected to receive the commands of the Prince Regent, to make a communication on the subject on Monday.

PETITIONS AGAINST THE CORN BILL.] Earl Stanhope presented two petitions: one from the parish of St. Luke, and the other from the parish of St. Andrew, Holborn, against the proposed alteration of the corn laws. The noble earl stated, that the first of these petitions was against the measure now before their lordships' House: the second stated the principles which he himself maintained it attributed the high price of corn to the burthens of the war; it was what he called a peppering petition. Upon the motion. that this petition do lie on the table,

Lord Arden said, that hearing the term pepper" applied by the noble earl, he thought the House would, before it received the petition, do right to order that it be read.

Earl Stanhope was glad to find that the noble lord had the same sentiments with himself, for he wished the petition to be read, and then they would perceive it was a peppering petition.

The Earl of Hardwicke assented to this amendment, and the motion was put and agreed to accordingly.

CORN EXPORTATION BILL.] The Earl of Hardwicke moved the order of the day for the commitment of the Corn Exportation Bill.

Earl Stanhope objected to the Bill, because a committee had just been appointed to enquire into the subject on which they were then called to legislate. It was a mockery to appoint a committee, if it was intended to legislate before-hand.

The Earl of Hardwicke said, he had not expected any objection to the Bill, because it would do some good, and no harm.

Earl Stanhope thought, that besides having been prematurely proposed, the Bill was one of great rashness, because, on the supposition that there was a scarcity in this country, and a still greater scarcity in France, the scarcity here would be necessarily increased. There had also been a petition (besides those against alterations in the corn laws generally) specifically against this Bill.

The Earl of Hardwicke thought the noble earl would have been the last person to object to the Bill, as it went on the principle he had supported, of the freedom of commerce.

The House then went into a Committee. The Earl of Lauderdale rose to propose an amendment. He was, he said, not a friend to the principle of freedom of commerce as a principle to be universally applied, as he found in many cases, from experience, that it would lead to evil. He should object to the repeal of the bounties which had so long existed, and which formed so material a part of the system of the corn laws in the country, just at the time when an enquiry on the subject was to be instituted. It had been said, that the effect of bounties was to make the poor of foreign countries eat their bread

more cheaply than the poor of our own country. This was not the only effect, for by producing a demand they produced an increased supply, which in time of scarcity, might be prevented from being imported. So great was the effect of the bounties, that 600,000 quarters had been exported in one year. His lordship then proposed that the words in the Bill" abolishing the bounties" should be omitted.

The Earl of Limerick hoped the noble earl would not press his amendment, as the consequence would be the ultimate loss of the Bill, which if carried, would produce great practical benefit to Ireland, that country being now full of corn, and also to the British colonies, particularly the West Indies, which were greatly in want of corn.

The Earl of Lauderdale thought the considerations urged by the noble earl, ought not to have weight against a principle of legislation.

After some observations from the marquis of Lansdown, the earl of Galloway, earl Stanhope, and the duke of Athol, the question was put, that the words proposed to be left out stand part of the Bill, which was agreed to.

The Bill, having gone through the Committee, was reported by lord Kenyon, the chairman, without amendment. On the motion of the earl of Hardwicke, the Bill was ordered to be read a third time on Monday, and the Lords to be summoned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

Friday, June 10.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON CAPTAIN MANBY'S EXPERIMENTS FOR SAVING THE LIVES OF SHIPWRECKED MARINERS.] Mr. Rose reported from the Select Committee on the reports and other papers respecting Captain Manby's Experiments, which were presented to the House upon the 7th day of December last, and to whom the Petition of Elizabeth Whitfield, late Bell, now the only surviving child of many of the late lieutenant Bell, Royal Invalid Artillery, on behalf of herself and three infant children; and also the papers respecting captain Manby's Experiments, which were presented to the House upon the 25th day of May, 1809, were referred; that the Committee had examined the matters to them referred; and that no person appeared in support of the said petition; and that he was directed by the Committee to move the House, That leave

REPORT.

Your Committee having read and considered the papers respecting captain Manby's plan for saving the lives of shipwrecked mariners, referred to them, thought it their duty, in the first instance, to have under their attention a Report made to the House on the same subject in 1810, in which it is stated, "that the strong and cogent proofs which have been adduced before your Committee, place the advantages likely to result from captain Manby's plan, in the most favourable point of view; and indisputably prove, that its general adoption would be the means of preserving annually a number of valuable lives."

In support of this opinion, so expressed, there are, in the Appendix to that Report, a variety of proofs of the merits of captain Manby's plan: among these will be found, attestations of lives having been actually saved out of wrecks; certificates of officers of high rank in the artillery, and of naval officers of great experience, as well as of masters of merchant vessels, pilots, and others, of successful experiments having been made in their presence. There is also, in that Appendix, a return of nearly 40 ships and vessels that went on shore on the coast of Norfolk in one gale of wind; the crews of most of which were drowned, from the want of assistance to get them on shore.

In confirmation of all the former proofs, your Committee had the gratification of seeing experiments made in the neighbourhood of the metropolis, when the wind was high, which fully answered their expectation.

Subsequent to the date of the Report alluded to, it appears, by the papers referred to this Committee, that captain Manby has been employed, under the authority of government, to make a survey of the coasts of this kingdom, in order to inform himself respecting the parts thereof, where stations would be necessary for rendering his plan most generally useful. In the execution of which duty, laborious as bis performance of it has been, his health unfortunately failed him, so as to prevent his completing all he was desirous of

The observations made by him while examining that extensive line, confirmed him in the opinion he had previously formed of the advantages likely to be derived from his plan; and circumstances are stated, from sufficient authorities, in his Reports, to justify the sanguine expectation he entertained.

These Reports were referred by the Secretary of State to the corporation of the Trinity-houses in London, at Newcastle, and at Hull; whose Reports thereupon are among the papers referred to this Committee.

In the opinion given by these three corporations there are no material variations: the two former state difficulties as likely to occur in the execution of the plan, and they express doubts respecting its utility being likely to be very general; as it can be effectual only where the wreck shall be within a quarter of a mile of the shore: the Elder Brethren in London, however, say, that, in particular stations, and where circumstances are favourable, it is likely to be useful. The corporation of Newcastle say, that its application will be almost infallible in some cases. And from Hull it is stated, that it may be of use. The corporation of London and Newcastle are averse from the expence of a national establishment being incurred; at least till the usefulness of the plan shall be further confirmed.

The last paper among those referred to this Committee, to which they are desirous of calling the attention of the House, contains a letter from admiral sir Richard Bickerton, commanding in chief his Majesty's ships at Portsmouth; who states, that the several naval officers, with whom he had conversed on the subject,

concurred with him in highly approving of captain Manby's method for enabling a person on a coast thinly inhabited, to communicate by portable means with a vessel stranded on a lee shore."

An attentive consideration of these papers leaves no doubt in the minds of your Committee, as to the expediency of measures being taken to give effect, as