From the manner in which you introduce the tax of ten per cent.on widows and orphans, and on soldiers and sailors, exempting from it, at the same time, the property of the King, I took it for granted that some distinct act of that description had been passed, whilst we were in office; whereas I find,. upon examination, that it was only the general consequence of the increase in the property tax already adverted to applicable alike to all persons whatsoever, no exceptions having been ever made beyond the property of the King, which always before had been exempted. How strange it is, then, that on every subject which you touch, you should be. uniformly governed by an unjust and partial disposition, wan

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The same observation applies equally to the charge, that if we drew the Bill to confine the people of Ireland to their houses, from sun-set to sun-rise, under pain of MILITARY EXECUTION.” This also, when purposely unexplained, appears like an original act of ours, oppressive to the inhabitants of that country, of which it is the very wantonness of injustice eto accuse us. I shall not enter here into the painful condition nofsgovernments, when countries are in a state of disturbance, non either justify or condemn the penal laws which were in force in Ireland before our time; but nothing ban be more motorious, than that we were always on the side of measures yaf donciliation: the fact is this the Irish Insurrection Act, sestablished by our predecessors, being about to expire and which called, of course, for a renewal or modification, a draft of this law, much modified, was prepared and sent over that not being then finally approved of by the Irish Government, Lmuch less by the Cabinet in England, we had never seen it when the question was agitated in the House of Commons by qurssitecessors. In saying this, I do not mean to enter into the merits of the proposition; though if it came from the Duke of Bedaford, then in Ireland, and the late Mr. Elliott, the presumption was strongly in its favor, from their tried and distinguished talents as statesmen, united with the utmost mildness and gentleness of disposition; qualifications which could not dediver the last, though unhappily lost to his country, from an insinuation of reproach. al sao od bail bulw 2956leq

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In the charge you make of having increased the incomes of & the Princes, the sons of the King, you allege no inconsistency, vbut only express an opinion that it was wrongly or rather assume, as usual, that it must be so, when you have been pleased to condemn it. I do not know what money his Majesty possesses in the funds; but this I know that it is not a proper style, to express it to have been "unnecessarily wrung from the people." No man laments more than I do the im

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mense burthens of taxation; but they have not been imposed, in any proportion for complaint, to support the monarchy at home; but on the account of unfortunate wars, more or less incident to all great empires, for I will not now enter upon their necessity, or policy, concerning which my opinion is well known.

His Majesty's property, whatever it may amount to, has arisen from what was freely granted by the people, through the medium of Parliament, for the support of the throne; and when you tell us, we would have persuaded the people, the King was himself too poor to provide for his children,I answer, that the King is not to be considered as a subject in that respect; his children being the children of the State. From the times we live in, as well as from the numbers of the Royal Family, their provision must necessarily become more onerous; and I think, that, in increasing them, the House of Commons has been cautiously and very closely circumspect. It would be presumptuous in me to say more. As to the Droits of the Admiralty, they belong to the King, and the appropriation you complain of was not only legal, but was a funds for removing incumbrances, which his Majesty had ca night so to discharge. nd basbil a spot

201 The grants in question, besides, are not like those for foreign wars or subsidies; they return, in a manner, to the people, by their immediate circulation, even on the very spot from whence they issue; and the deportment of the Royal Dukes is not only Jamiable and becoming, as subjects, however exalted, of a free country, but the best of our national charities have been most usefully encouraged and advanced by their high and liberal -examples.nomet, J

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afought not, perhaps, to pass unnoticed, though it is not at all material, except to show, that you are, as usual, incorrect nin the fact, when you say, that Pitt had refused the additions babove mentioned, which, on the contrary, he had promised to brecommend, as was stated by Mr. Rose, in the Houses of -Commons; and the only alteration made by the measure you question, was to combine a reduction in the tables in the palaces, which had become liable to abuse, and by which savings were made to a very considerable amount or el von Your introduction, therefore, of this subject, at so distant a period, when the incomes of the Princes have very recently been, augmented, of which you take no notice whatsoever, - seems only to discover the same unjust and peevish spirit s which so disgustingly distinguishes almost every sentence you have written suu used sredo 13,༞ 'ཙྪཱི

As you have not accused us of any corrupt misapplication

of the public money (which, cousidering your other charges, I rather wonder at), it cannot be expected, that at this distance of time I should now enter into all the details of the assessed, or other taxes, which, during the pressure of the war, might call for an increase; nor shall I enter at all into the policy of resorting for taxation to iron mines, or other raw produce of the country, as you are pleased to term it, which have not yet been carried into effect, but which, in the present state of things, may deserve the serious consideration of Par liament and the public.

The demoralizing nature of the Excise Laws, which you also dwell upon, and all other objections belonging to them, have been so long acquiesced in, and the revenue has leaned upon them so long for its support, that I wonder you should have declaimed, on such a topic, against the Whigs now living; more especially as you yourself, in your tenth page, had before charged their introduction, and as they now exist" (Hcopy your own words), upon the Whigs of about a century ago; and there never since, I believe, has existed an administration, in which they have not been increased. The only color, therefore, for the paragraph which immediately follows, was the introduction of a Bill into the House of Commons for raising a duty from private breweries, which, upon re-consideration, or perhaps from ill-considered opposition, was given up. I do not concern myself as to which, as to which, since to which, since repeat, that it was given up; a termination which has generally satisfied the most interested and violent opponents; but your bile, nevertheless, which, for twelve years together, has been fermenting in your private brewery, has, at last, so publicly boiled over, that, under the general law, you are liable to be taxed.

that thoughtte, has escaped you;

To deal gravely with the subject—I think it highly fortunate for the the Whigs, tha and that it cannot be or forbearance has understated any wrongs they may have done, or any mistakes they may have committed. As no man, or body of men, ever yet were perfect, I shall feel no mortification for any differences of opinion that may prevail as to the justice of what I have written in their defence; because I am quite sure, that the whole public must condemn the injustice of what has been written by you. I ought rather, therefore, to thank you for what you have been pleased to consider as a Reply to me, to which I now put in my Rejoinder, and pray, in the language of the law, THAT IT MAY BE INQUIRED OF BY THE 4.

COUNTRY.

**THE SELECT COMMITTEE appointed to consider of so much of the CRIMINAL LAWS as relates to Capital Punishment in Felonies, and to report their Observations and Opinion of the same, from time to time, to The House; and to whom the several PETITIONS on the subject were referred; HAVE, pursuant to the Orders of The House, considered the Matters to them referred; and have agreed upon the following REPORT:

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YOUR Committee, in execution of the trust delegated to them by the House, have endeavoured strictly to confine themselves within the limits prescribed to them by the terms of their appointment. In some cases they have laid down restrictions for themselves, which the letter of the Resolution of the House did not impose. They have abstained from all consideration of those Capital Felonies which may be said to be of a political nature, being directed against the authority of government and the general peace of society. To the nature and efficacy of the secondary Punishments, of Transportation and Imprisonment, they have directed no part of their inquiries, because another Committee had been appointed to investigate them, and because no part of the facts or arguments to be stated in this Report, will be found to depend, either on the present state of these secondary Punishments, or on the degree of improvement of which they may be found pable. With many extensive and important parts of the Criminal Law; such, for example, as that which regulates the Trial of Of fenders; they are entirely satisfied, and they should not have sug77% 0%

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