Gazette Of The United States

LONDON, May 12.

YESTERDAY, in the House of Commons, a message was received from the Lords, that they will proceed further on the trial of Warren Hastings, Esq. on Tuesday next.

Mr. Secretary Grenville moved that an account of the number of vessels and their tonnage employed in the Southern Whale Fishery be laid before the house.

Mr. Fox wished that an account might be added of the trade to Nootka Sound.

Mr. Grenville said, he had applied to the persons engaged in that trade, from whom such information as he could obtain should be laid before the house.

Mr. Fox and Mr. Sheridan said, it was extremely necessary to have as correct an account of this as could be obtained—and also to be informed whether any settlement, and of what nature, was forming, or intended to be formed on the coast.

Mr. Grenville said, he was not yet prepared to give any information on either subject.

The report of the Committee of Supply was brought up, and the resolutions being read, Mr. Fox said, he understood the general intent of the vote of credit to be, to provide for the uncertain expenses that must necessarily be incurred, should the hopes of the country be disappointed, and Spain refuse an amicable accommodation.

But he had heard that orders for an augmentation of the forces by sea and land were already issued.

If this was true, he saw no reason why the estimates of these augmentations might not be referred to a Committee of Supply—a committee of Ways and Means voted the money necessary immediately—and made provision for paying the interest of it. No maxim in finance could be truer, than that the means of paying any expense should go hand in hand with the expense itself.

There was no end to the mischiefs arising from pending money one year, and providing for the payment the next. The public also should know at once the extent of any expense, as nearly as possible, in order to judge of the expediency of it. The House, therefore, had a right to be informed why a vote of credit, without an estimate had been preferred to the other mode.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer said, to have voted estimates in a Committee of Supply would have implied, that the augmentation of the Forces was to be kept up for the whole year—and money must have been borrowed, and taxes imposed to pay the interest, before it was known with certainty that either would be wanted. Although it was true that augmentations were already ordered, these augmentations might not be completed in one event or might not be sufficient in another—and if the hopes of an amicable accommodation should be disappointed, provision might be made for the additional expense, which would then become necessary, by as early an application to Parliament as public convenience would admit.

Mr. Fox said, he never meant to assert that estimates voted under the bare apprehension of war would be sufficient, if war should actually ensue, but that the augmentations already ordered might have been voted and provided for in the regular way.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer said, that would have been to continue, for a whole year, augmentations, which, in the event of an amicable accommodation, might not be wanted for so long a time, or might not even be all made.

The resolutions were agreed to.

The House resolved into a committee, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, after stating the amount of the claims given in by the American Loyalists, the amount allowed by the Commissioners, and the sums already paid, moved

That the sum of 224,000l. be granted for further payments—and

The sum of 22,000l. to make good the losses sustained by certain persons, inhabitants of the United States of America.

Some of these, he said, had sustained very heavy losses by a conduct that entitled them to the munificence of this country—and it was found, on enquiry, that the reason why they had not applied in person for compensation, was, that their losses had deprived them of the means of leaving America.

These were all the motions for money he meant now to make—but he gave notice, that, on Thursday next, he should propose a compensation in the way of perpetual annuity to the Penn family, whose losses were estimated by the Commissioners at 500,000l. and also for some other claims not yet provided for.

The resolutions were agreed to.

He then moved a mode of compensation for such persons as sustained losses by supplying the army or the navy with stores or provisions, &c.

For such as suffered by loss of income arising from offices.

These resolutions were also agreed to.

Mr. Sheridan said, he had a motion to make, which he knew not whether he had worded properly; but the purport of it was, to obtain information whether the trade to Nootka Sound, and the settlement forming, or intended to be formed there, was undertaken under the sanction on and authority of Government, or merely as an enterprize of private persons.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer wished the motion to be postponed till the information promised in his Majesty's answer to the Address could be laid before the House. Licences to trade to Nootka Sound had been granted; and he knew of no authority for that, or any other purpose, but such as those licences contained.

Mr. Sheridan said, what the house had now heard, that the settlement was a private enterprize, was very material.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer said, whether the settlement was or was not a private enterprize, there could be no doubt that it was incumbent on the honor of the country to demand satisfaction for any insult or injury offered to its subjects, whether in their private capacity of traders, or acting under the more immediate sanction of government.

Mr. Sheridan said, if the Right Hon. Gentleman meant to insinuate that he did not think the country bound in honor to protect every subject from insult or injury it had put a construction on his words which they would not bear.

The motion was postponed.