House Of Commons.

day to the pav of corporals , and three-pence to that of Serjeants . Mr . Windham concluded by moving , ' That a sum not exceeding 224 , 000 ! . he granted to his Majesty , for the purpose of defraying the expellees to be occasioned by anTnerease in the pav of the non-commissioned officers and privates of the army , for 214 days , commencing the 25 th of May , and concluding the 24 th day of December . ' Mr . W Smith submitted to the consideration ofthe House a direct official communication made to the Guards on Monday se ' ennight in the following words : ' Brigade of Guards , May 14 , 1797 . The non-commissioned officers will explain it is at

to the men , that in consequence oi their uniform good conduct , present under consideration , at the particular recommendation of his Roval Highness the Duke of York , to make their condition more comfortable than it has hitherto been ; aud ihat of the non-commissionerl officers will be diilv attended to at the same time . ' This he thought a measure of the most dangerous tendency , and a question of the highest constiuitional importance . When coupled with the cantoning-of the troops in barracks , nothing could look more like arbitrary power . It seemed to teach the troops to took for every favour 10 Ministers , and to consider

Parliament merely as the instrument . General Tarleion repeated r . fr . Smith's opinion , and observed , that 1 , 300 , 000 ! . had been spent in erecting barracks before any information was given to the House , The resolutions were then put and agreed to .

MANIFESTO OF THE SEAMEN . Friday 26 . Mr . Sheridan declared , that he was satisfied the Manifesto of the Seamen was a gross misrepresentation of their sentiments . 7 here was , indeed , internal evidence that it was not the composition of the honest tar , the whole production savouring much more of the circulating library than of pitch and tar . This libel stated , that notwithstanding his Majesty ' s pardon , it was , the intention of Ministers to punish those who had stood most forward iii the mutiny , and that virtuous individuals were 10 be sacrificed to the ambition of tyrants .

When such language was held , it was incumbent on Ministers to repel the foul insinuation . Though no friend to their general conduct , he was convinced that , on the present occasion , they were unfairly accused . In bringing this matter forward , he was not swayed by personal considerations , being perfectly unmoved b )' the abuse lavished on him in the manifesto . He had always been the friend of the sai : ors , and , till 'hey became the victims of delusion , their conduct richly merited every encouragement . Some of them had even been made to believe they could do without commanders .. As well might they attempt to steer without

a rudder , or to perform a voyage > vith their masts and rigging cut down , and lying on the deck . Being com inced that the Ministers wished , as much as he did , to prove the calumnies contained in the manifesto false , he should decline making any motion , and leave the furtlu-r task to them . Mr . Pitt acknowledged the fairness and candour of Mr . Sheridan ' s proposition ; denied that Ministers had ever entertained an idea of degrading themselves and their countrv , by violating a solemn act of oblivion ; and declared , that . those tvho had availed themselves of ihe amnesty might depend upon good faith ; but as to the refractory , he dreaded to reflect on the consequences of their obstinacy . More than this he would not say .

PAtVLlAMEHTAUY Hl'FOIlM . Mr . Grey rose to make his promised motion for a reform in the- Commons House of Parliament . He appealed 10 the House whether , when discussing the same subject on former occasions , he had ever grounded his arguments on natural and imprescriptable rights , and whether he had ever endeiu oured to invalidate the theoritical advantages ofthe Constitution , further than he was warran ' cd to do , in exposing its practical defects . He declared that he shnuld ever cnntinue averse to universal suffrage , till its advnrates should convince him thai it would

really produc . the adtairages with which they flattered themselves . He asked whether the House of Commons were no' in-ant to be a check t . tpon the Executive Government , to have a true and efficient controu ! over the public purse , and to be the guardians of the rights and privileges cf the people ? K e then proceeded to ask how far it had fulfilled i's duty- —instanced the inicoritronl ' ed profusion and mismanage' .-.: cut o ! the American war , and reminded the House that the present Minister had himself asserted that such evils could not be prevented , & or could any security be obtained for the people , without a radical reform , in