House of Commons
Monday, May 14 1804
Minutes
The house proceeded to ballot for a committee to try the merits of the petition of Mr. Huskisson, on the Liskeard Election.—New writs were moved for the election of members to serve in Parliament in the room of W. Dickinson, Jun. Esq. who had accepted the appointment of a Lord of the Admiralty, and of Lord Louvaine, and Mr. Long, who had accepted appointments as Lords of the Treasury.—Sir J. Anderson presented petitions from the London, Phœnix, and Pelican Insurance Companies, against the bill for establishing the Hants and Dorset Insurance Company, which were severally ordered to lie on the table.—The consideration of the Lords' Amendments to the Volunteer Corps' bill was put off to Friday; as was also the third reading of the English Army of Reserve Suspension bill; the second reading of the Irish Army of Reserve Suspension bill; and the committees on the Irish Revenue Regulation bill, and on the act of his present Majesty relating to the importation of tobacco and snuff.
Liverpool Dock Bill
moved, that the committee to whom the Liverpool Dock bill had been referred, should have power to send for such persons and papers as they may think necessary to clear up the subject before them.
declared, that he could not coincide with the hon. gent. who had spoken last, as to the propriety of granting such powers. The papers were as much as would fill half the House of Commons. Besides that, a great quantity of the papers which would be wanting had been consumed at the fire of the Exchange of Liverpool. He thought that at least the hon. member should assign some reasons to the house in support of such an extraordinary motion.
could not help expressing some degree of surprise at hearing the motion of his hon. friend termed extraordinary. He had signified his intention of making the motion to the committee, and surely that was sufficient notice on a subject of that local nature. If, however, the gallant officer who had opposed the motion, and mentioned the circumstance of the fire at the Exchange, meant to say that it was his wish that the papers which had been consumed by that accident should not be produced, or that they should be specifically excluded from any power of the committee, he had not the least objection to so much of the hon. member's wishes being acceded to.—Mr. Dent spoke against the motion, and Mr. Johnstone supported it. The question was then put and carried without a division.