presented a Petition from William Firth, Esq. barrister, of Norwich, complaining of the conduct of general Gore, in the government of Upper Canada, of which province the petitioner had been Attorney General. The hon. member stated, that he con- ceived it his duty, as a member of that House, to present any petition directed to a proper object, and couched in decorous language, which was clearly the case in this instance: but he had no hesitation whatever in presenting this Petition, because, having the fullest knowledge of the character of the petitioner, from an acquaintance of several years, he could most implicitly rely upon his honour and accuracy.

The Petition was then read. It stated, that immediately after the arrival of the petitioner in Canada, he was called upon by general Gore, to concur in his official capacity, in the prosecution of a system of measures against which his judgment and feelings revolted. He found very soon, that spies were scattered through the colony, to disturb the harmony and social confidence of the inhabitants; that the sanctity of the Post-office had been violated; that the best English subjects in the colony were oppressed; that the revenue was impaired; and that the people of Canada had been thus kept in a feverish disturbed state, without any apparent cause; without any rational ground—and that the petitioner's situation was, through such circumstances, rendered peculiarly uncomfortable, the more so, because general Gore, in consequence of the petitioner's refusal to co-operate in his views, endeavoured, by every possible expedient, to annoy him. Petitioner concluded with stating, that feeling his situation under general Gore quite intolerable, he resigned his official employment, and returned to England: and pledging himself to prove the truth of his allegations.—The Petition was ordered to lie on the table.

moved, that there be laid before the House, an account of the number of houses in the kingdom, appropriated for the reception of Lunatics under the act of the 14th of the King, mentioning the parish in which they are situated, together with the names of the persons who keep them. He stated, that it was his intention early in the next session, to move for a committee to inquire into the state of the Mad-houses in the kingdom. When this was done he was convinced that it would appear that the necessity for such a measure, as that which he had some time ago proposed to the house, would appear urgent. He was so firmly convinced of the propriety of hav- ing the Bill, which he had proposed, passed into a law, that he should find it his duty next session to expose facts which, in the hope that the Bill would have passed without opposition, he had hitherto kept back.—The motion was agreed to.

gave notice, that early in next session, he would move for the institution of an enquiry into the conduct of sir George Barlow, in the government of Madras. This motion, the hon. member said, it was his intention to have brought forward in the present sessions, if sir George had arrived in due time, but from the consideration of that gentleman's absence, and in deference to the opinion of others whom he had consulted, he was induced to postpone his purpose. The subject-matter of his motion, the hon. member described to refer to the improper interference of sir G. Barlow, in certain prosecutions instituted before the proper tribunal at Madras, against persons charged with fraud, forgery, and conspiracy, with respect to the debts of the nabob of the Carnatic. This tribunal was known to be wholly independent of the controul of the local government. Yet sir G. Barlow thought proper to interpose with it, and in consequence of his objection to the prosecutions alluded to, endeavoured, by all the means in his power, to annoy and persecute every person concerned in promoting or conducting them. One of these persons had, therefore, been sent by sir George Barlow, from a lucrative situation at Madras, to a distant and unwholesome settlement—so unwholesome indeed, as to be fatal to the health of that officer. Sir G. Barlow had also acted improperly towards another gentleman, Mr. Thomas Parry.

here rose to order, observing that the hon. gentleman was not only exceeding the usual limits of a notice of a motion, but making accusations which could not be answered for a considerable time, and against a gentleman who was not present to defend himself.

declared, that his only object was fully and fairly to explain the points to which his motion would refer, and this explanation he thought the more necessary, as so many parts of the administration of sir G. Barlow were also complained of. He therefore conceived that he was acting with candour towards the accused, while he disclaimed any intention of trespassing upon the order of the House, and was decidedly averse to any violation of the principles of justice. He then moved that copies should be laid before the House of the memorials presented to his Majesty from Messrs. Maitland, Evans, and Parry, relative to the misconduct of sir G. Barlow in the government of Madras. He also moved for other documents upon the same subject, which had, he said, already been laid before the House.

suggested, that in fairness the other side should also have an opportunity of calling for papers on this subject, observing, that if the motion of the hon. gentleman were acceded to, an ex parte statement would go forth, which might interfere with the merits of the case, and at a period, too, when no answer could be duly promulgated.

observed, that it could not be necessary to move for papers already before the House, and therefore he suggested to the hon. gentleman the propriety of re-considering his motion, with a view to select the documents for which it might be necessary for his object to move.

said, that in compliance with this suggestion, he should postpone his motion until Friday: but upon some observations from Mr. Wynn, the hon. gentleman agreed to postpone his motion until next session.

, after some observations upon what he understood from good authority to be an unfounded statement on the part of gentlemen on the other side, respecting the impracticability of producing a return of the lives lost in our navy through the upsetting of boats, &c. gave notice of a motion for to-morrow upon this subject, with a view to shew how many persons had been lost since the rejection of Mr. Mallison's plan for saving the lives of our seamen, which plan was recommended by the report of a committee of that House. The gentlemen who could have so deceived the House, respecting the returns alluded to, appeared to him to deserve serious censure.

stated, that it would, as he understood, be necessary to examine all the log-books in the navy, in order to make up the return required by the hon. baronet.

observed, that even so, the object was deserving of the trouble.