said, that as chairman of the committee of the last Session, for inquiring into the conduct of mad-houses, he was instructed to move the House for leave to bring in a bill for the better Regulation of such establishments. But some gentlemen of the committee being desirous that further investigation should take place, he had acceded to their wish, although the majority of the committee concurred with himself in thinking, that sufficient evidence had already been adduced to justify the proposition of a bill; therefore he should propose, instead of a bill, "That a committee be appointed to consider of provision being made for the better regulation of mad-houses in England, and to report the same, with their observations thereupon, to the House."—A committee was appointed accordingly.

asked, whether the noble lord opposite had any objection to lay before the House a copy of the Convention of Paris?

replied, that he had no objection to the production of this document, if the boa member thought proper to move an address for it.

observed, that there was another document connected with this convention which he also wished to have laid on the table, namely, a copy of the correspondence with the English government respecting the claims of marshal Ney under that convention.

said, that the hon. member might to-morrow move for the document alluded to, and that he, in the mean while, would consider the subject.

moved for the following estimates for the year 1816:—the expense of the ordinary of the navy, and the claims of the marines; the expense of guards and garrisons, and other land forces; the expense of building and repairing ships in the King's yards; the expense of the office of ordinance for land forces; the amount of expense incurred, and not provided for by parliament; the probable expense of the transport service; the amount of what was likely to be wanted for the hire of transports, together with a return of the debt of the navy for 1815.

complained that the annual account of the income and expenditure of the country was seldom produced till after Easter, though those accounts were always made up by the 5th of January: one or two papers of little importance might, he admitted, be sometimes produced before that period, but never the whole mass of the papers together.

did not think it practicable to present the papers alluded to sooner than they were usually laid before the House.

observed, that according to the provision of the act, the papers referred to were to be presented before the 25th of March, and that provision was uniformly complied with. But it would be impracticable to present those papers sooner, as they could not be made out without collecting information from all the outports.

remarked, that those accounts were made up only to the 5th of January, and therefore he could not conceive the difficulty of preparing them for presentation to the House at least within the month of February; it was obviously desirable that they should be laid before the House as soon as possible, in order that it might be seen whether there was any excess or diminution in the revenue or expenditure.

said, that the right hon. gentleman was mistaken in supposing that the papers referred to could be prepared before the 25th of March. Those papers notoriously required a great deal of labour and industry; and although the expenditure might be ascertained, it would be difficult, nay impossible, to collect the details as to commerce, from the necessary reference to all the outports, so soon as the right hon. gentleman imagined.

disclaimed any wish to call upon gentlemen for the performance of impossibilities, but he was anxious that at least the accounts conveniently attainable should be presented as soon as possible, in order to guide the judgment of the House.

The motion for the Estimates was then agreed to.

wished to know from the noble lord opposite, when it was intended to bring forward those measures of economical reform, which had been mentioned in the Speech of the Prince Regent, and the expression of which had been received with so much satisfaction by the House.

was not aware that the part of the Speech which had been mentioned alluded to any one particular measure. The hon. member would find, that the principle of economical reform would be attended to in all the measures which government during the session would submit to the House, in as great a degree as was consistent with the other great principle mentioned in the Speech, namely, that of public security.

requested to be informed by the noble lord if there was any intention of moving the thanks of the House to general Ochterlony, and the officers and soldiers under his command, for their achievements in India.

replied, that the subject was not connected with the department to which he had the honour to belong, but that he would inquire, and inform the hon. member at another time.

inquired whether the noble lord opposite still persisted in his resolution not to accede to any farther delay than Thursday next, to afford gentlemen an opportunity of examining the mass of papers presented to the House, relative to the late Treaties; For in that case he was likely to be under the necessity of making motions for the production of other papers without any previous notice, which he felt to be a privilege belonging to any member of that House.

said, that he had not expressed any resolution upon the subject, but he had observed, as he felt, that it was extremely important to the arrangement of our establishments, to our money concerns, and to our foreign politics, to have the great transaction alluded to discussed and decided upon by parliament as soon as convenient. He had, however, no motive to adhere to a particular day, and therefore he should agree to postpone the proposed discussion until Monday week, if it were any accommodation to the hon. and learned gentleman.

observed, that as the noble lord had thought proper to make this concession, gentlemen would have mare time, which was necessary to enable them to decide what farther papers might be required to elucidate those upon the table; and in consequence of the proposed postponement, he should put off until that day week the motion of which he had, given notice with regard to the proceedings in Spain. He should also give notice of a motion for to-morrow, for the production of certain papers, which, considering the terms of the Prince Regent's speech, and the observations of the noble lord upon that speech, he could not regard as fabrications, and, if genuine, they were peculiarly calculated to fill his mind with jealousy and alarm. Those papers he thought it fair to describe, in order that the object of his notice might be distinctly understood. The first paper related to the Treaty which had appeared before the public, and which purported to have been concluded at Paris on the 26th of September, 1815, between Austria, Russia, and Prussia, to which also other powers were invited to accede. There were, however, no papers on the table to show whether this country or France were any parties to that treaty, which was ratified, it appeared, at Petersburgh on the 25th of December, accompanied by an ostentatious statement, that that day was the anniversary of our Saviour's birth. This extraordinary treaty was quite vague. It professed no definite secular or temporal object. The contracting parties put themselves forth as the great Christian states, as if they were the monopolists of Christianity. But their pretension justified serious suspicion that they were leagued against some state not Christian, and that they had something in view, which it was not deemed prudent to avow. Holy pretences and professions were so often the palliatives of unjust designs, that a contract of this nature was calculated to excite alarm and jealousy [Hear, hear!]. Another treaty, to which his motion would refer, was one which it was said was concluded in January 1815, between Austria and France, and some other power not mentioned, the object of which was to form a guarantee against Russia. He wished to know whether such a treaty had not been concluded, M. Talley rand being the negotiator on the part of France, and what ministers understood to be its object.

assured the House, that this country had no reason to view the former treaty with any jealousy. It had been communicated to the ministers of Great Britain before it was concluded; but although it was framed in the spirit of good faith, yet its form prevented this country from acceding to it. No hostility was threatened to any state, its object was confined solely to the contracting parties, and breathed the pure spirit of the Christian religion. It was certainly couched in language unusual in diplomatic documents, but it should be regarded solely as pledge of peace.

observed that the noble lord had given no information with respect to the treaty said to have been concluded at Vienna in January 1815, for the purpose of forming a guarantee against Russia, or of the probable effect of that treaty.

observed, that it was usual to communicate to parliament every desirable information, with regard to the proceedings of the government, and especially the treaties into which it had entered. But he appealed to the House, whether to demand information from his majesty's ministers, with respect to treaties concluded between foreign states, and to which this country was no party, with regard to the opinion or calculation of ministers as to the probable effect of such treaties, was not to press the spirit of inquiry beyond its legitimate limits.

expressed his incapacity to account for the soreness betrayed by the noble lord. His hon. and learned friend had merely asked, whether the noble lord knew that a certain treaty had been concluded at Vienna. It was open to the noble lord to say simply aye or no. But instead of this simple reply, the noble lord entered into observations, refusing to answer either aye or no, and thus leaving it to be understood that he knew of the existence of the treaty alluded to, although he did not think proper to avow it. He hoped, however, that the noble lord would be disposed to give some explanation upon the subject by to-morrow.