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if the whole of their affairs were wound up, they would receive an annual intereft of 950,000l. It was impoffible, he said, to figure a greater profpećt of profperity. In regard to the debts of the Nabob of Arcot, inftead of throwing out a loofe, idle, and logical jargon elfewhere, he wifhed any man who heard him would fpeak out, and contradict him if he could. ftate of the cafe was, that a certain fum to be paid annually to the creditors out of the revenues, was, by the treaty of 1784, in a time of war, to be applied to the public expences, in order to preferve the whole. This was a juft and equitable agreement, and it applied to both parties. When peace returned, however, that fum returned to its orginal appropriation, and fuch was the order of the Commiffioners, which, if they had not iffued, they would have been guilty of direct plunder and robbery of the inhabitants of India. Having argued thefe points, he concluded by moving a ftring of Refolutions pursuant to his statements, which were read and agreed to, and the Report ordered to be brought up next day.

The Stainp Deed Duty Bill was committed, and a Clause introduced to enable the Commiffioners to Stamp Bills of Exchange or Promiflory Notes profpectively where no fraud is

intended.

Mr. Wigley moved an amendment to make that power retrofpective.

The Solicitor General objected, becaufe a perfon might have accepted or indorfed the Bill when he had affets in his poffeffion, and afterwards be obliged to pay it when the drawer had recovered thole aflets in confequence of the invalidity of the Bill, for not being duly ftamped.

Sir W. Pulteney and Mr. Wigley difputed the fufficiency of that objection, when the original Clause was put and carried.

INFERIOR GOLD.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer moved the Order of the Day for the committal of the Bill for allowing the manufacture of an inferior kind of gold, to be read; which being done, he faid that he was ftill as much convinced as ever, of the propriety of adopting a measure of that kind. But as it had been repre

fented to him that it was neceflary to allow a longer time to confider a business of fuch importance, he would put off for the prefent any further proceedings in the Bill; but he certainly would bring it forward next Seffion. As the prefent Seffion was fo near its clofe, there did not appear to be a fufficient opportunity to difcufs the Bill; and therefore he would move that the order of the day be difcharged. This was done accordingly. Adjourned.

HOUSE

HOUSE OF LORDS.

Saturday, July 15.

The Bill to empower his Majefty to call the Parliament together on fourteen days notice, was read a third time and paffed, and fent to the Commons for their concurrence.

Adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
Saturday, July 15.

The India Judicature Bill, and the Male Servants' Duty Bill, were read a third time and paffed, and fent to the Lords for their

concurrence.

Adjourned.

HOUSE OF LORDS.
Monday, July 17.

SURGEONS BILL.

On the third reading of the Surgeons Incorporation Bill, Lord Thurlow rofe to exprefs his doubts whether in this advanced period of the Seffion it was poffible to go through this Bill, clogged as it was with fo many exceptionable claufes. He ftated his acquaintance with the bufinefs to have originated accidentally from the circumftance of the Corporation having purchafed a house for diffection in Lincoln's-inn-fields, which was complamed of by a refpectable neighbourhood of his acquaintance, as a very great nuifance. He faw no neceflity for erecting the Corporation of Surgeons, which was a Livery Company, into a College, with all the founding titles of Fellows, &c. belonging to a learned Body. It was quite unufual and unneceffary. He fhould not wonder to hear if their patent ftock, the Company of Barbers, was, in confequence, to make fimilar pretenfions. It had been faid, to the honour of this Bill, that it had paffed through three Committees. He knew little that passed there, for want of fufficient records. His Lord.hip objected to feveral claufes, which he pointed out as inconfiftent and abfurd. He thought it would be better, entirely to annul the Corporation erected by 18 George II. and that the prefent Members fhould be incorporated anew with diftinct powers. He faw no reafon why the prefent Bill should be hurried through the House under the ambiguous circumftances of its introduction, to the rifk of the Public detriment. The advantage of delay would enable the parties concerned to put the whole into a fhape more intelligible and unobjectionable than it appeared at prefent. The promoters of this Bill had adduced as an argument, that they had an opinion that in their prefent corporate ftate they were not a part of the City of London; but, faid Lord Thurlow, no Barrister of three years ftanding could be ignorant that the Surgeons

Surgeons were originally incorporated with the Barbers Company by the 32d of Henry VIII. and was one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. Here his Lordship, in a ludicrous vein, defcanted on the reafons for diftinguithing Surgeons from Barbers. By the Bill which feparated them, it was ordered that the Surgeons fhould have the fame privileges which the Barbers had by, former ftatutes. His Lordihip ftated several of the ye laws which he fhould propofe to alter: he pointed out one abfurd bye law which prevented a Surgeon from having any office under the Corporation, if he practifed as an Apothecary or in Midwifery. His Lordship then proceeded to argue againft the injuftice and cruelty of the provifions contained in the feveral clauses of the Bill; he was particularly fevere on that part of it which went to prevent Gentlemen, who had been regularly bred Surgeons, from practifing any other branches ufually attached to the profeffion, fuch as Apothecaries, Men-Midwives, Aurifts, Oculifts, &c. His Lordship ridiculed with great force of reafoning the idea of preventing a regular bred Profeffor from acting as a Surgeon, because he had turned his particular attention, and moft ferious ftudy, to the confideration of the frame, texture, and operations of the very niceft, and moft delicate, as well as most useful particle and feature of the whole human frame, the eye. He had therefore been furprifed that Mr. Wathen was ranked as one of the 21 of this Corporation, but he had been told that he would never get farther into office; the cafe was that Mr. Wathen, by dint of clofe attention, knew much further, and was more fkilful and fuccefsful in one fpecies of corporeal diseases than most, if not all of this Corporation. He was alfo peculiarly happy in his farcafm on the prefumption of thofe who brought in this Bill, and who had the modefty to attempt excluding all thofe who had any thing to do with Pharmacy. All thofe who thought proper to defile themselves with touching Drugs of any kind from the practice of Surgery; and yet they applied to Parliament to erect them into a College of Examiners, and in this examination they were to pass or reject all the Surgeons both of the Army and Navy, who must underftand Pharmacy as well as Surgery, and to whofe care the lives and limbs of the brave Defenders of the Country in both departments were to be entrusted. Thofe affuming Examiners difdained the idea of dealing in the knowledge of Drugs and Medicines, and yet they had prefumption to fet themselves up as arbiters of the practice of thofe who were obliged to take into their account, for the ufe of thousands of the most useful men in the community, both Pharmacy and Surgery. They were to examine and pass judgment upon the knowledge of others in Pharmacy, which they had themselves branded with the idea of being below the

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dignity and knowledge of a Surgeon, and to which, therefore, as Surgeons, they had difdained to pay attention. He objected alfo to that claufe of the Bill which went to give a power to a few individuals to difpofe of the property of the Members of the Corporation without their confent. The demand alfo of 271. for granting a diploma, he alfo confidered as exorbitant, and thought it thameful that health fhould be taxed in this manner; their Lordships opulence might afford to pay the medical tribe as long as the latter could keep them in bed, but it was hard indeed to grind the face of the poor to the bone; 51. for a Diploma he thought fufficient; 271. was a mercilefs demand; he thought no one but a Surgeon could have fuggefted it. ie objected alfo to the claufe which prohibited any Member from practifing by "word, or fign, or writing," &c. under a penalty of 10l. a month, and this to be given to an opule t Corporation. The expences of profecuting fuch, with the payment of cofts, would entail upon those who would be the objects of the malice of this felect Body, according to the Bill, an expence of about 100l. He condemned alfo the circumftances attending the removal of the Houfe for Diffection from the Old Bailey; and threwdly remarked, that were not this Corporation fuch a favourite Body, he would have them fent back as near to Newgate as poffible. Upon the whole, he wifhed this Bill to be put off to another Seffions, to afford an opportunity of reforming its objectionable parts. He faw no inconvenience attending this, which would equal the inconvenience of fuch a Bill. His Lordship took notice of a claufe propofed in the Committee by a Noble Duke (Bedford) on the expences of the oppofition; he thought they were entitled to be repaid the expences for their oppofition. In the Committee it was impertinently faid that thofe men only wanted their expences paid them. He declared he should not have come forward on this miferable day, oppreffed as he was with heat and the dog ftar, had not fome of the party who had pushed forward this Bill difgufted him; and he declared he thought much worfe of them fince he had an opportunity of knowing them. His Lordship concluded with moving, that the further reading of this Bill be poftponed for three months.

Lord Auckland defended the conduct of the Committees before whom the Bill had come, and ftated that the learned Lord had not been backward in his attendance, but had given it ample difcuffion there : he thought fome of his objections overcharged. The occafion of applying for this Bill he understood to be, that two of the Members fufficient to conftitute a legal meeting of the Body had died, which rendered an application to Parlia ment necessary, to put the Corporation into a ftate of activity, and that they took the opportunity of introducing fome new

clauses,

claufes, which they confidered advifeable for the general interest of the Body.

The Bishop of Rochefter spoke in favour of the Bill, though he acknowledged that fome parts of it were faulty. He faid, that from the act of Providence juft mentioned by the Noble Lord who fpoke laft, he deemed the corporation of this moment to be a dead carcafe without a fingle vital principle, and as the Members at prefent at the head of the corporation had not been guilty of any neglects, he was of opinion it ought to be restored to its functions. (Lord Thurlow faid aloud, as a trading company.) The Rev. Prelate allowed that this claim was ridiculous, and inconfiftent with the idea of their being a College. He faid that he could not but conceive, that in the oppofition to this Bill in the Committees, a great difpofition had been shewn to Democracy. The princible of Democracy he looked upon as an abominable monster, that ought every where to be ferretted from its lurking-holes, hunted over the face of the earth, and totally crushed in the bud. The Bifhop then gave an account of different perfons who, from being Farriers and Horfe and Cowdoctors, had found out the means of curing cancers and other violent fores. He inftanced the Whitworth Horse-doctor, who was called in to the affiftance of the late Bishop of Durham, and to his own brother, and who had given great relief; and he thought it hard that thofe who had the means of relieving in any degree the fufferings and pains of their fellow-creatures, fhould be prevented from doing fo by the College of Surgeons. Upon the whole, however, he was in favour of the Bill.

Lord Grantly faid, he should remit this Bill, as it went to alienate the property of others in an improper degree, and at the fame time created undue heat and animofity; he wished it therefore poftponed to another Seffion, and that in the mean time the abilities of both parties might be employed with unanimity in drawing up another, which might fuccefsfully answer the profeffed purposes of the prefent one.

The Lord Chancellor faid, the ground on which the prefent Bill was applied for, was not unusual, and that it was proper to endeavour at the fame time to remedy any inconveniences which had been experienced under exifting regulations. At the fame time, he faw no ftriking neceffity for paffing this Bill immediately. He did not object to that clause which went to inveft the management of the property of the Corporation in the hands of a few; he thought it fafer in this manner, than if left to an indefinite or larger number, although he approved of a controlling power fomewhere. He fhould concur in the motion of adjournment.

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