The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1803-02-24 00:00:00

"'WT.

, . .
' 'rig the claims ef justice to ma.anifitence
isit*tem
yptendour. He mast repeat, that he did not
' any of the demands, disallowed by the Com-
missioners, were entitled to any claim upon
.the hci=
nour of the Prince. As to the losses sustained by
those who had been paid in debentures, they NM*
wholly' to be asciibed to the holders negotiating
them. Had they retained them in their own hands.
so far from being sufferers, they would have got
them regularly paid, when due, at the proper of-
fice ; and might, even on many occasions; hive dig- •
posed of them at a premium.
Mr. FOX felt himself bound to otter some ob-.
servations on the present occasion, on account of the
part he took in the discussions, in a similar subj et
in the year 1795, which was the more strongly iin-
pressed upon him, as he did not remember ever
having taken any part more repugnant to his feel-
ing.; and contrary to his opinion. Those who were
present at that time, and the Right Holz. Gentle-
tleman opposite to him in particular, (the Chancel-
lor of the Exchequer) may remember that he was tho
first who proposed a reduCtion to be made from his
Royal Highness's income in preference to the
fund which it was then in agitation to institute for
' the gradual liquidation of the debts. He did so
upon the ground of his disapprobation of the com-
munications, which he could not but think were ins-
, properly made on that- as well as on the present
occasion. He certainly should not have advised
the Prince to have adopted any such measure, but
to .have left the whole to the discretion and the
liberality of Parliament.. The House in the year
1797, had come to no determinate opinion, whether
the lividation should be made by means of a fund
or a reduCtion, until the Prince s message clone
down, expressing a preference for the latter mode,
and that produced an immediate decision, till the
debts of the year [797 were clearly extinguished by
the A& of Parliament itself, and it was now put
to the feelings of the House, whether, after the
Prince had patiently submitted to these restriCtious
for eight yeah, they would continue to impose the
restraint upon him for a longer period ? tracioubt-
edly, were a man to argue against that as a simple
proposition, there was nothing which could b:.: con-
sidered more rigorous and austere. But if such
great progress had already been made in the extinc-
tion of the debt, and that it was now thought
'necessary on many accounts to resume that splen-
dour, and those establishments suitable to the
rank and dignity of Heir Apparent of these
realms ; surely it could not be deemed too
much to go a little beyond what was now propo-
sed, and make such further addition to his income
as would enable him to resume his rank with im-
mediate ease, and without the «ell-grounded appre-
hension of future embarrassments. He gave-ehe
Minister full credit for his assertion, and made no
thubt hut that he would have submitted the present
proposition, if there had been no question whatever
relative to the arrears of the revenues of the Duchy
of Cornwall. He was willing also to take him on
his own statement; and go no farther than to admit
that the Prince of Wales, on his coming of age, was
entitled to an Account of the arrears of the reve-
nues. But he contended, that if these arrears
amounted to a considerable sum, that alone *as
a very good reason why an account should be
instituted into it. The argtlment advanced by
the Right Hon. Gentleman, that 'no lien attached
upon which an execution could take effeta, sop-
posing the Prince to be successful, was indeed in-
controvertible, bet it shewed at the same rime the
nocessity of a parliamentary interference. Nothing
more clearly exposed the contemptible situation of
crown property in this country than the very dr-
own tames, that though a right be established,
there were no legal means of procuring any redress.
The Minister expressed great satisfaction in the as-
surance, that by adopting the present measure the
claims upon the concerns of the Duchy of Cornwall
were sure to be abandoned ; and certainly they must
all confess themselves to be under the greatest obli-
gations to the Prince for his forbearance, if by that
he had prevented the adjustment, or rather agita-
tion of the different accounts between him and the
Crown, and between him and the public. Thu
present then, from all that he had hitherto
heard, was to be taken as an independent question.
abstracted from all other considerations. On a
former occasion he knew there were Gentlemen, for
some of wilt= he always had a very high respect,
who thought, that, considering the state of the
finances of the country, and that we were deeply
involved in war, the sum of one hundred and
twenty-five thousand pounds per ann. was rathetr too
much to be granted to his Royal Highness's revenue.
I was, however, of a very different opinion. I
could not but observe, that in all other accounts of
transactions with the Government, great, very great
allowance was made for the increasing difference in
the value of money. The Civil List •itself forded
a strong exemplification of it. But it was in 'vain
that 1 ever attempted to inquire; as the affairs of the
Prince of Wales were always to be considered as an
exception. In the case of his Royal Highness Ithink
that very great allowance should be made. 1 think
the same with respeCt to all the other branches of
the Royal Family, and in that of His Majesty him-
self. It would, in his judgment, be much more
respectful and satisfaCtory to the Sovereign; and
more advaatageoul to thepub!ic, if a proper Allow-
ance was made at once for the difference in the vaha
of money, than to, be applying every finer or five
years to that House, for the discharge ef arrears
which always wore very ungracious appearthtces.
At the same that the Right Hon. Ge.ntlmaii just.
opposite to him admitted that the Prince could not
resurhe his establishment imniediatellt; he alo in-
formed the House, that all his English debts had
been already paid. But • was he- not -kware that
there may be foreign debts also which had an equal
claim upon the honour of that high Personage.
He also said that the creditors had the option of
taking one hundred pound debentures at three
per cent. he ninety at five. per cent. ated that
they did not Choose the font*. That may be very
true, but the reason was also very plain, viz, that
the former were the Waist. A debenture could not
be any better than its value—it was worth no more
than what it would buy, or what it would tell for 4
and therefore it was a delusion to savthat hook-
debts, salaries, Sto. were paid in full, what they were
compelled to take debentures at a discount. He was
not prepared to say, that these claims, for. which
the Prince considered himself pledged, were debts
of honour; but he was prepared to say, that be
knew nothing of the matter. The Prince, hims:lf,
vrasalone, the
is true,hepers , saidwho Mr. Fux
wascapabl: , ,
that
tojudgfaen o,
et
them. Elt