The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1820-05-31 00:00:00

IMPEIeIAL PAHLIdNENT.

. HOUSE OF LORDS, Tiossimv, MAT 30.
c•—•-•
The Earl of EIIICETOT, and Lade C.s.tlrrou and STA.
MILL, 100 k 11W oaths and slits, 'rote.
AG RICV ITUR L PETITION.
The Doke of Denonantnit presented stirrenively fix P..
'rations (rum certain Onotra and Oeespiera of Land onhiu
the.Consity of Derby. praying for an Inissiry isle she means
of affording relief to she merit-alit/re orate county. '
Earl WisyrwoaTn precasted a similar Petition from Glow-
crsirrshii ; as slid She Earl is( F. 011811011? frees Sussex; tips
Earl of itaitonricitt from Torringtoo, in the blind of Ely;
and Lord CALTifall./. (rum certain festers in Suffolk.
Laird CALTHotra curium! htrepitihw Shah she existing
smilo **mat procer4 impaissb4rea, aitsie of the LON to

from the iinp4rfert woonwer iu which, by tie* Sou& of taking
As aerates, the law was carried int* rK•ct.
The Petitions were respectively laid or the table.

The Earl of Liveatwoot. laid on the table an account,
ihewiog the yea of the prices of vAseat, hurley, and
Oats, since the passing of the Act, in 11115, so she gorwent
lime. The Noble Earl said, that they woahl be found to
seindantiate the statements which be bad made aria this
subject on Friday night. The average of wheat was fill shit.
lines a quartei, barley 42 shillings, and oats 34 shi:huse.
if the year 1412 were excluded from the areunat. the result
would be fog ad still more favourable to the agricalturibia.
CIVIL LIST.
The Edit or LIVSRPOOL wowed the thi►d read-
ies of the Civil List &11.
-

Lord Macon immediately rose, for the purpose,
as he said, of proposing an aniendinent to oire of
the clauses of the Bill, relating to the disposition
of lie Droits of the Admiralty, and certain other
Nods which have usually. been at the uncontrolled
disposal of the Crown. lii preposissi this amend.
neat, his object was not to suggest the necessity of
soy iisquirY into the fonds required for maintaining
. the expeoditure of the Crown, and of the Civil
Government, nor to ascertain whether Parlia-
ment ought now to concur in the result of the
.investigation conducted by • Parliamentary Com-
eiittee on • fOrraer OCCI•100. or propose • new
arrangement founded upon • consideration of the
variation that may Inure taken place in the prices of
the necessaries of life. It undoubtedly was his

opinion. that a new itiqiiiry ought to be tostituted,
which lie conceived would feed to another arrange-
ment, hut his object at present exclusively
was, to bring under the view of Parliontent
a subject which, from the circumstances of
the times. could not have come under the con-
templation of the Committee. That subject was
the disposal et the Droire of the Admiralty, of the
produce of the fo•r-and-a-half per mots.. sod va-
rious other revenues not usually under the disposie
lion or control of Parliament. If • Committee
were tiow appointed to examine the state of the
revenue of the Crown. and taking into considera-
tion the probable amount of those casual revenues,
it would, he doubted not, either propose a 118811111.
Lion of the funds provided by Parliemetit for de.
fraying the expenses of the Civil List, or divert the
produce of the casual revenues which. during
the last toe:try-five years of his late Majestyra reign.
produced on an average • sits leas than 600.0001. •
year, to some other specific object. When he
said that doom extensive revenues had been under
the uncontrolled disposition of the Crown, he was
well aware that the responsibility of the Minis.
tern of the Crown mtfordert a restraint to their gross
misapplication. Ile also knew that they could not
be devoted wholly to the Civil List, for that they
were subject to the claims of compensation to cap.
tors, and also► of indemnification iii certain to-
stances to the captured, mud he felt that they
ought in the first installer be under the discre.
tionary control of responsible persons, from the im-
possibility that would be found of subjecting the
complicated claims of captors and captured, lieu.
teals and belligerents, to the discussion of rarlia.
meat. But when he considered that the Commit.
tee of 1815 had amply provided for every expense
incident to the Government. he thought it become
Parliament to exclude the possibility of ally home
misapplication of so large a surplus revenue es that
of 200,000/. • year, which was the average of those
casual funds during the whole of the reign of his
late Majesty.
In examining the Bill now before their Lord-
ships. lie found a clause which. after providing for
all the porposea already specified. declared that a
return should be made to each House of the sur-
plus.remaining at the disposition of the Croats, mid
the manner in which it may have Wei, applied.
It was heretofore Conaidered as •n established
elide of the constitution, that no money should
he disposed of, but in pursuance of 1111 Act of the
Legislature, regulating a p►iori the mode of its
application; but this clause implied the exist-
ence of a power in the Minister') of the Croon
of applying stuns of 11118.11 111 any proportion, sills.
jeet only to their subsequent regions:lolly. The
former principle of the constitution was founded
upon the distinctiou of prevention mid cure, :mil it
was in mime degree to resto►e that principle, and to
prevent the rail which it might sulorquently be
difficult to core. that lie filial/11i •' move as •m
amendment, that DO pert of the htn of the
Oroits of the Admiralty or of the Four•aud•a-hall
per cent. duties, or of the Scotch Revenue, or such
other funds as have been usually placed at the d,..
posal of the Crown. shall he applied to such pups
poses as have hren provided fur by the Civil
and that an account be annually laid before Par-
liament of the disposal of ".11C11 iltlBl4 as have bent►
applied to other purposes." The Noble Lord
declared that ha could not anticipate any fair
objection to this clause, as it provided for estiy
purpose wherein the exercise of • discretionary
power was necessary. and only preveuted the dis.
posel of the money to IlUtpOin already provided
for amply by the estimates of the Civil List. The

Noble Lord then formally read his Motiou. which
was pot from the woolmeL. '
The Earl of Lialtstronb creole, by no means
agree with the Noble Loyd that Ow contideration
tins subject had riot came envier the emitemplatio*
cf the Commitsee appointed to • to/vire into tI e
'-estiasideis of the Civil List in ISIS ; nut could he
conceive how. Parliament could have beer. then loew
eluded, if indeed it could ever be precluded by soy
thing, from cem.iderroy the application of the •
Droits of the cinnrolty, and the disposal 9,1' ever!
fond within the power of the Crown. lie was asid•-•
teennned and ria ready twiny mall In uphold the !seta
and revenues of the Crown. and Is. certainly did
not think it would be right in Parliament to eater-
fere vexatiously in the disposition of the fund..
which had lire,, submitted to the deveretion of its
Crown, $0 long os the Crown confined its ezpenses
itithix the stems limited ; but if at any tiro. the
Crown ehould come to Parliament for at, inerease,
of revenue, or fur the payment of debts. it swoon!
Own be the right, and indeed the ditty of Paelta•
Anent. carefully to inirevoiipita she sitgaiaiSbeear 14
the Crows., and irupsire by what cireonsoralicea
it had exceeded sty bonito. On this prisicipie I o
therefore thoneht it fur to coliclaide, that in the
year le 1.5 the 1111 l tee had take+, into considera-
tion every eiretoustanee connected omit the iecesr.ta
sod diskorsernersts of the Crown. and had nut omit
ted the disPositiori of the Omits of the Admiralty. tle
declared tout be could pee no season why oil to.
occasion the House should adopt the Noble Lord's
proposition. if they looked back to the history of
the revs-sine of Crowe, sod of she agreements
between the Sovereieu slid Parliament, they woHIA
find that olirDroitaril die Croon had never beers tooth.-
ed. The Nolde Lord head isidessl said that ail th'e w 4114.•
of the Frown were provided tor, and these ea.nal
'enine-1i afforded an arldni 111 l al sum which Pailia-
meld ought In sake tinder ll* OWill control, btu t 1.41
Noble Lord rude be aware that on no lorrner ureso.
soon was such a power assumed by Paulissneret.
The arrangement made with George 11. was. as Ike
Noble Lord must tie aware, extremely ditlererit
from that 'nude with George 111. las the cow- of
George IL certain revenue* were welled on the
Crown, sod a fixed roam was tleelsred, which an. to
be comadered as the minimum of the ticl Li-t ;
but no matter how productive those settled frbf's:ol
might prove. ell the surplus belonged to the CtO..*?:,
to be at its uncontrolled disposal. But in li,r
of George iii. a livcific 11140 We/ easbliii.e.l by
Parliament, et once es a Minh/lass mint a maximosno,
yet no altrtnirt was then Made to interfere with the
Droito of the kdruiralty.the fora-and-a-half pee cent.
duties, and thr other casual reveisues. Nor should
it be supposed that this reserve of Parliament Ohi
because these revenues did not come under its
contemplatiow. for, the period of the arraisgemer.t
was a tune of war, and a sum of money was at the
time actually in the hands of the Crown. miller
the denomination of Droita of Admiralty. The
Noble Lord, however, had in some degree limited his
claim, and the uncontrolled isiterfereirce of the Crown
iii the disposal of these revenues was admitted to a
certain extent. lir time of peace uo sucii fund us
the Droll* of Admiralty was in esistence. slid its
time of war it wil, absolutely el:genital to the well-
being of the country that this food should be at
the uncontrolled dingo& of the Crown, for it we.
impossible for Parliament to entertain (tomato:mi. of
emote for compensation to eeptoro, of remitouo.,
to neutrals, and even in acme cases of restitutiott
belligerents. The consideration of such questions
must, by the principles of the Constitution, belong
to the Crown, and he could, if it was freer-sway.
point out instances where by • judicious isercioe
of the discretion vested in tlfe Cruwu its the di-posid
of these funds, a war was saved to the country. It
hail indeed been said upon this subject, tiro the
Ministers of the Cowl' might in cases of nereg+ity
supply to Parliament for the reotitution of sums of
money, but their Lordships might rosily emiceise
C:I•CS vilwrein a Minivter could not with pro-
p.iety make such •n application to
and were ouch an upplic.ition made publicly mrgl t
tend in some degree to effect the honour of tt.e
country, as the discussion of it might endanger its
prime. Ile would undertake to affirm, that with
respect to the nine millions which composed art
casual revenues of the last reign, there was not ore
m coistained in the account of their rhoposal re.
faring to any purpoves which could in the remotest
way rifled upon the character of the Government.

During the last war, owing to very peculiar cit.
cunistancts, the casual revenues of the Crow..
to • sum most unusually large; but of
this sum no part was applied to the purposes of the
Civil List without the and sAnc•ion
an Act of Parliament. 'Ehis sanction was, in-
deed, iu some respect, indirecily given, for it,
providing fir the liquidation of certain debts cap-
trotted upon the Civil List. it was explained
and understood in Pailiameeet, that so long-
s. this fund was iu existence, 120.000/. should
he annually applied to that purpose. Tits
eipplitation was male at various tunes, and
under arteral admmistrations, slid even under the
administration of which the Noble Marquis oppo-
site (the Nlaiquia of L•elisih.wii) formed a Lido.
Grants also had been made 1., the, younger lirinrclera
of tilt. R.T.11 Family, and shin His the occasion of
the Regency. far the purpwr up one of
the !Lila! Inderes for the fre,leiitit of the Prince
negro. %Vali thew rttcri.tt,ll. direr welt fit, lll-
titmice• wherein any sums were applied front /brae
foods in any private or political purpose. Neve.
nt any former reign was thr discretion of the Cures
viiiti respect to the appliraittio of throe funds let-
ter,d, hitt a security wig • lirrtti against the 1141%-
ilble abuse of that iln.nration, which was lit'Vtr
teillblllll,4l fir fore. Au obligation us now created
to lay brfote Parliament every Session the in-
comas of the disposal of these funds. Undout.d-
erlly, if at any former tins similar accounts were
moved they wirer were refused. bat they
might have hero refused ; hot lam a 'Litchi,:
clause woo framed. reit • irg the •Misoistrys of the
Crown to lay the accounts Wear tither House
• ,
i. .s',
• •

'~, a a

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t .
4
;
1

without onoy motion, or ierosihd.ty or reserve. the
discretion therefore of the Co.•wo not hkrly to
hr aliarril, and hr v0..•0hl iinrk ,vh-finer PArloo,rtat
woo:la now •!1-iv ;1 slonri-ol•t of the f'r'own which ass
pirpri olomlaved om say former net:Anon ? The cr-
movements suggested by the Noble Lord could
not be attended with any advantage, he therefore
should opposer the motion.
Lord ELLENsonotiost expressed a wish which,
as he said, he sincerer felt, that the (louse were
then assembled to offer theor unanimous thanks to
his Majesty, for his gracious determination of plec-
tog all the hereditary revenues of the Crown at
the disposal of Parliament, I !iiicipally because he
conceived that such an act on the part of the
Crown would tend to render his Majesty the most
pepular man in his dmnin 1111 l p, and, ti leis 0141111011,
no King could feel hippy, or be really powerful,
bothout enjm big the fullest aff.-ctione of his people.
Had such a determination been expreered in the
present instance, the sarriticc were nothing. be-
cause the country was at peace ; and although it
was their unanintour wish that his Majesty
should enjoy a long reign, they must yet hope
that peace would continue still longer than his
Majesty's life. The sacrifice on the part of the
Crown would have been inconsiderable, but to the
people it would have established a valuable princi-
ple. The Civil List had Manitly provided for all
the wants of the Roved Person. His Majesty,
un-
turtunately, had no children; he could want no
surplus revenue ler himself, and in the course of
nature there were no persona who had a greater or
niore immediate claim upon his affection than his
people. It had been argued that the possession of
these funds in the hands of the Crown had often
prevented applications to Parliament for the pay-
meet of debts incurred by the younger branches of
the Crow Naiad which Parliament might he unwilling
to liquidate. Undoubtedly there often appeared an
iiodieposioiou on the port of Parliament to defray
the debts of the Ruyai Family, but the most rf-
let-fuel way of preventing the inconvenience re-
sulting from the contracting of debts, was to take
away the inducement to contract them ; there
was n.. inducement so powerful as the circumstance
of loosing an uncertain income, for men uni-
formly calculate upon their own good fortune that
they will obtain the larger share in the distribution
of uncertain property. Ile further objected to
the continuance of these Nude io their present
mate, as it was 4 ontrary to the principle on which
the Civil List was framed. It was indeed very
fitting when the Crown possessed a variety of on.
cerium revenues, that these casual funds should be
permitted to brut a part of the aggregate 'Mount
of tie property of the Crown, but when a specific
and vet tain sum were granted upon the presumption
t%, it tt was sofficieut to cover all the expenses of the
Croot..ii. the 'nuance of tissue casual revo••ites must
be a owning, and must of course be unnecessary.
Tl.e kilns of the Civil List was colculatimi„ but
Ilse nature of these casual revenues defied till cal-
colettino. The Droitv were at present frothing, but
their amount might her very great. lie also
toh.pcseil to the present eystem in a constitutional
swim of view. 'rile principle of the Constitution was
irooluoPy, God more purticolaily in, pecuniary matters.
The t'oestitution existed by the force of conflicting
ionwcis; the Kong might indeed declare war, but
Parliament might in its turn refuse sobsidies. The
existence of* right such as war now enjoyed by the
I',owit, of disposing of the Druids of Admiralty at its
eliscr,tion, might control the liower of Parliameut ;
Inn would their Lordships desire that their King,
instead of going to war like a King and a man,
ri.pid.t pursue lumilities like a pirate ?—(llear,
kenr.)—Would they place him in a condition,
whereon his proceedings might not only lead to the
infamy of the motion, bat hob% upon his people
cal-mimes which it was impossible to calculate
or conceive ? The demise now proposed did not
inter!ere with the discretionary power of the
Croton to reward captors, mid make restitution if
recessary to the captured. In supporting it, he
norsiot nut to insinuate that the application of those
boob' in part times was nut as perfect and as be.
soetb7osl as could be desired or expected ; but the
rtiirrt of the clause being to prevent the possibi-
lity of future abuses while it interfered in no re-
spect with the heurticial discretion of the Crown, he
should falsify his sincere sentiments if lie did no;
give it lois support.

The Hnosr ate() divided, when there anpu,ired—...
Fee the clause •• •
Against it .....
Majority

-.60

The claum win conoequently negatived.
0., met readmi4sinn below the bar, we found
Loot! ELLENSOROUOII oil his leg,, proposing a
rlstl.e which seemed to be similar in spirit to ihe
chow previously negatived. It experienced a et-
rtilir fate.

The Earl of Ltonnroot. then stated, that in
tritkiog out the estimate* contained in the schedule
ariirx.d to the Bill, some cktieal errors hail iwrn
trade, which he proposed to rowel. The Noble
Farl's motion to that offect was "tweed to.
The Bill was then read a third time, passed. and
',catered to be tent to the Elkus.. of Commons, to
it..ire its coortirronce in the ametwlntrnt.

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