The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-04-16 00:00:00

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crimfort that might be calculated to soothe hi. suf-
ferings.
Lord Rosie. in a low tone of orifice, expressed
Itol'e, that of the proposed arrangements could he
completed without ionposiog say additional burdens
'eu the people, the means tnight not be neglected of
obtaining so ile.ireble an object.
Lord Da Duaorratsvteue remarked, that tem
'if tile *li I 1 dedicated to pajing off 11w Prince of
Wolr%'s debts were to become available to the pro-
posed arrangements, it would be nu less a burden
saloon the people.
Lord ilot.l.AMn remarked, that the Noble Earl
(Liverpool) lied said, that the Address contained
seething to which any reasonable man could object ;
to which lie would add, that neither was there im
the A nietoilitient any thing that could be considered
objectionable. The Noble Earl had taunted him
by observing, that irthe Address had been moved
without one word of observation, lie could not object
to it ; but unfortunately it had been accompanied
"snit observations which materially affected his vote,
end preveseted him front assenting to the Address
without explaining and modifying his concurrence.
The Noble Earl had divided Isis speech into three
heads:—the first relating to the course of proceed-
ing ; the second containing his original intentions ;
and the third stating his change of sentinteut. lie
should not slow speak of the first, having on the
preceding eve ii iii g expressed himself fully on that
point ; but the second ought to be considered in re-
ference to the third, for it appeared as if the ghost
of the Noble Lord'. original intention were still
looming round his present proposition, ready to be
again rein i i 000 ate on the 61h/ideal prospect of success.
--(Near, heur.)—The Noble Lord then ;Asserted
his profound respect for every Member of the Royal
Eaurily, to whom the country was attached no less
by their individual virtues (nor was there one of
them when lie should except from this general
panegyric) than by the political advantages enjoyed
by this country wider the mild government of the
I loose of Ilruuawick. Nor was the general esteem
and attachment for them in the least diminished by
the ceoinodetation that they held their power frosts
the a ill el the people, and not from those con-
tempt.ble and odious doctrines of indefeasilde
right and It gniallOCY long exploded in this coon-
-113, but a lin la had unfortunately been of late
',tors netted in other places. Itnpressed with
sentiments of unalterable attachment to the
Royal Family, he should willingly congratu-
late the Prince Regent upon the proposed
marriages of his Royal ilrothers, and that nut be-
cause of any advantages the State might derive front
foreign alliances, for lie should he equally willing
to express the same congratulation, had their Royal
Highnesses contracted themselves with Ladies of
character in this country. Ile should not be pre-
vented front so expressing himself, tootwithstanding
that an Act of Parliament hail consecrated different
sienCmeistr. That Act of Parliatneot, he meant the
ltoyal Marriage Act, be had ever considered a most
stiourilinary innovation into the pulley of Englund,
soil should be very happy to assist in repealing it.
tie remarked, that his Nibble Friend near him, in
alluding to the IVintivor Establishment, dial not in-
tend that the entire provision for the Royal Dukes
sh.ould have been drawn from that establishment in
inortieular—(Hear, hear, front the Marquis tf
Lansrlonos,j—but it might fairly be presumed, that
swine toot of the expenditure of this country could
be so tar curtailed, as to admit al making this pro-
vision. That part of the Civil List appropriated
solely to in onotaitoing the dignity of the Crown,
amounted to a million 'wiling. He *mike of
the act of the Fieriest A-senitoly, in raising the per-
-14011.1 staLllshoursit of their !sovereign to one mil-
lion sterling, on V,e idea that the Civil List of Fog.
land, then amounting to one million, had been
granted to the Alonareh for his sole eelopartitore.
That idea bas justly been ridiculed in England,
localise the Civil List, at that peanut, included the
oil services of the Siete. lie thought, trout that
mount, the advisers of the Crown might he ell-
attleii to provide par the comforts and splendour of
the Royal Family.

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. .
debates. Among all the delicate and painful duties
imposed up on*the servants of the Crown, stone was
more eminently so than upon arrangements of the
nature described in the Message. to he obliged to
call upon the• noose to make a special provision for
the illustrious members of the reigning Family;
because whatever was the attachment and fidelity
of the (louse ref Commons to the Family on the
Throne, yet there was no principle more inherent in
every free constitution, our wore essential to the
purity of our own, than an unwillingness to en-
terer unnecessarily the burdens of the people, and
a feeling of jealousy on any increase of power and
influence to the Crown. The difficuty he had al-
luded to, had been grestly enhanced by the change
worked in our constitution, mutely, that ell the
sources that could in former times he applied to
such purposes. hail been thrown into the hands of
the House of Commons; that all such funds had
been placed at their disposal, which rendered neces.
sary ail application to that House whenever occa-
sions arose. If applications had not been so fre-
quent in former times, the reason was, that from
the hereditary revenues of the Crown, and the
ado ti ll istration of the revenue, the Crown it-
self possessed the power of snaking a suitable
settlement on the marriage of any branches of the
Rot al Family. If subject' like the present were of
frequent recurrence, they were not to be attributed
to any inclination for extravagance or prodigality
in the reigning Family, but to the fact, that all
the proper revenues of the Crown hart been placed
under die management of the House of Commons,
to do between the Crown and people what their
joint interests required. lit asking the House to
discharge with fidelity its duty to the Crown, lie
certainly would wish them to recollect, that if they
were tiot,ois the one hand, to be induced by nil arts
or intrigues to forget what they owed to their con-
stituents, and to make unnecessary and prodigal
grants of the public money, so neither should
they, on the other hand, be led by the cla-
mours of *my sorts, or any party, to refuge what
was required to support the due dignity and
splendour of all the branches of the reigising Fancily.
lie was not surprised that a strung feeling should
exist on this subject, its the present situation of the
country. when it was necessrry to place this great
empire in an attitude of strength and security,
which alone could be effected by a wise ado si ll is-
tuition of its finances. Ile should, under these
circumstances, feel it his duty to lead the House to
the adoption of such a resolution on this subject,
as would probably meet with general concurrence.
He should preface it with such a detuil of the Hi-
rangement us would, he hoped, acquit him of the
charge of unnecessarily detaining the House.—
lie felt himself obliged, indeed, to call the attention
of Gentlemen to the different considerations con-
nected with this important question more minutely
than he would have done, if it had not beet for
what had ulready taken place respecting it. He
was sure that whatever they might feel pressing on
them in point of public duty, they would see the
necessity of acquiescing in the proposition he should
submit to the (louse. He was ready to concede
the principle, that they could only look at this pro-
position wills reference to the circumstances of the
illustrious individuals concerned, combined with
the present state of the finances of the cowl-
try, after the expenses of an arduous war—yet,
while he admitted this principle, he thought the
Committee would go along with him in feeling.
that there was another point on which the people of
this great country were equally anxious, pronely,
to see the succession to the Monarchy provided for,
as far as possible—to see that succession continued
in the line which now possessed the Throne—in pre-
fereoce to the introduction of a foreign branch.
‘Vbeis Parltainent assembled, at the commence-
ment of die year, no sentiment was snore strongly
j engraved, nut merely on the sounds of the Nlensbers
of that [louse, but on the minds of the country at
large—no feelisig mixed itself more obviously and
deeply aids the general sense of the siati eeee , when
they had the misfortune to lose the illustrious
daughter of his Royal Highness—than the steal-
ous colisideratirm of the course which it would
be most potolesit to follow, is. order to replace
the loss they hail stedisimil. and to provide
fur that succession, which every good subject
was desirous should be ranitinued. He was con-
fident that if his Royal Iliglisiess's confidential ad-
visers lied not considered themselves pledged by
the parisgrupls its the Address to consider this in-
teresting topic—and had not devised she best means
for meeting the exigency of the cube—the loyalty
and attachment of that House to the fancily of
Brunswick, and to the interests of the people go-
vented by that family, would have awakened the
attention of Parliament to it—and Honourable
Meuibers would not have suffered the Session to
elapse without preasnig the question strongly on
Ministers. The House would see in how very cri-
tical a situation the succession was placed, in con-
sequence of the deplorable event to which he had
alluded. They had, at present, indeed, many il-
lustrious individuals, bred within this country. I
knowing its laws and constitution, and whose feel-
ings were interwoven with those of the people of
England, who *night regularly succeed to the
Crown. But the scene closed here. Of the twelve
children of his Mujesty—seven sons and five duugh- '
hers—there war nut one individual that had a child
to give to the country the hope of a direct interest •
in the Crown. %%lien they looked also to the ages
of those illustrious persons, they must feel, that
though the hope of a direct succession had not
passed away, yet it would he most imprudent either
in the Legislature or the people to delay making
such a trrovisiusi as would enable them to marry
as soon as possible. Of the Royal Dukes, the
youngest was 44 years of use—and, of the ?fin-
Ceases,
ed on the House to act in that liberal spirit, by
which they would, in sonic degree, excite the Royal
Family its enter the monied state.—(d laugh•l—
It was loot a quest' of tremolo' happiness, or of
chat those ilitlal s• a per might select for their
own Parma or peculior satisfaction—it was all ins-
',ermine duty they owed to the. Crown and to the
vomit's.. It was ois truistic grounds—rind oil public
grimed* alone—tliat they were to look out for a
suitable ullinsiee. He wits convinced, after the

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saw the subiect sst it true awl was ;intim',
that rue is of his Royal Mothers
to tin alliance shroudd be rumbled by l
to flu 50 in er worthy of their exaltedtet
rank.
That lie had acted in the spit it of brotherly affec-
tion, must le evidelit to the !louse, since lie had
made tus preference, but *hewed an anxious wish
only that the succession to the 'Hirsute should not
be interrupted. This object it Ras proper to effect,
on the one hand, will s dose attention to the princi-
ples of economy, and, on the other, with u con-
sistent regent to their comfort end dignity. This
being the ground on which the qiiestion proceeded,
it remained for hint to submit to the flume those
considerations which induced Ministers to memo-
mend what they lied done to the Crown. In
doing so, he would feel it to lie les duty to
himself, his colleagues. and the House, to state,
without the slightest disguise, whet was -osigi-
nails, in the contemplation of the Prince Re-
gent's Ministers on this subject—and that modi-
fied proposition, which, in deference to what ap-
peared to be the opitsion of the House,, they
had ultimately adopted. The 'practicability or car-
rying those Royal marriages into effcct, without
dishonouring the liberality of the country, or in.
voicing the illustrious parties in incumbratices which
might compel them to apply to Parliatueet, they
had carefully slid earnestly considered. The House
would see, that, above all other thing., the greatest
efforts should be made to prevent that accunitilation
of debt, after marriage, to which lie hail alluded—
and he was sure there was nu sacrifice that the
Royal Dukes would not subunit to, in order to pre-
vent such an occurrence. With respect to the sum
necessary to he granted in such cases, they
had hut few precedents of a modern date,
and these they had mianitely examined. They
did nut think it so necessary to look to whet
took place twiny years back—because, though
from them many points worthy of the con-
sideration of the House might arise, }et really the
nature of a provision made massy years since, was
so different, with respect to the existing state of
thitsge, front what was required now, that, if they
proceeded to ict on ancient precedents, the House
would, perhaps, ultimately find themselves !alibied,
as to what it could be proper now to do. Ilia
Majesty's Ministers could not look, as a standard
for present 'proceedings, to the arrangements elicit
were made on the marriage of the Princess Char-
lotte of Wales—because though her Royal High-
Deli, was not necessarily the direct successor to the
Crown—yet else had, for a considerable period,
been viewed its that light—the country, as if by
intuition, looking on her as the next successor—
that Parliament were anxious to make that pro-
vision on her marriage, which was out only liberal
in itself, but was calculated to recognise its her
Royal Higlidess that character with which the con-
current feeling of the nation hail clothed her. lie
should now advert to the montage of the Duke of
York, with the Po incess of Prussia, in 1792. Ile
need not point out to the [louse the slifferelice of
the provision suede iu 1792, its compared with what
the present time required. The variation wins most
material. The stint granted then, though Wiens!,
would not lie equally beneficial now. The provi-
sion then inside was founded on the 'propinquity iti
which that illustrious individual stood, with respect
to the succession to the Crown. But, coassideriug
the situation in which the Duke of Clarence war now
played, absolutely cuntracterl in snarl isge, with the
perfect cuivolit of his Royal Brother, it appeared to
him, that the Duke of York, it. 1792, did not stand
nearer, or so near, is successinis to the Crowns us
the descendants of the Duke of Chsrekce, if he bud
any issue, would stand. The Piiiice Regret was
then u young omit—and, therefore, every probabi-
lity existed that a successor to the Crown would
proceed immediately front hist, ; but, notwithstand-
ing this, as lie was unmarried, Perliatnent wisely
looked to the chance of succession in the Duke of
York. They granted to him 40,000/. per annum,
nu:lndite.; u military columnist ~,,, which was worth
:1,000/. a year. In consequence of the Duke of
York having no descendants, combined with the
setelaischoly circumstance of the Prince Regent huv-
ilig lost the only child with whom Providence had
blessed him, the Duke of Clarence stood nearer the

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surii a cidaiige normally produced, but they would
also be subjected to a great contingent expense,
if they had families. Qat: of the 12,0001. it
should be übserved,.that 4,000/. was intended to
be aettleil on the Lady, leaving only B,oou/.
per alalollll to diefoly the oddities's' esperise.--s
This ennud be the real, rstabliabxritiatand. whs
they took it or 8 or 9,400/. (vilest the iirrouse of
the Royal Family, io an unmarried dote, hid been
voted on a ticule of liberality, which the How
could scarcely have intruded;, no mat could sup-
pose, if they were to marry, that this *mil
too much to enable them to live in a style coMinmio
%orate with the situation to wli.eir they were bore.
Certainly this increase of 8 or o,ouo/.-royear, leak.
ing to the iiicreadied toile of modern expeose, woe
not more than enough to prevent that great cielainito
to themselves and their families, the inevitable ac.
cumulatiou of debt, which must necessarily oblige
them to apply to Parliument. If that were the fair
reosoping that arose out of the case, he conceived!
the House could see the propriety of the proceediug
originally recommended by Ministers. He could put
it to the feelings of every QOM in that House, and out
of it.-under all the weight of prejudice that had arisro
dm this subject, and which was attempted o. lee
instilled into the public suinel—(llear, hear, from
the Oppolition)—whether the l• rOpoPitiOti W. 14 UO
unfair one. Of course., this observation was tact
meant to apply to the llouse-1. Heor)—but they
could not conceal front themselves, that the sub-
ject was viewed with a prejudiced, eye. Corfu
these circumstances, unless Pot bailout thorned that
they had made an iiijuiliciuus decision. by propoo.
ing that an addition of 8,000/. should be made tee
the income of certain Members of the Royal hoods.
when they entered the marriage state, Nod with the
probable contieigent expense of a family—when this
was also proposed to prevent them loon incur.
rung debts, which would compel them to come to
Pal liament—they could not he upbraided with hav-
ing acted extravagantly. On this subject, the
come of the Doke and Duchess of Gloucester
would afford a cote of great importance. The
House, he was ready to admit, when lie cited this
instance, would feel that it was out one which was
directly in point, though it certainly bore ou the
question. The Duke of Gloucester married the
Pi therm. Mary under circumstances highly gratifyiug
to the people. Before her marriage she had, how-
ever, been provided for by Parliament. The inns-
trious Duke also had an income, al ising fate! his Mi.
litary situation, and se par liamentary grant, ainatiot-
lug to not less than 28,000/. Under these circum-
stances, it did not appear to the Prince Regent's con-
fidential servants necessary that an increased iiicnine
alioidd be proposed for the Duke and Duchess of
Gloucester. on their marriage. On the marriage of
the Princess Charlotte, an income of 60,000/. was
voted. The Duke of York, on his marriage, any,
granted 37,000/. per annum, independent of the
eitiolumeuts which he derived train his military, si-
tuation; and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester
—the former of whom stood in the situation e.
nephew to his Majesty—received 28,000/. a-year,
exclusive of any military emoluments lie might
enjoy. Now, it did not appear to his Majesty's
Aliiiisters that it was consistent with the di:owe of
the Crown, to place the sons of the King in a
situation, aide respect to income, subordinate to the
nephew of his Majesty and his illustrious Consort.
They conceived, when a grant of 50,000/. a-year
hail been made to Mince Coburg, and when the
Duke of Gloucester had 28,000/. per annum front
Parliament, that it was not fair to place the junior
branches of the Royal Family in a situation of ii—
feriorily, when compared with that of the itepltew
of the King. They did not mean to place the
junior branches of the Royal Family in competitom
with the Princess Charlotte, at the time of her
marriage, nor to oppose them to the situation of the
Duke of York, when lie espoused the Priticesv
Royal of Prussia. They felt that, if they wished
to marry, they could only place them in their hr-
ilinary situation—and they thought, that an with-
tiou of 12,000/. ir-year uo bbb I b ially—but realle
of only 8,0001, per annum—when one of the
Royal Dukes married, was not more than
to enable them to support their rank. Ile had
fairly submitted to the House the grounds on whirls
this view of the subject was taken. His Ma.
jesty'li Ministers, anxious to satisfy the country.
had calculated on increasing the ineoine of those
Royal Dukes. who wished to marry, without
imposing any new burdens on the country—
and, he believed, he could easily slow, that MP
fresh burden would be imposed in consequence.
Their intention, with respect to a Royal I)uke
(the Duke of Cuinherland) who was married,
was the same as that which they entertained to-
wards those Royal Dukes who wished to marry.
The proposition for granting an additional provision
to that Royal Duke, had, in the first instance, re-
ceived the sanction of the House, though it Was
afterwards lost, when it appeared in the shape ef a
Hill. The conduct of Parliament prevented Mi.
Misters from doing that which they were re-
puted to do-.-an act of justice—by placing that
Illustrious individual in the situation to which
Ilia olliouce entitled him. There were feelieg.,
at the moment the grant was proposed—found-
ed perhaps on misconception—which threw a
most serious obstacle in the way of a measure cl
this kind. At that time, the marriage was, la ais
points of view, considered more of a private that, of
a public nature ; but the marriages now in con-
templation had given to it so distinct a public cha-
racter that the Government would nut do their
duty, if they had not viewed it in that held, nod
brought it under the consideration of I
If Parliament were right in pluvilling
branch of the Royal Family, surely they onolde,,t
adopt a principle of perpetual exclusien
those illustrious individual, who were foinorly or-
posed. They lived ilia state of domestic hajoandos
and retirement—and lie could not conceive that
liament would refuse to make that prevision fae the do
which they would grant to other bract:he, of
Royal Family. lie should now state the
expense of' this arraugenient, ih the event of its
been agreed to. It would, of course, alloy
only to those illustrious Dukes who acre °" ti r
point (marriage, and to him who was slrebk """
rird, with the approbation of his Royal Brother—
by whom the consent of the Crown was wool:ill/
ghee. Taking the provision fur the Duke of
bellowd on the same scale as that intended tor
others—cud allowing also a provisioir for the Duke
.41 Keirt, if lie should be inclined to form