The National Register.
London, England, 1817-07-07 00:00:00

210

of c as rceouirmetttled by the Report of 'the ll:ase of•
Common:? _

The F.:111 of Liven TOOL said, that though this measure was
founded wen) the Report of the Commons, it did not follow
that the Report must have been strictly adopted hi all its
Farts. It was n.. 1 practicable to brief: in all offices intended'
to be abolished in the present Bills, particularly certain offices
is Scotland, upon which a measure vas in contemplation, re-
spect log which, however, he should's:ay nothiug, until it was
iiitroduced regularly before the Breese. In Ireland. too,
there were-several offices, the abolition of which would be
impossible in the piesent Session.
The Earl of Li eat".)ct. then pi oi-ceded to enter upon the
question that the House should go lino a Committee, begin-
ning with one of the Bills then on the table. He should
however treat the subject generally. He should begin
by !chewing the difference between the present measure
-Odell he supported, and the former A bohtion
which he opposed. The Bills brought up at different
times were in principle objectionable. They included
a:I sinecures it) one sweeping Bill, without explaining
what they meant by a siuecure, and joined with those offices
others of a most important and even judicial character. The
fit ncr Bid vas Lull of absurdities. The Presideut of the
t:oancil was joined with the Auditor of the EXclivepier,
and the Keeper of the Great Seal with the Clerk of the Pelts.
In the Bills before their t.iese incongruities were
avoided, and they were so framed that the Crown had effee-
toalllWHlls provided for it to reward politic service. It was
said, tint it would affeet the aristocracy. The fact wa:, that
a wound to any branch of the State wider our constitution
was felt by the allele; but it appeared to him that it would
affect the demociatie, not the aristocratic interests of the
country, if the means of legitimate influence wore taken from
the (71'1M.11. Withoitt this mode of rewai ding public service,
such men as Mr. Pelham (to speak only of the dead), Mr.
Ceorge Grey% ille, the two Mr. Pitts, the ancestors ef two
Noble Barons not then in their places, and his late lamented
friend, Mr. Pereeval, v cold probably neverhave been enabled
to devote their talents to the sect ice to the State. In this
country the emolements of the higher offices were not equal
to the necessary expenditure. III: could give as an example,
the situntiou ti fled by himself. Ile should strongly condemn
a provision for public service by the vote of Parliament,
even fer is proinseness. The extent there, would be
unlimi-
ted, and lead, from personal motives and individual importer.
nity, to inealenlable abuse It would be impossible to tie the
hands of Parliament, whereas by leaving the disposal of re-
v. ards for public service to the Crown, the whole length to
vs :deli it is impossible to go was distinctly flunked out, and
exercised by Ministers under their official responsibility. ft
was a great mistake to suppose that the exchequer entices
were slut-cm-es. They were offices of account :nut coutroul,
and therefore unfit to be held by political persons, the
rettnlations in the measure whieh he proposed, these offices
would be put Oil their proper footivz. The truth of th s was
clear b- tut the fact of Lord Great ins having been at the same
time Andttor of the Eseoequer and First Lord of the Trea-
sury, the former of which was intended to be a cont rout upon
the latter Another strong IT:1.011 for this change was the
great prepare against those otticCS, thollFh those who pos•
tossed them had been most liberal and public spit 'led. Whilst
these advantages wet e cained there was no invasion of the
salutary rights of the Crown. His object was, that the
Crown s'ronitl reward public service by pensions, where it
had hitherto done that by the grant of offices. The public
would be a great gainer by this made, rather than by Portia-
Mentary grants even in this respect—that a general regulation
of 30301. a year to all those who tilled certain offices, %%mild in-
clude even those whose private fortunes did not require it ;
whereas the Crown would coact- a pension with a regard to
the private income of the individual. If he v ere net fully
satisfied of the utility of this measure in evru respect, he
should be the last person to give it his support.
As soon as Earl of Liverpool-conclivieit, the LORD (711ANs
cee.Lort announced that the Royal Assent was to be then
given to several Bills, by commission.
The Royal Assent Was accordingly given to the Habeas
Corpus Suspension Bill, the Post•horse Duty Bill, the Anteri-'
ran Trade Bill, and Irish Forfeited Recognizance Bill.
The Commisioners were the Earls of SHAM:BUR Y
ItOwAY and the Lon is CDANCELLOR

The question upon the Civil Offices and Abolition and Com-
pensation Rill was rued resumed.
The Earl of I.m:dent:Lime was surprised that the Noble
Earl should support what in IBI•2,161.3 and tell he had op-
posed. It was said by the Noble Earl that they were differ-
ent. The report of the Commons, in its second paragraph,
said the measures now and then were the 'rime.—(Hear
Hear,)—These offices were as unlit for political men in
1313 as now, and as to any odium, did the Noble Earl look to
the odium east upon them by the Meeting in Spa-fields. The
real secret of this Bill was, that it came from a party in the
I louse of Commons which had a sort of neutral character,
a eery respectable party he liciieved. That patty nose %%kited
to slide into a little popularity, and this measure had been
) ielded to them for their support on other questions.
The Earl of HARROWnif, contended, that the Bill now
tiefore the /loose essentially differed from thme ct forint r
ears in mole and catent The only change in this Bid, in
espect to the influence of the Crown, was, that it changed
thb manner in winch it was practitionary exercised, whereby
the public feeling was gratified, and, on the same time pi ri-
per means provided for the reward of meritorious public
remise. It was tthjecteal that this measttre was a cote
cession to clamour out of doors ; this he denied. The
impolite opinion indeed turned the balance, and lie thought
it tight that e hen the opinions of punhe men were nearly
tomtit, thou the voce of the people might be cum tilted,
and acted upon.—(Beer, Hear!)
Lord REUESUAt C Objected to the measure. He said, that
it would give to tUture Ministers too much of the influence
♦shich ought to belong to the Crown.
Lord A nels rave Ministers fell credit for the goodness
of their inteutions in brioging forward such a Bill as this ;
at the same time he conceived that it would go to deprive
the Crown of its constitutional patronage. The offices about
to be abelished were tee only means which the 't °vertigo
lead of connecting with himself persons of high With and
and distinction in the kingdom. There were many noble
mint , sustained by such offices end raised again by theta
from deai esses, iuto which the accidents of the times [night
have plunged them. He did not know how their Lord•hips
could request the Prince Regent's coilsent to u measure which
would take away so much of the influence exercised by has
"•'her. Toe C0met...1,4d Bill curtained a graduated scale
w t h oi fact left no will to the King, and would
b scum considered as ari •ht. Under these impressious the
1, . .sae tecr•tve his consent.
!..rrt rn..e!: suit, 111,0 there was a vast difference be.
• f, ~,, • -hy and a Itconlil4,, and this'