The Sun.
London, England, 1806-06-25 00:00:00

PRICE SI u Elilci

• .
Committee of the whole House to consider of Hifi
majesty's Most Gracioui Message, relative to an
Increated -PkoVision fOk Greenwich Hospital and
Chest
The HodSe having- resolved into the COmMittee,
Mr. ALEXANDER in the:Chair:, . •
Lord HO WICK; in submitting the Motion which
it was hii duty to make, to the consideration of- the
Conimittee, felt confident that no obje&ion Nl/2rould
be thade either to the object of that Motion or to
die, mode in which it Was proposed. to provide fin:
that object. The-Object was, to make an adequate
provision for aged, wounded, and disabled Seamen,
who were no longer able to bear the fatigues of waive
'employment, or continue their exertions in the pub- -
tic service. Gentlemen were already acquaintedi
-by the Papers on the Table, with the provision at
present . enjoyed_ by these persons, with the aug-
inentation now proposed to be made to . that provi- -
gidn, and with the receipt and expenditure both of
Greenwich Hospital and the Chest at Greenwich'.
The-ftaids of the Chest were appropriated to the
:relief of- seamen wounded, in the service;, in differ-
ent proportions, accorellk too-the nature and magni-
hide -Of the injury sustained. The Hospital fund;
provided not only for wounded seamen, but for
those Who, by age or_ infirmity-are incapable, of set.-
.Vice; The object of his Motion was to increase the
funds of both these institutions. The Qut-pension-
est of Greenwich Hospital'receiY an allowance of
seven penis& a;;year, which had never been increas-
ed since the first establishMent in 1663.;. and *heti
the amount. of this allowance, the objett it -was en-
gaged in, and thedetfreciation of money since it •
was fixed at that -amount, should be taken.into con-
sideration,.he was confident that Gentlemen would
hot think it an improvident expenditure of public
inone?*.to augment it. The present revenue of the
Hospital was 126,8111: the expenditure I 14,5441.
Which left'a surplus or receipt Over the expenditure -
of 12,2671,' The increase to the.Out-fiensioners
was to be varied, according, to the circumstances of
the ease, from the present allOwance of 71. per ann.
which was to be continued to those slightly wound-
ed, to- is. per day, or 'lBl. ss. per ann. the highest
allowance proposed to be granted. The alloWance
was proposed to be regulated, by the Lords of the
Admiralty? whose duty it was to examine the men
previous to their being placed on the list; and he was
confident no abuse of the confidence thus invested
in them was to be apprehended: It was calculated -
the increase which would thus accrue above the
present expenditure of the Hospital would .amount
to about 17,0001. annually, It was proposed to meet
this increase by a fund to which he trusted there
'would be no opposition. For this purpose it was,
proposed that 51. per cent should beappropriated out
of all prizes that should hereafter accrue ; and in
addition to this his Majesty, with that benevolence
which had over oharaelori hi: Rival condud, and
lartieularly with respe6t to the objects of this pro-
vision,,had signified that a similar Grant should be
made out of all droits of -Admiralty. The present
amount of the value of prizes annually calculated on
the portion forfeited to the Chest,-which was about
1-20th, Was about 1,200;0001:' but he took it at one
million, and the deduction: in the manner he propos-
ed would afford a suns of nearly 17,0001, which
would _still leave some surplus. Gentlemen would
be aware- the Fund. now proposed was to exist only
during the war, and that.a considerable defalcation
would take place it the conclusion of-peace.- But
if the revenues of-the Hospital should by that event
decrease, they had the consolation to" know the, ex-
penditure.would also, decrease. There had been an
increase 440001: per ann. lately on their land estates
:and a similar increase was expeEted on many farms
that were to fall in within 4or 5 years. These addi-
tions to the Funds would leave a deficiency 'of so
trbling a nature, that he 'was sure it would be no ob-
jeCt to the public. The present resources were' suili-.
cient.to cover-the increased expenditure, and he was -
confident Parliament would not hesitate to make
. good any deficiency that might hereafter take place.
This was all he had to say respecting the Hospital.
As to the Chest, that institution, had 'originated in
1596, though it was not established regularly till the
filloWing year. It was first instituted at Chatham,
and was removed to Greenwich in the year I MM.—.
The Funds of-this institution were exclusively de-
voted to the relief of wounded and disabled seamen.
The allowance for total loss of sight was 121. .per
ann. for the loss of one eye 61. It was now proposed
that the allowance for loss of eye or limb should be
121. and the loss of an arras 81. - The Committee'
would perceive that it was not necessary for him
to state the various items of increase ; the whole
would amount to about 17,0001. above -the pre- -
sent amount of allowance. 'The present expen-
diture of the Chest calculating the dut-pensiOn on
-what was due and payable this year was 48,2681.
the receipt bt last year 63/2821. But as a consider-
able addition had arisen Irons the number of ships -
paid off within that period, he should take the in- ,
come at 55,0001. which afforded a surplus of 70001:
and would leave a deficit of about to;opol. which was ,
to be provided out of the proposed Grant from the
droits of Admiralty. But here also there would be
a deficiency in time of peace, and he was con- .
vinced that no objection would be felt against
'pro-
viding for this deficit whenever it should arise. As
to the Hospital Department, he should mention,
:that it was proposed to make a provision for a cer-
tain number of Post Captains, Masters, and Com-
manders, and other Officers, who might be disabled •
'in the service, so as to be rendered incapable of the
duties of their profession. As he perceived that
there was no obje6tion likely to be made to any part
of the arrangement; it was unnecessary for him to
take up more of the time of the Committee, and
he should therefore only add, that in his opinion this
provision was not so much an 'a&, of liberality or
generosity, as of justice on the part of that House
The Noble Lord concluded. by moving " that it is
the- opinion of this -Cothmittee -that the suns of