The Sun.
London, England, 1812-03-26 00:00:00

SICILIAN SUBSIDY.

T 1 House having iesolved itself into a Commit•
tee of Supply,
Lord CASTLEREAGH rose to propose a grant of
money to the King of Sicily. The Noble Lord con-
ceived it would be unnecessary to trouble the Com-
mittee at any length on the proposition lie was about
to submit for their approbation, as a subsidy had
been voted to the same amount, annually, for the
last tour years; but if the Committee desired to
Lave any information upon the atlairs of Sicily, he
was most ready to give that information. It was a
subsidy by which this Government was bound to
adhere, having been voted in 1808, and hence, un-
less Parliament were disposed to refuse their assent,
and not to continue the grant any longer, he should
abstain from stating the considerations of policy
which originally induced it. -To those who at first
doubted the policy of granting a sum to. Sicily, it
must be a source of satisfaction to reflect that the
subsequent changes in the Government of that
country hal led to the removal of these doubts, for
by the change the resources of the kingdom had
been called forth with sattsfaCtion to the subjects of
the-King of Sicily, and w►th perfeCt security for the
British interests, T►te whole of the military forces
in the kingdom had been placed under the controul
of Lord William Bentinck, as a means of defence,
and of acting in host►lity to the views of the com-
mon enemy, as circumstances might arise. The
present situation of affairs would most completely
serve to repel those calumnies which the enemy had
been most industriously circulating with respect to
the vie s and intentions of the British Government
towards Sicily, for they had insinuated, that in inci-
tation of their own conduCt, we had lent our assist-
ance only for the purpose of appropi iacing the island
to ourselves. But what had been the real conduct
of Great Britain ? She acting upon those recognized
principles of honour, bad faithfully discharged the
duty imposed by the solemn treaty entered into
with the King of Sicily, had represented that the
state of the island was such as to render it unsafe for
the British troops longer to remain there, unless the
ild ol the Government were removed. The con-
sequence had been, that the King of Sicily took
those steps. which it was his indispensable duty to
take for the security of the troops of his ally, and
for the proteCtion of his own kingdom. Under these
circumstances, he. should move,—
That it is the opinion of this Committee that a sum not
exceeding 400,0001. be granted, to make good the engage-
ments entered into with his Sicilian Majesty for the piesent
year.

Sir J. NEwroftz having formerly objeeted to the
grant; considered himself called upon to make some
observations. The groUnds upon which he had
doubted before the propriety of the grant were, that
he thought -the British Government shotild have
made (previous to calling on Parliiiment to vote any
thing) a representation to his Sicilian Majesty of
the necessity of an alteration in his Government.—
The advice which he then gave was rejeaed,- but
experience had convinced Ministers of their want
of judgment, and they had since then interfered.—
The King h.,a been, either by force or pen•uasion,
prevailed upon to abdicate his throne in favour of
his son. How would they therefore draw the line

befWeen tbis'aa of the King of. Sicily- and that of
the King of Spain, who resigned in favour of his
son ? He thought-,the Noble Lord was bound in
justice to the people of this country to_ give a more
detailed account of the interference. The tullest ex-
planation Wa,.io his opinion, necessary.
Lord CA*TLEREAGH wa; disooseo, as he,had be-
fore said, to give the fullest information. He could
assure. the Committee that the Honourable Ba-.
ronet was misinformed on the subject. There had
not been the.least suggestion to, traich less demand
upon, the Sicilian Monarch, that he should abdicate
the throne in favour of his sort ; but lw had cho-
sen, for considerations best known to himself, to de-
legate the Sovereign authority to son. Of the '
policy of such a measure, it, was not for him (Lord
Castlereagh) to judge. The only claim hich the
Briti•h Government urged was, that in obedience to
the treaty of alliance, lie
„should place his GOvern-
ment on a footing which, would wake it, compatible
with the interests of 'our army to terrain there.—
With regard to the subsidy, that was absolutely
voted to him, paid to him, and administered by his
Government for the interests of the alliance, under
the sanction of the Vicegerent, his sea. The No-
ble Lord had no wish to shrink from full investiga-
tion, but he had, not any disposition to court inquiry,
because in so doing, statements would be made,
painful to British feelings, of the defeCts of a Go-
vernment
,with which this country had been for years
in alliance. The Honourable Baronet might open
that discussion ; but he (Lard Castlereagh) would
not volunteer it. There was this consolation arising
from our condua,.that we had not disgraced our
charaaer by imitating the example of the enemy. '
mall we had done we acted from necessity, and the
conviction that it would be impolitic to leave the Si-
cilian
interests expesed to danger.
Sir J. NE's PORT still required explanation, be-
cause *he conceived the policy questionable. What-
ever doubt, difficulty, or delicacy there was in it,
the people demanded explanation.' At least it ought
to be shewn that our conduct had not been as odious
as that of France towards Spain.
Mr. WILBERFORCE thought the Hon. Baro-
net should have drawn a line of distinction between
the conduct of England towards Sicily, and France
towards
Mr. STEPHEN conceived that the Hon. Baronet
had forgot -Ole nature of former discussioni on the
subject. The objections then urged to the grant
were, tom it was impolitic to grant money while
the Peasants of &city were so oppressed by the No-
blesse, and that this Country ought to insist upon a
civil refirrmatiOn in that kingdom, by the restitution
of what was generally termed the rights of men.
These objections [tad been most ably and eloquently
answered by the Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Can-
ning), then Secretary of State, vs ho had said—
‘f He trusted the House would not desire .that
10,000 men, with bayonets on their shouldeta;
should set abouteefotrnation ; that he did not think
they were the most proper philosophers to revolu-
tionize a country, and teach the people the value of
liberty." The Honoorable and Learned. Gentle-
man deprecated the pradice of adopting gross and
ridiculous calumnieS set on foot by the enemy,not only
as untrue, but as being unworthy of consideration in •
this House. For the moment the House began to
reason upon them, these calumnies were delivered
from the ridicule which otherwise would attach
upon them. Was it not ridiculous to assimilate the
conduct of Britain in respea to Sicily with that of
Bonaparte towards Spain ? The Honourable Ba-
ronet wished further information, but was it really
necessary,to satisfy Europe, that in rendering as-
sistance to Sicily the object of Great Britain was to
annex the kingdom to the dominions of her ally ?
The change which had taken place was desirable,
for it had averted the danger.
. Sir JoHta NEWPORT repeated his former opinions,
and would not yield to the Hon. and Learned Gen-
tleman in the detestation of the principles of Buona-
parte. Be contended that the plea of necessity was
the plea resorted to by the. enemy, and therefore
unworthy of Great Britain.
Lord CASTLEREAGH entered his protest on the
part of the British Government, for not having
oeened all the transaftion between the two Go-
vernments. The aCt of the Sicilian Monarch in
delegating the Government on his son was his own
ad, and not from the suggestions of Lord William
Bentinck. He deprecated the conduCt of the Ho-
nourable Baronet, in giving a colour to the inter-
ference which he was not warranted in giving.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQULR declared,
that without an absolute case of necessity, there
would not have been any inteiltrence on the part of
the British nrnent,
Mr. BASTARD gave his vote for the grant, upon
the explanation of the Noble Lord, considering that
we were justified in interfering with the Govern-
ment of Sicily, in conformity with the
.provisions
of the Treaty, and that if necessity urged, we
should take possession of that'Counti y by force of
arms.
Mr. HOME stated some circumstances respeding
the application of the grants of former years, front
local knowledge, and justified the propriety in Go-
vernment abstaining from interference befut e..
The tesolution was then agreed to.
MISCELLANEOUS SERVICES.
On the motion of Mr. WHARTON, the following
sums were voted :---
For the Caledonian Canal Csoooe

For the Highland Roads. . . . 20,Q00
For the Repairs of Military Roads, in North Britain 5,894
For the Contingencies in Secretary of State's Office ti,0,0
For the Extra Charges, Messengers, kc. 6,000
For the Civil List, Bahama Islands • 3,4)0
For the ditto. 13tkrinudas . . 1,033
For the ditto, Demerara , - . - 6.:0
For the ditto, Upper Canada • , . 8,450
For the ditto, Nova Scotia • • 10,995
For the ditto,
,New Brunswick . ~ 5,60 a
For the ditto, Cape Breton . - 2,060

_ .
2,40.
For the ditto, Newfoundland 3,971
For the ditto, Sierra Leone - 14,020
For the ditto, New South Wales taoi

On the latter grant being proposed,
Mr. BANKES adverted to the deficit in the account
of a Public Officer in the Treasury, and recommend-
ed the adoption of some means, of preventing in
future the accumulation of frauds on the public.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER stated
the accounts of Mr• Chinnery to have been of such
a nature, that by balancing the surplus of some
years against-the deficiencies of others, the appear-

. ,
ince of the whole wouH be so rtir, that it was
Matter of little surprise the auditors had been de-
ceived. The inaccuracy in them ;could only be de-
teded by looking to the accounts for a considerable
tine back. These back accounts had been neglect-
ed ; but, latterly, a change had been made to get
them into a more regular and proper train.—As
there were a great many of these accounts to look
to, it was a considerable time before the accounts of
Mr. Chinnery were hunted, as it were, into such a
Comer, that it was hardly possible for the_ defaulter
to escape. He did not deny that some blame attach-
ed itself to those whose duty it was to look to the
accounts, but still he contended, that to detect the
defaulter was very difficult, from the nature of the'
accounts. He lhtd himself, on one occasion, exa-
mined a_person on the subject, and been imposed
upon.
Mr. ROSE said, he hid introduced Mr. Chinnery
in 1783, who had been Private Secretary' to the
then Lord Chancellor. Mr. Chinnery was strongly
recommended by .the Lord Chancellor, and in con-
sequence he (Mr. Rose) took an opportunity of
naming him to a situation. He understood, about
nine months after he had done so, that Mr. Chin-
nery acquitted himself in a very satisfaCtory manner,
and that he was very ingenious and at the same time
attentive to his duty. For lour ur five years he (Mr.
Chinnery) appeared to go on very well, but atter
that •tirrie he got into an extravagant way of living,
which he (Mr. Rose) thought ill became his situa-
tion. He remonstrated %%Oh him on, the subject. --
Mr. Chinnery, from the two agencies with which
he was entrusted, and the 3ccnut.ts of the Treasury,
which he had to manage, was in the habit of receiv-
ing not less than four thousand pounds per year.—
The produce of one qua, ter was usually given into
his hands at once, w Inch was anoint anon'. and the
security of Mr. Chinne:y w 30001. On his re-
monstrating Air h Mr.,Chinnrty on the extravagant
way of life he.had got into, Mr. Chinnery•replied,
that he was enabled to ,do so by the support
which he drew from other funds than those with
which he (Mr. Rose) was acqtlainted. He (Mr.
Rose) had never known what those funds were,
nor that any such were in existence. ' From
the situation in which Mr. Chinnery had been,
he had certainly no reason to -think him in
possessibn of any thing of that kind. When
he (Mr. R ) was its the Treasury, 14 or' 15 years
ago, Mr. Chinnery, in consequence of a• remon-
strance, assured • him that the world were much
mistaken in his circumstances, as he had other re-
sources than he was generally known to possess. _
From that period" he (Mr. R.) had ceased to speak
to him frequently, and had indeed very seldom
spoke to him since. About a year and a half ago,
he,saw Mr. Chinnery was still going on in the same
extravagant manner. On this occasion he wrote to
him a leiter, in which he told him, " that nothing
could be more scandalous than the style in which he
lived. That he (Mr. R.) was certain that he could
have no honest funds capable of supporting such
expences, and that though it was nothing to the
world how persons lived who were differently si-
tuated, yet in the situation of Mr. Chinnery such a
course must appear reprehensible to all. He far-
ther told him, that he had always observed, that
when a man greatly exceeded his income, there was
but little security for his honour, and thai feeling
this, he should communicate his thoughts on the
subject to his Right Hon. Friend."—He thought
there was no excuse for Mr. Chinnery, as he had
lat;en living in a shameful extravagant manner for
14 or 15 years: Mr. hinnery had been in the habit'
of giving concerts, which were attended by per-
formers of the first celebrity. When be (Mr. R.)
spoke to him on the subjed,.he was' answered; by
Mr. Chinnery, that they were friends of his, and
that these musicians would receive no pay, and,
consequently the charge of his concerts was but
trifling. He (Mr. R.) knew persons of gr,eat con-
sideittion who were in the habit of attending these
concert-, hut he had never gone to one, lest he
should seem to give his sanction to such doings.—
The only time he was ever in Mr. Chinnery's house
was, when he went to stand godfather to that young
man with whose name the public were •familiar
(Mr. Chinnery, jun. we presume). When a Bill
was brought in two years ago by the Hon. B ironet
opposite, he (Mr. Rose) had endeavoured to frame
it to meet cases like the present, and he thought at
that time that if he could be laid hold of, Mr. Chin-
- very might be the first affetted by that Bill. He
was not aware that this subject would be touched
upon, or he would have brought the correspondence
, which hat taken place on the subject with him, to
shew how anxious he had been to induce Mr.
Chinnery to change his conduct, not only within
the last one or two years, but for the last 14 or 15
years.
Some further discussion passed, , in which Mr. H.
MARTIN, 'tit:CHANCELLOR of the,EXCREQUER., Mr.
BANKES, and Mr: LONG participated; after which
the Resolution was agreed to.
£48,000, to meet Bills drawn and to be drawn
on New South Wales.—Agreed to.
The House resumed,- when the Report was or-
dered to be received to-morrow.

'The Charitable Donations, Breach of Trust Bill,
and die l'enileniiary Houses Mil, were read a third
time, and p.issrd:
The other Orders of the Thy were then disposed
01, and the House adjourned.

- The continuation of the snow-storm in the North
had deranged the arrival and departure of all the
Mails at Edinburgh; on the 22:1 inst. most of the
roads were impassable for coaches, and some even
for a horse. The storm, however, had abated, and
a thaw was taking place.
At the Assizes at Bury, a young woman servant,
named Smith, was capitally convicted of setting fire
to her master's house.—The prisoner, it appeared
i❑ evidence, got some straw out of the stable of her
master, who was a farmer, and atter lighting it, by
the aid of a pitchfork, she communicated the same
to the thatched roof of the dwelling-house. On
the alarm of tire, when the inmates of the house
were endeavouring to extinguish it, the prisoner set
fire to a bed-furniture within. She made a full con-
fession of her guilt, and said she had no interest or
motive foi her condutt.

A monster was capitally convialed on Monday, at
the above Assizes, of a rape on his own daughter, a
child nine yea's old.