The Sun.
London, England, 1857-05-22 00:00:00

THE PRINCESS ROYAL'S DOWRY.

On the motion that the Speaker leave the chair for the
house to go into committee on the question,
Mr. ROEBUCK said that in what they were about
to do he had a double duty to perform, one to the Queen
and another to his constituents. He eulogised the
public and private conduct of the Queen, which
was appreciated by that house and the people, and it
would be the pleasure of the house to meet her wishes
on this occasion. But whilst the house remembered
that, they must not forget they were the representatives
of the people, and that they ought to consider their
interests, and in being generous to the Sovereign be just
to the people. (Cheers.) In providing for the child of
their Sovereign they must not press too hardly on the
people. This was the first of a large family, and they
must take care how they acted in making a
precedent for the other princes—(hear, hear)—and
princesses. Her Royal Highness had not chosen an ob•
retire and poor individual, but one who, in course of time,
must become the head of one of the great powers of
Europe, and he supposed they must not provide for
her as a queen, but as the happy wife of an allied sove-
reign. lie was induced to address the house in con-
sequence of what occurred on the marriage of the Prin-
cess Royal, the daughter of George 111., when a do wry
of 80,0001., was granted. He knew that circumstances
were altered. The application was made to the Parlia-
ment of Ireland, who voted to the Princess Royal 5,0001.
a year. The course pursued on that occasion by the
Parliament of England would meet the feeling of the
people on this occasion. The country would wish a
round sum to be voted and not an annuity attached to
the round sum as a dowry. He suggested that a generous
sum should be voted, but let the country not be
hampered with an annuity. Let it be for once granted,
and have done. He alluded to the possibility of a war
between the two countries, and said he could not forget
how this country had been treated by that house to which
she was about to ally herself—(hear)—and therefore he
urged the house not to grant an annuity, but vote a
generous sum at once.

Lord PALMER,STON entreated the house not to
enter, by anticipation, on a motion to be submitted by
the Chancellor of the Exchequer, which was not consis-
tent with respect to the Crown ncr consistent with the
proceedings of that house. When the house knew the
proposal it would be time to discuss it.
The motion was agreed to.
The Speaker then left the chair, and the hone© went
into committee on her Majesty's message.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said
that in rising to redeem the pledge given to her Majesty
to take into consideration her Majesty's message
relative to the Princess Royal's marriage, be need not
entreat them not to allow their judgment to be anticipated
by the remarks that had been made, but to found
it on the facts he should lay before the house. He en-
tered into the arrangement by which the Sovereign anil
Royal Family were provided for under our constitutional
law, and said that in the proposition he had to submit to
the house, he should appeal, not to their generosity, but
to their sense of justice., It was the policy of this coun-
try to strip the reigning sovereigns of their hereditary
possessions and make them dependent on Parliament,
which was contrary to the policy of Prussia, and
consequently it was the duty of Parliament to
make a corresponding provision for the wants
of the Crown on such occasions as these. It was not
therefore a question of generosity but of strict justice
in regard to the depriving of the Sovereign
of her hereditary possessions. He entered into
a comparison of the civil list of George 111.
and that of her Majesty, which he said was different in
construction. The former included several items that
were not included in the present civil list, such as the
payment of judges salaries and foreign plenipotentiaries,
&c. The civil list of George HI. was fixed at a gross
Nam of 447,4361., including 60,0001. privy purse, the
same as that now allowed to her Majesty. The gross
amount of the present civil list was 385,000/. Hav-
ing stated the comparative amount of these civil
he called the attention of the committee to many facts
c•anected with George 111. He did not surrender all his
hereditary revenue ; arid in addition to ithe civil list ro•
vided by Parliament, he received in tbie course of his
reign six-and-a-half milions, which had been eur-
rendered by her Majesty, and no part of it
Ind been rei eyed by her at ary time. George
also enjeyed the revenue of the Prince of
tti ales during his minority, which was not the case now.
A system prevailed in the time of George 111. fio
which this reign tied been exempt—that of incurring
debts by members of the Royal family. (Hear.) He
stated that the civil list in George the Third's time wee
augmented fur discharging personal debts, &c., to the I
amount of 3,297,000/. After entering into other details