Star.
London, England, 1830-11-06 00:00:00

reduction was to be made; he was not now called upon to say what was'
to be the precise tax.
Mr. SI BTIMRPE defended Mr. Hume.
The motion was agreed to. The Speaker took the Chair, and the
house resumed.

Mr. DOIIERTY moved for leave w bring in abill for the more effec-
tual administration of the laws in Ireland.

Mr. O'CONNELL supported the motion.
Mr. WEYLAND moved for leave to bring in a bill for the amender
!tient of the Act 6th Geo. IV. c. 67, regarding the settlement of the
l'oof.—Leave granted.
PATENT Or THE LINO'S PRINTER.
Mr. HUME rose and said that he had to move for some papers being
laid before the house, on which be would make a few remarks. He had
been attacked for having stated in the house that there were members in
u who were influenced by profit ; but one fact was worth fifty argu-
ments. He had to complain against Government. They had pledged
themselves to reduce all superfluous places; but he had been informed
that they were renewing patents to the prejudice of the people. He
( Mr. H.) thought that his Majesty had no right to retain the power of
granting patents. but on a future occasion he (Mr. B.)' intended to
make that a separate question. In the year 1799 Mr. Pitt had granted
a patent to Messrs. Reeves and Strahan for 31 years to be the King's
printers, to have the printing of the House of Lords, Bibles, and
Prayer-books. The patent had included Mr. Reeves for the purpose
if securing to him for life fifteen hundred pounds a year, as the
clear profits were estimated at 3,0001. By a report, for which the House
was indebted to the Member for Dorset it appeared that the amlunt of
printing for the House of Lords was about 36,0001. per annum. Mr.
John Reeves being only a sleeping partner, subsequently filed a bill in
Chancery to compel the other party to divulge the real profits of the
business, as he had ascertained that they amounted in that branch alone
to 13,0001. per annum ; but they settled the matter in private, and con-
sequently the real statement never became public. By a statement of
accounts in the Report of the Committee, in which the member foe
Dorset was engaged, there were three items for printing, one of
340001. one 4,4001. and another for 1,3501. When the business
fell into the hands of Messrs. Eyre and Straiten they discovered
that their patent gave them the right to be booksellers as well as
printers, and they disposed of the Acts of Parliament at the rate of
2jd. per sheet, which ought only to be charged the public at most ltd.
They sold prayer-books at 6d. per sheet, which ought to cost the public
not more than 4d. per sheet: thus, for 31 years, the public were taxed
on these articles at the rate of 32 and 43 per cent. He (Mr. H.) could
undertake to say that the sheets for which 2ad. were charged, he could
get them done by contract for Id, which was 150 per cent less than what
was charged by Messrs. Eyre and Strahan. There was a clause in the pa-
tent which stated that the Treasury should see that the printing was
executed at a reasonable price, but the Treasury had never troubled
themselves about it. He had been informed that the patent had just
been renewed, and for a series of years. There had been much heard
of the Government's savings by striking off places ; but he knew of
no place that had been struck off, except a situation of Assistant..
Solicitor of Excise—that became vacant by death, and the Duke of
Wellington had not filled it up ; and this act had been bandied about
in all the papers for weeks after. He would move for a committee to
have all the papers relating to king's printer be laid before the house,
with an abstract of the accounts; and that a copy of the bill which bad
been filed in Chancery, and the answer, should be produced to ascertain
the real profits of the business. One of the avowed purposes of the
patent was, that one king's printer should be a member of this
house, and to support ministers. He did not mean to say that it
was on that account Mr. Strachan did vote always with ministers,'
but true It was that he did always vote with them. Mr. Pitt
had established a stationery office, which was quite sufficient to
execute all the printing which government required, and there-
fore granting the patent was a useless monopoly.—lf the work
were done by contract a great saving might be effected, because
the contractor could only have the difference between his own
profits and the next offerer ; and the present King's printer was, in fact,
a contractor; but be was a contractor without competition. As it was,
being a government contractor, he (Mr. H.) was of opinion that he was
disqualified to have a seat in that house. He was of opinion that if the
patent had been granted under these circumstances, that those who bad
done so should be brought to the bar of the house to account for their
conduct. The time was come that the house of commons must make a
stand, and he hoped that be would have the support of every member in
it for economy. The hon. gentleman concluded by moving for returns
of the sums of money paid to the King's printer, for printing, for '
the last ten years; also fora number of copies of acts of parliament re-
turned by the King's printer to the public offices and magistrates, for
the last ten yews, sod the price paid for the same ; also a copy of a bill
and answer filed in a cause in Chan? Reeves v. Strahan; also a copy '
of the patent granted to the King's ter.
The CHANCELLOR of the E CHEQUER said, he had omitted
to bring down any documents which would be necessary to answer the
hon. gentleman's statement, because he thought the hon. gentleman
would have contented himself with moving for the papers, and reserved
his argument till the papers were before the house. He would give up
to the honourable gentleman that Mr. Pitt had acted incorrectly;
but the Government, who acted on an apposite principle, should not
be treated with obloquy. When the subject came under discussion
with the documents before the house, he would be able to satisfy the
house that the government had acted for the public advantage.
the patents were granted, it was dens on the principle that the laws of
GOD and of the country should be published by responsible persons,
and an Act of Parliament, printed by the s •printer, was made an
authorised document in a court of justice. The Duke of Wellington
had in many instances abolished offices as they became vacant.
Mr. SPOTTISWOODE said the receipt which the hon. gent. had
represented as 30,0001. was last year 8,0001. The hon. gent had dared
to assert that he had made a compact with Ministers to sit in that house
and support Ministers. He dented it in the hoes gentleman's teeth
it was too much to say, that because he differed with the hon. gent. he
was therefore corrupt.
Mr. O'CONNELL said, the hon. member for Middlesex had not said
there was a compact with the present King's Printer; he only said there
bad been such a compact with his predecessor : and that by some acci-
dent the present always voted with the Government.
The motion was then agreed to, with the exception of the Bill and
Answer in Chancery, which the hon. gentleman withdrew for further
consideration.

Mr. HUME said he was about to make a motion on the subject a
public pensions, which were swallowing up the revenue of the country.
He would bring forward a motion fur never granting a public pension
to either wife or child of any officer, nor even to public men, with very
few exceptions, as he was confident it was the only means of causing
officers to make provision for their wives and children. The hon.
gentleman moved for a copy of the regulations for granting pensions to
the widows and children of officers of the army, navy, and ordnance,
aril other public offices.
Mr. RUTHVLN said, he should not oppose the motion, but would
never acquiesce to have the widows of officers deprived of their pensions ;
bat he would have no objection to have sinecures abolished.
Lord L. HOWE it said, the granting of pensions was now regulated
in a manner consistent with the strictest economy.
Mr. HUME said, what he objected to was, that the rich man's wife
had a pension, and the poor man wife had none.
The motion was agreed to.
Mr. WEYLAND brought in a bill for the better regulation of the
settle-rent of the poor.— Read a first time and ordered to be printed.
Mr. HUME brought in two bills for repairing roads in Middlesex.
Read a first time and ordered to be read a second time.

The House adjourned to Monday, st a Quarter-past Nine o'clock.