Star.
London, England, 1806-02-05 00:00:00

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on which Lord did hfintediately !trader the
former office to his brother, and futdequently in the
cafe of Mr. Pelham. If fuch transfer was in itfelf
legal, how much more fo was it legal to make the
transfer by a bill introduced into Parliament, Rating
the doubts that trifled, and openly Rating the man-
ner in which thofe doubts were propofed to be done
away ? If the transfer was not fully authorifeth in
what manner could it acquire an additional fanaion
n(legality. better than by a fair and candid examina.
don in that Houfe ? If the title or preamble of
the bill, in which is Rated that doubts exifted, lhould
•he teemed inaccurate, there e sold be eaftly amended
al' the bill went into the Committee.
Mr. ROSE declared that no man in that Houfe
was more defirous that the Noble Lord (Grenville)
thould have the place alluded to than be was. He
heartily and fincerely eriffied the nomination to take
place, but he willed at the fame time that it fhould
`.e without violating the principles of the ettabliffied
wof the country. He entertained nn doubt, and
was convinced there was not a Member of the
Houle, who had weigher:l'th( queßlon, of a contrary
opinion, that the two offices alluded to were as in-
compatible with each other as any two offices could
poffibly be. The Honourable Member then proceeded
to examine the Aet of King William, fettling the
office of Auditor of Exchequer, and from thence in-
ferred the abfurdity of one palm having both the
authority to order mottles to be paid, and being at
the feme time the check on hintfelf. The very pre.
cedent Mt referred to by the Honourabk Mover was,
be apprehended, a complete anfwer to the applies.
Lion. Lord Halifax did not '
give the office to bins-
felf, but to his brother. Neither, however, did he
allow his brother to retain the fituation after he
himfelf ceafed to be firft Lord of the Treafury; but
again fat down bimfelf as Auditor of the Exchequer.
1.1 the Auditor of Exchequer, who at the fame time
was Pirit Lord of the Treafury, was to appoint his
own Deputy, as 'lmpaled by the prefent bill, the Hon.
Member maintained that Poch Deputy, no more than
9.e Auditor of Exchequer hirofelf, could be a proper
check on the Firit Lord of the Treafury. The pre-
C. bill he fubmitted, inked of being a bill to remove
doubts As to the law, ought to be a bill at once to
alter the law in this particular. He moil unaffeaedly
toncorred in wilting the Noble Lord fhould hold the
office of Flrft Lord of the Treafury ; but he hoped
the Houfe would not allow him to hold two offices
which were incompatible in their duties with each
other, without proceeding legally in conferring fuch
permit:Goo.
Mr. C. W. WYNNE combated the arguments of
the left Speaker, from a eomparifon of the different
Claufos of the AR of Parliament, and maintained that
ihe Auditor of the Exchequer was not meant to be a
kheck on the via Lord of the Treafury, but to fee
that the feveral films granted were applied to the
particular ferviees for which they were voted. As
to the idea, that the Auditor oldie Exchequer could
never be a proper check on the Firß Lord of the
'freafury, if the Fir ft Lord of the Treafury were alto
to hold the office of Auditor, and to be allowed, as
propofed by the prefent Bill, to difcharge the duties
of it by deputy, be declared that he could fee no more
ground for that fuppofition in the cafe of a deputy,
than where. as in the precedents alluded to, the per-
fon to ail asAttditor was appointed by the Firft Lord
of the Treafury. Whatever evils could be fuppofed
to arife out of the mode now propofed, look ha Me-
fumed to think, have been far greater wider the for-
am pradice. At all'events, if was any thing
wrong in the two offices remaining really though not
ollenfilalf in the fame perfoo, no man, he hoped. would
difpute that it wis better, sad more honourable, that
fuel' arrangement fhould take place openly and fairly,
and with the approbation of Parliament, than that it
fhould be effeded by a mere trick. The Conffitution
of the Exchequer, too, be begged it to be obferved,
had undergone a confiderable alteration fince the
time of its lirft eßabliffiment. The Auditor at that
time derived a principal part, if not the whole, of the
emoluments of his office from a per tentage on the
Ales from the Exchequer, thereby giving him an
interell in the amount of fuch Mies. Now, be was
temunerated by a falary.
Mr. ROSE explained.
The ATTORNEY GENERAL declared that
nothing could be farther from his with than to throw
unneeeffiry impediments in the way of the prefent BilU
Of all the propofed appointments of which he bad
heard, the one aggLalluded to, was that which gave
him moil pleafure t and if what he bad to fay on the
fubjeet fhould induce the Noble Lord to take another
rffice, he fhould feel very ferious concern from the
citcumßance. He witted that inch Reps fhould be
taken in the matter as amid forward it as far as the
Honourable Mover could exped the Wroth to pro-
ceed this night, and that Gentlemen fhould take till
tomorrow to confider what would be the moil effec-
tual mode of proceeding afterwards. He agreed
entirely with the Honourable Gentleman oppofite,
that it was far better to proceed openly, under the
fanaion of an Aet of Parliament. than in a clande-
Rine manner, and by an artificial transfer of the office.
But he fubmitted that, in place of a Deputy to be
named by the Auditor hirnfelf, the preferable mode •
of proceeding would be that Parliament timid,
maxim, appoint a legal Trace to aft for the Noble
Lord, who, of courfe, would be refponfible for the
ithful difcharge of his Office.
Mr. ROSE declared that this would fati.fy hi► fcru-
Iles on the bands.
Mr. FOX felt the force of what had fallen from
Learned Gentleman (woke to him on the point
• f form, which was to himfelf perfedly indifferent.
: was aware that it was not orderly in him to fay
• hat he withed to confult another perfon out of the
IFtrfe on what paffed in that Houfe. He trolled,
'u wever, to be excufed for expreffing a defire to
Xabmit the fuggettion of the Learned Gentleman to
his Noble Friend before be entirely acquiefced in it.
He at the lame time fubmitted, as it would be corn.
pletely competent to alter the Bill in the Committee,
agreeably to the iriggettion of the Learned Gentle-
.:tan, if his idea lhouid be approved of, that, to lave
time, the Bill thould be read a firil and fecond time
rat night.
This being agreed to, the Bill was brought up,
-rot read a firth and fecund rime, and was ordered
he commit cd for tomorrow.
he Report. of the Committee of the Houfe on
)e Annuities to Lady Nellon, Lord Colltogwood,
.0,,1 Sir J. R. Strachan, were brought up and agreed
and Bills emitted to to brought in accordingly.