Star.
London, England, 1802-02-24 00:00:00

LIIIWARD tSLAWD DUTIII.

Mr. Rosson moved, that an Addrefs fhould
be prefented to his Majesty, praying that he would
be gracioully pleated to give directions that there
Would be laid before tl.t Houfe an Account of
the amount of the four and a half per cent. Du-
ties in his Majeily's Leeward Hands, front the
tit of January, 1784, to the latelt period at which
the fame can be made out, diftinguifhing each
year; alfo the particular charges thereupon, the.,
perfons to whom paid, the dates, &c. He added,
that he was not aware that any objeaion would
be made to this motion.

Mt. Vail, yrs at raid, that be bad no argument
to offer againft the Hon. Gentleman's Motion, as
he had Rated no reafons to (hew the neceffity for
producing this account : in fan, it did not appear
to him in the leaft degree necefrary. All the pen-
fions charged upon thofe duties were already be-
fore the Houk, as was the amount of the fum
appropriated from them to the aid of the Civil
Lift. As, therefore, he law nothing to juftify the
Hon. Gentleman's demand, he mould certainly
oppofe it.
Mr. Robson Rated, that he had feveral reafons
for moving for thofe accounts ; they were met
Cary, in his opinion, to inform the Committee on
the fubjea of the Civil Lift. He law that his
Majefty had taken i 73,0001. from that fdnd, in
the courfe of i 6 years, to apply to the rapport of
his Civil Government, which was at the rate of
to,sool. a-year, and he perceived that the charges
on that fund amounted to 37,0001. a-year. Now
he writhed to know whether the to,socl. appropri-
ated by his Majefty, formed the only furplus over
thofe charges which the duty he alluded to pro.
duced. It was defirable alfo to know the names
of the perfons to !whom the penfions charged on
that duty were granted. He thought, indeed, that
that duty was applied to purpofes very different
from thofe for which it was originally impofed by
the Aft'of Charles the Second.
Mr. BIAGGI, on the part of the Committee al-
luded to by the Hon. Gentleman, and of Which
he had the honour to be a member, denied that
the account moved for was at all neceffary to their
information, or by any means conneaed with the
fukeft under their confideration. His Majefty
bad thought proper to transfer io,sool. a-year
from the produce of the duty alluded to, in aid
of the Civil Lift, and in fo doing, he applied that
which, in faa, was his private property, in fuch a
way as to relieve the public—by making provifion
for the payment of fo much debt, It muft appear
that it would be as juftifiable in the Committee to
enquire into the amount and application of his Ma-
jelly's other refources, as to meddle with the fub-
jea to which the Hon. Gentleman would direa
their attention. If it was the Hon. Gentlemanis
intention to difpute the right of the Crown to
charge certain penlions upon this duty ; there
were already fufficient materials upon the Table
to ground his :arguments upon—and he could not
have any other objeft for his motion, as it could
be of no life to the Committee whom he profeied
his with to inform, but on whole behalf he requell-
ed the Houfe to negative the motion, left itlhould
, be improperly implicated with the important rub-
jea before them. At the fame time he withed it
to be underflood, that under different circumftati-
ces, at Come future period, fuch a Motion might
be proper and neceffary, and of courfe entitled to
his rapport.
Mr. Ross referred the Hon. Gentleman, who
made the motion, to the Accounts prefented fall
&Mon, in which are detailed' all the offices, with
the names of the Officers, charged upon the duty

his Motion alluded to. He explained the nature of
the 441 per cent. Duty, as grants from the Legif-
latisee Aftemblies of the different Wands, which
were paid in kind. and therefore fluauating in its
produce. He called upon the Hon. Mover to ac-
commodate the Houfe, by pointing out the Mt
of Parliament which he Rated as prefcribing the
purpofes to which this duty was to be applied.
Dr. Lawemcz obferved, that the Hon. Mover
of this Addrefs was ignorant of the return of the
duty to which he had called the attention of the
Houle, as was the Hon. Gentleman who had kilt,
fat down : it was not formed of grants from the
Alfemblies of the different Hands, but a fpecies
of quitrent polfcifed by the Crown in return for
money advanced from the hereditary revenue, in
the reign of Charles 11. for the relief of the Pro-
prietors. It therefore was to all intents and pm-•
poles the private property of the Crown, of which
hisMajelly was authorifed to difpofe in fuch a man-
ner as to his Royal Bounty fhould feem meet.—
The Learned Doaor then took occafion to re-
mark on the Pennon Lift on the Table, in which
were the names of many perfons that were dead,
among whom was that of his predeceffor in office.
Mr. ROSE explained.
Mr. Joars remarked, that there were penfions
charged on the duty moved by his Hon. Friend,
for ten or twelve Governors, whofe names were
not mentioned, and who perhaps were alto paid
from the Army Extraordinaries. It appeared, too,
that 9,0001. a year was granted in t 787, to whom
was not fpecified. He -knew and applauded the
objea of his Hon. Friend, but was certain he'
would not be fo pertinacious as to perfift in his
Motion, as it appeared to be difagreeable at pre-
fent, and as the Right Hon. Gentleman on the
other fide had promifed to fupport it at a future
day. He was aware that his Hon. Friend's pur.
pole was to analyze the Pennon Lift, to afcertain
the claim of thofe who received fo much from the
Public Purfe, whore names were to be found on
the Roll on the Table, which he would dignify
with the title of a perfeakore mite.
Mr. BIAGGI explained.
Mr. Ross Rated, that the Governors alluded to
by the Hon. Gentleman on the oppofite fide,though
their names were not mentioned, were the Gover-
nors of the different Mends. As to the 90001. a
year granted in 1787, that was transferred by his
Majelly for the ufe of a Branch of the Royal Fa-
mily.
Mr. Wit. DuNnas thought the Honfe,fhould
not agree to motions for the prodnition of accounts
merely as matters of amufement, to gratify the
curiolity of Gentlemen as to particular names. It
was certainly becoming the extended fagacity of
the two Hon. Gentlemen on the other fide to pre-
fcribe to the Committee above ftairs a want of in-
formation, of which they were utterly infenfible,
but he trufted the Houfe would rather be difpafed
to attend to the words of a refpeOable Member of
that Committee, than to the recommendation of
thole Honourable and Learned Gentlemen, whofe
defire to know the names whom his Majefly had
thought proper to diflinguifh by his favour might,
ab thould fuppofe, be amply fausfied by reading
Mat &vrs two as the Hon. Gentleman defignated
it, which was in the hands of every man.
Mr. Josses recommended his Hon. Friend to
poll .one his motion until the Chancellor of the
Exchequer lhould be in his place.
As Mr. Rosso* was rilingg, the Siouan fur
gelled to him to confine himfek to explanation.
Mr. Rosso* produced the Aft of Charles 11. to
which he had before referred. He etpreffed his
confent to the propofition of his Hon.Friend,pledg-
ing himfelf however to bring it forward again.—
The motion was accordingly withdrawn.