Star.
London, England, 1819-02-23 00:00:00

STATE OP PRISONS.

Mr. BUXTON wished to know whether the Noble
Lord would have any objection to postpone his Mo-
tion respecting the State of Prisons, till that of an
Honourable Friend of his (Sir J. Maickintosh's) on
the Criminal Code should have been disposed of?
Lord CASTLEREAGH should be happy to com-
ply with the wishes of the bight Honourable Gen-
tleman who had considered the subject so deeply,
but he felt unwilling to postpone his motion, as he
considered it of a more comprehensive nature than
that of the Honourable Baronet's.

WINDSOR ESTABLISHMENT.

On the motion of Lord CASTLEREAGH, the
House resolved itself into a Committee of Supply
on the Windsor Establishment. His Lordship then
moved, " That the Report of the Select Committee
on the said Establishment be taken into consider-a,-
am." 'which being agreed toy
Lord CASTLEREAGH rose : he thought he
should better consult the feelings of the House, if he
now opened the whole subject, instead of proceeding
by the introduction of a Bill. He should therefore
propose several distinct Resolutions, on which the
Committee would have to decide, and if agreed to,
the Chairman would then be directed to move for
leave to bring in a Bill. to carry them into effect.
The first Resolution would merely relate to the
question that the amount of the Windsor Establish..
ment be reduced from £lOO,OOO to £50,000 a year.
The second would involve the charges for annuities
to the Queen's servants, to the amount recommended
by the Committee. The third would apply to the
appointment of the Duke of York, as Curios Persons.
The fourth, to the payment of £lO,OOO a year to his
Royal Highness in that capacity, out ,of the Civil
List. The fifth would go to make a limited chante
in the enactments of the Act ;X 181'2, respecting the
mode of superannuating the King's servants, as the
new transaction would throw a great number of
them out of employment. The last should only in-
volve Exchequer regulations concerning the issue of
the £50,000 per annum for the Windsor Establish-
[ment, and £58,000 for the other objects which had
been enumerated. In the explanations which he
should offer to the House, he should follow the order
of the Resolutions. The first he considered the sum
and substance of the whole, that a suitable provisien
should be made for the support of his Majesty. The
labours of the Committee would enable him to
abridge what he had to say on that subject, and would
thus relieve hint from a considerable difficulty, be.
cause it would now come before the House with the
authority of the deport before them, that the grant
of fifty thousand pounds a year was a suitable sum
for the maintenance of his Majesty. No difference
of opinion had prevailed in the Committee on the
subject. But there was a general concurrence of
opinion, not only that it was reasonable, but that all
the details had been fairly considered, and the expen-
diture regulated with a due attention to economy.
The only difference which had arisen, had been with •
regard to a point of little comparative importance.
He meant the number of Equerries which should be
retained, whether four or six, and he should contorm
to the opinion of the Committee, and propose, anly
four, as had been settled by the Bill of Mr. Ilicrke.
The sum of £50,0:10 a year had, at first, struck the
Right Honourable Gentleman opposite as too large,
but now he trusted, that t e Right Honourable Gut-
tleznan was satisfied that it.was no more than the ne-
cessities of the case required. .For if one-third of it
was deducted for the expenses required to maintain
Windsor Castle on the footing of a Royal Palace,
and another third for the se' vants employed, what
would remain for the expe: s:s if the Household
would not exceed £16,000. 041 4ot think that a
mere.economical arrangement could have be 6
eluded. With respect to the second resolution, for
making a suitable provision for the, servants of her
late Majesty, when he had origineizelirtrodneed
subject, he had stated that he as much as
possible w fume his measure according to the prose.