The Statesman.
London, England, 1818-04-16 00:00:00

le Civire for ochkA Ilasiriksj

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

-..111r-

HOUSE OF LORDS. APRIL 15.
Mr. Brogden brought up the Irish privately Stealing Bill,
which was read a ant time.
Several private Bill. were brought op by Mr. Shaw Le-
fevre and Other Members.
The Earl of LAU I/Fitt/ALE postponed the motion relative
to Coinage and Currency, of which lie had given 'mice fur to-
morrow, until Monday mese
The maequik of DoVIINSIIIRE again bronght forward the
motion which be had proposed ye4erday, for as Address to She
Princeitegent, requesting that his Royal Highness would be
pleomid to order an account of the present Income of the Primers
of the Royal Family to be laid before the House. The tempo(,
She minion which bad beets objected to being altered, it saw
passed nerd. di,.
ROYAL. MARRIAOES.
The Earl of LIVERPOOL basing moved the Or.
der of the Day, the Prince Regent's Message was
read by the Clerk. The Noble Earl thee rose Ire
propose an answer to the communication theil Lord-
ships had just heard. The Noble Lord who yestere.
day moved an Arneedment on the motion, that the.
Order be discharged, in stating his objections ter the*
motion, intimated, that if the Address to be moved
were such a one as he proposed, namely, contain-
ing merely en assurance that their Lordships would
concise in making a suitable arrangement for the in-
tended marriages, it would meet with no objection
from him.—(Dear!]—lle had so understood the
Noble Baron. The Address which he intended to
move would, therefore, be one on which no digeience
of opinion could be expected. It would not pledge
their Lordships to any opinion, either us to the
*bole, or as to any part of the arrangement. Its
purport would he merely to thank his Royal Royal
Highness the Prince Regent for the communication
he had been pleased to make, and to express the dis-
position of this House to concur in making a suitable
provision for the events contemplated in the Mes-
sage. Though this was a motion which Le might be
warranted in making, without any prefatory etude.
'ninon whatever. yet he was confident that there were
no recent instinces of such art Address being pro-
posed in which it had not been expected of Ministers
to stale what were the views they entertained Oh the
subject. Some questions would likely be asked,
and it was to he expected that Ministers would
be tidied upon to state what they intended ultimately
to propose. Their Lordships were aware, however,
that, according to the practice of the Constitution,
nu arrangement which might be made on the present
occasion could he proposed for the immediate consi•
deration of thet House. It must originate elsewhere,,
and it was impossible for the Executive Government
to see what might he the fate of any proposition
which might he made in that place. It might under.
go modifirations, or it might he rejected entirely.--
But their Lordships' security was, that it must come
before them in the shape of a Bill, on which they
would have the opportunity of finally giving their
decision. lie might, therefore, hilly consider him-
self precluded from the necessity of any explanation;
but the usual practice preyed, that their Lordships
did consider that the Ministers of the Crown ought
to state the nature of the measure which itl was in-
"tended to submit in the other House. Sach had been
the course lie had followed some years ego, and in
the year 11315, when he thought it necessary to give
a full explanation of the intended measure. If, how.
ever, there were any occasion in which he could he
more entities than another to give an explanation to
their Lordships of the views entertained by his Ma.
jesty's Ministers on a measure to be submitted to
them, the present was that occasion. Whatever dif-
ference of opinion might arise—whatever might be
the result of the proposition, he should feel that he
was not acting a candid and manly part, if he did riot
coma forward and state, not only the arrangement
his Majesty's Ministers thought it their duty to advice,
but the grounds on which it had been resolved
to propose that arrangement. In considering the
question which would hereafter arise, their Lordships
would have to look et the stature of the case to be
providedfor. They all recr.llected the great and deep
calamity which rimmed its November last, in thedeath
;of her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte. After
the first ebullition of feeling occasioned by that cala-
mity—which never could be mentioned without sen-
sations of pain and regret—had subsided, the general
question which every one asked himself, and asked
Isis neighbour, was, how will this event operate on
the succession to the CIOWIS ? Tight was a question
which naturally arose from the state of the Royal
Family. Ilis Majesty, they all knew, had been
blessed with numerous issue; but it was singular
that, of the twelve using descendants of his Ma-
jesty, seven Princes and live Princesses, the 3 oung.
est Prince was now 41 years of age, • and there
was not one of the Princesses under 41. %Viten he
stated this cireunistance, and dist there was at pre-
sent no descendant from any of the married branches
of the family, he thought their Lordships would tint
think it unadaisable to take measures to guard against
any unfortunate contingency which might arise with
regard to the succession. The situation in which the
Royal Family stands with respect to issue, must
surely he regarded as au object to which it was the
duty of the Executive Government to pay attenti..n.
Their Lordships might recollect that, in the speech
from the Throne, at the commencement of the Ses-
shin, a direct reference bed been made to this subject.
Parliament %%9S then informed, that the subject was
under the consideration of the Executive Govern-
meat ; and its the Addresses of both Houses, thanks
were expressed for the communication, and satisfac-
tion expressed that attention was to be paid to so
important an object. Under these circumstances the
present measure must be considered as of no conimon
stamp, but as one of great political expediency and
urgency. Their Lordships had heard, from she Mes-
sage, the slate in which the business sibw remains.—
It announce' that two marriages are in the course of
negotiation ; at the same time it was to be under-
tuod) that other cases might arise to which it•would

be Me field, and Srometr died el As sclobl."

. . .
appear fair that the same principle which goverped
the arrangement for these two marriages ought to be
applied. H. thought it much better to took sit the
case in a general point of view, and to consider what
°matt to be done on the whole, than to diacusiesth
seearitecase.—Ltlear, hear;),-41e did lint mean to
say that Parliament were not te consider the easel le-
parately. as they arose ; bet certainly each. separate
case. would come more conveniently seder the Or*
of the House, after some general principle applicable
to the whole bed been adopted. It was possible that,
for the convenience of the litecutive Government,
another course might have been preferable; bet tight,
to whirl he bad recommended the raying down a ge-
neral principle, was certainly the moat candid both
toward+ Parliament and the country. Having trou-
bled their Lordships with this general view of the
subject, he should now atale the particular measures
which it bad been' thought right to advise. It had i
been proposed to grant to the first of the Princes,
-mimed in the Message, his Royal nighties' the Duke
of Clarence, the annual SLIM or 19,5001., which
would make up his present income to 40,0:101. a-year.
In the Duke of Cambridge it was proposed to grant
12,0001. which would raise his income to 30,0001.—
The grant proposed to be made to the Duke of Kent,
under the like continency, was similar. In making
this proposition, and bringing the subject before their
Lordships, he felt it a veld be his duty to recom-
',wild that a corresponding provision should be made
for the Duke of
Cumberland. What he bed stated
• oulti put their Lordships in possestion of the whole
of the measure which he bad thought it his duty to
recotimend, and he had now to-stale-tho grounds upon
which it bad been thought proper, to propose a differ.
ence in the sums to be granted. It appeared to him,
and he doubted not would an appear to their Lord-
ships, that she case of the Duke of Clarence would
come before them under circumstances a hich must ma-
terially distinguish it from the cases of his Royal
brothers. He slid not indeed Maori ill the situation
of Heir Apparent to the Throne; but he was the next
heir after the Prince Retied and the Duke of York ;
and lottlOng at she coutingencies which might arise,
the Executive Government did not think that it
could be regarded as unrest...noble to follow the pre-
cedent of 1792, when the Dike of York was mar.
tied. As resat period the Duke of yolk was not
nearer in the Crown thaii th.. Duke of Clarence is
lino. The prepositien, however, which was thee
submitted to Parliament by Mr. Pitt was, that the
income of tee Duke of Yofk, including what be
dertied from his Regiment of Guarde, bhould be
raised to 40,0(X)i. Al the distance of 25 years, with
the did...relic, which has since arisen in she value of
motley, hr never could thick that a proposition to
grant the came income, under similar circumstances,
to the Duke of Offence, was anrealneable. It ap-
pelted to him, that Ministers were fully justified in
makiste that precedent the foundation of the measure
they intended to propose to Parliament. He was
old enough to remember the proceeding which took
place in Parliament on the marriage of the D ke of
York. The proposition then made by Government
did not, it was true, pass altogether without objec-
tion, but it experienced no material opposition. It
was supported tint only by the great Minister whose
name he bad mentioned, but by another great states.
mass, the individual who w esthete at the head of the De-
position—tie meant the late Mr. Fox.llie wily question
that produced any discustiob in the House of Commons
was, how far it was proper that informstioss should be
given respecting the revenues which his Royal High-
ness derived from the Bishopric of Ostiaburgh. The
call for that information was most powerfully op-
posed by Mr. Pitt, and still more strongly combated
by Mr. Fox, who stated broadly that the House had
no right to enquire into what income the Duke of
York derived from foreign sources. All that they
had to cnnsider NM, what was fit to be given by a
British Parliament to a British Prince, ender the cir-
cumstances of the case. The Measure then passed
with the general concurrence of all parties. 0,1 that
occasion he recollected a remarkable proposition was
stated by Mr. Fos relative to the outfit, and which
had been acted upon in a measure adopted a few
years ago. Mr. Fox urged the necessity of granting
a sum by way of outfit ; and observed, that it it was
not given, it would be impossible for the Illustrious
Prince, considering the extraordinary expences be
must incur, to avoid embarrassments. This propo-
sition was approved '25 years ago ; and if it was rea-
sonable that the Duke of York should be then al-
lowed a tient for outfit, he could slot think it unrea-
lsonable to apply the flume principle to the case of the
Duke of Clarence. Theis. Lordships recollected the
I joy which had been manifested on the marriage of
she Princess Charlotte: The sum then proposed was
60,0001., and no proposition ever experienced greater
approbation. Ile did out mesa to say that the cir-
cumstances were precisely the same. There certain-
ly was a very evident distinction ; hut was not the
diffetence sufficiently Wowed for in she difference of
the sum which had been proposed? There had been
another case of Royal Marriage, which could not be
cited as a precedent, as tin application bad been made
to Parliament in consequence of it—he meant the
marriage of the Duke of Gloucester and the Princess
Mary. No fine could feel "Wore:respect than he did
for the motives which induced those Illustrious Per.
mitts to abstain from making any application to Par.
figment on their union. But in recollecting that no
augmentation was proposed to be made to the income
of the Duke of Gloucester on that occasion, it was
to be considered that. the Government, in acceding
to the views of that Illustrious Individual, would no-
wally consider the state Of the income which he
would enjoy by *signet of Parliament, though not
made on the occasion of the marriage. Had it not
bees, for that consideration, he should not have
thought that be had performed his duly if he bad