The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-05-22 00:00:00

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lake
lake the liberty of proposing a Resolution. 'The lien
he alluded to, was a sum of 5,900/. fur the repair 0;
fortifications, &c. in the island of Barhadoes. Non.
. the reason of his objecting to this vote was,
that t
was a fund supplied by that We as well as moose to
sale
all the Leeward Islands for the repress purp
Iseeping in repair these fortifications, and until lo
knew that the fund was properly administered accord
nag to the intention of those that granted it, be could
not consent to vote away the public tnoney of this
country for any such purpose. As a proof of the ex-
istence of this fund. and of its nature being as he bad
stated, he would only refer to the Journals of the
House.--(The Hon. Member accordingly directed
io thns
e
Clerk of the House to read from the Journals petit
presented from certain individuals in the years 1663
and 1702, praying the interposition of the House to
saute the proceeds of a duty of 41 per cent. on the im-
posts of the island to be applied, as originally intended,
to pair of tbe fortifications and other works
tbe reor tbe defence of tbe island.)--These extracts
erected f
having been read. the Hon. Member proceeded to ob-
serve, that there was sufficient proof on the Journals
of the House of the original intention of those who
granted this fund being as he had stated ; and he bad
reason to believe that instead of its being appropri-
ated as it ought to be, it was totally absorbed by the
Crown, and dispensed in the support of a number of
placemen and pensioners. This fund be knew was
diaposed of by distribution amongst many Lords and
Ladies in the country, and Gentlemen in that House,
and he knew. therefore, that be should have the voles
of many in that House who held these funds in their
hands against his motion. 'ibis he did not doubt,
and indeed he wished to point out to the House that
almost all the late votes on the Estimates had been
carried by the official men alone in that House. This
was a pretty state for them to be in, when all the
public money was voted away by those gentlemen,
so voted, and
who were interested in its beiog
employed as it was. The Honourable Member
raid a high encomium on
(the. labours labours o
to f theex-
lion. Member for Aberdeen (Mr. Ilee,)
pose the abuse! in the expenditure of the public money,
and concluded by moving the following ltesolutions as
an Amendment :—" That it appears to this House, by
the Ordnance F.stiinates f 1
r the present year, that
there is a charge of 5909/. for repairs of fortificationa
and other military works in the island of Ilarbadoes ;
and as it also appears by reference to the Journals of
the House that there is a certain sum collected out of
the revenues of that island for the purpose of defrayi
that
ng
tile repairs of the public buildings, forts,
Lc. of
i land, it is the opinion of the House that it can
su not,
consistently with its duty, vote the said mof
5900/. till it is satisfied that this tax has been faith-
folly applied and found inadequate.'
Before the question was put from the Chair, a mes-
sage from the Lords was received, acquainting the
Haase of their Lordships' assent to several Road Bills.
The question having been put,
Sir C. LON° said, that be could not conceive the
ll'oise would he induced to accede to the pro
lion toposititthe
the lion. Member fur Appl.eby, in opposi
c Aahlished practice of Parliament with reference to
tile fund for the last century. 'The grant of this fund
c as
e,
or made for his Majesty, his heirs, and
successors for ever ; and if ever there was money
v liieh ought to be indisputably regarded as belonging
to the permanent revenue of the Crown, it was the
twoiev derived fr.iiii that source. There certainly was
t...outill for a claim on the part of the island of Bar-
-I,,ioes alone to the effect stated by the lion. Mem-
Ler ; but if he would look at the circumstance under
which that claim made on the OCCaSiOlli bewouhad
ld find
di-
nted the attention of the Haase to,
lie
ti at the case bad greatly altered with the times.
Since these periods Baradoes had n mde a naval
e.pot, and its defence web been
provided for, ta
wsich end
Peitient grants of money bad been made by this coun-
tr-. The manner in which this fund was at present
arplied had been recognized over and over again by
of
Parliament; and, in the year 1797,
a Committee
t'..at House had declared that the fun.' was applicable
manner as the King should think fit. The
li Metuber said, that its sole purpose was to repair
on. suc
firtifications ; yet ou one of the occasions quoted
by the lien. Member, the address of that Housse
fun to the
Cow" prayed his Majesty so to apply those ds,
after paying the Earl of Kinnoul his annuity out of it.
'lhere had not been a Lawyer of eminence fort the l
ase
t eotury who had not given it as his opinio hat the
vegeta application of it was legal. For these reasons
he should oppose the amendment.
Sir F. BURDETT maintained that it never could
Lave been the intention of those who granted this
fund for the repairs of the fortifications in the West
India islands, that it should be applied to the corrup•
. lion of Members of that House. It was uhado ar
existed
i •gument
ir favour of such an application, that it
for a century; and if the fund were in the control of
ti.e Crown. it was like all other money so situated, is.
tended for the benefit and not the detriment of the
public ; and when Parliament saw that the Crown had
ether resources than it gave, it would be backward to
agree in all the grants propoard
for that purpose.
DOULBURN contend that the fund was
1111.
criatly at the disposal of the CTOWII, and whatever the
Hon. Baronet might think of the manner iu which it
aas expended, the characters of those who received
pcnsians from it, repelled Imputation.
Mr. MONCK said, it was clear that, even if the ap-
-I,;ication of the funds collected from the others of the
Leeward Islands were not laid down by Act of Par-
liament, it was granted for a national purpose, and
sot for the support of pensioners in that House.
'The House then divided :--For the Amendment,
58.—Agai ust it, 86.—Majority, 28.
When strangers were re-admitted, the House was in
a Committee.
•Mr. R. WARD moved a grant of 94,3001. to cover
tile balance of the pay due to the Royal Brigade of
Artillery.
THE CORONATION.
Mr. MONO,: wished to ask the Hon. Oentlensan
' opposite a question on the subject of the Coronation.
lie wished for information on a matter relative to it,
' which every one interested for the Royal Family, ani
looking up to them with that regard which be sits-
' certly Telt, must consider of some importance at the
present moment. Every person so feeling, must see
with eittetitst repugnance, nay slight offered to soy
member et the Royal Family, and most especially
. complain of the omieston of any established usage
which went to give peculiar dignity to one member

til
if the Royal Pesf It would hr ie the recollection
.1 every member of that noose, that in the ctinrse of
the last session of Parliatuent, •a solo bail been
voted for the Coron believed one hun-
dred thousand pounds had been Toted for
.that
purpose. When that grant was agreed to by the
donee, it was tinder eirentiMances very iliiTerent from
those of the preactit day. It was then very doubtful
whether the Queen would ever return to this country,
and it was therefore not thought in
to consider
at that time what arrangement in the event of her
coming woud br pr 44 44 rto he made for her. On this
subje ct be hlad now to ask two questions. The first
was, w e made for the
hether any arrangements were
part that Illustrious Person might
if any such sustain in 'lce
-
cereonyi and the second, whether, at
inratigemllleetis niade, it would he necessary to call on
llti for a new grant in addition to the 100,0011/.
perila
arcade voted on account of the Coronation? lie for
one was not disposed to believe the rumours that he
bad heard abroad, that while provision is made for
securing seats for the Peeresses of England. no pro-
of the most
Illustronioustwo Personage in the country. 'lbis he men-
tioned as a roinotir that he hail la sard, but it was one
that he could too bring himself to believe. After
what hail passed in the last Session of menParlit,
the
it
could not be denied that the Queell WAS as 1
Queen of this country, as the Kitig was King of it.
Any vote that might he proposed to malie• suitable
arrangements for her Majesty be was
w confidentlarge would
be well received by the country, hoever the
sum proposed might be, if the snme were well anlf d
justly applied fur the Queen's accommod.
lionever, the stun w!lich had been voted was not ill-
tended. too- any port of it, to be appropriaied—i the
f
\ coronation festival was i n
ateond he ned r
not
aj to give
then
e new
lustre, but to thro a stigm Nlesty, h
o
thought that any soul of moues- that might be sa
expended would he considered objectionabl, not only
by the Nleuthers of that noose,lle hoped t phe
by tie peole
(almost utiiiersally) cut of buto
Chancellor of the Exchequer would satisfy the public
mind by riving smite answer to this question.
The CHANCF.LIAM 4)f the EXCHEQUER did not
really see how the question jest asked grew out of a
proposed vote of money for the pay cf the Royal Ar-
tillery in a Committee of Supply. He could not see
that any clear ground was laid for the question at all.
Such a one would only become necessary if a lark' r
sum should be asked to corer th
ereses of the
was
Co
ronation. At present, howev, the question
wholly unnecessary, as be could assure the Hon. Gen-
tleman that Ministers hail no intention of calling for
any uew grant on itectiont of the Coronation, in the
course of the pi esent Session of Parliament.
Mr. MONCK thought there was nothing irrelevant
in the question which lie had put to the business of a
Committee of Stipply. In a Committee of Supply be
had thought that Members were not obliged to confine
themselves to the subject in debate, lint were at liberty
to bring forward all the charges of th empire. the
e
therefore conceived the questiuti to have been perfec
in order ; but if, from what bud fallen from the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer, they were to collect that
Ministers were disposed to give no information on
n this
snbject, lie hoped that some Member of greater
portauce than himself would bring it before the House
in a register motion.
Mr. HUME said, the Right Hon. Gentleman had
hut half answered the second question of the. Hon.
Gentleman. He had stated that Ministers meant to
move for no additional grant ton account of the Cur -na-
tion in the coarse of the present Session of Parliament.
He wished to know if they had any intention of doing
-so in any sobseqnent Session ?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER stated
it to be impossible for him to ray then what it might
he necessary to do in a future Session. A
that that
grant of
100,0t101. had been taken, on the supposition
sum would be sufficient to cover the expenses of
the Coronation. When the accounts came be made
up, he could not say what the result mig
dihng t be.
aecient
Mr. BENNF.T contended, that accor to
custom the Members of that House, before granting a
supply, had a right to call for information on every
subject, and to brio
forward every grievance of which
they had to complain. He was therefore of opinion
that the questions of the Honourable Gentleman ought
to he answered.
Lord LONDONDERRY said, that even according
to the idea of the Honourable Member, asitw to theld prreo-
-
per mode of Parliamentary proceeding, ou
quire a great deal of ingenuity to bring the subject,
respecting which the qitestion had beet' asked, under
the definition of a grievance. lie did not know
whether it would be called a grievance that the Queen
should not be crowned. However, he should not
affect any difficulty in answering the question put to
his Right Honourable Vtiend. It was clear, in
point
of law, that it required an act of the Crown to enabl
e
her Majesty to be crowned. No part of the M
five could be more clear and undoubted than Oise....
He could also say, that lie and the other advisers if.
the Crown were not prepared to advise the Kingl
take the steits which were necessary before her Ma-
jesty could take part in the ceremonial. If the Hon.
Oentleman, or any other Members, were prepared to
revive the dying, or, he should rather say, dead em-
bers, of the painfel controversy in which the country
was lately involved, they mast take on themselves
rather tbe
responsibility of their discretion, or, he
should
say, indiscretion.
Mr. BROUGHAM said, though it was undoubted
that any matter of grievance might be, with perfect
order, liscussed in a Committee of Supply, he should
then abstain from entering at large into the questionstion
which had been raised. He only begged to
against being supposed to assent to the principle that
that
the Queen had not • right to IN crowned. T
question not being regularly before him, he did not
wish to give an .pinion one way or tbeother..--KHeer.)
The conversation dropped.
The Resolution having been again•read—. •
Mr. HUME said, that the artillery battalions were
nine in number; containing eight companies each,
every company- having 60 men. By following the
plan that was adopted before the French, wpr a great
reduction might be made of expense without reducing
the efficient force Before the war the battalion%
consisted of ten . companies, each of 73 men. Six
battalions on this.pina woad contain 60 meet re
than the present sine 'battalions, yet is the-payhe
Staff Of cers there would be a saving of 16,0001. on
the pay aad antipodes of the Staff ()Scene+

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