The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-01-18 00:00:00

HIS MAJESTY'S HOUSEHOLD.

On the question that the lieport of the Resolu-
tions be brought up,

Mr. CL{EEVEY observed, that he found the
whole of the additional sums required for the pro-

posed charges in the establishment of the Royal
Household amounted to about 135,0001. He should
not have risen, had he not also observed that the
means of meeting this increased expenditure, were
in part to be derived from Droits of Admiralty. ile
was determined to protest against this principle, be-
cause he had always regarded thess. Droits as the pro-
perty of the country ; nor could he bring his mind to
believe that when his Majesty's Civil List was settled
at 800,0001. It was in the contemplation of Parlia-
ment that a fund of eight millions should likewi,ie be
left at the entire disposal of his Majesty [Hear,
hear!] to be used as his own undoubted private pro-
perty. It would be still more extraordinary, if now,
after voting to the Prince Regent a sum of 100,0001.
and while engaged in coming to a new settlement with
respect to the support of the Executive Authority,
they should leave it in the power of the Princes
which was to leave it in the hands of Ministers, to
convert the whole of that immense property which,
in the event of an AmeriCan war, would probably
be accumulated by sweeping the seas of her mer-
chantmen, to Royal Ministerial purposes. [Near,
hear, hear !] As this subject N‘as, however, to
come shortly before the (louse in a more formal and
specific manner, he should say no more concerning
it at present, but confine himself to a few observa-
tions relative to another fund that had been always
considered by his Majesty, contrary to the example
of his predecessors, in the light of his property.—
He referrsxl to the 41 per cent. fund arising
out of the Leeward Island duties. Queen Anne,
George I. and George 11. had always given dp the
produce of these duties, and he should therefore
soon submit a motion on this subject, because, if the
claims of the Crown to this fund were just and va-
lid, it was of great importance that, before any new
agreement was concluded, this point should be cor-
rectly ascertained. [Mar, hear !] These sources
of revenue were by no means so profitable to the
Crown as they were dangerous to the interests of the
people, because they formed a perennial spring of
Ministerial influence. It was not unusual to see a
great Law Officer condemn any interference with
these funds, because they were the sacred property
of his Majesty, while the Minister made no scruple
of dividing this sacred property among his friends
and his dependants. The lion. Member concluded
by pledging himself to bring forward a motion on
this subject without delay.
Mr. BRAND stated, that he entirely coincided in
what had fallen from the last speaker, his opinion
decisively was, that the Droits of the Admiralty
ought to be given up for the benefit of the public.—
This question, however, was now in the hands of
an Honourable Friend of his, quite able to do it
justice (Mr. Brougham). He now wished to advert
to another subject, the arrangements of the House-
hold. By the plan of the Right Honourable the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, it was proposed to

vote 170,0001. to the support and maintenance of the
King and Queen. This he thought a most immode-
rate sum. With respect to the means of supply ing
this expenditure, ICO,OOOI. was to be taken from the
Civil List, and 70,0001. to be provided by a vote of
Parliament. This vote he professed his intention of
apposing in every stage. He thought that instead of
the double transfer from the Prince's income to the
Civil List, and from the Civil List to his Alajesty4s
household, it was much better that there should have
been but one, were it only for the sake of avoiding
complexity: He vas far from wishing that the Prince
Regent should not enjoy every facility for discharg-
ing all engagements on his justice, or his honour ;
but it certainly did appear that his Royal Highness
would, upon a full balance,"receive 70,0001. per an-
num more than his Majesty had ,peen accustomed to
receive.
Mr. PERCEVAL begged leave again to explain
what he had the day before stated to the House, on
the subject of the proposed arrangements. He had
stated as the result of those arrangements, that an
additional sum of 70,0001. ice uld be required for the
maintenance of his Majesty and the Prince Regent
under the present circumstances. The Honourable
Gentleman himself had not appeared to think that
there was any exorbitancy in this estimate. The

whole amount of the excess thus created above tha
former expenditure was 70,0001.: but if the Prima/
were to surrender the whole of his income, the ex-
penditure would be 50,0001. less. The whole of
the sum withdrawn from the Civil List, and forming
the greater part of the 170,0001. intended for the
support of their Majesties, was certainly not re-
stored to it, his Royal Highness conceiving that this
exemption from certain charges to which the Civil
List was applicable, would render such entire rea
storation unnecessary. lie begged leave now to ay
a few words with respect to what had fallen from the
Honourable Gentleman who spoke first on the Re-
solutions. The nature of the Admiralty Droits, and
the mode of their distribution, had been already
discussed in Parliament; and whatever additional in-
formation might be required with respect to the his-
tory and character of that Fund, he would be ex-
tremely willing should be furnished: A sum of mo-
ney had been once granted as a compensation for cer-
tain losses to an Officer, and this grant had been
previously animadverted on in that House. It was
but fair to say, that in this instauce no evidence ex-
isted of its having been applied to purposes of Par-
liamentary influence. After the charge brought
against Ministers generally, as dealing out gratuities
to their friends and supporters, it would be injustice
to himself not to detain the House with one further
observation. Out of this Fund then, of the 41
per cents. not one farthing had ever been given to any
friend or relation of the present Ministers. The
Law Officers, who were represented as such violent
advocates for the sacredness of this Fund, had de-
rived no advantage whatever from it. He expected
that it would be said the Fund was in such a state
that no pensions could with any propriety be be-
stowed out of it. [cur, hear!] He seemed to
have anticipated Gentlemen on the opposite side, but.
it was a little too much, that because he had not
done that which l►e could not, therefore he would
have done it if he could. [A laugh.] He thou
it necessary to subjoin these few observations in
swer to an accusation which he belie►ed to be d
Lute of the smallest foundation.

Mr. CRE:EVEY explained, and pledged himself to
substantiate all he had stated to the House on the
subject of the Four and a Half per Cent. Fund.
Mr. PERCEVAL explained.
Mr. BRAND observed, that, there was still an et-
cess of '20,0001. in the provision of the Prince Re-
gent, which, coupled with the 50,0001.. appropriated
to the payment of debts, made a total of 70,0001.
Mr. YORKE explained, that the income of his
Royal Highness was burdened with the allowance of
the Princess of Wales, amounting to 17,0001. per ann.
Mr. FREEMANTLE condemned the plan of the
Right Hon. Gentleman as complex and ill-contrived.
Ile saw no grounds for calling it prodigal, but con.
ceived the plain and direct course would have been,
to give the n hole Civil List to Royal Highness,
and trust to his Royal Highness's virtues for making
adequate provision for his Royal Parent, both during
the continuance of his malady, as we:l as any inter-
vals that might take place.
Mr. SHERIDAN wished to say a few words re-
specting the Message of the Prince in 1803. It ap-
peared that this had not only been misunderstood by
the Right Hon. Gentleman opposite (Mr. Perceval),
but that it had also been misunderstood out of doors,
and in particular that the Editor of a Morning Paper
had fallen into precisely the same mistake.—With the
permission of the House he would read the passage
he alluded to.

The SPEAKER asked the Right Honourable Gen-
tleman, whether it was his intention to make any
complaint upon that subject to the House, as their
time could not be fruitlessly taken up with mere cri-
ticisms on occurrences out of doors ? As this was a
very serious matter, he thought it was his duty to
warn the Right Honourable Gentleman of the conse-
quences.
Mr. SHERIDAN said, he would not urge the
matter farther.—lle hoped his conduct had always
been sufficiently respectful to the Chair and the
House.—He could assure the Speaker, however, that
in the course of his Parliamentary life, he had fre-
quently known notice taken of minor misrepresent-
ations out of doors, without the smallest intention of
founding any specific complaint on them.
The SPEAKER. said, if such was the pleasure of
the House, the Right Honourable Gentleman might
prooeed.
On this there were a few cries of " Question !"
and the subject was dropped.

The Resolutions were then brought up and read,
and a Bill was ordered to be brought in, and the se-
cond Resolution referred to a Committee of Supply.

COMNIITTF.F. OF SUPPLY.-NAVY ESTIMATES.

The House having gone into a Committee of Sup-
ply
Mr. YORKE said, that in the present circum•
stances of the country, it would not be expedient to
reduce the number of seam,:a ; and he should pro-
pose to the House, therefore, that the same number
should he voted for this year as for the Inst, namely,
145,000 seamen, including 31,400 marines.
The following, among other sums, were then voted .
in the Committee:

X 3,315,876 (mll5 months pay fot the 145; 00 seamen.
4,0.10,0/0 and upwards or provisioning them.
2,615,0aJ fur tear and wear of ships.
649.750 fur the ordnance of the navy.
20.013 for•the relief' of American Loyalists.
1.1.0u0 for the relief of Curtican Emigrants.
8,0.10 for the Sr. Domingo sufferers.
5,901 for the Dutch emigrants.
121,000 for the suffering Clergy or France.
A tun for French Emig+eu a, which we could not bear.
1,255 far the Public-Office, Bow-street.
70,800 fur the expence of maintaining and employing come
vices.
50.000 fur law charges.
21;000 f:r printing Votes of the House of Lords,
2X+1,10 fort rinting-Votes of the House of Commons.
4,167 for printing Bills, dm.

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