The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1889-09-13

(OueeTS, L agree WIN my non.
friend that there is great room for
economy, but the difference between
us probably would be this-that L
estimate the difficulty of enforcing
that economy as very great, | do
not doubt that you might, as my
hon. friend has pointed out, pick
out some salary here and there
where reductions might DC made.
You might be fortunate enough in
particular cases-such as political
cases, for instance-to get rid of
the embarrassing considerations Of
vested interests. But own l have
very great doubts indeed whether
my hon. friend has estimated Alright
the complicated nature of the pro-
cess that would have to be institute
ed, the firmness that it would re-
quire, the time that it would de-
mand, the strength of influence and
the weight Of authority which must
be at its back in order to make it
effectual; and l am by no means
certain, Sir, that very small, shall
low, and partial attempt at thrift in
the Royal Household mean in the
form Of the public relations of the
Sovereign with Parliament and the
country-I am by no means certain
that it would be well to attempt
small, partial, and shallow reforms
in the Civil List and in the Royal
Household, and the whole of the in
terests connected with them, unless
at the very best opportunity"
Proceeding further on this line
Mr.. Gladstone took up reference
by Mr.. Storey to the Queens "pin
money" That member interfering
an explanation of his words, the
orator proceeded:
81 think my hon. friend spoke of
what he termed the clear net in
come of her Majesty after all pur-
poses which are commonly comprised
in necessary expenditure, such as
dwellings, servants, and provisions,
have been amply provided for, and
that SUR he conceives TO amount to
a quarter of million per annum.
Now, Sir, my estimate of this rather
important question is that if he had
said half that amount he would have
been very much nearer indeed to the
mark, and am sorry that phrase
like that Of pin-money should have
been introduced. / do not think
my hon. friend can have appreciated
equitably the position of the Sever
eign in such matter. Take the
system, for instance, of pensions. l
will venture to say that there is no
establishment in the country in
which the system of pensioning is
practised as it is in the establish
ment of the Sovereign, and that not
altogether from pure benevolence or
choice, but from necessity growing
out of the peculiarities Of the Royal
position, which peculiarities you
must take into view if you want to
arrive at any sound oonslusion. l
will not enter now into the details
of the subject, but all l will say is
this-that what we may call the
free income of her Majesty is sub
ject to number of calls to which
YOU will find it difficult to discover
anything analogous in the expendi-
ture of private persons.
Mr.. Gladstone went on to the as
surance given by Her Majesty that,
in view of the increase in her reve-
nue. from the Duchy of Lancaster,
she should ask for no assistance in
providing for her numerous poster
ity further than that for the chill
dren of the Prince Of Wales. In this
connection he recalled the fact that
he was Chancellor of the Exchequer
in Lord Palmerston' administra-
ton when the revenue of the Duchy
of Lancaster was estimated, and
with pardonable degree of pride
he pointed TO the remarkable ac-
curacy with which the revenue was
forecast. From this he proceeded
to point out that this ducal revenue
had nothing to do with the Prince
of Wales, and then showed up a
mistaken view of his honorable
friend thus:
"But he compares the income OF
the Prince of Wales with that of q
private gentleman. l must say ]
deprecale that comparison if 1t is
attempted to push it 10 any degree.
The Prince of Wales with fll0,00O
a year has not got the same CON-
mand over the expenditure of that
money or the saving of that money
as n duke or any inferior parsonage
in society with a corresponding in
come. (EIear, hear.) That must
be borne in mind if you are to deal
Justly and fairly with case of this
kind. My hon. friend, however,
says that the Prince of Wales had
COCO, 900 in his hands when provi'
sion was made for him by Parlia.
ment at that time. Sir, that is per-
fectly true; it is also true that a
yary Iar0a nnrtinn of that ann