Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-17
BRITAIN'S PENSION FRAUDs.
illustrated by the Pretty Case Of the Duke Of
st. Albans.

st. Albans.
Special Cable Dispatch to the y. Y. Herald.
LONDON. August Is, 1S91.-One by one the
old legacies Of the corrupt days of English
government are disappearing. When George
was king nearly all the members Of parlia-
ment expected to have valuable offices or sine
cures conferred upon them, and few were dis
appointed. Some got only one. some got five
or six. little earlier in history the custom
was to reward obsequious followers or the
children of the kings mistresses with perpetual
pensions. Many of them have been paid down
to our own day. To one of these it has been
my lot to call the attention of the house of COM
mons on several occasions during the last few
years. and a very considerable body of public
opinion has been evoked against it in conse-
quence.
The complete facts were brought out by me
before a parliamentary committee of which
was member, Sir Reginald Welby, chief per-
marent official of the treasury, being under
examination at the time. In reply to my ques-
tons he gave ofncial and indisputable &C.
count of the affair, though cautiously and un-
willingly.
The dukes of st. Adams are descended from
Nell Gwynn. and Charless III not only bestowed
title upon Nells son, but gave him an Office,
master of the hawks, with a salary of e. 900 a
year. There was provision for buying hawks
supplying them with pigeons for food, employ
ing falconers and so FORTH and these charges
were actually being paid down to this very year.
l asked Sir Reginald Welby whether any hawks
were kept there or pigeons bought for their
sustensnce. and he replied he 'believed" not
But the present Duke of St. Adams has not hesi-
tated to draw the money by quarterly pay
ments, and took the liberty Of denouncing it
III the house of commons q case Of barefaced
Matchmaking and fraud.
Some of the treasury officials appeared to be
ar my MI lair Iney ltrt hah ana
of commons gave expression to its very decided
approval, and hence it was brought home to
the treasury people that the pension must come
to an end. But now Sir Reginald Welby in
formed me that, so far as he vas concerned, it
would have to be paid forever and ever. Par
lament. however, can do anything, and it be-
came perfectly clear that parliament meant to
tackle this bequest Of the Merry Monarch" to
one Of his Legitimate children. Since parlia-
Inent rose last week an arrangement has been
made with the Duke of st. Adams by which he
is to receive an annuity of g., 900 year for ten
years and then all payments are to cease. OF
course this is better than going paying the
pension forever, but it is q most extravagant
settlement IN my opinion.
The duke is not morally entitled to claim a
single SMILING OF the nation, yet be is to receive
t2U,O COO. LII parliament were in session should
feel 1t my duty to ask for its opinion on the
question. Men who fought at Lucknow, Eala-
kiava and lnkerman are allowed to 20 to the
worn muse UT stdrNe on SMILING dQy; the
Duke of st. Adams can still draw f40 a week for
feeding hawks which have no existence.
We have rendered all future jobs Of this kind
quite impossible by a resolution of the house
OF commons, proposed by the late Charles
Bradiaugh and seconded by me, forbidding
perpetual pensions to be conferred under any
prctext whatever.
Several of these pensions still remain, but
they were given for military or naval services,
and therefore the nation does not object to
them There Is one of $4,000 year to the
descendants of Lord Nelson. Until a few years
ago a pension OF 200 a year was paid to
the descendants of William Penn, not for his
work III Pennsy lvania, but for some supposed
losses he had sustained Tor which the English
government was believed to owe reparation.
Ills pension was committed for one payment
down OF GlOS, 900, and as no one ever knew who
PenH's descendants were it cannot be said the
treasury behaved in a niggardly manner
Such halcyon days OF the pension mongers
will return no more. 1t is still possible how
ever, for transactions Of this nature to be con-
Quoted under the rose" gentleman is
moved out of government Office because the
place Is wanted for somebody else; he must be
compensated and large pension is settled upon
him for life But these operations have now to
be conducted with great secrecy and care No
government. could afford to be openly mixed
up with them. The disappearance of the St.
Adams pension this week is a sign Of the times
that the national house is being swept and gar
nlshed ere the democracy step in and take full
possession A MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT.