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50,000!. should be transferred to the civil list, instead of being paid to him, which would leave 70,000l. untouched. By taking 100,000l. from the civil list, and adding to it from the exchequer 50,000l. a defalcation of 50,000l. would be left, which might be dispensed with on account of the Prince's smaller family.

He must, however, observe, that it would be unjust to transfer the civil list to the regent upon the supposition that it was adequate to pay the expenses of his majesty, when the contrary was notoriously the fact. In order to explain this, he had moved for the estimated charges on the civil list revenue as they were laid before the House in 1804, together with the actual charges for each subsequent year, and the latter amounted upon the average of six years to 123 or 124,000 annually. This excess had been paid from the funds arising from the excess of the Scotch civil list, and from the droits of admiralty. As long as there were these funds to meet this excess, it would be improper to apply to the public to pay it; and he would propose that, whilst they remained sufficient, it should be defrayed by no other; but if it should increase so as to exceed the present average by 10,000l. per annum, the matter should be brought before parlia

ment.

It would also be proper to attend to another point, which was, the expenses incurred by his Royal Highness on assuming the reins of government. When it was hoped that his exercise of the royal authority would continue but for a short period, he had declined receiving any assistance whatever, but it

would now be reasonable for the House to make aprovision for these expenses, for which purpose he should propose a grant of 100,000%. which sum, however, was to be voted only for one year, because, though it might be necessary for the assumption of the royal functions, it might be so for their permanent exercise. He concluded with moving, 1. That for making provision for the due arrangement of his majesty's household, and for the exercise of the royal authority during the continuance of his majesty's indisposition, and for the purpose of enabling the queen to meet the increased expense to which, in consequence of such indisposition, her majesty may be exposed, there be granted to his majesty, out of the consolidated fund of Great Britain, for that period, the additional yearly sum of 70,000l. 2. That it is expedient that provision be made for defraying the expenses incident to the assumption of the personal exercise of the royal authority by his royal highness the Prince Regent, in the name and on the behalf of his majesty.

Mr. Ponsonby then rose, and began with some remarks upon the complexity of the plan laid before them by the chancellor of the exchequer, which he thought might have been simplified, by giving to him who exercises the royal functions all that has been heretofore considered as necessary for the splendor and dignity of the crown, and leaving to the heir apparent to decide on what is proper for the dignity and comfort of his majesty. He next adverted to Mr. P.'s idea of a sort of middle non-descript state between sanity

and

and insanity to which the royal sufferer might arrive, which he contended was utterly unfounded upon any thing that had appeared on the examination of the physicians. He touched upon the proposed augmentation of the queen's income, for which he could not discover a single reason; and also upon the 100,000l. to be granted to the regent for covering the cost incurred by his assumption of the government, respecting which he thought that nothing more could be expected from parliament than a willingness to grant whatever might appear proper under the specified heads of expenditure. He concluded by wishing that the resolutions might lie on the table for a few days, that gentlemen might have an opportunity of considering the subject.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer in reply said, that a fuller consider ation of the plan, which he was aware was a complicated one, would come on at a future period when the bill should be brought in; and he then made some appeals to the feelings of the committee respecting a liberal provision for his majesty's comforts. Mr. Ponsonby spoke again, and before he sat down begged to be allowed to ask one question, which was, whether in granting to his royal highness the sum of 100,000l. it was done under the notion that his claims for the arrears of the duchy of Cornwall were totally given up and extinguished? To this the chancellor of the exchequer answered, that it appeared to him that the understanding of the House in the debates on this topic was, that his royal highness had totally relinquished every claim of that description.

Of the further conversation that passed on this interesting subject on the present occasion it is not necessary to give a summary, since the particulars will all come under notice in following the progress of the bill through the House. It may, however, be of some consequence to observe, that the assertion of the chancellor af the exchequer respecting the duchy of Cornwall called up Mr. Sheridan, who, after reading the prince's message from the Journals of the House, contended, that it amounted to a mere abandonment, not a withdrawment of his claims, which remained in full force.

The resolutions were put and agreed to, and the report was ordered to be brought up the next day.

On January 18th, on the question being put that the report of the resolutions be brought up, Mr. Creevey rose, and said, he must enter his protest against covering the deficiencies of the civil list from the droits of admiralty, which, he contended, were strictly the property of the nation, and ought to be brought into the supply. He also said the same thing respecting the Leeward Island duties, which former sovereigns had given up, but which, he asserted, were now parcelled out among ministers and their adherents, as he pledged him self on a future day to prove. Mr. Brand entirely coincided in opinion with the last speaker as to the droits of admiralty. He then made some objections to the arrangements of the household as stated by the chancellor of the exchequer, and thought the sum proposed for the maintenance of the king and was immoderate.

queen

The chancellor

chancellor of the exchequer, in reply, endeavoured to set the honourable gentleman right in some errors under which he seemed to labour with regard to the statement; and with respect to the charge made on ministers by the former speaker, he declared his readiness to give every information in his power as to the grants made from the funds alluded to, and declared that not one farthing of them had been received by himself. After some more conversation, the resolutions were agreed to, and a bill was ordered to be brought in thereupon.

On January 20th, the Chancellor of the Exchequer presented the bill for making provision for the better support and arrangement of his majesty's household, and for the care of his majesty's real and personal property, during the continuance of his indisposition. It was read the first time, and a motion was made for a second read

ing, when Mr. Tierney rose. He observed, that from the papers produced it was impossible to understand whether the sums they should grant might exceed or fall short of what the occasion demanded. It appeared from them that the expenditure of the civil list exceeded its revenue by 124,000l. per annum. Whether this additional expense were necessary, it was impossible to say without the production of more documents; and this was certainly the first time that an addition had been demanded to the civil list without the appointment of a committee to inquire into the subject. After some further observations, he proceeded to move for papers under the following heads: 1. An ac

count of charges upon the civil list revenues as far as relates to bills in the department of the lord steward, from July 1804 to July 18112. An account of the same charges as far as relates to foreign ministers, for the same period-3. An account of the same as far as relates to bills in the department of the lord chamberlain, for the same period.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer had no objection to the production of these papers, which were therefore ordered, and the second reading of the bill was fixed for the 23rd.

On the same day, the House having resolved itself into a committee of supply, the chancellor of the exchequer moved, that a sum not exceeding 100,000l. be granted for making provision for defraying the expenses incurred in consequence of the assumption of the exercise of the royal authority by the prince regent.

Mr. Tierney said, that the prince regent had now executed his functions for twelve months, and when all the expenses attending the assumption of that office were over, the minister came forward with his outfit for the regency. The prince had refused a sum of money the last year, how then could an outfit be asked for this year, especially as no distinct appropriation of it was mentioned? No such was ever voted by parliament on the assumption of the monarchy, and he was anxious to guard against the recognition of such a principle.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer replied, that he had intended the words to apply both retrospectively and prospectively, and had no objection to introduce them into

STATE PAPERS.

I. BRITISH.

The Prince Regent's Speech, Jan. 7
Declarations of the Queen's Council respecting his Majesty's

326

Health

328

Letter from the Prince Regent to the Duke of York, and
Answer from Lords Grey and Grenville...

329

Message from the Prince Regent respecting Lord Wellington 332 respecting the Princesses.. 333 Report on the Nightly Watch and Police of the Metropolis.. 333 Declaration on the Orders of Council

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The Catholic Petition to the Prince Regent..
Message from the Prince Regent respecting Mr. Perceval's
Family

Papers relative to Lord Liverpool's Proposal to Marquis
Wellesley

Papers relative to the Negociations of Marquis Wellesley and
Earl Moira for forming a new Administration.
Quakers' Address to the Prince Regent.
Revocation of the Orders in Council

338

342

346

346

360

378

379

Treaty of Peace between Great Britain and Russia
Treaty of Peace between Great Britain and Sweden
Prince Regent's Speech on Proroguing Parliament
Report of the Secret Committee of the House of Lords on the

381

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382

383

disturbed Counties..

385

Embargo and Detention of American Ships.
Prince Regent's Speech on the Opening of Parliament,

393

Nov. 30

394

...

Message from the Prince Regent on a Grant to Russia.... 397 Tables of Public Income, Expenditure, &c.

II: FOREIGN.

Speech of the Prince Royal of Sweden to the King.
Appointment of the Hereditary Prince of Sicily to the Go-

398

410

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Address of the new Spanish Regency to the Nation.
Treaty between the King of Prussia and the French Emperor 418
Treaty between the French and Austrian Emperors.
Correspondence between the French and English Ministers.. 420
French Decree relative to the United States
Decree of the Spanish Regency···

415

419

423

423

424

430

...

430

Proclamation

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Correspondence between Sir J. B. Warren and Mr. Monroe

Message of the American President

Proclamation of the Emperor Alexander.

436

440

443

...453 (449)

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Narrative of the Eruption of a Volcano in the sea off the

Island of St. Michael

485

On some Exotics which endure the open Air in Devonshire.. 488

Account of the Vicuna

On the Coral Fishery in the Sicilian Seas

490

494

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