charge of the period since 1812, he would first consider the two years, and then sepa

could go, and what bounds should be fixed to the royal expenditure. In the time of Mr. Pitt an estimate was accordingly pro-rately consider the three quarters from duced, which stated that 979,000l. in April 1814, up to January 1815. In addition to the relief afforded the Civil these two first years, up to the 5th April List, by taking 83,000l. from it to other 1814, the excess of the charge amounted departments, would prevent the necessity to 118,000l. The first excess which he of any farther recurrence to Parliament. had mentioned was 58,000l., next came He begged the attention of the House to the excess above that of 125,000l., then that estimate, because it had been the the further excess of 123,000l., and at last, fashion of late to contend for having it set in the new æra, and in the two first years aside. It had been said it was good for of it, an annual excess of 118,0001. Next nothing, as it was not equal to the average came the last three-quarters, up to the 5th expenditure of the seven years before. of January last. The whole two years Did they believe that Mr. Pitt would and three-quarters charge was 5,792,000l. bring forward an estimate, which on the At the rate of the estimate it would have face of it was a mere nullity? He would been 3,032,000l. From that sum however do Mr. Pitt the justice to say, that he be it would be proper to deduct certain sums, lieved he would not have produced this which were not expenses which could estimate if he had not felt a reasonable be supposed likely to occur again. He expectation that by some new regulation would make, as a fair allowance for this, of the household such a saving might be 220,000l.; for this expense, from all that expected, as would make it applicable to appeared on the accounts' now before the the purpose for which it was intended. House, amounted to 180,000l. and 40,000l., This showed the necessity of examining being together 220,000l. After making persons, to know why this estimate could this deduction there was left an excess of not answer the purpose; because it was of 531,000l. over the two years and threeonly the estimate and charge which they quarters, making the excess from 1812 no had before them, but how that estimate less than 196,000l. per annum. Now, fell short of the charge they were in the this was taking the subject in the way dark, and must be so till the appointment most favourable to those who were adof a committee, with the powers in ques- vocates for a great expenditure. tion, on what grounds it so fell short. It there were others who thought that the would be a mere waste of time to appoint estimate of 1804 was perfectly sufficient; a committee, except they gave them such and when this estimate was taken, the exa power. In 1804 the estimate which cess was no less than 321,000; so that Parliament thought fit to sanction was after deducting the extraordinary ex979,000l., and the Civil List went on with- penses occasioned by the visit of the Emout Parliament having an opportunity of peror of Russia and the King of Prussia, knowing whether there was any excedent there was still an excess of 321,000l. This in consequence of the sums derived from excess of 321,000l. must be paid by the the droits of Admiralty, till 1812, when nation. In a time of war this excess the subject came before Parliament, and might be attended with no great trouble, it then turned out that the estimate was because it might be covered by sums not worth any thing. So that it appeared drawn from the droits of Admiralty. But to be considered, that if a debt was in- in a time of peace, if the scale of expencurred in one year, that debt was to serve diture were to be adhered to, it would be for a justification of all subsequent debts. found necessary to call for additional The expenditure of the seven years, end- sacrifices from the people, to cover this ing 1811, was 1,102,000l. leaving a new excess of 321,000l. excess of 123,000l. The next estimate This was as strong a case as could be produced was in 1812-he called it an stated to justify the calling persons before estimate, though it was not such in reality, a committee, to inquire from them how because it had all the effect of one. The the expenditure had arisen. There had average expenditure of the seven preced- already been five committees appointed ing years was taken, being 1,102,000l., to inquire into the Civil List expenditure, with a power of exceeding to the amount all desirous of doing what could be done of 10,000%, being 124,000l. above the esti- for remedying this evil. But till a commate of 1804. mittee should have it in their power to examine persons as to the interior of the

In entering upon a consideration of the

But

household, it was impossible that their labours could be attended with any good effect. In proposing an inquiry into the interior of the household, he did not wish it for any impertinent purposes, or the sake of hearing unpleasant tales, but in order to see fairly on what sum the Court could actually be maintained without coming to Parliament for additional sums of money. He was acting as the best friend of his royal highness the Prince Regent, because nothing created such a soreness out of doors, as the seeing continual applications for 3 or 400,000l. to Parliament. This was the greatest possible eye-sore to them; and the preventing this was one of the greatest advantages of having a Civil List. He saw otherwise no advantage in having a Civil List. The Civil List was appointed for the purpose of setting apart such an annual sum for the Crown as would be sufficient for its expenditure, without exposing it to discussions like that which, with pain to himself, he was now under the necessity of bringing forward. If it were not for this good effect, as far as economy was concerned, it would be better set aside, and the sums voted article by article. But for the comfort of the Crown, this would be one of the most cruel steps which could be taken. Once for all, let the House settle this point-what would be a sufficient establishment for the Crown. He wished to see a proper sum fixed for keeping up the splendour of the monarchy of England. But the present was such a merciless extravagance as had never occurred in the history of this country before.

the management sincerely desirous of a reduction. In 1810 and 1811, the Lord Steward's expenses amounted to 222,0001. In 1813 and 1814 they were reduced to 164,000l. Now any gentleman would have said, had such a reduction as this been hinted at two or three years ago, that it was impossible, and that the objection proceeded merely from a captious disposition, and an unwillingness to make any allowance for the increase in the price of all articles. He was ready to admit that a great deal had been done by the Lord Steward in a very short time. The year 1812 was a broken period, and he had not chosen it; but 1813 and 1814. was an unbroken period. On comparing these two years with the other two years, there was a saving of 58,000l. or 29,000l. per annum.

He could not say so much of the Lord Chamberlain's department during the years 1813 and 1814. In 1810 and 1811 the expenditure was 319,0001. In 1813 and 1814 it was 293,000l. being an excedent of 73,000l. So that while the department of the Lord Steward was reduced by 58,000l.; that of the Lord Chamberlain, perhaps from there being more demands for the particular commodities which he furnished, was 73,000l. higher. In 1810 and 1811 the Master of the Horse's expenditure was 58,674l. In 1813 and 1814 it was 93,000l., being an excess of 34,000l., always observing that this was apart from the three last quarters up to January last.

What he had hitherto stated, referred to the period before April 1814. He would now proceed to notice the state of the account for the three last quarters, up to In examining the accounts before the January, 1815, of which, for the sake of House, it was not his intention to travel clearness in the calculations, he would through all the figures: the committee reckon only upon two, and doubling the to be appointed would have power to do sum they supplied, it would of consethis, and they would be all sifted up quence be the expense of a whole year, stairs. It was not his wish to enter into supposing the last half to be continued any details in the great branches in upon the same scale as the first. Accordwhich there was the greatest excedenting to this mode of calculation it would the third class, relating to ambassadors, the fourth class, relating to the Household, and the class of occasional payments. As to the fourth class, he considered it his duty to observe that in the Lord Steward's department a laudable anxiety had been shown to reduce the expenditure, and nothing proved better what could be done when it was seriously gone about. In 1813 and 1814 the charges in this department were considerably less than in 1810 and 1811, from a person coming to

appear that there would be an exceeding of no less than 101,000l. upon a view of the various departments. Such a statement, he imagined, was sufficient to show that an inquiry, although somewhat extraordinary in its powers, was necessary, He conceived that if his motion rested merely upon this declaration, he had made out a strong case. He was willing to allow that a part of this surplus might be accounted for, and that another part consisted of sums that ought not to be charged

upon the Civil List, but there would still remain a very large amount, which ought to be investigated.

could not be expected to resist [Hear, hear! and laughter]. What cause had

been assigned for this appointment? It was said that it was necessary that an am

As to the Ambassadors we had employed on the Continent, why was it necessary to appoint individuals who would be doubly chargeable, as Generals and as Ambassadors-Formerly if we sent out military men, they were Colonels and LieutenantColonels. It was replied, that Ministers wanted information; but why procure it at such an enormous expense? The Generals and their staffs had been of no possible use to the cause. What good had been done by lord Cathcart or any of our other high military officers? The Allies would not give sixpence for a hundred such Generals. They wanted no Generals; they had enough of their own.

The third class respected Ambassadors. In the discussion of the Army Extraordi-bassador should be named to congratulate naries, something had been observed upon the Prince Regent of Portugal on his rethis head; and appeals had been made to turn from the Brazils. To this it was the feelings, regarding the arduous and replied, that it would have been better to heavy expenses of Foreign Ministers. wait until his Royal Highness arrived— Those appeals were then effectual, and unless, indeed, it were necessary to allow Ministers knew that they were likely to our Minister there time to prepare his be so; he had not been uninfluenced by speech for the important occasion. It them, but this very fact showed that the turned out, however, that the Prince House was not the proper place to make Regent never came. And did not this such inquiries. It was not to be accom- whole transaction give gentlemen an itchplished in one evening-it required calm,ing desire to make immediate inquiry? cool, and long deliberation. He did not The country had no satisfactory intellimean for a moment to hint, that any of gence to convince it that it had been the our Envoys had made charges that had design of the Prince Regent of Portugal not been incurred; but it could not be to return, although, to keep up the predoubted, that when they were allowed to tence, a ship had been fitted out to bring draw for unlimited sums, our diplomatic him home, at a charge of 40,000l. The agents were not, and could not, in the na- mere fitting up of the cabin cost 6,000l. ture of things, be so careful as if they were restricted, and knew that if they expended beyond a certain amount they would find at least some difficulty in obtaining a reimbursement. It was not to be wondered that the charges were so heavy, if our Foreign Ministers were to be the only travellers on the Continent who disregarded all expenses, and who threw about the public money on both sides, and gave double entertainments for the sake of keeping up the precedence of Great Britain. Among the items in this division was 15,000l. for lord Aberdeen; how it had been expended, he could not even form a conjecture. To say the least of it, there had been a very loose expen. Such a profuse and unwarrantable exditure. It ought not to be forgotten that penditure was not to be paralleled in the in this class was to be included the cele- history of any Court of Europe. The subrated Embassy to Lisbon [Hear, hear !].perficial view of the state of the Civil List, The very moment when the country was so reduced, and the charges upon the Civil List were so enormous, it had been thought proper to exalt a mere Envoyship into an Embassy, by which a new annual burthen of 14,000l. was imposed upon the nation. Why this singular step had been resolved upon, was a question well deserving inquiry. Inquiry upon this point would be more proper in the absence of the subject of it, since if the right hon. gentleman (Mr. Canning) who had undertaken the arduous duty of Ambassador at the Court of Lisbon were now present, he (Mr. Tierney) would hardly think it right to call him to account, since the temptation held out was such as flesh and blood

that was allowed by Ministers, bore strong marks of improper conduct. He did not say positively that it did exist, but it was the duty of the House to remove the imputation. It was not merely a question of money, but of patronage; it was a question which regarded the influence of the Crown in Parliament, how far this Civil List had been applied to legitimate and constitutional purposes [Hear, hear!]. The country could not fail to view the application of this money with jealousy, and it would require a Committee permanently and satisfactorily to settle how the expenditure should in future be regulated. It became the Court not to be too extravagant, and the House not to be parsimoni†