GENERAL HISTORY. 



[13 



50.000/. should be transferred to 

 the civil list, instead of being paid 

 to him, which would leave 70,000/. 

 untouched. By taking 100,000/. 

 from the civil list, and adding to it 

 from the exchequer 50,000/. a de- 

 falcation of 50,000/. 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 

 18d4', 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 aris- 

 ing 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 10,000/. 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 ro jal autho- 

 rity 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 func- 

 tions, it might be so for their 

 permanent exercise. He conclud- 

 ed with moving, 1. That for 

 making provision for the due 

 arrangement of his majesty's house- 

 hold, and for the exercise of the 

 royal authority during the continu- 

 ance of bis 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 majestj', out of the consoli- 

 dated fund of Great Britain, for 

 that period, the additional yearly 

 sum of 70,000/. 2. Tliat it is ex- 

 pedient that provision be made for 

 defraying the expenses incident ta 

 the assumption of the personal ex- 

 ercise of the royal authority by his 

 roj'al 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 ap- 

 parent 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 



