46] 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1SI2. 



taken into consideration in the 

 House of Gommons, the Chancel- 

 lor of the Exchequer moving that 

 the House should go into a com- 

 mittee of supply for the purpose. 



Mr. Creevey rose and objected 

 to the Speaker's leaving the chair, 

 wishing that the discussion should 

 be deferred to some future day ; 

 and after some observations re- 

 specting the falling off of the con- 

 solidated fund, from which the 

 required provision was intended to 

 be paid, and on the late large sum 

 granted to the Regent, from which 

 he thought the additional charge 

 might be defrayed ; he concluded 

 by moving the amendment of sQb- 

 stituting " this day month," to the 

 word '* now." 



The Chancellor of the Exche- 

 quer, in reply, first shewed the 

 groundlessness of the hon. gentle- 

 man's apprehensions concerning 

 the consolidated fund ; and then 

 entered into some statements to 

 prove that it was a mistake to sup- 

 pose that there was a large disposa- 

 ble fund in the hands of the 

 Prince, since he had taken upon 

 himself the payment of the debts 

 of the Princess of Wales, to the 

 amount of 49,000/, and so large 

 a part of his income as 70,000/. 

 had been, given to a commission 

 under the seal of the duchy of 

 Lancaster, for the liquidation of 

 those debts which had been 

 brought before the House. 



Mr. Whitbread concurred in 

 the propriety of postponing the 

 committee, on account of the con- 

 tradictory statements made by gen- 

 tlemen on both sides of the House 

 from the very same papers, which 

 proved that a further investigation 

 was necessary. He for one, had 

 understood that the Princesses were 



to live with the queen, and that it 

 was on this account that the addi- 

 tion of 10,000/. had been made to 

 her income, for it was difficult to 

 imagine on what other account it 

 could have been made. With re- 

 spect to the payment of the Prin- 

 cess of Wales's debts by the Prince, 

 he thought it one of the most 

 complete juggles that was ever 

 heard of, for a person to un<lertake 

 to pay the debts of another to 

 save the expence to the people, 

 when he came to get his own 

 debts paid by that same people; ' 



The motion for the amendrtient 

 being put, and negatived without 

 a division, the original question 

 ■was carried, and the House re- 

 solved itself into a committee ac- 

 cordingly. The Chancellor of the 

 Exchequer then made a statement 

 of the proposed grant. By the 

 acts which had enabled his Majes- 

 ty to grant an annuity to the 

 princesses in case of his demise, 

 30,000/. was to be divided among 

 the Princesses then living; if their 

 number should fall to three, each 

 was to have 10,000/; if to two, 

 20,000/. was to be divided between 

 them ; and if only one remained, 

 12,000/. was to be allotted to her. 

 The melancholy circumstance 

 which had taken place in the 

 Royal Family rendered it neces- 

 sary t])at the condition of the 

 Princesses should be considered 

 as if the demise of the crown 

 had actually occurred ; and though 

 they might still form a part of the 

 domestic establishment at Wind- 

 sor, he thought it of importance 

 that they should be eiiaTjIed to 

 form separate establisliments if they 

 chose it. He would therefore pro- 

 pose, that to each of the four 

 Princesses there should be granted 



the 



