GENERAL HISTORY. 



C^7 



the sum of 9,000/. per annum, ex- 

 clusive of 4,000/. from the civil 

 list : at the death of one of them, 

 the survivors to have 10,000/. 

 each ; and the same to continue 

 when there should be two sur- 

 vivors only; the sole survivor of 

 the whole to receive 12,000/. He 

 concluded with moving an annu- 

 ity of 36,000/. to be granted to 

 the King for the purpose above- 

 mentioned. 



Mr. Tierney did not think the 

 sum stated too much for separate 

 establishments for the Princesses, 

 but he did not see why it should 

 be taken for granted that they 

 would desire to cease forming one 

 family as at present, in which case, 

 the sum would be greater than 

 necessary. His greatest objection, 

 however, to the present vote, was 

 the piece- meal way in which the 

 additions to the civil list had been 

 made, and which had impercepti- 

 bly arrived at an extent, which he 

 stated, including the sum now de- 

 manded, to be of the enormous 

 amount of 1,668,000/. Bethought 

 that the 36,000/. proposed might 

 be saved from the civil list by a 

 fundamental inquiry into its seve- 

 ral branches of expenditure, which 

 could not, however, be effectually 

 made while the right hon. gentle- 

 man told them that they might 

 examine accounts, but should not 

 examine persons. He had another 

 observation to make, which was 

 with respect to the provision for 

 the Princess of Wales, which was 

 comparatively inadequate to her 

 station. She was the wife of the 

 Regent, and as much the repre- 

 sentative of the queen, as the Re- 

 gent was of his Majesty. He 

 then alluded to the separation be- 

 tween the high parties in question. 



and to the Chancellor of the Ex- 

 chequer's intimate knowledge of 

 the circumstances, as having been 

 her Royal Highness's counsel and 

 champion in the investigation 

 which had been so much talked of. 



This hint from the hon. gentle- 

 man seemed to be a signal for the 

 members in opposition to take up 

 the cause of the Princess of Wales, 

 which became the principal topic 

 of the remaining debate. In the 

 course of it every provocation was 

 given to Mr. Perceval to induce 

 him to open on a subject with 

 which he was supposed to be so 

 well acquainted, but nothing more 

 was obtained from him than the 

 following declaration, — That nei- 

 ther in his capacity of counsellor to 

 her Royal Highness, nor in any- 

 other character whatever, had he 

 any charge against her Royal High- 

 ness, or the means of bringing for- 

 ward any charge, and that he never 

 meant to cast the slightest reflection 

 upon her. As to this discussion, 

 he had no delegated authority; no 

 commands to propose an additional 

 grant for the Princess of Wales. 

 Nevertheless, if he could collect 

 that it was the sense of parliament 

 that an additional provision should 

 be made, he had no doubt that he 

 should shortly be fully authorized 

 to recommend it. 



Such, however, was probably by 

 no means the wish of the gentle- 

 men in opposition, as it would have 

 been too inconsistent with their 

 professed unwillingness to lay fresh 

 burdens on the people. After more 

 conversation on the subject, the 

 resolution was put, and agreed to 

 without a division. 



On the question for the third 

 reading of the bill formed upon 

 this resolution, April 17th, Mr. 



Tierney 



