88] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1818. 



available to the purpose. The 

 noble lord who had introduced 

 the proposition had stated that a 

 liberal outfit was the best antidote 

 against incurring debt, but if the 

 debts were already incurred, the 

 antidote would be inoperative. 

 With respect to the junior mem- 

 bers of the royal family, he would 

 have no objection to a regulated 

 grant on their marriage ; but with 

 regard to the duke of Cumber- 

 land, the question had been long 

 ago settled ; and he thought that 

 parliament was not fairly treated 

 by hooking-in that duke into the 

 proposed grants for the other 

 royal dukes. 



Lord Castlereagh rose to set 

 the hon. gentleman right as to 

 the debts of the duke of Clarence, 

 assuring the House that a provi- 

 sion was made for paying them 

 oflF, so that they would soon be 

 completely discharged, provided 

 the present vote of 25,000^. a year 

 was agreed to. 



The committee divided on the 

 amendment proposed by Mr. 

 Holme Sumner for reducing the 

 allowance of the duke of Clarence 

 from 10,000/. to 6,000/. a year : 

 For the Amendment 193 



Against it IS-i 



Majority 9 



On April 16th Lord Castlereagh 

 moved in the House of Commons 

 for a committee to take into con- 

 sideration the message of the 

 Prince Regent respecting the in- 

 tended marriages of some of his 

 royal brothers. The House having 

 accordingly resolved itself into the 

 committee, his 'ordship said, that 

 the part of the message to which 

 he desired to call the attention of 

 the committee was that which 

 related to the marriage of his 



royal highness the duke of Cam- 

 bridge ; and he moved, " That it 

 is the opinion of this committee 

 that his Majesty be enabled to 

 grant an additional yearly sum of 

 money out of the consolidated 

 fund of the United Kingdom of 

 Great Britain and Ireland, not 

 exceeding the sum of 6,000/. to 

 make a suitable provision for his 

 royal highness the duke of Cam« 

 bridge, upon his marriage.'' 



Several speakers arose to give 

 their sentiments both for and 

 against the present motion, but 

 upon the whole it was carried by 

 a considerable majority. There 

 appeared. 



For the Resolution... 177 



Against it 95 



Majority 82 



Lord Castlereagh then moved, 

 " That a sum of 6,000/. per 

 annum be settled upon her high- 

 ness the princess of Hesse, whea 

 she shall become duchess of Cam- 

 bridge, in case her highness should 

 survive his royal highness the 

 duke of Cambridge, to be issued 

 and payable out of the consoli- 

 dated fund of the United King- 

 dom of Great Britain and Ireland." 

 This motion was agreed to. 



Lord Castlereagh next rose to 

 do (as he said) an act of justice 

 towards an illustrious individual ; 

 and he trusted the House, in its 

 wisdom and liberality, would con- 

 cur in the motion he was about 

 to bring forward. Whatever pre- 

 judice might be entertained 

 against the illustrious individual 

 to whom he alluded, he could 

 conscientiously say, that he never 

 knew a reasonable or fair man 

 who denied to him the praise 

 which was due to his honourable 

 character. After some farther 



attempts 



