56] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1816, 



CHAPTER V. 



Bill for Regulation of the Civil List. — Motion on Salaries and Emolu- 

 ments in Public Offices. — Consolidation of English and Irish Exche- 

 quers. — Bill for a new Silver Coinage. 



ONE of the most important of 

 the parliamentary transac- 

 tions of the present year, was 

 the passing of a bill for the regu- 

 lation of the Civil List. On May 

 3d, the order of the day being for 

 taking into consideration tlie re- 

 port made in June ISl.'^, by the 

 select committee a})pointed to 

 consider the account presented to 

 the House, by command of the 

 Prince Regent, relative to the 

 civil list. Lord Castlereagh rose, 

 pursuant to notice, for leave to 

 bring in a bill for the purpose 

 above-stated. 



The noble lord, after an intro- 

 duction, stating the delicacy of 

 the subject, and the mistaken no- 

 tions which had prevailed con- 

 cerning it, divided the topic, 

 ■which it was his intention to 

 treat of, into the follow ing heads : 

 1. a retrospective view of the 

 civil list expenditure for a series 

 of years, compared with its re- 

 venues : 2. a prospective view of 

 the probable future expenditure 

 of the civil list, with a considera- 

 tion of the adequacy of the fimds 

 approj)riated to it, and the most 

 economical mode of augmenting 

 them : 3. the proi^pective regu- 

 lations which would be necessary 

 for upholding the proper splendor 

 of th!e crown, paying at the same 

 time all due regard to economy. 



It is obvious, that these heads 

 could only be treated of by means 

 of miriute statements of accounts, 

 which do not admit of abridg- 

 ment. Under that of regulations, 

 however, the appointment of a 

 new officer, on whom the control 

 of the cxj)enditure is in a great 

 measure vested, affords an inter- 

 esting object of information. The 

 noble lord said, that for the pur- 

 pose of bringing the expenditure 

 under some direct control, it was 

 necessary to create a new officer, 

 who should act as tlie represen- 

 tative of the treasury in the su- 

 perintendancc of this expendi- 

 ture. He was to have all facili- 

 ties of communicating with the 

 different departments, and of call- 

 ing the oflicers before him, ami 

 inspecting tlie accounts. Thus 

 lie would be able to observe any 

 expenditiue as it was going on, 

 and make representations to the 

 treasury on any thing which should 

 appear like extravagance. Tlie 

 salary annexed to this office was 

 1.5001. a year. 



His lordship closed the sub- 

 ject, with saying, that " The 

 crown had been most unfairly, 

 imjustly, and unfortunately, ac- 

 cused of profusion and eitra- 

 vagance; fiom which charge it 

 ■was his duty to rescue the fi)ve- 

 reign, and he hoped he had jUC- 



ceecfcd." 



