GENERAL HISTORY. 



[57 



ceeded." Ke informed the mem- 

 bers, that there would be placed 

 in their hands the docmiients ne- 

 cessary for a just understanding 

 of the question, and he concluded 

 by moving for leave to bring in 

 the proposed bill, which was 

 granted. 



On May 6th, Mr. Tierneij rose, 

 according to notice, for the pur- 

 pose of calling the attention of 

 the House to the subject of the 

 civil list. Going through at length 

 the details of the accounts which 

 had been laid before the House, 

 he deduced from them very dif- 

 ferent results from those which 

 had been stated by the noble lord, 

 and which were far from justi- 

 fying his encomiums on the eco- 

 nomy displayed by the crown, or 

 inspiring confidence in the effect 

 of his prospective arrangements. 

 He concluded an able speech, but 

 of which no summary can be 

 given, by moving, " That a se- 

 lect committee be appointed, to 

 take into consideration the several 

 accounts and papers which have 

 been presented to this House, re- 

 lating to his Majesty's civil list, 

 with power to send for persons 

 papers, and records." If this 

 motion were carried, he declared 

 his intention to move, " That it 

 be an instruction to the said 

 committee, to report on the (jues- 

 tion of the droits of Admiralty." 



Lord C'astlereagh, in answer, 

 went into an examination of some 

 of the statements of the right 

 hon. gentleman, premising, that 

 he had never heard a speech less 

 concihatory, or more calculated 

 to inHanic a jealousy of the royal 

 expenditure. Several other gen- 

 tlemen joined in the debate on 

 each side, whose arguments being- 



founded on the particulars of the 

 accounts, cannot be understood 

 in a detached form. The House 

 at length di^ ided, when the num- 

 bers were, For Mr. Tierney's 

 motion 112; Against it 213: 

 Majority 91. 



The report of the civil list 

 bill being brought up on May 

 24th, Ml. Tierney rose again to 

 call the attention of the House 

 to it. He said, the present bill 

 pi'ofessed to afford a remedy for 

 the constantly recurring excesses 

 of the civil list, which consisted 

 in separating the ordinary ex- 

 penses from those which were 

 less immediately connected with 

 the splendor of the crown, and 

 throwing the latter, partly on the 

 consolidated fund, and partly 

 leaving them to be provided for 

 by the votes of the House. The 

 whole of the annual charge for 

 these purposes would amount 

 to 1,338,0001,, of which parlia- 

 ment must make good 2.55,0001.; 

 this was therefore a most im- 

 portant bill, and it wyuid well 

 become the House, before they 

 assented to it, to consider, whe- 

 ther means might not be found 

 of paring down the civil list, be- 

 fore they resorted to ot'aer re- 

 sources. *On this point, he had 

 nothing to say : having repeat- 

 edly directed the attention of the 

 House to it, they had always re- 

 fused to appoint a committee. 

 The right hon. gentleman then 

 proceeded to consider the esti- 

 mate as it had been laid on the 

 table ; and made a number of 

 obser^'ations, to show that parlia- 

 ment ougiit not to be called upon 

 to make good any deficiency in 

 the civil list, till proof had been 

 given, that all the resources of 



the 



