618 YONGE STREET AND DUNDAS STEEET, 



After the latter period, two troops of life-Guards would be reduced, 

 and replaced by tiie Grenadier Guards. The pay would be continued 

 to the officers until vacancies happened in other regiments ; and to 

 the private gentlemen, all of whom had purchased their situations, 

 it would be but just to make compensation. It was the King's 

 intention," Sir George proceeded to say, "that the two colonels of the 

 troops to be reduced should receive =£1,200 each a year for life ; but 

 a vacancy having lately happened in a regiment of dragoons by the 

 death of General Carpenter, one of them would be appointed to fill 

 it, and thus £1,200 a year would be saved to the nation; the other 

 Colonel (the Duke of l^orthumberland), who was far above all pecu- 

 niar)' consideration, and had notliing so much at heart as the good of 

 the ser-^ice, had nobly requested that the annuity designed for him 

 might make part of the saving that was to arise from the reform. 

 He (Sir George) said that the public would save by the reform, at 

 first, between £11,000 and £12,000 a year; but that when the 

 officers shall be otherwise provided for, or drop oflT by death, the 

 savings would then amount to £24,000 per annum. Such advantage, 

 however, could not be expected this year ; on the contrary, this year's 

 expense would be much greater than that of any which preceded it ; 

 but then the cause of its increase would never occvir again, particu- 

 larly as he proposed to move that the sum of £28,000 should be 

 allowed as a compensation to the private gentlemen for their purchase 

 money." Sir George then concluded by moving for the full establish- 

 ment of 715 men, officers included, of the four troops of Horse and 

 Grenadier Guards up to Midsummer Day, after which one half of 

 their establishment should be reduced ; and for the several sums for 

 compensation, which, on the whole, amounted to £79,543 5s. He 

 remarked, before he sat down, that much had recently been said on 

 the subject of patronage; but this reduction was a proof that the 

 extension of patronage was not a favourite object with His Majesty, 

 wlio proposed it, as it was clear he might have greatly lessened the 

 exjienses of the nation, and yet preserved the usual patronage, by 

 reducing the privates and keeping up the establishment of the officers. 

 It is then added : " The sums moved for were voted without debate, 

 and the House was immediately resumed." 



Tlie nominally independent action of the King in relation to the 

 Household Troops, and its open allegation by the Secretary, tell of 

 an age when the Stuart ideas of kingly prerogative still, in theory, 



