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present. In his opinion, as ample an inquiry ought now to be gone into as was gone into then. If he came to the state of this increased debt, there was nothing on the face of the accounts to induce the house in anywise to relax their constitutional jealousy. On the contrary, he would venture to say, from a view of the items of the account, there was nothing which ought to induce them to relax, but much rather that ought to quicken their jealousy. The honourable member went into an elaborate examination of the bill, and finished by saying that the remote possibility of the ultimate recovery of his majesty, although now, as well as last year, his speedy restoration had been so sanguinely expected and prophesied by the chancellor of the exchequer, could in no way justify any such establishment. It appeared by records, which it was not necessary now to quote, that the house had never yet voted so large a sum as that now required, in aid of the civil list, without a formal preliminary inquiry; and yet ministers, at a time when the vote of every shilling ought to be most severely scrutinized, ventured to make this most unconstitutional demand. With respect to the formation of a distinct court, over which the queen was to preside, no investigation could remove his objection; but into the voluminous and valuable documents laid upon the table, he could not imagine that a more proper time than the present could be found for investigation, and it was wholly unbecoming in the house to refuse examination into the comparative small amounts they contained, when the great demands for the service of the state were met by the people with such confidential readiness. He warned the right honourable gen

tleman of the consequences of a refusal, and set before him, as an example, the precedent of the year 1804.

Mr. Rose replied, and several other members spoke warmly on the subject. The report was then brought up and read, and on the next day, the 29th, the bill was read a third time, passed, and sent to

The house of lords, where it was of course read the first time without any observation; as it was also the second time on the 4th of Feb.

Feb.6. The earl of Liverpool moved the order of the day for the third reading of the royal household bill, and observed,that he would now take the opportunity of explaining the subject with reference to the three bills now on the table, all forming part of the same arrangement (the royal household bill, the household offices bill, and the regency expenses bill). His lordship then adverted to what had passed in the last session of parliament, when the regency was under consideration, and observed, that whatever opinions might be entertained of the improbability of the king's recovery, they must nevertheless legislate upon the possibility of his recovering so as to resume the exercise of the royal authority. His lordship then explained the object of the bills, to appropriate 100,0001. for a household for the king, and to the support of his dignity and personal comfort; together with 60,000Z. the amount of the king's privy purse, and 10,000%. to the queen, to meet incidental expenses,-making together 170,000. To meet this charge, the prince of Wales had consented to give up to the civil list from his exchequer income 50,000l. and 70,000%. was proposed to be voted by parliament, making 120,000l. leaving a deficiency in the

civil list, as transferred to the prince regent, of 50,000l. with, however, a considerable difference of expense, as his majesty's expenditure had of course been considerably increased by the largeness of his family. The noble earl concluded by expressing his regret that the question respecting the increase of the expenditure of the civil list had not on former occasions been fairly met, instead of resorting to the mode of making good the deficiency out of other funds; convinced as he was, that, if the question had been brought for ward, it must have been evident that the increase of the expenditure was unavoidable, and that it was no more than must have been felt by every person from his own private expenditure, and could not be avoided.

Lord Grenville observed, that the bill was such that he could not entirely approve, although he was perfectly aware of the difficulty attending a task in making a provision for a case so new and distinct from any former situation of things. He agreed with the noble secretary of state, that it was an essential object for their lordships to have in view, that the arrangement to be formed was not in its nature necessarily permanent; and that, as their hopes had been hitherto unhappily disappointed, so their fears might be agreeably undeceived. His first objection to the plan now submitted was, that that it was intricate, involved, and obscure; whereas in his opinion, it should be, on such an occasion, not merely clear and intelligible, but so clear and intelligible

that every man in the kingdom should understand it. He was not prepared to argue the question of the bill on the principle of the suffciency or excess of the particular sums appropriated to different purposes. All their lordships undoubt edly felt the necessity of supporting, now as well as at any former time, the dignity and state belonging to the exercise of the functions of royalty, and to the person, in whatever situation or labouring under whatever calamity, who continued to wear the crown. They all felt it was not merely for a sick person, but a sick king, for whom provision was to be made. He had often lamented, that in all the arrangements of the civil list, two objects should have been combined so obviously dissimilar as the provision for the civil government of the country, and the expenditure for the royal household. This was not the proper opportunity for entering into such a consideration; but he did think it in due time a subject highly worthy of their lordships' attention. An extreme case might, indeed, occur, which would render it expe. dient to make some alteration with reference to this arrangement; but, except in such extreme case, it was unquestionably the duty of the legislature to respect the contract which had been entered into between the country and his majesty, when he was competent to give or to withhold his assent. The bill was then read a third time; and on the 10th it was passed, of which notice was sent to the house of commons.

CHAP.

CHAPTER II.

Mr. Rose on the Population of England, Scotland, and Wales-Debate on Mr. Ryder's Motion respecting the Nightly Watch-Debate on Mr. Brougham's Motion respecting the Droits of the Admiralty-Lord Folkestone's Motion on the State of Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction-Debates on Earl Fitzwilliam's Motion on the State of Ireland, and on Mr. Grattan's Motion on the same Subject-Debate on Mr. Lockhart's Motion on Bankrupt Members of Parliament-Debate on Lord Morpeth's Motion on the State of Ireland-Mr. Whitbread on the Riots at Nottingham Mr. Grant on the Extension of commercial Intercourse with IndiaBill for preventing the granting Offices in Reversion-Motion in both Houses of Thanks to Lord Wellington-Mr. Creevey's Motion on the 4 per Cent. Duties-Mr. Whitbread's Motion on America-Mr. Ryder's Motion for a Bill to punish the Rioters of Nottingham-Debate on Lord Wellington's Pension-Monument to General Crauford-Debates on the Army Estimates, and Colonel M Mahon's Pension-Expulsion of Mr. Walsh-Motion for a Bill to punish fraudulent Bankers.

W E have, in the last chapter, given a connected account of the discussions of the household bill, which, as we have seen, was passed into an act, with the sanction of both houses and his royal highness the prince, previously to the time in which the regent entered on his full powers. We shall now turn back and review some other subjects that engrossed the attention of parliament at intervals during the time we have gone over. On part of the business which we have now to notice, debates had in former sessions been long and vehement. The eloquence of all sides of both houses had shone forth, as well on the droits of the admiralty, as on the state of Ireland; and the arguments adduced by the leaders of the parties who opposed or vindicated the measures of government in these particulars, have been briefly but faithfully recorded in our former volumes. The reader will readily perceive the necessity

that we have for abridgement in our reports of parliamentary business, when he reflects for a moment that the debates, tolerably at large, on the state of Ireland, would, for the year 1812, more than fill the space which can be afforded in our volume to the proceedings of both houses for the whole session, which continued, with but short adjournments, more than seven months. So long, however, as topics of importance and general interest are agitated in parliament, so long will it be our duty to follow its steps with the fidelity of accurate reporters.

Jan. 17.-A person appeared at the house of commons, and presented an account of the population of Great Britain, from the year 1802 to the present period, distinguishing the increase, &c. of each each particular year.

that the

Mr. Rose observed, paper now laid on the table was the result of an annual census, which for the first time, in the year 1802,

was

was by act of parliament directed to be taken throughout Great Britain. He was sure it would create as much pleasure as surprise, that this paper should exhibit, upon the last ten years, no less an increase of the general population than one million and a half. The augmentation in England amounted to the proportion of 14 per cent. that in Wales to 12, and that in Scotland to 13 per cent. This in crease, remarkable as it was for its extent, was yet remarkable for another peculiarity, the number of males being equal to the number of females, together constituting the increase. In September 1802 the whole population amounted to 10,471,000; it was now, exclusive of the army and navy, 11,901,000; making, in conjunction with the military force of the country, a total increase of upwards of 1,906,000. This great addition to the population was the more surprising, when it was considered that it had taken place in the period of a war of unexampled duration, extent and activity. He was quite aware that it might be said, that although there was an increase of population, there had been no corresponding increase of employment: but however distressing this want might have been found last year among the class of manufacturers, he was happy to have ascertained that it had been confined to that class, and that it had already become much less severe and extensive than it had been experienced in the course of the last year. Perhaps some gentlemen might be disposed to attribute part of the apparent increase in the population to the improved skill and accuracy of those who were engaged in forming the estimate; and although this opinion had unquestionably weight, yet as far as his own inquiries had

gone, and these had been made with some care, he had reason to believe that there was very little deficiency in the accuracy with which the law establishing the census had been carried into execu tion in the outset. The right hon. gentleman then entered into a statement,to show that the great increase of the exports of corn corresponded with and corroborated the increased population exhibited in the paper before the house. From the year 1775, (when Great Britain first became an importing country, having before regularly exported corn to her neighbours), to the end of the twelve following years, the balance of payments was but inconsiderably affected by the quantities of corn imported. In the year 1799, upwards of one million sterling was transmitted in payment of corn, and this sum had been since gradually enlarged, till it had reached the extraordinary magnitude of between four and five millions annually now sent out of the kingdom. It would appear also, by examining the papers before the house, and comparing the quantities imported of different grain in each year, that wheat, and whatever was applicable to human sustenance, bore a very large proportion to the whole. Now it was undoubtedly true, that of late years inclosures had been greatly multiplied: but this multiplication had certainly not kept pace with the increased consumption of the country, and it remained for the house to discover and adopt the most advisable means to supply what was still defective, and, by diminishing the necessity of such excessive importations, at once improve the revenue and promote the agricultural interests of the kingdom. It was now pretty manifest that the

system

system of inclosures, however beneficial and general it had become, was not alone adequate to the object in view; and among other means that might be devised, he considered that additional encouragement to the cultivation of potatoes might be highly advantageous. This description of cultivation had the peculiar recommendation of being within the power of the poorest individual that inhabited a cottage with a piece of land, however small, attached to it. There was also another expedient that had been too long much neglected, and could not, in his opinion, too strongly engage legislative consideration, he meant the due encouragement and extension of the fisheries. It could not fail to excite surprise,, that a maritime country like Great Britain, and from her geographical situation possessing so many facilities for enjoying every advantage of prosperous and extensive fisheries, should, even to the present day, have derived nearly all her supplies of cured fish from settlements abroad. He could not help thinking that, by influence and persua. sion, any prejudice or aversion to a particular kind of food might be overcome among the bulk of the people. As an instance of the digious difference in the comparative cheapness of different sorts of food, he had himself recently been enabled to sell 9 herrings and 22 pounds of potatoes for 15d. Where it was thus evident that a saving to so great an amount might be effected, it was of the greatest importance that it should be duly considered; he had caiculated that, by the adoption of proper measures tending to this purpose, an abridgement might be made of three millions out of the four or five now every year sent out of the country

pro

in payment for imported corn. The further extension of the British fisheries might be productive of another great advantage in furnish❤ ing employment to the surplus part thousand men might, he conceived, of the population. One hundred be easily employed in this way. He the time of the house in entering was aware that he had taken up on a subject that was not regularly before it; but he trusted the very great importance of the subject would justify him in its opinion.

great satisfaction, both at the acMr. Brougham professed his counts commented on by the right hon. gentleman, and the observations which had fallen from him, appearing to him, as they did, highly important and judicious. He did not rise at present, just informed as he was at that moment of the facts stated by the right hon. gentleman, to enter into the discussion of them, but to require the attention of the house to one or two remarks which the contemplation of the paper before the house naturally suggested to his mind. He was not entirely ready to agree with him, that the whole of the nominal increase of population which the last census exhibited, was when this census was first taken, a real increase. In the year 1802, the whole machinery for carrying it into effect was necessarily incomplete. Not only did this now move with more ease and efficacy, but count the improved experience of there should also be taken into acthe various officers whose duty it was to conduct it. The numerous prejudices that had originally existed against a general enumeration, arising in some degree from a superstitious construction of a portion of scriptural history, and from other causes, must have operated strong.

strong

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