44

DISCUSSION ON THE CIVIL LIST.

[1831.

course, ministers have exhibited a want of that strict and severe spirit of economy, which, under the present circumstances of the country, ought to govern every single item of the public expenditure." Another old friend who had long fought the battle of opposition with the Whigs, but for whom no office had been yet found in the present government, Mr. Robert Gordon, was less reserved in his manner, and more bitter as well as more open in his disapprobation. He not only blamed his noble friend for not making a palpable and decided reduction in the civil list,' but he roundly accused him of 'mystifying' the subject. He charged the whole administration, with the noble personage now on the woolsack at its head, with inconsistency on the subject of the Duchy revenues, and entreated them to review the question, as the country would receive their statement with much sorrow.2

The whole debate, indeed, and the embarrassment of the ministry, proved the shrewdness of that policy which induced the late ministry to make the civil list the battle-field for this great party conflict. The present administration were by this political manœuvre forced to risk a loss of favour either with the court or the people. They knew full well that the king, and more particularly the queen, looked with very unfavourable eyes both on their policy and themselves. To soften this ill-feeling, and win if possible the royal favour, was the constant object of their endeavours,

1 Mirror of Parliament, ibid. p. 25.

* Idem. ibid. p. 32.

45

1831.] LAUDATION BESTOWED ON THE KING. and almost the chief object of their solicitude. For they expected that the king would take advantage of the first constitutional opportunity with which fortune might favour him to dismiss the whole party from his councils, should he continue in his present temper regarding them. There was consequently a sort of rivalry in eulogies among themselves when speaking either of the king or the queen.1 Sir Henry Parnell, when moving for a select committee on the civil list, spoke of the king as the most popular and most deservedly popular monarch that ever sat on the English throne. Lord Althorp on the present occasion could hardly find words sufficiently eulogistic when stating that the king had determined to ask

This rivalry extended to their opponents; consequently strains of panegyric were always heard when the name of the king was mentioned. In the present debate, Mr. Goulburn, in answer to the laudation of Lord Althorp as above quoted, replied in the following terms: To those who have had an opportunity of personal access to his Majesty, to those who have communicated with him on matters of expenditure (always a painful subject, but most so between a monarch and his minister), such a decision gives no surprise; they must have anticipated it; and I can assure the noble lord that if there were anything that could endear his Majesty to his people more than he has already endeared himself, it would be his deep regret and just consideration for the present circumstances of the country.' All this praise was bestowed on the king upon this occasion, because he had not insisted upon asking for an outfit for the queen, for whose comfort and happiness every conceivable appliance was already provided. Nothing which money could purchase, or skill and ingenuity could devise, was wanting in the royal establishment.

46 NO OUTFIT FOR THE QUEEN REQUIRED. [1831.

no outfit for the queen.1 He instanced the case of George III. on his marriage receiving 54,000l. for jewels for Queen Charlotte, besides her outfit; he also spoke of the Princess Charlotte, and the provision made for her by the country when she married. He stated that in the present case the Duke of Wellington considered a proposal to the Commons to provide for the queen not 'unreasonable.' But, said the noble lord, with as much of enthusiasm as he ever evinced, 'I have the satisfaction of informing the House, that his Majesty, with the liberality which belongs to the constitution of his mind, with that considerateness which renders him so attentive to the wishes of his subjects, and with that solicitude for the public welfare which has already given so much general satisfaction, declines to accept it. Other ministers under another king might perhaps be under the necessity of proposing a measure of this kind, even if they did not approve of it. We, however, have the happiness to serve a master who is not only ready to listen to every suggestion on our part, but who is also most anxious to suggest himself everything that occurs to him as of advantage to the country, and

1 This supposed voluntary determination of the king not to accept an outfit for the queen really resulted from the opposition of Mr. C. Grant to it. He threatened to resign if it were proposed. The ministers were terrified: Lord Grey was exceedingly hurt by this inopportune fit of economy on the part of Mr. Grant; and at last the expedient was hit upon of making the king voluntarily declare that he wished for no outfit. The expedient, however, was very far from grateful to the king or queen.

1831.]

DANGERS RUN BY THE MINISTRY.

47

as contributing to the welfare of his people. This disposition it is on the part of his Majesty which has caused the commencement of his reign to be hailed with so much satisfaction, and this disposition it is which will render his Majesty during the continuance of his reign what his Majesty has hitherto been-one of the most popular monarchs that ever occupied the throne." But panegyric was not considered sufficient on this occasion. The king was quickly made to understand that his ministers were prepared rather to brave popular displeasure than royal ill-will on the subject of the royal income, and that no diminution of that income would be attempted by them. With the people, indeed, they ran no little risk in the matter. Economy and reform were the two popular desires at this time. Reform in parliament was sought for principally in the hope of being able by means of a reformed House of Commons to force frugality upon the government; and the present ministry had obtained much of their undoubted popularity by their professions on the score of a severe and searching economy. When the people saw these professions at the very outset of their ministerial career forgotten or disregarded by the Whigs, they (the people) began to doubt and to suspect the honesty and the purposes of the men whom they had so loudly praised, and from whom they had expected so much. But the ministerial

1 Mirror of Parliament, 1831, p. 26.

48

THEY ESCAPE THESE DANGERS.

[1831.

organs skilfully combated this distrust by dwelling on the hostility of the court, and the difficult task imposed now on the government, who had to win reform from a powerful aristocracy and a hostile court, being at the same time aided only by a suspicious and short-sighted people. The lasting benefits to flow from an effective parliamentary reform were contrasted with the temporary and partial evil of a somewhat extravagant civil list, which was asserted to be the absolutely necessary price to be paid by the people in order to obtain an acquiescence which, while it was indispensable, could only be obtained by such means. By degrees this view was accepted. The excitement respecting reform grew every day stronger, till at length it for a time superseded all other considerations. The people became as anxious as the ministers themselves, but for a different purpose, to put the king into a favourable state of mind, and to keep him in it. They possessed two means to attain this endmoney and flattery: they allowed the ministry to be lavish of one-and they bestowed the other without stint or hesitation. So eager were they soon after in the pursuit of their object by this new policy, that they were ready absolutely to rail at and abuse any grumbling economical patriot who still ventured a criticism on the extravagance of the civil list; and they permitted almost without a murmur the ministers afterwards to settle on the queen the enormous income of 100,000l. per annum, in case she should survive the king her husband, because they looked upon this