Summary of Proceedings in Parliament. (Continued from p. 919.)

MR

June 17.

R. W. Pitt moved the Houfe to go into a committee on his bill for a- A bolishing fees, &c.

Lord J. Cavendish opposed the motion on the fame ground as formerly mentioned, that if there were any abufes in the practices of the various offices, the heads of thofe offices were the most competent to reform them.

him for it, as it fortified him with a frong argument in favour of his bill, and had encouraged him to move for an inftruction to the Committee to admit a clause to make the bill extend to the fees taken at the Secretary of State's office, as well as to the others already enumerated. Mr. Pitt alfo took notice of a remark made by Mr. Sheridan, that the late Board of Treafury had created a new fee while they profeffed to be employed in forming plans of œconomy, and retrenchBing of fees in offices in general. Mr. Pitt Mr. W. Pitt expreffed his furprize at denied the charge. He faid, the matter what had fallen from the noble Lord, alluded to, related to a fum claimed as a that the heads of the different offices gratuity upon a contract which the Treawere the best perfons to reform the vari- fury, as cuftom and usage had warranted, ous abuses of office. He faid, he would had allowed to be taken, no regulation to ftate a few facts, which would convince the contrary at that time exifting. In the C the Houfe that abufes did exift in feveral courfe of fpeaking of fees, he took notice public offices, and that the heads of thofe of the place of fecretary to the Poft Ofoffices were not the moft competent to fice, who, with a falary of 5 or 600l. a correct them; and firft, he would fay year, made an annual income of 3000l. fomething of fees, gratuities, and per- The falaries of the two fecretaries to the quifites. To inftance in one office only, Treasury he stated at 2000l. a year; but the Navy Office. When an enquiry was Dduring the war they fwelled to 5000l. a inftituted by the late Board of Treafury, year. He flightly touched on the fale of with a view to prepare the prefent bill of places, the fuperannuation of officers, and reform, the anfwer given was, there were the fupply of duty by deputies. Previno fees of office received at that office.- ous to the existence of the laft Board of Upon a clofer examination of the matter Treafury, a practice had obtained, he it afterwards came out, that, although faid, of the occafional fuperannuation of there were no fees, received as fuch, yet E ftampers in the Stamp Office, when the that money, to a very confiderable a- commiffioners of the Treafury each apmount, was received by fome of the of pointed a ftamper regularly, one after ficers under the name of gifts. Though another, in turns, as real vacancies hapthe chief clerk of the Navy Office re- pened, or as artificial vacancies were ceived a falary of about 240 or 250l. a created. And it was no uncommon year, it turned out that he received no practice for each commiffioner to appoint F lefs than 2500l. in gifts. Another abuse one of his own fervants, and inftantly was in contracts, where, though made grant him leave of abfence, which leave apparently at fo low a rate that it was of abfence was regularly renewed every matter of wonder how they could be ful- fix months, and his place fupplied by a filled, yet nothing was fo cafy as the fo- deputy. This abufe the laft Board of lution. It appeared that the officers who Treafury put a stop to as far as in them were to pals the contractor's accounts. Glay, and he meant in this bill to give the and to make the report, were each of regulation in this particular the fanction them in the pay of the contractor. of an act. While on this head, he took notice of what had fallen from Mr. Burke in a former debate, charging the late Secretaries of State with illegally extorting enormous fees for pafs-ports. He stated, that what the Board, upon the triceft enquiry, had found to be the uniform practice of office, that they very naturally followed. But, upon the matter being complained of as a grievance, the dittribution of those fees had been flopped; he was fo far from being offended at the Hon. Gent.'s motion, that he thanked GENT. MAG. December, 1783.

The next regulation the Bill had inview was, he faid, the improvident expenditure of the public money in what was termed incidental expences, in which were comprehended the fupply of perfons with coals, candles, furniture, &c. which had given rife to abufes fo flagrant that an enumeration of thofe that had come to his knowledge would fcarce be credited by the Houle. Various proofs might be produced of officers not only fupplying their dwelling-houfes in town with thote articles, but even their coun

try-houses, and those at a most extravagant rate. Od er abuses, for work done at houfes held by Government, he declared to be very great. The expence of repairing the houfe in Downing Street, in which he had the honour to be lodged for a few months, coft the public, a year or two before his coming to it, 10,000l.; and for the leven preceding years, little lefs than 500l. annually. Other houfes, be onging to the publick, at Bushey Park, Hampton Court, and clfewhere, though they had not coft fo much, had followed at no very confiderable diftance. He at length came to the latter claufes of the bill, thole respecting the improvident confumption of ftationary wares by the officers of the different departments of government, which he frated at the enormous fum of Eighteen Thoufand Pounds a year. He had heard of rooms papered, in the private houfes of officers, at the expence of the publick, and be believed it would attonith the Houfe, and even the noble Lord in the blueribbon himself, Lord North, in reply, faid, that out of to be informed that Rationary wares for the 1340). charged for ftationary wares his Lordship alone, as fift Lord of the for his ute, 40 per cent. must be deducìTreatury, coft the publick, the year be- Ded as the due of the ufher of the Exchetore laft, no lefs than 1300l. which he, quer; but as to the article of whipcord, knowing as he did of what curious arti- it certainly was the first time he had ever cles the bill confifted, wondered that it heard it mentioned; and he affured the did not amount to as many thousands. Houfe that he would make the most riOne article he would mention was an gorous enquiry into the fact, and if he item of 3401. for WHIPCORD. When fhould find delinquency, he would leave he mentioned thefe facts, he defired to be nothing in his power undone to bring underflood as intending nothing perfonal E the delinquents to punishment. He had to the noble Lord, who, he believed, had always made it a point to prevent frauds not the most diftart knowledge or ap- from being committed under his name, prehenfion of any fuch abufes; and from by giving the moft pofitive directions to thence he drew an inference in fupport his private fecretary, and he had hitherto of his bill, and in proof of the neccility had no reafon to fufpect that his orders ot a fubftantial reform. He added, that had not been ftrictly obeyed. At the the bill of the two fecretaries for fiation- fame time he cautioned the House against F ary wares, for the fame year, amounted, forming a falfe eftimate of the confumpjointly, to very near as much as that of tion of ftationary wares, by comparing it the firit Lord. If, therefore, the Foard with that of a private individual. The of Freafury, who poffelled all the powers fit Lord of the Treasury was obliged of controul, which they doubtless exer- to have a private fecretary, and two or cifed with becoming vigilance, were three clerks, almoft confiantly employed, ble to fuch grois impofitions, what might and when 40 per cent, perquifites to annot be expected in the fubordinate de- other was deducted, it would reduce the partments, where thofe at the head of coniumption to little more than Gool. a them are not metted with fuch ample year, which, confidering the Treasury to powers? Was it to be expected that they be ferved by patent, and, confequently, would begin to correct abutes in their not upon the lowest terms, he hoped the offices, which they law tolerated in that Houle would not think fo encrinoufly of thet fuperiors-Having amplified extravagant as it had been reprefented. exceedingly in this and other parts of the With respect to coals and candles, he bill, he faid, he did not doubt but the found, when he was placed at the head pian of reform contained in it would' of the Treatury, that his predeceffor had produce a faving to the publick of at been fupplied with thofe articles at the least 40 cool. a year. public expence. And as to the money

Before he fat down, he took notice of Lord North's expreffion, in a former debate, that "not a trace was to be found Α' "in the Treafury indicating a single step "towards that glorious fabric of reform "and economy held out in the King's "fpeech." He had taken down the words, and, he thought, could find no fitter an opportunity than the prefent to bring them to the teft. He appealed to the prefent Minittry, whether there were not in the Treafury very laborious and B accurate materials drawn up, at the inftance of the late Board of Treasury, upon the Mint, the Royal Forefts, and a variety of other fubjects alluded to in the King's fpeech, as intended to be brought before Parliament, as matters of reform; and concluded with complimenting Lord North on his well-known candour, from which he had reafon to flatter himiett that his Lordship would do him the juftice to acknowledge he had really made this allertion.

laid out on the house in Downing Street, allotted for the refidence of the Chancel lor of the Exchequer, he could fay, with truth, that he warded off the expence as long as he was able, and had confented to it at laft only because the report of the Board of Works had declared that the houfe would not ftand long if it was not repaired, and that the expence of reparation would not exceed 5000l.; but afterwards, when the building was thrown open, the foundation was found to be bad, which occafioned the additional charge. The house in Bushey Park, his Lordfhip added, was in a most ruinous condition when his Majefty was gracioufly pleafed to grant the rangerfhip of that park to Lady North. It had been granted for three lives to the family of the late E. of Halifax, and, on the lapfe of the laft life, was, like almost all houfes that return to the landlord after the expiration of a leafe, very much run to decay; and when the Board of Works reported it to ftand in need of immediate repair, care was taken that none of the public money fhould be expended in ornaments, or new works, but all upon the old foundation.-Thefe different circum ftances his Lordship proved from the reports of the Board of Works, which he read to the House.

enjoy all the fees while they remained in office, but for cutting off from their fucceffors the poffibility of having any. The two late Secretaries of State had been permitted to enjoy the fees for pafs-ports; "but the very day," faid Mr. Fox, "that I had the honour to kifs his "Majefty's hand for my appointment, it "was fignified to the office, that the Se"cretaries of State were in future to have "4000l. a year falary, and NO PERQUIB"SITES."-He then fpoke of the pafsports in terms of fpirited reprobation. He spoke of them as bringing a difgrace on the character of the nation; for, while other States complimented the merchants with pafs-ports gratis, our Board of Treasury charged their pafs-ports four Ctimes over; fo that what coft 71. 105. when we had but one enemy, was charged 30l. to the merchant, on the fhallow pretence of having four enemies As to the bill before the Houfe, Mr. Fox thought it totally anteceffary; however, he would not oppoft it's going into a committee, fince the right hon. mover feemed fo anxious of having it debated.

D

Mr. Burke, with his wonted vein of pointed fatire, blamed the author of the bill for prying into the little perquifites of little men in little offices, while he fuffered the greatest abuses to exift in the office under his own eyes. He feemed, he faid, to have that rare olfactory nerve E which could fmell a fing'e ball of horsedung a thousand miles off, but was not to be affected by the ftench of a dunghill under his nofe. He compared Mr. Pitt to a large ferpent, gliding along the dirty mire of reform, with a number of little diminute frauds in his belly. His bill, he faid, held out the reverfe of a true principle of economical reform. It fubftituted vexation for economy, and expence for reform. It abolished a number of petty infignificant offices, for the purpofe of eftablishing five expenfive offres, upon the ruins of the indigent and the worthy. He would not, however, divide the Hopfe against the Speaker's leaving the chair, though he could not help thinking it the thorteft way at once to put an end to fuch an idle piece of bufinefs.

When he faid, on a former occafion, that "no trace was to be found in the Treafury, of any system of the late Miniftry, relative to reconomy," he must be underflood to mean of the fubject then before the House, viz. The Loan. The King's fpeech held forth promifes of conftructing new loans, on principles calculated, not only to pay the intereft, but, at the fame time, to annihilate the debt; with F plans for fupporting the credit of the navy and victualling bills, ordnance debentures, &c.; glorious acts indeed! but no trace was to be found in the Treafury of any fuch plans. He was therefore juftified in faving that the late Miniftry had deluded the people by promifes which they either could not, or would not, but certainly did not, attempt to perform. As to the faving of 40,000l. which the right hon. member expected to make by this bill, his lordship was afraid he was much too fanguine in his hopes: for his part, he did not expect much from it.

Mr. Sec. Fox obferved, that among the various charges brought againft his noble friend, it had not once been fuggefted that he had ever created a jobb for his own emolument. He charged the late Miniftry, not for fuffering their friends to

The Speaker left the chair, and the Houfe, going into a committee, went through the bill, and adjourned.

June 18.
Lord John Cavendish brought in the A
Compounding Bill.

Mr. Hill rofe, and combated the main argument adduced for bringing-in the bill," That there were fo many frauds practifed by perfons compounding, that there was no preventing those frauds but by fuffering no perfon whatever to compound." If ever argument, he faid, was founded on the principle of flagrant injuftice, it was this. Suppofe he was to affert that all honeft men ought to be hanged, for fear any rogues fhould efcape, how would fuch reafoning be received? Yet it was exactly of a piece with that, which indifcriminately involved the innocent with the guilty, and deprived the honeft compounder of his privilege of compounding becaufe his roguifh neighbour fold the malt for which he compounded. This was acting juft like the inhuman Herod, who caufed all the young children throughout the coafts of Bethlehem to be murdered, that he might be fure not to let the Holy Infant escape. The expedient was dreadful; yet the merciless tyrant failed of his end, as he hoped all tyrants ever would. He used a variety of firiking arguments against the bill, but was as weakly fupported as before. He, however, divided the House upon it, and the numbers were, for the fecond reading 129, against it 47.

The Houfe went into a committee of Supply; and

Mr. Secretary at War moyed for 8371. to defray the expence of 400 letter-men, being old ferjeants, who, after having fpent the greatest part of their lives in the fervice, were rewarded with the King's letter, which entitled them to one fhilling a day. The money was voted without oppofition.

Mr. Minchin then moved for 48781. to pay for lands purchafed for the purpofe of enlarging the fortifications at Portf outh. This was likewife granted

without a debate.

June 19.

The Houfe in committee on Lord Mahon's bill for preventing fraudulent voters from polling at elections.

Lord Mabon moved a claule to enact that all freeholds fhould be registered by the parish-clerk, except fuch as came by defcent, or were acquired by marriage.

Mr. G. Onflow was not for trusting the registering to parish-clerks; for that

it most commonly happened that if there was a fool in the parish, who could read and fing, he was chofen parifh-clerk.

Mr. Byng faid, he had fupported his Lordship's former bills, but would oppofe this, because it would fubject electors to expence. He therefore moved, "That the chairman do leave the chair," which was carried, 52 to 34, and confe quently the bill was loft.

June 20.

The Mutiny Bill was carried without Boppofition, only

Gen. Rofs, having made fome remarks on the economy of the army; they were not well received by the Commander in Chief,

Gen. Conway, who obferved, that their ideas did not run in the fame current on Cmilitary fubjects.

Gen. Rofs really believed they did not; therefore it must leffen his opinion of his own weak judgment.

Lord Mulgrave, in confequence of notice already given to the Houle, recapitulated his former arguments in favour of widows belonging to the Royal Navy, and concluded with moving, "That it is "the opinion of this Committee, that an "humble address be prefented to his Ma"jefly, praying, that he would be graci"oufly pleased to order a penfion of 451. "a year to be paid to the widows of "captains, and a penfion of 30l. a year E "to the widows of lieutenants of the "Royal Navy, during peace, in addition "to their prefent precarious allowances," &c; which motion patted accordingly. June 23.

Lord John Cavendish brought up the King's meffage relative to the eftablishF ment of the houfhold of the Prince of Wales, which fee p. 536.

Mr. Powys thought himself juftified in calling upon the noble Lord, on this cccafion, to ftate fomething to the House of what he intended to move in the committee of fupply, as the noble Lord in the blue ribbon had affured the Houfe that Minifters would be able to establish Ga fund to fupport the Prince's houthold, without calling upon Parliament for aid.

Lord J. Cavendish faid, all that would be wanted would be only a fum to defray the neceifary expences that muft attend the fetting on foot a new cftablishment. This antwer gave general fatisHfaction; and the queftion being put on the motion for referring the metlage to the committee of fupply, was carried,

His Lordthip then requested the House to recollect that, on a former occafion,

he

he had thrown out an idea relative to reform in the offices of his Majesty's Exchequer; it was now his intention to carry that idea into effect, and for that purpose A he moved for leave to bring in a bill for the better regulation of offices. in his Majefty's Exchequer.

Mr. Powys then asked if any bill was to be brought into parliament this year to compel public accountants to pay-in their balances. A defultory converfation took place on this queftion; in which a bill that had been filed against Mr. Powell, as one of the executors of the late Lord Holland, and which had abated in confequence of his death, came to be dif cuffed.

Mr. Kenyon defired to know if there was any intention of reviving it.

Lord J. Cavendish faid, he was not prepared to answer that question, but referred the reply to a future day.

Mr. Solic.-Gen. faid, he never would revive the bill to the full extent. He would fooner refign his office. He understood it went, not only to recover the balance, but all the interest that had ever, been made of the public money.

fuffered in confequence of the diffentions in America. This produced a long converfation, but nothing new.

Sir G. Howard faid, that the honour of the nation was concerned in providing for the Loyalifts. By the latest accounts from America he was informed, that Congrefs had not recommended the cafe of the Loyalifts to the different States; and that, frightened by the threats of the rebels, thefe unfortunate people would be Bobliged for ever to quit the Continent, to efcape the vengeance with which they were threatened for having been guilty of the crime of loyalty to this country.

Gen. Conway obferved, there was one clafs of Loyalifts who certainly stood feparate and diftinct from every other, and who, he hoped, were not to wait the C flow iffue of a formal commiffion of enquiry before their obviously meritorious fervices were rewarded. Indeed, fuch was their fituation, they could admit of no fuch delay. He meant the military of America in the British fervice, the gallant provincial corps, who had actively, and at the hazard of their lives, as Dwell as their fortunes, drawn the fword in the caufe of Great Britain.

Mr. Sec. Fox observed, that, of all the former paymasters, his father was the only Lord North faid, it was his intention one on whom the late Adminiftration to move, on Friday, That the officers of had laid their hands, for the purpose of the provincial regiments fhould receive extorting from his executors what would half-pay, and retain their rank (in Amecertainly reduce and ruin to beggary his rica only), with this condition, that if whole family; namely, not the intereft they fhould ever be rettored to their pofE only of any money withheld from thefeffions, or live out of the King's domipublick, after it had been called for; but nions, their half-pay fhould ceafe. He of all the accumulated intereft that had fuppofed that 30,000l. would be the ulever been made by the paymaster. This, timate of the expence. he faid, was a profecution of fuch a nature, confidering the fituation in which he then stood when it commenced, that had very much the appearance of a malicious perfecution.

F

On the question being put, the motion was carried.

The House then refolved itself into a committee on the ftate of the cotton and linen manufactures of Great Britain.

Mr. Stanley opened the bufinefs by fhewing the great neceffity of allowing drawbacks on the raw materials used in preparing the flax and cotton manufactures. He stated, that the articles produced from thofe manufactures gave bread to 800,000 of his Majesty's fubjects, and he begged that the importance of that fact might have its due weight in that Houte with refpect to the refolutions he was about to offer, which he read as follows:

ift. That it is the opinion of this Committee, that, in the prefent ftate of the commerce of Great Britain, the prefervaHtion of the cotton and linen manufacture is an object of the utmost importance, and deferves the ferious and immediate contideration of the Houfe,