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"That it be an inftruction to the Committee of the whole House, to whom the Bill for enabling his Majefty to settle an annuity on his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, during the life of his Majesty, and the life of his faid Royal Highness; for making provifion for the payment of any debts, that may be due from his Royal Highness, out of his revenues; for preventing the contracting of the like debts in future; and for regu. lating the mode of expenditure of the said revenues, is committed, That they have power to make provifion in the faid Bill for the appropriation of an an. nual fum out of the hereditary revenues of the Crown, during the life of his Royal Highness, for the liquidation of fuch of the debts, now owing by his Royal Highness, as may remain unpaid on the demise of the Crown."

And also, "That this Houfe will, on Monday next, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole Houfe, to confider of providing for the appropriation of an annual fum out of the confolidated fund, for the liquidation of fuch of the debts, now owing by his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, as may remain unpaid, in the event of the deceale of his Royal Highness.”

Mr. Powys obferved, that the object of this motion was to prevent any eventual charge on this nation, and to lay the burden on the hereditary revenues of the Crown, on the Prince of Wales's coming to the Throne before the whole of his debts hould be paid. The civil lift provided for certain offices, and it must be commenfurate and adequate to every one of the purposes to which it was applicable; if it was not, would not the country be bound in fome way or other to make up the deficiency? He understood that at the commencement of every reign, the hereditary revenue was commuted for a certain civil lift. As he viewed the fubject, therefore, the mode of proceeding then propofed by the Hon. Gentleman, would be attended with no relief to the Public, fince, if the civil lift fhould be found inadequate, the deficiency must be made good by Parliament.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer ftated the hereditary revenue to be that to which the Prince of Wales would fucceed upon the demise of his Majefty. It had been thought proper for feveral reigns to commute that hereditary revenue for a certain civil lift, but the mode of proceeding which he propofed, was the only one calculated to give fecurity to his creditors, or in the event of his acceffion, to render his Royal Highnefs refponfible for the payment of his remaining debts, as he would then have a lefs hereditary revenue to offer in exchange for a civil lift.

General Smith wifhed to know whether the account laid upon the table, included the whole proceeds of the Dutchy of Cornwall, during the minority of the Prince. He was de, frous that it fhould be known that his Royal Highness had a

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claim to fo large a fum, which was ftill undecided. He remarked that the eftate under the guardianfhip of the Court of Chancery would have, during the minority, produced 350,00cl. and under the care of a gentleman, by being employed at compound intereft, 380,000l., and that at present it would amount altogether to a fum of 600,000l. He should avail himself of a future opportunity to take the fenfe of the House on the subject. Without adverting to what had taken place in that Houfe, he fhould only remark that out of doors a great deal of odium had been very ill applied to his Royal Highness, who might eventually be entitled to claim either from the Crown or the Public a fum almost equal to the demands of his creditors.

Mr. Anftruther faid, that the account laid upon the table included the nett produce of the income, except the expence of the establishment, which was neceffary to be kept up during the minority, as well as at any other period, and a sum of 25,000l. which had been granted by order of his Majesty for public purposes in the county of Devon.

Sir William Milner compared the cafe of the Prince of Wales, with respect to the Dutchy of Cornwall, to that of a fon, who had an estate left him during his minority. What father would not, in fuch a fituation, conceive himself bound by every tie of honour and affection to take care of the eftate, and employ it to the utmoft advantage for the benefit of his fon?

Mr. Sheridan remarked that the Hon. General (Smith) had accurately calculated the intereft upon the accumulated revenue of the Dutchy of Cornwall. He conceived that the Prince had hitherto been well advised in making no claim upon his Royal Father. But, if it was true, as he was well perfuaded, that he was entitled to the produce of the revenue from his birth, he had at prefent no option. The accumulated fum belonged neither to the Prince, nor to the King, nor to the Public, but to the creditors of his Royal Highnefs.

The queЯion upon the first instruction, with refpect to the remainder of the debts being chargeable upon the hereditary revenue of the Crown, in the event of the demife of his prefent Majefty, was put, and carried.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer faid, that in propofing the fecond inftruction, the question was, whether, by refusing their countenance to this provifion, they would render all their other liberality ineffectual. All other provifions, except that which he was about to propofe, would be inefficient both as to the fecurity of the creditors, and the comfort and ease of his Royal Highness and his illuftrious confort. It was certainly attend

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ed with fome degree of rifk to the Public, but it was one of the unfortunate confiderations, which could not be feparated from the prefent difcuffion, and except fome other mode could be found confiftent with juftice, propriety, and policy, they were driven to that option. He concluded with moving,

"That the entry in the Journal of the House, of the 11th day of July 1721, of his Majesty's most gracious Message to this House might be read." And the fame being read accordingly,

The Chancellor of the Exchequer moved,

"That this Houfe will, on Monday morning next, refolve itself into a Committee of the whole Houfe, to confider of providing for the appropriation of an annual fum out of the consolidated fund, for the liquidation of fuch of the debts, now owing by his Royal Highnefs the Prince of Wales, as may remain unpaid, in the event of the decease of his Royal Highness."

Sir William Young faid, he wished that other means had been reforted to for difcharging the debts of the Prince of Wales. Because he was attached to the Royal Family he did not wish that the debts fhould be taken notice of at all. The subject was extremely obnoxious out of doors, and he was at a lofs to conceive how the debts came to be mentioned at all in that Houfe. The mode of procedure adopted by the Hon. Gentleman tended to degrade the Prince of Wales; it put him, as it were, in leading-ftrings, and held him out as unworthy of confidence.

Mr. Fox faid, that he conceived no fuch conftruction could apply to any measures taken to regulate the expenditure of his Royal Highness as would warrant its being faid that he was either degraded or difgraced. When the Houfe voted for Mr. Burke's Bill, they had acted in the fame fpirit. He then conceived that the elevated fituation of his Majefty gave a right to that Houfe to lay him under the reftrictions which they at that time impofed; and that in fo doing the House neither manifefted want of refpect nor want of confidence; because, proud as his fituation is, the King owns no greater Atation than that of fervant of the people. Before, in the prefent instance, he confented to burden the people, he wifhed to know, whether what he should grant would be effectual for the purpose for which it was demanded. As far as he understood, there was no compulfion upon the creditors to accept of the terms meant at prefent to be offered. He did not wish to impofe an additional burden upon the Public without fome reasonable certainty that it would really be effectual.-The whole of the bufinefs had been conducted unfortunately. There ought firft to have taken place fome arrangement between the Prince

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and his creditors, that it might be known what terms would be accepted, if a certain fecurity was given. Every step they proceeded they had to encounter new difficulties. The Right Hon. Gentleman had intimated his intention to fill up the blank in the Committee with the whole additional fum of 65,000l. and the revenue of the Dutchy of Cornwall. He certainly did not think the fum of 78,000l. a year too large for the purpose of liquidating the debt. But how was the Right Hon. Gentleman to get at the revenue of the Dutchy of Cornwall? as he understood that the prefent income of his Royal Highness was conveyed in truft for the benefit of his creditors. It was very unfortunate that the Houfe fhould be called to impose a contingent burden upon the Public, without either the certainty of relieving the Prince of Wales, or of fatisfying his just creditors. He was now called upon to perform the laft difagreeable task which had fallen to his fhare in the prefent difcuffion. He had not flattered the people, because he had voted for the larger fum; he had not flattered the Prince, because he had pretty plainly explained his fenfe of the manner in which that fum ought to be appropriated; nor would he, in what he had to fay, flatter that other party, whose immediate favour might be deemed ftill more important. He fincerely lamented that as a ground of proceeding Parliament had received no intimation from his Majefty, that in any poffible contingency he fhould take upon himfelf the charge of the debts. They might then have had the confolation to fay that it was a tranfaction which had been equally unfortunate for all parties; that the Public had fuffered from the impofi-tion of an additional burden; that the Prince had fuffered from a diminution of fplendour, and that his Majefty had fuffered in common with his family and his people. If the Bill went forward, he certainly fhould vote for the appropriation of the 78,000l. which the Right Hon. Gentleman had stated would extinguish the debt in about nine years. The risk of the Public in that cafe was certainly not great; but why, he afked, fhould the Public be fubjected in this inftance to any contingent risk? He adverted to the cafe of Frederick Prince of Wales, whofe income had been increafed from fifty thoufand to one hundred thoufand pounds, and had ftill been charged upon the civil lift. He propofed to move that in cafe of the demife of the Prince of Wales, the portion of his debts, which fhould then remain unpaid, fhould be defrayed out of the civil lift. It might be faid, would not fo large a defal cation oblige Parliament to grant an additional fupply to the civil lift? To this he would only anfwer, that it would then remain for Parliament to confider what were the peculiar cir.. VOL. III.

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cumftances of the time, and whether the ftate of the civil lift was fuch as called upon them for an additional fum. When the civil lift was increafed by accidents-he did not mean to an inconfiderable amount; he particularly alluded to the death of the Princess Amelia-he never had heard of any meffage ftating to the House that it had been freed from fuch incumbrance. If the civil lift likewife was lightened of fome of the burdens with which it was at prefent charged, it might then be adequate to undertake the discharge of the debts; if not, it would be for Parliament to confider, according to the circumftances of the time, what fupply it would be proper to grant.

Some Gentlemen had lamented that the Prince's debts fhould be mentioned at all in a Parliamentary way, after the promise contained in the meffage of 1787. As to that promife, it might have been made precipitately, and without confideration; but the Houfe in the addrefs recited that promife-the Prince knew that, and by accepting the terms, deliberately bound himself. He for his part felt that fo much, that at first he thought to give his voice for the income, but to leave the debts out of the question as a family concern. He adverted to the argument that had been urged, that Parliament were bound to provide for the debts as having approved of the marriage of his Royal Highnefs; how much more then his Majefty, who was an immediate party in the contract? Was he to be fuppofed the only one of the inhabitants of this country who was ignorant of the embarraffments under which his fon laboured? Gentlemen fhould recollect that the marriage was concluded without the knowledge of the House, and would, but for the cafual interruption of a bad feafon, have been confummated before Parliament met. Nothing but abfolute political neceffity could induce him to lay any additional burden upon the Public. In the prefent difcuffion he confidered the Public as having one and the fame intereft, and he thought that the memory of the tranfaction ought to be extinguished as foon as poffible. He was perfectly convinced that if his Royal Highnefs was affifted by the credit of his Royal father, that with the annual appropriation of 78,000l. the creditors would be perfectly difpofed to be fatisfied with their fecu

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Mr. Powys declared, he was put under confiderable embarraffment by this question.-The late communication of his Royal Highness had induced him to give his vote, though he had before refolved to refufe entertaining the debts. The Chancellor of the Exchequer had a harder tafk to perform than ever fall to the lot of any minifter or Parliament, fo that he

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