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lowing words, "Refolved, that the fum of 700,000l. per annum was settled upon his late Majefty King William during his life, "for the fupport of his Majefty's household, "and other his neceffary occafions; and, at "the time of his Majesty's demife, after the "deduction of 3,700l. a week, that was ap-.

plied to the public ufes, was the produce of

"the Civil Lift revenues, that were continued "and fettled upon her late Majesty Queen "Anne, during her life." The deduction for public fervices of 3,700l. a week, or 192,400l. a year, from that part of the Civil Lift revenue called the "Hereditary and Temporary Excife" was first made in the last year of King William. Notwithstanding this deduction the Civil Lift Funds produced in that very year 709,420l. In the first of Queen Anne the fame Funds with the fame deductions were fettled on her for life, and declared to be for raifing 700,000l. for the support of her household, and the dignity of her govern ment. In the 9th of her reign the old Postoffice act was repealed, and a new General Poft-office with higher rates was established, in confideration of which another deduction

was

was made from the Civil Lift revenue of 700l. a week, or 36,400k a year. Boths thefe deductions have ever fince been concinued.

George I had the fame revenue fettled upon him as Queen Anne, but if 300,000l. paid him by the Royal Exchange and London Afurance Companies, and a million granted in 1726, towards paying his debts, are included, his income will appear to have been nearly 800,000l. per annum. . In the first fpeech to his Parliament he took notice, "That it was his happiness to see a Prince of "Wales, who may, in due time, fucceed to "the throne, and to see him bleffed with many "children." Yet the eftablishment of the Civil Lift at the beginning of that reign was only fettled at 700,000l. a year. It was not till after the great expences confequent on the rebellion of the Earl of Mar, and the other perjured Scats, who, although they had taken the oaths to his government, traiterously waged open and impious war against a mild and juft Sovereign, that the Parliament paid the King's debts. In the reign of George I.

the

the Prince of Wales had an establishment of

100,000l. per annum.

George II. had a very numerous family, and 800,000l. was at first fettled upon him, with whatever furplus might arise from the duties and allowances compofing the Civil Lift revenues. In 1736, that part of the hereditary and temporary excife, which confifted of duties on Spirituous Liquors, was taken from the Civil Lift, in confideration of which 70,000l. was transferred to it from the aggregate fund. The income of George II. including 115,000l. granted in 1729, and 456,7331. in 1747, towards making good the deficiencies, which had arifen in the Civil Lift duties, was 810,7491. per annum, for 33 years. His late Majefty likewife had in his reign a Scottish rebellion, carried on by many of the fame traitors, who had been pardoned by his father. The expence of that rebellion to the King and kingdom was enormous, for it was not confined to the extremities of the ifland, but raged in the heart of the kingdom, and the rebels advanced to within a hundred miles of the capital. Such an event, fir, not unforeseen, because foretold, was a just ground

for

for the Parliament's difcharging a debt contracted by fecuring to us every thing dear to men and Englishmen.

The establishment of the prefent King, at the yearly rent charge to the nation of 800,000l. was a measure at the time equally pleafing both to the Prince and people. The minifter boafted that there was not a poffibility of any future difpute about the hereditary revenues, or concerning accounts fufpected to be falfe, wilfully erroneous, or deceitful, kept back, or anticipated, to ferve a particular purpose. I am aware, fir, that the Civil Lift revenues have been increafing for many years. The mean annual produce for the last five years of George II. was 829,150l. and for the first fix years of his prefent Majesty, it would have been, had the establishment in the late reign continued, 894,000l. In 1775, it would have been 1,019,450l. Near 90,000l. per annum of this great increase has been produced by an increase in the Poft-office revenue, occafioned chiefly by the late alteration. in the manner of franking, and by the falling in of the cross pofts to the public by the death of Mr. Allen; but thefe profits would proba

bly

bly, at leaft certainly ought to, have been referved to the public, had the establishment in the late reign been continued. At the foot of one of the accounts on our table it is ftated, "The amount of 800,cool. granted *to his Majefty from the 25th of Oct. 1760, 65 to the 5th of January 1777, is 12,965,5171.

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4s. 9d. 4. The produce as above exceeds

the annuity by 2,381,241l. 98. id. 4. Bat "Parliament granted to pay off the Civil Lift "debt, on the 5th of Jan. 1769, out of the "fupplies for the year 1769, 513,5111. which "being deducted fhews the gain to the public "to be, 1,867,730l. gs. 1d. 2." The bargain concluded for the public was of an annuity to the King of a clear 800,000l. fubje&t to no deductions, or contingencies for his life, on a folemn promife of that being made to bear all the expences of the Civil Lift, and the Royal houfehold. It was a fair compact of finance between the King and the subject, ratified by both parties. The most explicit affurances were given by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in the King's name, that no more fhould be afked, and that now his Majefty could never be under the difagreeable ne

ceffity

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