HC Deb 25 May 1857 vol 145 cc837-9
MR. FITZROY

brought up the Report of the Resolution on Queen's Message [18 May]. That the annual sum of eight thousand pounds be granted to Her Majesty, out of the Consolidated Fund of Great Britain and Ireland, the said annuity to be settled on Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, for her life, in such manner as Her Majesty shall think proper, and to commence from the date of the Marriage of Her Royal Highness with His Royal Highness Prince Frederic William of Prussia.

Resolution read 2°.

MR. CONINGHAM rose, for the purpose of proposing an Amendment to the Resolution which had been adopted apparently unanimously on Friday. He regretted very much that the House had not been afforded an opportunity of dividing upon the question on that occasion, as he felt assured that the public out of doors would have been undeceived with respect to the general concurrence with which the Resolution would seem to have been adopted. He was of opinion that if a division had taken place a very large minority would have been found to be opposed to the proposal of the Chancellor of the Exchequer. For his own part, he objected to the proposal on principle; he objected to its amount, and viewed it with disfavour as a precedent. The reasons which he had on the former occasion urged against the annuity still continued to have weight with him; but he should abstain from repeating them, and should content himself with moving an Amendment to the effect that the amount of the proposed annuity be reduced from £8,000 to £6,000. He could not, however, pass over a very remarkable omission which had occurred in the speech of the Chancellor of the Exchequer on Friday night—he alluded to the circumstance of his having abstained from all reference to the revenues which the Sovereign derived from the Duchy of Lancaster. That omission had indeed to some extent been supplied by what had fallen from the hon. and learned Member for Sheffield (Mr. Roebuck)—but only to some extent, inasmuch as the £20,000 a year winch had of late been paid into Her Majesty's privy purse, from the source to which he referred, had at one time been reduced to a much smaller amount in consequence of the gross mismanagement which, in dealing with the property of the Duchy, had for a long period prevailed. The subject was one which he should feel it to be his duty to submit before long to the notice of the House. Meanwhile he begged leave to move that £6,000 be substituted for the £8,000 mentioned in the Resolution, and upon that point he should call for a division.

MR. COX

seconded the Amendment. Amendment proposed, to leave out the word "eight," in order to insert the word "six," instead thereof.

VISCOUNT PALMERSTON

I cannot help expressing my great regret that the hon. Gentleman has thought fit to raise a discussion on this provision. I had hoped that after what the hon. Gentleman himself has admitted to be the general concurrence of the House with respect to the Resolution before us, even those among us who might entertain individual objections to the amount of the Vote, or the relative amount of the votes which are to constitute the marriage portion of the Princess Royal, would be content to merge their objections in the almost unanimous wish of the House. I must again say, that in asking that a suitable provision should be made for her whom the hon. and learned Member for Sheffield has very properly described as "the eldest daughter of England" upon the occasion of her going forth to hold a great and important position in a foreign kingdom—I did hope that we should not have been called upon to discuss the difference between £8,000 and £6,000, particularly when we reflect that either sum must be regarded as utterly insignificant when compared with the resources of the country, but which are of value as indicating the attachment of this House to the Sovereign and the dynasty under which it is our happiness to live. I shall, at all events, follow the example in one respect of the hon. Gentleman who has proposed this Amendment in not making any lengthened observations, but shall content myself with earnestly entreating the House to abide by the Resolution.

COLONEL FRENCH

said, he regretted that the noble Lord had thought fit to address the House, which he felt confident would vindicate by its Vote the decision at which it had arrived on Friday.

MR. GILPIN

said, that had Mr. Roebuck—["Order !"]—he begged to apologize for calling the hon. and learned Gentleman by his right name; but had the hon. and learned Member for Sheffield thought fit to divide the House on a former occasion, he (Mr. Gilpin) should have voted with him. He did not think, however, that it was wise for his hon. Friend the Member for Brighton to reopen the question. He would yield to no one in a desire to do what was right to all parties—towards Her Majesty as well as towards his constituents— and was not prepared to divide against the Vote to which the House had come on a former occasion.

Question put, "That the word 'eight' stand part of the Resolution."

The House divided:—Ayes 328; Noes 14: Majority 314.

List of the NOES.
Blackburn, P. Pease, H.
Blake, J. Stirling, W.
Bowyer, G. Taylor, S. W.
Corbally, M. E. Trelawny, Sir J. S.
Dalgleish, R. Williams, W.
Jones, D.
Mac Evoy, E. TELLERS.
Maguire, J. F. Coningham, W.
O'Donoghoe, The Cox, W.

Resolution agreed to.

Bill ordered to be brought in by Mr. FITZROY, the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, and Viscount PALMERSTON.

Bill read 1°.