HC Deb 03 May 1805 vol 4 cc596-7

—The Chancellor of the Exchequer moved the order of the day for going into a committee of supply; and on his motion, also, the extraordinaries of the army, the expences of the volunteers in Great Britain and Ireland, and the deficiency of the consolidated fund, were referred to the said committee.—The house having resolved into a committee, the following sums were voted:

To make good the excess of the extraordinary services of the army over the estimates voted last year £668,803 15 3
Extraordinary services of the army for the present year 3,000,000, 0 0
To complete the sum of five millions granted out of the monies that should arise from the consolidated fund of Great Britain for the year 1804 3,049,488 15 3
To defray the expences of the volunteers in Great Britain and Ireland 1,600,000 0 0

Mr. Johnstone

said, he did not rise to object to this resolution; but, as emigrants were included in this sum, he submitted it to the committee, whether it would not be better that the money voted for emigrants should be a distinct vote for that purpose, instead of being brought into the army extraordinaries? There was another circumstance which struck him, and that was, he, observed, an article of charge of somewhat about 500l. for the expences of creating sir Brooke Watson a baronet. He thought, if honours were heaped on a man in the situ- ation of the hon. baronet, it was rather extraordinary that the public should be asked to pay for them.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer

said, that as the baronetage was given that gentleman for his services in the army, it was therefore brought into the army extraordinaries, it being always usual, when that honour was conferred for services to pay the expenses. As to the emigrants, this was a charge for such emigrants only as have served in our armies, and are paid abroad in order to save the expense of coming to this country. This was absolutely necessary, when foreigners, who had served us, had no other means of gaining a livelihood in this country, and the army extraordinaries were the most convenient head of service under which they could be classed.—The resolutions were then read, and severally agreed to.