The house having resolved itself into a committee upon the Consolidated Fund bill, Mr. Vansittart moved a clause of appropriation.
Lord Folkestoneobserved upon that part of the account in which it appeared that 41 010l. 6s. had been paid for the discharge of Mr. Pitt's debts, although the words of the address voted by the house upon this subject contained these precise words, "a Sum not exceeding 40,000l."
Mr. Vansittartremarked upon the insignificant amount of the difference alluded to by the noble lord. and stated, that this difference might be considered the result of the order, that no deduction for fees should be made upon the sum originally granted.
Lord Folkestonesaid, that to overlook such a difference would be to establish a precedent, tending to justify the minister in exceeding the grant of that house, in applying a sum of the public money beyond that which parliament or that house might authorize. The noble lord also noticed some incorrectness in casting up the accounts upon which this bill was founded.
Mr. Vasittartreferred the noble lord to the journals, in which he would find a similar difference to that of which he now complained, and that in the case of the illustrious Chatham; which difference was afterwards sanctioned by the house of commons.—The resolutions were then agreed to, and the report was ordered to be brought up to-morrow.