Mr. Bastardobserved, that an allowance was made to certain corps of volunteers, for clothing, from June to October, and wished to know whether it was to be generally extended to them all?
§ Mr. Windhamreplied, that he knew of nothing which could produce any difference in the situation of the volunteers from that which was originally proposed at the g opening of time plan.
§ Mr. Huskissonobjected to the extraordinary power which the bill gave to the crown, of granting pensions, of the amount of which there was no estimate before the house.
§ Mr. Windhamreplied, that those pensions would be annually under the inspection of parliament, as they were before.
§ Mr. Huskissonremarked, that the expences were always hitherto before the house, but that it was now binding its faith to make them good without knowing their amount.
§ Mr. Windhamanswered, that the parliament would have cognizance of them when it was called upon for the payment.
Sir J. Pulteneysaid, the clause would give the soldier a legislative right to a pension, whether he by his conduct deserved it or not, as it went by length of service. He hoped some regulations would be made to prevent men, who had behaved improperly, from enjoying that benefit; and, upon the whole, thought it would be better to leave it, as before, at the discretion of the crown.
§ Mr. Windhamsaid, in reply, that if a man behaved improperly, he was liable to be deprived of the benefit of the provision by the sentence of a general court-martial.
§ Dr. Laurencesaid, he could not help re- 575 marking on this sort of objection; for the gentlemen at first complained, that the new plan would destroy the undoubted prerogative of the crown, and now objected, that it would give the king too much power.
Sir J. Pulteneyexplained, that he did not mean to object to the clause, but should prefer leaving all such things, as usual, at the discretion of the crown.
Mr. Bastardthought that house should always reserve to itself a controul in the disposal of money, which it was now parting with.
§ Mr. Foxobserved, that the clause gave the crown no other power, but that of granting the pensions; the house retained the discretion of providing the money.
§ Mr. Windhamalso stated, that the measure did not, in that respect, put the country in a different situation from what it was in at present, in respect to the prerogative of the crown, and only bound the parliament to make good the engagements entered into with the soldiers.—After some further conversation, the different clauses were agreed to, and the report ordered to be received to-morrow.