On the motion of lord Henry Petty, the house then went into a committee to consider his majesty's message of yesterday, lord viscount Howick in the chair.
§ Lord Henry Pettythen rose and said that, in the terms of his majesty's most gracious 142 message, he should have to move, first, that a sum of 5000l. per annum for ever be granted to his majesty out of the consolidated fund, as an annuity to the family of the late lord viscount Nelson, and the persons succeeding to the title of earl Nelson; and, secondly, that a further sum of 120,000l. be granted to purchase an estate to descend to that family. Although he was convinced no persuasion could be necessary on his part to induce the house to adopt these propositions, indeed that there was not a man in the kingdom who could be brought to think any tribute too great to the memory and services of such a person, yet he could not bring himself to submit the proposition altogether without comment. He felt it to be one of the highest gratifications of his life that it had fallen to his lot to submit this subject to the house. Much as it was his duty, strongly as it would accord with his inclinations, to bring forward any measure which could increase the finances and add to the resources of the country, not even that agreeable duty could he perform with more pleasure than he now called on them to pay away this large grant. From the consequences of that grant, he hoped, would spring more valuable advantages to the country than any money could bestow, in the emulation which the respect and admiration in which his glorious deeds would be seen to have been held, must inspire into the breasts of our future commanders. The pages of history, the noble lord said, did not afford so numerous, so great, and so closely continued a series of successful and meritorious services rendered his country, as that which the history of the noble viscount, whose family, and the perpetuation of whose memory were the objects of the present resolutions, presented. If we looked to the early part of his life, we were struck with admiration, and felt ourselves almost led on to form presages of his future greatness. It undoubtedly, however, did happen, in the present instance, that high as his services and merits then were, and high as the expectation which they may have been presumed to have excited, the former part of his life has been eclipsed by the transcendent brightness of the latter. It happened, fortunately for his country, that with his increasing age his vigour, too, increased, and that he was enabled to give full scope, in a close and unbroken series of successes, to those talents, virtues, and abilities with which he was endowed. Off Cape St. Vincent, against the Spaniards, it was his good fortune to be eminently serviceable; and, when the fleets of France, in pursuit of 143 that spirit of aggrandisement which then began to manifest itself, sailed to the east, it was his lot to defeat their hopes in that quarter, by a total destruction of their fleets. Not long after, when a combination was formed against us by the northern powers, he, under the walls of Copenhagen, terminated the war and the confederacy. His last memorable battle was in the recollection of every one, when the fleets of France and Spain, having united, for a while menaced our trade and colonies, till driven by the fame of his name from the West Indies, he pursued them to Europe, and, watching the first opportunity of their coming out of Cadiz, brought them to action, and had again the satisfaction of knowing, though his own valuable life was the forfeit, that he had totally annihilated the enemies of his country. Of him it might be truly said, what was addressed to a great person of antiquity—"Tu felix Agricola non tantum vitâ sed etiam opportunitate mortis." Such was the life, and such the death of the man, in honour of whose memory, and on whose family, they were this day called on by their sovereign to bestow a mark of the gratitude of a generous people. His family, honoured, enobled, and enriched, as it unquestionably would be, would be the means of inducing others to follow his brilliant example, and of handing down to posterity our ideas of his eminent services. They would also bear testimony to the truth of this, that burthened as this country at present is, she still knows how to reward liberally, when her liberality is called forth by such transcendent merit and services. His lordship concluded by moving, "that it is the opinion of this committee, that the annual sum of 5000 l. be granted to his majesty, out of the consolidated fund of Great Britain, to commence from the 21st day of October, 1805, and be settled, in the most beneficial manner, upon the present earl Nelson and the heirs male of his body, and such other persons to whom the title of earl Nelson may descend, pursuant to the limitations of the patent whereby the said dignity is granted."
Mr. Rosewished to know whether in the 120,000 l. was included any provision for other members of the noble lord's family, or whether any further provision for them was intended.
§ Lord Henry Pettyreplied, that 90,000l. were to be laid out in the purchase of a mansion and lands, to be annexed to the title; that 10,000l. were to be given to earl Nelson to make such reparations or improvements therein as he should deem ne- 144 cessary, and that 10,000l. each were to be granted to his lordship's two sisters.
Mr. Roseexpressed great satisfaction at the statement of the noble lord, because he knew that nothing had been so near the heart of the noble person now no more, as some provision for those sisters.
§ Mr. Francisrose and said: On the merits and services of the great admiral, whom we have lost, there can be but one sentiment, of united admiration and gratitude, in this house and in this country; and in that sentiment no man can participate more heartily and sincerely than I do. Yet even this feeling, just as it is, and powerful as it ought to be, must in some reasonable degree be subject to the regulation of other principles in particular circumstances. We live in times of great public services, and great rewards. But we ought not to forget that the times we live in have another character, which indicates other duties; I mean the difficulties and distresses, that belong to our situation. Even in the distribution of the best deserved liberality of parliament, we ought not to forget that the present means of the country are not quite equal to all the claims, which great services may have on the public gratitude. On this principle, painful as it is to me, I cannot refrain from expressing a doubt, whether one part of the proposed vote, I mean the sum of 120,000, (in addition to the annuity of 5000l. a year,) may not be more, not than is due to the merit of lord Nelson; far from it, but than can fairly be expected in circumstances, which demand economy from us, even in the exercise of our virtues. The rewards given to the earl of Chatham, fell far short of this grant. Those given in the first instance to John Duke of Marlborough, who placed England at the head of Europe, I believe, did not exceed it. If, happily for his country, the noble admiral had lived to enjoy these proofs of its gratitude; or, if he had left children to represent his person, and to transmit his memory, with all its honours, to an illustrious lineage directly descended from him, I should never have thought of uttering one word, but in support of the question. All my doubt is, whether the claim on the nation stands exactly on the same footing in the person of a collateral relation, as it would have done, if it had been possible to preserve the reward of his services, united with his name, in direct descent to his own offspring, and to their posterity.
§ Gen. Tarletonhad always been an admirer of the military glory of the duke of Marlborough, but his victories had not been achieved by English armies exclusively. Lord Nelson, on the contrary, had conquered with British fleets. Never had triumphs been more completely English than those acquired by him.
§ Mr. Wilberforcecomplimented his hon. friend (Mr. Francis), for his upright, manly, and conscientious declaration of the sentiments which he had expressed; such conduct as that of the hon. gent. on a subject of so much delicacy, he conceived to be a victory of principle over personal feeling, and as such it met with his highest approbation. That hon. gent., however, should consider that the value of money was now considerably altered, and that the sum proposed to be given, would not make the family of the hero, whose high merits we meant to commemorate and reward, by any means too affluent for the situation which they were to hold in society. It was, in fact, no more than what he thought they were entitled to from the country; and, as an incitement to heroic actions in future, he suggested that the building to be erected for the Nelson family, should be placed in such a situation as to be conspicuous to our seamen on their approach to England, or on their setting sail, perhaps, in quest of an enemy. When they beheld such a testimony of the gratitude of the country, it could not fail to inspire them with an ardent desire to imitate his glorious example.
§ Lord Henry Pettyagreed in the suggestion of the right hon. gent. The idea had occurred to himself, and the trustees, in whom the money was to be vested, would, he was sure, pay every attention to it.—The Resolutions were then agreed to, and the Report was ordered to be received to-morrow.