COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY. (Hansard, 25 March 1814)

The Chancellor of the Exchequer
rose, in pursuance of his notice, to propose that there should be granted an additional two millions, on account of the army extraordinaries; making, with three millions formerly granted, the sum of five millions. This sum was much beneath what would be required for the service of the current year. The sums voted for the service of last year amounted to nine millions; and the sums required this year would not certainly be less. This grant, he hoped, would not now be opposed; as opportunities would afterwards arise for discussion, when ministers should find it necessary to come again before parliament.

§ Mr. Tierney
could not help lamenting that a necessity should exist for bringing forward the present demand, as it was placing the House in a very awkward situation. The House had now met, after two long adjournments. When the first adjournment was proposed by his Majesty's ministers, it was unanimously agreed to. They had previously obtained from the House, grants to the extent of not less than 35 millions.—When the House again met, they were called upon by his royal highness the Prince Regent, without any assigned reason, to adjourn for another long period. And now, when they were again met, without being informed of the present state of affairs, or what had been done with the sums which the House had entrusted to the management of his Majesty's ministers, they were called on for other two millions. If this matter could be postponed for a few days, till the House should know what had been done with the sums already voted, it would be to him personally agreeable; for the present grant would be noticing less than giving his sanction to the prosecution of the war, without knowing the principles on which that war was carried on—whether those which were avowed at the opening of the present session were still adhered to, or whether a different system had been 364 adopted. This was making the House the mere pack-horse of the Treasury. He wished, therefore, this matter could be postponed for some time longer, till it should be convenient for his Majesty's ministers to give the information he desired. He should otherwise be recognizing that the 35 millions had been properly spent, and giving his consent to the expenditure of an additional two millions.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer
said, if it was unpleasant to the House to grant such large sums of money, without being supplied with the information which was now demanded by the right hon. gentleman, it was much more unpleasant to those who came forward to ask the House to repose a confidence in them to such an extent. The right hon. gentleman had led the House into an error, in stating that the grants already made amounted to the sum of 35 millions. In this sum would be included the sums voted for the service of the Navy and Exchequer bills. [No, said Mr. Tierney.] The right hon. gentleman would, he believed, find it hard otherwise to make up his 35 millions.

§ Mr. Tierney
said, the right hon. gentleman would find, if he put together all the sums which had been voted for the service of the army and navy, they would amount to no less than what he had stated. Would the right hon. gentleman say, that the sums already granted had all been applied in the way appointed to be done by the House? He did not wish at present to provoke any debate. He had to repeat, that 35 millions had already been voted in supply, without taking into account the sum voted to pay Exchequer bills. The right hon. gentleman had stated one thing, at which, he confessed, he was rather surprised; that it was more painful for him to ask money, than for the Commons to grant it. He could not but confess that that was something new. When the former sums had been granted, he knew the principles which were then professed by his Majesty's government; but he did not know what views might have been since taken. He wished, therefore, that the right hon. gentleman would postpone this grant till it should be convenient to come before the House, and explain the system upon which the war was to be conducted during the rest of the year.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer
observed, that if he had 35 millions voted, without any controul as to its particular application, 365 there would have been no necessity for coming forward at present to ask this sum. No minister of the crown could apply to the service of the army money which had been expressly voted for the service of the navy, or vice versa.

§ Mr. Tierney
asked, if he was to understand, that no money which was voted for one service could be afterwards applied to another, and at a future period repaid?

The Chancellor of the Exchequer
said, that no great branch of the supply could be so applied.

§ Mr. Huskisson
said, the servants of the crown had never been considered as at liberty to take the navy money for army services, or the money voted for the army for the service of the navy. In point of fact, however, no money had last year been applied for, on account of the army extraordinaries, till a much later period than this. It would have been more becoming, perhaps, to have asked a farther grant on account of the ordinary services of the army, and to have applied part of it to the extraordinary services.