§ Mr. P. Grenfellrose to make his promised motion for papers respecting the Sinking Fund; and after having defended himself from the charge made against him by the hon. member for Surrey, of having misrepresented the opinion of Mr. Pitt on the clause in Mr. Fox's Bill on that subject, was proceeding to read an extract from the debates of that period; when the Speaker submitted to the House how far such a proceeding would be consistent with their usages. A short conversation on this subject ensued, in which Mr. Thornton, Mr. Tierney, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Whitbread, and Mr. Bankes participated. Mr. Grenfell then resumed his speech, read the extract to which he had alluded, and concluded by moving, "That there be laid before this House, an account of all monies expended by the commissioners for the reduction of the national debt, together with the amount of capital stock obtained for the same in any of the public funds, bearing interest at 3l. per cent. per ann., from the commencement of the year 1793 to the end of the year 1801."
§ Mr. Huskissonapplauded the object of the hon. mover; and took the opportunity to recommend to government, now that the happy discontinuance of war would enable them to do so, the utmost vigilance and economy in the domestic expenditure of the country.
The Chancellor of the Exchequerperfectly coincided in the propriety of the recommendation of his hon. friend. In one respect, however, it was the intention of government to propose an increase of expenditure. The country owed a vast debt of gratitude to our brave army and navy for those glorious efforts by which the contest in which we had been engaged was at length brought to a successful termination. That debt ought to be in some degree diminished by an attention to the comforts of those gallant men; and it was therefore in contemplation to propose an increase of their half pay.
§ The motion was then agreed to, as were also the following:
§ 1. That there be laid before this House, an account of the average price, in money, at which every 100l. of the said capital stock has been obtained in each year respectively. 2. An account showing the price, in money, payable for every 100l. capital stock (without distinguishing between the reduced annuities and the consolidated annuities), by every contributor to the loans raised for the public service, from the commencement of the year 1793 to the end of the year 1801. 3. An account of the money expended by the commissioners for the reduction of the national debt, together with the amount of the capital stock obtained for the same in any of the public funds, bearing interest at 3l. per cent. per ann., between the 12th of June 1813, and the latest period to which the same can be made up. 4. An account of the average price, in money, at which every 100l. of the said capital stock has been thus obtained during the same period. 5. An account of all monies actually expended by the commissioners for the reduction of the national debt in the purchase of capital stock in each year, from the 1st of February 1793 to the 1st of February 1814. 6. An account of the amount, in money, raised by loans for the public service in each year, from the 1st of February 1793 to the 1st of February, 1814.