§ The Chancellor of the Exchequer moved, "That 60,000l. be granted to his Majesty, to enable him to grant relief to such of the suffering clergy and laity of France, Toulonese, and Corsican emigrants, Saint Domingo sufferers, and Dutch naval officers, who may here- 815 tofore have received allowances from his Majesty, and who may not have been enabled to return to their own countries in the course of the present year, or who, from services performed, or losses sustained in the British service, may have special claims upon his Majesty's justice or liberality." He said, that of this sum 36,000l. was to have been paid by the King of France, but recent occurrences had prevented the performance of that engagement. He thought several of those persons had a peculiar claim on England, as they had been employed by our Government, and had wasted their property in our service.
§ Sir M. W. Ridleysaid, that however ungracious it might seem to make any objection to a motion of this nature, he thought it necessary upon such a motion to suggest the propriety of considering the distresses and burthens of our own people, and to impress upon his Majesty's ministers that no French emigrants capable of serving their King in his present emergency, should be encouraged to withdraw from him by the prospect of a provision from this country.
The Chancellor of the Exchequerassured the committee, that care would be taken to provide against any such encouragement as the hon. baronet had stated. The fact, however, was, that it was not proposed to provide for any persons from this fund but such as from old age and infirmity were unable to afford any active support to their Sovereign in his present state.
§ Mr. Whitbreadasked, whether the proposed vote was in addition to the 15,000l. already voted?
The Chancellor of the Exchequeranswered in the affirmative, adding that out of the 15,000l. alluded to, 8,000l. had been granted as a final compensation to some emigrants on quitting the country.
§ Mr. Whitbreadsaid, that as it had been stated that 1600 emigrants had lately come into the country, he hoped it was not intended by putting them on the Alien list to make those emigrants an additional burthen upon us; for if so, the powers of the Alien Act might be abused, by keeping some foreigners in the country, as they had been heretofore abused by sending other foreigners out of it. The hon. member asked, whether in the course of their government the Bourbons had, according to promise, paid any sum to our Government, as a compensation for the 816 advances made to the emigrants, and whether any of the persons finally compensated, as the Chancellor of the Exchequer stated, had again returned to this country?
The Chancellor of the Exchequeranswered, that none of them so compensated had again returned.
The Resolution was agreed to.—On a Resolution being proposed for a grant of 6,000l. as a final compensation to the commissioners for examining and ascertaining the boundaries of Windsor forest,
§ Mr. Whitbreadsaid, that he understood there was another commission which had been appointed to survey the royal parks and forests, of which a noble lord (Yarmouth), and Mr. Bicknell, solicitor to the Admiralty and the Prince Regent, were the commissioners. He wished to know who appointed those commissioners, or what authority they had to act?
The Chancellor of the Exchequerreplied, that the grant now proposed was the regular compensations to commissioners appointed under an Act of Parliament passed several years ago, for three years services. As to the other commission, it had been laid before the Crown lawyers, to give their opinion as to its validity.
On the motion, "That 21,000l. be granted to his Majesty, for defraying the extra charge for contingencies of the three Secretaries of State, for the year 1815,"
§ Mr. Tierneysaid, he thought there ought to be a more detailed account set forth. He did not mean to say that the sum was too large; but he thought the House ought to be informed of the particulars for which it was given.
§ Mr. Arbuthnotsignified his readiness, upon brnging up the report, to lay the required information upon the table.
§ Sir M. W. Ridleysaid, he thought the Secretaries of State were not sufficiently paid, and that the public would be better satisfied if their salaries were increased, instead of having to come to Parliament for those contingencies.
§ Mr. Arbuthnotrepelled the idea that any part of those contingencies was appropriated to the personal uses of the Secretaries of State. They were expended in coals, candles, stationery, and other articles for their offices.
§ Sir M. W. Ridleyexplained, and said that he had no intention of insinuating any thing like what the right, hon. gentleman seemed to apprehend.
§ Mr. Whitbreadinquired, whether it was intended to bring forward, on the present evening, the vote of 9,000l. to enable the commissioners to purchase an estate for the family of the late lord Nelson?
§ Mr. Lushingtonanswered, that the resolution alluded to would not be brought forward until Wednesday next.
§ Mr. Whitbreadsaid, it was necessary to know precisely when the vote would be proposed, since strong objections existed against it. An estate, it appeared, which the present lord Nelson, and several of the commissioners, considered a very eligible one, was offered for a sum which the original vote of Parliament would have covered, and the individual who had the disposal of that estate, conceived that a contract for its purchase had been entered into with him.
Mr. Rosesaid, that when the vote came regularly before the House, he should be prepared to state, what he conceived to be satisfactory grounds for the additional aid of 9,000l. deemed necessary for the purchase of a proper estate. He did not think he was now called on to state the reasons which imposed the necessity of applying to Parliament for this grant.
§ Mr. Whitbread.—Certainly not. All I wish for is, that when the vote is proposed, satisfactory grounds may be staled for the additional grant.
§ The House then resumed.