§ Mr. Hume, in rising to move for certain returns necessary to a proper explanation of several items charged in the Civil Contingencies, observed, that as these would shortly come under the consideration of the House, it was important that the House should be put in possession of all the information which might be necessary to form a proper judgment of the different items charged under the head of Civil Contingencies. Some of them appeared to him to demand explanation, as, for example, 1,000l. charged for the extraordinary expenses of the Ambassador at Paris; what these extraordinary expenses might be for, he could not say, but it would be as well in Members to recollect, that the whole cost of the embassy of the United States at Paris did not exceed the amount of the extraordinary expenses of our ambassador: the several other items which equally required explanation therefore he should move for. The hon. Member concluded by moving "for an account in detail of the expenditure of 1,149l. by Sir C. Bagot, Ambassador to the King of the Netherlands, and charged in the Civil Contingencies for 1829, with the amount of the Salaries and Allowances to all the persons of his Embassy; an account in detail of the Expenditure of 1,287l. charged in the Civil Contingencies for extraordinary expenses incurred by Lord Burghersh, the Envoy Extraordinary to the Court of Tuscany, with the money expended for the support of his Embassy; an account in detail of the Expenditure of 671l.15s. extraordinary expense of E. C. Disbrowe, Esq. the Envoy at the Court of Stutgard, with the cost of his Embassy; an account in detail of the Expenditure of 2,116l. by Lord Stuart de Rothesay, Ambassador at Paris, charged in the Civil Contingencies, with the salaries and allowances of all persons belonging to the Embassy: and an account in detail of the Expenditure of l63l. charged in the 1271 Civil Contingencies for the extraordinary expenses of H. J. Mandeville, Esq. Secretary of Embassy at Lisbon, with the amount of his salary, and on what duty he has been employed since his return."
Sir James Grahamtook that opportunity of observing, that he had, for the same object, moved for a return of the total expense of his Majesty's Consuls at the various ports of the United States of America. No such return had yet been produced; and as it was extremely important that the House should possess it before they came to a determination on the Civil Contingencies, he hoped it would be prepared and laid on the Table immediately after the holidays.
Mr. Lennardobserved, that the Government of the Netherlands had reduced the rank of its Ambassador at this Court. He wished to know if it was intended, on the part of this country, to reduce the rank of their Minister?
The Chancellor of the Exchequersaid, that some reduction was, he believed, in the contemplation of the noble Lord at the head of the Foreign Department (Lord Aberdeen), but he really was not able to say to what extent it would be carried.—Returns Ordered.
§ On the Motion of Mr. Hume, a further Return was ordered of "an account in detail of the manner in which 1,553l., charged in the Civil Contingencies, had been expended by the Commissioners for the Valuation of Houses in the City of Dublin; and also of the sum of 8,899l. expended for the payment of Fees on Bills for Improving Turnpike Roads, and charged in the Civil Contingencies; and also of the items of an Expenditure of 1,169l. for the Robes of Knights of various Orders; of 1,278l. for the Colours of the Foot Guards; and of 2,798l. for the Public Offices in Whitehall and Westminster." The hon. Member said, that all these were contained in the Civil Contingencies, and he wished them explained.