SUPPLY — WINDSOR CASTLE. (Hansard, 6 December 1830)

§ Colonel Sibthorp
protested against the expenditure of money in such a lavish manner, without the prospect of coining to any termination. They had already expended a sum of above 900,000l. to complete alterations, which had been originally stated in the Estimate laid before the House at only 150,000l. In the present state of the country he thought it would be highly culpable in the Members of that House to sanction the continuance of this extravagance.

§ Mr. Spring Rice
begged to remind the hon. Member, that the sum now required was for the purpose of defraying expenses already incurred. It should also be recollected, that when this subject was mentioned in connexion with the Estimates of the year on a former occasion, the House refused to sanction the expenditure of any further sums until a committee was appointed to inquire into the nature of the Estimates and the state of the works. That committee was accordingly appointed, and its Report was now on the Table of the House. He could assure the hon. Member, and the House, that the suggestions contained in it would be maturely weighed before the Government attempted to come before them for any further sums on the same account. No such Estimate was yet formed or determined on; but he was 792 certain, that when it was presented it would be found to be regulated on the strictest principles of economy.

§ Sir G. Warrender
expressed a hope that Windsor Castle, the ancient Palace of our Sovereigns, would, now that the country had gone so far, be thoroughly repaired, and rendered fit for the residence of the Monarch. He felt that the situation of the country required the most rigid economy; but he was confident that real economy would be more effectually consulted by the completion of the edifice than by leaving it in its present state. He was quite confident that it was the wish of the great majority of the people of this country, that this ancient and splendid edifice should be placed in a proper condition; and he thought, that as they had engaged in the work, and already spent a very considerable sum, they were in some degree bound to complete it.

§ Mr. George Robinson
said, the expenses already incurred were more than four times in excess over the original estimate; and it should be recollected, that the work was commenced on the assurance of the Government, that the expense was to be kept within the Estimate. He protested against the doctrine of the hon. Baronet, that they were bound to go on with this extravagant expenditure because they had already assented to it in so many instances before. Such language was always held to that House when the Government wished to procure money to gratify a taste for architectural extravagance. At the time when they were called on to make a large grant for the triumphal arch opposite Buckingham Palace the very same language was used; and it was argued that as a very large sum had already been expended (without any estimate be it recollected), they were bound to grant the money required, lest the first sum should be lost. In his opinion, it would be much better that the first expense should be lost than that they should, in the present state of the country, persist in such foolish extravagance. He hoped that, at all events, the present Government would adopt a different course, and that they would produce a full and satisfactory estimate of every work before they called on that House to advance money for the purpose of carrying it on.

Mr. Cutlar Ferguson
agreed with the hon. Member respecting the propriety of having estimates of every work laid before the House when it was called on to vote the 793 public money to pay for them. In his opinion the whole course they had hitherto pursued was contrary to law, for it was distinctly declared by Mr. Burke's Bill, that no sums were to be expended on public works by estimate, but always by contract, if the amount was above the sum of 5,000l. He trusted, however, that the times in which the House found itself placed in the dilemma of either going on with useless and extravagant works, or of abandoning what it had already expended as lost, were now passing away, and that the present Government would feel the necessity of pursuing a course more consonant with those principles on which it sought the approbation and support of the country. By these principles the present Government were now to be tried, and he trusted the House would find them sensible of the distresses of the country, and that economy would at last be construed in its true meaning—that of unsparing retrenchment.

§ Mr. Curteis
professed his determination to divide the House as often as its forms would permit, if any attempt was made in the present state of the country, to obtain money for carrying on the erection of two palaces at the same time.

Mr. Warburton
said, he understood, from good authority, that the architect employed in the erection of Buckingham Palace had sent in an account for one quarter, greater by some thousands than the sum originally required for the whole of the improvements. He understood that an immense sum was yet required to complete that palace; but he hoped that the present Ministers, before they made any demand for that purpose, would take care to ascertain by estimate what was the probable amount required for this purpose. It was but justice to the late Ministers to say that they had, on learning the return of the expenditure going on, ordered the works to be suspended, but he thought it would have been more to their credit if they had given that order during the life of the late King, rather than after the accession of the present Sovereign. He trusted, however, that the time was passed when they would be required to vote money for estimates prepared in secret. The precedents of that kind were productive of bad effects, and should be carefully avoided.

§ Mr. Spring Rice
assured the House that the strictest economy would be adopted in 794 every branch of the public service, and that any attempt to obtain money on unauthorised or unrecognised statements would be carefully avoided.