§ The House then went into a Committee of Supply.
§ Resolutions, granting 3,000l. for the Refuge to the Destitute, 4,000l. for the American Loyalists, and 3,339l. for Criminal Lunatics, were then agreed to.
§ On the Resolution that 5,712l. be granted for French Refugees, for Protestant Dissenting Clergymen, &c.,
§ Mr. Humebegged to ask in what manner the sum of 1,695l. was disposed of to the Dissenting Clergymen. The sum was so small that it could do good to a very few, and he feared it brought benefit merely to those who distributed it.
Mr. Dawsonreplied, that many of the persons in question were in great distress, and that the money was distributed among them with the utmost impartiality by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Lord Chancellor.
§ Resolution agreed to; as also Resolutions for granting 45,000l. for his Majesty's Foreign and other Secret Services, and 76,000l. to defray the expense of printing Acts of Parliament and Bills, Reports, and other Papers, for the two Houses of Parliament.
§ On the Resolution for granting the sum of 8,000l. to defray the expense for Printing under the direction of the Commissioners on Public Records,
§ Mr. Protheroeexpressed his hope that 1030 a new commission, composed of men of diligence, and who had a taste for the subject, would be appointed. The present commission had been guilty of the grossest mismanagement. Many of the printed records were full of errors; and among them he particularly instanced "Rymer's Fœdera."
§ Mr. Humewished to know on what authority a charge was made at the Tower for inspecting the Public Records?
The Chancellor of the Exchequersaid, that the fees on that account were of very old date, and that there had been no increase in them.
§ Resolution agreed to.
§ On the Resolution for granting 96,850l. for providing Stationery, Printing, and Binding, for the several Public Departments of Government, including the Expense of the Establishment of the Stationery Office,
§ Mr. Humeadverted to the items of 190l. for the Penitentiary, and asked why such a sum could be required? There was also an item of 25l. for stationary for the Lottery Office, although the Lottery was abolished.
Mr. Gordonalso expressed his surprise at the item for the Penitentiary, which was nearly a third of the amount of the expense of Stationery for the Office of the Secretary of State.
Mr. Maberlyobserved that, by an error in the mode of abolishing the establishment of the Lottery, persons who had held situations in that department were pensioned on the Consolidated Fund. He knew one person who had retired on a pension of 300l. who also held an office of 1,200l. a-year.
Mr. Dawsonobserved, that he had himself thought the item for the Penitentiary large; but, on inquiry, he found that many of the prisoners were exercised in writing. The 25l. was expended in clearing off the various accounts of the Lottery Office.
Mr. Gordonobjected likewise to the item of 150l. for the Office of the Hackney Coaches, Hawkers, &c. The Board only met, upon the average, three times a week, and sat for one or two hours at a time; yet here was an expense for stationery a fourth as great as that of the Secretary of State's Office.
The Chancellor of the Exchequerob- 1031 served, that a variety of books, as well as stationery, were required for the Hawkers' Office.
§ Mr. Humesaid, that there were many objectionable items in this Grant. There was the Royal Military Asylums, 295l.; the Commander-in-Chief's Office, 225l. Then there was the Army Medical Board, 700l. while the Adjutant General's Office was only 380l. There was also 120l. for the Insolvent Debtor's Court—the only Court that was allowed the expense of Stationery. All these subjects demanded inquiry.
§ Resolution agreed to; the House resumed the Report to be received on Wednesday.