§ Lord Althorpsaid, the object of that Committee was, to meet, by a vote of 8,000,000l. from the Consolidated Fund, a grant which had been already given to that amount by the Committee of Supply.
§ Mr. Courtenaysaid, that the state of the Consolidated Fund should be ascertained before that vote should be agreed to. No statement had been made relative to that fund since the 8th of February last.
§ Lord Althorpadmitted that it was desirable that a statement should be made before the close of the year, as to what the financial prospects of the country were. At present he only required that sum on account.
§ Sir Richard Vyvyansaid, he thought a statement should be made relative to the gold and paper currency of the country, and also of the issue of Exchequer Bills, to prevent any panic being excited in the public mind.
§ Lord Althorpsaid, that the proper time for the consideration of that subject would be on the renewal of the Bank Charter. Nothing which deserved the name of panic had taken place, which he attributed to the judicious conduct which had been observed with regard to the currency.
§ The vote agreed to.—The House resumed.