§ The House went, on the motion of Lord Althorp, into a Committee of Supply.
§ Mr. Elliceproposed, that there be granted to his Majesty a sum of not less than 110,835l. 15s. 5d. to defray the pay of general staff officers and officers of the hospitals in Great Britain and Ireland, from the 1st of April, 1833, to the 31st of March, 1834, both days inclusive.
§ Mr. Humesaid, that as this vote related to the staff, he would avail himself of the opportunity to put a question with respect to the staff in the Island of Jersey. The governor of that island was a general staff-officer. A dispute, which was likely to lead to some unpleasant disturbance, had lately taken place between that officer and the Parliament of Jersey, in consequence of his interference with its proceedings. It appeared that the local Parliament of that island, as well as the general Parliament of the Empire, had lately undergone a salutary reform. The Members had, in consequence, determined to admit the public in future to witness and to report their proceedings. To this determination the Governor had, as he was informed, opposed 1105 himself, and hence great dissatisfaction in the island. Now we ought to have the island at peace; for we had been at large expense for its protection, and all that expense would be thrown away if we had not the inhabitants cordially engaged on our side. He wished to know, whether it was true that a dispute had taken place between the Governor of the island and the local Parliament, and if a dispute had taken place, whether it was likely to be soon stopped? If not, it was likely to lead to further disturbances, and those disturbances would lead, as a matter of necessity, to increased establishments in that island.
§ Mr. Lambhad not expected such a question as this to be put to him upon the Army Estimates, with which it was not very naturally connected, and he was not prepared to give it a positive answer. The decision of which the hon. member for Middlesex complained, was not the decision of the Governor of Jersey, but the decision of the Privy Council, to which the matter had been referred. The Governor had only been the medium of communicating it to the local authorities. That decision, he understood, was strictly according to the law of the island.
§ Mr. Humewas sorry to find, that reform here had prevented reform from being established triumphantly in the Island of Jersey. The disturbances between the local and the imperial government would lead to the increase of our military establishments in Jersey, as similar events had led to the increase of them in other colonial dependencies of the Crown. He hoped that, on another occasion, the right hon. Secretary would lay before the House the reasons why the Government would not accede to the very salutary Amendment proposed in the meetings of the assembly of Jersey.
§ The grant was voted.