§ On the Motion that there be granted for the wages to Seamen and Marines to the Ordinary and Yard craft the sum of 933,054l.
§ Lord Ashleysaid, there were employed in the yachts, fifteen, sixteen, and fourteen, besides the master and some other officer whose designation did not reach us.
§ Sir James Grahamsaid, there were formerly five yachts, but now, as we understood him, there were only three employed.
§ Mr. George F. Youngstated that, though the yachts might be lying without men or officers, yet they cost a considerable sum in keeping in a state of efficiency which the House knew nothing of, and they were always liable to expense.
§ Lord Ashleysaid, that there were two boats' crews and two captains, who were partly paid as superintendants in the dock-yards.
§ Mr. George F. Younggave notice that he should move for a return of the expense of keeping up the two yachts for the last three years; and then, on the bringing up of the Report, he should take the sense of the House on the question of the propriety of reducing the estimate by the amount of that expense.
§ Admiral Adamsaid, that desirous as he was of enforcing every practicable economy, he should be sorry to see the state and dignity of the King, in a maritime country like this, deprived of its necessary appendages,
§ Mr. Aaron Chapmanthought it would be a disgrace to the House of Commons to entertain the idea of effecting a reduction in so paltry an establishment as that of the Royal Yachts.
§ Sir E. Codringtonthought, the attempt most discreditable. He would prefer seeing the office of Lord Chamberlain, and other offices of that description, abolished, to dispensing with those yachts, which were necessary for the maintenance of the Royal dignity. He could not help designating any proposition 1048 which went to effect that object, as despicable economy.
§ Mr. Gillonprotested against the use of the phrase, "despicable economy," as it was applied by hon. Members, who had taken a part in that discussion. He conceived that it was much more disgraceful, that hon. Members should sanction any resolution which would take a pound unnecessarily out of the pockets of the people, than they should give their support to the view which the hon. Member for Middlesex took of this matter.
§ Mr. Charles Bullerobserved, that under the guise of what was termed keeping up the Royal dignity, a great deal of jobbing was frequently concealed; and he had no hesitation in expressing it as his opinion that the resolution then before the House had all the characteristics of a job.
Captain Berkeleysaid, that the captains who commanded those yachts were competent to serve on courts martial, and they were frequently selected as Judges in that tribunal, when it might be very inconvenient to bring officers from a distance to the stations where these officers were placed as commanders of his Majesty's yachts.
§ The resolution was agreed to.