HC Deb 13 December 1837 vol 39 cc1061-2
Mr. Hume

wished to know from the right hon. Gentleman, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, as he had last night stated that the 6,000l. a year to Pringe George of Hanover was now to cease, what was to become of the 21,000l. granted as a pension to the Duke of Cumberland, who had now acceded to the throne of Hanover?

The Chancellor of the Exchequer

replied that the pension to Prince George had been of a different description to other pensions. With regard to the 21,000l. to the present King of Hanover, it had been granted to the Duke of Cumberland for life—and, like the pension to King Leopold, was not of such a nature as could be withdrawn by any Act of the Government, but only by Act of Parliament. The pension continued to be received by the King of Hanover as it was before his accession to the throne of that kingdom.

Mr. Hume

Was it the intention of her Majesty's Government to bring in any Bill to repeal the Act which gave the pension, as it certainly was never granted with the intention that it should be received under such circumstances as at present?

The Chancellor of the Exchequer

replied, that the Government had no intention to do in the case of the King of Hanover that which they could not do in the case of the King of Belgium. The pension was granted by the law of the land, and he was not prepared to introduce a Bill affecting it.

Mr. Hume

would bring in a Bill early in February.

Colonel Sibthorp

wished to know what sums of money had been received by the public out of the pension of 50,000l. granted to Prince Leopold, now King of the Belgians?

The Chancellor of the Exchequer

said, that the conduct of King Leopold with respect to the pension granted to him on his marriage with the late Princess Charlotte was most honourable. As soon as his position with respect to this country had been altered by his accession to the throne of Belgium, he made arrangements for vesting his pension in the hands of trus- tees. The trustees were Lord Althorp (now Earl Spencer) and the Marquess of Lansdowne, who were to pay out of it certain pensions to members of her late Royal Highness's household, for whom King' Leopold thought it incumbent on him to provide. After the payment of those pensions, the sum of 35,000l. a-year remained, which was annually paid over to the public, and in this way the sum of 110,000l. had already been paid into the Treasury.

Subject dropped.