The Chancellor of the Exchequerstated, that no man could have visited Windsor Castle without being aware that the stables belonging to it were very unsuited to a royal palace. It had been thought desirable to build new stables and a riding-school there, and he was happy in being able to state that this could be done without any charge on the public purse. If they took the amount required from the hereditary revenues of the Crown, it would be exactly the same as taking it 1402 from the public purse, as these revenues had been surrendered to the public on the granting the civil list. The amount, however, to which he had alluded, had been saved out of the fines of the land revenues, and therefore would not be taken from the annual income. This fund had accumulated so as to enable them to build the stables out of it. At present, stables were rented at various parts of Windsor, and when the new buildings should be erected these would be given up, and thus an annual saving would accrue. Again, it had been found necessary to build a riding-house at Windsor for the sake of the health of her Majesty. He would take that opportunity of correcting a delusion that had gone abroad, that the statements of the income from the land revenues which had appeared in the two or three last revenue papers, had arisen from the sale of portions of property. This, however, was not the case: but the sums in question had resulted from the revenues of the Woods and Forests. It had been asked, why had not a similar application of income taken place before? His answer was, that the land revenues of the Crown were incumbered with a debt, which amounted to upwards of 11,000,000l. for building Regent-street, and it was obvious that no surplus revenue could be applied, until this debt was paid off. He trusted, however, that there would be a continued increase in this branch of the revenue, as the property was an improving one. The right hon. Gentleman concluded with moving that a sum not exceeding 70,000l. be applied out of the land revenue for building stables at Windsor Castle.
§ Vote agreed to.—house resumed.