Mr. W. Williamshoped the right hon. Gentleman would not press the motion for going into committee of supply at that late hour. It had been the custom under the late Government to oppose all votes after twelve, and if the right hon. Gentleman now persisted in the motion, he (Mr. Williams) would feel it necessary to make a few observations before the Speaker left the chair.
§ Sir R. Peelwas far from wishing to oppose the wishes of the House, but he 606 hoped that there would not be any objection to the Speaker leaving the chair, in order that he might propose a Gentleman as chairman of Committees of Ways and Means and of private bills.
Mr. Williamssaid, his objection applied to items of the estimates, and he should not, therefore, offer any opposition to the wish of the right hon. Gentleman.
§ The House to go into Committee of Supply.
§ Sir R. Peelsaid, that it appeared to him to be desirable to adhere to the practice of the House in appointing a Gentleman to be chairman of committees of ways and means who should also have the charge of attending to unopposed private bills. In the selection of the Gentleman he was about to propose to the House, he had been mainly guided by a consideration of the time which he had devoted to the private business of the House, and he had also proposed to that Gentleman to take, in addition, the charge of committees on public business, should it be the pleasure of the House instead of Members being indiscriminately called upon to take the chair on public bills. To that arrangement the Gentleman to whom he referred had agreed; he therefore proposed Mr. Greene as chairman of committees of ways and means, and he moved that that hon. Gentleman do lake the chair.
§ Mr. Greene(having taken the chair) thanked the right hon. Baronet for having proposed him. At the same time he must beg the indulgence of the House if, in the earlier part of the discharge of his duties, he found some difficulty. He felt an additional difficulty in consequence of the efficient manner in which the duties of the office had for some years past been discharged. He had also to beg the assistance of the House in preserving the order necessary in conducting the business as Gentlemen must be aware, that from the very nature of the business in committee, it was infinitely more difficult to preserve order, than when the deliberations of the House were conducted in more solemn form, with the Speaker in the Chair. In conclusion, he could only say, that he should endeavour to follow the example of his predecessor, in the care, zeal, and assiduity with which he would discharge the duties of the office, that had been conferred upon him.
§ Sir R. Peelsaid, he should propose the first vote, and then move, that the Chairman do report progress.
§ Sir G. Clerk, then moved that the sum of 116, 117l. be granted to her Majesty to complete the charge of the commissariat department to the 31st March, 1842.
Mr. W. Williamsobjected to the vote as being extravagant, and exceeding any that had been proposed during the last twenty years. The right hon. Gentleman had agreed to take the estimates as prepared by the late Government; but, looking to the dilapidated state of the finances, as represented by the right hon. Gentleman, he (Mr. Williams) thought it was necessary, that they should look to those points of expenditure in which they could effect reductions. The Miscellaneous Estimates for the present year amounted to 2,898,000l., those for 1830 to only 2,150,000l., making a clear increase of 748,000l. upon the present year. He would have liked to see the present Government commencing their first money votes by the adoption of a system of economy, though he was very sorry to say, looking back to the expenditure of the last ten years, that the late Government had not afforded them the example which he wished them to follow. Had that Government practised economy, and adopted those reductions which had been recommended in that House, he doubted very much whether hon. Gentlemen opposite would occupy their present positions.
§ Vote agreed to, as also a vote of 25,000l. for the half-pay pensions and allowances of the Commissariat Department.
§ Sir George Clerkthen proposed a vote of 54,000l. to complete the expenditure consequent on the late insurrection in Canada.
§ Mr. Jervissuggested the propriety of postponing the votes for the Miscellaneous Estimates until a future day, as, no doubt, many hon. Gentlemen had observations to make with respect to several of them.
§ Vote postponed.
§ House resumed. — Committee to sit again.
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