§ On the question that, 1,815l. be granted to pay the salaries of certain officers in Scotland, and other charges formerly paid out of the hereditary revenue.
§ Mr. W. Williamssaid, there were, some items of the amount, the expulsion of which he should move. He referred to the sums charged for the Queen's plate to be run for at Edinburgh and at the Caledonian bunt. He also objected to the payment of a salary of 600l. to the secretary of the Queen's printers in Scotland.
§ Sir G. Clerkreminded the hon. Member that some few years ago, upon the expiration of the patent of the Queen's printer in Scotland, it was proposed that the office should be abolished entirely, but it was thought necessary that some control should be exercised over the printing of the sacred Scriptures by booksellers and publishers there, and a commission was appointed, with a secretary, to whom 600l. a year was allowed, and the duty of that board was to collate the editions of the Scriptures published by private persons with the authorized version, in order to see that no erroneous copies were issued. Besides the salary of the secretary there were certain law and printing expenses which also amounted to 600l.
§ Mr. Humethought it was quite inconsistent with the present state of the public finances to pay these charges out of the taxes. They were originally paid out of the Royal purse, but when the civil list got in arrear they became chargeable to the country, and had remained so. He had thought the commission would have been entirely an honorary one. He could not conceive how 5l. could have been expended in printing.
§ Mr. W. Williamsthought it hard that the people of England should be taxed for horse-racing in Scotland. He knew very well that the people of Coventry would scorn to have a Queen's plate sent to them in this way.
§ Mr. Humethought the House ought not to consent to this vote for the Queen's plate. Indeed, though it was called the "Queen's plate" it might be more justly termed the "people's plate," for it was paid for by the people. He wished to have some more precise information as to the disposition of the sum of 1,200l. charged for the salary of the secretary to 299 her Majesty's printers for Scotland and for printing.
§ Mr. F. Baringsaid, that when the printing of the Bible was thrown open it was deemed necessary, to meet objections which were urged against such a step, to adopt means for ascertaining that the editions of the Scriptures were accurately printed according to the authorized version. In order to effect this object an unpaid commission was appointed, and they had a secretary whose duty it was to ascertain the correctness of the editions. This duty was necessarily a laborious one, and it was for the payment of the salary of this officer that the sum of 600l., included in this vote, was required. The hon. Member for Montrose objected to the vote for the Queen's plate at the Edinburgh and other races. He might observe that the expenses of similar plates in England were defrayed by her Majesty out of the civil list; but in Scotland these charges had been defrayed from the hereditary revenue of the Crown This country had taken the hereditary revenue of Scotland, subject to these charges, and if the House refused to vote them they would be thrown upon the civil list.
§ Mr. Williamswould not divide the House on the motion.
§ Vote agreed to.