HC Deb 30 July 1850 vol 113 cc577-9

Resolution brought up by Mr. Bernal, and read 1°.

MR. HUME

wished to know whether Marlborough-house was not a portion of the property belonging to the Crown lands? He protested against the arrangement proposed by the Government with regard to Marlborough-house until the House was informed what funds there were at the present moment to the account of the Prince of Wales. He believed the land revenues of the Crown had been so egregiously mismanaged, that they produced little or nothing towards the public revenue. He understood that for ten years the accounts of that department had not been made up, and that the system of management had been most discreditable to the Woods and Forests, he would call upon the House to postpone assenting to this Resolution until they were in possession of further information on the subject.

MR. TRELAWNY

would support the Hon. Member for Montrose in opposing the Resolution. He had again and again urged the Government to afford the House some information as to the management of the revenues of the Duchy of Cornwall. He thought he had been somewhat unfairly treated by the Government on that subject. A return which bad been laid before the House relative to the New Forest showed that in many cases the property had been most grossly mismanaged. It bad been supposed that the timber in that forest was appropriated to purposes of shipbuilding in the public dockyards; but the fact was, that a system of collusion had existed between persons connected with the forest and private shipbuilders, and the latter obtained the timber at a merely nominal value.

LORD SEYMOUR

hoped the House would not, at that late hour, go into the question of the management of the forests, which really had nothing to do with the subject before the House. By the arrangement which was proposed with regard to the stables, and the extension of Carlton Terrace, the value of the Crown property would be increased by at least from 16,000l. to 20,000l. He thought when the hon. Gentleman who had just spoken examined the accounts of the land revenues, they would not consider the management had been so bad as they seemed to suppose. They would find that in the last thirty years the land revenues of the Crown had increased in a far greater proportion than any other land revenues in the country; for they had been raised from 30,000l. or 40,000l. to about 200,000l. a year.

MR. HUME

was very glad to hear there had been an increase; but he should like to know what had been the net increase in the land revenue. He maintained that the whole revenue of the Woods and Forests was less than nothing. He believed the Crown lands were so badly managed that scarcely any revenue was derived from them. He complained that these important propositions were brought on at so late a period of the evening, when they were assented to as a matter of course. There was a time when he could sit the Speaker out of the chair, but he could not do that now. He did not see why they should now grant Marlborough-house to an individual who could not want it for nine or ten years to come. There must be something behind the scenes—some job or other, no doubt; and, unless some explanation was afforded, he would record his vote against the Resolution.

COLONEL SIBTHORP

believed the whole proceeding to be a gross job.

SIR H. WILLOUGHBY

insisted that before another charge was thrown upon the land revenues of the Crown, the House ought to know the extent of the burdens upon them.

Lord J. RUSSELL

said, that what was proposed with respect to the stables would be an advantage instead of a new charge upon the land revenues. The whole advantage; to the public would be about 800l. a year.

COLONEL SALWEY

believed that Marlborough-house would be occupied forthwith, and that there would be very considerable expense to the public.

Motion made, and Question put, "That the said Resolution be now read a Second Time."

The House divided:—Ayes 81; Noes 39; Majority 42.

Resolution read 2°, and agreed to.

Bill ordered to be brought in by Mr. Bernal, Lord John Russell, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer.