§ Order for Second Reading read.
§ SIR HENRY WILLOUGHBYsaid, that if the present system of appropriating without the sanction of Parliament the balances of Votes for particular objects to totally different purposes were pursued, the power of the House over the distribution of the public income would be frittered away. No less that £516,000 of the £4,977,000 granted by the House for the transport of troops to the Crimea had been added, without the sanction of Parliament, to the Vote of £3,900,000 for naval stores for the year 1856–7. With the view of a remedy, he suggested that a clause should be inserted in this Bill requiring a supplementary Estitimate to be laid before Parliament of the 1863 mode in which the Government intended to appropriate the balances, or within one month after its meeting, if Parliament were not then sitting.
THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERhoped to be able to show the hon. Baronet, when the Bill went into Committee, that there was nothing unconstitutional in the present practice, and that there had been no abuse of the powers intrusted to the Government.
§ Bill read 2o, and committed for Thursday at Twelve o'clock.