§ Considered in Committee.
§ (In the Committee.)
§
Motion made, and Question proposed,
That it is expedient to authorise the payment, out of moneys to be provided by Parliament, in the first instance, of any pensions, allowances, gratuities, and sums, which may become payable under the provisions of any Act of the present Session, for making provision respecting the application of the Revenues of Greenwich Hospital, and for other purposes.
§ SIR H. DRUMMOND WOLFFasked what the exact meaning of this Resolution was, and whether it bound the Committee to pass the Bill?
§ MR. CAMPBELL - BANNERMANsaid, it did not at all bind the Committee. There was a clause in the Bill providing that all the expenditure out of the Greenwich Hospital Funds was to be, in the first place, charged on the Consolidated Fund, and then recouped from the Hospital Funds. That was merely a financial arrangement to bring the whole of the expenditure under the cognizance of Parliament. The most direct plan would be to pay the pensions and all other charges directly from the Hospital Funds; but it was thought desirable, a good many years ago, to adopt this course in order that the matter might be brought under the notice of Parliament, and that made this Bill, in a strict and literal sense, 253 a Money Bill, which required Committee to be set up to make it a formal proceeding.
Resolution agreed to; to be reported To-morrow.