§ MR. BRADLAUGHasked the Secretary to the Treasury, The name of the trustee now acting on behalf of the Crown in the matter of a sum of £229,000 invested to secure the per- 1541 petual annual payment of £6,870 to the Duke of Grafton; and, whether he will lay upon the Table a Copy of the Declaration executed by the present trustees?
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. H. H. FOWLER)The Trustee on behalf of the Crown is the First Lord of the Treasury for the time being. The present Trustees were appointed by deed, and there was no express declaration of trust executed by the present Trustees. They were appointed for the purposes of the Acts 46 Geo. III. c. 79, and 55 Geo. III. c. 53. If the hon. Gentleman would refer to those Acts, they would put him in possession of all the circumstances.
§ MR. BRADLAUGHasked whether the hon. Gentleman was aware that the Treasury had already said that there was no declaration of trust, and that the reason given was that it was not required?
§ MR. H. H. FOWLERYes; that is exactly the purport of my answer.
§ MR. BRADLAUGHasked the Secretary to the Treasury, The respective dates of the several declarations of trust executed in reference to lands purchased out of the sum invested to secure the perpetual annual payment of £19,000 to the Duke of Richmond, and the names of the trustees in each ease; and, if he will allow the several deeds to be inspected by honourable Members?
§ MR. H. H. FOWLERThere is no information at the Treasury as to the dates of the documents referred to, or the names of the Trustees in each case. I understand that the conveyance of the lands is made for the same uses as the annual payment of £19,000, and the hon. Member will find considerable information in the Act 1 Vict. c. 34, and the Duke of Richmond's Settled Estates Act of 1868. The Treasury has no control over those deeds, which are in the custody of the noble Duke, either at Goodwood or Gordon Castle.