§ MR. SUMMERS (Huddersfield)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether his attention has been called to the following recommendations with respect to Civil List pensions, which are contained in a work undertaken for and published by the Incorporated Society of Authors; that the sum of £1,200 be yearly voted for the purpose of assisting distinguished men and women of letters, art, and science, by granting pensions when they have 976 arrived at the age of 55, or are incapacitated from work by ill-health, mental or bodily, and their widows or daughters, if they are in distressed circumstances; that under no circumstances whatever shall any portion of the money be granted to any persons for public services in the Army, Navy, or any Civil Department, to the Sovereign or to the Country, or to widows, children, or relations of such persons; and, whether he will consider the advisability of adopting any or all of these recommendations?
§ * MR. W. H. SMITHI am not aware of, nor have I seen, the publication alluded to by the hon. Member; but the recommendation seems to be that a sum of £1,200 should be placed on the Estimates for providing pensions for distinguished men and women of letters, art, and science. I have great doubts as to the expediency of submitting such a proposition to the House. The language of the second recommendation is of a very involved nature, but the answer I have given above will probably be sufficient.