§ MR. MORTON (Sutherland)I beg to ask the Prime Minister whether he will lay upon the Table of the House a copy of the declarations made by the present holders of political pensions.
The following Questions on the same subject also appeared on the Paper:—
§ MR. MORTONI beg to ask the Prime Minister whether the last political pension granted was given after the late Government had resigned.
§ SIR HOWARD VINCENTI beg to ask Mr. Chanceller of the Exchequer what is the amount of the income which is deemed by the Treasury so insufficient 1381 for an Ex-Minister as to justify the award of a pension under the Political Pensions Act, 1869.
I beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer if there has been any refund from the estate of upwards of a quarter of a million sterling of the political pension awarded by Mr. Gladstone, on 12th August, 1869, to a colleague, who had been Judge Advocate - General for six years and President of the Poor Law Board for the same period, and under which £30,810 12s. 8d. was received by the pensioner; and if any representation has been addressed to his heirs on the subject.
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANWhile replying to this and the following Question by my hon. friend perhaps I may be allowed at the same time to answer Questions 68 and 69 addressed to the Chancellor of the Exchequer by the hon. Member for Central Sheffield. Section 7 of the Political Offices Pensions Act, 1869, which is an embodiment of a section of an Act of 1834, provides as follows—perhaps I had better read the exact words: "And whereas the principle of the regulations for granting allowances of this nature is and ought to be founded on a consideration, not only of the services performed by the individual to the State, but of the inadequacy of his private fortune to maintain his station in life; be it therefore enacted that from and after the passing of this Act, whenever any person shall seek to obtain any one of the pensions before mentioned, his application for that purpose shall be made in writing to the Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury, to which he shall subscribe his name, and which shall contain not only a statement of the services performed by him, and the grounds on which such pension is claimed, but a specific declaration that the amount of his income from other sources is so limited as to bring him within the intent and meaning of this Act and the principle herein above declared, and without such declaration no pension as herein before provided or authorised shall be granted." The allegation of insufficient income is no doubt in each case supported by information satisfactory to the First Lord of the Treasury for the time being, who is asked to grant the pension, but this 1382 information is, of course, of a confidential character. I have not myself had any experience in the matter, as when I assumed office the whole number of these pensions which are limited by statute had been assigned to different beneficiaries under the late Government. The latest grant was made on the 5th of December, 1905, before the then Ministry hail surrendered the Seals of Office. With regard to the case of the former pensioner referred to by the hon. Member for Central Sheffield, no representation was made to the heirs for the refund of any part of the political pension awarded. I may mention that subsequently to the award of that pension a rule was made at the instance of Mr. Gladstone by which an applicant is further required to surrender his pension if at any time he should receive an accession of fortune.
§ SIR HOWARD VINCENTasked if the Government would support a Bill on the subject.
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANI have not yet considered that, but if I am asked for my personal opinion, I say I am opposed to the system altogether.
§ SIR HOWARD VINCENTI will repeat the Question this day week.
§ MR. MORTONsaid his second Question had not been answered.
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANsaid ho did not know what particular act constituted resignation. The pension was applied for on December 1st and awarded on December 5th.
§ MR. MORTONwished to know if resignations could be withdrawn before surrender of seals.
§ SIR. H CAMPBELL-BANNERMANsaid that was a constitutional point he was not acquainted with.