§ MR. LEAI beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury, with reference to page 55 of the Finance Accounts of the United Kingdom, what was the service rendered, either to the Crown or to the public, which was rewarded by an annual pension of £375 16s. under letters patent, 9th June, 1694, and now payable to Henry de Nassan, Lord d'Auverquerque; who is this individual; is he an alien; and what steps does he propose taking to put an end to this and other similar drains on the British public.
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANThis pension, which amounted originally to £2,000 a year gross, was granted by letters patent in the sixth year of William and Mary to Lord d'Averquerque and his heirs and assigns for ever in consideration of his many and faithful services. The hon. Member will find a description of those services in the; Dictionary of National Biography. The annual sum of £375 16s. is all that is now payable, the bulk of the pension having been commuted in 1853. There is no power to effect commutation except on terms acceptable to the present recipient. The pension has passed from hand to hand and was more than ten years ago purchased by the Bank of England.