The Earl of Liverpoolmoved the order of the day for the third reading of the King's Household Bill, and observed, that he would now take the opportunity of explaining the subject with reference to the three Bills on the table, all forming part of the same arrangement, namely, the King's Household Bill, the Household Officers Bill, and the Regency Expences Bill. His lordship then adverted to what had passed in the last session of parliament when the Regency was under consideration, and observed, that whatever opinions might be entertained of the improbability of the King's recovery, they must nevertheless legislate upon the possibility of his recovering, so as to resume the exercise of the royal authority. His lordship then explained the object of the Bills, to appropriate 100,000l. for a Household for the King, and to the support of his dignity and personal comfort; together with 60,000l. the amount of the King's Privy Purse, and 10,000l. to the Queen, to meet incidental expences, making together 170,000l. To meet this charge, the Prince of Wales had consented to give up to the civil list from his Exchequer income 50,000l. and 70,000l. was proposed to be voted by parliament, making 120,000l. leaving a deficiency in the civil list, as transferred to the Prince Regent, of 50,000l. with, however, a considerable difference of expence, as his Majesty's expenditure had of course been considerably increased by the largeness of his family. The noble earl concluded, by expressing his regret that the question respecting the increase of the expenditure of the civil list had not on former occasions been fairly met, instead of resorting to the mode of making good the deficiency out of other funds, convinced as he was, that if the question had been brought forward, it must have been 690 evident that the increase of the expenditure was unavoidable, and that it was no more, than must have been felt by every person from his own private expenditure, and could not be avoided.
§ Lord Grenvilleobserved, that the Bill was such that he could not entirely approve of, although he was perfectly aware of the difficulty attending a task in making a provision for a case so new and distinct from any former situation of things. He agreed with the noble Secretary of State, that it was an essential object for their lordships to have in view, that the arrangement to be formed was not in its nature necessarily permanent, and that as their hopes had been hitherto unhappily disappointed, so their fears might be agreeably undeceived. His first objection to the plan now submitted was, that it was intricate, involved, and obscure, whereas in his opinion, on such an occasion, it ought not merely to be clear and intelligible, but so clear and intelligible, that every man in the kingdom could understand it. He was not prepared to argue the question of the Bill on the principle of the sufficiency or excess of the particular sums appropriated to different purposes. All their lordships undoubtedly felt the necessity of supporting now as well as at any former time, the dignity and state belonging to the exercise of the functions of royalty, and to the person in whatever situation, or labouring under whatever calamity, who continued to wear the crown. They all felt that it was not merely for a-sick person, but a sick king, for whom provision was to be made. He had often lamented that in all the arrangements of the civil list, two objects should have been combined so obviously dissimilar as the provision for the civil government of the country, and the expenditure for the royal household. This was not the proper opportunity for entering into such a consideration, but he did think it, in due time, a subject highly worthy of their lordships attention. An extreme case might, indeed, occur, which would render it expedient to make some alteration with reference to this arrangement, but except in such an extreme case, it was unquestionably the duty of the legislature to respect the contract which bad been entered into between the country and his Majesty, when he was competent to give or to withhold his assent. Upon the subject of the excesses incidental to the civil list, 691 the noble lord stated, that when in office, he had conceived it to be the most regular and expedient course to meet these excesses with any available fund in the uncontrouled possession of the crown, rather than to apply for parliamentary aid.
A conversation then took place between lords Grenville and Liverpool as to the legal accountability of the King's Lords Steward and Chamberlain to the Lord Treasurer, after which the Bill was read a third time.