the speaker, Sir Fletcher Norton, addressed the throne, upon the Promptly as these demands of the crown were met, Debates they yet excited lasting dissatisfaction. The public civil list, expenditure and the national debt had been prodi- 1779. giously increased by the American War, when the abuses of the civil list were again brought under the notice of Parliament. In 1779, the Duke of Richmond moved an address to the crown praying for the reduction of the civil list, which was rejected by a majority of more than two to one. But a few days afterwards Mr. Burke's Mr. Burke gave notice of his motion on economic re- economic form, with which his name has since been honourably reform, associated. On the 11th of February, 1780,―fortified, in the meantime, by numerous petitions,-he propounded his elaborate scheme. This embraced a considerable reduction of offices, a diminution of expenditure, and improved administration and accounts in the 1 Parl. Hist., xix. 227. 3 3 Dec. 7th, 1779; Parl. Hist., xx. 2 Parl. Hist., xxi. 798-807; 1255. Wraxall's Mem., i. 372. scheme of 1780. Mr. Burke's 1781. various departments of the state; and in his masterly review, the expenditure of the civil list attracted a large share of his scrutiny. Describing the royal household, he pointed out the social changes which had taken place, and the obsolete character of many of the offices which were still retained. "The royal household," he said, "has lost all that was stately and venerable in the antique manners, without retrenching anything of the cumbrous charge, of a gothic establishment." Examples of profusion and abuse were given, -useless offices, and offices performed by deputy,the king's turnspit being a member of Parliament2,jobbing, waste and peculation in every department, without restraint. He proposed the reduction and consolidation of offices, the diminution of the pension list to 60,000l. a year, and the payment of all pensions at the Exchequer. 3 Mr. Burke obtained leave to bring in five bills to carry out these various objects: but his Establishment Bill was the only one which was considered in that session. It was read a second time, and several of its provisions were discussed in committee: but it was ultimately defeated by the government. The discussions, however, led to a proposition from Lord North, for a commission of Public Accounts. 4 In the following year, Mr. Burke resumed his efforts, ment Bill, and again obtained leave to bring in his Establishment Bill. In advocating this measure he was boldly supported by young William Pitt, who then first offered himself to the notice of Parliament. The bill was lost on the second reading.5 1 Parl. Hist., xxi. 30. 2 Ibid., 33, and Lord Talbot's Speech in 1777; Ibid., xix. 176. See Parl. Hist., xxi. 111, where it is printed at length. Ibid., xxi. 714. 5 Parl. Hist., xxi. 1292; Wraxall's Mem., ii. 333; Lord Stanhope's Life of Pitt, i. 54. of the try, 1782. But a sudden change soon took place in the prospects Measures of this question. Lord Rockingham's administration ac- Rockingceded to office, pledged to economic reform, and resolved ham ministo carry it into effect. Lord Rockingham, in laying his plan before the king, explained" that not a single article of the expense to be retrenched touches anything whatsoever which is personal to your Majesty, or to your Majesty's royal family, or which in the least contributes to the splendour of your court;" and that in fact he only intended to reduce the patronage and influence of ministers.1 On the 15th April, 1782, a message from the king was sent to both Houses, recommending economy in all branches of the public expenditure, and stating that he had already considered the reform and regulation of his civil establishment. Well might Mr. Burke congratulate the House of Commons and the country, on so favourable a change in the policy of the government, and on the attitude of the king towards his people. In both Houses this communication was cordially received and acknowledged. It was soon followed by another, which though not so satisfactory, at least afforded convincing proof of the necessity of that economy which had been already recommended. debt, 1782. The king was now obliged to announce to Parliament Civil list another debt upon his civil list; but instead of proposing that it should be discharged, as on previous occasions, out of the general revenues of the state, he intimated that its liquidation was to be secured by intended reductions of the civil list establishment. Notwithstanding the recent additions to the civil list, the arrears now amounted to 295,8771.; and the proposed savings, instead of being available either to the 1 Lord Rockingham's letter to the king.-Rock. Mem., ii. 477. 2 Parl. Hist., xxii. 1269; Wraxall's Mem., 43-47, 54. Civil List Act of 1782. Subsequent debts in this reign. Surplus of hereditary revenues. king or to the country, would thus become immediately mortgaged for the payment of a debt, by annual instal ments. The Civil List Act of Lord Rockingham, though falling short of Mr. Burke's original proposal, was nevertheless a considerable measure. Many useless offices were abolished, restraints were imposed upon the issue of secret-service money, the Pension List was diminished, and securities were provided for a more effectual supervision of the royal expenditure. And now, for the first time, the civil list expenditure was divided into classes, eight in number, which led to more important changes hereafter.1 But debt continued to be the normal condition of the civil list throughout the reign of George III. Again and again applications were renewed to Parliament; and the debts discharged at different periods after 1782, exceeded 2,300,000l. From the beginning to the end of this reign, the several arrears paid off by Parliament, exclusive of the debt of 300,000l. charged on the civil list in 1782, amounted to 3,398,000%.2 In defence of these continued excesses it was urged, that they were more than defrayed by the surplus of the hereditary revenues, which the king had surrendered; and which, in 1815, exceeded by upwards of 6,000,000l. the entire expenditure of the civil list since the accession of the king,—including all the debts which had been paid off by Parliament, and the charges from which the civil list had been relieved.1 removed Meanwhile the civil list continued to comprise Charges charges wholly unconnected with the personal comfort from the and dignity of the sovereign,-the salaries of judges, ambassadors, and other officers of state,-annuities to members of the royal family, and pensions granted for public services,—all of which were more fairly chargeable to the state revenues, than to the civil list of the From many of these charges the civil list was, from time to time, relieved,-amounting, between the accession of George III. and 1815, to 9,561,3967.2 crown. of the civil On the expiration of the first year of the regency, in Regulation 1812, the civil list was increased by 70,000l. a year, list of the and a special grant of 100,000l. was voted to the regency. prince regent. In 1816, the civil list was settled at 1,083,7277., including the establishment of the king; and its expenditure was, at the same time, subjected to further regulation. It was relieved from some of the annuities to the royal family: the payments on account of the several classes of expenditure were defined and controlled; and the expenses of the royal household were subjected to the supervision and audit of a treasury officer, the auditor of the civil list.1 King George IV., on his accession, expected a larger civil list than he had enjoyed as prince regent: but yielding to the persuasion and remonstrances of his ministers, he stated in his speech from the throne, that so far from desiring any arrangement which would lead to the imposition of new burdens upon his people, he had no wish to alter the settlement adopted by Parliament in 1816.5 1 Report on Civil List, 1815, p. 4. 2 Ibid., p. 5. 3 52 Geo. III. c. 6, 7; Hans. Deb., 1st Ser., xxi. 151, &c. 4 56 Geo. III. c. 46. 5 Twiss's Life of Eldon, ii. 363; Hans. Deb., 2nd Ser., i. 11. This concession, "if report be Civil list on acces sion of George IV. |