nefs which was now laid before the Chamber, and the Mafter of them. The accounts, they faid, car ried the fulleft conviction, that they were fabricated to perplex, not to inform; that the facts, which under their title they were bound to difclofe, could not bear the light; and that a great and royal revenue was fquandered in fo fhameful a manner, and applied to fuch pernicious purposes, that the 4 Minifters dared not to ayow its difpotal, nor venture to commit fo dange ous a knowledge to the public. They were unaccompanied by any voucher, by any collateral, or explanatory obfervation that could give them even that colour of authenticity, which was fitting for their appearance before parlia ment, or to render them worthy of its attention. Every man of bufinefs knew, that accounts without vouchers were in fact no accounts, Would fuch be admitted in the ftatement or fettlement of any merchant's affairs? would they be allowed in any court of juftice or equity? Thofe before them ftated certain fums, iffued under certain enumerated heads, without the fmallest mention to whom they were paid, or to what purpofe applied. The only facts to be gathered from them, were a great expenditure, and a great deficiency of provifion; fo that the prefent voluminous detail would have been full as intelligible if it had been given in the grois, and the whole of the one, with the total of the other, ftruck off in two lines. The conduct of fome of the court departments was feverely reprehended. The Deputy Auditor of the Exchequer, the Treasurer of the Horfe, when the account of the expenditure in their respective offices is demanded, return for anfwer, faid they, that they have no materials for that purpose, and that it is impoffible for them to make up any fuch accounts as are required. This they reprefented as a flight and contempt of the houfe, which was equally unprecedented and unpardonable; but however their prefent difpofition might be to overlook fuch treatment, and however a knowledge of that difpofition was the means of producing it, this conduct they confidered as eftablishing one incontrovertible fact, that it had been originally determined to keep them totally in the dark, and that no fair account, nor fatisfactory information, should ever come before them. That fome of the accounts which had been produced, and were calculated to deceive the people into an opinion, that the crown had conferred a great favour, and was a great lofer, by its bargain with the public in the year 1760, were furnished with other properties, which were fo far more culpable, as an immediate attempt of impofition by over-reaching the understanding is more criminal, than a modelt or timid attempt to conceal paft misconduct or profigacy. In the elimate of the amount of (what was mit improperly called) the hereditary revenue, or properly the appropriated duties, for the last fixteen years, compared with that of the actual civil it revenue, a great furplaf age is ftated, and reprefented as fo much lofs to the crown by refigning the former, although in fact, the the greater part of this furplus arifes from a parliamentary fund, which had no existence in the year 1760, and to which, if it had, the crown could not have laid the imallef pretension. This fund was created by the poft-office act of the 5th of the prefent reign. and in this estimate, with an evident view of impofition upon the public, and deception on parlia. ment, is artfully brought to account on the fide of the crown, under a fuppofition, that the multiplicity and perplexity of figures, with the indolence and inattention fo prevalent in public affairs, would effectually operate in preventing detection. They faid, that if one falfe article in any account could be proved, and that it was manifeftly brought in by defign, as in the prefent inftance, it was a fair and allowed deduction, that the whole account was falfe. They concluded therefore, that from the withholding of all fpecification, and every voucher, which could afford the colour of authenticity to one part of the accounts, and the grofs and glaring impofition at tempted in the other; it was equally justifiable in point of argument and fact to infift, thet the whole was a fcene of unparalleled deception, delufion, and impofi tion. Comparative estimates were entered into of the amount of feveral heads of expenditure, during two periods of eight years each in the prefent reign, and two equal periods which terminated at the conclusion of the former. The excefs in feveral of thefe articles during the last eight years was confiderable, and arofe principally under the heads of the cufferers account, That the the board of works, penfions, aa. nuities, fecret fervice, and ambafadors. It was obferved, that the excess in those penfions, which were paid by the paymafter of that department, in the late period, compared with the expenditure under the fame head of the laft eight years of the late reign, amounted to 113,298 1. excefs in pensions and annuities paid at the exchequer during the fame periods, amounted to 80,8461 And that the excess under the bead of fecret fervice, was 63,5591. although the last eight years of the late King, included the greatest part of the late glorious war, when the demands for that service muft have been great and necessary, and events fufficiently told, that the expenditure was applied to purposes truly national. Thus, faid they, the excels, under these three fufpicious articles only, does not fall greatly fhort of one half of the prefent incurred debt; and if to this was added the excels in others, and the amount of the wanton or unnecessary expenditure (which can be gathered even from a view of the prefent mutilated accounts) in feveral, the whole would confiderably exceed the demand now made upon the public. And though the correction of thefe exorbitances could not discharge the present incumbrance, it would render the propofed augmentation needlefs, prevent the crown from falling into fimilar diftreffes, and a people from being further spoiled, who are already groaning under the heaviest burthens. It was observed, that the large fums of 171,000l. and 114,000l. were charged in two lines for fe cret tret fervice, under the difpofal of two Secretaries of the Treafury. The iffuing of fuch fums through fach hands, without any specific fervice affigned, was reprefented as carrying a very myfterious and dangerous afpect. That money, without ftint, or public account, fhould be entrusted to the Secretaries of State for the purpose of foreign intelligence, was allowed to be right and neceffary; but that the officers of the treasury, who can have no public connection beyond their own office, much lefs any intercourfe with foreign ftates, fhould be the agents for difpofing of the public money in fecret fervice, was faid to be a matter of the moft alarming nature, and which carried that fort of internal evidence along with it, that put an end at once to all doubts as to defign or application. The expenditure charged under the refpective heads of the cofferers office, the board of works, and that of foreign Minifters, was faid to be fo enormous, as to exceed all limits of propriety and reason. It might well be fuppofed, from feeing that above 80,000l. was applied yearly to the latter fervice, that we were realizing the wretched policy recommended by James the Firft, of maintaining an army of ambaffadors. Yet, with this vaft diplomatique expence, and the prodigious fums allotted to fecret fervice, will the Ministers venture to boast of the cultivation or fap. port of our foreign interests? will they point out the commercial beDefits we have obtained, and the political fecurity and ftrength we have derived from late treaties ? or does the profperous ftate of our affairs, the respect with which we are treated by the other powers of Europe, and the fuccefs attending our public measures, proclaim the wifdom of our negociations, and the excellency of our intelligence. Above half a million, they obferved, was ftated under the head of the board of works, without a fingle item to fhew, to whom, or for what purpose it was difpofed ; or on what palace, house, park, garden, or royal work of any kind, the money had been expended. Thefe were matters, they faid, which demanded the utmost attention and ftricteft investigation of parliament. They were the conftitutional checks, to reftrain the wanton profufion, or the defigned application of the public treasure to dangerous purposes, by minifters. They were entrusted by the people with the public difpofal of their property, and they were bound by every idea of duty and juftice to prevent its being fquandered; but ftill more, to prevent its being employed against their dearest interests. On the other fide, the Minifters and official members, attributed the defectiveness imputed to the accounts, to the conduct of their predeceffors in office, who had carried away, from their refpective departments, thofe papers and documents, which would have been neceffary to afford that unusual degree of fpecification and accuracy, which were now demanded. They faid, that the treasury had done every thing in their power to remedy that deficiency; they had fpared no pains, by examining and comparing the warrants with the books, to give every fatisfaction in their power to parliament. Such vouchers as could be found they 8 produced; produced; they were not to be blamed for thofe which were removed, loft, or mislaid; if the manner in which the accounts were kept, or the nature of the expenditure, rendered them obfcure and perplexed, it was no fault in them. They fhewed regularly the tums which they had inued, and the departments by which they were drawn; that was all that lay with them, and they had ro enquiry to make into their difpofal, or fpecific application. Thus, faid they, all the charges of withholding explanations and vouchers, of fabricating defective, or prefenting mutilated accounts, for the parpole of perplexing or deceiving parliament, fall entirely to the ground. But it was further contended, that far from treating parliament with contempt, or from any deign of midcading them or keeping them in ignorance, they had exceeded their predecedors in exact mets and detail. That no accounts at all, or at moit only such grots and loo e efimates, as it was How become the taihion to much to centure, had been laid betare piriament apoa former è'milar appacations tiem the crown. Such They red was the cafe in the year 1910, under the reign of Cheen Aase; in that of George the Fink, when two tech acc Nations were mide; authe accellion of the late King, when the annan, acgmentamore? 100,000; was made to the former application to parliament by his prefent Majesty. It was alio contended, (but more particularly, and much more firenuously infifted on in the House of Lords) that the crown had a juk and equitable claim to the provifion now demanded, in confequence of that most generous and liberal act of his Majelty in the beginning of his reign, when, from a truly paternal feeling for the burdens of his people, and a moft princely de fire of contributing to their eafe, he furrendered the civil lift revenue of the former reign, which was fully competent to all the expences of his household and civil government, and accepted of the prefent income, which, without any experience to decide upon, it was then hoped, would have been fufficient for thofe purposes. They faid, that those revenues during the fixteen years of the prefent reign, had exceeded the amount of the actual royal income, by conûderably more than two millions, and about doubled the aggre gate of the fum granted by parliament in the year 1769, and that demanded for the discharge of the present debt. From these premises they contended, that the discharge of the prefert incambrances, as will as the future augmentation, were evidently matters of right and jefice, though applied for, and lihed to be received as favours; and that in jach circomitances, the scretinizing of accounts, and enser og inte mirate enquiries, was ecsült zbiera and petulant. Al that was neceflary to be knows, was the amount of the expenditure, ane of is excess bevond tue ftand Becky miche year 1989, 4pon the ing revenue; the deficiency in the latter latter must be provided for, as a matter of course, of neceffity, and of right. Royal beneficence had induced an experiment in favour of the public; upon long experience and repeated trial it is found incapable of its object; was the goodness of the Sovereign, and his tenderness to his people, to operate to his perfonal lofs? and his well-intended, though ineffectual attempts, to restrain his expences within certain limits of his own affigning, to be given as reafons why he should abide by that determination, however impracticable it was found in the execution ? As this doctrine of right was not fo much infifted upon in the House of Commons, at least not by the Minifter, other arguments were ufed in fupport of the prefent application under both its heads. It was afferted, that the greatest practicable frugality and economy prevailed in the feveral court departments; but that the revenue was really and truly infufficient for its affigned purposes. It was impoffible, they faid, nor would it be fitting if otherwife, to restrain the expences of a great Sovereign, and thofe in the numerous depart ments of the household and civil government, within the limits of an exact and strict ceconomy. A certain degree of profufion muft prevail in feveral inftances, and would still continue to do fo, in defiance of all attempts to the contrary. Cuftom had given a fanction to extraordinary expences in Courts, and was too firmly rivetted by time to be broke in upon without much difficulty. They were among the confequences of high rank, and the appendages of roy alty; the parfimony, which would be highly commendable in a private gentleman, would become meanness in a Monarch; fomething must be facrificed to opinion in many cafes; and a certain magnificence of expence, was as neceffary to difplay the grandeur of a great nation, as to support the luftre of the crown. They obferved the prodigious rife in all the neceffaries of life, and increase in every article of expence and mode of living, which had taken place during the lait fifty years, being the period fince certain funds were affigned to the fupport of the civil liteftablishment, which were intended, at leaft, to produce 800,000l. a year revenue. This rife in the value of things and increafe of expence, they faid, proceeded from the great influx of money, the extenfion of commerce, aud the confequent increafe of wealth, which had taken place in that period. Though this rife was fenfibly felt by the nobility and gentry in their private economy, they were however generally indemnified by a proportional increase in the rents of their eftates. Was then the Sovereign to be the only gentleman in his dominions, who was to be embarraffed and diftreffed in his private affairs by this change of circumftances? and instead of benefitting by their profperity, was he to experience the fingular fituation, of being impoverished in an inverse proportion to the general affluence and increafed wealth of his people? The happy and numerous increafe of the royal family was alfo dwelt upon. However great the fatisfaction derived from this circumftance, it muft naturally and inevitably |