Refolutions concerning the Public Expenditure, moved in the House of Commens, on the 7th of May, 1796, by Mr. Grey.

Refolved -- I. That at all times, and under all circumftances, it is the indifpenfable duty of the house of commons vigilantly to fuperintend the expenditure of the public money, and strictly to inquire into the application of the grants made

by parliament to the fervice for which they have been voted.

II. That by an act paffed in every feffion of parliament, the particular fums granted for each particular fervice are specified, and the money that shall be paid into the exchequer is appropriated to their difcharge; and that it is strictly directed that fuch aids and fupplies fhall not be applied to any ufe, intent, or purpose whatever, other than the ufes and purposes mentioned in the said act.

III. That it appears from an account prefented to this houfe on the 21st of April, 1796, that the fum of 644,1061. 7s. 9d. was then due to the feveral colonels or commanding officers of his majefty's forces, for net off-reckonings and clothing for the years 1794 and 1794 and 1795, money was grant 1795, although by acts paffed in ed to difcharge the fame; and al though the faid acts direct that the money fo granted fhall be applied in discharge of the fame, and not otherwise.

IV. That it appears from an ac count prefented to this Houfe on the 21st of April, 1796, that the fum of 146,900l. 12s. 4d. is now due to the general and staff-officers of

his majesty's forces for the years 1793, 1794, and 1795; although by acts paffed in the faid years, money was granted for the payment of the faid fum; and although the faid acts direct that the faid money, fo granted, fhall be applied in difcharge of the faid fum, and not otherwise.

V. That it appears from an account prefented to this houfe on the 21st of April, 1796, that the fum of 34,3131. 13s. 3d. is now due to the feveral governors, lieutenant-governors, and other officers of his majesty's forces and garrifons in Great Britain, and parts beyond the feas, for the years 1794 and 1795, although by acts paffed in the faid years, money was granted for difcharging the faid fum; and although the faid acts direct that the money fo granted fhall be applied in difcharging the faid fame, and not otherwife.

VI. That it appears from an account prefented to this houfe on the 21st of April, 1796, that the fum of 31,0561. 9s. 9d. due to the general Itaff officers of his majefty's forces for the year 1794, was paid out of grants for the fervice of the year 1796, although by an act paffed in 1794, money was granted for difcharging the faid fun; and although the faid act directs that the faid money fo granted fhall be applied in difcharging the fame, and not otherwife.

VII. That it appears from an account produced to this houfe, on the 21st of April, 1796, that the fum of 172,100l. due for off-reckonings to the 24th of December, 1794, and which remained due on the 21st of January, 1796, was difcharged out of the vote of credit -granted for the express purpose of defraying expences that may occur in 1796. By an act paffed in 1794,

money was granted for discharging the faid fum; and although the faid act directs that the money fo granted fhall be applied in difcharge of the fame, and not otherwife.

VIII. That it appears to this houfe, that by an act paffed in the 23d year of his majefty's reign, for the better regulation of the office of paymafter-general of his majefty's forces, it is enacted, that no money for the fervice of the army fhall be iffued from his majefty's exchequer to the paymastergeneral of his majesty's forces, or fhall be placed or directed to be placed in his majefty's hands or poffeffion; but the fame fhall be iffued and directed to be paid to the governor and company of the bank of England, to be placed to his ac

count.

IX. That it appears to this house, from an account produced on the 22d of April, 1796, that in open contempt and defiance of the faid act, the fum of 430,200l. has been iffued directly to the paymaftergeneral of his majefty's forces, in exchequer bills on the vote of credit for 1796; and that a balance of 83,300l. was remaining uniffued in his hands on the faid 22d of April, 1796.

X. That it further appears to this house, that by the faid act, the paymafter-general of his majefty's forces is directed and required to form his memorials and requifitions to the treasury, and to iffue his drafts upon the governor and company of the bank of England, upon the 24th day of June, and 24th day of December, in every year, in equal payments, to fuch perfon or perfons as have a regular affignment from the feveral colonels, lieutenant-colonels, commandants, majors, and captains commandant, (F 2)

and

and captains, for the monies appropriated for the clothing of the non-commiflioned officers and private men of his majefty's regular forces.

XI. That it appears to this house, that the fums of money appropriated for the clothing of his majefty's regular forces, and which, according to the provifions of the faid act, ought to have been iffued on the 24th of December, 1794, the 24th of June and 24th of December, 1795, had been diverted to other purposes and ftill remained due on the rft of January, 1796, in open contempt and defiance of

the faid act

XII. That it appears that an account is annually prefented to this houfe, fhewing how the money granted for the fervice of the preceding year has been difpofed of, diftinguished under the feveral heads, and the parts remaining un. fatisfied with the deficiency thereupon.

XIII. That futh account was intended to be what in its title it profeffes to be, a real account, fhewing how the money given for the service of the year had actually been difpofed of, in order that the houfe of commons might be informed of the ftate of the public expenditure, and fatisfy themfelves as to the application of the money voted, to thofe fervices for which it had been granted by them.

XIV. That an account, of the above defcription, has been prefented to this houfe, in each of the years 1794, 1795, and 1796, in which the money granted for the fervices of each year is ftated to have been applied to the fervices for which it was voted by parliament, although it now appears from accounts fince prefented to this houfe, that the fum of 644,1061.

granted for off-reckonings for the year 1794, and 1795; the fum of 146,9col. granted for the pay of the general and staff-officers of his majefty's forces for 1793, 1794, and 1795; the fum of 34,3×3l. granted for the pay of the feveral governors, lieutenant-governors, and other officers of his majesty's forces in Great Britain and parts beyond the feas, for the years 1794 and 1795, and feverally ftated to have been difpofed of for those fervices, ftill remain unfatisfied.

XV. That in the instances above mentioned, his majesty's minifters have been guilty of prefenting falfe accounts, calculated to mislead the judgment of this houfe, of a fiagrant violation of various acts of parliament, and of a grofs mifapplication of the public money.

The above refolutions were negatived by a majority of 209 to 38.

Refolutions concerning the Public Expenditure, moved in the House of Lords, on the 2d of May, 1796, by the Marquis of Lansdown.

That as we fee no effectual steps taken to realife those measures of reform, for which the prefent minifters, at their entrance into office, ftood strongly pledged to the public, or thofe earneftly recommended in the reports upon the table, by two boards of commiffioners, both appointed by parliament,

It is incumbent on this house to inquire into the cause of fo extraordinary an omiflion, as well as,

Whether any new offices have fince been created?

Whether any old falaries have been increased on flight pretences?

Whether any falaries have been granted

granted for fpecial purposes, and continued, though the reafons for them have ceased?

Whether any warrants for beneficial grants have been directed? And on the whole,

Whether the public expences have increafed beyond the fupplies annually granted by parlia

ment?

This, which would be a duty incumbent upon parliament, were the exifting war ever fo neceffary, juft, and fuccefsful, is become moft urgent and indispensable, in a contest at once bloody and expenfive beyond example, without plan or object, except fuch objects as the mifconduct of the war first created; attended with a waste of money profufe almoft beyond imagination; which has already reduced our trade to a dependence on the very warfare which is fundamentally deftroying it, and has fo exhausted our refources, as to drive us to the wretched expedient of reviving taxes which were a few years fince repealed, upon the ground of thereby increafing the revenue an effect which that repeal produced, and a policy which muft, therefore, on the return of peace, be again reforted to, and which will confequently bring with it the neceffity of finding new taxes, if new and productive taxes can be invented in our then exhausted ftate.

In a fituation fo alarming, and fo manifeftly tending to deftroy the confidence of the people in parlia ment, which (as every reflecting man must have, with deep concern, obferved) has for fome years paft been rapidly on the decline; it behoves parliament, by a timely revival of its ancient energy and integrity, to convince the people that their conftitutional guardians are

awake to the common danger, and are determined to come forward with fuch firm meafures of public order and reform, as will effectually relieve the fubject, and remedy evils, which, if ftill fuffered to accumulate, will be past all remedy, and muft inevitably terminate in public confufion.

The above refolutions were negatived by a majority of 104

to 12.

Refolutions moved in the Houfe of Commons, on the 10th of May, 1796, by Mr. Fox, for an Addrefs to his Majefly, on the Conduct of Adminiftration, in the Commencement and Progress of the War.

That an addrefs be prefented to his majefty, moft humbly to offer to his royal confideration, that judgment which his faithful commons have formed, and now deem it their duty to, declare, concerning the conduct of his minifters in the commencement, and during the progrefs of the prefent unfortunate war. As long as it was poffible for us to doubt from what fource the national diftreffes have arisen, we have, in times of difficulty and peril, thought ourselves bound to ftrengthen his majefty's government, for the protection of his fubjects, by our confidence and fupport. But our duties as his majesty's counfellors, and as the reprefentatives of his people, will no longer permit us to diffemble our deliberate and determined opinion, that the diftrefs, difficulty, and peril, to which this country is now fubjected, have arifen from the mifconduct of the king's minifters, and are likely to fubfift and increafe, as long as the fame principles which have hitherto guided (F 3)

thefe