Navy, and the balances which remained in the hands of the officers who filled them. With respect to the first, he intended to move that a mode ought to be adopted, for the better regulation of the collection of the land-tax, and for bringing it more fpeedily into the Exchequer: the refolutions with refpect to the Pay-mafter General and Treasurer of the Navy, were, that in future, they ought to be paid by fome fixed falary, and not by fees; and laftly, that they ought to be obliged to pay the balances in their hands, into the Exchequer, and not make any use whatever of it to their own advantage. His Lordship obferved, that he was not ready to give any opinion then relative to the great patent offices of the Exchequer; whether thefe patents ought to be refumed, or the profits arifing from them curtailed, might be hereafter a fit fubject of difcuffion; all he would fay at prefent was, that he would answer for his colleagues in office, that they would very willingly deprive themfelves of the power of appointing fucceffors to thofe who at prefent enjoy the patents, if Parliament fhould be pleafed to require fuch a renunciation. He concluded by moving the firft refolution, which was carried, as was alfo the fecond; but the third, relative to the prohibition to officers, to make any use of the public money in their hands for their own advantage, and their being paid by certain fixed falaries, caufed a good deal of converfa tion. ral. The Attorney-General did not mean to oppofe the refolution, The Attor but at the fame time, he would not have it understood, that ney Genehe precluded himself in the fmalleft degree from a full right and liberty to have difcuffed in a court of juftice, the queftion, whether the public might not call upon the great fervants of the public, to account for the great emoluments they had made by means of the public money? he did not mean to give any opinion on the fubject himself; but he was determined to be at liberty to have it difcuffed before a proper tribunal, if fuch a difcuffion fhould apper to him neceffary. He fpoke not from any ill-will to any man alive; but folely from a fenfe of duty in an office, which he had been unexpectedly, as he was undefervedly, called to fill :he did not know how long he might remain in it; but if he fhould be difmiffed from it, he thould return to much domeftic happiness, which he had enjoyed before he had been called into public life: but while he remained in it, he was determined to do his duty. He understood that there were Mr. Fox. Mr. Huffey. were great complaints against the auditors of the impreft; Mr. Fox did not join with his learned friend in the propriety of the declarations he had thrown out. In the first place he contended, as he had often done before, that when a balance of public money lay in the hands of a public accountant, all the public had a right to expect from him, was, that whenever the money fhould be called for, it fhould be forth coming; and what he did with it was nothing to the public, provided he had it always ready to answer the calls of the public. But this doctrine was pointed at paft times; to future regulations on that fubject he had no manner of objection. He requefted however, that his learned friend would draw fome line, and leave room for fome prefcription, beyond which, his enquiry was not to extend; for otherwife it would be always in the power of the King's Attorney General to keep in conftant alarm, and the worst ftate of flavery, all thofe who had ever filled any public office, or their defcendants and executors for a century. He wished. his learned friend would fix this point: it might happen that a public accountant might have acquired a great fortune by a fair and honeft ufe of public money; and his defcendants might by their folly and imprudence, compleatly diffipate and deftroy it: were thefe defcendants to be called upon to account for the profits made by their ancestors? Were the defcendants of Sir Robert Walpole and the Duke of Chandos to be called to an account; let the line be drawn, and he would be fatisfied. As to the menaces thrown out by his learned friend against the auditors of the impreft, in order to make them do their duty, he fhould rejoice to see these menaces carried into execution; but ftill he doubted whether they could pats accounts in fuch a very fhort time as his learned friend fuppofed. Mr. Huffey thought that it would be highly proper to prevent the Paymafter of the forces, and the Treasurer of the navy, from being any longer what they had hitherto been, I bankers; bankers; he wished that the balances fhould not get into their hands; but fhould be always in the hands of the public, to fructify for their own emolument. Mr. Burke faid, he intended to bring in a bill for that pur- Mr. Burke. pofe; but it was impoffible to do every thing at once; he would take care, however, at all events, to act before the bill paffed, juft as if it had paffed: time was neceffary to gather information: he found that theory and practice were two things; and time would be wanting to mature plans for Parliament. Mr. Huffy was not fatisfied with what fell from Mr. Mr Huffey. Burke; and obferved that four months ago, he would not have faid to the Houfe, that theory on the fubject of reformation could not be reduced to practice. Mr. Rigby having filled an office, which came under the Mr. Rigby. refolution, felt it neceflary to fay, that in about four years he might have his accounts paffed; an event for which he anxiously locked; and he affured the Houfe, that he had not a with to keep any balance in his hands, Colonel Barré thought the balances ought to be paid in Colonel three or four months; and that if they were withheld beyond Barse. that period, the right honourable Member ought to be made to pay intereft for them; for the public had an indisputable right, in his opinion, to the produce of their own money. Mr. Rigby faid, that he did not mean that he would keep Mr. Rigby. the balance in his hands for four years; but that by that time he should have his quietus from the Exchequer. As to the balance itself, it would be every day diminishing, for he fhould have payments to make out of it every day to the half-pay officers, widows and others; and until these demands were difcharged, the public could not in juftice call upon him for a balance, which could not be ftruck, or belong to them, till all the demands, for which he stood bound, were difcharged. To the good characters of Mr. Powell and Mr. Bembridge, clerks in the Paymafter and Treaturer's office, both the old and new Paymafters, and alfo the Secretary at War, who was formerly Paymafter, bore ample teftimony. After fome little conversation on this fubje&t, the Committee agreed to all the refolutions, which were as follow: That it is the opinion of this Committee, That feveral regulations ought to be adopted in the manner of collecting and receiving the duties arifing from the land tax, and on houfes VOL, VI. * (and Ii and windows, and in the payment of the faid duties into the Exchequer. That it is the opinion of this Committee, That it would be beneficial to the public, and be attended with no inconvenience in the execution of the duty of the offices, if the feveral offices, commonly called the Stamp-office, the Salt-office, the Hawkers and Pedlars office, the Hackney Coach-office, and the Tax-office, were confolidated, and put under the management of one, or at most two Boards of Commiffioners. That it appears to this Committee, That there have ufually been very confiderable balances of the money belonging to the public in the hands of the Paymaster-General of his Majefty's land forces; and this Committee are of opinion, that it would be more for the public intereft, if the faid office was to be paid by a fixed and permanent falary, in lieu of all fees and perquifites, and that fome regulations ought to be adopted for the purpofe of leffening and keeping down the balances of money ufually in the hands of the Paymafter of the faid office. That it appears to this Committee, That the profits of the office of eafhier of the Paymaster-General of his Majefty's land forces, arifing from falary, fees, and gratuities, have of late been exceffive; and that it is the opinion of this Committee, that the offices of cashier, of accountant, ledger keeper, and the other clerks in the faid office, ought to be paid by a fixed and permanent falary, in lieu of all fees, gratuities, and other perquifites whatsoever. That it is the opinion of this Committee, That fome regulations ought to be adopted for the purpose of leffening and keeping down the balances of public money, which appear to have ufually been in the hands of the Treasurer of the navy; and it would be beneficial to the public, if the first and other clerks in the different branches belonging to the faid office were paid by fixed and permanent falaries, in lieu of all fees, gratuities, and other perquifites whatfoever. That it is the opinion of this Committee, That from henceforward the Paymafter-General of his Majefty's land forces, and the Treafurer of the navy, for the time being, fhall not apply any fum or fums of money imprefted to them, or either of them, to any purpofe of advantage or intereft to themselves, either directly or indirectly. That it appears to this Committee, That the income and emoluments arifing from the feveral offices of auditor of the Exchequer, clerk of the pells, tellers of the Exchequer, and ufher ufher of the Exchequer, have, from the late enormous iffues of public money, become unreasonable and exceffive, and that the fame require fome regulation in future. That it is the opinion of this Committee, That the feveral offices of usher of the Exchequer, and of the Chamberlains, and Tally-cutter, are ufelefs and unneceffary, and ought to be abolished after the decease of the perfon or perfons who now have a prefent or reverfionary intereft in the faid offices. That it appears to this Committce, That it is too late in the prefent feffion of Parliament to carry into effect a wellconfidered and permanent regulation in the feveral offices mentioned in the foregoing refolutions; but that it will be highly necessary, for the advantage of the public, for the increase of the revenue, and for the honour of this House, that early in next feffion of Parliament, this House should enter upon the confideration of these fubjects, and fhould adopt fuch measures, in the reduction or regulation of thefe useless or expenfive offices, as fhall appear moft confiftent with that plan of economy recommended to this House by his Majefty in his meffage of the 15th day of April laft, and which has been fo graciously adopted by his Majefty in the reform and regulation of his Majefty's civil establish ment. That it is the opinion of this Committee, That if, during the recefs, and before the meeting of the next feffion of Parliament, any of the faid offices of auditor of the Exchequer, clerk of the Pells, Tellers of the Exchequer, Ufher, Chamberlain, or Tally-cutter of the Exchequer, fhould become vacant by death or otherwife, it will not be expedient or proper for any of his Majefty's Minifters to advife the granting of, or to grant the fame, either in poffeffion or reverfion, with fuch fees and perquifites as are now annexed to the faid offices, but with a fixed and permanent falary, and under certain conditions, until this Houfe fhall again have had an opportunity of taking the reform and regulation of the faid offices into their more ferious and deliberate confideration. That it appears to this Committee, That the Commiffioners appointed to examine, take, and ftate the public accounts of the kingdom, have, fo far as appears from the reports which they have hitherto made, difcharged the duty intrufted to them, with great diligence, accuracy, and ability; and if Parliament fhall carry into execution thofe plans of reform and regulation which are fuggefted by the matter contained in |