162 Assembly Proceedings, November 1-December 6, 1766.

L. H. J.
Liber No. 52
Nov. 15
p. 446

Your Committee, having enquired into the Nature, original Insti-
tution, and Establishment of the Revenues of the Crown, as well
arising from the Demesne Lands, as what is here called the Casual
Revenue, are of Opinion, That, from the Principles of the English
Constitution, they were vested in the Royal Person, to support his
Dignity, and maintain his Power, as an affluent Supply for the
ordinary Expenses of his Government, and were provided for the
Support of public Authority, in a Manner the least burthensome to
Individuals, and considered as a Portion which each Subject con-
tributed of his Property to secure the Remainder; and, for those
Ends and Purposes, those Rights and Revenues were annexed to
the Supreme Power, by the Laws & Customs of the State; and,
your Committee are the more confirmed in this Opinion, by finding
that in former Times the Kings of England did constantly and
uniformly defray the Expenses of, and support the Honour and
Dignity of the Crown, and every Branch of the Civil Government,
such as the Payment of their Officers of State, their Judges and
other Matters respecting the Executive Powers of Government, out
of those Revenues, without calling on the People to raise Monies
on themselves for those Purposes. In latter Times, when by im-
provident Grants, &c^a to private Persons, they were so impaired as
not to remain sufficient to support the Honour and Dignity of the
Crown, and the Expenses of the Civil Government, and that De-
mands were made on the People for a further Supply; the Parlia-
ment took Care that an Account should be rendered of all those
Crown Revenues that were left, the Demesne Lands not excepted,
and when thev substituted other Funds, by Taxes on the People
to make up that Deficiency, and to establish a sufficient Annual Sum,
together with those Revenues still left, to support the Honour and
Dignity of the Crown, and the Expenses of the Civil Government.
They at the same Time took Care to provide, that for the future it
should not be in the Power of the Kings and Queens of the Realm,
to grant away any of those Revenues annexed to the Crown by
the Constitution for any Time longer than their own Lives, nor
Lease or let the Crown Lands longer than a certain Number of
Years, and reserving Rents, by which Means and by Escheats and
Forfeitures that might hereafter happen, and by the Determination
of many particular Estates, whereon many Reversions and Re-
mainders in the Crown did depend, the Revenues of the Crown
might again be increased, and consequently the Burthen on the
Estates of the Subject might be eased and lessened in all future
Provisions to be made for the Expences of the Civil Government,
and by that Means the Crown would come to the next Successor
without any of those Revenues then left, being further impaired,
and with all future casual Additions. This, together with the Re-
citals in the several Revenue Bills, and those for taking and stating
the public Accounts, does clearly in the Opinion of your Com-