When England Gives Presents.

Otago Witness, Issue 2325, 22 September 1898, Page 61

When England Gives Presents.

The British character is naturally liberal, and when any citizen does his country a service, ho receives a generous reward. Some time ago a great general got the splendid sum of £20,000 for his share- in building up the Empire. But, though this seems a large sum, it is nothing to what we have givon to former great men. King George I, in the first year of his reign, made a gift of £720 a year to the Duko of Schomberg and his heirs for ever. That was just 184 years ago, so that we have given the Sehomberg family £132,480. To Lord Rodney, and everyone who shall inherit the title, George 111 gave £2000 a year in 1799. Since that date the receipts of the family have been £198,000. Earl Nelson was given £5000 a year in 1806, and all of the litlo will receive the same sum as long as the British taxpayer can give it. Up to date tho sum given is equal to £460,000. In the 50th year of George Ill's reign, the Duke of Wellington was given £4000 a year, which means a sum of £352,000 to date. Viscount Combermero got £2000 a year in 1814, and the payments out of the Exchequer to date amount to £168,000. Lord Seaton, in the third year of Queen Victoria's reign, got £2000 a year, which sum has run into a total of £116,000 up to date. In the following year Lord Keane got £2000 a year, and this payment reaches the sum of £114,000. Five years later Viscount Hardinge got £3000 a year, which has brought him in £156,000 in all. And in the same year Viscount Gough got £2000, which totals out at £104,000. Adding these nine national presents together, we get a huge total of £1,800,000.