settled at the Revolution.

Anne, George I. and George II.

George III.

Anne had the same civil list, estimated to produce an annual income of
L700,000. During her reign a debt of L1,200,000 was incurred. This debt
was paid by parliament and charged on the civil list itself. George I.
enjoyed the same revenue by parliamentary grant, in addition to an
annual sum of L120,000 on the aggregate fund. A debt of L1,000,000 was
incurred, and discharged by parliament in the same manner as Anne's debt
had been. To George II. a civil list of L800,000 as a minimum was
granted, parliament undertaking to make up any deficiency if the sources
of income appropriated to its service fell short of that sum. Thus in
1746 a debt of L456,000 was paid by parliament on the civil list. On the
accession of George III. a change was made in the system of the civil
list. Hitherto the sources of revenue appropriated to the service of the
civil list had been settled on the crown. If these revenues exceeded the
sum they were computed to produce annually, the surplus went to the
king. George III., however, surrendered the life-interest in the
hereditary revenues and the excise duties hitherto voted to defray the
civil list expenditure, and any claim to a surplus for a fixed amount.
The king still retained other large sources of revenue which were not
included in the civil list, and were free from the control of
parliament. The revenues from which the civil list had been defrayed
were henceforward to be carried into, and made part of, the aggregate
fund. In their place a fixed civil list was granted--at first of
L723,000 per annum, to be increased to L800,000 on the falling in of
certain annuities to members of the royal family. From this L800,000 the
king's household and the honour and dignity of the crown were to be
supported, as well as the civil service offices, pensions and other
charges still laid on the list.

Indebtedness of civil list.

During the reign of George III. the civil list played an important part
in the history of the struggle on the part of the king to establish the
royal ascendancy. From the revenue appropriated to its service came a
large portion of the money employed by the king in creating places and
pensions for his supporters in parliament, and, under the colour of the
royal bounty, bribery was practised on a large scale. No limit was set
to the amount applicable to the pensions charged on the civil list, so
l