partment was useful; but the junior department was quite useless; for young men who left the college early and entered the regular army, soon forgot what they learned there. The committee of finance had commented on the cruelty of educating young men for pursuits in which they could not be employed. The commission of military inquiry had recommended the abolition of the lieutenant-governor and paymaster as unnecessary. Yet they were retained to this hour. The establishment was not only that of a regiment; it was that of an army. The honourable gentleman complained of abuses in the granting of superannuation; and as to barracks, he thought the best plan was to pull them all down immediately.

Lord Palmerston said he would be as brief as possible in replying to the various topics touched upon in the honourable gentleman's speech. The question was not whether a reduction was possible, but whether the evils attending it would not be greater than the benefit. The cavalry were necessary for the preservation of public peace, and other important services. Their services on the coast were necessary to check the contraband trade which was attempted to be carried on; for, when the smuggler had once landed his goods on the coast, it was only by the assistance of cavalry troops that seizures could be made. The proposed change in their organization was a mere matter of speculation and opinion, upon which the House could not act. If it were not for the waggon-train, it would be necessary on all occasions to employ farmers' horses, which would be in the highest degree inconvenient to the service, and perhaps not much less expensive. As to the engineer corps, which the honourable gentleman wished to be reduced, he might observe that proper officers for these corps were

not easily obtained. It was also difficult to procure men for them, on account of the mechanical skill which it was necessary they should possess. These men were always most usefully employed, and therefore he conceived that their reduction would be a serious inconvenience. The honourable gentleman wondered why there should be more staff officers in Ireland than in England or Scotland. The reason was, that in Ireland the force was more dispersed than in this country, and on that account all those details in which staff officers were employed were more numerous. The same thing applied to the staff in the Leeward and Windward Islands. The honourable gentleman would next do away with the commissariat department. He believed, however, that no other arrangement could be made which would so effectually combine economy with regularity of supply. It certainly appeared to him that, when supply was provided by contract, it was likely to be cheaper, better, and more regular, than if each regiment were to provide its own supply. The honourable gentleman had next touched on the military college, and had admitted that great reductions had been made, but contended that still greater ought to be made. The House would see that arrangements had been made for consolidating the senior and the junior departments of that establishment from the 24th of June next, so that next year the whole would merge into one department, and the total expense of the college would be reduced to a sum between 18,000l. and 19,000l. He was sure that the House would not think that the number of cadets which it was proposed to admit every year, say seven, was too great for the other parts of our military establishment. He believed that the highest authority in the military profession thought this establishment

essentially necessary to the army. That officers ought to be previously instructed in military science, was a self-evident proposition; because, if they were not instructed, the army must of necessity be bad. The only good that could result from the abolishing of this establishment, would be to drive young men to foreign countries for their military education -to send them to the schools of France or of Germany at that period of life at which principles are to be acquired, and the character of the future man is to be fixed. For his own part, he wished to see the British soldier with a British character, with British habits, with a British education, and with as little as possible of any thing foreign.

Although the motion was supported by Mr Calcraft, Sir H. Parnell, and Mr Ellice, it was negatived by a majority of 125 to 45.

On the 2d June, the House having resolved itself into a committee of supply, Lord Palmerston rose to move the army estimates. The principal feature, as compared with last year, consisted in the addition of force which had been judged necessary in consequence of the agitated state of the country. Hence there was this year an increase of force, amounting, including officers, to 11,745 men, making an increase of 220,000l.There was also an increase of regimental charges, amounting to 363,6477., and on the miscellaneous service of 64,000l. This increase arose chiefly from the calling of the Veteran Battalions into active service. The House might wish to know what had been the result of the examination of the pensioners for these battalions. The whole number that presented themselves was 15,026; of these 12,305 were found fit for duty: 18,624 did not attend, but the greater number made sufficient excuses. Such as were at first

held fit for duty were again examined, and 3348 of them were discharged, leaving in the whole 8957 for the service for which they were intended. It was fit to observe, that the charge made for them included 18,500l. as the expense of clothing them; but as they had been furnished from the stores of the war left on hand, credit had been elsewhere given to that amount. The House might wish to know the expense arising from this measure including the clothing, it was 360,000l. increased by the charge for organization. Against this was to be set-the pensions of the men, 85,000l.; the saving of pay of retired officers, 35,000l.; and credit for halfpay to the amount of 12,000l. The sum saved was therefore in the whole 132,000l.; and the charge upon the country, including clothing, 360,000Z.

deducting the one from the other, together with 18,500l. for clothing, left an additional charge upon the public for the Veteran Battalions, of 210,000l. Lord Palmerston did not feel himself called upon at present to defend that augmentation of force, of which this increased expense had been the necessary consequence; it had been fully discussed on former occasions. To counterbalance it, he mentioned a number of savings: there had been 13,7017. in the staff, 48007. in the barrack department, 3531l. in the war department, and 37021. in the royal military college, where still further reductions were in contemplation.

In

There had indeed been an advance of 53191. in the recruiting, and of 9791. upon garrisons, both arising from temporary causes. the volunteer corps there had been an increase of 47,831l.; the British part of that increase arose from the establishment of new corps. The total amount of volunteer corps in Great Britain was 25,000 cavalry, and 4950 infantry. In Ireland they were en

tirely infantry, and a reduction had been made there of 6995 rank and file, and a saving in charge of 2000l. effected. The present amount of Irish yeomanry might be stated at about 20,000 men.

This statement called forth animadversion from several quarters, particularly from Mr Hume, who deprecated the maintenance of so large a military establishment in time of peace. By a statement in one of the reports of the finance committee, the whole military expenditure of the last year, including the ordnance service, was represented to be 9,991,000l. If this were added to the sum of 224,000l. for additional charges in the present year, the total amount would exceed 10,000,000l. He was satisfied that so large an establishment was out of all proportion to the exigencies of the country, that it was bad policy to attempt keeping down a population by an overwhelming military force, and that whilst corps of yeomanry were in a state of efficiency, a very great diminution might be made in the regular regiments. The charge for those regiments stationed at home was 1,502,000!., and of those on foreign service 1,067,000l. Mr Hume observed that the office of commanderin-chief, of judge-advocate, and some others, were continued at the increased rate allowed during the war, notwithstanding the great diminution in the magnitude and importance of their duties. The whole charge, both military and civil, of the Ionian islands, was defrayed by this government, contrary to the express stipulations of the treaty of Paris. With regard to the military college at Sandhurst, he did not wish to see it pulled down; but he conceived its efficiency might be supported at a very moderate charge. Why should there be a governor with 1500%. a-year, and a deputy-governor with 1000l. There were 26 profes

sors to instruct 290 young men Commissions had been granted only to 76 cadets in the course of three yearsthe whole expense of the establishment for which period was 78,000l., being a charge of 1040%. for the education of each individual thus called to an employment in the public service. If this education was as advantageous and useful as it was represented to be, he did not see why every officer should not receive it. There was one other point which he conceived to be of very great importance-he meant the half-pay; and he would briefly state to the House the view he took of that subject. By a return laid before the House last year, it appeared that there were no less than 1665 captains, 3663 lieutenants, and 12,000 cornets and ensigns, on the half-pay list, since which time near 600 had been added to that number. It was a matter of impor tant consideration, whether means should not be adopted to take those individuals from the half-pay list, and to place them on full pay, by providing them with situations in the army. Ha trusted that every thing that could be done would be practised, to lessen the expenditure in general, and that next year the estimates would appear before them reduced to the amount of some hundreds of thousands.

Mr Bennet animadverted on the charge of 2000l. for the Ophthalmic establishment, which, by the report of a board of medical men, among whom were Drs Macgregor and Franklin, appeared to be of no real use. There seemed even serious ground for censuring the conduct of Sir William Adams, who was placed at its head. Mr Barham, however, insisted, that the honourable gentleman had been misled by party statements, and Mr C. Hutchison strongly vindicated the conduct and character of Sir William Adams.

After a short reply from Lord Palmerston, the estimates were passed.

On the same evening Mr Ward moved the ordnance estimates. In these he had to state an increase for this year of 733,000l. The amount of the military and naval force having been sanctioned by Parliament, it followed of course that a proportionate ordnance establishment must be kept up. The increase arose from various incidental and inevitable circumstances. There was 10,000l. for military buildings and batteries; 41,000l. on superannuations and allowances ; 60007. for the trigonometrical survey of General Mudge; 7 or 8000l. for freight and landing of ordnance stores; 11,000l. for removal of cannon, and other similar charges. Various minor items amounted altogether to a considerable sum. On the other hand, some considerable reductions had been effected. Eight establishments in the West Indies had been completely put down, in consequence of which, together with some smaller reductions, there was a saving of 5000l. to the ordnance of this year. Altogether, the savings which had been effected amounted to 16,000l., which, when set off against the increased expense under the several heads, left a total increase of 133,000l. on the whole ordnance estimates of this year.

Mr Hume very strongly inveighed against the enormous and increased amount of expenditure in this department. It appeared that the net expense of the whole ordnance establishment for Great Britain and Ireland, which had been last year 1,191,9051. was this year 1,319,854l., making a difference of 127,9497.; and this increase of expense had been imposed on the country since last year, notwithstanding the anxiety which ministers professed for economy and retrenchment. He dwelt particularly on the comparison of the present years

of peace with those prior to the French war. In the year 1792, the total sum voted for the ordinary and extraordinary expenses of the ordnance service was only 377,8987., and the journals of the House would shew that the average sum voted for the whole expense of the ordnance establishment during the six years preceding 1793, did not exceed 310,000l. But if they took the average expense of the last six years of peace, they would find that there had been an average increase of 800,000l. At the same time, he thought it would be unfair not to state, that a considerable proportion of this increase arose from half-pay and retired allowances, which amounted respectively during the years 1819 and 1820, to 293,000l. and 333,000l. He insisted, however, that these superannuations had been given often in an irregular manner, and without regard to the limitation prescribed by Acts of Parliament.

Mr Ward was ready to shew whence the difference arose between the present ordnance expenditure, and that previous to the late war. The superannuations, retired allowances, &c. amounted in all to nearly 400,000l. Then there was a vast number of services in the present ordnance department which did not exist in the year 1788; and in making this comparison between the two periods, it was not proper for him to throw them out of the calculation. For example, in 1788, there was no horse artillery, therefore that could be no article of such comparison. Then there were the expenses for Ireland in the present estimate-these amounted to 111,986l.; and these were not to be charged before the union. The charge for the horse artillery was 34,800l. At the time alluded to, (1788,) this service was so imperfectly performed, that it was found necessary to press into it any common carters that

could be found. The forge and supply of draught horses were charged at 12,9461., and contingencies at 7000/. But, in short, without entering into a more minute recapitulation of the details, all these various services amounted together to 645,000l., which, deducted from the total expenses of the present period, namely 1,380,000l., left those actual expenses for the year 1820, as compared with those of 1788, of 735,000l. The pay of the artillery had been much augmented; the expenses of barracks, (then almost a new establishment,) and of repairing and maintaining forts and garrisons both at home and in the colonies, was much greater than before. The inference to be drawn from taking these various differences into account was, that the ordnance department, so far from being to blame for an increase of its estimated expenses of upwards of 330,000l. since 1788, was rather entitled to credit for confining the excess to such a sum.

Mr Creevey took here occasion to introduce afresh the revenues of Gibraltar, and the 4 per cent on the produce of the Leeward Islands, which, he insisted, ought to be applied to the repair of forts at these places. But those honourable gentlemen would not vote for their being appropriated to these purposes-why so? Because they had disposed of those funds in another way. Instead of repairing forts and batteries, they had given to an honourable member of that House, (Sir Charles Long,) whom he mentioned without any feeling of disrespect, however, 1500l. a-year, for doing-nothing. Sir Home Popham, also, out of these funds had received 500l. a-year. Mr Huskisson had another allowance out of them, as well as Sir Fulk Greville, Lady Mansfield, and some others. He could not help hazarding these remarks; but it did seem a little hard that these lords, and

VOL. XIII. PART 1.

ladies, and gentlemen, should have the kindness to take those funds which were destined to go to a very different appropriation. Some conversation ensued between the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr Bennett, and Lord Castlereagh, during which the discussion assumed a desultory turn, and consisted chiefly of vague attack and recrimination. All the ordnance estimates were finally voted.

The estimates for the year having been passed, the Chancellor of the Exchequer proceeded, on the 14th of June, in a Committee of the House, to the grand process of opening the Budget.

The first point to which he wished to call the attention of the committee, was the amount of the supply which had been granted for the service of the year, under its several departments; and he should then proceed to shew the funds from which the expenditure was intended to be defrayed, adding such explanations at the close of his statement as appeared to be necessary to elucidate the several points to which he had referred.

The first great head of expenditure to which he should call their attention, was that of the army. For military services there had been granted in the present year, including some items which still remained to be voted, the sum of 9,422,000l. In the preceding year, the grant had amounted to 8,782,000l., but the actual expense had exceeded that sum in consequence of the augmentation of force which had taken place towards the close of that year, and which had been partly included in the votes of the present session. Much as he might regret the causes which led to this augmentation of force, he should not then think it necessary to trouble the committee by entering upon them, being satisfied that the conviction was general in the country, as well as be

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