Star. — London, England, 1811-04-05 00:00:00

nominate a Committee, and have the papers and evidence to fActs laid before them. Mr. FOSTER acceded to the nomination of a Committee. —After some conversation between Sir J. &In u, Mr. VANSITTARC, and Sir J. NEWPORT, the m otion was agreed to, and A Committee appointed to examine into the Tontine Annuities, &c. &c. and re- port the same. ARMY orsecams' PAT AND PERQUISITES. General GASCOYNE rose ,- agreeably to the in timation which he had formerly given, of moving for a Committee to take into consideration the present st ate of the pay and allowances of the,officers in the British army. He felt much regret, that so very ne cessary a motion had fallen into hands so unable as his to perform it well :bathe regretted more that his aistjest)'s Ministers had not felt it their duty.to make such a motion long before. and hindered him from so arduous an u ndertaking. They certainly ought to have felt the urgenc y for increasing the soldiers' pay, 'which had made no progress equal to the rapid in crease of the necessaries of existence. He was satis fied that his Royal Highness the Prince Regent would be friendly to such a measure, possessing as he did the-feelings of his Royal father, with all the military ardour of his ancestors—he was convinced his Royal Highness telt much interest in the army, and were the proper representation of their wants once made to him, he could - not entertain a doubt but that amelioration.would (tallow. He would now come to the print at whichhe aimed. But he felt it necessary to call the attention of the House to the e aiparison of the old and present times, of the pay and perquisites of the officers of the British army...— The first military establishment was made in the year 1614; the pay of a private soldier then, according to D-. Davenant, was 6d. per day. The officers pay was formed from that estimate—the Ensign was in creased six times above that of a private, being 3s. per , day • the Lieutenant's pay was 4s.- and the Cap gin's Bs. The Major was paid as . C.aptain, with the additional pay of Major-above it, and so on with the other superior officers. . That state of soldiers' pay continued to the Revolution, when William'amid Mary ascended the throne, and regulations were then made for an increase of pay and an allowance of perquisites. In the correspondence which passed between Robert Harley, afterwards Earl of Oxford, and his Majesty King William, preserved' in the Harleian library; and - which he (General Gascoyne) had consulted, were found several perquisites and allowances to the Officers—among which were the privilege to an Of ficer of taking a private soldier from the line, and employing him as servant ; that privilege was soon taken.away, and a compensation equal to the value of the'servant was allowed. The pri , portion of the ply of Officers, he would now slew to the House, drawn from the year 1695 and the year 1811. In 1695, the of a Lieutenant-Colonel was 17s. per dy, liable to no deduction& In 1811, he has 17s. per day, liable to the deduction of the income tax. A Major, in 1695, bad 16s. per day, without deduction —in 1811, he bas 16s. per day, which, with Income Tax deduction, is only 14e. d. Captains, in 1695,• had pay of 10s. per day, in 1811 he has only i195.64,' liable to the Income Tax. A Lieutenant's phy was 6s. 6d. per day, it was the same now, but the tax re duced it to ss. l id. The pay of an Ensign was ss. sd. it continued so still, but reduced by the tax to 45.114. These statements made it very obVious to the House how little the condition of the Officers was bettered since the Revcilution ! On the perquisites which then belonged to thd O ffi cers , he meant to call the attention of the House. ' When a regiment was to be filled up to the strength of the War Establishment, and when recruited to the extent required, the sur plus was divided among the Officers. In the year 1746, the non-effective fond was inquired into, and the Committee stated in their proceedings, that the stock purse was a most pernicious and injurious sys tem, and which they wished were abolished. No far. they notice was taken of it until 1766, when precau tions were taken to prevent false musters. On the ex amination of witnesses, fhb money which came to the Officers from the stock purse, was greater than what even the Court was willing to admit ; and it ako appeared from the examination of a paper belonging to the Committee of Officers, that all the balances of money belonging to the recruiting parties was divided among 'the Officers, when the regiment was established to its strength. At the close of the American War, the Stock Purse was abo lished. Without giving any compensation or perma nency for the loss sustained, they were told there was the prospect of a long peace, and were allowed a di vidend of 420 apiece instead ail stock purse. The regiments were reduced to 400 men, and some so low as 300. The facility of raising recruits, and the sug gestions of a long peace, lulled them asleep, and . blunted the edge of their remanstrance ; they hoped that their former perquisites would come back when the whole strength was raised on the War Establish- Silent. He would not take upon him to decide whe ther that the allowance of £2O was a compensation equal to the abolition of an old-established perquisite or not; but he certainly would have deemed it fitting that the proportion of ‘2O for 20 men should have been raised and continued progressively, according to the rapid advance of the thief requisites of exist ence. lie remembeied of a Bill being brought in for. the Abolition of all Fees and Perquisites of the Custom-house ; but there was a clause made wherein it was stated how these fees and perquisites had been of tang use and Vont, and were become just and equitable by their long standing. Unfortunatelyalich a clause as that.was not introduced- into the Bill which abolished the stock purse. If the • s desiroying of established practices hi the House of Ciistoms seemed dangerous - and demanded compensation, cer tainly the Offices of the Army have equal justice to demand satisfaction for an abolition which has been so h.wmful to their income. When the House had found, from his statement, that the Officers' pay was higher in 1695'than in 1811, they would certainly deem it preper to pay some attention to ameliorate their situation, by allowance of perquisite or increase of pay. They might argue that they had increased the O ffi cers' pee , . but it alias an increase which took away with e one hand what it gave with the ether.— The Captain's salary was increased three halfpence; but there came a tax which swept away the shilling, and rely the halfpenny additional remained. The application of the income tax took away all the new augmentation . seflich they had received, and more.— He did not mean to censure the income tax ; but in its application to the army it was certainly misjudg- • • ed ; for other professions had raised their salaries to; the arguments of the *Gallant General eltere Out against the measure entirely t since, if nrAreeded ;o, equal the new levies of the tax : such was not the of a nature which could stand the test of dis- it would lead to various questions, sufficiently.agitat. condition of the Army. He was not endeavouring cussion. In the first place, the increase of pay to ing, and with which the House would be perpetually to justify those perquisites which the Officers before the Captains of the Army wits not inconsiderable visited. There seemed no disposition to complain on possessed ; but they had existed for half a century, it had been raised, in the lapse of a century, from the part of our Officers, who were far superior to those, and claimed equal right for compensation with any 9s. 2J. to lips. 6d. per diem ; and when a Captain of other countries, and were content with the honours other uses and wants of any profession whatever, Ali obtained the brevet rank of Major, he had 125. 64.1. they superemirently enjoyed. As to the Ariny itself, that he aimed at in the motion which he would sub. —The Gallant General himself had admitted the there was but one way t the Gallent General said) mit to the House, was something like recompence for inexpediency of affording an exemption from the supporting it. To keep up one Army, the Lucas those old-standing perquisites which they had so long Income Tax. An increase of pay to the Officers, Militia must assist the Regular Militia, and these enjoyed. He would now beg leave to call the atten- bearing any proportion to that which the Privates main must aid the Troops of the Line. As to our tion of the House to a circumstance in which there and Non-commissioned Officers had obtained, it was hiilitary Officers, their constancy, their intrepidity, would be found food at once for surprise and regret. quite irrational to expect—for them were. by no their known zeal, would impel them to discharge In the year 1808 there was an advance on the allome. means analogous reasons for such increase in both their duties, without any such inducement es was im. ance to officers going on service, to officers at least of instances. With respect to the private soldier, a nar- maturely, though with the best views, attempted to be a certain rank ; that of the Lieutenant-Colonel, which row stipend would affect his very means of subsist- held !out to them at this time. WAS originally se3o, was raised to £62, that of the ence ; whereas, in the case of the Officer, it only re- Sir T. TURTON only reeretted that he had net Major from £25 to £62 also ; the Captains from £2O quired the sacrifice of luxuries and superluities. But the satisfaction to address a House ten times more nu• to £52 10s.1 but (strange to say !) amidst this in- infinitely too much stress had been laid on the wish mernue in point of members. He perfectly assented .crease of emolument, the allowance of the subaltern, of Officers for further emolument—in entering into to the orthodoxy of his Honourable Friend's (Gen. who stood most in need of increase, was reduced from the service they were actuated by other views, the Terleton's) military creed, that there existed no army £l2 10s. to £EB 15s. This singular reduction, he was ,high and conspicuous stations which were placed in the whole world, circumstances considered, equal taught to believe, had originated from a mistake. at I within their reach, and in the occupancy of which to the British—(Hear , hear.) But were the Officers the War O ffi ce. It had excited, as it was natural to they had opportunities of serving their country and of our army adequately paid ? No. Honour had been suppose it would; much murmuring and dissatis'ac- signalizing themselves; these were the real and nobler admitted as their payment. Would honour, however, tion. He hoped, after the statement he had made, quarry towards which their ambition was directed, pay a tailors bill ? About £50,000 would provide fcr it would receive the enquiry from the House which and he could not c )nceive it a friendly office to attri- the increase of the pay of our Military Officers ; and it was entitled to—at least that it would be taken into bute to them a meaner motive. With regard to the he would maintain, £lOO,OOO per annum might Li consideration by his Majesty's Ministers, who it was contracted allowance to officers going on service, he gained by the practicable reduction of the care fry. but justice to say, were not inattentive in general to could state that the matter had been brought before Was not this the precise time to make an addition to the just claims of the Army. Reverting now to the the Treasury, from whence it had been referred to the the pay of our Military Officerss when their exertions more immediate subject of his motion—the increase Commander in Chief. and by him snbmitted to the had raised the menial fame of thecountry to the highest •of amoltnveut to the Captains—he would notice one. cognizance of a, Board of General Officers, by whom pitch of glory ?—( Hear.) It was not a question of particular which he had omitted ;that was, the hard- the existing regulations had been made ; and he could perquisite, but a question of subsistence. ship to which a Captain was exposed, in the event, assure the Gallant General that the reduction on the Mr. J. SMITH observed, that the ;Tegument of t which frequently occurred, of his having the tempo- allowance to subalterns did not, as he imagined, ori- the Noble Lord (Palmerston) had proceeded merely leery -ceimmand 'of' a battalion. The Commanding ginate in a mistake at the War-Office. He thought en the supposition, that only the yOunger sons of Officer'of an infantry regiment was allowed Ss. to it would be a most unwise measure to refer, at such a persons of fortune were to become our military offi. 4 provide forage, &c. for a horse he was obliged to time, a question of such magnitude to a Committee. cers ; an idea, by the way, which tended to exclude seep—a sum not by any means sufficient. As that Certainly expectations far beyond the grant contem- real genius, if unaccompanied with the advantage of was a circumstance that would appear from what plated by the Gallant General would be excited—ex- fortune. • he had stated to affect. the interest of. the Cap ! pectations, to which it might be not a little difficult ! Mr. HENRY THORITT ON was convinced that • tains, he would propose that the allowance should to aarign limits, and in which it was not improbable our present military system gave us the full benefit be raised to ss. a day ; the aggregate would cost the that the Navy would partake.—(Near, hear.) --From of Officers. A very small addition of income, to nation not more than £6OOO per annum, and the such expectations the Gallant General might be as- what their parents could make, was still sufficient in whole expence of what he had previously solicited : sured dissatisfaction would arise in a much greater the more liberal professions, medicine for instance, to would not amount to more than 550,000. He was I ratio, than the favour would be felt conferred on a induce the rising gentry to enter into the army. Cha prepared to meet any argument that might be urged particular rank. He trusted the House would concur racier was with them the great consideration. Now, on theiground of the discontent wide?' might be felt; with him in negativing the motion. however, money was to be substitnted.fovenown. by subalterns at the exclusive favour shewn to officer ; Mr. HUTCHINSON rose, to enter his protest Mr. WJLBERFORCE thought that the whole had of superior rank. Such discontent must of necessity against the insinuations which, according to a twee- better have originated with Government. Gradation be lost in the reflection, that a situation which they tice but too prevalent in that House, the Noble Lord and succession should obtain, as general rules in pro. might entertain rational hopes of soon filling them. had indulged in, at the expence of the Gallant Ge- motion, and would more than any thing else conduce selves, had been rendered better worth their endea- neral who had opened the debate. It ill become any to the general good of the service. It might appear yours to merit and obtain it. Of all ranks in the Member to asperse the motives of another, when the l , rather hypercritical to scrutinize the management of army, that of Captains was best entitled to the atten- question he sought to bring before the House was oh- either the Army or Navy ; yet he should think, that tion and care of Government. Ft ederick the Great viously one. of importance, and not the result of cap- after 24 or 2.5 years of service in the latter, a midsltip. of Prussia, a person whose authority in such matters tious oppoSition. As to the subject then under dis- man ought to claim some promotion ; such too was was of no light weight, was wont to consider that cussion, it admitted of little doubt that a deliberation his opinion as to the other branch of the service. He ' rank as the chief sinew of an army. What he seli- with respect to it, in that House, was far less dange- therefore wished to see the principle of gradation and cited the House would net pass the limits of conitnon rous than if it were canvassed in another quarter.— succession acted upon up to a certain rank, and then ' justice in granting, he was nevertheless willing to ac- And another reasonable ground on which it claimed ; the principle of selection. Want of attention to these cept as a boon that which might be fairly considered investigation was, that it was not a question of an as- principles was the prime source of discontent amongst as right. It might be urged that other bodies, and pect altogether novel, a similar one had been within our land forces. chose as respectable as that composed by the officers a few years before the House, and an increase of pay ; General GASCOYNE briefly replied, observing, of the army, sustained in common with them the evils to subalterns had been obtained. The pay of the that he felt no great objection to withdraw his melon. of a scanty stipend. The Clergy, for instance—hut Navy had been also increased within a short time, so i The motion was now put, but was negatived with the showy appearance which it was part of the duty ' that the Noble Lord's objection, grounded on the out a division. that'- .alf of to make, drew a very remarkable Ilae of expectations likely to be excited in . body, was in.. I SUBSTITUTE FOR THR SLAVR TRADE. • separation between their- case and that of any other t applicable. The entire expence of the boon solicited Mr. BARHAM, pursuant to his notice, moved body whatsoever. But. the sources were very few, ! would not amount to more than seventy or eighty for z Committee to inquire into the means of lay from which such an argument as this could be drawn thousand pounds per annum, and was a great and ing the foundation of a plan, for Free Labour in —there were but few cases in which an increase of wealthy nation to risque a murmur among the zea- the West Indies. This motion was the foundation stipend had not been consequent in the rise of the ne-; lons defenders of her power, or rather her existence, 'of a plan to supersede slavery in those parts. He cessaries of life—it was certainly enjoyed by all per-; to effect the paltry saving of such a sum ? Policy and owed, therefore, to those who agreed with him, and sons in the employment of Government in the Civil; honour were alike concerned to forbid it; tho' much to those who differed from him, and even to his own Department. With respect to the Income Tax, be i to those on whose behalf it was asked, it was but a feelings, not to disguise his sentiments,. but to ex would observe, that tbeie were but few classes in i mite at the Treasury. He conceived that it was not plain the objects at which he aimed, since he might the community by which its pi essure was felt ; the unfair to contrast the slender pittance of Officers with otherwise excite apprehensions injurious to the oh. Merchant and the Manufacturer made the Consumer I the large salaries received by men in the Civil Depart- jests he had in view. He aimed, then, at no Le. of their Commodities replace the Sums extracted from ment—not that he would be understood to mean that gislative interference, with the established order of their revenue by its operation. And persons engaged they were overpaid, on the contrary, he would rather things, which might be supposed dangerous ; nor at l in other avocations, in a similar manner, were enabled ; see their revenue increased than diminished ;—but a ny undue interference with the Colonial Legislatures, to make a proportionable advance on the price of their would not a hint that had been thrown out hi justifi- who wereso well qualified to judge as to the propriety labour ; but this Officers were unable to do, and they cation of the observance of a system of parsimony of such local regulations ; nor did he aim at any constitute obe of the classes alluded to with respect toiwith respect to Officers equally apply in the case of communication of abstract rights to the slaves, ten ' whom the Income lax had a two-fold and most op.' persons accepting civil employments ; did they not ding to disturb the property of their masters, which, pressive action: Ist, by the direct reductionof income it I know before they entered on an-office the amount of repugnant as the acquisition of it might be to sensi , effected ; and 2dly, by the enhancement in the manner sOary attached to it ? Had not, for instance, the bil i tx, had been acquired under the sanction of long. described of every article they were under the necessity i First Lord of the Admiralty quite time sufficient to established usage, and was estublished by jaw. He of purchasing. He:deprecated the surmise that he I calculate whether £3OOO per annum were a revenue did aim, he acknowledged, to accelerate the abolition wished, by any thing he had uttered, to stimulate thelequal to the dignity he was about to assume, of whe- of slavery ; yet he did not attempt this to the injury Army to deliberate with respect to their privations.l Cher that.dignity was to be supported by his private of the rights of the planter, but by slow, though sure, No one could be more averse than he to an armed ! property ?He perfectly agreed with the Noble Lord and progressive steps,—by improving the negrese, in body becoming a deliberative one ; but if the Army ;in the eulogium he had pronounced on our brave de- introducing to their view the effects of free labour, and was, with propriety, excluded from a right to delibe. 'fenders ; their heroism was beyond all praise. Their exhibiting to them the examples of voluntary industry rate, the House was called on by every sentiment,' achievements in Egypt, on the plain of M a ida, and and domestic bliss. By a return to the House of both of justice and generosity, to watch over their in- amidst the hills of I3usaco, would, together with the Assembly, it appeared that there had been a decrease terests with no ordinary vigilance. Whatever might other numerous and illustrious instances of their va- of t e n thousand slaves in-1309, hich decrease was be the ground of the.present claim, he could not per- lour, continue to draw forth the applause and ad- likely to augment. The population of our. West ceive the smallest evil that could accrue from the Bill miration of mankind, long, very long after the India Colonies consisted chiefly of young men who going to Committee. If the demand were reasonable, interests and feelings of the present generation had w e nt on to make fortunes, anxious to return, and it should be granted ;if otherwise, the investigation pass( d away. The panegyric of the Noble Lord from whom the negroes could copy no examples of of a Committee would most effectually expose any was indeed well merited, and had his most hearty habituated industry, and domestic settlement. Much thing like false pretensions and he was perfectly sa- concurrence ; but how lame and impotent was the se- might be done, however, by a commixture of manners; tislied that, whatever might be the result, the Army quel ? It was rational to su ppo se th a t the pains he the measurewouldrender our colonial possessions more would most cheerfully acquiesce, pleased, even in the ' had bestowed would have been followed, at least, by secure, by sending thither persons interested in those event of the boon being withheld, to think that their some expression of regret from the Noble Lord, places, and rendering the present military establish interests,were deemed worthy the attention of the Le- that the pressure of the times did not allow of the , -ment unnecessary. By introducing new modes of p k islature. He would not occupy the House any t poor reward solicited ; but his exhort a tion to a rejec-; cultivation, by a new class of men, the colonies would [ginger, but conclude by moving ! tion of the motion was not even thus qualified. Nay, Ibe otherwise highly benefited. As soon as the tm- That it be referred to a Select Committee of the House to w hile he recommended to the Representatives of the f ported Chinese should become efficient labourers, they loquire as to the state of his Majesty's Land Forces, as far as rts people the continuance of a wretched system of parsi- would liberate great part of the Negro population for fates tq the:distribution of monies appointed for their payment. mony towards those, who in defence of that people the service of the state. Should any Gentlemen think Mr. TAYLOR having made a few observations seemed to think ihey cod never be too lavish of that he was too sanguine in the expected advantages - with respect, to the tendency of the Dill, Lord Ph,LM - ERSTON vue to oppose the motion of the Gallant General lie would not impute to him any sinister views in bringing forward such a sub ject for discussion he would not :oppose him actua ted merely by a wish to obtain popularity. On the contrary, he believed him urged on by a sense of duty, hr itteHonable his prudence might appear.— their blood, he did not scruple to express apprehen. sions that their loyalty and devotedness to their So. vereign and their country, was of a nature too ap. parent to resist the discontent which a discussion of their claims, attended with a result unfavourable to their wishes, was calculated to beget. Sir J. J'ULTENEY remarked, that the situation of the country was tar from beir auspicious to the from the measure, they might make such deductions as their different views should dictate ; enough of be nefit would still remain to induce the House to exa mine the subject. He begged now to enter upon a his tory of his plan. Sixteen years ago he began to perceive that the Negro population in the West Indies was hot able to sustain itself; audhe thought that the redundant population of our •India possessions night_ be iowever qurstii_ - _ __:ng He did not consider this, . . -jUst the appropriate ___, time, i measure. He - , in short, did not teel it to be his duty when the splendid achievements of our troops were , to vote for the proposed Committee, interfering as it 1 on whichsoever side we mi g ht t urn , t h e su bj ec t of just I appeared to do with the prerogatives of the Crown..—.l congratulation and praise. It was not , he would re - ' The measure should have proceeded from his Majes- peat, the time for obtruding on their notice th e eco - ti's Ministers ; at present he must oppose it. nomy which the nation was under the necessity of , General TARLETON was also rather averse to the measure. It had been asserted, that' a time of 1 observing towards them. It might seem an ungra cious office that which his duty compelled him to un- war was the best time for agitating the grievances Of, dertak the Army, and for endeavouring to redress them..e, of becoming an agent in intercept i ng a ny re- : ward claimed on the part of such a soldiery as we ; He had formerly resisted that notion, and was now possessed, and he would be exceedingly unwilling to perfectly convinced that a time of peace was the only: tear any imputation which might on such ground s I epoch at which their grievances could be calmly coo. settu taattach to him ; but he did not comity , that I la sidered and fully redressed. He should sac his Et. made subservient to fill the deficiency. He knew that to transplant any **spins 9f the Hiudoo and Maho .medan classes of population would be difficult; but, in the course of his inquiries Ile became acquainted with a Genticmaassho had conceived the same idea. The Chinese, he learnt, were capable of labour in the West Indies, and did emigrate. In Prince of Wales Island they had been introduced with advantage. The Gentleman to whom he had alluded had been in the West Indies, and had retained a conviction that the Van would succeed. Thus encouraged, he (Mr. Barham) had communicated his sentiments to Mr. WiAltam, whose pane would neva be aunti)ned