Star. — London, England, 1821-05-02 00:00:00

PARZIABONTARY PROCEEDINGS. HOUSE OF LORDS. MAY 1. This ay their Lerdships met for the first time after the recess. )T Tamar., frau the Office of the Chief Secretary in Ire latd, presented a Report from the Commissioners for inquiring into the Fees of °dicers belonging to the Courts of Justice in Ireland. Mr. Forrita, from t►e Trustees of the Liverpool Docks, pre sented an Account of the Receipts and Disbursements of the Port of Liverpool, frinn the 24th of December, 1819, to the 24th of December, 1820. Sir Janes Gee na At and others brought tip, from the House of Commune, the Belfast Commercial Suitors Bill, the Irish Law Courts Dispatch of Business Bill, the Irish Lunatic My lum Bill, the Irish Stealing in Shops Repeal Bill, the Irish Sessions of the Peace Bill, the Timber Duties Bill, and several Private MU& The African Company Bill went through a Committee, and was reported. The Earl of LIVERPOOL called the attention of their Lordships to a Bill then before the Howie for the resumption of Cash Payments by the Bank of Eogland. That Bill had al ready passed through all its stages, except the third reading, which had been postponed until after the holidays, because it was expected that a Noble Lord would deliver his opinion upon it. As the Noble Lord to whom he alluded was not then pre sent, he should move to postpone the third reading until to morrow ; and if that Noble Lard should not be in his place to morrow, he should then move a further postponement till Fri day next.—The third reading was accordingly put off till to morrow. STATE OF NEWFOUNDLAND. Lord HOLLAND presented a Petition, which, he said, was signed by two hundred respectable inhabitants of the Town of St. John's, Newfoundland, complaining of the imperfect and in jurious manner in which justice was administered in that Co lony, where Naval Captains generally exercised judicial power. The Petitioners also complained of not having a local Legisla ture, and prayed for relief. His Lordship then presented a similar Petition front the Inhabitants of Newfoundland gene rally; but he afterwards withdrew this Petition on account of informality. The first Petition being read and laid no the table, The Earl of DARNLEY ruse to express his Purprise that the Noble Earl opposite suffered a question of such importance to pass away without any explanation or remark. The Earl of LIVERPOOL replied, that his Noble Friend (Earl Bathurst), whose department it was to consider subjects of this kind, was absent; and that be himself, being ignorant of the facts stated in the Petition, could not give any explanation at that moment. _ _ --- Lord HOL said the Noble Earl had been apprised of this Petition, and that it was his duty to be in his place. The subject was one of great importance, and ought to be seriously attended to. After a few words in reply from the Earl of Lntarooc, the House adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. Mr. W. SMITH presented a Petition from the Pishmoogers' Company, against the Bill for repealing the Statute of Charles 11. respecting the Quays of the Thames.—Laid on the table. The Westminster lenprovensem 13d1 went through a Com mittee, and the Bill was ordered to be read the third time Str J. GRAHAM presented a Petition from the Church wardens and Overseers of the Parish of Mary-la-bonne. The Petition, after adverting to ;he Bill now in progress through the House, for the better regthation of the Me of Justice of the Peace in the Metropolis, recommended to the consideration of the House the practice of persons ►awking through the streets, by blowing burns, which they stated to be a. great nuisance to the inhabitants of the metropolis.—Laid on the table. Sir J. SERRIGHT presented a Petition from the Inhabitants of ILoynott, Hertfordshire, praying for a reform of the Criminal Code.—Laid on the table. Mr. lILISKISSON brought in a Bill to improve the Reve cues arising from Lands belonging to the Crown. and for the better regulation of the same.—Read the first time, and ordered to be read the second time on Friday. 11r. RICE presented a Petition from the Chamber of Com. mace of Limerick, complaining of certain infringements of their commercial rights; secondly, lamenting that persons were 1 1 not elected to represent that city capable of attending to its commercial interests ; and, lastly, complaining of the late return for that city.—Otdered to be considered on Tuesday, May 15. The Report on the Tithes Leasing Bill was brought up, the Amendments were agreed to, and the Bill was or to be triad the third time on Monday next. On the motion of Mr. BENNETT, the Treasury Minutes laid before the Select Committee, with respect to the Audit Office, and bearing date 1806, 1811, and 1812 ; also an Abstract of the net Annual Revenue and Expenditure of the Mauritius, Ceylon, lonian Islands, Malta, and Trinidad, and several other Colonies, to the latest period, were ordered. far H. PARNELL moved, that there be laid before the House several Papers, giving a description of the manner in which the business relative to the receiving and issuing of the Revenue in Ireland is conducted.—Ordered. COMMITTEE Of SUPPLY. Colonel DAVIES seeing a Right Hon. Gentleman at length in his place, asked if it was his intention to bring on the Report of the Committee of Supply that evening ? It was now newly half an hour after the private business was disposed of, during which the House was wholly unemployed. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, that the usual time for bringing on public business was five o'clock ; it was not then much after that time; he had no objection to begin at half-past four. REPORT ON THE ARMY ESTIMATES. The Army Estimates Report being brought up, Mr. 11. G. BENNETT remarked, that upon that subject the House had sat sixteen or seventeen days, and during the whole of that time he and his Hon. Friends had not been able to effect the reduction of a single shilling in any of the items; neither in greater nor lesser sums had his Majesty's Government given way in any instance. Although it was not his inten tion to go then into the subject at length, he would state the intention of his Hon. Friend (Mr. Hume) to move a series of Resolutions, in which the whole Establishment, Army, Navy, and Ordnance, should be comprised together, and that if his Honourable Friend did not move those Resolutions he (Mr. Ben nett) would. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, had he brought down Estimates of which the House could not approve, then indeed the Hon. Gentleman might object. The Estimates should be considered with reference to the circumstances of the country, and not as permanent expenses upon it. The Hon. Gentleman appears to decline discussion at present, yet gives notice of the intention of an Hon. Friend to bring the subject forward at a future day, for which he (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) would be quite prepared. Colonel DAVIES said, that with respect to what the Right Hon. Gentleman called the approbation of the House, the country expressed a very different opinion ; his own was, that if his Majesty's Ministers had proposed £l,OOO for every £lOO contained in those Estimates, the same approbation would have been obtained. Mr. R. MARTIN expressed great indignation at this charge made against the majority of that House as capable of acts of the greatest criminality and pro fligacy. He believed that Hon. Gentleman would not have said so to any one of those Gentlemen out side the Bar who formed a part of the majority on that night. At least, he should by disposed to think be would not presume to tell him so elsewhere. The SPEAKER rose to order, conceiving that no direct or personal imputation bad been made to the Honourable Member whe last spoke. It was competent to the Honourable Member generally to reprobate a vote of the House, or its mode of dis posing of the, public money. Colonel DAVIES explained. He meant net to ascribe anything dishonourable to individuals; but he said that the blind confidence of the aggregate, in Ministers, was so great, that they would have voted £l,OOO, instead of £lOO, if required. With regard to the observation made by the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Martin) he would merely state, that he would not shrink from avowing out of that House everything he advanced in it. TheCHA NCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER con ceived, that so far'from the observations of the gal lant Officer being offensive, he had only paid a very high compliment to his Majesty's Government, in stating that the House would at their instance vote £l,OOO instead of every £lOO. Mr. SCARLETT said, the Right Hon. Gentle man (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) had a right to consider the vote of the majority of that House as evincing its confidence in has Majesty's Ministers; that confidence which grew so naturally out of their intimate.connexion with that majority. Several items of the Report were then read and agreed to. On the vote of the sum of £122,374, for the pay of General Officers being put, Sir R. FERGUSON rose to call the attention of his Majesty's Ministers to one class of General Offi cers—he meant a number of old and deserving Offi cers, now promoted to the rank of General Officers, with only the half-pay of Lieutenant-Colonel, or per haps only that of Major. Amongst others, he had a latter from one who had been in active service for thirty-six years, who was now newly sixty years of age, who had a family, and was in declining health, l Who had been promoted to the ra ik of Major-Gene ral, and had but the half-pay of Major to live on after having served his country faithfully and meri toriously for a period of forty-one years. The Marquis of LONDONDERRY, in the absence of the Noble Lord at the head of the department (Lord Palmerston), said he could give no specific in formation to the House, but he had-reason to believe that the subject alluded to by the gallant Officer was in contemplation. On the question that the Half-pay be taken into reconsideration, Colonel DAVIES rose to move the Resolution of which he had given notice. He wished to direct the serious attention of the House to the subject of the Half-pay. It was monstrous and unjusi not to prefer the claims of Officers upon Half.pay in general to those of persons in civil life, when appointments were to be filled np. To act upon such a principle would be doing justice to them, and making a great saving to the country. He then made t following state. I ment to prove the small proportion of appointments' made from the Half-pay List, and to skew the ad vantage which would he derive) to the Public from pursuing a different system. Total number of Officers on Half-pay, December 25, 1820, exclusive of General Officers.—(There are besides Officers on Full-pay retired), English Ilalf-pay - - - - 8,156 Irish ditto 460 8,616 Total sum paid annually - X 765,781 16s. 2d. Total of Appointments from Half-pay to Full-pay, upon Vacancies and not by Exchinge, from Ist January, 1816, to Ist July, 1820, being four years and a hilf, of all ranks - - - ---- - 411 Total number of Ensigns and Cornets, Dec. 2S, 1820 • 1,421 Total number of Appointments to first Commissions, as Ensigns and Cornets, of persons from civil life, without purchase. Of Officers from Half-pay, not by Exchange or Purchase. 1816 - - - 134 • - - - 9 1817 - - - 71 - - - - 9 1818 - - 89 - - 1819 - - - 104 - - - - 14 1830 - - 110 - - 12 That had half the appointments been filled up from Half-pay, averaging the ages of the Ensigns and Cornets in 1916 at 92, and their llalf-pay being £35 per annum, the sum saved to the Pub lic, which may be considered the same as would be paid for the purchase of an annuity of £55, would be in Comets and Ensigns alone, as follows : _ _ _ Annuities of £iS for persons 1 22 Tears of age. 1816 - X6l • - - ,6923 each - £56,425 1317 - 31 - - 23 PI 6 - - 28,296 1818 - 40 - - 24 912 - - 36,480 1819 - 4S - - 2S 909 . - 40,905 1820 - 49 - 23 903 - - 44,247 Total Thus it was evident that if only a moiety of the va• cancies in the army were filled up from the Half-pay List, the saving to the country would be of great importance. The Resolution which he was about to move was copied verbatim from a Resolution which had been carried nem. con. in the year 1740. He then moved the following Resolution : " That an humble Address be presented to his Majesty, that for the present and future ease of his Majesty's subject % he would be graciously pleased to employ in bis army such ler sons as now remain upon HAlf-pay, who are still qualified to serve his Majesty." Lord PALMERSTON said, that his Majesty's Government was inclined to gratify the cravings of Officers for employment, as far as was consistent, with the public service. With respect to first com missions, from January, 1816, to January, 1821, eleven hundred and one had been filled lip ; of these only 508 were without purchase : 114 had been given to Cadets from the Military College, and eighty to Officers on half-pay, leaving 314, which had been be stowed without purchase. Ou an average, sixty-two commissions had been given away annually, and thirty-eight to the Military College and Half-pay i List. Were all given to Half-pay Officers, it would close the Army against those classes whom it was constitutional and essential to unite in close connec tion, and identify with the interests of the country; and contended it was desirable to connect the Army with the mass of the property of the country. Mr. HUME could not allow this motion to pass without stating some facts connected with the Half pay. The Return he held stated that, in five -years, 411 Officers from the number on half-pay (seven thousand nine hundred and odd) had been placed on full pay. The Noble Lord (Palmerston) had cor rectly stated, that of the 1,100 appointed within the period mentioned, thirty-eight were given to the Mi litiry College out of every 2 ; from which the re sult was, that one-eighth of the whole number which had been appointed to first commissions had been taken from the Military College. Had all those com missions been filled up from the Half-pay, it would 'have cost the Public annually, £29,464 less than at , present; which, at five years purchase, would amount to £153,568. The Honourable Member concluded by moving, as an Amendment, " That it appears by the Returns before the Home, that frsms the 25th January, 1816, to the 25th January, 1821. there were 1,105 first commissions granted by the Commander-in-Chief. to the Cavalry and Infantry of the UDC, to persons who had never before been in the Army ; 597 by purcbaae, and without ; and t►at there were during that period Cornets and Ensigns on half-pay, from whom 508 Officers of experience might bamboos selected in lieu, and a saving of £29,000 per annum thereby erected ; or a total charge (at 12 years' purchase) of A 348,000; and that during those five years only 54 Officers from half-pay were taken to BR up the vacant commissions. notwithstanding the great number of Cornets and Ensigns on the Half-pay List-" General GASCOYNE said, that at the end of a long and sanguinary war, as the last was, particu larly towards the close o f it, there were. doubtless, not only a number of Officers to provide for, but also sons of Officers, and other deserving persons. The Honourable Gentleman had stated the number of Officers on half-pay; and he (General Gascoyne) re gretted the Honourable Gentleman had not informed himself who they were: of these there were a great number who bad no inclination to full pay. The Ho nourable Gentleman had recommended that all va- cant commissions should be filled up from the Half pay List. He (General Gascoyne) knew that in one Regiment, the 54th, within the period mentioned, six companies had been filled up from the Half-pay LiA, and the consequence was, that the eldest Lieu tenant at the battle of Waterloo, was still the eldest Lieutenant—(Hear). Was this the kind of promo tion the Honourable Gentleman would recommend ? —(Cheers). Was this justice? He could not state the exact number, but from 250 to 300 per annum had retired from full to half-pay, none of whom, of course, could expect, or probably did wish, to be placed upon full pay, and who formed part of the aggregate mentioned by the Honourable Gentleman. Colonel DAVIES, in explanation, suggested that half the number only should be taken from the half pay. He would ask the Honourable Member for Liverpool, from the six companies filled up in the 54th Foot, as stated by him, how many Captains had retired to half-pay, receiving the difference? General CrASCOYNE.—Not one. Sir HUSSEY VIVIAN concurred in the assertion of the gallant Officer (Sir R. Ferguson), that many Major-Generals had only the half-pay of Lieutenant- Colonels, or even Majors, to subsist on. Formerly, if Lieutenant-Colonels of Cavalry had an opportu nity of selling their commissions, they might do so: but now, a Major-General, who had paid £5,000 for his commission of Lieutenant-Colonel, had no oppor tunity to dispose of it ; and therefore would, for the remainder of his life, be obliged to live on an an nuity not equal to the interest of the money his com mission had cost him. , Mr. HUSKISSON admitted the effect of not ap pointing persons from private life to first commis-J sions would most certainly be the saving stated by the Honourable Gentleman, but contended that the system recommended by the Honourable Mem ber for Aberdeen would put a complete stop to pro motion in the Army, and shut out those in private life altogether. Eighty had been appointed from the Half-pay List, and 114 from the Military College, so that there remained only 311 drawn from private life in the whole period of five years. The number of Officers who had retired from full pay, receiving the difference, within that space of time, was 1,762, and these must refund that difference before they could expect to be replaced on full pay; they, coa -1 seqnently, swelled the number of the aggregate of Half-pay Officers, yet were ineligible to employment. Mr. HUME bad understood a promotion to mean from Ensign to Lieutenant, and so on; and his Mo tion, being only to reinstate Officers in their former ranks, did not imply promotion. He held in his hand a list of 71 Ensigns, who had been placed on half pay the very day they had been appointed. 'Of the , 1 597 Commissions which had been sold by order of his Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief, they had been sold to enable his Royal Highness to band the purchase-money over to other individuals; and he (Mr. Hume) contended that that practice ought to be prevented in future. He was convinced of the high honour and integrity of his Royal Highness, yet he would not consent that that power should remain in his hands. As 313 Ensigns had been placed on half-pay the first year of their appointment, and of these 71 the very hour after it, as he had before men tioned, he would close promotion, he confessed, until every man, able and willing to serve, was employed. Of the 1200 stated by the gallant Officer, 600 were able and willing ; and in . th r ee yea r s th e half-pay might be relieved of the amount it now obtained. Lord PALMERSTON denied that it was the prac tice in the Army to give commissions to boys at school. That system had been entirely abolished by the present Commander-in-Chief—(Hear, hear). The Noble Lord then contended that from the Returns it appeared, that of those who, in the year 1820, had received Commissions, only nineteen had retired on half-pay. The Amendment was then negatived without a division.—On the main question being put, Mr. HUME said, that his authority for the asser tion which he had made, was neither more nor less than the Army List. By that it appeared, that not merely 71, but as many as 116 individuals, after re ceiving Commissions,. had been allowed to retire on half -pal; thus saddling the country with a large and unnecessary expense. Lord PALMERSTON explained how that hap pened. An Officer was entitled to sell his Commis. sion or Commissions. Between the period when he obtained leave to sell them and their actual sale, the Commissions might, by the reduction of the Regi ment, become half-pay Commissions. The indivi duals purchasing such Commissions, necessarily, therefore, became immediately placed on half.pay. After a few words from Colonel DAVIES and Sir H. HARDING', the Resolution was agreed to, as were the other Resolutions contained in the Report. Lord PALMERSTON stated, that he would to morrow bring forward the Votes respecting Disem bodied Militia. The Marquis of LONDONDERRY observed, that Ministers were most anxious to afford the fullest op portunity of discussing the Public Estimates; and in order to effect this, it would, he conceived, be ad •isable that public business should, for the remainder of the Session, commence at half-past four o'clock. He thouEbt, too, that it,would'be necessary to devote Wednesdays to the discussion of Questions in the Cottimittee of Supply. With respect to Thursd ay the House was aware that th at b e i ng the birth.da' it was usual to adjourn over it. Mr. HUME suggested, that it would be most con. .venient to take the Navy Estimates to-morrow, an . to fix the Ordnance Estimates for Friday. The Marquis of LONDONDERRY thought it would be more convenient to take what remained 71 * the Army Estimates tomorrow; to fix the Navy Estimates for Friday, and to take the Ordnance Esti mates on Monday. After a few words from Colonel DAvtits, The SPEAKER observed, that the Ordnance Esti. mates being fixed for Monday, it wou ld b e contrary to the practice of the House to accelerate the discus. sion of that or any other motion. It was then understood that the arrangement pro. posed by the Marquis of Londonderry was agreed to.- Colonel DAVIES gave notice that he would tomorrow move' an Address to the Khig, relative to the employment of Officers on Half-pay. After a few words from the Loop Anvocave, Lord A. Ila sen.voir, and Mr. Hintz, the Scotch Admiralty Court fl was read a third time and passed. On the motion of the Loan ADVOCATE, the Report of the Scotch Court of S.ssion Bill was taken into further cousideratioa. After a few words from Lord A. 11AMILTOD and Mr. lAm ; the Report was agreed to, and the Bin was ordered to be read a third time on Friday neat. On the motion of Mr. limes, several Returns were orderei with respect to the Royal klarine,Eogineer,and Artillery Service. The other thders of the Day were then dispoactl of, and the House adjourned. THE EVENING STAR. LONDON. WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 1821. THE FUNDS. PRICES OP STOCKS THIS DAY AT Mit Bank Steck 223 1 4-3 per Ct. Reduced 71 y. 1 / 4 3 per Ct. Cons. 72 A ;,.; —3 per Ct. 81 .; 1 / 2 4 per Ct. 89 1 / 2 3 / 8 -5 perct. Navy 107 A 108 ' I Long Anns. 18 7-1 G 3 /s m p 3 per Cent. 70 1 ,E India Stock 230 1 4 India Bonds 41s. 425. pre. Exchequer Bills 4s. ss. pr. Commercial Is. dis.— Endorsed 3s. pre. Cons. fur Account, 721/, The Army Estimates again became a subject of discussion in the House of Commons last night, on the bringing up the Report of the Resolutions already adopted by the Committee. Mr. BENNETT gave no tice, that either himself or an Honourable Fiiend of his would, on a future day, submit some Resolutions to the House on the subject of our present Military System. On the Report of the Resolution relative to the Officers' Half-pay being made, Mr. BIM proposed a Resolution expressive of his opinion, that instead of giving new Commissions as vacancies oc curred, they should be filled up from the Half-pay List, by which he contended that upwards of 1:30,000 annually might be saved to the Public. The Rego lution was negatived without a division, and the other Resolutions were likewise agreed to. Colocel Davis eve notice, that he should to-day move an humble Address to his MAJESTY, relative to the employment of Officers .n Half-pay. We have received, this forenoon, the Paris Papers of Saturday and Sunday, and subjoin such articles of interest as they contain. Not the least curious piece of intelligence in them is a statement that Colonel PEPS, the brother of General PCP', with a small remnant of desperate Carbonari, still bolds obstinately out in the Civitella del Tronto, and leiooB all offers of accommodation. The latter part of dm story nobody will believe. PARIS, APRIL 29. Letters from Naples, of the 9th April, announce that the Spanish ship of the line Le Guerrier, of 74 guns, and the frigate of the same nation, La Perky of 44 guns, which were in the bay of Naples, have received orders to set sail immediately, and leave the ports of the Two Sicilies. It is currently reported that the Duke of Welling- ton will soon be on the Continent. It is said that it is intrusted with an important mission to the Govern. ment of the Netherlands, and that he will visit the fortresses of that kingdom. A letter from Grenoble, of the 24th April, says— " A young man, who had been stopped within the French lines, after being committed to prison at Gre noble, was reconducted on Saturday last, by the gen darrnerie; to the frontiers, and delivered to the As• thorities of Savoy." One of the leaders in the insurrection in Piedmont, Count tie Lisio, has put an end to himself with a pistol. The Funds.—April 27, 5 per Cent. Consols, 82f. 70c. Bank Actions, 1547£ 50c.—April 28, 5 per Cent. Consols, 82f. 20c. Bank Actions, 15471.50 c. TURIN, APRIL go. The news from Nice, Asti, Alba, and other towns, is of the must satisfactory nature. Everywhere thior are put again on their ancient footing. Letters from Laybach announce that the two Em• perors will remain there a month. It appears that the Allied Powers are determined to do their utmost in order that this Congress may be the last. They imagine that it will be easy for them to repress for ever the agitators of Europe. The Austrian troops, without any resistance, Ire spreading themselves over all the Neapolitan pro' vinces. It is said, however, that Civitella del Tronto, under the orders of Colonel Pepe, still obstinately holds out, and rejects all accommodation. Soo hundreds of the most ardent of the Carbonari have there found an asylum. ROME, APRIL 14. Letters from Udina, dated the 2J, state that dig advanced guard of the Russian Army will arrive la Wi Ei op nil Isi Al sid an let th