The Statesman. — London, England, 1818-04-29 00:00:00

~,,,.►_ - • - • **: ' •-• , (ponces to which it lied tuteutlency to lead after the %loath of the officer also deserved consideration. The temptation to ',priory and evasion was tendered very atrot% in the case of a helpless woman, incotnbered, peil;aps, with e large family, when by stating her ac -4; tual means to he within the limitation prescribed, a pension might be obtained. It was scarcely micas sarsarie him to say, that mail instances of this us 'tNre were known to have occurred in the navy. He . sous not kwitie ire w .44uatter this regulation had but he diditot believe it waseither at the 11 ""*Gnitrgiv or lltiWar-Office. He was sure that It could not have received the approbatiou of the de snowier Plitice who at 'anent presided over the inte reste or theactny. It way not difficult to conceive that the opinion of that illustrious Person might be opposed . .hu such a wt ject by his Majesty's Ministers, *se set of proof how independent they were of ' R Ile doubted whether the Noble • • Lord, the Secretary at War, hid concurred in the t Ornprioty of its adoption; hut, in other times, such a circ,;Mstatite would have led to his resignation. The " --pretence id economy made but a bad appearance, . when it was found that in no other respect was public economy consulted, and that no • tetreuchments were effected, w I;me they.wers most loudly called for.— Ile felt coniideut that not only the feelings of the army, but those:lse of the Public was opposed to the regalatiou; .with regard to which, therefore, he shoald seep' no compromise, but move for it. total .0 4 tin! n ocondit tonal revocation.—[Hear!] —He con . eluded by moving that an Address be presented to "s his Royal flighaeat the Prince Regent, praying him • ' 4 to revoke, cancel, alid annul the late warrant for re. 'Frolatiot the Pensions due to the Widows of Military. • Officers. • - Colonel DALRYMPLE4*In seconding the mo. Cott, obsetved, that the 'tegulation in question was • not 'recirliatended in soy record which had come ender his notice. He found that, by the 21st of ' • 'Charles 11. pensions were granted to Officers' Widows. At that period 3,0001. was devoted to • 4 tP., this laudable purpose. In 1647, when the army ' 'Ewes to be disbanded, en order was made for the pro. -vision of Soldiers' Widows, and of maimed Soldiers. -In 1716, special provision was made for.the Widows • of Officers. He had consulted with Officers who bad been half a centers in the service, and they de. dared they entered it with the ides net only that they would r•ceive arbitrate pay for thworeretves, but that their Widows would be entitle to pensions. Now *vr , utd it be an advisable measure, for a small es. •pected saving, to take soil from military Ingo that ft...ling' towards their country, which constituted its • 'ride and safeguard ?—[Hear, hear !].—Officers were • reeliged either to pay large sums for commission's, 11 to hate- the mortification of beholding young Amen raised over their heads. Oa their deaths, those commissions &gaits becamethe property of the Public. Therefore, on their marriage, Officers in general had but little to•settle on those whom they espoused— and they looked naturally enough towards the pen. sins), as something hey and what a Lady's own fortune, or tile hope of contingent property, enabled them to consider as a provision for a future period. The Hon. Colonel then referred to the order of (lime', Anne, in 1708. and of Gen. I. in 1717, relative to providing pensions for the Itiolows of Officers. In both of these apiece, all mention of property de sired from the deceased husband was omitted and eppesteil to be omitted on purpose—for other pen sions or allowances from Government were specifi cally mentioned as baring an individual from a claim on the Widows' Fund. Ile believed that officers timely relied on a continuance of the same system Toot ihie sets the ate at the time of the passing of Mr. Ilurke's Bill, in 1782. he could produce living testimony. A few years since the rate of pensions was increased.; but it was not until a multitude of victories were gained, and grants were its consequence bade, that it began to be imagined that the liberality of Parliament had extended to profusion, and that the isles was entertained of molding the number of widows who had a right to demand pensions. The country asked for economy and retrenchment—but certainly this was not the saving they were anxious for. A novel and vexations test was now, it seem ed, to he impnied on those unprotected widows, while other Ladies were allowed to receive pensions toe large •ns.iunt—whether earned by themselves or their reintivea be would not pretend to say.— [ihar. hear l] —The Honourable Gentleman then took is b view of the 18th, 19th, and 20th Re ports of the Finance Committee, which, he ninety. ed, did not reconsmeed any measure of this descrip tion—anti concluded by expressing his hope, that the Prince Resent would recur to the practice which his illustrious ancestors had long pursued, and which ' the votes of Parliament had sanctioned for many • 'eery Mr. JOHN SMITH obse►ved that, if he was right in believing that the Officers of the Royal and Here-artillery contributed a portion of their pay to the Widows' Pension Fund, it appeared to him that the late regulation could Not easily be reconciled to the ordinary principles of justice. Ills attention had been directed for several years to the general condi tion and circumstances of officers' widows, which he thought bad a peculiar claim upon the sympathy of the country, being in many instances women of rank and education. The considerations of a moral no. lure which had been ulleded to were also deserving of the attention of Parliament. Mr. F. LEWIS rose for the purpose of explaining the part which the Finance Committee had taken with respect to the regulation which formed the subject of • this discussion. It certainly did not originate with them, but their enquiries had led them to a know. ledge of the extreme dissatisfaction which prevailed In the navy, and the perpetual complaints which were made by the officers in that service on the score of this regulation. It was not advantageous to the service. to hear it constantly repeated, that it was not equally favoured, and that the distribution of re. wards was conducted in a different spirit than that which manifested itself in the exercise of patronage in the army. It appeared advisable to remove the ground of difference between the two services, and to cut off a source of so much jealousy and heart burning. Colonel STANHOPE said, instead of doling out relief, as a miller of charity—instead of suffering the widow of officers• to sue, in forma pouperir—it would be far more worthy of a great nation, which bad been so gallantly defendedi lEtt were to deal out • -.....-. its bounty liberally as the reward of past services.--- Such bounty woeld he tieice blessed—it would. bless those who gut's. weft ; as those who received. It was. this prindple-mehi Obit of generosity which marked the regulation e-that led him strenuously to oppose it. Was it not better that a very few rich should receive what they did net want—than that • grist many poor should be deprived of 'what was, fairly due to them ?--[!leer, heir U.—Miniature talked of eqsalising the two services. • The tree way of assimilating them was this—by tieing away the hardship of which the navy complained altogether and not by introducing the same gross injustice of which they complained into the army.—(Hear!)— He knew it was necessary that economy should be pursued--but that was not true economy which corn promised the best interests of the country.—[llear, hear !I—Economy was a nobler virtue. It ought to interfere with the grants of the rich—but it might never to contaminate itself with the mites that fell from the table of the poor.—Lllear, hear !] Mr. CROKER said, the pensient payable to the widows of naval officers, Arose from a contribution, deducted from the emoluments of all navel officers —and, in addition to that, in time of war, there was, in every 100 men, one who was called a widows' man—a fictitious man—( Laughter)—whose pay went to the sante fend. This was the fact. Though 100 men were counted, there were in fact, but 09 --the 100th, ehO was denominated the wi.low's man, and the pay for whom went to use Widoes' Fond, was, ill* troth, a fictitious being. Toe gilln was so divided, that those widows who wanted it the moat: derived the greatest benefit from the charity. lie heard an Hon. Member echo the word " charity ;" but as that was the term used in the Charter of George 1., he might be allowed to use it. The Right lion. Gentlemen then entered into a short review of the manner in which the Widows' Fund in the navy was apportioned, and ea pressed his opinion that an equalization of the two services would produce very beneficial effects. He nest adverted to the regulation so much complained of—and observed, that, on the death of military officers who bad married after having retired upon half-pay, their widows flowerer@ not entitled to pensions, whilst those of the navy were more liberally provided for. That regulation which lately had taken effect in this respect, had very improperly, he thought, been denominated the equalization of the two services. He thought the and precedent state of the service. Ile thought the original and precedent state of the service was more equitable, then itipiiuent ezisteot regulations. The regulating' now proposed, proceeoing on the grounds of economy, he hoped would amend the system, and effect the equalization desired. Mr. CA LCR A ET, though a Member of that Com mittee upon which the Noble Lord had thought fit to impute as a charge all these reductions, contend ed, that neither they nor the House were answer able for the retrenchment, nor the way in which it had been attempted to be effected. The regulation, had proceeded from the Prince Regent, from whom it was just it should of course emanate. B cer tainly neither he nor his friends, when pressing the Ministers to adopt economical regulations in this or other branches, never had uttered one syllable of fs the propriety of cutting off or limiting in , this pal try and niggardly way the pensions of the unhappy wives of those gallant men who had so glerinaily pedalled in the cause of their country.—(/fear, hear, hear!)—lt would have been much mote becoming these economists to have reduced an ezpeesive regiment of cavalry, and appropriate the saving to this object.—(Hear, hear, hear !) lie should always avoid speaking of the two services in that way which be feared was likely to produce feelings of rivalry between these gallant and ho uourahle professinos.—(fleer, hear!).—They were in their nature peeler:le distinct and dissimilar, and had nothing in them alike hut the zeal and devo tion with which they had fought the battles of their enuntry.—[lleor:]—All married officers, it was .aid, up to the month of last December, were es. mowed, and their widows were to be entitled as be fore, on their decease; but he would ask, what should prevent officers subsequently marrying to fib. lain similar favour at the hands of Government? Did they not pay also for their commissions ? and should not equal justice be done to both one class end the other? If the Noble Lotd would withdraw the war. rant, he would pledge himself to show him fifty ways to make up the deficit lie who could vote 100,0001. additional allowance to the Princes of the Royal Family, ought to extend his kindly feelings to the widows of those men, but for whose valotir and the sacrifice of whose lives in the field, there would now have been no free Senate in this metropolis di'cuss. inn the nature of their hapless widows 6 claims-- Pear, hear!]—and of whom it might be justly said, the bullet which took away the lives of their gallant husbands, snatched also from them the very property upon which they could rely for scanty means of subsistence.—[[Considerable applause.] Mr. WILBERFORCE endeavoured particularly to press on the attention of Government and the House the propriety of increasing by all moans the bonds which drew the soldier still closer to his country and its interests, and teach them they hail the duties of husband and parent to perform, as well as those more alluring duties of a professions which, while it stimulated them,to deeds of desperate we lour and lofty ambition, not unfrequently seduced them into the paths of voluptuousness and immoral gratification. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER confessed the regulation had been adopted by him as part of a great system of economy so strongly re. commended by Parliament. Previous to the lettere gelation, Widows' Pensions had always been consi dered altogether eleemosynary, and not any thing in the nature of a claim of right. If, however, it should be, as he was induced to think it was, the pleasure of Parliament that the restriction was knots. sistent with the well-being of the 'Perak', he should feel no objection to submit it as a matter of advice to the Illustrious Personage at the head of the Go. rernment of the country.—Pear, hear !j—But he suggested there would be a great indelicacy in any attempt on the part of Parliament to take out of the hands of the Crown that which., in all former cases, had been ceusidered its province and privilege excite , lively. Mr. LYTTELTON expressed his great satisfae lion at what he had jest heard from the Right lies. THE S'II.ATESMAN. of the EXCHEQUER the mattes would come better- •frolii-lie Crown ; and the House, he was convinced, would feel the propriety of withdrawing the motion. Mr. Lyrr ELTON - said, if the Right Hon. Gen. Heinen would engage to advise the Crown to with. draw the regulation entirely, be would withdraw his add ress.—( Hear ! The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER thought that, by whit he had said, be had engaged himself to represent what be understood to be the sense of the Hoe',. J 4 .3, ~ • 44.3 justice or ecessity of fresh demands of s aw such purp f hind frkas funds dect r i to L_' ible to so,taiti heir niost kelplesi s " I s pendams. JI it could only by these paltry expedient s to abridge the support of the widow and the orph o k that th e Royal grants could have best, N od h od they been obtained, and therefore this • wat the's on of economy to be practised to carry into erect ii s virtuous purposes of the matrimonial bargains 14 4 projects that were on foot. No other retrenchment, can be thought of, aboie the grad,,: of the widow of the man who has perished amidst the evils that th e% men have brought upon mankind, though th e so & minished pensions given to the female betted... 4 i Mr. CANNING'S family, or the 'mount of toe 414 1 , 8 emoluments which he and many others of the u hlys. pathizing sineemists who might bementiened,,,,j oy, t a k e n si ng ly, would go far to supoty the who' s o f the sum thus attempted to be withdrawn fr om th widows' allowance. The rebuts ion Imply ad o pl ei to this effect v. as last night the subject of a m O O % by Mr. LYTTE TON, who, with other Genuses; failed not to co ,tract, and reprobate, at 0 , 1 ‘'elleservis, the extitiv4g.iire sad parsimony, thot*,. strargel v blended in the I, , rt 11 wise and Pointilpefi l i en. cases of the present Adm'etistratien. Ti itmoit was. that Minister s feel snishamed (a wondrous o p of grace) of attempting In enforce a regulation / i ts . flounced by almost esety Otte as unjust in itselfssil degrading to the service, as the propositions fellow. moos additi-ns to greater incomes *ere monstrous and, absurd, that they lave enticented to aband on the design of diminishing the Widow's mite in ills 4anner proposed ; but, amidst all the allusions,. other methods of increasing the means of the State by retrenchment, and all the explanations given boo the Ministerial side of the House, no intimation inn made of any intention to reduce the Windsor Eits. blishment, or any other of the enormous end evelen sources of expence to the nation, which Lift their heads with pompous and profligate splendour over the many scenes of misery now exhibited on theism of the country. French Papers, and Letters from Paris, to the 26th inst. hove reached us. The promised comma. nication to the Chamber of Deputies, relating to the settlement of the pecuniary claims of the Allies opm France was to be made on Saturday. We hue al. ready stated the sum which Prussia is to receive—it amounts to 52 millions, with interest. The (du. ing is reported to be the sutitance of the indemal. ties to the other Continental States, with the elm. lion of Austria, whose c • faims ore not correctly known, but which are understood to be ,very cow Milliassaf Hanover Simla •••••., o 0000 o •••1•:•.11 Itth•ia e. . Comet Dachy of Ileara4 l3 Bavaria %V Weinberg • 500,000 Switzerland and Baden, noknawa. The discussions in the Chamber of Deputies on some items of the Budget have been very lively. In the Sitting of the 24th (heel penditure of the War Depart ment was fitted at 161,000,750 francs; and a son not exceeding 42,500,000 francs was voted fur the Marine.—The proposed charge for the Administration of General Police came under discussion on the now day, when M. nE LA Boustuoismays contended that the whole systeth of Police, as now organised is France, ought to be abolished. 66 lam saw, * said he, "how many prejudices I, have to encounter is attacking a system which, since the Revolution, has played such an important part in the political eventsthat occurred." He desired that it should be stripped °fits present portentous power and my aterionscharacter,sad reduced to thesimple exercise of those functions which are necessary to maintain order, end secure lives and property, in a large city. The discussion was ad jhurned to the following day. There is nothing fur. ther of interest respecting the affair of FUALDES.--• The evidence in behalf of the accused had been eo• feted upon, hut there was no Indication of a speedy conclusion of the trial. The Duke de fircttruru had another conference with the Duke of WELLINGTON on Friday. The accounts from Italy in these Journals state, that the Princess of WALES is so sfilictecLon aceocot of the death of her daughter, 'the Princess CH LOTTE, that her health is visibly affected.—Freud Funds 68i. The dress party at Carlton-house on Monday is described as having been particularly splendid. The QUEEN arrived at ten o'clock ; the company began to arrive about the same time, and continued to pent till twelve : the QUEEN and PnincEssE4 having re ceived thecompliments of the whole assemblage, took leave, and reached Buckingham.house at half-pest twelve. As soon as her M aiesey was gone, the cote. patty began to move, but did not all leAse till two o'clock. Refreshments of all kinds were furuishrd to the guests in the course of their somewhat transi tory On Sunday the Prince of HESSE-HOMBURG went ea board the Royal Sovereign yacht, at Deptford, which is to convey him and his Psiecess to Germany. li• appeared highly delighted with the fittings.up and preparations. Yesterday his Serene Highness dined with her MAJESTY, as did the Dukes of CLAGERCP and SussEX. The following Genttemen were yesterday called to the (levee of Lisrrister at 145., by the lien. Swivel of Lincoln's Inn :—J . BLATD., Esq., S. G. plcis Eq., J. W. ,‘PUISRIEIt E 4 .1 and P T. Esq. ‘ Gentlams& lie should be sorry to infßptsie iny the thinaSif.a harsh description, and was wilitog to with. for . dreti,"ot,tfaiddi (this motion) in' any, miner. which ens' would - El" 94 v ilies of the . Cheated*, of the .. , . . . ISot fachittieer.' .. ; y • ___ -.•.. -•/•••••11, IP a.... a .• v-tows iN lIIII,Ar T C.lll fahlril Mr. LYTTELTON Inifshoold withdraw his motion in consequence of whit bad fallen from the flight Hon. Gentleman. The motion was accordingly withdrawn. On the motion of Mr. BROUGIIAM, iir 7. BAKING was added to the Moe LOAN BILL. • Mr. GR FELL '4ished to ask whether it wag intended to go into theCommitlte on the Loan Bill It was a matter of considerable importance, and on opportunity had yet been affoldetl 10 the ii!uso Ot discussing it. lie had given notice last tight MO' le would object to a particular clause in the Bill,. mod' he should he desirous of doing that i t a House some., %shot different • from tbot of last ought, and of that which it nits 1110,1 v 100 re woold be th• t eioning . The .CHA NC ELLOR of the I XCII EQ.' Ell. said, that the i.eat • :sae of the Loan Bill should be proceeded in to.n• NI.AV . _ _ On tirt rt.t , tinti of 'toe CHANCELLOR of the tiie House went into a Committee on ti.e Npw ci.i:rche-' After a minute discussion of several of the elquses in the Conn Wee, the Hauge fewmed, the Chair. man reported progress, •.id asked leave to sit again on Thurs.;ay, which was agreed to. COTTON -FA CTO It Y It EGU ATI ON. The Home resolved itself into a Cumthitiee nu the Cotton factory Labotor Regulation Bill. On the clawm th I the operation of the Rill commence four woomilos otter the Ist of September 'test, or on the 1,1 of .14- sea y. an 0111001110'111 was proposed; ettending the time for the orrournericemerit of the operation et the Bit, for eight mouths after toe hi of September, its-send of four. Mr. W. SAIITIi • Alerted to the amendment. By such changes she. Ifect of the Bill might be comets frittered away. For the atlvasouge, sold by the interference of the opposer, of the Bill, the mons of labour, at first proposed to be ten, were ineteowd to eleven; and now - eight mouths were required in stead of four, by the marufacturers , to prepare for the corn menremeta o f the operation of she Bill. He strongly (objected to in. to an esseosise acquiescence wish she ts ibises of those who had an only ~ppoard ports of she measure, but she very prin ciple on width is proceeded, and who, when they could 1101 carry their first pubs, exacted all that they could hope to suc ceed in attaining. Mr. PEEL did not see that the amendment was an unreason able as It had been represected, especially when it was con sidered shot the Bill woe , likely to pass at a much later period of the Sessi than had been at first contemplated. He thought eight mouths not two long tor the manufacturers to alter their system of labour. There was another reason for the eatensiou of the time. It was understood teat the Bill affected dlr.- feremly factories worked by water, isni factories where the machinery was moved by steam-engines. This time might he employed by dame who u-ed water to creel engines. as the latter would nal suffer so much talon the Bill as the former. • Mr. W. SAI L 111 sogge-ted that this argument in favour of the Amendiarni might be obviated by allowing only four mo •ths from the id of September swat, for the factories driven by steam to prep ,re for the operation of the Bill, and an eaten:dim of boar months snore for tame driven by water. Mr. GOll HON concurred in the amenrlment, both because it was aot unreasonable li/itself, toad becaue an agreement was a symptom of conciliation between the supporters and the oppo nents of the lid!, the lower Collfielliing on this conditions not to urge their ofojeciono to the principle. It was their agreed so, that she operation of the Bill should nut commence toll the Ist day of January. 18P.). The neat clause was, that uo child should be employed under the :sae of nine years. Oso which Mr. W. SMITH proposed all amendment to make the age It) years. The House divided— F..r sue original Clause For she Amendment 28 Majority - —l7 It was then agreed that no person under 16 year. of nge .hould be employed in Cotton-tarc.ries (Or more tllln II hour. to a day. Mr. W. SMITH objected to the pio.ipeebemeet o f the dote for ;he commencement of the operation of ttst gall sill January pelt. - - - Sir It. PEEL thooght it necessary to take some time Warder to prepare for roadurining to the new regulations of the Bill.— The clause was iheu tweed to. The other C1nII)C1 Mere then agreed to, and the Report or• dried in he received thi s day. Toe other Order, of the Day were thee disposed or, and tie House adjourned ut u Quar•ter•part Two. PRICE or srocKs THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK. Bank Stork 21 per Cent. Navy 106 , 4 3 per ('ert, in 79 7131 ludic Kim& 97 p 3 per Cesn.Cowol.. Stdek 439 Cint.ol.: fur Arc. 97i Long Ann. tt 16 4 per Cent. 97 Exchequer Bali 1M VI p THE STATESMAN. LONDON: WEDNESDAY. APRIL 29, IRIS. Another instance of the inconsistent, cruel, and disgraceful conduct of the present Administration is afforded in the affair of Widows' Pensions. lt is known, that at the very time they were pressing for enormous grants of money from the Public to in. I crease the enormous incomes of the Royal Dukes, caring little for any thing connected with economy, and laying it down as a maxim that the !louse had no right to enquire into the amount of the incomes which the Royal Dukes derived from other sources, though the nation has paid soundly for these too, the Ministers were actually endeavouring to enforce a regulation for diminishing the Pensions of Widows of Officers in the Army, by enacting that the pension should be withdrawn from the widow in case her income from other sources exceeded its amount by certain specifications, because economy required the adoption of such a regulation. Economy is indeed a most desirable thing in a State burdened with so many pensions and paupers, great and smell, as ours unfortunately happens to be ; but it is not this cruel and inquisitorial economy in one Department, usually considered with some delicacy and sympathy of feeling, that we desire to see, whilst the most un- ' bounded extravagance reigns in -another, unaccom. pealed with the sesalkst disposition to enquire into . .; 4,41*.