The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1821-06-14 00:00:00

of the establishments of the ewe!
.etr
ought le have stated the amount /lea
latinefs office. in order babel, s f
Ace. rind to give t ' f
, .-.•+a esp-o`
trg what particular
• llftth regard to the au - itihe
establishment had very much usereased of late

;whether it naghf not tObe restored-le its fur le.
Tn 1796 the amount was 56,43'/.; at present it
was 60,854/. Many of the sslartes had been largely
increased ; the Assistant-Secretary had boats
placed on the same footing as the two Secretaries.
With the salaries of the latter he was sot much
disposed to quarrel, for they had heavy duties to
perform. But be saw no reason why the Assistant-
Secretary should be so largely paid. He received
3,5001. for salary, and 900/. fur examining certain
accounts. He should be told that he was a valuable
mar. ; he was willing to believe it, but things of
value might he bought too dearly ; and he would
ask Gettilemen so consider seriously whether 3.800/.
was not too large a salary to pay for a person in an
office. The Ctiaiirellor of the Exchequer himself
bail not so much. He thought the Seiler ought •to
be made to .approximate ts that of 1796. and he
threw out this observation in the hope that every
endeavour would be made to reduce ir. Here again
occurred an item of 5,165/. for retired allowances;
he would repeat that all pension, and :retired al-
lowances from every public department shoaled be
taken entirely away from the efficteut estimates of
the department, and proposed in • separate account.
It was his intention to propose a resolution to Ilia
effect. The bead of contingencies we* one liable
to much animadversion. There were no less than
three private Seartarres, whose salarre* were placed
uuder that bead. Now Ise shonid wi.h to loess., if
these persons were effective, why they were not
included in the regular establishments of the
departments to which they belonged. The ex-
penses of the Secretary of Stair's office were, in
1796, 25,488/.; they now amounted to 58,1521.;
being ill increase above datibie. The allowance to
inessiengers ought also, its his opinion, to be taken
out of these estimates. In the charge of the Fo-
reign Office there appea•ed a most extraordinary
item : 1,0001. to Mr. Robert Ward, now Clerk of
the Ordnance, to make up his salary equal to that
of the Under-Secretary of the Treasury. He hoped
to have the nett account of what that Gentleman
now received, for it appeared to hint that he was
now overpaid, even according to the arrangement
by whirl be seas to recrive salary equal to an
Under-Secretary of the Treasury ; but be that as
it would, lie contended that this was not she esti-
mate the charge ought to have appeared irs.—
The Honourable Member objected to some other
items, particularly the ainouta of messengers and
couriers last year, being 27,050/. an enormous sum !
He had been given to understand, that if any
person belonging to our embassies abroad wished to
come home, he brought dispatches with hint, though
perhaps the ronteab were of no importance, acrd
that entitled him to his expenses.
Mr. ARBUTHNOT said, that the recommendation
of the Hen. Member (Mr. Hume), as to the &di-
mates of the different Departments. being laid be-
fore the House in detail, should be uttesided to
its fitter,. He would suggest that the vote shoals,
be taken as now proposed, as the fee fund wits to
pay salaries as far is it went,and the deficiency only
waswlst the Fiume was Called upon to vote. With
respect to the salary of the situation which he
had the honour to hold, he would beg to refer the
Hon. Member to the Report of the Finance Com-
Imatee its 1797, in which it would appear that in
the last year of the American war the salary of the
Secretary of the Treasury was 1,0001. a year more
than it was present. It was settled in 1800 at
4.0001. a year, at which it at present remained.
It was not for him to say if that were not
too large, though he believed that every body
knew the (Ace was no sinecure, .He would only
observe, that by his appointment the public saved
51.000/. a year, as he vim oti the pension list for
that sum (which he waived the receipt of), on
account of Isis former employment its the dip's.-
music line. With regard to Mr. Hardpan. he
believed there was hardly a Gentleman in the
House who was ignorant of his merits. He was
chosen by Mr. Pitt, and consulted and esteemed
by Lord Greoville, as well as by their successors.
At present his health was so broken downs that he
feared the public would not long have the benefit
of his services. His Right Hon. Friend (the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer) bed the expenses of the
Treasury and other departments wider his consi-
deration, and the whole would be revised. With
respect to the whole expenses of the Treasury,
he begged the Honourable Member would
take • comparison of the business done as well
as of 14 salaries paid. lir 1797 the expenses
of the Treasury for salaries were 20.000/., and
they were now something under 40,000/. Now as
to the increase of busousis : there was in 1797, of
registered papers, 4,500, whilst in 1819 they ex-
ceeded 20,008. and were at present above 10,000,
and the unregistered ampere were also enormously
increased. With regard to the allowances to the
private secretaries, he would state, that clerks
in public offices generally were etuploytd sully
during she office hours, but during the lost
winter, from the great addittonal labour thrown
upon them, the greater part of the evenings had
been devoted to the public business, and there
was hot say Sunday that his Private S;cretary had
Wowed three or four hours with brut, as that he
lika the Committee would not think the addi-
tioatsol. a Tear was given for nothing.
Sir ISAAc toreo bore testimony to the merits
of Mr. Harrison.
Mn Hum; thought that • great deal of that
business of the Treasury which the Hon. Secretary
talked of was brought on themselves by their rued-
dlrng the line of their duty, and instanced
the voltunistosts correspondence laid before the
House btkiseeu the Treasury and the Stamp Office,
which all owns from the former interfering, an. isn ;-
conceived improperly, in the appoiutment of dolts
in the Stomp Office.
Mr. GOULSURII said a few words.
Sir Euw.4,an KRATCIIBULL said. if I
of which the Hon. Member (Me. Arlsothesilldfoobe,
of the officers of the Treasury and other poillffie de-
partioeuts. invalida diminution of Wag. it would
be satisfactory Aye the individeals who would be,'
ai4Cted, bs,it.simiii but *AN of it as *aft st
possible.-
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