The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1821-02-10 00:00:00

venue, and unlace sssss y expenditure. Undoubted.
ly that was a most desirable object to attend to :
end he underatoed from the Committee appointed
to investigate what reduction could take place iii
public offices, that a diminution of 130,000/. was
likely to occur.
Colo►wl Wilt! observed, that *Muich he con-
ceived that a serious saving might take place if
Ministers would seriously utility to the matter, end
although he was slot prepared to go the whole length
that hi. Honourable Fiiettal had gone in saying
that he should object to any supply until a reform
had been effected, still he should object to the
granting any sum until the estimates were laid be-
fore the House. And he thought the Honse ought
to return thanks to his Hon. Fueoal (Mr. Creevey),
for having brought the matter before their consi-
deration. Day after day they were called upon to
vie away the public money. and when that was
doee, tl►eu indeed the estimates were laid oe the
table. In the Session before last, the Army Esti-
mutes were not laid on the table until the middle
of the mouth of May, four months after the sup-
plies had been granted. He was aware that it had
been said, Ministers were borate not in this pr.,c-
tu•e by immemorial usage ; but no immemorial
usage should he a sanction ler an Net of such
impropriety. But the fact was not so. Funnerly
the Parliament used to meet before the new
year, and the Estimates were laid 011 the table, so
that persons had time to examine them before they
came to grant away the money. But last year the
Parliament was sitting in the month of December,
and noEstinisteu were laid on the table until the mouth
of May. %What was to prevent Ministers from pre.
paring these Estimates during the recess? He re-
peated the thanks of the House were due to his Hon.
Friend fur bringing this question uoder their elm-
sideratiou, and whenever they were called upon to
vote away the public money, he should always ob-
ject to it until the Estimates and proper accounts
were laid before the House. He would, before he
sat down, wish to ask the Right Hoitosirable Gen-
tleman opposite (the Chancellor of the Exchequer),
how much of that million would be reduced by the
army, and whether the smuggling on the coast had
be• n prevented by the navy principally, or the re-
venue officers ?

Mr. LOCKHART thought the House should nut
feel disposed to place implicit confidence in these
estimates, fur be conscientiously believed that it
was doing so had, in • principal degree, brought
us to the blink of that fatal precipice Into
which, if we du not Immediately recede, we must
inevitably be plunged. What were the dechi-
reti about agriculture we had heard ? The
Noble Lord had said be would nut consent
to any alterations in the currency, lest it might
effect the public credit; yet he proposed no mea-
sure. And from what were we to expect relief,
but from the strictest economy ? • system which,
if it did nut proceed from the Ministers, should be
enforced by the House. When, in consequence of
the depreciated currency, a great in had occur-
red on the price of every thing, lied we not then ep-
plicatious from all persons for increase of salaries in
consequence. This increase had been granted in the
army and navy. But now that the price of every thing
is reduced to the state of the things thirty years
ago, have we any equitable proposition to come
back to the ratio on which we set Got ?—(He•r,
hear.j—Winit was the consequence of au this?
He was not hostile to the fundholders; but he
could nut see why one part of the country should
be drained to pay the other. Such a system might
stand fur a time, but it must ultimately fail. When
he heard an Hou. Gentleman, who wet acquainted
with commercial affairs, state that the fundholders
were a tax on the country, lie was quite astonished.
Such language really shocked him. He sincerely
wished the Government would turn to the strictest
economy, and that the people, instead of troubling
themselves about particular modes of, Govern-
ment, or vague ideas of Reform, would thew the
Government the absolute necessity of immediate
retrenchment and economy. If every thing h•d
been reduced in price, he thought that it was im-
possible our expenditure should not be reduced in
some approximating proportion. He thought it
his duty to state thus much to the House, for if
he did lint, lie should not be able to encounter the
ryes and the conversation of many of his valuable
friends, whom he esteemed and respected.

Mr. Huxa did not think the statement of the
Right Hon. Gentleman to the Committee quite
lair. The object of the resolution was to continue
a tax of a shilling a bushel on malt. Now he
should oppose voting one single shilling in the way
of trees until the Ministers came fait ly forward and
stated to the House what reduction they intended
to make. IVhenever he put questions to the Right
lion. Gentleman opposite on the ►ubjec., he invari-
ably avoided ell answer; and lie could now do the
smite if the Committee granted him what he demands.
This was the first opportunity which the House had
of calling on Ministers to reduce the public expen-
diture. He (Mr. Hume) did all he could to,elfect it.
It was in the recollection of some Gentleman pre-
sent, that on the 12th July, 1819, lie moved that
an humble Address should he presented to his
Majesty, requesting that, in the event of vacancies
occurring in any of these useless offices, he would
be graciously pleased nut to appoint siteceasots, in
order, if possible, to bring us hack to the situation
in which we were previous to the war. It was im-
possible to shut our eyes to the necessity of a re-
duction. When we see all the high offices, he ex-
cepted the Ministers, for during the whole of the
war, no increase had taken place with respect to
their salaries, but look to the drafty and navy, to
the ordnance, and others, where allowances are
niade three or four times the amount of the original
. But lie had almost forgotten to give the Go-
vernment credit for one circumstance. lie under-
stood that it was in cootemplation to reduce the
wages of the workroenin the clock-yard.—(Hear.)—
But no mention of airy 'lung aI that kind with
respect to officers. 'the Hun. Gentleman then
complained of aionlier enorusous system of expen-
diture, the mode of collecting the revenue in Ire-
land and Scotland, and on this subject lie should
shortly lay before the House,a statement, where iu
an enormous suns of inuriey had been
exjwitiltil iu the department of distributing stamps
unicingst persons who had been proved incapable of
filling the offices merely to increase the power
and patronage of the Government. When he
perceived this disposition on their put, he was de.
terniinetl, if lie only divided with his Hon. Friend,

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