The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1806-09-26 00:00:00

MILITARY INQUIRY.

SECOND REPORT OF THR COMMISSIONERS OF
MILITARY INQUIRY.
(Cootiftuted trout sow Paper if Yesterday.)

MMUS ST GENILItA L.
The duty of the Deputy Barrack Master Gene.
rat, is to assist the Barrack hlatter General, in the
general business of the department. Although his
duties do not appear to differ materially from those
of the same officer in 1797, yet tkey are now so
extensive, his presence can rarely be dispensed with
At the office. It is his province to open and read all
letters, which we learn are very numerous every
day, and, after reference to the Barrack Master
General, if necessary, or to the different brar.ches
of the otiice to which the subject matter may more
particularly belong, to prepare or approve the an-
swers tdthem•
We inspeCled, at the office, the mode of trans-
aaing the official correspondence, which appeared
to be conduced with great precision and tegularity.
A pra.lice observed by the barrack-office, in eke
mode of writing official letters, was new to us, and
seems so well calculated to save trouble, and insure
correthwess, that we think proper to describe it. A
sheet of paper being folded in the middle, officers
of the department, who- address the barrack-office,
write their letter on eke left side, and with the ori.
ginel letter, send a duplicate in the same form, and
signed 4101 es the blank side of the duplicate, is
trrigamalta Barrack Master General's answer, whith
artalirded so the writer is Arnie course, and on the
°right& letter, which is preserved in the office, is
copied the answer that has been returned ; each
party hae this an axed copy of the whole corre-
spondence, and the possibility of an answer or au-
thority being misapplied. is entirely obviated ; it
saves also much repetition.
The hours of attendance at the Barrack Office are
from ten till four daily, without regard to holidays,
except Christmas-day and Good Friday; and the
clerks attend as much longer as occasion requires,
for which, however, they receive extra pay ; there
is no check ea their attendance. If the present es-
tablishment of officers and clerks be necessary to
the efficient conduit of the business of the Barrack
Department, it would be desirable to provide a
more suitable house for Weir accommodation, as

that in which the eller a new held appears to

very inadequate to the objet. - -
The salary of the roma Deputy Barrack Master
General is six hundred and ninety-seven pounds
ten shillings par ammo% paid quarterly, and he is
allowed forage in time of war for effeetive horses,
not weeding eve - in time of pease not exceeding
three; but it is stated to us, that, at no period since
his appointment has the present Deputy Barrack
Muter General drawn the allowance for more than
three 'Saliva horses. The allowance for forage
se the Deputy Barrack Master General is stated to
be dte the same as to the Deputy Adjutant General,
and Deputy Quarter Master General ; considering,
however, the duties of the Deputy Barrack Master
General, and that he is allowed his post-chaise ex-
ponces when travelling on public duty, we do not
see the propriety of this allowance, which observa-
tion applies equally to the allowance for forage to
the Barrack Master General in that cbaratker.
The present Deputy Barrack Master General is
•
Major of the 28th Regiment of Infantry.
Tat TIRST SSINCIP AL ASSISTANT SAIIII•Cli SIAS.
Tilt 0 1..
This Officer assists the Deputy Barrack Manor
General, and replame him in case of necessary ab-
sence from town. Thepresant Principal Assistant
Barrack Master Genital, is also Secretary to the
Royal Military Caw; bus it does not appear that
the duties he has Wean* been called upor to dis-
charge in that capacity have interfered with those
of his office in the Barrack Department. The sa-
lary of this Ofiker is stated to be 9001. per annum
1 regular salary, and Ss. per diem extra pay ; for his
Ice of Secretary to the Revd- Military College,
be receives 200/. per annum.

VMS PIIIICIFAL ASSISTANT moment MASTER OR.
AAAAA 105 INS GISIII•L MISRACTION OF SAS.
ACES.
The duties of this officer are of considerable im-
portance, and of wide range, inasmuch as he con-
siden the Scotch Barracks equally within his de.
partment as shoe of England. He is charged with
the examination of all builders' accounts, on the
justness of whom prices it is his province. jointly
with the archness md surveyors, to determine. it
is also a branch of his duty to direa the annual let-
ting of the canteens or suttling-bosses attached to
the different barracks ; this is now done by adver-
tising for tenders. and accepting that of the highest
bidder. By adopting this system, the revenue
arising from this source has been recently much im-
proved ; the amount for the last year is stated to be
upward► tarsi:mem thousand pounds. All the can-
teens are not, however, under the dirMlion of the
barrack office ; the old custom of allowing to go-
vernors and commandants the benefits arising from
the lettiag of them. we understand, still prevails at
Portsmouth and Plymouth, and did until lately in
Guernsey arid Jersey. As it would be advantage-
ous to the public, if all the canteens were under the_
conaSaltlf therlbarrack office, we recommend, that
in the above instances, or in any others, where these
emoluments are still enjoyed by the Governor or
Commandant of the fortress, the old custom should
be abolished, and, in lieu thereof, a compensation
allowed v the Governor, etc. and that the rents
arising from them should be received by the Bar-
rack Master General. and placed to the credit of
the barrack office funds.
It is another part of the duty of this officer, to
arrange the papers and documents relatiog to the
property of the Barrack Department, for the ex-
amination of the law clerk, which, we are informed.
had not been done, as the papers came into the of-
fice, owing to the great pressure of the general be-
ortess, and the want of a legal person attached to
the department.
lie states, that the duties of his office very fully
occupy all his time. It. is Captain Lieutenant on
half-pay of the fs2d regiment, and has no other em-
ployment snider Government.
The present Principal Assistant Barrack Master
General has made two jnornies into Scotland, and
stales the ohjea todsave been, that the Mike IN Lon-
don Anuld possess the same local knowledge of the
barracks in Scotland. as of those is knglatid. We