The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1822-03-30 00:00:00

to
got. a year, which was allowed by military
sutlsoritiess to be • sufficient remuneration, a ,em
of 10,0001. a year might be saved to the country
Fie thought there was just came to complain tits:.
when there were more barracks than one in a place,
there was a separate-barrack master, and one or
ig:enlattieosaietdistaheueer7loefi
the
ebi had'c barrack-roamer
naaortnalisi
11;1
two barrack-serjeants to each. He had lest year
imprint), who was • linen-draper in that town; owl
monger'wn' lo
• h• f di
itosshflielnarco; ;6:lD's' reside
n' ni
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triheneowntsnihatolenisi eeb air
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thane
P e e e
issued once a week on his way to Edinburgh. The
sating in the charge of these salaries by the lop.
pointinent of half-pay officers, would amount to
14.000/.: he should propose therefore to reduce
this charge 10,0001., which he conceived to be
moderate and proper reduction. If the Barrack.
Ace was to be done away with, why should so
large a sum as 17,0001. be voted for the salaries of
the Board I He hoped at least one-half of that
sum would be saved. The charge of 60,000 L
for repairs was certainly a most extravagaat
item. He had great reason to complain that
II cetera which he had moved for, of the nuns.
her of barracks of different kinds, the place*
where they were situated, the number of mess they
were calculated to receive, and the ember of sea
that had actually beets placed in each during the
lest year, had nit been amide; for, if his hafnium-
fie, were correct, he should then have been able to
prove what, if he now stated, might be looked on as
s mistake. lie was also informed that many of these
barracks were rotting and going to rule, sad
the grate actually growing in half the room..
He thought, therefore, that the expense of keeping
them had better be saved; for they would always
be able to build new barracks when they were •
wanted. If a Committee were appointed, and the
returns he asked for were referred to it, he wood
pledge himself to prove that a saving might be .•
made of at least half the sum charged for the re.
pairs of barracks. He concluded by moving sass • •
intendment that the sum granted be 111,6001.
Mr. A 111111111110 T said it was true that m Int
the business of the barrack department was doss by
the Ordnance, but the war had rendered it necesenv
to erect it into a separate department; it less Dew ,
round that it might be advantageously restored tu
the Ordnance, and that arrangement was deter-
mined upon, by which no doubt a considerable say.
'rig would be made. With respect to the barrack- •.
masters. he did not know what the practice might •
have been formerly ; but for the ten years that he
had filled his present situation, none had bans ap-
pointed who had not belonged to the army. In- '.
deed lie believed there was not a single person
holding such au appointment. who was not either
• half-pry officer, or one who had retired from the
service of the army. The allowances of the bar-
rack-masters were in addition to the holimsy, so ,_
that it was a mistake to suppose that the balf-psy
could be saved. The appointments were always
made with reference to the merit, of the partia,
told in no case from any political considerations.—
There were two cases of barrack-masters which had
brew psrtichlarly touched upon by the Ho-
sourable Member in the lest Session. The
int was that of Haddington, which he had
dated to be filled by a linen-draper. He (Mr.
Arbuthnot) had inquired into the fact, and was
uttered that the person in question was not only
30t • linen-draper, hut that he resided in the bar.
acks and performed the duty. The other ease was
that of the barrack-master at Berwick-upon-Tweed.
whom he stated not to be doing the duty, but to
be keeping a farm at twelve miles distorter. The
same information was given to the Treasury in a let-
ter signed " John Thompson"—(he did not know
whether that was the name of the Hon. Member's
informant). He (Mr. A.) wrote to the Board on
that subject, and would read to the Committee the
answer which lie had received. [The Right Ho-
nourahle
Gentleman then read a letter. dated
Barrack Office. June 43, 1841, which stated,
that the person monied Thompson was one who
had been discharged by order of the Lords of
the Treasury for improper conduct; that he was
well known at the Board. and of so infamous a
thanicter. that any information coming from such
quarter was wholly unworthy of notice. With
'espeet to the barrack-master at Berwick, it stated
tins to be en old retired officer, who some years ego
took a farm to enable him to bring up a large mad
ncrearing family, which farm was managed by hie
tidest son under the father's direction, arid that he
doer had • residence close to the barracks,
irpi was in constant attendance upon Ilia duty.
With respect to the sum charged for repairs, he
Peally bad no wish to remove from himself any
responsibility, but the Committee must be aware •
:hat lie
estimateliecould nut t explainsutandiewrstawkwento
department.
keen able to acquire more information on the sib
ject if he could have seen the Comptroller, het i •
the severe indisposition of that officer rendered
dietta tad
his duty to move this sum, and lie might hare ( -
ofils
it impossible. In his absence, the present esti-
mate had been made out by the nest officer in the
department. as well as lie was able to do it, from
ihe estimate of the last year, which had amounted
to 63,0001.; end that officer had not thought it
student in the absence of. the Comptroller to
take it at lower the; 60,0001.
Colonel %%Toon ,aid, with respect to the house',
it Brecon. so far from the Master being uppoiiiii•ii
hronigh political influence, he could assure the
Hon. Member that lie (Col. Wood) did not know
rho held the •ppointment, nor whether there was
wrack-master, or only • barrack-serjeant. The -\,-
)arracks there were only a private house that had
seen taken for the purpose of lodging troops oti
heir passage through that part of the country, tie
.t,. p
own bring smell, the public. houses few, and greet
!omplaints having been made of the inconvenience
he people sustained from being obliged to find
porter, for the troops. The Committee should
se cautious of too hastily parting with buildings
phial it had cast the country so much to rear. lo
he early port of the war there was a great want of
iover for the troops, and great inconvenience ova,
ustained in consequence; a regiment of mhos
which he commanded was on that account kept
!limped till the month of December. Barracks Wert
ordered to be built, snd great exertions snadi.
sy the employment of a vast number of tom
worked day and night at double wages, its order IJ