The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-04-29 00:00:00

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tone, and temper, which the House or Commons
displayed on the subject or the military expetidi-
fuse df the country.—(Hear, bear.)—The Noble
Lord diets argued diet the new regulation sea•; iii

consottatice with the spirit of the order of 17uti,
and cooduded by declaring that Ire would oppube
the motion.

Colonel STANHOPE said, instead of doling out
relief, its • matter of charity—instead of suffering
the widows of officers to site, in
,(hand puuperis—
it would lie far more worthy of a great nano'',
which had been so gallantly defended, if it were to
deal out its bounty liberally as the reward of past
services. Such bounty would be twice blessed—it
would bless those who gave as well as those who re-
ceived. It was this principle—the want of gene-
rosity which marked the regulation—that led him
strenuously to oppose it. Was it not better that a
very few -rich should receive what they did not
grant—than that a great many poor should be de-
prived of what was fairly due to them ?..--(lleur.)
Ministers talked of equalising the two services.
The true way of assimilating them was this--by
doing away the hardship of which the navy com-
plained altogether—and not by introducing the
same gross injustice of which they complained iutu
the army.—(Hear.)-11e knew it was necessary
that economy should he pursued—but that was
not true economy which compromised the best inte-
rests of the country.—(hear./—Economy was a
nobler virtue. It ought to interfere with the grants
of the rich—but it ought never to contaminate
itself witlithe mites that fell front the table of the
poor.—(blear.)
Mr. Cstoasa said, the pensions payable to the
widows of naval officers arose from a contribution,
deducted from the emoluments of all naval 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—f Laughter I—whose pay
went to the same fund. This was the fact.
Though 100 men were counted, there were, in
fact, but 99—the 100th, who was denominated the
widows' man, and the pay for whom went to the
widows' fund, was, in truth, a fictitious being.
The sum was so divided, that those widows who
wanted it the most, derived the greatest benefit from
the charity. He heard an Hon. Member echo the
word ,4 charity ;" but as that was the term used in
the Charter of George 1. lie might be allowed to
use it. The Right Honourable Gentleman then
entered into a short review of the manner in
which the widows' fund in the navy was appor-
tioned, and expressed his opinion that an equali-
zation of the two services would produce very
beneficial effects. He next adverted to the regu-
lation so much complained of—and observed, that,
on the death of military officers who had married
after having retired upon half-pay, their widows
now were not entitled to pensions, whilst those
of the navy were more liberally provided for. That
regulation which lately had taken effect in this re-
spect, had very improperly, he thought, been deno-
minated the espializition of the service. He thought
the original and precedent state of the service was
more equitable than its present existent regulat. .
The regulation now proposed, proceeding on the
grounds of economy, he hoped would amend the
system, and effect the equalisation desired.
Mr. CaLcaler, 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 auswer-
able for the retrenchment, nor the way in which it
had been attempted to be effected. The regulation
had proceeded Irons the Prince Regent, from whom
it was just it should of course emanate. Hut 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

the propriety of cutting oft or limiting in this pal-
try and niggardly way the pensions of the unhappy
w►ves of those pliant men who had so glorious-
ly perished in the cause of their country.— (Hear,
hear, hear.)-1t would have been much more
becoming these economists to have reduced an
expensive regiment of cavalry, and appropriate
the saving to this object.—(llear, hear, hear.)—
He should always avoid speaking of the two services
in that way which the feared was likely to produce
feelings of rivalry between these gallant and ho-
nourable professiousb—(llear, hear.)—They were
in their nature perfectly distinct and dissimilar, and
had nothing in them alike but the zeal and devo-
tion with which they had fought the battles of their
country.—(lfear.)—All married officers, it was
said, up to the mouth of last December, were ex-
empted, and their widows were to be entitled us
before, on their decease; but he would ask, ol►at
►hould prevent o(f►cers subsequently marrying to
obtain ►imilar favour at the hands of Government ?
Did they not pay also fur their commissions ? and
should not equal justice be done to both one class
and the other? If the Noble Lord would with-
draw the warrant, he would ',ledge himself to shew
him fifty ways to make lip the deficit. He who
could vote 100,000 f. add►tional allowance to the
Princes of the Royal Family, ought to extend leis
kindly feelings to the widows of those men, lint for
whose valour and the sacrifice of whose lives in the
field, there would now have beets no free Senate
in this metropolis discussing the nature of their
hapless widows' claims—(llear, hear)—and of
whom it might he 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 subsist-
encr—(Considerable applause.)
Mr. Wtt.tmaroace endeavoured patticularly to
press on the attention of Government and the (louse
the propriety of increariog ht• all means the bowls
which deem the soldier still closer to his country and
its interests, said teach thrill they had the duties
of husband and parent to perform, as well us those
more alluring duties of a profes►ion which, while it
stimulated them to deeds of desperate valour and
lofty ambition, not tinfrequently seduced them into
the paths of voluptuousness and immoral gratifi-
cation.

The CHANcel.t.oa of the EXCHNUER COlireSa,tl
the regulation had been adopted by him as part of
a great system of economy so strongly recommend-
ed by Parliament. Pervious to the late regula-
tions, widows' pensions had always been cous;dertil
altogether eleemosynary, and not any thing in the
nature of a claim of right. If, however, it sl Id
be, as he was induced to think it was, the pleasure
of Parliament that the restriction Was laCmislistetit
with the well-being of the service, lie should feel