The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1820-05-17 00:00:00

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ture of the country. But bow Was this object to be
strained ? if, as lie feared would be the cow. the
new taxes should prove only not altogether unpro.
ductive. what would there remain but to retrench
the public expenditure in every 'possible manner in
which it could he done consistently with the into..
rests of the country ?—(Hear, hear.)—He begged
Irate to state his own opinion. that the country
might have been retained in a state of tranquillity
without ally increase having taken place in the
amount of our numerical force; and in order to
proms 1111% it would be almost sufficient for kith
to oloierie, that in Scotland. where the discontented
were n. pniportissos to the population of the country
1.11 ou., more deteetained. and heifer or.
!If owed than they were io Esiglan4l, met it we. not
ia :ivy time since the commencenipat of the late
sliscoutents thought requisite‘to keep up a larger
force ;n that country than li,ooo men.—(Hear,
bras.)—Perhaps the reason why this cosn-
paratirely small fusee had been found sufficient• to
answer every useful purpose in Scotland might
have been, that the inhabitants of %Aland hail
enrolled themselves into yeomanry and volunteer
corps. In Scotland, the yeomanry mounted to
neatly 3,700 men ; whereas. in 'Lancashire they dui
not exceed the number of 534, although the Geo.
Heinen of that county hAd been the most forward
in culling for au increase to the numerical force of
our military establishments. If any necessity did
really exist for increased military protection in that
county, why. he would ask, did not the inhabitants
form themselves into volunteer corps, as inScoilatid
Li Scotland there were DO less than 4,000 volunteests,
while in Lancashire there was not a single volunteer.
What occasion, he would sok. was there fot cavalry
ist Kent, and along the southern coast generally,
where the slightest disaffection had not been 'hewn
Independent of objections to the extraordinary
slumber of cavalry regiments now kept up, he could
venture to say that a reduction might be made
each regiment of at least forty-six dismounted
eavalsy, two Captains, two Lieutenants, tool
two Cornets, and that the second Major at
in every instaiice where there was a second
Major should be done away with. The
I luu.e would he pleased to observe, that in the
great saving which would in consequence
•rise to the country, he did not propose the rethic-
initt of a single horst. He assured the House,
that in suggesting the proposed reductions, lie was
dithig a thing very unpleasant to himself* as he
proposed to do that which might seem to he
directs d against his own profession, and against the
interests of many worthy and gallant officers, fsiends
of his own but he felt that there were considerations
which in the circumstances of the country. should be
held superior to private and personal feeling..
—From the reductions which he had now proposed.
there would arise a saving of 80,0001. a year to the
country. The next department which he should
notice, as admitting of retrenchment, was the wag.
Iron train. For his part. he could not set what
rankly pissioble use there could he imagined in
having a waggon train attached to regiments of ca-
valry, which did trot march aboie once a year;
still less could there be soy occasion for a waggon
train firing attached to regiments of cavalry,
which being quartered in London never left town.
Dv making a election of these waggon trains.
which were ertirely useless, at least 10,0001. would
be saved to the country. He would next beg leave
to direct lime attention of the House to the retrench.
menus which he thought might with advantage be
made in our infantry force, and here he would
propose a plan of reduction similar to that which
lie had recommended to be applied to the cavalry;
be thought that the second Majors should be re-
/laced, and that regiments consistosig of ten comps-
ono!it to he limited to eight. The Ho-
mumble Member then alluded to the unneces.
sarily great extent of the garrison at Ports-
mouth, and to the expenditure occasioned by the'
keeping up of a large body or sappers and engi-
neers, fur .:hem he could not suppose that there
was any possible use at presitit. though he admitted
that io she field they had heel' eminently service.
fly the proposed reductions, he said that
there would be a saving of 170,0001. to the et -
try, without rendering the army less efficient. Ile
next directed the attention of the House to the re-
cruiting departments, in which a saving of 14.0001. at
present, and eventually a saving of 20,000/. might
easily be made. Ily the present mode of feet g.
the momenta recriliting party leaves a regiment, it
becomes entirely independent of it ; wheresi brfoie
the year 1798, there was no such thing as a iepa-
rate establishment for that purpose. In page 13 of
the Army Estimates rot the present year. he saw
the sum of 1,450/. for the expense of a ruing esta-
blishment at This establishment, he was
aware, had been originally instituted to teach cer-
tain the lance exercise. but he could not see
what necessity! there could possibly be for continuing
it at present. lie would now come to a consideration
I.f the Getters' Staff. Ile cobld not think whato4*.
casion there was for a District Quarterrnaster-Ge-
'tend in Ireland ; nor was there any necessity for a
Lieulenasit-Gtmeral in that 'votary. Although
the expenditure in the Adjutant-General's Depart-
ment bad been somewhat diminished viiser last
year. vet there still remained in Ireland twice as
many Adjutant-Generals as there were iii England;
and he thought that their number ought to be
brought at least upon a level with that in England.
The Hilo. Member then entered into a very minute
examination of the Gener,d Staff in the Leeward
Islands and foreign stations, especially la the island
of henries, at Gibraltar, and at Tobago, where
there is a geheral officer, although there are but
two cotriplinel. He did nut, he otoperved, see why
;he Quarterthattets-Geoeial hot be re.
h.
di„ dio those places, Whete there are oilier officers
t,,,,, .r its their place. 11y that means there would
i:e a f, xhictii.ii of 9,0001. a•year. With regard
to the it ce hill by the Right Honourable Gen.
titmois opposite (the Hon. C. Long) he must say
that lie did sot thin* it of the slightest benefit to
the country.---(Hcarr and a laugh.)-zHoo. Gen-
tlemen might, if they pleased, laughs at any inac.
curacy into which he might have fallen in the
detail which be had entered into; and would nu
doubt take an opportunity to correct it ; but how.
lie would ask, was it possible to tome ut the truths
witless Ite entered into the details of each item se-
parately /—What he would maiumin was; that the
Secretary at War might direct his warrante mare-
dist, lys and not through the medium of the ray.
°salter. 'Flit Hun. Member then said, that ne bad