The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-04-25 00:00:00

PENSIONS TO OFFICERS' WIDOWS.

The fitesquis LaNsoowN rose, in pursuance
of his notice, to move for a copy of a regul ition
dated fu February, 1817, depriving the Widows of
Officers in the army of their 'tensions, in case of
their being poi.esaird of a means of bliblivartice, de-
rived from other sources, equal in anvoutit to the
pensimes. In so doing, it war 111 s intention to point
it out to their Lortilships notice, as a regulation of
a most questionable nature, without, at the same
tirne, desiring to engage their feelings, or to in-
duce them to form u hasty judgment upon a sub-
ject wherein, while they paid a due regard to the
imperious duties of economy. they should not close
their eyes to the interests of the unfortunate venous
who were more immediately concerned by the pro-
vision. Om the Kt intuits of justice in general, he
contended that this regulation ought toot to apply
to the widows of officer/I, while it was repugnant
to every good and gelierour feeling to deprive this
class of of the benefits whirls might result
to them how tla . pension, or the Compassionate
Fund. The of striking at Use pen.
sinus of widows was, lie cusiceived, apparent,
from referring to the origin of the fond whence
theii were derived. It had been instituted in
the reign of Queen Arnie, and the pensions
were paid upon a scale lung since erialdirlsed.
It was formed from an appropriation of officers.
tiny, said had accumulated 1:1 1178-2 to such on
amount, that 200,0001. were taken from it arui ap-
plied to other services. This sum ougait in justice
to he repaid to it, instead of depriving the widows
of officer's of the result of the public liberality.
There pensions, in the case of the widows of geneial
office's, amounted only to 1201.—0 f the widows
of captains to 501.—mud of roily to Ad.—
and he would ask, whether it was coosistrist with
justice or lilterolity to deprive a widow of this pit-
tame, its the event of her receiving from her de-
ceased husband an annuity of a few pounds snore ?
The ...toile amount of the pensions was not more
than 90,0001. a-year, and wisest die raving from
that must necessarily be so small, be would ask
their Lordships, ur his Majesty's Illiuistere,
whether it would be just or gene to inter-
fere with the pittance of the widows of those
who had devote', themselves to the service
of the couotry ? tinier his entering the House, lie
had learned that it was the intention of Ministers
to propose smile modification of this regulation ;
hut he objected altogether to the !principle, cunri-
(feting the claims of the individuals', the smallness
of the saving, the Iciiiptations to fraud which it
created, and the vexatious inquisition, winch the
enforcement of it rendered nerersary. TO put their
Lordships fn lull possession of the case, he con-
cluded by moving fur a Cony of tlx regulotion
resoectiog the Pensions of Officers 117ialows. dated
February, 1817 ; sand so Account of all Pensions
grouted since the 25:11 of December, 1816, to the
13th of December, 1817.

The Earl of lirEttPool, did not rise to oppose
the motion of the Noble Alaiguis. The papers
were such as ought, in the fair course of parliamen-
tury proceeding, he laid byline their Lordships,
Hut lie thought it would he stO!eftetury that he
should state in public what lie had already men-
tioned in private, as the intentions of din Prince
Regent's Government upon this subject. The
Noble Marquis, lie said, had proceeded upon an
erroneous siew ; but first lie begged leave to ob-
serve, that the origin of the proceeding was to be
found in a Report of the Fiitatice Committee, op-
pointed by the oilier !louse of Midi-mead. Ile
then remarked, that the principle in the services
of the navy and army ought to be the some ; but
it happened that in the navy pensions were to be
granted alma a more de titall rule—formerly, in
eases a here the widow had not more than an amount
derived fium other sources, equal to that of the
pension, but now allele she had out more thartdou-
ble. piectsion of this rule prevented the faci-
lity of abuse. lit the army, hoarser, a daft-rent
rula existed, and pensions were to lie wanted
where the widow was represented generally us
its distressed efletinistances, ainl hail not rtetivrtl
snore than a reasonable Support from her deetased
By a 3111a.rtiuritt wtfrrant in the reign of
(;eurge I. Iwo men were withdrawn flora every troop
and company, for the inorpoNe of lot g a fund
for the payment of peivotois to atitows, and by this
wo.riant the pension was to he granted in all cases
%whet e the aniolv had received no other I/3'1131'011 601111
the Crown. These nerds were sufficiently distinct;
but in the warrant tit 17711 the general words were
again int rod nerd, " the distressed circumstances"
of the isi.h u t forwent the rule for granting the
pension, a.. 41 as these words might be rely dif-
ferently is.alcl'atocol, it at length 11114,11 rd that
the %%tit granted 33 a Inapt: a COIL se.

' This appeared to him to be it deviation (root
the original priliciples, .and it was off that if roui.st
that the regulation a 114.444 to by the Nagle
111art;ula pars 'leen framed. ftheof, however, barn
bilhOtlillelitly represented to. hii Go-
verriiiirot, that touch hardship would arise to indi-
viduals, who, in the. cfmtisdent eipiesatlosi of that
pei,aluil, had Metered their live* to prriv tile a mato-
tellallee hit' their willows ; it was th6relure revolved,
that the regulation should nut have a retrospective
effevi upon thL,e otHcer taluhasillareei married bee
lure the ir•goilatiori, sod that pnevesaisalsould atilt
he grunted in cuu...13 stiore the ordovs deal lot
pur-
•e•M u tilealie of eobs_sterice 4 ruin other todirces, to
more than four tittle d the eitionot of the pension.
This rule Via.. alid-pteehad4d all polaabilitv
or fut'tre 1.11/Urite. The Noble Earl then tolveried
to the ilt:CiAc;lty of travireg the moral stud military
frtVierb •st;lted. that It led* his 11...
tetlV.4 so terisr,e.his Halal iiiisknorsaidese
liegaist to eiteird the rule to the I. hlrma of naval
officers, so that they sl 14 lo.• totaled to Nutlet
rerisious in cdsta "there they slid nut tir.tiv from
other sources means of subsittchca to four
tunes the umuurit Of the pelailUa3. . . •
The Earl of Itos*Lya ackirowledged that the
modification proposed by the Noble Earl had re-
mover) from the regulatiou splarry of the object:mai
to which it was, in its resew Nish, liable.— (1 leor.)
lie expressed hies satisfaction . at hearkapc
.the Nehhi
Earl express his enteritis's' of osoisiiihithig the two
services, even though it appeared• to him that the
r lams of the officers of the irriby stood on quite
different grounds fume those of the office.s of Ow
navy, arising. Iron, tire ciretinertarice.uf the burns of
motley paid fur the purchase of commissions. To
his mind, it seemed as if, by this imrslia,e, they
had acquired a pet:tilt:lr right to the pensions for
their widows, far the u-age of a century had coun-
termoved their belit f that it was iiralienalik attacli-
ed to their situation. They had, iii fact, made
their purchases ru ialul lu. fie stated that /Mi-
ch:ors had been originally arlinitted Iliv3llll of
providing support nod reward for retired ili.ahivj
and meritorious officers, vial every thing telithitic
to that was calculated to effect a satiirg to the
comet rya . .
Lord EXMOUTH, in a low tone of voice, expressed
his eatisfaction at the arrangement• promised by
the itible Earl at the heal of the Treasury, SUM
in the tissue of ihe office's of the navy thaukes
him for 'he favour thus sliewn to that

The Marquis of L4iSDdwx, to explanation,
observed, that the opiuum of the rimitwe Coosa
mittee, to whi.•ll t!,'e Noble Lord (Liverphel) lute!
referred, al4idell wthe Pension but to
the Conspassionate Fund. lie ettptr•wil 116 6216,
ritttlllll tli the 311-111.,;t1:7•!Ilt filellllollrii ley thy Notl..e
Lord, mud nod, that It had completely fulfilled hla
object.
.
The motion %los then put and comed.
The House adjuurtsed to slooduy.