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

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otiNision, in the year 1767, it had been
r-ferred to a Committee, to determine on the best
of accomplishing what was desired. Ile
n:riely meant to throw out, that it was at that time
..m:mdered the most eligible course to appniut a
'S, lect Comiuittee to inquire into the deficiency.
Hurl report what was, in their opinion, the best
1.1441 C of supplying it.-4/km, hear.)
Mr. 11. BATHU&ST then gave notice, that he
would, tirtuorroo, more to refer the matter alluded
it, to a Se•lect Committee.

WIDOWS' PENSIONS.
Mr. LYTTRETON rose, marathon to notice, to
snow's', Address to his Royal Highuess the Prince
neigent, for a rrveeatiou of the regulation coueerti-
•e4 the Pensions of the Widows of Military Of l-
Ile ',Totemic(' himself to be in a situation of
considerable difficulty, from the late order coo-
' twiling a modification of the regulation it was his
object to have recalled. He was well aware that
the regulation iu its present mitigated shape hail
nothing in it of equity ; but he was also aware that
•it &valued the opposition to the original one, of
minty of its advocates. The modification, notwith-
stitoillsog, though it might neutralise the class it
WM. Meant to relieve, altered nothing of the strict
justice of the case. If a system of severe,. rigid
reunion-1y was to be adopted, was it, he would oak.
la be e 00000 meowed by au act shocking to the feel-
ing, of every individual of common humanity in
the kilogdmis ? The case be had taken up was one
of Hem joi.tice. The question was not, whether
the would be generous to. but whether it
would kelp faith with, the army fie bail no dir-
licully in declining. that to continue the regulation
would be a breach of the good faith due from the
country to her brave defenders. He would first
call the attention of the House to the first order.
it directed that from the 25th of last December no
pension should be pond to the widow of any military
alicer._as such. who either by pension on another ac-
count from his Majesty, or by any other description
s.l income, might powwow an income equal to simi-
lar the pension to which she would be otherwise
entitled. Since be had drawn the attention of the
House to the subject, s second order issued, emo-
tion% the operation of the rule to cases where the
income might be quadruple the pension, and ex-
empting from it the widows of all officers at present
monied. To slew the pitiful nature of the saving
that would be effected by upholding the regulation.
lie steed only mention, that the whole sum paid an-
inialle in pensions to officers' widows in England
nood Ireland, was short of a hundred thousand
pounds ; that • general officer's widow was entitled
to no larger pension than 1201. a-year, and an en-
sign's to but 361. By the scheme last laid down,
the widow of a general officer who might from any
other source derive an income 'of 48,11. would be
deprived of 120/. Whether severe or not, the Go-
serument had dearly a power to establish such
t ride for all time to come—but he objected
to giving the rule a retrospective effect; mid
JO this light it was uot a whit less oppressive
sm the unmarried than the married officer. It
WAS. perhaps. not generally known, that fro'
rA note bncli of the service, the artillery, front
note a Stop-
page war regularly made, in outer to create a
widows' fund. From 4 captain-connuansfant, de- •
ductious were made to the amount of 131. 13s. 9d.
Besides, in a greet many regiments, benefit soci-
eties were formed by officers, to secure to their
widows, ou their own demise, some small pension.
Many officers, unmarried as well as married, had
been induced, by motives of the noblest, purest
kind, to nuke the greatest personal sacrifices, that,
no the event of their marrying and leaving widows,
the latter might be secured a moderate provision.
Suppose au inferior officer, now unmarried, were,
by frugality, to acquire jomperty to the amount of
1.000/. a year, and subsequently marry mid leave
a widow, might it toot fairly be said that he had
been 'admiring 'all hialife to gain what now disqua-
lified his widow from receiving what would 'other-
whe a debt to her? Might it not be said that
the mitten was economising by his earnims; and
that, alien they had the admin. of WHIT his
commission, marriages had been contracted, and
stttlemeonr made, on the strength of these expect-
aucies ? The publication of the regulation had
excited a 'universal surprise and indignation in
the army. coupled with a sort of suspicion of
ingratitude against the country. The restson
assigned for the order, admitting it to be
founded in fact, was quite unsatisfactory—the re-

of the -Finance Committee. All,
however, that that contained on the subject was
►omething very general, from which this was by
'lint of ingenuity extorted. He deprecated the
great power ascribed to the finance Committee.
Ile could not forget, without at all impeaching the
titres of their conduct, that they were friends of
i nisters--respectabk Twits, but still Tories—and

naturally biaaucd to what might suit Ministers'
.sews. However, they went regularly through the
different se►vices in which they were desirous to
have reductions made, and if widows' pensions
hail been in their mind, they would, without
doubt, have ',medically mentioned them. And
why, lie mites!, should this harsh measure 'tt
'cult out to the widows of officers? Re'coula *cite
;111 iindance where a lady, favoured by Ministers,
'as in the •receipt of two pension►•, and enjoyed
also a lucrative zitration under Government—al-
though her relatives hod done nothing that entitled
her to such a .diseittli!tion. Minister', however,
.vi•hrd, it appeared, to make o great thew of eco.
• niny, shit they hail wreaked all their vengeance
uu the uitloas' pensions, although the Flounce
Committee dirt nut call for any new arrangement
.• respect to them. They declared that they
twisd on the principle laid down by the
couuuitt.•e. This he denied—for nothing the
t: ttttt itittee hail stated applied to the widows'
The Committee, throughout their La-
bour►, had acted strictly on it scale of prospective
tioii. This principle was acted on where
Ministers and their friends were concerned—it was
ioltd on where the sinecures of their inittuates
si.-re likely to be affected. The last person to
'hake objections to the old system was the Noble
Lord opposite (l'alintrston)—aud, iu proof dif the
truth of tLi. ass. man. he could quote the Noble
I.oril's wends.—[The Iluu. Getitleatian here read a
vait of the eviilence given by the Noble Lori'
bar the Finisher C tee. in which lie *hitt. I,
,hit, with rrootict to the ClielAra Tensions, ho al-
iiiiAlit to lie made in the rates at prt
6, atilt ref.renct to persons then receiving the