The National Register.
London, England, 1816-02-18 00:00:00

it'zuNrismtv. Fee. it.

Lord CASTLEREAGH presented Copies of Correspondence
between the. Duke of Welling!an' Sir Charles Stuart, Marshal
Nov. Lord Bathurst, &c.—Orderedd to lit. on the table.

Mr. liautto; presented 11 Petition from certain Land•owuers,
Farmers, and others, real ling at llavenhall and II irlesion, in
Norfolk, clamp]; • gof the ha r lships they labmired under,
and stating, that nothing but 4 relief from the weigh. of taca•
tioo under which the, at vesent laboured could essentially
save 4:11.1 further, re.lres,elltieg that, in tliCii lIIIIIIIIIIe
opinion, lune of the best modes of lightening the present weight
of taxation, won'd be to refariii, as far as 110%Albie, the pi csvut
extravagant and enormous expenditure of the Civil List, and
to introduce, as far as possible, economy into ever) department
of the State.

The Petition was read, and ordered to lie on the table.
Mr. Till.RS.r.s. wished to know troin the Noble Lord if lie
and his colleagues had in View any plan of reform and re-
trenchment, agreeing with the hope held cut in his Royal High-
ness's Speech; and whether 'key had deter mined on the reduction
of ally of the public establisl •nts of .1 civil description. Ile
considered that reilnction should take play.• iii the departments
of State as well as in the Army and Navy. lie wished to know
if the Noble Lord was prepared to state any contemplated re.
duction of this description.
Lord C.V.TLEREACII said, considerable reductions of the de-
seription mentioned by the Right Hon. Gentleman had taken
place, and more were in contemplation ; but lie was nut now
prepared to state precisely what those reduction would he.
Mr. ABEIttHONSUS wished to pin a question to the Right
Itun. Gentli man opposite (Nlr. Peel) on the subject of a report
he had recently hoard respecting the office iii the Exchequer
of Ireland, held by the hue Earl of Buckinghamshire. He had
heard a report to which he could not attach credit ; namely,
that at the very tunic the Right Hon. Gentleman was assuring
the House that this place shotad be abulislied, or at least regu
lated, a certain Irish Judge had interposed, and given the ap-
pointment to his son..

Mr. I'EEL assured the Hon. Gentleman, that no person iu
the House or out of it could huts experieaced greater ast la-
ment than he had done, when the report, to which the Hon.
Gentleman had udverted, first reached him ; and he was the
more astonished and surprised at it, berause, from the reign of
Queen Elisabeth down to the present time, this place had al-
ways hem' considered as in the gift of the Crown ; and when
he (Mr. Peel) stated to the House, that he eemld introduce a
Itill for regulating the office, he had no suspieioa that any
other person would have claimed a right in it. But he had no
hesitation in saying, that, in his opinion, should it appear on
ins estigation, either by this House or by a court of law, that
any individual Ir d a claim, he saw no reason why. the I louse, if
it should consider it expedient, should not introduce a Bill for
regulating the Miler. His reason for mentioning the decision
ot• a court of law was, hecanse the office being of a very an-
cient standing, having been created in the year 1300, it did
appear to him desirable that smile little time should be giee•n
for enquiry and investigation, and to ascertain what fees were
legal and what were not.
Mr. Rost; said, if the appointment to this office did not test
in the Crown, it st belong to the Exchequer of Ire laud, and
could not be the right of any lush% iduul.
Mr. BUM onsu did not think it material where the right
vested ; as by the Resolution of the HUHU! it was slechned,
that on the then vested interests expiring the ploce should be
abolished.

Mr. l'tEL doubted if the lion. Genticuian Nay correct in
thigopioion. _

litre the conversation terminated!.
NAVAL E.4III.IIAI'ES.
_ _

In a Committee of Supply,

Sir 0. WAancsnan stated the estimates necessary for the
Naval Establishment of the country during the peace. He
trusted he should be able to satisfy' the House, that every at-
tention had been paid to economy, consistent with the safety
of the cenntry. The peace establishment most depend on sari-
ous circumstances orb ing out of commerce. In respect to foreign
stations,—in the East Indies there would be no addition. 'pie
Cape station, which is a new one, and connected with St. Ur.
lens, ss well as the Manritias, wuuid call for a very consider-
able number of men, according to the opinion of the dislin-
gisished Admiral commanding on that station ; II ships would
therefore be employed. In the Mediterranean there would be
a 74-gun ship, bith,t lute d for a A small squadron
would be stationed for the prolec:ion of tile „rowing trade in
South Ameriea and Brazils, the merch.mta hasiug wiled
to the Alimialty for it. This was also a new statism. Id the
Jamaica and Leeward lslrntli a small reduction of the Naval
strusgth would take place. One frigate would be stationed on

0

FEII.IS.

the North Amerlvan coast, and nu the African the same stria-
shoo as in the last pence. With respect to our home station,
there would be nine small vessels, in addition, for the purpose
of protecting the revenue against omugeleri. Circumstances
would call fur a larger number of men to man these vessels,
.rhich, in point of site, had been increased from YR and :l_ gen
frigates to 30 and 38. It was also intended to retain the 4th
disision of marines, which, with the increased complement of
stamen, would make a total increase of men Of .XMO. This was
owing to the great increase and growing prosperity of our
foreign trade. It was mider•tood that the permanent Peace
Establishment was to be 23,000, which number was less than
at the clo•e of any preceding war. The sate, which however
he should now call for, was 33,0:d, from the circumstances he
lad
"just stated. He had to claim credit of the House for the
Board of Admiralty, for the rapidity with which ships had been
paid off, and also with which the peace ships had been manned,
the mutter wanting to complete them being only 4,000. The
number of ships maimed were, two 50 gnus, 14 frigates, and
27 sloops. The lion. Baronet then moved, " 'Phut 33,000
seamen, including 9,000 royal marines, be granted for the ser-
vice of the year."
Mr. Poison nv would not object to the vote of 33,000, taking
the necessity for the number on the responsibility of the (im
vet-meat. He (mold not avoid observing on the call 14 33,000
as a permanent peace establishment. The regular bee in
former wars was MAIO or P 5.900. There was no fear of at-
tack. We were differently situated at the close of the Ameri-
can war, win im the combined fleets of the enemy rode trium-
phant. aud compelled the British fleet to seek shelter in our
harbours. France. at that time, hail as many ships as Great
Britain ; united with Spain, more. It' 18,900 mien wet c vtion4h,
why vote 23,n0u now. There was now no appearance of a
formidable navy. The whole of the Powers, if they were to
he unites], could not produce 25 sail of the line. The Right
lion. Gentleman suggested the necessity of making sonic ad-
dition to the pay of naval officers, instead .nf keeping up so
large an establishment.