The National Register.
London, England, 1809-06-25 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER,

ABUSES IN INDIA PATRONAGE.

Air T, TURTON, after dwelling at congiderable length on the
hardships to ilhich those persons would be exposed who had
purchased situations in the service of the East lridia Climpany,
should they he deprived of them in consequence of the late reso-
lutions of the Court of Directors, declaring yid those appoint-
ments which had been procured through corrupt means, moved
ai a resolution of the House, that the House_does not concur
with Its Committee appointed to inquire into the disposal of
India Patronage in that part of its report which recommends the
rescinding of appointments obtained through purchase': because
it would be incompatible witb English justice to deprive per-
inns of their silualions, who, for any thing that appeared to the
contrary, were ignorant of thps means by which they were pro-
cured. _ _ _

The CuvrcEr.toß of the Ex CHEQUER. contended Oat the
'motion of the lion. Haronet was indirectly an infringement
Upon the privileges of the East India Court of Directory,
whose-proceedings ought to be regulated .by their own bye-laws,
M not swayed by the censure or approbatiod of the floute of
Commons. Viton this ground he could not support the motion.
*Sir S. Rapti, LI, thought that the egintorenary pertinacity
for severe justice, which seemed to pervade the sentiinents of
Gentlemen opposite, came with a very ill grace from such a
quarter, koowiog, as the House must,-that within a few short
weeks they had been so extremtly'indulgent to a Nohle Lord,
who had hetn proved, io fact, to ise• guilty
.of a high crime
againit the laws of Parliatnept.' From t his 'he thought it would
seem that *f Offence's gilded hand Might shove by Justice,"
wihilst the unfortunate, obscure, and innocent perso must fall a
Victim to the austerity of 14istakett jUSliee.. 1,1 every paint of
view, humanity out of the question, he could not but support
the Motion.
Tbe House divided on the previous question, when there
lippeared—For it 35.—Against it, ?T.—Majority 42.
SAVING Ili THE renLic EXPENDITURE.
Tir. WAftDLE began by saying that he had declared else-
where, upon a late occasion, that in the event of a Reform in
parliament, he was of opinion that the amount.of the Income
Pr Ls might be done away. If that assertion, as to Parliatnen-
dory Reform, hr..:l been entirely new, he would not have been
astonished at what had been said as to the langt:hge he then
used; but whin he knew that language much stronger-had been
used by Mr. Pitt, he certainly could ttot be but surptised at
such allusions. In the year 1782, that statesman said, that if
there had been always a House of Common=, consisting
gent and Constitutional advisers of Government, and time studious
nod onqintilfied friends of the people, inaav of the hardens whir h
they had to endure, would not be *fitted. `ln tltesan* manner
he argue 4 that, with an inilepipkeot sod 40i:tined House of
COlllniallf, a great initokseigilidies et effected. It bas been
more trots once it. .15.4curdle,ithat he attacked
public men w,1.1%:x1,, 4ZiCit ,%`,vrinneit that be could
4tol brinpto •••/4I :.• 07 • co la which be bad
•
•t Xe 4
t5....-/Ar • . . •

JUNE 25.

indulged in doings° ; for if he had done it, he must have been
tiding contrary to those principles which' had guided hint
throughout I if.. As to attacking the system upon which Govern-
ment at present acted. he must say, that he would attack it upcse
all occasions when he had nit opportunity, as he felt it a public
out and he thought hiisself pretty well borne out by that il-
lustrious indiYilual whom he had mentioned. Mr. Pitt said,
that the defect in the representation was a national disease, al;c1
if 7.0 u neglect it, you must lay your account s.‘ iih enduring the
consequences which may follow, and. with which it is pregnant;
without Parliamentary Reform the nation is plunged into new
wars—you cannot get quit of bad Ministers, nor can gopd Mi-
nisters be of use to the country.- The great clamour that has
been raised induced him now to state his reasous for the opinion
that he had formed. A day or two prior to gi‘ing that opinion,
he hecame acquaint's(' with this fact, that the public e x penditure
in 1808 'was 71,800,000 i. and that in 18051, it ngluut,tedto
79,09",0001. and this great increase induced him to woke the
assertion he then made. lie then proceeded to state the points
in which this vast expenditure might be greatly decreased, and
the,lst one to which !lc should call the nitration of the !louse,
ie in regard to the household troops, the regiment of horse
guards, called the Blues, consisting of 6.711 men, tied the other
two regiments of horse guards, consisting of 331 men. Properly
speaking, the Blues are perfectly sufficient for parade; and in-
deed it might be said that $OO horses are much more than ran
ev.pr he brought into any kind of use for that purposi,. The,
number 06ov:dry kept's!) for' home service exceeds w hat can
he pos,11)1y wanted. Thedragoon gear& atatiunt to 23,499 men,
and yet he had heard it stated by iitilitary men, that 15.,000 (Ira:
goons were equal for any liiing that could be wanted in this
country, in addition to our force stationed in the East Indies.
lfe theught that there might be a reduction of that force to that
number, and in consequence effect a great redaction of the ex-
lieOre, which at present amounts ta 1;i77,610./. besides the ex.;
pence of their horse appointments, and other contingencies. The
next point to which he should dray the attention of the House,
was that of foreign 'corps, which cousist of, 22,9;8 men, and
with the artillery, horse and foot, they amount to 24,570 men.
The expense at tending' these men is 1,00,000/. a,:yeur, 3,490 of
I hem being cavalry. In 'such** Howe of,Commens as that, he
should Wish to see, be would maintain. that that 16 a species of
force that should. neteer be suffered to etas' 10 this country. That
illustrious character, Ciwithara,lbetightit necessary, even
in. the war of 1757. to send all the foreign Itneps out of the
country, and that, too, at a moment when the bugbear of in-
vasion was on foot, is he believed its a most unconstitutional
force. He was one of those that.dobelieveit'to be te; and that
a free and independent House of CotutnOns would not vote a
single guinea towards it. He did not ak all to throw any
reflection on any part of 4hat force in particular;, but if. Gen.
tlemen will recollect some Circumstances of the ezkaitions to
Quiheron, to Malta, and to Other places, they would not be
very partial to that species offOrce. In the eepeditimoo listoo-
ver, it will be recollected, that' our tronps had much to do to
prevent desertion amongst those coreign mereetmries, o,ar gaols
have supplied many of th•on, 'and Charts:illy' trio employed
amongst them. The same system was ptikrsued in Spain, and
the enemy's' army had received treat addition Ruin sitailar deser.
Lions. He could refer to the opinion of one officer, high in his'
Majesty's.service, • he meant Sirsßoliert Wilson; who found him-
self in a perilous situation in cnnserkueuce of their'conduct. An-
other matter to be toniplained of, wail the having the officers of
those foreign troops put over the 'head of officer& of the British
troops, which. in his opinion, furnishes' a very weighty reason
why these foreign troops ought not lobe employed. .The Royal
Staff Corps, is another 'establishment, 'of late years, which is a
very expensive one, for. as it appears from' the accounts laid
upon the table, it cost formerly 20,0001. a year, but when the
paperihe Should move for are produced, it will appear' to he a
very expensi've establishment indeed. They form a Part of the
Eniineer Corps„—which, witlfthe addition of horses. created an
additional expenr e: ' The Next'circumithnce to which he meant
to draw the attention of 'the public.' war the ratlik' of Great
Britain and Ireiandjiwhith-rosts us an eepenat. nearly three
millions of money. Were only tole bldrof•the militia allowed,
to be out at a time, for three months togethi4, 'there would be a
saving of 300,0001. a year. There are 15 very small Welsh
corps of militia, which, if so dismissed, woultd pratit‘pa a saving
of 20,0001!. The total militia is another .verylteavy reliance.
, They at present amount to 450,538 men, and with a staff of,
ouch time as they shall be embodied% cost, 306,9604; for cloth.
ing. 418,891/. ; for contingencies and allowances. nearly 8,0001.
The total expence amounts to abount 1,218 Wilt. ass expellee

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