The Sun.
London, England, 1830-06-08 00:00:00

SUPPLY-SOUTH AMERICAN MISSIONS.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
then, alluding to the understanding that public bu-
siness was to commence as soon as possible after
half-past six, moved the Order of the Day for the
House going into a Committee of Supply.
The House then resolved into the Committee,
Sir ALEXANDER GRANT in the chair.
On the first resolution, granting a sum of
28,0001. to defray the expence of special missions to
the New States of South America,
Sir JAMES GRAHAM expressed his surprise
that, although this estimate was even larger than
the last, no explanation of the items had been at-
tempted by his Majesty's Government. He should
at once proceed to put the House in possession of
the items of which he complained, and the first he
found on the list was the special mission sent-out
in 1825. In that year Mr. Morier was despatched
on a special mission to Mexico. He remained five
months altogether at his post, and he received
3,6561., with a sum of 1,6701. for the expellees of
his journey home, making altogether 5,3261. for
five months' service. In the next year Mr. - Morier
was sent out again. He was three months at his
post, and he received 1,5061. going out, 755/. for
travelling expences corning home, and 3001. for his
passage in a King's ship, waking altogether a sum of
just 8,9871. for eight months' service in Mexico. The
House would probably suppose that a sum so large
was all that was required for the proper representa-
tion of England in the new State of Mexico,
but it would be not a little surprised to find,
that at the time these missions were sent out
there was a Resident Consul in Mexico—Mr.
Ward—who received for his services the following
sums :—ln 1826, he received. 10,9131.; in 1827
he received 2,5331., and 8281. for outfit and pas-
sage-money ; so that, in the space of twenty-five
months, the English Mission to Mexico cost
19,8811. Having thus disposed of the first and of
the second Commissions, it might be supposed the
expense was at an end; but then there came a
third "person—a Secretary to the Commission—
whose charge was more extraordinary still. This
gentleman was at his post five months, for which he
received 5001., or 1001. a month; but then came
the extra-extraordinary portion of the charge.--
Thompson held the situation of one of the Clerks
of the Ordnance Board, and there was a charge for
compensation to the amount of 3804 for loss of
salary in the Ordnance Office—(Hear, hear)—for
the loss of salary for the performance of duties he
could not perform, because he was receiving 100/.
a month to perform duties elsewhere. This gentle-
man, too, not content with the salary for service in
Mexico, had taken an excursion into Guatimala, for
which he charged 6001.; and altogether the ex-
penses of the Missions to Mexico were about
21,857/. He would next call the attention of the
Committee to the appointment of Mr. Cockburn
on the mission to Colombia. On his appointment
in 1825, he received 3,3251. for his outfit, and,
in 1826, a salary of 6,3001., making altogether
9,6001., although he never went to Bogota, but
passed three months at the Ceram's, and three
weeks of it ut the house of the English Consul.—
Mr. Cockburn crossed the Atlantic twice at
• the public expense. in 1827 (having returned to
England) he received 3,778/. ; and when he went
• out again, therefore, it was to be supposed that it was
for the purpose of actively discharging his duties.—
He never went to Bogota, however, and returned to
England the bearer of his own despatches ; for
which, as lie (Sir James Graham) understood, the
Foreign Office did not think him justifiable. In the
- first year of his mission Dir. Cockburn had

-A,

been employed three weekg; in the second
year nine weeks ; lind for those services he re-
ceived 13,0001. It might now be expected that Mr.
Cockburn arid the public were at least quits. While
Lord Dudley and Ward continued at the head of
Foreign Affairs, that was the case; but when` ildt'
Noble Lord went out of office, by some myskriorts
influence which he J. Graham) did not -undet'.
stand, a sum of one thousand six hundred and sixty-
four pounds was granted ;n 1828 " to complete Mr.
Cockburn's allowance."—( A laugh.)—Thus Mr.
Cockburn obtained in the whole a sum of 15,9751.
for twelve or thirteen weeks' residence at his post;
or rather for not residing there at all ; after which he
fell back on a pension of 1,600/. a-year.—(Hear,
hear.)—lt was but justice to a very unassuming in-
dividual, Colonel Ciunpbell, who had performed five
years' faithful service, and had always been at his
post, to state that he had been superseded for the
purpose of making room for other persons. After
what had occurred, it might have been supposed that
his Majesty's Government would shut the door
against any further expellee on this score. Not so.
They started afresh with Mr. Chad. Mr. Chad was
appointed to proceed to Bogota in 1828; and re-•
ceived 1,666/. for his outfit ; and a delay taking place
i❑ his departure,• he received 1,3341. more, making
3,0101. in 1828. In 1829 Mr. Chad received 2,062/.
All this time he was residing in London. So that he
received 5,1001. of the public money and never went
at all. The third gentleman appointed was Mr. Tor-
tier. Mr. Turner, in 1829, received 2,500/. for his
outfit; a third of his salary, amounting to 2,500/-,
the rent of a house in Colombia, although livit►g in
this country, and 5281. for his passage; making al'o-
get her 4,955/. for Mr. Turner in 1829. All this,
be it observed, took place under the controul of Lord
Aberdeen and the other members of a Government
which affec ed to plume itself on economy. There
was another item which it would be unfair to omit.
It related to an individual who was an old friend of

his, and whom he allowed it was a meritorious act
on the part of Government to employ—he meant
Mr. Henry Fox. And yet the manner in which
that gentleman's appointment was managed rendered
it a complete job. When that gentleman was ap-
p&nted, in 1828, to go out to Buenos Ayres, he was
at Naples, and received 1,5001. for an outfit. At this
present moment he was in Italy, and not only had
he received his salary in 1829, but had received an
advance of 1,0001. For Lord Strangford's Special
Mission to the Brazils, there was a charge of 6,7861.
The object of that Mission remained unexplained.
As far as could be judged from appearances, it was
of a nature hostile to the liberties of Portugal. tie
would conclude, by moving a reduction of the pro-
posed vote, and the following were the spec►fic
grounds of that reduction :
Surplus of the Estimate over that of last year £579
Lord Strangford's Special Mission 4,050
Mr. Chad's Outfit in 1829 2 062
Mr. Turner's Outfit 2,500

£9,191
This was the sum which he should move to deduct,
from the proposed vote. He had stated the,facts of
this extravagant expenditure ; but he was bottnd
also to say, that if his Majesty's Governmenoqr,to
House fancied that the condition of the labouring
classes in this country had so improved of late tflat
it became no longer necessary to think of economy,

they were in a most grievous error. It was true
that the milder weather of the present season and
some improvements in particular branches of manu-
facture, had somewhat lessened the distress of the
people. But still, the rate of wages was such, and
the prices of the artic!es of 'life were so enhanced by
heavy taxation, by the operation of the Corn Laws,
and by other circumstances, some of which were,
perhaps, inevitable, that the labouring classes were
suffering the most grinding distress. Let the House
recollect the circumstances of national difficulty and

distress under which, they had met, and the recom-
mendations to economy in the Speech from the
Throne. Yet they had passed the Army Estimates

arid the Navy Estimates, as proposed by Ministers,
without the reduction of a single shilling; notwitle
standing the numerous items whigh Kis Hon. Friend
near him had pointed out as capable of being ad"
vantageously reduced. Not a reduction had bees'
made, with one solitary exception, and that as paltry
as the spirit which had rendered it necessary-1w
meant the reduction of the pensions that had been
granted to the two sons of Cabinet Ministers. The
lion. Baronet concluded amidst loud cries of " Hear,

'ear," with moving to reduce the proposed grant to

18,8091.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
would remind the House, that if there had been-no
reduction by the House of the estimates proposed
by his Majesty's Government, that might, in some
degree at least, be attributed to the fact that the es-
timates prepared by Government had fallen short of
those of the preceding year by 1,100,0001.—a cir-
cumstance which had been hailed by several of the
Han. Gentlemen opposite as beyond their expeeta:

tion. It was not fair to east a slur on Government
for not hein., economical, when they had thus in-
controvertibly proved their disposition to be so. Ile
came now to the immediate question. Had there
been shown any disposition to a reduction in this
particular estimate or not ? What were the facts ?
That in 1826 the expenditure for diplomatic ser-
vices was 459,5001.; and that in 1829 it was onlY
366,0001.; being within 7,0001. of a reduction of
100,0001. Surely this was some indication of the
attention which Government had paid to the sub-
ject. But did he say that Government were eon"
tent with the reduction already made? Far from it.
But our Ministers were dispersed in various parts
of the world, and reduction must be preceded by
previous communication. They had shown their
disposition, and that disposition was still in active
operation. By the arrangements which Lord Aber'
deen was making, he entertained great expectations
that the expence of the diplomatic services of South
America would be brought within the sum charged
on the Civil List for the European Missions. Se
much for the. general estimate. He uould noW
proceed to particular points. The Hon.' Baronet
had begun with stating the expenditure of 1825
on the different missions to South America. He (the
Chancellor of the Exchequer) admitted that they were
large. No one could deny it who saw.the.accounte
en the table. But when first the South American
States were called into existence, it was impossible •
accurately to estimate the expellee of living in those
countries. It was thought by Mr. -.Canning, when
Mr. -Ward was sent to Mexico, that as it was
kind of experimental mission, some latitude - should
be given to the individual engaged in it, by which
Ministers might be subsequently enabled to asc,r-
tain the proper amount. • The next point to which
the Hon. Baronet had alluded, was the appointment
of Mr. Cockburn to a mission to Colombia. It was
undoubtedly true, that during the three years of his
appointment Mr. Cockburn had resided.in England
for eight months. In justice, however, to Mr:
Cockburn, he must state the circumstances which
occasioned his absence from the country to which he
bad been deputed. Mr. Cockburn, having been
appointed in the beginning of 1825, received-for his
outfit the usual sum of half his year's salary. , fie
proceeded to South America, and arrived at the ,
Caraccas. It was true that he did not go to togole
the capital. But he was sure the Hon. Barons
must know the grounds on which his absence wee
to be accounted for. Not long after his arrival he
attempted to proceed thither, but-was prevented by
a fever, which reduced him to such imbecility that
he was carried on board ship in a state of complete
insensibility, and it was thought by those who were I
personally interested in him that it was not possible
he could long survive. He was conveyed to Jamaies
and thence to England. When he presented him'
self to Mr. Canning, such was his altered appear'.
ante, that Mr. Canning not only approved Of-his r
turn, but prolonged his leave of absence. On h'e
return to South America, when he arrived at Oa
Caraccas, he found Bolivar there.- Being accredite
to the country of which Bolivar was•the Preaitlee,"
it' was certainly not very unjustifiable on his part to
wait 'at' the Caraccas with him rather than t°,
I proceed up 'the country, .and• wait for' bins ow

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