The Sun.
London, England, 1833-12-23 00:00:00

TO TAB BDITDE OP TAR TIMES.

Sir,—Several of your contemporary journalists having
t ken, it is hoo d unint-totionally, a very erroneous vita
tf the object of the ci !omission which has recently been
.ssued under the Royal sign manual, for the purpose of
inquiring into the civil administration of the army, and the
oracticability and expediency of consolidating the varit us
ffices connected with it, you will, I am sure, agree with
me, that it hecom's an act of justice, due no less to the
Government than t, the c tmtni.-ioners themselves, to
ndeavour to disabuse the pterlic mind upon th;s matter.
A large majority of your readers may not be aware that
the civil administration, or in other words, the pecuniary
•nanagement of the affairs of the army, is conducted prin •
cipally under the authority of the three great and expensive
public office., the Pay-office, the War-office, and
the Controllers of Army Accounts, at the annual
tost of Pay-office, 19 404/. ; War-office, 33,7831. ;
Controllers, 11,183/. ; thus forming an aggregate
sum of 64,370/. for the management of the financial
concerns of the affairs of the cavalry and infantry of
the regular army (about 80,000 men), and this, ton,
-.xclusively of those parts of the army payments which
are made under the authority of the East India Company,
the Treasury, and through the medium of the regimental
agents, and exclusively also of the whole of the Ordnance
Department.
If this were the whole of the charge which the public
.re called upon to pay for this necessary service, the
amount even in such case must be considered as enormous
and excessive; but this is not all, nor nearly all,
the money that is annually paid to these three offices, as,
upon reference to any Army Estimates, it will be found
that the sums now annually charged as pensions to the
numerous individuals of those departments amount to the
gross sum of 36,216/., of which the War-office alone
receives 20,6961.
If we look at this charge in another point of view, it
will be seen that here is a sum of money issued to the
retired servants of those fiscal departments which is equi-
valent to the retired pay of no less than 90 General Offi-
cers of the army ; and of this sum there is paid to one
individual alone, a retired Deputy Secretary at War,
an annual pension of 2,5001.
It will not be disputed that the civil and financial busi-
ness of the army is simple, and, as compared with other
armies, of no great extent, and that it ought as such to be
conducted by one department, and not by three depart-
ments; and that if it had been so directed, there would
not have been this long list of official pensioners thus
saddled upon the people of England.
As things now are, and with this exposure before the
public, it was impossible that any Government could
resist a full and minute inquiry into the civil administra-
tion of the army, and least of all a Government whose
every action is rigorously watched by a reformed Parlia-
ment and an educated people. The issuing of this Royal
commission became, therefore, a measure indispensable to
the character, if not the existence, of the Government,
and in this persuasion there cannot exist a shadow of
donht but that the Commissioners, with this plain path
of their duty before them, will steadily and firmly perform
it, without favour or affection, and wholly regardless of
the misrepresentations and calumnies which have been
opposed to them.
A MODERATE REFORMER, M.P.

The following is a list
sioners :

,f the names of these pen-

WAR

IFFICE.

One superintendent of ac- One other clerk £lB2
counts £666 One ditto l9O
Two private secretaries to Three ditto, each at 1754 525
Secretary at War 3OO One ditto 162
Two other clerks, each at One ditto l6O
2254
One ditto
One ditto l2O Eight ditto, each at 150/. 1,200
One deputy secretary at One ditto 135
war 2,500 One ditto l3O
One ditto 1,000 Two ditto, each at 1251.... 250
One chief examiner of ae- One ditto lOO
counts l,OOO One ditto B5
One superintendent of ac- One ditto B3
counts
One senior clerk
One ditto 5OO One ditto....
One ditto 533 One messenger
One ditto 525 One ditto
One ditoo 466 One ditto
Two ditto, each at 4501.... 90 Two ditto, each at 501.. 1 0
One ditto 350 One ditto V
Four ditto, each at 3001. 1,200 One ditto 3O
One ditto 290 One chief clerk
One ditto 275 One ditto, at I I.los. per day 547
One ditto 270 One other clerk 135
One ditto 266 Oue ditto lO4
Two ditto, each at 2441. 448
One other clerk 212
Five other clerks, each at
2001. l,OOO

£20,696

PAYMASTER-GENERAL'S OFFICE.
Two accountants, each £ iOne deputy paymaster £
1,0001.
One cashier of half-pay 500 Two ditto 730
One ditto :350 Four ditto 1,095
One ledger-keeper 6oo` Four ditto 730
One ditto 5OO Twelve.assistants
One clerk B2 One clerk 63

CONTROLLERS OF ARMY ACCOUNTS.
One c0ntr011er.,.............£2,000 One clerk £l2o
One ditto
One secretary ....... 530 One ditto 7O
One first clerk 583 One ditto 5O
One clerk 275,

X 4,703

One deputy muster- X
master-general ....... 396
One chief clerk 4311
Onejunior clerk lOO
One ditto 99
One ditto su
One agent-general 350
One deputy agent-ge
neral

One clerk llO
One ditto ll,O
Two ditto, each at 90/ lBO
One ditto B5
Two ditto, each at 501.... 100
One ditto 45
One ditto 25

£2,420

PUBLIC BREAKFAST to JOSEPH PEASE,

ESQ., M.P., AT DARLINGTON.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

DARLINGTON, DEC. 21.

Yesterday, Friday, the 20th instant, a public breakfast
was given to Joseph Pease, Esq., M.P. for the southern
division of the county of Durham, by his consitituents at
Darlington, at Mr. llird's, the Fleece lon, in that town.
It was estimated that about 120 persons sat down.
The chair was filled by CHARLES PARKER, Eq., of
Darlington, in the absence cf Cuthbert Rippoo, Esq.,
M.P., who was expected to preside, but was unfortunately
prevented by indisposition.
. _

After the removal of the cloth, the CHAIRMAN deli-
vered a long and able address, in which he descanted on
the conduct of the Hon. Member, Mr. Pease, during the
late Session. He regretted the votes given by the Holt.
Member on the question of the Irish Coercion Ha, and
on that of triennial Parliaments. He, however, approved
of his conduct generally, and in an especial manner with
reference to his opposition to the grant of twenty millions
to the West India planters. He also begged to know his
sentiments on some other important topics of a political
nature, such as the vote by ballot, and the exclusion of
the Bishops from the House of Lords.
At the close of the Chairman's remarks, Mr. Pease,
being loudly called for, rose, and was received with
loud cheers. The Honourable Member invited any
remarks or animadversions upon his conduct, which
were freely communicated both verbally and in writ-
ing. He then entered upon an explanation of his
conduct with reference to the questions above-men-
tioned, noticing the objections and inquiries which had
been started as be went along. Ho expressed his decided
approval of the ballot, and his willingness to support a
measure for the exclusion of the Bishops from the House
of Lords. Although he disapproved of triennial Parlia-
ments, for reasons which he assigned, he was disposed to
shorten their duration to a term of five years. The Hon.
Member also entered at great length into a justification of
his vote on the Irish Coercion Rill; and afterwards pro-
ceeded to other importaut questions of a political nature
affecting the different interests of the country. After a
very prolonged address, which was listened to with great
interest, and received with general and frequent expres.
sions of approbation, the Hou. Member sat down amidst
the most deafening applause.

Other speakers ((Wowed, and expressed the entire satis-
faction they felt in the manner in which their Representa-
tive had explained his, views and his conduct.

The utmost harmony of feeling and sentiment appeared
to pervade the assembly to the close of the proceedings,
when all parties separated, apparently highly pleased with
their Representative, and with entire confidence in the
integrity of his principles.

MR. JAMES BRO,UG,HAM.—We regret to
announce that this gentleman still continues seriously in-
disposed. On Tuesday he was attended by Dr. Holland,
who came express from London.—The doctor held out
some trifling hopes of a recovery, and returned to London
on the day following, leaving such instructions as he
thought necessary, thouth hitherto his applications have
had no visible effect.— Carlisle Journal.
As a proof the mildness of the present season
the cuckoo has been heard several times during the past
week at Oakham, near Retford. For several months past
a wry bad fever has prevailed there, which is some in
ntaaceß has proved fatal, and to the unsophisticated
villagers, the notes of the cuckoo, at this unusual period
of the year, has been considered of a somewhat direful and
unlitlous natare....Nottineham Review.