Star.
London, England, 1830-02-25 00:00:00

OFFICERS.

SALARIES AND RETIREMENTS OF CIVIL

From a CorresF9n4e»

I am not a littie surprised that, amongst the luminous
speeches delivered relative to the distresses of the country
and its causes, not a single member has touched upon
the immense increase of salary to the civil servants ii,
every depirtment under government since 179 G—but
particularly the Ordnance. Soon after the Income Tax
was laid on of 10 per cent. provisions rose considerably in
price, and memorials and petitions for increase of salary
were the order of the day ; but in 1803 the quartern loaf
of 41b. soz. actually rose to the price of Is. 100. or
higher ; and the consequence was, that the high
price of beef, mutton, &c. &c. then about 10d. per lb
enabled the civil petitioners to urge their claims with ad-
ditional vigour ; and from 1796 up to 1814, the salaries,
gratuities, &c. were in most instances doubled, and
in many trebled, particularly the Ordnance ; but the evil
did not lest there. Since the peace, now fifteen years ayo,
the whole of the superannuation' have been made on
the very hiyh war salaries of the CiviLSLav,l%:•s.
Let any reasonable man only look over the Dead Weight
List, and compare that with the half-pay of the officers
of the Navy and Army. He will there find the flaws of
many old veterans, both in the sea and land service, isha
have been opposed to almost every clinic, and encl,,rel
the severest privations, and who have oft fought and 1,:(
in their country's cause, put on the half-pay list on a pit .
tans next to starvation ; but only look at the other side
of the half-pay list, viz. the civil. There you will see
hundreds who never had their rest broke a single hour—
who, the greater part of their time of service, have only
had to attend four or five hours a day ; and even then, in
inclement weather, by a nice snug comfortable fire. But
of all the civil departments, I think the Ordnance, both
in war and peace has been the most profuse.
The lines at Chatham, and useless fortifications there,
cost the country immense sums. The heights of Dover
the same ; and, thirdly, the towers on the coast wa
one of the completest jobs that ever occurred
in this or any other country, and sitmost next to useles,.
These three projects, under the direction of the Board of
Ordnance, and their military engineers, cost the country
upwards of 1,000,000 of money. These and similar
projects are some of the great causes of our present dis-
tress, by the increase of that hydra, the national debt.
I will give one more case at present to show that
money was by the Ordnance looked upon merely as dirt,
when a Parliament (like the one at present,) could be
found to vote away millions of the peoples' money.
About the year 1826 or 7, the Board of Ordnance had
armoury mills built at Lewisham, near Greenwich, in
order that, as these wiseacres said, they might have a
cheque upon the contractors at Birmington. Something
about 100,0001. was laid out on this notable schene:.
Officers were appointed, and men engaged to perform the
work ; but in a short time after this 100,0001. had been
laid out, it was found that the head of water was not
sufficient, and they must look out for some more eligible
spot. Enfield was now fixed on ; and from 150,0001.
to 200,0001. was laid out there for armoury mills, and the
purchase of the land. These at Lewisham were pulled
down, and the materials sold for something above eight or
ten thousand pounds; but instead of sending the estab-
lishment of officers from Lewisham to Enfield, the store
keeper, Mr. Marshall, in the prime of life, was supet-
ennuated at two or three hundred pounds a year ; and a
Mr. Lovell, from Yarmouth, was appointed. To shots
the immense expense incurred and entailed on the coun-
t try by the system of the Ordnance having their own
manufacturers, I will only refer to estimates for the
expenses of the Enfield, Waltham Abbey, and Pater-
sham gunpowder mills, since the peace; and they will a:
once show that all that has been done at these places since
'the peace could have been done by contract for one year's

expenses.
But when the interest of immense sums laid out at
these places, and the heavy expense entailed on the
country by superannuations are considered, it will be
found most ruinous. Respecting the latter, I will give.
a case in point :—an officerat Feversham, with, at TUA r
TIME, an actual salary of only 1501. a year, was removed
to Plymouth at 5001. a year. He had not been these
long when his health became bad, and in about
three years was superannuated on 5751. a year.
This same gentleman is still alive; and in per-
fect health, having enjoyed this snug little
pension about a quarter of a century, which on cal-
culation will be found, with interest and compound in-
terest, to amount to upwards of 30,0001. 1 leave every
reflecting man to consider to which place this expence iy
to be placed ; whether to the gunpowder-mills, where he
had been in ease and comfort, with an excellent house,
green-house, hot-house, fish-ponds, &c. &c. free of rent
or taxes ; or to Plymouth, where he was only three or
four years. Let the old Navy and Military officers only
compare and see how snug the civil servants sit down
after their dangers and privations. H.

Information was yesterday received at the metropolitan
police-offices of the commission of a daring burglary
and robbery, which took place at the residence of the
Rev. George Boldero, of Ixwortb, near Bury, Suffolk.
The Rev. Gentleman has offered the liberal reward of
100/. fur the apprehension of the offenders.
_ _

We have received the following from an officer of the
navy, now at Portsmouth :—" During the late sevele
weather, and in one of its coldest days, a son of Captaiu
Boger, R.N. fell overboard from the Galatea, when Mr.
W. H. Debbie, a midshipman belonging to the Winclaa
ter, perceiving he could scarcely swim, and was alnicst
exhausted, jumped overboard, and succeeded in keeping
him above water until they were both taken up by a
shore boat." This is the fourth person ells gallant
young man has rescued from a watery grave ; but we are
sorry to say that severe illness has been the consequeace
of his generous exertion in this case.