Star.
London, England, 1830-02-16 00:00:00

Exclusive of the whole of the half-pay civil and military. Upon
this point ministers had behaved extremely ill. Lord Castlereagh
. had said that there was a certain class of expenditure, amounting
to 200.000/. which was a payment for services gone by ; and
nature' large. it was consolatory to think that it would annually
la leas and less. However, it had been added to year after year,
aril the amount now payable was 5,302,tgk)1. The people.
'to refore, .11xii a right to complain. (Hear.) The number of naval
ffiCellt was as great now as it was ten years ago. It ought to be
one of the first measures to put an end to pensions of all sorts.
&el man, civil or military, should learn economy ; and every
civil dcpartment should provide a fond for the relief of rupee-
aenusted members. This was to prevent the grant of pensions
tutpitoperly on the part of ministers. In 1810 the civil pen-
stone were only 94,0001. and they had gone on increasing to
484,0001. Would it not he much better to adopt the same
policy as the tinitee Staten, and admit no pensions whatever?
The time was new come,. when some reduction was to be
ensue in the allowances upon the civil list. He found in
one of the papers which he held in his hand no less a sum
than 30.000/. in Colonial pensions. The whole of the Co-
lonial Department was conducted upon a system calculated
to evade the inspection of parliament. He found Malta upon the
same list to consume 10,0001. and Ceylon 6,500.: If the finance
croannittee had been allowed to go on with their inquiry, they would
have pointed out all these extravagant payments. Some of these
pension, were paid to persons who were quite independent; and
that being the case, he would SA, why not reduce our taxes,
which were so squandered ? Another item in this expenditure
was that of the palaces, the most useless of any. Upon the
whole of these expenses he thought 'the house ought to
vote an address to the King, praying that an account of
the whole expenditure of the civil list might be laid on
the table. He thought that some of these items ought to
be separated from the civil list. He saw about 1,057,0001.
which ought not to be charged upon it—such es the payment to the
judges, and expenses of the courts of law. The payment to our
ambassadors abroad and to our consuls was another subject of extra-
vagance. There was a sum of 226,9501; to our ambassadors, which,
with the charge under the head of consuls, made 400,0001. We
sent to all the states in South America persons with salaries that
would commtall the republics in the world. The whole expense
under these two heads, in 1826, was 426,0001. From • paper be
held in his hand,he said that this expense in 1793 was only 113,9004
,but it went on increasing ever since till it became now 425,0001
which he contended ought to be reduced by at least 225,0001. He re-
minded the House of the example of the United States, which paid
their foreign ministers only 2,0001. a year, while we paid 12,0001.
Their plan was better than oura,for they knew bow to keep what they
had. Their debt inlBl6was only 114,000.000 dollan,which they have
been reducing ever since, so that next year it would all be paid off,
while we have, in the fifteenth year of peace, not made a single re-
duction. Hay ng now disposed of the civil lest, the pensions, and
the diplomatic department, he would come to the expense of Ire.
land. The Irish pensions and payments were 270,0001. Now he
would take away the lord lieutenant altogether, and by that and
other savings would take away, at once, 100,000/. and by so doing,
he would destroy the focus of faction in that country. The next
point to which he would now come was one of considerable im-
portance. We had now all the leisure of peace at home and
abroad, and therefore we ought rot to continue the establishment
which we had during the war. Ninety thousand infantry was our
force of last year, just double the number that we had in the year
. 1793. In 1792, we had 46,000 men, now there was an increase
of from 40,000 to 50,000 more. The artillery also was double
what it was, being, in 1792, 4,000, but now it was 7,000. The
number of men in the navy was also doubled. He saw the neces-
sity and propriety of reducing 20,000 men, with a proportion of
sappers and miners, and still we should have a form exceeding
00,000 effective men. With respect to the army altogether, we had
about 37,000 abroad, and 23,000 in Ireland, which before the Union
had seldom more than 9,000 men. Why should we have 3,600
men in Malts,r_and 4,000 men in the lonian Isles ft What use had
we of those islands? Let us make a compliment of them to King
Leopold, and so get rid of the expense. Why should we have 6,500
Men In the Canacias ? He contended that the distribution of the
troops called for the vigilant attention of the house. He thought also
that the naval expenses ought to be reduced b at least one million
and a half. The country was greatly indebted to the bon. member
for the Queen's County (Sir H. Parnell) for what be did, and far
wha4 he would do, if ghltnisters bad not thrown overboard
the Finance Committee. But be still hoped that the public would
have the benefit of the honourable baronet a laborious inquiries in a
few days. A more expensive and useless establishment than the
*levy Hoard did not exist. The pay of that deperuneet cost the
eountry 23,000/. a-year, though .the business might be done quits
as well for 6,0001. a-year. There was a paymaster for the army, a
paymaster tier the navy, and a paymaster for the while
the business of the three departments might be aohiwliiairiie Ind
transacted with much more advantage to the public the at pmeset.
tle thought that the Finance Committee bad been completely tried
with. When he was told, on a former occasion, that the committee
was not to be renewal, he was led to suppose that ministers wee is.
Ahmed to adopt the measures it had recommended to them. In this,
• hemmer' lie found himself altogether deceived, bat he would take
Awry good care not to be deceived sgain.--(A laugh.) He would
Jams again trust to appearances. When be found Mat imams'
etpense was incurred in building ships which were afterwards
Oft to rot, he would ask was it not enough to make say cosh or,
'est who had the slightest feeling for the sufferings of his fellow-
elteatures, thousands of whom were plunged in such deers, distress
present? He contended that the expenditure of the oedaance do.
Wtiment might be seduced one-half, and the bored ought to be dome
*ay with altogether. Instead, however,of consolidating the these
*Filaments, and having one individualptationed atSt. Lucie, Ate
libould take charge of the naval, military, and ordnance storm,
.there were three idle men kept together, without knowing whet
..40 do with their time. When a reduction of the barrack depart-
*mut was proposed; the answer always given by minister was,
• 44, If you have soldiers, you must also have barracks fox than."—
• But, if the house should concur with him in thinking that the
Wintry might be reduced by 20,000 men, then a coasegendleg
Iviductionain the barrack expenditure would, of ••••14 be
illseted. If ministers consulted their own interest in cowman with
lighleireet of the country alone, they would, amesail of hasping
?ma Jorge military establishment, do every thing la their pewee to
• •enkaish the burdens of the Teeple. The effect of high taxation
early elucidated on a previous night in the speech of his hen
tge member for Cumberland. In proportion as the tax
st duty was reduced, so was consumption increased ; but the
stay contrary was the case in proportion as the duties were
-bigh. The hon. member then referred to some returns to show
• that in proportion as the duty on tobacco and malt had been
imbed, the consumption of those articles bad decreased. The mow
:lig contended, was the case with respect to wine In the-four
laws from 1804 to 1808, the consumption of tobacco was
11,000,0001b* Lin the next tour yeses it was 12,000,0001bs ; fn the
*eat 13,000,00011 w ; and, lastly, in the next again, 14,090,0005 n ;
adiowin, as compared with the increase of . population, a
eery trifling increase of consumption in the whole time. The Post-
ale revenue remained stationary, being now exactly what is was
twenty years ago. This was another proof that high charges
were at variance with the interest of the country. If the Poet-
Also rates wee reduced one-half, the public interest and coo-
, Waco would be greatly promoted by it. The charges of col-
loft the public revenue were exceasive, and the public depart.
Agglic, tIM rotelgu, Ouluale4 sod eshera,-vets • kept avow
41 glib the beyond what the country bad a right to expect, con-
-46fritft lbe promises of reduction which theyAold out. in proof
• .616.11160 het, he needed only to call the attendee of the house to
-00111minti of expenditure, referring to different periods. In
.1,110 the expenditure of the office fur Foreign affairs was
. 34;4001.; in 1827 it was 64,0001, almost double the former
'arrant. He could not be surprised at this difference when
• ho-!hood tke number of cabinet messengers who where con-
ansally despatched from the Foreign Office to all parts of the
maid. In addition to this there was a sum of 40,0001. or 00,0001
fee soma serries-.4 monstrous charge, that ought not so be tole.
lead. (WS.) He next tame to the expenditure of the treaty,
tames belseed several lads receiving 1,2441. each, end in the same
44ellesiM were a great number and variety of well-paid clerks—.
lie wiles around to give credit to the Chancellor of the Exchegmer'
roe a die to save the public money, but what he particularly
. estoplaised if was, that the scale of expenditure was much too high
' from the Bing downwards. He maintained shit all ranks and
ilesoes ought to be brought to.a lowa aisle, if it was intended to
• *Nod any misbelief to the distress which was pow gshindly
lilt all over the country. He would ask whether it Ma
NOS quite possible so revert to the scale adopted' in 17113 ?
.dew in opposition to this it was said, :that whereas has
17/02 there were only 5,000 entries to be trade, there were
now twenty thousand. The argument about entries was quite futile
...it meant nothing whatever. He could readily understand, how.
ever, why so many codes were necessary at the Truism, if the
Treasury kept to itself the right of settling all.questions which
ought to be settled at the litempedlice, at the Board of Lkatents,
at the Bawd of Beam. This eroded a very clear neon fur
Alio *man ef business at the Trealsuy. Here he could not help
oldleplalainett dismember of useless persons who were attached to
We mend seteblisimmuts. Instead, of nineteen commiesioners for
theiMatteas) sod Illkeen or sixteen for the excise, let there only be
its appelosod to die two departments, and then the duty would be
chinditsless performed, and much 'more justice dtme the public
di dim •it • at this moment, Wpm suer a holt of persons
' Cede • alielned• for no other purpest whatever except to add
gefilliriw kealemi.-loam •lf the plan he proposal Way afcrills els
tiltreibm. a • • will suilleir sitegar,abi", wubl::7l7
Ml ma Novi is was 410,5001.
wpm. titptki kiNiost to abort • ptsiod. is