Star.
London, England, 1822-03-19 00:00:00

riod of service in war, was allowed to change his si-
tuation. That period Admiral' Searle ,had :erred
ten times over.
Sir I. COFFIN had known the gallant Admiral
whose name had been so repeatedly mentioned for
many years, and was satisfied that there was not a
more honourable character nor a mote benevolent
man in the service.
Mr. ELLICE wished to remark, that if the gallant
Admiral had retired, instead of taking a flag-ship,
the expense to the country would have been greater.
Mr. CROKER remarked, this removal, and the
consequent appointment, had been called a job. He
begged to state most clearly, that the first great in-
ducement to put the Gentleman now at the head of,
the Victualling Board in the situation which he now
filled, grew out of the great ability with which he
had finest interior offices. It was granted without
any solicitation or interest—be was wholly ignorant
of its being intended so to advance him, and was pro-
bably as much surprised at it as his Hon. Friend
could be. Ile had, however, been chosen because
no other man of his rank stood so high in the estima-
tion of his superiors. He had also been preferred in
an economical point of view. Two Commissioners
from the Navy Board, of which ke was one, were to
be provided for. By the course which had been
taken, their services had been transferred to the Vic-
tualling Board, and thus a saving of 1,4001. a year
was effected, while the business of that Board was
performed in a better manner.
Sir J. YORKE had never meant to impute any
delinquency to him. He only thought he had been
too hasty in removing him, and that having broken
his head in the first instance, the new appointment
was given by way of a plaister!
The question was then put and carried, and the
House resolved itself into a Committee of Supply.
SUPPLY.
Sir J. OSBORN moved a grant for the expense of
the Navy Office, for the year 1822, of 64.,8951.
Mr. HUNIE objected to the number of Commis-
sioners kept up. The saving made by the reduction
effected was in a great measure counterbalanced by
the superannuation allowances. In 1792, the expense
of the Navy Office was but-12,0001. In 1796, it
amounted to but 46,4611. He would therefore put it
to the House, if now, in time of peace, the sum of
61.,8951. ought to be demanded?
Sir J. OSBORN defended the grant, and spewed
that but a small saving could be looked for from re•
ducing the Commissioners, as they must be provided
for on retirinF.
Mr. CROKER concurred with the gallant Officer
who spoke last, that little more in the way of 'educ-
tion at the Navy Office was to be expected. He would
state why further reductions in that department could
not be made. Since last year there were no less than
five Commissioners of the Navy reduced, two of
whom belonged to the Board, and the other three
were at the outports. By a new arrangement the
business was divided between the Navy Board and
the Victualling Office. The result of this was to
transfer a greater portion of duty to the Victualling
Boat d, in which, however, there was not an increase
of officers, but there was a diminution in the Victual-
ling Board. But it would not be advisable to dimi-
nish the Navy Board further, for this reason—the
business was divided at the Navy Board amongst
Committees, of which there was one for each class
of business. In so complicated and extensive a de-
partment as the Navy, it might he easily supposed
that there could not be less than four general heads
of management. It, however, the business should
so far decrease that two Committees might be put
into one, a saving might be made in that way, but
in any other circumstances he could not hold out the
hope of any considerable reductions in the Navy Of-
fice. It was said that the reduction of the clerks was
counterbalanced by the increase of the Superannua-
tion List, but would the Hon. Member say that no
remuneration should be made to men who had spent
their lives in the service? It should be recollected
that these men were employed during the war, the
termination of which could not be foreseen, and it
would be harsh and unjust to cast them away with-
out some provision. But the allowances which were
made, were calculated, not upon the old Superannua-
tion Act, but upon the projected new and economi-
cal graduated scale—(Hear). Ministers were entitled
to credit for having adopted the more economical
plan. The Hon. Secretary then proceeded to compare
these establishments, as they existed now, with what
they had been last year. Confining himself entirely
to the offices in town, the fixed establishment of the
Admiralty OfEce, Pay Office, Navy Office, and Vic-
tualling Office, for last year, was 317 clerks : this
year there were but 263, which was a reduction of
54 clerks in the four offices in town. The expense
of these offices it was difficult to present at one view,
as the clerks were paid according to the length of
service. Taking each clerk, however, at an average
et ten years, the expense of these offices in 1821, was
£107,000; in 1822, 74,000; making a reduction of
£33,000 since last year. He admitted that the Pub-
lic would not have the immediate benefit of this re-
duction; but it was necessary that the clerks should
have a means of living. The charge of the Retired
List was 1:20,000, but this was an expense which
would be diminishing every year. Besides which, in
every case where the parties were at all capable, all
vacancies at the different offices would be filled from
the Retired List—(Hear, hear). Hitherto it had been
the practice to promote all the clerks indiscriminately,
according to their seniority ; but as many were thus
promoted who were incapable of filling higher offices,
the consequence was that they were obliged to be dis-
missed, and, indeed, the greater number upon the
Retired List were placed there for these reasons. This
would not Occur again, from the system to be adopted
of promoting none but men of merit. In the Admi-
ralty Office, he could assure the House, reduction
had been carried to the greatest possible extent ; and,
indeed, so far had it been carried, that sonic incon-
venience occurred lately in the office from the absence
of some of the junior clerks from indisposition. This
circumstance, however, did not make him regret that
he had made such reductions, for he felt that, in times
of distress like the present, the other clerks were
called upon to make greater exertions, and thus make
the absence of those who were indisposed less felt.
Under these circumstances he could not pledge him.:
self that it was possible to carry reduction farther
than it had keen carried already.
-Sir BYAM MARTIN traced the constitution of the
Navy Board to the recommendation of the Commis-