Star.
London, England, 1825-03-22 00:00:00

GAME LAWS BILL.

Oa the motion of Mr. STUART WORTLEY, the House went
into a Committee re forma upon this Hill.
The House then resumed, and the Report was received, when
the further consideration of the Bill in Committee was fixed for
Thursday next.

C MMITTES OF SUPPLY.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved the order
of the day for going into a Committee of Supply.

NIICELLANICOUS MID/AVIS
The House having resolved itself into a Committee.
Mr. HERRIES moved that a sum nut exceeding 1110,000. be
granted to his Majesty for Civil Contingencies fur the year MS, in
addition to 100,00 W. already voted for the same purpose.
Mr. HUME took that occasion to bring under the
notice of the Committee the present expense of the di-
plomatic establishment of the country. We now kept
up an establishment with the Courts of Eureve which
cost 300,0001. per annum, and which, if Ministers were
sincere in their professions of wishing to kcep aloof

from the concerns of Continental States, Avits uncalled
for by the relations of the nation. In 18.17, the Finance
Committee fixed the amount for this depaitment
very liberal scale, and notwithstanding it had since
every year increased. For his part he thotteht it "khe
very sell be reduced to the standard of 1792 W leo
Ihe saw th.it vexatious taxes were maintained on the
plea of their being necessary to the support of the tr 47
tion, he could not help thinking that the charge for our
diplomatic establishment was altogether dispropore
donate to the wants of the State. In proof of this he,
would advert to the expense of our embassy at P.O.
In 1792, it amounted to 8000/. but the Finance Cons.
mittee of 1817, considering it one of importance, rated
it at 1 1,000/. or 12,0001. per annum. Last year, how-,
ever, beside: this sum, several bills were brought into
the Civil Contingencies on the same account, amount-
ing to 15,0001. which made the whole cost of the
%ion 27,0001. To him (Mr. Hume) the amount td
which these extraordinai ies wet e swelled was unac-
countable. In 1818, they were 28.000/. in 18‘23,
30,0001. and last year, no less than 80,0001. so that hi*
stead of 226,0001. per annum, appropriated by the Pl.
nance Committee for this sum, it was at pteieni
312,0)01. Ile must also beg to remind the House that in
the 312,0001. was not included the 60,0001. for the le-
vetal missions to South America, and for the Consuls-
General appointed there—which increased the tdtal
charge to nearly 400,0001.—Although, however; he
did not object to the latter item, he thought that the
Right Honourable Gentleman (Mr. Secretary Canning)
either ought to bring back the expenses of the Missions
to the Petty States of Germany to their amount in 1792,
or withdraw our Ministers altogether from those Courts.
As things were =mining on be saw no limits to the 'charges of
our Diplomatic Establishment ; for as our relation. increased with
the new world, the cost of those with the old world, Magid of
being proportionably dirinished, was kept up, and in some eases
augmented. He had already noticed the charge under the head es-
traordinaries for the Paris Mission. Under the same head there
was a charge of X 5,000 for our Austrian Mission. Another charge
for Russia and almost for all other Courts, under the average ex-
pense of our Diplomatic Establishment per annum for the last
seven years, amounted to E 5197,000 a year. He trusted the Right
Honourable Gentleman would give some explanation upon a sub-
ject of such importance to the nation.
Mr. Secretary CANNING (who, we regret to say,
still laboured so much under the effects of his recent
indisposition as to be occasionally inaudible in the
gallery) said he should not follow the Honourable Gen-
tleman (Mr. Huine) through the det.iils he had brought
before the Committee, but content himself with stating
that in the review made by the Finance Committee of
1816, the branch of the public service alluded to was
examined with great minuteness. The sum which that
Committee apportioned to the support of our Diplima-
tic Establishment the House had since frequently sanc-
tioned, and he (Mr. Canning) midelt a point to keep
within that amcunt. He had also enJeavoured, when
reductions compatible with the public interest could be
effected, so to do, and where the public interest re-
quired an extension and interchange of friendly offices,
attended by an increased expense, still to keep the
whole within the bounds originally prescribed. With
respect to the States of South America, our conversion
with them was so completely new, and their situation
was so far from being as yet thoroughly explored, that
Parliament would deceive itself if it imagined the pre-
sent charge was the utmost which would be demand. d
on their account, or was at all adequate to the extent and
the importance of the objects contemplated—(<flear).
For his part he had carefully examined the several
claims made from that quarter, and the Reports sub-
mitted to him, and he sincerely believed the allowances
hitherto made to our Agents there, were rather under
than above what the duties to be discharged required.
It the House wished to diffuse throughout the vast con-
tinent of America the system ti hch it had already
approved, it must also be prepared to incur the cost
attendant upon so new, and at the same time so neces-
sary an undertaking—(Hear, hear). The Hon. Mem-
ber (sir. Hume) had asked, why not adopt means of
retrenchment is Europe to meet the increased charges
in America ? But no reductions could be made adequate
to furnish the supplies demanded by these novel rela-
tions. He assured the Honourable Gentleman, and be
trusted the Honourable Gentleman Itimself would ad-

'mit the fact, that there were larger questions embraced
in the maintenance of embassies at the smaller Courts

of Europe than those of mere expense—and least of all
did he think the House would cone to the di cision that
we ought to give up our amicable intercourse with the
lesser States of Germany, and confine all our respect
and friendship fur those of preponderating power and
in fieence—(Hear, hear). He (Mr. Catmint) believed
the current feeling of the country was against such a
course of proceeding—(Hear, hear). He thought it
would not only be abandoning our interest to act thus,
but abandoning that old English established principle
by which we had always been governed, it we consi•
dered every inferior State as good for nothing, and if we
estimated even the good wilt of those Courts which our
intercourse with them secured as of small value—(Hear,
hear). He must, at the same time, observe, that there
were instances in which he had curtailed the expenses
of such missions one half; and however much he might
desire to proceed farther in the same mode, he found
he could not do it without prejudice to the country.
And when he had adopted that pl in, he assured
the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Hume) that he found it most
difficult to satisfy those Courts that tl?e reduction was
attributable to a spit it of economy, and not to a wish
to lower the dignity and consequence of the Courts
themselves. It was, he conceived, a wise policy in this
country, to encourage those minor Powers to look op
to us as a common protector—not because of any im-
mediate danger, fur he (Mr. Canning) hoped there was
none—hut because he thought them was nothing more
unlike our established practice than to bestow all our
attention upon tie rest Courts, and leave the others
unattended to. With respect to the expenses of the
Paris Mission, which the Honourable Member CODSI•
dered one of large expense, he (Mr. Canning) felt con-
fident was by nu means charged at the sum it actually
cost. He spoke the mine decisively on that point,
as he was certain that his Noble Friend (Lord Gran-
ville) who now filled that situation, expended upwards
of three, perhaps four thousand pounds a year, ont
his private fortune, above his allowances. True polic:
and t tie public economy was not to .make the emolu-