Star.
London, England, 1813-04-07 00:00:00

JOINT PAYMASTERS OF THE FORCES.
Mr. CREEVEY rose, hi pursuance of his notice,
to submit to the House the motion, that the place of
one of the Joint Paymasters of the Forces should be
abolished. He had before objected to the office in
the Committee on the Army Estimates, and he bad
intended to have renewed his objections when the Re.
port was brought up, but having been prevented by
intervening business, he had given notice of his pre-
sent motion. As to the foundation of it, and the rea-
sonsior the House to adopt it, he should refer to their
Select Committee on sinecure Offices, whoa had Re-
potted, that it was proper that this office should be
abolished. They were supported in this opinion by
the Right Hon. Charles Long, one of the Paymas-
ters, whom he saw opposite to him, who had given it
in evidence that one of the Paymasters was sufficient
for the perlormance of the duty ; and is this state-
ment the Right Hon. Gentleman was corroborated
by the other Paymaster, Lord Somerset. No evi-
dence could be more satisfactory, wiled both these
Right Honourable•Gentlemen and the Noble Lord
had said, the business could be done as well by one
as by two. On a former occasion there had been
some futile objections made to the measure he now
proposed : it was said that there was a great share of
responsibility attached to. the office, and that two
Paymasters were necessary to bear it. But the fact
was, there was scarcely any responsibility, and if there
had been, it would more properly rest on one, than
on two persons : either Lord C. Somerset bore no
responsibility, or he ought not to bear any ; between
these cases the Gentlemen opposite might choose.—
' it was said that no saving could be effected by the
measure he proposed, as the present soiary could not
be reduced ii the offices were vested in one person ;
but the salaries of the Deptries might be added to
that of the Right Honeurahie Geutlernan opposite
(Mr.. Long), who would then have £3OOO per an-
num. and the RAMP a-year to Lord C. Somerset
would be saved. But at was not on the ground of
ceconumy that he proposed . the measure, but because
the office in question was a Parliamentary place, for
which tile_ pkasessor did nothing but receive the iIi2(XX)
a4year. He had been told by a Noble Lord opposite,
to look at the Sinecure Biil, which was to abolish
this pl ice, and the Noble Lord had answered himself
by voting against that Bill. The Bill id question had
passed that House, but would never become a law.
reasons tor thineing so was, that it was cc!". good
--(41 iaug4)--it v,ouici destroy; if passed, too much
Paihaineatary provender—too many offices of agents,
laid Hirs.i.ds in the West Indies and elsewhere—all
vary g od things for Members of Parliament.—
(Hear, he.:r.) The Bill was a Place Bill, and one of
(such all extent as never had been passed (luting the
last lIU years, without a hard struggle. (Hear, hear.) •
L'he only way to abolish such a mass of places, was
by singling out certain offices which were of no use,
and bringing them under discussion. The advan-
tages of this mode of proceeding he should shew by
reference to the present case. Any reasonable man
looking at the name of Lord C. Somerset, and the
£2UOO a-year against it, and seeing that he was a
General Officer, would say--“ Oh I he has been at
the B.4ttle of Salamanca or Barrosa, or some other
place, where he has distinguished himself, and for
this they have given him this £2OOO a.year."--
(Hear, hear.) But he (Mr. Creevey) would say that
Lord C. Somerset. had never been abroad, that he
was Commander of the Sussex District to defend the
coast against the enemy. 44 Well, and I suppose he
is paid nothing for that." laugh.) 44 Oh, yes,
(he should say) he has a-day, with a large sum
whenever he wishes to take an excursion to secure
the coast against the enemy ; fifteen or sixteen horses
for chine and purru:t ! if the enemy should land. He
has xwoo a-year for performing the duties of an
office he never sees, and £3OOO a-year for defending
the coast of Sussex, while he is constantly in this
House." (A laugh.) The Noble Lord, then, it
would be said, receives £`2o 00 a-year for nothing.—
, Not entirely so. The Noble Lord is one of a great
family, who, by the natural influence of large pro-
petty, have considerable weight in elections, and who
happen to think precisely as the Ministers do on al-
most all subjects. (A laugh.) Tll2 influence of the
Cr.,wn was so increased, that unless some such mea-
sures as that now proposed should be adopted, we
might expect to see always what we saw now, that
millions in supply would be voted away as easily as,
thousands were formerly. He then moved his Re.
solutions :

Ist. That Lord C. Somerset is Joint-Paymaster of the Fords,
and a Lieutenant-Central in the Army.
2d. That a Select Committee had pronounced the office of
Joint-Paymaster to be one that should be abolished.
31 '1 hat the House do agree with such Report, and that the
office should be abolished.

On the first Resolution being put from the Chair,
Mr. LONG rose and observed, that the Hon. Gen-
tleman had advanced no additions; reason why tne
House should now do what it retused to do three
weeks ago. Besides, as the Sinecure Bill had n 0.%
passed, and was before the Lords, it seemed absur,'
now to propose a measure which was one of the ob-
jects of that Bill, until at least that Bill should be re•
jeered. But he was ready to meet the Resolution on
other grounds ; the 14bours of the office of Pap naster