Star.
London, England, 1822-03-05 00:00:00

ecentint of the disturbances in Wend. The total
diminution then in this. year, as compared with the
last, was 17,822 men, ,taking into calculation the rei
duction of the Veteran Battalions, or leaving those
out of 12,000, and of 557,000 t. in the expense. It
should, however. be borne in mind that these reduca4
tions took place upon the first class of the Estimates,
and that the Retired List would be necessarily in-
creased as the active service was reduced. It was,
however, but fair to observe, that this reduction of
500,0901. deducted from 3,500,0001. voted for the
active and retired service of last year, was a &Crease
of full one-seventh. An allusion had been made to
the Estimates sanctioned by the Finance Committee
of 1817, as to the peace establishment of the Army.
In their Report, they limited the whole expense of
that department to 8,500,0001. including the Militia.
To this were to be added certain pensions to the
amount of 260,0001. which were expected to arise
tipon the return of the Army from France, making_
altogether 8,760,0001. But the Committee would see
that the Estimates of this year were considerably
within .hat mark, for the total charge for the year
was buf6,103,0681. exclusive of Extraordinaries. The
charge for Extraordinaries was 900,0001. but an ar-
rangement was about to be adopted with the East
India Company, by which they would be obliged to
pay their shame of the expenses of recruiting the Regi-
ments in India, which would amount to 200,0001.=
By this means, the charge directly tinder the head of
Extraordinaries would be reduced to 700,0001.
Then take for the Extraordinaries - X 700,000
To which add
For Barracks in England
Sirtlt for Ireland
Commissariat for England
Same for lrel, nd

121,000
122,800
234,000
109,000

Total

1,387,400
- 6,103,068

To which add charge for Ordinaries

Grand Total for the Year 7,490,468
But deduct this from 8,760,0001. the sum voted by
the Finance Committee in 1817, and the result would
be a clear saving this year, as contrasted with that,
of 1,269.5:321. Having now contrasted the Ordinaries
cf the Array this year with those of last year, and
the Extraordinaries with the same branch in 1817,
perhaps the House would wish that he would state
the particular reductions which had been made under
the head of &tram dinaries,ascontrasted with last year.
In tie Ordinaries, as before stated, there was a
saving of
In !.t. Commissariat (England)
In !i:rr::cks (ditto) -
(exclusive of the 200,0001 to be
by :he East India Company)

X 537,449
66,929
15,900

100,000

p:rmir.eta %wring
lit:: :Lc Yeomanry which were put on duty
uwing to the state of Ireland 40,000

720,278

Total saving as at present 760,278
But when the East ludic Company pay their share, add 200.000

And the whole saving in the Ordinaries and Extraor-
dinaries of the Army, as contrasted with last year,

•rill be

960,278

Compared, then, with the vote of 1817, the saving of
expense upon the whole, this year, was 1,269,5321.
Compared with the votes of last year there was in the
active service a reduction of 12,000 men, and of ex-
pense 537,000/. but contrasted with the votes of last
year there was, upon the whole service of the Army,
as the statements he had made would spew, a saving
of 960,2781. or nearly a million sterling—(Hear).—
The Noble Lord concluded by moving a vote of
68,000 men for the present year.
Colonel DAVIES considered the Noble Lord's
statement very unsatisfactory. The country ex-
pected economy, but there was still the greatest pro-
lusion and waste observable in the charges for the
Army for the year. In the reductions which were
made, the list of Officers was almost untouched, be-
cause Ministers were unwilling to diminish their pa-
tronage. He differed from the Noble Lord as to the
amount saved this year, contrasted with the last.—
The charge for last year, exclusive of the expense of
reducing certain corps, was
Only £6,493,677
This year 6,019,892

Sum saved in fact £473,785
But this was £53,000 more than ought to be charged,
for there were fifteen regiments of cavalry either on
their way to, or returning from India. These, as they
were charged to the East India Company, ought not
to be charged in the Estimates. Deduct then this
£53,00J, and the saving, in fact, would be but
1:420,000 as compared with last year; and this was
considerably short of the million which the Noble
Lord talked of. The Hon. Member then proceeded
to comment upon other parts of the Noble Lord's
speech. He contended that a reduction by regiments
would he more economical than reducing by com-
panies. He would propose to increase the reduction
of troops from 12,000 to 15,000 men. He would do
away with the Staff Corps altogether. He would
also reduce the Cavalry. He contended that the
number of troops employed in the Colonies was too
large. It was much too large compared with the
number of troops kept up in 1792. A great saving
might be effected by establishing a Colonial Militia.
He would do away with the Waggon Train altoge-
ther, as perfectly useless. He also objected to keep-
ing up two Majors in each regiment. He suggested
a mode by which great savings might be made in
the recruiting service, if recruiting parties would
report direct to their corps. The Hon. Member then
proceeded to point out some other reductions, and
concluded by moving, as an amendment, that the
number of troops to be voted should be reduced to
65,502. The reductions were principally to be made
in the Colonies.

Lord PALMERSTON said Gentlemen opposite
had changed their ground. Last Session they con-
tended that it was in the Home Service the greatest
reductions could be made, but they now turned
round, and objected to the force in the Co The
Noble Lord then proceeded to point out that an in-
creased force was necessary in the Colonies. A great
saving of expense was now effected, by dividing the
count') into districts, and placing over each an In-
specting Field Officer, whose business was to prevent
improper rect nits from being admitted into the army.
In answer to what the Hon. Gentleman had said of
pensions given to woonded Officers, he must tell him
that scarcely a day passed over at this time without
some fresh claim being made by such Officers, who
had returned 'roil. foreign service. With regard to
the expense of the Riding Establishment, he (Lord
Palmerston) maintained that it was not too much, be-