Star.
London, England, 1806-05-09 00:00:00

ARMY ISTIMATF.S.

The SECRETARY at WAR brought tip an ac-
count of the eflimates for the feivice of the Army,
and for the eipences of Guards and Garrifons.—
Thefe, he hated, to be merely of it formal nature,
and &Min to thole which had been Ldl plefented to
I the Houle. They were ellimates formed for the pe-
roid of a month only, and the teem why be propmed
them for fo !hod a time was, that the prefent Mu-
tiny Bill would expire on the 24th init. It therefore
became necelfary, in order to give the Houle an op-
portunity of fully difeulling the military plane that
had been brought forward; to introduce a Mutiny
Bill founded on fimilar eflimates to the preceding, to
continue in force for another month. Should the
new military meafores ptopofed to the Mlti, be
adopted, proper eflimates, founded on theft mea
fures, would of courfe be prefented at the dole of
that period. He new wilhed that there eflimates
tbould merely be laid on the table; and tomorrow
lie would move for voting them in a Committee of
Supply.

Mr. YORKE raid, that he could have no objet-
tint' to goie Minifters full time for maturing their
y plans. At the fame time lie mull fay, that
this was the only inllance, within his recolleetion, of
filch Il r it etlimates being from time to time prefent
cd, during the continuance of a war. At the con-
cluflon of a war, before the peace eftablifhment was
fully fettled, loch a pra'lice had been not unufnal,
hut it was certainly extraordinary while the country
was engaged in war. The Right Honourable Se-
cretary had often charged the Adminiftration with
which he was conflated, with culpable delay in
bringing forward their military plans, but it now ap-
pealed that, after fo long a period had expired, his
own meafures were not even now in any Rate of for-
wardnefs. The Houfe and the country would coin-
pare the condo& of the two Adminiitrations, and
would decide to which of them the charge of eilato-
rind'. was moll applicable. With regard to the dif-
tinguifhing part of the Right Honourable Secretary's
plan, the limitation of the foldier's fervice, lie would
call upon him to confider, whether this might not
he better done by the King's prerogative, than by
Parliament ? and thus an experiment be made which
the Legiflature might either farAinn or rejeti. He
merely, however, threw out this hint for the con&
deration of the Right Hon. Gentleman.
Mr. WINDHAM acknowledged it was perfeitly
lair for the Right Hon. Gentleman to call upon the
Houle to draw fuch a comparifon—but it would alto
be proper for them to compare what the delay in the
one cafe had produced, with what it had produced in
the other. The reafon why eflinsates for fo Ilion a pe-
riod were prefented, was merely for the purport of
giving the Houk an opportunity of fully dircuffing
the plans that had been fubmitted to them. With
regard to the fuggeftion of the Right Hun. Gentle-
man, it could not be raid to bear much relation to
the prefent quenion ; and it might be fufficient to
obferve, that whatever might be enaaed on the rub-
jea of limited fervice, the legiflature would every
year have the power of making whatever alterations
might Poem proper. There would always be fefficient
opportunities for dircuffing the fubjea, and the difeuf.
lions might be founded on the bans of experiment.
Mr. PERCIVAL furpeßed, that the farther eaten-
Pion of the prefent Army Ellimates for a month,
would be found infuffieient. It was now a full month
fince the Right Hunonourable Secretary laid open
his plan to the Houfe, while it did not appear that
any difference of opinion canted among Minillers on
the fubjeft at lean the Right Honourable Secretary
for the Foreign Department had declared his full con.
currence with the plan of his colleague. It was not,
therefore, unreafonable to fuppufe that, if Minifters
had required a month to digell a plan, about which
they were agreed, that Houfe, where it would meet
with fo many opponents, would require a Rill longer
period for its difeuffion.
The SECRETARY at WAR apprehended, that
a month would be fully fufficient to enable the Houle
to come to a determination on the new Military
plans. Betides, when a new Mutiny Bill was intro-
duced at the dole of that period, there would be full
opportunity to diftufs the new chores, founded on
, the alterations that might be introduced into the Mi-
litary Syflem.
Mr. WINDHAM Ihortly anfwered Mr. Percival.
The Eftimates were then ordered to be laid on the
Table.

_
Mr. YORKE rote to a& the Right Honourable
Gentleman, when he intended to bring forward
the three other Bills, relative to the Military At..
rangementa, which be had Come time fince propofed
to the Houfe ?

Mr. WINDHAM anfwered, that they were Dot
yet ready, but would be brought forward in the
courfe of a few days.
MILITARY COMMISSIONIRS REPORT.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
role for the put pefe of giv.ng a general notice to the
Houle, to which he would beg leave to call their at-
tention by a few obtervations ; and he regretted that
at the prefent moment, he was not prepared to do
more than to give a general notice. There had been
ter fome time lying en the table of the Houk, a Re-
port from the CommifLoners of Military Enquiry,
which contained many matters of the molt ferious
impor.ance, and which called for the mull ferious
attemion of Parliament. He regretted extremely,
that any eaufe fhould intervene to prevent his pro-
ceeding, without a moment's delay, in the Reps ne-
crilltry to he adopted upon the necafion ; but as ar-
tangements had been made, which he hoped would
enable him, hiefore the end cf the prefent Seflion of
parliament, to have the public accounts of the coun-
try fully brought up ; and as the prominent evil to
which his firfl attention would be direile.l, namely,
the great defalcation in the department of one public
Officer in the military cßablithment, would be com-
pletely met by that arrangement, he had only to al-
furc the Houle, that fo foon as the arrangement
fhould be completed, not a moment fhould be 101 l in
proceeding to the necelfary meafures for recovering
the very large balance which was due to the public
in the quarter to which he alluded.