Star.
London, England, 1821-03-15 00:00:00

. .
from the salary of the Governor of the Cape ; he esta-
wished the office of Lientedant-Governor (a place of
Eget, a-year) ; he aholishcd the great office of Vendu
master; whenever sinecure offices became vacant, he
roe sufficient ,salaries for the performance of the
auks, and transferred the surplus to the revenue of
the Colonies. These were not the acts of a man who
grasped at patronage. Since the peace, all the con-
siderable appointments were given to Officers °obeli-
Pay,,
who bad no other means of subsistence. 'But
die Hon. Member thought the half-pay Officers had
ken used hardly by the Foreign Enlistment Bill,
which prevented them from improving their fortunes
in South America. He (51r..Gotalburn) believed those
who had gone to South America, had met with none
of the anticipated blessings--(//erte).—And there was
taw a resolution of the Government of that country,
'slot to employ any more foreign Officers, because
krbeir health would not bear the climate, and because
's•thiy were too expensive—(Hear).' •The Hon. Mem-
beimueleded observing, that the change of mi-
tory system since 17 ndered more en neces-
sary the Colonies. Inglig2, m
men might be drafted
from. Regiment to Regiment, without being consulted.
Now, they enlisted for particular Regiments, and
when necessary to send out the Regiments as relief,
they must reach the stations before their predecessors
could be removed.
Mr. J. P. GRANT said, that it was difficult in
persons not in official stations, to form a judgment
of the requisite numbers of the military forces. He
(Mr. Grant) must look to the general state of the
country, and thence form his judgment of the ne-
cessary forces. On a former occasion, the Noble
Lord (Palmerston) had stated, that 5,000 men were
necessary for a particular service ; and after all had
reserved only 1,300 for that service. He was aware
that the country had more Colonies than in 1792 ;
but in the same Colonies that the Country had in
1Y99, there had been an increase of 21,000 men.-
Such an addition was wholly uncalled for by the
-state of the country. Nor could he see why the ge-
neral military totce should be more by a half than
Mr. Pitt deemed sufficient for 1792. No case ho i
been made out to sanction such an increase, and the
House was bound to refuse it. Some Governments
might be entitled to some degree of confidence from
the House, but the present Government was entitled
to none. Though the reduction might he made to
the extent of 20,000 men, yet half that number only
was demanded. The only way to prepare for war,
was by husbanding our resources in time of peace.
Sir R. FERGUSON said, that he felt it necessary
to make some observations upon what had fallen,
from the Honourable 'Under-Secretary for the Colo.)"
nial Department, with regard to what he (Sir Ro-
nald) had stated respecting Sir James Craig. That
statement he would again repeat, namely—that Sir
James Craig, being Governor and Commander of the
Cape of Good Hope, in the year 1795, and finding
that no pension or allowance was made to him by
Government, did assign to himself the sum of three
thousand pounds a-year, until the pleasure of Go-
vernment should be known upon the subject—Sir
James declaring that he thought that sum amply
sufficient. This gallant Officer did not, indeed, ap-
propriate one shilling more of the public money to
his own use. What, then, was to be thought of the
enormous salary granted to the present Governor,
who, by the bye in addition to that salary, was in
possession of a -very large farm, for the use of which
he had the gratuitous labour of forty slaves, the ser-
vice of each of whom might be set down as equiva-
lent to seven shillings a-day? The revenue, then, of
the present Governor of the Cape, might be fairly
otimated at £20,000 a-year. Was it, hf asked,
either just or considerate to allow such a salary to
this Governor? On the contrary, indeei, in the pre-
sent situation of the country, when all classes 01 the
people were complaining of grievous distress, he
could not hesitate to pronounce such-a grant to any
Court favourite as most indecent and disgraceful-1
(Hear, )"hear! front the Opposition Beaches).—What he
bad stated with respect to Sir James Craig, he ex- ,
pressed his readiness to prove at the Bar, by the tes-
timony of the General's own Secretary—(Hear, hear).
The acquisition of the Cape of Good Hope was one I
of the causes assigned by the Noble Lord and others
for an increase of our military force beyond the esta-i
blishment of 1792. But be would contend, and was

prepared to shew, that the military force„ as well as the
civil expense necessary for the defence of the Cape,
might be maintained by the revenues of the Colony
itself, especially if the Hottentot corps had not been so
imprudently disbanded. This corps was, indeed, as
effective, if not more so for local purposes, than any
equal portion of our regular army, while it could be
maintained at a much cheaper rate. Gentlemen on
the other side of the House might smile, but he called
upon any of them to justify the contradiction of his
statement, or to shew on what ground this very use-
ful corps was disembodied. A gallant Friend of his
under the gallery; had thought proper to express
some doubt of the propriety of his recommendation
to reduce the Household Troops and the Cavalry.—
His gallant Friend had stated no reason that should
induce him to renounce his opinion. But having ad-
verted to the Cavalry, he could not forbear expressing
his surprise that the simple manly habit of the old
English soldier should &eve been abandoned of late
years, by the introduction of whiskers and mustachios!
—(Hear, hear)—which was calculated to render Bri-
tish soldiers the subject of ridicule among their coun-
bymen, certainly without contributing to render them
formidable to any enemy—(Hear, hear, and laughter).
-Such fopperies were inconsistent with the plainness
of the English character, as well as disagreeable to
the feelings of the English people, and ought there-
fore to be abandoned—(Near, hear).—He also depre-
toted the adoption of another foreign fashion, among
what v ere called our Lancers and Hussars, namely,
ihatof niountiug them upon small horses, which very
materially interfered with their effectiveness.
Colonel WOOD could not allow the sarcasms
Pied on the British Cavalry to remain unnoticed.
He begged to recal to the recollection of the House
the conduct of the Dragoons at the battle of Water-
loo. The Scotch Greys, aided by. the Inniskillen
bra4oons, plunged into a column of 25,000 French,
and in a short time annihilated them; and the 10th
Hussars first rode over a Regiment of French Ca-
aalri, and then attacked the Infantry. The conduct
the Scotch Greys, and of two other Regiments.
attracted the peculiar notice of Bonaparte on that
memorable day—(Hear, hear, hear).—lt had been
Pro Posed to give up Gibraltar, as it had been said it j

!Was kept against the will of Spain. Of -the will of
Spain he knew nothing, but he hoped it would always
be kept with the will of England—(Hear, hear).—
The Honourable Member here took notice of the item
in the Estimates, granting £2OO a-year to the widow
of Colonel Hill, of the 50th Regiment, who met his
death in the West Indies, by going into an hospital
'to see bow his men were attended to in the yellow
fever, no other soldier being found willing to do so.
'Gentlemen on the other side might smile at this fact,
'but he thought that House must approve of such a
meritorious grant, under any circumstances in which
the country might be placed.
Sir R. FERGUSON observed, that if the Honour-
able MeMber had perceived any smile on his side of
the House upon mentioning the case of Colonel Hill,
it must, he was sure, have been a smile of approba-
tion—(Hear, hear).—But as to the Hon. Member's
quotation of the opinion of Bonaparte, it was clear,
from the words repeated by the Hon. Gentleman
himself, that this distinguished General's first com-
pliment was to that portion of our Cavalry which he
l(Sir Ronald Ferguson) had pronounced most effective,
and not to the Lancers or Hussars, with their whis-
kers and mustachios I—(Hear, hear).
Sir R. WILSON began by vindicating the lan-
guage of his gallant Friend, who had just sat down,
with respect to the Hussars; the import of his gal-
lant Friend's observation being, that these Corps
might be rendered more effective under a different
system. According to his own opinion, no horses
should be sent Out with any of our Light Cavalry, as
they might do garrison duty, if necessary, and horses
might be provided for them when occasion required.;
and thus a saving of expense would take_ place,
while our army upon the Continent, in any new war,
might be rendered, on the whole, more effective.
1-le fully concurred in what the House had heard
from his gallant Friend with respect to the expense
'F the Cape of Good Hope, and especially as to the
ex,r.ivagant allowance made to the Governor of that
Colony. Nay more, he did not think this country,
either for commercial or military purposes, had any
necessity at all to keep the Cape, after we had got
possession of the Mauritius. Therefore, in his view,
the expense of that Colony might be well spared at
once by abandouing the Cape. If, upon any new
war, it should haepen to fall into the hands of an
enemy it would be impossible to hold it against the
power of our navy; and upon this point he would
appeal to the judgment of the gallant Admiral on the
other side. But even if it were determined to keep
the Cape, and to thus encumber this courl7 with ad-
ditional expense, he agreed with his gallant Friend as
to the inexpediency of maintaining so much force in that.
Colony, and especially as to the disembodying of the
Hottentot (:orps (A smile on Me Ministerial Beaches).
Gentlemen might smile at this corps, under the in-
fluence perhaps of the,sample of the Hottentots which
they had seen in this country, in the person of a Hot-
tentot female! ( Laughter).—But he was enabled to
say, that the corps he alluded to were quite as effi-
cient as his gallant Friend had stated. Then, as to
the salary of the Governor of the Cape, it was no
less, for several years, than £lB,OOO per annum;
Minch being pai,i I:im.in hard money, he gained no
less than from 40 to .50 per cent. upon the Exchange
—( Hear, hear, on the Opposition benches).—As to
the expense of the loniaii Islands, he thought that
expense might be spared ; the sort of independence
enjoyed by these Islanders serving to excite the jea-
lousy of the Greeks upon the Continent, as well as
that of the 'finks, against this country. He saw no-
thing that could be gained from the possession of
those Islands suflic ent, in any degree, to compensate
us for the expense of keeping them, or to guard
against:the consequences to which he had ielerred.
Now, as to the %Vest Indies, he deprecated the system
of keeping our native troops so long in these Colo-
nies; for the effect of this system was to deprive them
of health and morals. Of that effect, indeed, he had
heard many melancholy instances, especially in the
multiplicity of punishments. The Artillery were
known to be superior in discipline and regularity to
the generality of the army, and yet, out of only 200
men stationed in Jamaica, there had been, in the
years 1812, 1813, and 1814, no less than 293 sen-
tences, not one of which was remitted—(Hear, hear).
In his opinion, none of our native troops should be
kept longer in the West Indies than four years, or in
the Eta longer than ten. The amount of force pro-
posed to be kept up at home he thought most incon-
' siderately excessive, especially with any view to pre-
serve the tranquillity of the country, which was not
likely to be disturbed, but which, if at all disturbed,
the power of the Magistracy and the Police was
amply sufficient to restore. What, then, could be the
reason for maintaining such a force? In the'Pre-
amble to the Mutiny Bill of 1812, it was stated, that
the great object for keeping up the Army then pro-
posed was, to restore and maintain the balance of
power in Europe. But no such reason was assigned
now, although -he could not help thinking that ba-
lance seriously threatened by the proceedings of the
Continental Sovereigns with respect to Naples. If
the Noble Lord (Castlereagh) proposed to send a
body of men to Malta, with a view to watch these
proceedings, he (Sir Robert Wilson) should not cer-
tainly oppose the grant ; nor did he think any friend
to liberty would object to it; and the Noble Lord
might rely that lie and his Government would yet feel
compelled to interfere with regard to Naples—(Hear,
hear). For it was impossible that England could
passively witness Austria for six years in possession
of Naples, or still more, see Russia take possession
of Sicily—for which purpose he happened to know
that the Russian Government was now actually pre-
paring a fleet to go to the Mediterranean—(Loud
cries of Hear, hear, from the Opposition Benches).
But to return to the amount of force proposed for our
home department; lie thought that still the less ne-
cessary, as it appeared from the force called out in
1819, that Government might at once put a large
force in requisition, if any occasion should require it.
If Government could nut do so legally, then a Bill
of Indemnity should be brought forward to shelter
all those Officers who had enforced martial law in
the battalions called oat in 1819.—One word as to.
. the Foreign Enlistment Act, which had been alluded
to by the Hon. the Under Secretary of State for the
Colonial .Department. That Hon. Gentleman had
stated, that the English Officers who had gone to
South America, in order to aid the cause of the In-
surgents, had experienced a very ungracious recep-
tion ; but he (Sir R. Wilson) would undertake to say,
that if that Act were repealed, English Officers might

•
be fully assured of a very different receOen among
the gallant corps now struggling for liWsw,irl Na-
ples—(Hear. hear).
Mr. EVANS felt himself bound to support the Re-
solution for the reduction of 10,000 then, because he
felt that the finances of the country were not in a si-
tuation to support the proposed expenditure. He
thought itwas imperative upon that House to avoid,
as much as possible, entailing,a load of debt and taxa-
tion upon posterity—(Hear, hear).
Colonel WOOD, in explanation, observed, that he
did not contemn any saving, however small; but he
did not wish a living of 810,000 should be made at
the expense of those brave fellows who had seined in
the West ladies so much beyond the usual period.
. Sir H. VIVIAN said, that if the objections made
to oar cavalry horses were to hold good, oar cavalry'
would have to go abroad with their saddles ein
backs in search of propershorses.
Sir F. BLAKE spoke in support of the Resolution.
for taking 10,000 men from our present military fop e.•
If, however, Ministers would pledge themselves to.
deduct from the army expenditure a sum sufficient
to pay and support 10,000 men, he had no objection
to the army remaining at its present amount, as by
this a saving of £300,000 would be made.
Sir R. WILSON, in explanation, observed, that
each cavalry horse cost twenty five guineas. If they'
allowed six years of peace, then the charge of keep-
ing each horse would be 150 guineas; add to this the
expense of transporting, which was twenty-five gui-
neas for each horse, it would be found that no horse
(ould be sent out of this country under £2OO at least.
Mr. W. WILLIAMS supported the amendment,
amidst loud cries of « Question!"
Lord CASTLEREAGH said he did not rise for
the purpose of entering at length into the details of
the question, but for the purpose of making a few
observations upon what had been urged by those
Gentlemen who supported the Amendment. Accord-
ing to the Returns it appeared that, exclusive of India,
we had a force of 70,350 men, rank and file. Sup-
pose that from this number 10,000 were to be de-
ducted, there would remain 60,350 men. Allowing
the army deficiencies to be 5,000 men, there would
remain an effective force of 55,350 men for the
Home and Colonial service. Deduct from this the
number of men necessary for our Colonial service,
and there would remain but 29,850 men. Take from
this 14,000 men, the number composing the Life
Guards and Cavalry, and there would remain 15,850
men for the service of Great Britain and Ireland, and
also for the purpose of relieving an army of 50,000
men abroad. Now he would leave it to any man
acquainted with military matters, to state whether
the service of the country could be efficiently per-
formed with such a number of men—(hear, hear).
Mr. CALCRAFT said, it was not his intention to
occupy the attention of the House for more than a
very few minutes. He rose solely for the purpose or
correcting the mi,tatements of the Noble Lord—
(Hear, hear, flora the Ministerial Benches).—He re-
peated, the mistatements—the palpable mistate-
ments of the Noble Lord. He was surprised that the
Noble Lord could think of risking his credit upon
assertions directly in the face of the Returns which
had been laid on the table—(Hear, hear).—The Army
Estimates proposed 81,000 men; from this number
it was proposed, that 10000 men should be reduced,
leaving 71,000 men to do the duty .of the country—
(Hear, hear).—The Noble Lord had next gone to the
old, refuted, exploded story about reliefs--(Hear,
hear).—Did not the Noble Lord take the Depots of fo-
reign stations into account ? These Depots amounted
a short time ago to 5,500 men, and he supposed that
they must be nearly equal to that number, and also '
equally available for the public service. As to India,
it was out of the question, as the India Company
were annually raising recruits in this country.
After a few words from Mr. CALCRAFT and Ge-
neral GAscOYNE,

Lord PALMERSTON observed, that there were
2000 men belonging to foreign stations, in the depot
at Aldborough, at this very moment. This shewed
that we never could calculate upon having abroad
the proposed number of troops. Of this number 619
were ready to go abroad, and 1300 were unfit to be
sent out. Notwithstanding what had been said about
the exploded doctrine of reliefs, he would inform the
Honourable Member, that the number of troops now
afloat on their passage home, and those going out as
reliefs, amounted to 4.500 men, which force was for
so far a non-effective body of men. It had been ar-
gued, by several Honourable Members, that the Mi-
litia might be called in aid of the public service, but
every man who had read the Militia Act must know
that the Militia could only be called out by
,Pro.
clamation—(Hear, hear).
Mr. NIACDONALD, in reply, observed, that the
Noble Lord (Castlereagh), in pointing out the dif-
ferent branches of our military force, had oberveill
that the Guards and Cavalry amounted to 14.,0001
men. But why were those branches of our Military
Establishment so large ? It had been repeatedly.
urged from his (Mr. Macdonald's) side of the house,
that the number of Household troops and at Cavalry:t
ought to be reduced—(Near, hear). The proposed
Amendment would, if carried, leave a force of 51,621'1
men for the service of this country ; add to this 4000
Marines, and ten Battalions of Veterans, amounting
to eleven thousand men, and there would be at the
disposal of Government a force of 66,000 men; to
which might be added 37,000 Yeomanry and 20,0001
Volunteers. So that, taking regular and irregular
Troops, there would remain an available force of up-
wards of 100,000 men, independently of the Troopsl
for the Service of the Colonies. Under these cir-
cumstances, he felt that so irresistible a case had been
made out, that he should be wanting in his duty
both to the House and the Country, if he did not take
the sense of the Committee on the Amendment.

The House then divided—
For the Amendment - - - - 11.5
Against it
Majority against a reduction of 10,000 men —96

Another division took place on Mr. DAwsoies
proposition for a reduction of 5,000 men from the
Estimates. The numbers were—

For the Amendment - - - 130
Againtt it - - - 195
Majority
Tin House having resumed. the Report was ordered to be
received to-morrow.

Oh' G. WARRENDE•A gave notice, that he should bring
forward the bitavp Estiniptes on Mogdisg.
Ale other .9rdei of the D 47 were then disposed of, and the
House adjourned at Haltupist Twelve this morning.

• EVENING STAR.

LONDON.

THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 1821.

The lliOuse of Commons went again, last 'night,
into a COmmittee of Supply' on the Army I:: :timate,.
Mr. MACDC/NALD pioposed, as an Amendment, that
'there should be a reduction of 10,000 men in the
'military force of the country. A long discussion
ensued,, and okiinately a division took place, when
the Amendment was negatived by a majority of 96;
the numberi
For the Redieibtr....-..ats I Against It ~........«411.
Mr. Desissott then moved for a reduction to the
number Of-5,000; but this was also negatived, by
195 to 130.

The original Resolution, for granting 81,458 men,
was then agreed to, and the Report was ordered to
be received this day.

Mr. R. SMITH moved, in thie early part of the
evening, for Copies of all Communications which
have taken place between our Government and the
Government of Austria, relative to the Austrian Loan.
Lord CASTLEREAGH did not oppose the Motion, and
the Papers were ordered. It is certainly high time,
when Austria is setting out on a crusade against the
liberties of mankind, that something should be done
to make her refund the money she borrowed from us
to assist her in maintaining her place among nations,
and without which she might probably, ere now, have
sunk into a wholesome state of insignificance.

We have received Oporte Papers to the Ist instant.
They contain accounts from Rio Janeiro down to the
sth of January, from which we are enabled to extract
a more particular detail than had previously reached
us, of the deliberations of King Jour; and Council,
with regard to the Revolution in the Mother Country.
-• It is confirmed in the most positive manner, that 'n
one of the Sittings of the Council held in the presence
of the KING, the Conde des A ncos spoke in favour
of the new order of things in Portugal, and expressed
his opinion with great firmness. He said, it was highly
important, and at the same tire conformable with the
dignity of the Crown, to adopt the Constitutional Sys-
tem, not only for Portugal, but also for Brasil, where
the spirit of liberty was making a rapid prcgress.
The Ministers, VILLA Novat and TAnorNt, replffid
to the Count, and endeavoured to prove that the
principles which he had laid down were very con-
trary to the true principles of Monarchy.
The reasons adduced by the Count des A ;mos in
favour of the Constitutional System, are said to hale
made a great impression on the mind of the KING.--
It is also affirmed, that their Royal Highnesses, the
sons of his MAJESTY, are well inclined to these
changes, and have declared as much to their au-
gust father.

The troops take a great part in the general joy
caused by the gents in Portugal, and the Europeans
especially distinguish themselves. These last doubt-
less form the best part of the force of the Govern.
ment. They amount to 8000 at least.

From the disposition of the troops, and of the in-
habitants of the Brazils at large, there can be little
doubt that the Revolution which has commenced at
Para, but which at the date of these accounts was not
known at Rio Janeiro, must speedily spread over the
whole of Portuguese America, and that the Km)
will have to concede to necessity, what, had the ad-
vice of the Conde des ARC os been followed, he might
have had the merit of granting as a boon.
A Correspondent of The Correiro do Porto, starts
a difficulty as to the grounds on which the Cortes
are proceeding in the formation of a new Constitu-
tion. He secs no one who is to represent the KING
in drawing up the constitutional contract between
him and his People; and he insinuates that to pro-
ceed in this business inaudito regc, is to shake, or even
to destroy, the firm and unaltei able basis, which the
Cortes has already proclaimed, of fidelity and subjec-
tion to Don JOHN VI. This difficulty, of which the Cor-
respondent requests a solution, is, in reality, a frivo-
lous sophism of his own creation. It implies what is di-
rectly contrary to the fact and to common sense, that
in declaring theit Continued allegiance to JOHN VI.
they recognize him as in lawful possession of that
absolute power which his predecessors had usurped,
and which he had, heretofore, been permitted to-ex-
ercise. Had this been their meaning, undoubtedly
they could not, without a violation of their primary
principle, have stirred one step without the formal
authority of the Sovereign. But they were not such
drivellers, as at the very outset of their constitu-
tive labours to lay down a principle which might
prove destructive of the very purpose which they
had been delegated by the People to carry into
effect: The true view of the subject is this....
The Portuguese Nation, in consequence of a long
course of misgovernment on the part of their devoric
Rulers, have resumed their original and indefeasible
right of forming a political system better adapted for
attaining the great ends of individual happiness ard •
national prosperity. Generously attributing the evils
Iwhich they had suffered rather to the vices inherent
in arbitrary sway, than to the personal character of
thr. Monarch, they have not availed themselves of
the long absence of JotiN VI. to follow the example
of England in 1688, by declaring that he had abdizated
the Throne, bus they have invited him to return, and