Star.
London, England, 1816-03-28 00:00:00

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1177

&ars hier.)—As to the observations of the Hthnonr.
able Gentleman out the salary of the clerks of this
Fund, the cause of their having been lately inereassid.
was an arrangement which had been made within thit
test few years for paying the pittance orthe Poor'
Widirws at their own doors, instead of putting
them as formerly to the trouble and expense of
coming to Leodim.—(Bar, hear.)—The salary of
the Paymaster of this Fund had, within tl:e
few years, been increased from £2OO a year to £6OO. last)
But the reason for this was, that when the salary. was
.1200, the Paymaster bad the emoluments arising
tram the sues of £BO,OOO deposited I. his hands;
en arrangement which had been abolished. and the
addition of ;4400 to his salaiy was a very poor com-
pensation for the profits of that large deposit. 4s
for the office of Paymaster of Marines, he maintained,
that no more economical arrangement could be adopt-
ed, and it was now regulated in the way settled by
the House is 1813. The office of Vice-Admiral of
Scotland was one which toad not be abolished, as it
was reserved speci2lly by the Act of Union, and the
office was far from being a :imam - As to the law
expenses, the £lOO a-year to the Senior Counsel, was
merely a retaining fee, whereas the Junior Counsel
'received £4OO for his whole labour. As to the pay
of the Inspector of Telegraphs, it was exactly that
fixed by Act of Parliament.
Mr. BANKES objected to the increase of the se.
parses at this time of difficulty, and odd, that if. he
could not now submit a. proposition that would bring
that question befog the tlouse, he should do so on
the Report. He was muck inclined to recommend
• postponement of the vote, in order to give time
for ascertaining what the amount of the vote would
be, if the Clerks were to be put on the Peace Esta-
blishment, according to the former system.
Mr. BROGDEN stated, that the sum to be voted
particularly for the salaries of the Clerks of the Ad.
amiralty, amounted to £10,957, Perhaps it would
' answer the Honourable Gentleman's Bankes)
purpose, to vote that the sum should be left out, with
a view so Substitute another sum, such as he would
propose.
Mr. TIERNEY observed, that this was the effect
of referring to the Committee of Supply Estimates
which were not approved of. It would had to divi-
sions without number. However. if it was the wish
of the Committee, he had no objection to withdraw
his motion.
Lord CASTLEREAGH did 'not see how that
difference of opinion could be more easily settled by
the circumstance if the Speaker being in the Chair.
On the contrary, be thought the votes could be more
conveniently taken in the Committee. It was wrong
_to suppose that the present Estimate could sanction
a course of progressive increase.
Mr. BANKES expressed a hope that the resolu-
tion would be postponed, to afford him an opportu-
nity of moving an instruction to the Committee not
to increase the salaries since May last.
Mr. TIERNEY, with leave of the Committee,
withdrew hit amendment.
Mr. PLUNKETT, in rising to addreis the Com-
mittee, was too well aware of the lateness of the hour
to encroach at• any length on their time. At the
same time, he felt it would be doing injustice to his
own feelings, to the interests of his Constituents, and
the sacred rights of .British subjects, not to express
the sentiments he entertained on the line of conduct
adopted by Adminis&ation. Before Froceedine far.
thee-, he would beg leave to ask, whether the salaries
of the Secretaries were to be regulated by the diffe.
MSC between a state of peace and war ? or, in other
words. whether the salary of Mr. Croker was to be
reduced to £3OOO in time of peace ? [This question
being answered in the affirmative, the Honourable
Member proceeded.)—He was gratified to learn that
this distinction had at last been reluctantly acknow-
ledged by his Majesty's Ministers. This line of
conduct adopted by the Vepie Lord was one of the
most extraordinary whisdrilie House of Commons or
the British nation had ever witnessed in any Minister
of the Crown. On a former occasion *hen that dis-
tinction had been pressed in a forcible on the
attention of the House by his Honourable Friend
hNtr- bledwerth the Noble Lord had decidedly given
is negative to it t and yet now, with an inconsistency
which must strike even the most careless observer, be
Nve it his most cordial support. He called on the
oble Lord—he called on his Honourable Colleagues
in Office—he galled on the Gentlemen who usually
-.supported his measures, to say, if in that line of con-.
duct there had been the least justice or fairnep.—
(Cisserr.)—He called on Country Gentlemen on the
opposite side of the House to lay their bands on their
bearts, dispassionately to weigh every circumstance
which had characterized the proceedings of the Noble
Lord, and to ask themselves how they could, consis-
tently, with a regard to conscience, face their consti-
tuents, and say they had done their duty ?—(Hear.)
He would not Impute to the Noble Lord.any unwor-
thy motives. He would net for one moment suppose
that he was actuated by any desire of degrading that
"House in the.eyes of the world. He trusted in GOD
there would never be a public functionary in Britain
who would be capable of using such Jacobinical lan.
But when he sonsidered the procedure of the
•fWe Lord—when be contemplated the inconsistency
which had characterised him throughout, be would
appeal to the feelings of every honest man in that
House, %whether there was not an evident design to
oppose whatever was proposed on his (Mr. Plun-
kett's) side of the House, without tbelmallest regard
whether what was proposed was right or wrong 1—
(CAftes.)—The Honourable Member for Wiltshire
proposed a measure which the Noble Lord reprobat-
ed as improper, and yet next day be comes down to
the House and . adopts the' very measure he had re-
piubated.— (Hear, Hear.)—lt was high time for
Caentlemen accustomed to follow is his train to think
whether hi consistency with their own credit, as Bri-
tish Senators, with their fidelity to their constituents
and, be would add, with their dignity, as men, the;
could any longer be so blinded by prejudices as to
tircome the tools of the Noble Lord. For he would
eik, how did the Noble Lord use them ? He give
them the odium of supporting measures which he
afterwards took to hintaelt the grace of retracting.—
(Lead chiera.)—He (Mr. Plunkett) regretted he was
abider Use necessity ti saying so much, but he telt it
his" duty, and should certainly have Considered him-
oil guilty of an omission of. duty had he not spoken.
He would not believe' indeed it was impossible fer
jins sr believe, that Gamow *bid to degrade