Star.
London, England, 1820-05-17 00:00:00

MILITARY EXPENDITURE.

Colonel DAVIES rose, in pursuance of notice, to
bring his motion upon this subject under the consider-
ation of the House. He felt that he laboured under
peculiar disadvantages in bringing fot ward this-ques-
tion, because, ,however the _necessity of economy I
might be admitted, still, as there were many in that
House who saw causes for alarm in the state of the
country, he feared that they might be prejudiced
against anything that would weaken the means of
defence which the Government had at its disposal.—
But as he did net intend to propose any definitive
measure for reducing the efficient military force, he
hoped the friends of economy would give him their
assistance in promoting an inquiry which could do no
mischief, but might produce essential benefit to the
community. The state of the finances was such, that
it was high time for every public man to come for-
ward, who thoafght he could propose any arrange-
ments which might tend to improve them, for what-
ever shape the distresses of the country assumed, at
the bottom of them all would be found, as their cause,
the disordered condition of the finances. The immense
weight of taxation which they required, oppressed the
mercantile spirit of the country, which otherwise
would have found new channels of enterprize as soon
as the old ones were closed up. From these considera-
tions it was that he wished to direct the attention of the
House to the military establitbhments of the country.
He had devoted much labour to the enquiry, and the
more he examined them the more was he surprised
in every department to see such an extreme want of
economy, and the greater necessity he perceived for
Parliamentary interference. It would, perhaps, be
offered as an objection in the outset, that there was
no reason to call for the Select Committee which he
meant to pi opose, since the Finance Committee had
already fully investigated the subject. To the Gen-
tlemen who sat on that Committee he meant to offer
no offence ; but he must say, that from all their la-
bours, no one advantageous measure had as yet ema-
nated. If then it should be said that the matter ought
to be left to the Executive Government, he would
answer, that it ought not, for he agreed with his
Noble Friend, who opened the debate of last night,
that the duty of reducing any of the existing Esta-
blishments ought not to be committed to the Govern-
ment. Their own power depended too much upon
the extent of their patronage, to allow it to be ex-
pected that they would reduce that patronage if they
could possibly avoid it—(licar, hear). They shewed
no disposition towards economy, as was manifest
from an appointment which had recently taken place
—he meant that of the Governor of Gibraltar. Here
was an office which was neither more nor less than a
sinecure ; and from the recommendation of a former
Committee of that House that that office should be
abolished, it was everywhere expected that when it
should become vacant it would not be filled up. Yet
the late illustrious possessor of it had scarcely ceased
to exist Len the office was given to a person whose
principal merit was, that he had a military command
in the fatal Expedition to Walcheren ! Indeed, so
rapidly was the appointment made, that the same
messenger who carried out the intelligence of the de-
cease of the late Governor, was also the bearer of the
information as to the appointment of the successor!
It was his design to propose a Select Committee to
examine into the whole of the military expenditure.
He would now enumerate a few items to show that
reatsavings might be made ; and if he could suc-
ceed is inspiring any Members with doubts as to

i re pritrietY and nectii* ty. Of in& rtn exathination,
he would consider'that he had accomplished no in-
consider-Able portion of hi 3 object. The Hort. Mem-
ber then proceeded to state; that the total of the
army in 1787, a fair period of eompatiison, was,
exclusive of the army in India, 41,921 ; in 1820,
the total, including officers and non-commissioned
officers, excluding India, was 92:224, a number
more than double that of 1787.. The expense of the
military establishment in 1817 was 6,582,8021.—in
1820 it was 6,807,4661. giving an increase to the
latter year of more than 400,000/. as compared with
1817. Now what was there, he would ask, in the
state of the 'country to justify such an increase as
this? It would be answered, perhaps, by a majerity
of the Members of the House, that the increase was
owing to the state of the country. He did not mean
to deny it, nor was it his purpose to impair the exist-
ing steal military strength which it was supposed the
state of the country required. He recollected that,
in the last Parliament, the Right Hon. the Chancel-
lor of the Exchequer, among the resolutions which
lie proposed fOr an addition of 3,000,0001. to tile taxes,
included a resolution which stated, that an overplus
of income over expenditure to the amount of at least
.5,000,000/. was essential to the welfare of the country.
Nosy he would ask, was there an overplus? Were
not the new taxes in a great measure, if not altoge-
ther, inefficient? Such an overplus was undoubtedly
necessary, but never could it be obtained unless by
retrenchment, and by retrenchment.only. With this
view it was that he brought forward his motion, not
for any party purposes, for these were not times for
the indulgence of party views. He did rot mean to
press for a reduction in the number of the effective
military force, though it was his opinion that the
country might have been preserved in tranquillity
without the late additions—(Hear, heat). And this
opinion was confirmed when he looked to Scotland,
where the disaffection that prevailed was more for-
midable than in any other part of the country, be-
cause it was more organized. But the military force
there never amounted to 3000 men, and yet they
were able, with the assistance of the inhabitants, to
preserve the public peace. The inhabitants there, as
they ought to do in England, enrolled themselves in
their own defence. The Yeomanry, in Scotland,
amounted to 3700 men, and it was unpleasant to
add, that although the population of the Lowland
districts did not exceed the population of Lanca-
shire, still the number of Yeomanry in the latter
county did not amount to four hundred men. If the
people there came forward as the people in Scot-
land had, they would supply a force more than suffi-
cient to keep the country in order—(Hear, hear).
—While upon this subject, he could not avoid ob-
serving, that the amount of the Cavalry throughout
the country was much larger than there was any oc-
casion for. What necessity, for instance, was there
for the Cavalry in Kent and upon the coast of Essex ?
Was it to preVent smuggling? With that set-% ice
they had nothing whatever to do. The Officers of
the Revenue had, at their disposal, a large force ex-
clusively for that service, and to addition to it was
deemed necessary. The same remark might be ap-
plied to the Cavalry along the whole southern coast.
Connected with the Cavalry, there was one source of
expense which he thought might, without any diffi-
culty, be retrenched. It was known that to every
troop of Cavalry 'fifteen dismounted men were at-
tached. This arrangement, when first made, was
called one of economy, but it turned out to be an un-1
necessary additional expense. However, supposing
that these fifteen men were necessary when the- ar-
rangement was first made, it could not, he hoped, be
denied, that now they were perfectly superfluous.—
He would propose that the dismounted men, there-
fore, should be all reduced, and this would cause a
diminution of forty-six men in each Regiment of
Cavalry. He would further suggest a reduction in
each Regiment of one Major, two Lieutenants, and
two Comets ; upon the whole, savings might be
made in the Cavalry Establishment to the amount of,
eighty thousand pounds a-year, and yet the Cavalry
would remain as efficient as it was before—(Hear).—
The existence of two Majors in a regiment was un-
known in the Army until 1796, when the addition
was made, for the first time. He assured the House,
that it was unpleasant to him to suggest these reduc-
tions; because, if carried inta effect, they would bear
hard upon particular friends of his own. But there
were considerations superior to private feelings, which
influenced him in making these suggestions—(Hear).
He added, that, as a matter of justice, the Officers
reduced ought to be placed on the half-pay list, and
that, in any promotions which should take place in
their regiments, their claims should be considered
the same as if they'were on full pay. The Honour-
able Member then proceeded to propose the reduc-
tion of the whole of the Waggon Train, which, he
contended, were now unnecessary. This would save
the country £lO,OOO a-year. In the Infantry, he
would propose also to reduce the second Majors, and
so to consolidate the regiments, that, instead of ten
companies of sixty-five men each, they might consist
of eight companies of eighty men each, and such an
arrangement, extended to the whole of the Infantry,
would produce a saving of between sixty and seventy
thousand pounds a year. There were. large garri-
sons in Portsmouth and elsewhere, which he (Colo-
nel Davies) thought might be reduced—(Hear).--
He enumerated reductions in the Staff, which he
thought practicable, to the amount of £20,000 a-year;
in the Recruiting Establishment, too, an immediate
reduction might be made of £14,000 a•year, which
would eventually amount to £20,000 a-year. He
would propose the reduction of the District Quarter-
masters, the equalization of the Staff in Ireland with
that of England, which would produce a saving of
£3OOO a-year. In the Staff Establishments of Ja-
maica, Gibraltar, Tobago, and the Leeward Islands,
lie suggested reductions to the amount of £9OOO
a-year. He proposed that the office of Paymaster-
General should be abolished ; and he instanced the
fact, that in Ireland, while an Honourable Friend
of his, the Member for the Queen's County, was in
office, an army of sixty thousand men was paid
without the assistance of such a character as a Pay-
master-General. He thought that the Pension List
ought to be framed upon a more bqual scale than it
was at present, when he saw a larger pension given
to the widow of a deceased ACcountant,, than was
given to the widow of a General Officer !—(Hear).
in the War Office establishment a saving of 12,0001.
a-year might be effected by simplifying-the accounts,,
by consolidating the allowances with the soldiers

. .
pay, by 'cutting Ofithedoinmisiariat bepanmenr, ar d
making thb contracts altogether ;in affair of regi
tnental management. In Ireland he would propose
to reduce the Commissariat to half its present amour t.
—ln the Foreign Troops' Office, it appeared that an
expense of 2001. a-year more than iii 1806 was now
incurred. Was this necessary ? Vie salaries of the
individuals in the Comptroller's Office amounted
now to 8,0001. a-year more than they did in Md.
Here a great saving, he thought, might be effected:
In the junior department-of the Military College, he
proposed, that the present number of 290 boys should
be reduced to 229, and that this number should le
consolidated into two companies, which would tare
5501. a-year. These, he granted, were petty details,
but upon the whole he could propose an accumu-
lation of such details to the amount of 400,00 Q/.
a-year, a sum not to be despised in the present de-
pressed state of our finances. Ile made a few
remarks upon some irregularities that at present
existed in the superannuation allowances, several cf
which he contended -were prematurely given.—
Among the rest he mentioned an Accountant, who,
atter eigl:t years' service (thong]] the Statute required
tea years), retired upon an allowance of 1:456 a-vear ;
while many General Officers, who had devoted the
greater part of their lives to the public service, re-
tired upon less than a third of that sum. The Ho-
noatable Member then went through the Medical
Dapartment, in which he proposed a few reductions,
and coatended that an inquiry was necessary into
the Superannuation Establishment, if for no other
reason than that of seeing why some men received
sOvii,large allowance. as they' did through the aid of
secreiatluence,• and others received such small pen-
sions, who had no other friends to interfere for them
than the wounds which they received in the service cf
their country I—(Hear). He contended that in the
Barrack Establishment great savinea might be effect-
ed, fur he was prepared to chew, that in that,depart-
ment large sums were most uselessly squaw:err:A.-
11e believed it was in vain to recommend any system
of economy to the present Ministers, who seemed de-
termined to keep within their grasp every kind of
power which could be upheld by extravagant expen-
diture ; and nothing but the vote of that House could
make them alter their system. They had constantly
endeavoured to throw ridicule on every man who
made any proposition that bad the good of the Pub-
lic for its object; and, on all occasions, to throw dust
in the eyes of the House and of the Public. The
Hon. Member concluded with moving, " That a
Select Committee be appointed to examine into the-
whole of the Military E..penditure of the country, and
to report their opinion thereon to the House."
Mr. LONG said, he felt it necessary to correct
many errors and mistatements which the Hon. Gen-
tleman had fallen into respecting Military Accounts.
ith regard to his assertion, that gm Paymaster-Ge- •
neral was out a public accountant, the very contrary
was the fact—he was as great a public accountant as
ever existed—(Colonel Davies 'fere exclaimed," Incyr
said so !") Na attention had ever been wanting on
his part to keep all the accounts clear and regularly
made up. With the exception of the accounts of the
last year, the whole of the army accounts were already
passed, including those of the late war, and when
they were all made up, they would he open to the
inspection of any Gentleman. The annuity of A:400,
alluded to by the Hon. Gentleman, was given to the
widow of an accountant who had held 'his office
for many years, and who had rendered important ser-
vices to the Army. When he (Mr. Long) came into
office, there were many persons whose offices were
sireacrixsi and whose duty Was performed by deputy.
All these were since abolished, except that of the
office of Clerk to the Paymaster at Malta, and two
others; and a satisfactory reason might be given why
those offices were not abolished.

Colonel DAVIES, in explanation, said, what he
had stated was, that the Paymaster-General had net
a sufficient contr.,ul over the public accounts.
Mr. LONG—" I assure the Honourable Gentle,.
man that I have every controul which it is necessary
for me to have."

Lord PALMERSTON said, he would not now,
by any long statement, anticipate the discussion which
was to take place the following day on the Army Es-
timates. He should not answer the attack made by
the Hon. Gentleman on the Finance Committees,
from whose labours be.asserted, that no public benefit
had arisen. He assured the House that he had never
seen any set of men exert more industry, or chew roc
greater desire to promote the benefit of the Public,
than the Gentlemen who compose those Committees.
With respect to the increase that had taken place in
the Army during the present year, ILe would say, that
that man must be grossly ignorant of the internal state
of the country, who supposed that the events which
took place during the last twelve months did not
render such an increase necessary. The Hon. Gen-
tleman had stated, that by a different modification of
Regiments, and a reduction of Field Officers, a saving
of. 4:100,000 a-year might be effected in the Army.
There aright,, no doubt, be a pecuniary saving, by
adopting a kind of organization in the Army, diffe-
rent from the present; but that advantage would be
more than counterbalanced by the deficiency which
would immediately take place in our military force.
Here the Noble Lord defended the Country Gentle.
men of England against the reflections of the Ho-
nourable Member, as to their being deficient in zeal,
and not ready to come forward in defence of their
country —for the very contrary was the fact. With
respect to the proposal to disband all the dismolinted
Cavalrymen, that could not be done without
ing the efficiency of our force; for it was always ne-
cessary to have a greater number of men than of
horses. On the Cavalry was principally imposed the
duty of guarding the Metropolis, and it was always
necessary to have an,additional number of men at-
tached to them. The Honourable Gentleman com-
plained of the number of Cavalry kept on the coasts;
but he ought to recollect, that they were engaged in
the necessary duty of 9:iecking-eon:raband trade,
and that some part of the force must have time to
rest, while others were engaged in this arducu; ser-
vice:, As to the Honourable Gentlcroaa's complaint,
of their being too many Field ()dicers, this was a
subject on which man/ cliifer.:nces.ot opinion exit-
ed; and those different opinions did .no foim a
good Parliamentary ground for .the present motion.
He had also objected to the Waggon Vain ; but ;f
that establishment did not exist, the duty must be
done by the Cavalry or by farmers' horses; in either
of which cases, great inconvenience would Le pc:-