Star.
London, England, 1821-06-30 00:00:00

APPROPRIATION RILL.

On the motion cf the CMA.NCELLOR of the ExciteQUl& the House went into a Committee on the Ap.

propriation
Mr. HUME assured the House he did not mean
to enter into a lengthened discussion on this Bill.—
The Honourable Member adverted to certain prac-
tices prevalent in different branches of the Army,
which he trusted the Noble Lord opposite (Lord Pal-
merston) would revise before next Session. Amongst
the things to which he called the attention of the No-
ble Lord, was the expensive mode of carrying on the
recruiting of the Army. Four or five serjeants were
now employed, when one was found sufficient for-
merly, and he was sure that a great saving might be
effected by returning to the ancient method. Much
beneficial alteration might be made in the Irish De-
partment. He should recommend that Kilmainham
and Chelsea Hospitals should be consolidated, which
would create a saving of £2.5,000. He should also
recommend the Noble Lord to make all the Irish De-,
partments more dependent on London. With regard
to the Navy, he hoped the Hon. Baronet opposite
would not take it amiss, if he recommended also a

revision in some of the arrangements in the Dock
Yards. He saw no reason why there should be a full
Admiral at Plymouth and at Portsmouth, when in
time of war a Vice-Admiral was found sufficient.—
By curtailing this unnecessary piece of expenditure,
a saving of £5OOO a•year would be effected. With
reference to the Ordnance Department, he thought
he had clearly shewn* the Right Hon. Gentleman
(Mr. Ward) who so ably conducted the affairs of that
branch of public service, that the expenditure might
be reduced £216,000, and even up to t. 400,000.—
There was much useless labour belonging to this De-
partment that might be got rid of. In the present

state of the country, it was incumbent upon the Go.
vernment to make all diligent search for such bur-
dens as could be spared. In the efforts he had made
in the course of the Session, he had been actuated by,
this conviction alone, and he begged to assure the
Right Hon. Gentleman opposite, that no feeling of a
personal nature bad at all entered into his motives,
against the Heads of Departments—(Hear).—Seeing
the Noble Marquis in his place, he begged to say,
with respect to the Address to his Majesty which
he had proposed the other night, that that adopted
by the Noble Lord was far superior to his own.—
He was sorry he had given the House the trouble to
divide upon it; for he now thought it more binding
in its nature, and in every respect more proper than
his own. It would have been better that the House
had been unanimous with Ministers in their engage-
ment to revise all the departments of public service,
in order to effect economical arrangements. He
hoped, however, that the reductions that might be
made would not be amongst those classes of persons
whose salaries at present were scarcely sufficient for
their support—(Hear, hear).—He hoped the reduc-
tions would be made among persons of high station,
who took a great deal of the public money, and did
little or nothing for it—( Hear, hear).—When he (Mr.
Hume) first began his labours, at the commencement
of the Session, an Honourable Gentleman oppositt
very angrily told him, that if he continued as he be-
gan, he would be a most dangerous character. He
replied, that he should eventually prove himself the
best friend the Noble Marquis had. He thought he
had done so; for the country would feel more in-
debted to his Lordship for the resolution he had come
to, to reduce the really useless expense, than foi any
other act of that Sessioa—(Hear, hear).
The Marquis of LONDONDERRY assured the
Hon. Gentleman, .that in preferring the Address he
had adopted the other evening, he did so because it
was more obligatory upon Government to pursue
economy in reality. From the good humour which
the Hon. Member had just evinced, he was happy to
find that his labours in the course of the Session had
not soured his temper. The Hon. Gentleman was
going to enjoy the society of his friends, with whom,
he had no doubt, his wonted good humour would be
a great acquisition. For his own part, he wished him
all happiness, and begged to assure him that he
should be ready to meet him next Session, and dis-
cuss all the matters they had contested in the pre-
sent Session over again.
Several clauses having been read and agreed to,
the Chairman reported progress, and obtained leave
to sit'again to-morrow.