Star.
London, England, 1828-02-23 00:00:00

providently made. If that disposable force had not
existed it would have been impossible that we should
have kept faith with Portugal by sending out the expe-
dition which from its promptness proved so efficient.
The Noble Lord contended for the advantage of reduc-
tion by men over the system of reducing battalions.
Mr. CALCRAFT said that no detriment had been
proved likely to arise from reduction.
Mr. P.THOMPSON contended that reductions might
be effected by pacifying Ireland and withdrawing the forces, and
by giving up all the Colonies which could not pay their own mili-
tary expenses. He did not wish to impede the Government, and
should therefore, however reluctantly, vote against his Honourable
Friend's amendment.
Colonel DAVIES said, that by the system of depot
corps 11,400 men were uselesa to the service, and that it was the
worst system that ever entered the mind of man. He was in favour
of reducing by battalions; and if a war broke out, it would be easy
to raise others by drafting Officers sad men from old battalions to
form new ones.

Mr: MONCK said, that although the Government of
France was more Monarchical, it was less Aristocratical
than ours, inasmuch as it took less from one class of the
people to support another class. He wished to call the
attention of the Committee to. the dead weight as corn-',
pared with that of the Government of France. First, no
officers were allowed to retire on full pay, which was'
a more economical system, and ought to be adopted.—
Then he found in our dead weight the sum of 143,0001.
for Pensions to Officers Widows. In the French Army
no Officer was allowed to marry without being able to
settle on his Lady a sum equal to his pay, by which
the calamity of her being left destitute was provided
against, and no charge was brought upon the State.
The Hon. Member shewed that the difference between'
our system and that of the French Army incurred an
increased annual expease of 630,0001. according to the
Estimates on the table, and strongly contended for the
necessity of economy and retrenchment.

Sir HUSSEY VIVIAN strongly approved of the sys-
tem of reduction in the numerical strength of the army,
which was at present acted upon. No better plan could
be devised than that of preserving the skeletons of regi-
ments, because they always presented excellent materials
for effecting a rapid increa,e in good and efficient soldiers.
It was his firm opinion, that if the system bad been acted
upon previous to 1798, the war would, in all proba-
bility, have been brought to a rapid conclusion, and a
great part of the debt of which so much was now to
be heard, would never have been incurred. He firmly
believed, that it, instead of the dribbling way in
which our army was reinforced at that period, effi.;
cient troops had been sent, the result would have lam
vastly different. With respect to what had fallen frank
the Hon. Member for Reading (Mr. Monck) concerning
the pensions granted to the widows of officers, ti'e was
confident that he spoke the sentiments of the coiner]
when he said, that that was one of the very last points.
upon which the country would wish to see retrenche'
anent—(Hear, hear). The trifling pittance which was;
paid to those who lost their best and dearest protector&
in the service of their country, would never be gives.
with reluctance or regret—(Hear, hear).
Mr. A. DAWSON said that the House would rinly
act with salutary caution if it carefully inOlted into
What was the incoinc. cite he cianitty..befescit gave its
sanction to enormous andirwitanstotww•cosablishments,
He most sincerely hope& tit/it:101,11e* Onverienent
would not continue that iticistrui 's syjteiti of. running
intidebt, and then providing at. Acuity occasioned
by means of a Loan, or the issue of Exchequer Bills.
The plan of voting the establislimewto.-fiyie.,..and then
looking for the means to support them, hecould compere
only to the conduct of a foolish Gentleman, who first
fixed that he would have such and such equipages, and
then inquired if his income would support them!
Mr. HUME said that he was astonished to find that
the Hon. Member for Wareham bad: so 'etiisPletell 41-
tered his opinion as to the merits of the Sinking. Fond.
By the declarations of some of the new Lords: of the

'reasury, who had been so much complimented by his
Hon. Friend, that fund Was confessedly a farce, and he
therefore hoped that the Right Hon. Chancellor of the
Exchequer would :at once bring in a Bal to do away
with it altogether. •
Mr. CALCRAFT explained. He. had not in the
slightest degree altered his opinion. He had alwas
potted the principle of a Sinking Fund, but not ots4
which was to be maintained by borrowing as the pre,
sen; one was. Nor was his Hon. Friend less mistaken
as to the compliment he had paid to some of the new
Lords of the Treasury.- He had spoken of their maiden,
unfledged ignorance, and hoped, that instead of pursuin;
the old mystifying plan,they would adopt an open intells•
giblecourse. He confessed that he had considerable ex-
pectations of effective retrenchment at the hands of the
new Government. With the exception of oneNobleFriend
of his, there was no man in existence from whom ht
should expect so much as fiom the Duke of Welling-
ton. lie entertained the highest respect for the Noble
Lord who was at the head, of the late Administration,
,but as he could not keep his place—as the late Ministers
had been turned out, and he
,was sorry for the circum-
stance, they must Jo the best they could with the team
they had.

The Amendment was .thea put from the Chair, and the House
divided, when there appeared—
For the Atneminient . . . 16
Against it 106
The originalanotion was accordingly carried.— Resointioas grant.
ins the different items were then put and agreed to.

ORDNANCE ESTIMATME.