Star.
London, England, 1821-02-17 00:00:00

I

Mr. BRIGRT defended the conduct of the t.
of the MUIR
Mr. J. MARTIN called the attention of the House
to the dilapidated state of the Museum. He thought
&liberality of Parliament could not be more suit-
.
ably applied, and. he was confident that many vale-
legacies would be left to the Museum,
able literary
i the buildil were in a better state.
Mr. HANKES said, that the Museum had been
see,eyed, and the result laid before the Treasury.—
Toe Trustees thought that the renewal of the build-
might be gradual. A room, made fire-proof,
tho Old °be set apart for the valuable collection of ma-
wb
imeripts, which was at present in the centre of the
-bidding. It had been the object of the Trustees
:.take the collection most available to the interests
efliterature and science.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said,
it was the object of the Trustees to provide for the
settnity of the Estahlkhment with as little expense
as possible to the Public. lie trusted, that after what
bad fallen from different Members, the Hon. Gentle-
man would consent to withdraw his motion.
Mr. BENNETT said, that the attention of the
geeper of the Museum was very great. He had re-
ceived every facility in viewing the collection ; but
every one had not that opportunity. Ile knew that
there was a sort of larceny carried on, which called
for the greatest care of the library, which could not
be so well shewn as the other parts of it. Very often
the value of a book depended upon a single print,
and that might be easily purloined. There was no
admission into the libraries of the Universities.
Mr. SYKES thought it strange that a man should
be charged Is. 6d. for seeing the curiosities in West-
minster Abbey, and be charged nothing for visiting
the more extraordinary ones of the British Museum.
The motion was then agreed to.
ORDNANCE DEPARTMENT.
Mr. HUME began by animadverting in general
terms upon the deficiency of the accounts, strewing
the expenditure, from time to time, of the Ordnance
Department, until such time as they could be of no
ese, with a view to the controuling of that espendi-
tare by the House. He observed, that one general
remark applied to several years past, namely, that
in no instance had the actual expenditure of this De-
partment been commensurate with the amount of the
estimates laid before the House from time to time.—
He then instanced the years 1817, 1818, and 1819, in
which it appeared that the actual expenditure fell
short of the estimates respectively of those years. The
Hon. Member then proceeded to compare the amount
of the general expenditure of the Department. In
1791, the expenses ordinary, and extraordinary, of
this Department were £506,000, including an old
debt of £70,000. In 1792 it amounted to £419,000;
in 1793 to £513,000, making an average for three
years of £440,000 per annum. Let the House now
look to the more recent expenditure of this Depart-
ment. In 1818 it amounted to £1,400,000 ; in 1819
to £1,500,000; and in the last year to the same
amount. But, in fact, the real difference between
the amount of the expenses of this year, and those
for the year 1819, ought to be estimated at £150,000.
lathe Artillery Department the expenditure amounted
to Et 3,071, being £BOOO more than the Commis-
sioners of Inquiry thought ought to be fixed for its
amount. The whole Civil Establishment of this
branch in 179'2, amounted to £78,000; in 1796 to
£31,650; in 1805 to £91,000; in 1808, by warrant
of the King, to £104,000; and in six months after
the warrant was ksued, it came to £122,000. It ap-•
peared also, that .there was an item of 1:30,000 in
gratuities for length of service ; and he believed, ge-
nerally speaking, that these gratuities were paid to
those who received severally the £43,(X)0 already
spoken of. The amount of gratuities in 1796, was
limited to £2,300, and this sum was given, acciord-
mg to the words of the Report of the Committee,
solely fur the purpose of enabling the objects of them
to meet the temporary increase in the price of provi-
sions. In 1812, the gratuities amounted to £BOOO ;
in the next year to £9000; next to £lO,OOO, and so
on, and now it amounted to £30,000. Again, the
Sesretary to the Master of the Ordnance had a sa-
lary of £3OO a-year in 1796, and this was increased
to the enormous sum of £2OOO per annum ; indeed,
so enormous did it appear, that the Committee of In-
quiry recommended its reduction to £l5OO a-year.—
The Under Secretary, in the same year' had a salary
of £3OO a-year. This office was abolished, but the sa-
lary was not saved, for it was divided amongst two
clerks who were in the office—(Hear). There was the
same disposition to extravagance in every other De-
partment. For instance, in the establishment at Dover,
the salary of the Storekeeper, in 1796, was £120;
in 1801, £5O a-year was added; in 1808, £5O a-year
more, and now that salary amounted to ER* a-year.
He considered the depots of Artillery unnecessary.
The Colonial Department was marked by the same
extravagance. He thought that, without the slightest
inconvenience or impediment to the business of the
Department, the expenditure might he reduced from
£1,500,000 to £1,100,000. Now the House would
be curious to know what was the nature of the see-,
vice performed for this expenditure. He would take
a single Department, that of the Royal Engineers as
Sheerness, in which the Public was annually charged
£1,200 for superintendence. Now, what was there to
be superintended ?—Nine workmen (eight labourers
and one servant)!—(Hear, hear).—Again, at Favers-
ham there was an establishment, kept up at an et.
pense of £3,000 a-year, for manufacturing gunpow-
der, where, strange to say, not a pound had been
manufactured for some years! (Hear, hear).—
The mills and premises had been actually sold, and
}'et, after the sale of them, there appeared that an In.
Spector of Gunpowder was appointed!—(Hear, hear).
in addition to these facts, it further appeared, that
two Clerks, belonging to the establishment at Sheer-
tess, had let their houses there, and went to reside at
glienborough ; that two labourers also let their cot,
hies to keepers of convicts, and went also to resi
Queenboroughl—(Hear, hear).—He had next to
call the attention of the House to another branch of
the expenditure of the Department. There were
seven vessels belonging to the Ordnance Department,
called magazine-ships, and the expense of keeping
them w £8,700 a-year. He would take one of thenal
as an example, to serve for the understanding of the
rilan'.&erneut of the rest. The wages of the men be-
ng to one alone, of sixteen tons, amounted to
4430. He begged here to notice, that not only the
wants, but the Masters of vessels, in the employ-
mof the Ordnance Establishment, werepermitted

Tres•
ana
.a±A

eve/
tri, li

. -
. . ,
to vote at Telections, contrary to all analogy of prac- Dublin was as expensive as the whole of Ireland
tice. In the ship just mentioned, two of-thltJuraes beilde, for he found the whOle expense of Ireland.
of Queenborough were the Masters; and he had beeri was £8,160, while that of Dublin seas £7,660. The
informed that the vessels never performed a'trip, un- next line included a charge of £17,000, but he could
less for the-purpose of carrying wood where they not say what it was for. Now that such an exoenie
ought not to carry it. In short, no less than sixty-six should have arisen in the Ordnance Estimate, was to
freemen of the Borough of Queenborough were em- him a mystery. In point of artillery, she had not
ployed in the craft of the Ordnance Department; and one fourth part as much as England, yet he,found-
it was not to be forgotten, that there the power of the whole charge for Ireland £22,000e--(iliar).
returniag a Member to Perlianient was in the hands . He would say once for all, that the payofthe Off eers
of three Magistrates!—(Near, hear).—Was he nor, was too high. In a time of profound peace,. with
then, entitled to say, that the whole expenditure of nothing to do, it was full 40 per cent. higher than
this Department was a sacrifice to electioneering at arty time of the war, I
sheen their duty was great-
purposes? This was corruption in its broadest sense. est. Money, since 1811, haleisen 25 per cent. and
Let the House attend to the peculiar circumstances' by their being relieved from the Income Tax, they.
which marked the whole economy of this Depart- got 10 per cent. more, which, with other allowances,
ment. If a poor labourer appropriated to himself made their pay full 40 per cent. better than during,
only a few brass nails, he was subjected to the punish- the war. In a time of distress like the present, great
ment of felony ; but it seemed that a storekeeper could reductions of the public expenditure ought to be made.
engross a whole boat-load, not only without impunity, A Committee, free from the baneful influence of the
but without inquiry !—(Hear, hear).—He understood Crown, would do much good. The Noble Lord, too,
that a quantity• of coals were annually taken from might increase his patronage, by lessening the rum-
the King's stores for the use of certain members of ber of offices, for the fewer there were to give away,
the establishment. He did not know but this might the more would be looking for them—(A laugh).—
be an allowance sanctioned by custom and autho- This ought to be an important consideration With the
rity. He merely wished to ascertain the fact, and Chancetior of the Exchequer, who could thus at once
to place the matter upon its proper footing.— diminish the public expense, and increase thepetronage
One manufactory for gunpowder would be sufficient. of the Crown. As the accounts were now presented
We were not now in the same situation as at the to the House, no man could possibly tell what the'
commencement of the French war, when it was ne- expense of the Ordnance Department had been in
cessary to keep such establishments as these till they any one year, He would have the public ledger
were wanted. It could not be defended on any ground laid regularly before the House. The Compeqsation
but that orpatronege. The Hon. Member also cx- List, he observed, was increased this year from
cepted to an item of £3,000 a-year for gunners. He I:10,000 to £42,000. Thus, whilst we saved £20,000
would shew that some serjeentse who had large sala. n-year by the deaths of Officers or soldiers, we were
ries, lived at twenty miles from their offices—nay, losing double in the Civil Department. It would be
some of them kept grocers' shops at that distance— seen by the list of pensions, that persons who had only
(hear, hear).—At Woolwich, where only £1,400 been two, four, or perhaps six years in the service,
was charged for workmen, a sum out of all proper. had been gratified with pensions. He concluded by
Lion was eharged for clerks and overseers; and it moving, e That the Ordnance Estimates fur Great
was,a fact that in some departments there the num. Britain and Ireland, for the present year, be laid he.
ber of overseers was more than equal to the labourers fore the House, with distinct columns, stating the
—(Hear, hear).—He also protested against the intro- salaries, pensions, and gratuities of each Officer, and
duction of a Paymaster for these men, who had a distinguishing such Officers as were appointee since
salary of £4OO, though in 1796 they used to be paid 1793 ; also for the like Account as it stood in 1796,
by an office check. A Surgeon, for attending only that the House might be enabled to compare them."
fifteen men, had £3O or £lOO a-year. He did not now Mr. WARD had no objection to produce the Pe-
complain of the extent to which these establishments pars called for; but he complained that be was taken
had been brought during the war, but what he quite by surprise by the long and elaborate speech
wanted was, that they should be now discontinued— which the Honourable Member bad just concluded.
(Hear, hear).—He next objected to a general item He (Mr. Ward) had contented himself with laying the
which, under five heads, stated a sum of £35,000 ordinary Estimates on the table; and if more infor-
a-year for taking an account of the remains of stores. illation was wanted, he was not indisposed to give it,
In this department there must be great mismanage- when he was better prepared, being taken on the pre.
ment. lie understood the practice was to send down sent occasion entirely •by surprise—(llear, 'hear).—
persons from headsquarters to the' ports to take an The statements of the Ilonourable Member, though
account of these stores, but he asked why it could made with all the help of figures,. calculation, great
not be simplified and made less expensive? Again, industry, and more labour, were, in the main, incur.
there was a charge of £2,000 for labourers at Sheer- rect to a degree. The Honourable Gentleman had
ness, Woolwich, etc. but-why was not the number at given him such a notice, previous to this discussion,
each place specified? Another allowance of £.5,600 as prepared him to expect that he sluould be called
for books and paws was by much too extravagant. upon for an explanation of the first item only—
The Committee had made allowances to Officers of namely, the £42,000 for the Office in Pall-niall; yet
Engineers, but no one could say, by looking at the had the Honourable Member launched into a wider
Estimates, whether the Staffs of the Corps were in- field of discussion, in which, however, he (Mr. Ward)
eluded under the item set down against them. All not having his papers by him, would not now pretend
these Accounts were loose and unsatisfactory.-- to follow him. He could, however, set him right in
Again, he called the attention of the Honourable one or two facts, and the House would then appre-
Member to the recommendation which was given ciate his authority as to the rest, when they saw his
him of setting down the four Artillery Corps in the fallibility in these, In his first observation, then, the
Ordnance Estimates by corps, as our Regiments are Honourable Member had fallen very wide of the
in the Army List. There would be a satisfaction in mark, with figures, calculations, patience, and labour,
looking at the number of corps,_ specifying the he states, gravely, that, since last year, the reeuction
strength of each, and the number of Officers, instead in the Ordnance Estimates sets only three thousand
of a confused lumped up charge of £271,000 for pounds. Wonder-full—Why, if the Honourable Mem-
the whole: £52,000 was too large for the Corps of ber had looked at the most ordinary papers connected
Engineers, though lie admitted they were not to be with that department, he would see that the reduc-
made in a day ; but what he wanted was, specific tion, in fact, was not three thousand, butfity-three
account of the mouey expended for each particular thousand pounds!—(Hear, hear).—This was not the
service. - With regard to the Military College at first time he regretted that the Honourable Meniber
Woolwich, it was quite impossible to say why £7500 and he had misunderstood each other. The Honour.
should be set down for it. By the Reports Of 1812 able Member stated the expenses of the year to be
and 1816, this establishment cost the country/37,350, £1,500,000, whereas, in fast, they were butt' ,527,000,
--pin Hume said he spoke from the Report of the but no account was now given of when the reduc-
tions had taken place to bring it down to the pre- Finance Committee.]—( Wear, hear).--me WARD
sent charge. Was the reduction in Students or Ca- said that was no authority. The Honourable Mem,
dets? By the last reduction, 150 Students still re- ber had asserted that the reduction was only £3,000,
.mained on the establishMent, too large a number but he would shew him what that reduction was in
still, if we take into account the Pension List also. fact. In all the Civil Departments of the Ordnance
These 150 Students get, say three years instruction, there was a saving, except in that of the Civil Super-
but there must go out 50 every year-50 must, in annuation alone, -and there the increase was £1,600.
other words have commissions. Now were there 50 He was sure, when the House understood the prits
commissions vacant yearly ? There were not; and it ciples upon which that branch of the establishment
was therefore not only a useless expense to the coun- was conducted, they would never quarrel with Go-
try to continue them, but an actual loss to the young vernment for increasing it—( Hear, hear).—ln the
men themselves, who were thus kept unprovided for: Ordinaries, £758 was struck off; in the Extraordi,
He called on the Honourable Member to discharge naries, £9,000;• on the Unprovided List, £20,000,
more of the Cadets, and take some of the Half-pay and on the Military Superannuated List £20,000,
Officers from the Army in their stead. It was long In Ireland, it was true, the reduction was as small
a complaint in the Army that the Military College as 1:143.—He insisted, therefore, if the Hon. Member
was shut against them. The next account was one put all these sums together, he would find the whole
headed " EZtraOrdinarieS r but under these were reduction about £so,ooo—eot £3,000. Le uno disci
three sub-divisions, " Repairs, Current Expenses, and omnes— if he made mistakes in one point, he was no
Contingencies." With regard to the repairs, he great authority in others. The Hon. Member seemed
never could learn from any Officer where they were to build his calculations in his own surmises. He (Mr.
wanted ; and indeed it was hard to name even the Ward) protested against the use of a Report of the
staticns which ought to be specified in this estimate. Finance Committee, as any authority opposed-to his
A good deal of this expense, he observed, was incur- statement. Such Reports were of no value when they
red in the stations abroad, yet one could not but ask were not afterwards adopted by the House, or passed
what great cost did it require to keep mud and stones into a law. The Duke of Wellington was very wil-
in repair? Of the Current Services no details at all ling to reform any species of abuse. His first inquiry
arc given. Then, under the head " Extraordinaries," was, when a situation was declared vacant, whether
he observed £280,000, which was extraordinary in- or not it could net be dispensed with in future ?
was not true that, whilst the poorer clerks of £BO
deed. A thing thus bulked no one could decypher ilt
a-year Were discharged, the Master-General had had
what its application was meant to be. He next oh.
served £40,000 " for Stores." On this, he would only , his salary doubled. The fact was, anterior to the
ask, why, when we were selling old stores every day, I Union with Ireland the salary was £l5OO a-year ;
we did nut. pause before we voted more money for but, upon the Ordnance of the two kingdoms being
new ones? The House ought to insist on some more I put into the same hands at the Union, the salary was
satisfaction on this head particularly. One observe- I soon after (1802) raised to £3OOO. He hoped this
tion he would now make on public accounts gene-1 statement would go fairly" to the world, but not
rally. It was clear, from the way -these accounts through the medium of the Hon. Member himself,;
were drawn up, that a bad practice prevailed of letting I who, in a Report of his speech on a simi)ar occasion,:
written confessedly by himself; and sent to a Moraine
the unsettled yearly accounts stand over for three or i
Paper, committed the most glaring inaccuracies—eil
four years. The House saw, that, it was only in 1820, •
that the accounts of 1818 were finally pessed (Hear).ilaugh).—'fbe Hon. Member then, after going into;
He greatly feared that these accounts were not under I some calculations in answer to Mr. Hume s pbserva-i
proper controul, else this delay would not be permit.' Lions, stated, that his own salary had been reduced,
ted. He called for some explanation au the immense! from £l7OO ao 1:1100—(Hear, hear). Another Hon.'
charge for the Irish establishment. Ile was sorry to Friend near him had had his ;e
salary reduced £2OO al
see that that of Dublin, including simply the pay of year. Did ate Hon, Member doubt this? But he
officers and other expenses, was £7,660, equal in ex- I, feared there were some Gendemen in this world whose!
pense to that of WOOlwich, and exceeding consider- I disposition to mistate, no
.correction could cure—,
ably the whole of the other Irish establishments. The (Hear, hear). ' With respect to the Secretary of the
Hon. Member, when referring to his papers, here' Master-General of the Ordnance, he was a person
corrected liiiusell) and said he was wrong in saying , whose office was one Ofgreat labour and responsibility.

At a time when a great press of business came into ! e
office, a clerk was appointed to assist, and £3OO a-year
was taken from the salary of the Under Secretary, and
given to him. This office had nothing to do with
that of Private Secretary to the Master-General.--
With respect to the Inspector of Powder, there were
two magazines, one at Waltham Abbey, the other at
Faversham. The Inspector was obliged to reside at
one place or the other, and that Officer was allowed
to live at Faversham ; but he would not remain there
long, as the whole establishment will shortly be re.
moved. The Honourable Gentleman, in his long
statement, had said, the whole of the extraordinaries,
amounting to R 272,000, had been expended on re.
pairs. The whole sum expended in works amounted
ohry to £85,000. Extra pay had been noticed. It
Was a necessary allowance made to an Officer for ex.
penses, and was much abused for not being sufficient.
With respect to the Establishment at St. John's
Wood, the large houses 'made a good, appearance,
but The Officers would prefer an allowance in money
rather than the houses. The fact was,. are Ordnance
had houses upon long leases, and they found a diffi-
culty in getting rid of them. If the Honourable
Member wished for one, he might have it on reason-
able terms—(A laugh), The Ordnance Estimates, on
the whole, were brought to more perfection than
they had been for years. He should have no objec-
tion to lay the Papers required by the Henonrable
Gentleman before the House, but the motion for; the
production of the ledger mentioned by the Hon.
Gentleman, he should oppose. The honourable Gen-
tleman had stated that the Establishment at Dub-
lin was too large. It was not larger than necessary.
A complaint had been made with respect to Sheer-
ness, but every person now knew that it was intended
to make that place more important than it ever had
been. It was not extraordinary if Officers stationed
there were allowed to remain in houses with their
families, but it was extraordinary to find the Hon,
Gentleman jump from Sheerness to the Island cf
Ceylon, for the purpose of complaining of enormous
expenditure, which really could not be traced. The
Ordnance in the East Indies had acted in pursuance
of tEe interests of the East India Company, and
every attention bad been paid to economy, as well
as the interests of the country. The Hon. Member's
statement respecting the misapplication of stores was
grossly false. No Officers were sent down to sell
old stores, but to take an account of old stores. He
appealed to the House whether he had been treated
fairly in being called upon in this way, without do.
cuments,: to give explanation? The Hon. Member
had taken no notice of the additional expense in Ire-
land—the addition cf the Horse Police, the Driver
Corps, Horse Artillery, new Colonies, and relations
with America. When those charges were fairly con.
sidered, it was matter of surprise that the Ordnance
Estimates were so low—( Hear, hear).
Sir 11, FERGUSON expressed his surprise, that in
the speech of the Hon. Gentleman who 1-.ld just sat
down, he had left untouched the principal argument;
which was, the increase of salaries to the Clerks and
other Officers. In this respect he had left the argu-
ment where it was.

Sir H. PARNELL contended, that the speech of
his Hon. Friend had been left unanswered by the
Hon. Gentleman opposite, He had not touched at
all or accounted for the enormous increase of salaries,
Now, without entering into any detail, he would read
an extract from the Sixth Report of the Committee of
Finance, in the drawing up of which he believed the
Right Hun. Chief Commissioner of Woods and Fe.
rests (Mr. Iluskisson) had a principal share. The
Repot t, after alluding to the progressive increase of
salaries in different Departments, stated, that «of late
years a system of progressive increase of salaries had
been extended to most of the Public Officers ; but in
the Ordnance Department (which, continued Sir
Parnell, the Hon. Gentleman opposite maintains tq
be so low and economical)—in the Ordnance Depart,
ment this was carried to the greatest length"—(l-ear),
This, he contended, Was sufficient to convince the
House of the fallacy of the lion. Gentleman's speech,
Mr. TREMAINE said, it appeared to him incon-
venient, in a Committee of Supply, to vote the Ore;
Hance Estimates in one sum.

Sir W. CONGREVE said, that a saving of nearly
million of money had been made to the l'ublic by the
use of particular machinery in the n:anufacturc of
gunpowder; and it would be a pity that that which
had produced so much bene6t should be abolished.
A division then took place upon the first ltesolu,
tion, when the numbers were--

For the Motion, 44 I Against it, ts Majority, 14.
Mr. HUSIE then moved, " That an Account of
the actual Expenditure, from the Expense-ledger, be
annually laid before this House, on or before the 15th
day of April, if this House be sitting, or, if not then
sitting, in ten days after the meeting of Parliament.*
Agreed to.
Mr. HUME next moved for "a Return of all Pen-
sions, Allowances, Compensations, and Emoluments,
in the nature of Superannuatians or retired Allow.
antes, granted under the arth cf George 111. to Per,
sons belonging to the Office. of Qrduance in Great
Britain and behind, or to their Widows, in respect
of their having held any office of a civil nature in the
Ordnance Department, together with the principle on
which they were calculated, and stating whether the
Offices to which such Persons belonged had been abo-
lished."—Agreed to.
Mr. IL WARD moved—" That the Ordnance
Estimates presented this evening be printed."
Mr. HUME observed, 'hat there was no use what-
soever in printing those Estimates, since they gave no
information to the House. If the lion. Gentleman
had sincerity in his heart, and wished to grant infor-
mation, he would have laid Estimates of a more mi-
nute character before the House. What, he would
ask, was the use of printing Estimates, from which
no information could be derived ?__(Hear, hear).--
Here were totals of £20,000, £33,000, and £30,000;
but as to the particular items, they were left COr .
pletely in the dark.
Mr. HUSKISSON said, the Estimates had been
made up in conformity with the plan laid down in
former years. The Hon, Gentleman, however, ob-
jected to their being printed, and galled for a more
minute detail. Now, what was the conduct of his
Hon. Friend? He offered to give to the Hon. Member
any detail that he might think proper to call for. He
refused no information, however detailed—he did not
shrink from any dissection, however minute. The
Estiniates stated the total sum necessary for the Ord-
nance Department, during the year. The first article

LONDON.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1321.
TIM FUNDS.
PAICE Of STOCKS THIS DAT AT 0:11: O'CLOCK :
Bank Stock 2251/3 225
3 per Cent. Reduced 72 7/8 73
3 per Ct. Cons. 72 3/4 34 5/8--4 per Cent. 90 Ts
s per Cent. Navy 1035 7/8 %
Long Annuities 18'y4 13-16
India Bonds 41s.—Exchequer Bills 4s. ss. pr.
C. ns. for Acct. 72%

Several interesting topics occupied the House of
Commons last night deserving of public attention ;
but the most prominent regarded the Ordnance Esti-
mates, which were explored through many of their
intricacies by Mr. HUMS. It must certainly appear,
to the uninitiated, not a little singular that, in the
sixth year of peace, the expenses of this Department
should still form such a tremendous aggregate, and
that the only, or almost the only symptom of eco-
nomy that has yet-been manifested respecting this
gulph of expenditure, should consist in lopping off
the salaries of a few supernumerary clerks, while all
the sharks and crocodiles are still allowed to gor-
mandize to the utmost cravings of their appetites.
These Estimates are nearly 1:200,000 more than they
were is the year 1819. The Civil Department, in a

lime of peace, with an improved currency and low

prices, still exceeds by 0,000 the sum which the Mi-
litary Commission of 1810 stated to be proper in a
time of war, with a depreciated currency and high
prices.—But how could Honourable Gentlemen re-
ward those by whose exertions and good-will they
find their way into the Honourable House if no more
hands were to be paid than there is employment for?
The arrangements for the accommodation of the
• P,Ablic in visiting the Britistr Museum, occasioned
little cc.nversation. That the Trustees of this Insti-
tution exercise praiseworthy industry in securing
from depredation the valuable stores of antiquity
and learning therein deposited, we believe no per-
son will question who knows anything of the subject;
but that the means for rendering the works of art as

available as they might he to the Students of the
Fine Arts, is not the best that might be adopted,
comes within our own knowledge; but the deficiency
may have arisen more from the circumstance being
unknown to the Trustees, than from any want of dis-
position on their part to apply a remedy. The princi-
pal evil is this—Artists can obtain admission to pursue
their studies, only between the hours of te,s and four.
Now this is the very time of the day when they must
be found at home, waiting for the calls and work of
their patrons—otherwise they must go without a
dinner. The Museum should be open to Artists (that
is, the part containing the sculptures) from break of
day to sun-set is summer ; and Officers should be in

attendance during these extra hours. Artists could
then avail themselves of six hours every morning and
four in the afternoon, without encroaching on the
time necessary to their business.—We will illustrate
our position by a fact well known to many. Tilt ad-
mired miniature copies of the Elgin Marbles, so ably
executed by Mr. HzuNtuo, could never have been,
accomplished had they been in the Museum when
Mr. HENNING began his studies of these remains of
ancient Art ; but when they first reached this country
they were deposited in Burlington House, and, much
to the credit of those who had their superintendence
at that time, the Artist was admitted by sun-rise every
day for many months, and—when the busy time of

the day was over—had permission to continue with
his favourites till Phoebus refused to shine upon them.
The hint which we have thrown out is one of
great importance; and, we are hopeful, receive
due attentioil ; for we cannot believe, for a moment,
that the Trustees, or Parliament, are not anxiously
desirous that the utmost benefits which mere mat-
ters of arrangement can produce, may result to
the arts of this country from the possession of anti-
quities which are the envy of Europe. But this can
never be accomplished while students can be admit-
ted only during the very hours that they must devote
to the earning of the means of subsistence.
Another topic that came before the House, the
Longitude Bill, suggests an observation which may
deserve attention. Till lately there were standing
premiums for chronometers performing within cer-
tain degrees of correctness ; but in a late Act (the
last, we believe) this enactment was suppressed, and
a power of remuneration left with the Commissioners.
—We have no doubt but the Act, in its present
form, would ensure a due remuneration to any artist
in this line ; but we know that the Act has been

otherwise construed by chronometer-makers, and the
effect has been to lessen their zeal, this stimulus to
exertion having, in their opinion, ceased. This is a
great evil—calculated to snake this branch of art
become stationary, if not retrograde—and should'be
remedied in the new Bill.

The Paris Papers of Wednesday arrived this fore-
noon.—A Frankfort article of the 6th 01-January
says, that 44 All the reports of the Declaration of
War by the Court of Vienna against the Neapolitans,
and of the march of the Austrian Army upon Na-
ples, are premature. It is only a corps of the ad-
vunced guard which bas crossed the Po, to take up
its cantonments for the present on the right bank of

that river; ..and hitherto no Austrian camp has
tonclied:the Papal territory. On the contrary, we
Ilave news here, Gn good authority, that the Austrian
Army has not received ?any order to advance, and
that in every case It will remain in its present posi-
tion, till, about the middle of this month ; for, before
.any decisive steps are taken, the Congress at Lay-
bach ‘cill wait for the answer of the I`Zeapolitan Par-
liament to the proposals made by Austria, which are
to be delivered to it by the Duke de Gallo."
A private letter from Augsburgh gives the follow-
ing as the substance of the most recent accounts
from Laybach: •
" The Kiug of the Two Sicilies has been positively
invited to repair to Vienna, to remain there until
tranquillity shall be restored in his States ; but it ap-
pears.that this Monarch has not only declared that
he cannot accept that proposition, but has manifested
the liveliest desire to return as soon as possible to Na-
ples.' His Majesty's spouse, the Duchess de Floridia,
arrived at Laybach on the 'l9th of January last.
" As to the motions of the Austrian Army, it
had not, at the departure of the last Couri.cr, made
any hostile demonstiation.
" It has been remarked, that Prince Metternich,
the Austrian Minister for Foreign Affairs, has fre-
quent conferences ssith Cardinal Spina, Count de St.
Marsan, Prince Corsini, and Marquis de Molza. It
is generally believed that they relate to a Confedera-
tion among all the Princes of Italy.
" The Portuguese Ambassador has had a private

audience of his Sicilian Majesty.
" The report is confirmed that the decision of the
Allied Sovereigns and that of King Ferdinand, upon
the affairs of Naples, will be carried to Naples by
the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Duke de Gallo.
41 It is said that Prince de Hardenberg has re-
.ceived an extraordinary dispatch, announcing that
his Prussian Majesty was immediately to set out to
assist in the deliberations of the Coagress."
The Algerneine Zeitung says, " That according to
accounts that have been received from Florence,
from the Duchess of Florida, the King *was resolved
not to admit of any modifications in the Constitution
but with the consent of his Parliament."

An article dated Vienna, the 2.1 of February, says,
" Letters from Laybach, received by. yesterday's
courier, announce, that the conferences upon the de-
termination to be taken in respect to Naples, still
continue. As soon as terminated, the Duke de
Gallo will be invited to repair from Gorice to Lay-
bach, in order to be informed of the result, and to
be charged with. the communication of it to the exist-
ing Government at Naples. As there will thus be a
suspension in the negociations, the Emperor Alexan-
der will take advantage of the interval to visit the
grottos discovered within these few years near Adds-
berg, the quicksilver mines of Idria, and the city
of Trieste."

A more recent article than any we have yet quoted,
dated Frankfort, the 9th of February, states, that
there are letters from Laybach, " which speak of a
Declaration from King Ferdinand, which ends with
investing the Duke de Gallo with full powers to con-
clucie the negotiations with the Ministers of -Foreign
Powers. Since the 26th of January, the Duke de
Gallo has been present at the conferences, and it is
he who will carry, on the part of his Sovereign, to
be communicated to the Neapolitan Parliament, the
result of these conferences. In spite of the hopes of
a certain party, it will thus be seen that war is not
yet resolved upon."
The following are the latest accounts from Naples:

NAPLES, JANUARY 30.

The Deputy Poetic, made, in the Bitting of the

22d, a Report upon the stistftsisof. The Li*
e 'as to furloughs had thimeiii 40000 Men,
land the Conscription had .ttot bin able to replace
more than 14,000. The Singe attgaot had in con-
sequence issued a Decree, beatifig that there would
be immediately a further leap of Cooseripts out of
the classes of 1819 and 1994 fieternsined by law.
The first article declares, that aeclesiastics shall not
'enjoy any exemption. •
Parliament has sent a Metall* to the Prince Re-
gent, denouncing Cardinal Ruff°, Archbishop of Na-
ples, and the Bishops of Averse, of Tertnoli, and of
Cava. These Prelates have been guilty of speaking
with contempt of the Revolution.
General Guillaume Pepe has issued an Order of
the Day, announcing that the Prince Regent will, in
the beginning of February, honour the three Abrus-
zes with his presgnce, in order to review the twenty-
four thousand Militia and Legionaries which have
been recently organized there, and that a supply of
six thousand muskets and four millions of cartridges
will be immediately transmitted to them. -
Sir Thomas Maitland, Governor of the lonian
Isles, has arrived at Ancona on board of a brigantine.l
His Excellency set out immediately for Rome. It
is presumed that the object of his journey is to know
the position of the Austrian troops.
French five per Cents. Tuesday, 83 fr 3.5 t.

Lord Anson's fox hounds will meet on Monday, at Highballs ;
on Tuesday at Burroughs; on Friday at Oldbury; on Saturday
at Horns; and on Monday the 231 k, at Shutdngton Bridge.
Mr. Meynell's will meet on Monday at Eton Wood; Thurs-
day at Canon; and on Saturday at UMW&
Thf Hampshire Hunt meet on M , thol9th instant, at
the New Ina, Lamm; W , at -gate; Thurs-
day, at bledstal-groon = and isy, at Farieigispark, at ten
o'clock each day.
H. Joniffe, Esq.'s Fox-hounds meet on Monday, at Kennel ;
Wednesday, at Betchworth ; and Saturday, at Kingsvrond hate.
.The Surrey Fox-bounds meet on Mmim• at Bottley Hill;
Thursday, at Codstone ; and Saturday, at Fuhry-Green.
The Harriers mat every day.
Lord Derby turned out a fine deer, called Ploughboy, at Mr.
Meager's, at Crobam near Croydon, on Wednesday last, before
a field of 200 horsemen and nearly 1000 people on foot ;ft being
a beautiful place, surrounded with hills, which were covered
with people. The deer took a circuit of about four miles;
then straight through Addington Park ; through the Village ;
turned to the right to Addington
.Lodge, by Fairchild and
Tatesfield Church, to Titsay Park, the seat of L. Gower, Rag.
and into the river, where he lay up : but the hounds having
taught view of him, be ran up the Path ; turning to the right
nearly to Limpsfield ; through the deep country to Westerluan
and Beamed Charts; down the hill to Heaver and to Four Elms,
where he was taken after a run of three hours, and very few
horsemen in at the time.

A new Farce, entitled A Figure of Fun, was pro-
duced last night at Covent Garden Theatre: it met
with disapprobation soon after its commencement;
but is to have another trial.

The LORD MAYOR gave yesterday an elegant dint
ncr, at the Mansion House, to their Graces the Arch-
bishops of CANTERIitIkY and YORC, and several
shops, Aldermen,• the Sheriffs, &c.
Margaret Nicholson, the unfortunate woman who
' attempted to assassinate hislate most excellent MA
JESTY, in the year 1789, is still living, and is kept as
a State patient, under nominal restraint, in'Bethlehem
Hospital. Considering her advanced age, she is in
possession of most of her faculties usual at those }ears,
except that of hearing, which is quite gone.

The enlightened and liberal views displayed by the
Emperor of AUSTRIA, in his speech to the Professors
'of the Lyceum at Laybach, are not a solitary in-
stance of that august person's sagacity. A few
years ago, his IMPERIAL MAJESTY vs teed his newly-
acquired dominions in Italy. At Bologna, he was
accompanied on a visit to the Museum by a deputa-
tion of the Professors of the University, who sub-
mitted to his notice, among other objects of cu-
riosity, one of Sir Malraux DAVY'S safety-lamps.
His MAJESTY was given to understand that the Eng-
lishman, its inventor, had, by his numerous disco-
veries, produced a resolution in science. At the
word revolution the countenance of the Emperor
changed ; and, turning his back on the Cicerone, he
said that the King of ENGLAND would, no doubt,
in time feel the consequences of his condescension to
his unruly subjects; but as to himself, kg should take
proper care not to suffer any of his sabjecu to make
revolutions !

We are assured that more wool bas passed through,
.Stamford, for Wakefield, lately, than the oldest wag.
goners on the road remember at any former plias!
whatever.

A proof of the depression that exists in the ship-
ping interest of this country was afforded on Wednes-
day, when the contracts for tonnage to Bengal were
concluded at the East India House. During the war,
,the East India Company were in the habit of paying
£4O per ton ; last year the terms were from
£9 19s. 6d. to £l2. and they are now reduced to
from i 7 to £B. The quantity tired was above
36,000 tons, of which only 3,000 have been taken up.
It is not generally known, we heligve, that in pur-
suance of an Act passed last Session of Parliament,
a Census of the population of Great Britain, is to bel
taken this year, of which the returns are to be deli-
vered to the Clerks of the Peace and Town Clerks
by the 28th of July.
• An official return to an Order of the House of
Commons states the amount of stock transferred from
the English to the Irish Funds, from November,
1817, to sth January, 1821, at ae5,775,392 10s. 7d.
It appears by an account, laid before Parliament,
of the total weekly amount of Bank-notes and Bank
post-bills in circulation between the 18th July, 1820,
and the 6th February, 1821, that the following were
the totals at those respective periods :—Jury 18,
A:26,043,380 ; February 6, A:23,563,680, making a
diminution of nearly two millions and a half. 'The
lowest amount was A:20,785,460 on the 12th Decem-
ber last. The highest never exceeded that above
stated on the 18th July.
Wednesday last, an inquest was taken at Stanton Saint John's,
Oxfordshire, by Mr. Cam, Coroner, on NiCW of the body of a
female child, unknown, who Was first discovered by a dug,
laying in a ditch in the said parish, covered over with hay and
straw, with her throat cut, and various bruises on the face and
neck. It appeared by the evidence of Mr. WINGFIELD, an emi-
nent Surgeon, of Oxford, that the windpipe of the child had
been divided, apparently by some sharp instrument, that the left
check, the side, and front, of the neck, were very much torn,
land that either of those injuries were sufficient to have caused
I her death. Verdict--. 0 Wilful Murder against some person or ,
persons unknown." .

140NDON -

d and published
FIAGIC, Tr-

THE ARMV.
At ten Oltlogic this morning, his 2
/oral ir.i
thesp tedDbithe
eofthTreeonßKa,
ttaaelcioonsibp:iedide bisyt 1h
liee
WILLINC4O and a nuinber of Military oy,,Z
Guards, on,mhthiuisemapooaynradaltieii6gthf.ornJeasthms
eiespras'scsielr.
soinstrecetn
like appearance. •
The following is to be the disposition of the
Regiments of Guards for the ensuing is „-
commencinz on the 26th instant: ' ' •
r.
tit Batt. Ist Regiment—Front the King's hi • ewstestr•
Ditto—From Westminster Quarters to Portnanet ea.
id Ditto—From Poe n-street Barracks to Ktl nh
tbt
lot Batt. 2d Reg.--. From the Tower to We-Emie";
2d Ditto—From Knightsbridge Barracks to Wind's,.
Ist Batt. 3d Reglment—Frena Portsmouth to phr,uoggi. •
24 Ditto—From Windsor to the king's Mews.
The 19th Regiment, at Chatham, tut under , •
to proceed to Weedon Barracks, Nerrhatopt,,".`
The 86th, at Weedon, will replace the 19 h. •
The whole of the Veteran Battalions are alma,
be reduced—the 6th, 7th, 9th, and loth B,' g•
lions on the 25th of March, and the rernaitule;,
the 24th of June.
The 6th Veteran Battalion, now at Sher
under orders to proceed to Edinburgh, to bss':.
banded; and the 71st Regiment of Light Ircre,
at present in Cantet bury, will reflace them, • • t
•
NAVAL. INI'ELLIG ENG&
We are intended, that in the course of the pr
esent lets .
'number of ships which it has been determined shall behis
an effective state for commission, will be completed, ea
general discharge of workmen from all the Dock-yam
The Naval force to be kept up, is eighty sairef die its,, Si
suitable proportion of frigates and sloops.
Yesterday a Court of Directors was lull at the En
Rowe, when Ca W. Hort was sworn into the .
of the ship ostishire, ennsigqed to Chau direct. A
mi. Josses, IS guns, was commissioned on ....
The MsKetnria, Aartiva. from Limerick to
pot into about the ad inst. witlrdamage obi, •
and having been out six weeks.
The Wdatigable, of tovdon, laden With timber, vas .
on shore on the Island of Inn,' Sherra, near Loodosi,ery
the Ist inst. without any person on board.
The Guadaloupe, SarITHWAITY, from Jamaica te
Was totally lost, the zd inst. off' the Is:and ef Coil
The John, Berton-in, frOm Philadelphia to Galeq, ra"
shore in Galway Buy, the 2d inst. but V:4l got off by de asa, I
anee of the PLWARZE gun-brig.
The Friends' Increase, of Greenock, from the not an
Ireland, is totally log on the.lsland of Tyree.
ITresnossanticat KNowtznoc.—.-The Au) sloopdoar
Ins been recommissioned at Deptford by Captain W.
Is fitting with all posdble dispatch, for the purposed C
to the Mediterranean, where Captain ST,YIII . • ,
with the Members of the Austrian and Neapolitui Berens
put in effect his excellent design of continain the =Rile
vey of the harbours and coasts of the Mediterranean. *.
must F. W. Breese is appointed to assist Captain Sera i '
African research.
Dem., Fe" 160--Wind N.F.—Arrived and Wad kr. n*
River, the anclunatus, Cream's:ix, front Savannah lianas .
the Downs, his Majesty's ships SEVERN and Buss, ands
port from Portsmouth for Deptford.
POLTSMOV7II; Fe" 36.—Wind N.B.—Arrive his Ibierf
ship Hnen, from a cruise.
Fattier:rue Fics. 14.—Sailed the Lora Hoban packet,
Mails for America ; and the following veseds for Lade
neesti,Wittaaws ; N real, St ureza ; Friends, Ewer; • .
Jimmies ; Peter and Rebecca, Ati.e.v ; Pet:Terms, Scuola j
Alice, blitLze ; Heart of Oak, Bowes: (tolden Grove, eat
Betsy, Gam ; Avon, JON'S ; William and Ana,JlCr; '
BLAKE; Wellington, Thomas; and Eagle, Itisr,en. the F
via, Fox, which arrived from Newf0...,,0i.,au de 10th
wish damage, is discharging her catgutotepar. tl
&MLR, FEBRUAST 13.—The Auspicious, llannw,fra,
den to Waterford, got on a rock, in New Grimsby barn", • ..
the 10th instant, by winch she broke part of ha ham and •
with water, and is now on her beam-ends: her german .
and it is expected she will be got off next spring tides. • I
William, Carreusue from Waterford to Leedom, sonde
Seven Stones on tbellth instant, and broke off ha maim
has been brought into Rt. Mary's Pool, with sews feet •
in bee hold : the cargo is landing, in a damaged ant. •
Comas-Lions; Firm 16.—Ships Entered Inwards:
from Harlingen • Prospero'', from Cable; Elias, free
alma.—Entered Outwards Scholfield. for Weimar);
for 'Trieste; Odessa, for Genoa; Vrow Patera', for iseq
Vrow Elizabeth, for Ghent ; Fame, for Prince Edward's lid
...1
John, for Haniburgh ; Angelique, for Havre.—Aced
wards: Roebuck, for Sierra Leone; Barbadoea Pbster,it
badges; Vittoria, fur Jamaica; Friendship, for Oen i•
recta, for Dublin; Friends, for Lisbon; Craig Whir 2.
Teneriffe.
Mumma —At Mired, the Sally, Rundell, from St. NM' 3:
At Dublin, Hibernia, Fox, hem Messina. At 4.
Wilkinson and Ann from Liverpool. At Ammo?, V
' Men, from Cluriestou ; Coromandel, 6eu7h0i"..1;
„
and Oseille, Adamson, from Naples. At Gilmartin", 'u
from the Havannab. At Peterhead, hoe, 111.1
tram Beurdeaux, Bouibon, ken 91•4*
Muanzin—Yesterday. two men of the woes d r4l
and Quested, were brought to Bow-street, and miss•olo u
ensnination before Racaaan baste, Fsq. clt;rgediriall
concerned in the 'AM murder of Mr. James 111•KmeinelP
sidposan in his Majesty's Preventive Service. hebelliN",l •
Weulloch's party, stationed between Ilythe and WO, pr
county of Kent, in a desperate attack of a ninnereself: g a
smugglers amounting to about 100. upon a small Itedll .
King's (dicers in the Preventive Service. The DO=
were stationed on the Coast Blockade Service,at
house, on the sea shore, near Dungeness, in the eelailfi:
and on Sunday morning, the ilth inst. between neee"7..j A
o'clock, they observed a flash of Ire, which is the esee'r ash
given on the landing of a smuggling boat; the Meal' •
.•1
ill number, immediately proceeded to the spot wheels'
had taken place, and met a large body of smuggler's*. • e
the Officers approaching within a hundred yards, food
lupon them ; the Officers laid down to avoid the firiact f
after the smugglers went on • the Officers fel in Int.
others, who were drawn to the spot in consequenee4l7_l
and they followed the smugglers, who observed &a.' Al
casionally fired on them, during which several of the"' • ,
were severely wounded, and were obliged to be sexw
the care of several. others ; this circumstance gre•if ' •
the numbers of the Officers and the smugglers csedesaf
at intervals until they reached the road near to Lees
between Romney and Rye, and then made a stoat sirs
themselves on each side of road, and waited u 5 7`
CMS came close to them ; they then all of than fired e0,..'
con, when Mr. M'Kenzie received a wound which )nT
After contending in a most desperate manner feem'''
they made off. Several others of the Officers oeft.,,N tl
wounded. During the attack, the prierioer Qd
one of the Officers, who was dressed in a wore 0'
,
thinking that he was one of the smuggling pall', rgt peos A
into his hands, and desired him to blow some Of be es
brains out; the Officer first secured the mosque, a.r2,7,
tared the prisoner, and succedded in securing him.. f
and 1—
apprehended at the same time, his mouth s u
7,
71;
blackened by gunpowder : it has been ascertained abet '
of the ringleaders, and he Is suspected to be the 0•110,
Mr. M'Kenale.—They were remanded for rec .
MARLICULOUdtI-STILKET.—The same Lady, in thew pet
as she appeared at Bow-street, paid this 011Ece a
Thursday afternoon, in her carriage, precisely ups ticlie
ad
crates,
washoshewdereid atbu busily engaged,
begged that the Magistrates would look into the case. ".t
yr
described as an exposition of everything horrid.
informed her that be would look at It, and she haTei .
,Sabude rukshaeda
fiulio'n upollrwr_s7Th.the
Her looks-and manner displayed strong syinPouu
derangement.
TIONDON Printeda4pulcb,linrishedie_nLbyr.l
ri .eval. IC Oft rigke
•