Star.
London, England, 1817-04-19 00:00:00

SECOND REPORT
Frew de SELECT COMMITTEE ex IVANCL

The Sitt.vcr COMMITTEE ippointed to inquire into, and state,
the Income anal Expenditure. of 'We United Kingdom, for the
Year ended the Silt of January, 1017, and also to consider and
state the probatia income and Expenditure, (so far as the same
eon now be estimated,) for the Years ending the soh of Janu-
ary, HSI*, and the .sth of January, Int ta, respectively, and to'
report the saute, together with their Observation, thereupon,
from time to note, to the House, and also to consider what
further measure, may be adopted fur the relief of the Country
from any part of the said Expenditure, without detriment to
the Public interest, have proceeded to investigate the principal
Establishments of the Country, beginning with
THE ARMY.
Tn this department, the first object that presents
itself is the numerical amount of force.
Your Committee are deeply sensible of the ex reme
difficulty of asc?rtaining the precise point at which
our Military Establishments should be fixed, on ac-
count n 1 politicti considerations, and others of a still
more de:icare nature, which must necessarily involve
themselves in the question. In taking into conside-
rati,m the Peace Establishments of tne country, it
most he remembered, that it on the one hand they
are proposed to be kept in a state of complete prepa.
ration, with a view of affording entire security to the
nation both at home and abroad, the coutiitued ex- ,
pogo must bear so heavily upon the resources of the
dentry, as to preclude all hope of relief from the
burdens of taxation and the load of debt incurred
during a Intig series of protracted hostilities : on :he
other hand, it they should be reduced too low, the
temporary gain in point of economy might be more
than counterbalanced by the hazardous situation in
which this kingd-.m, together with its num, rolls and
distant dependencies, might eventually be placed
upon the breaking out of au unforeseen or sudden war;
for which such a state of deficient military prepara-
tion miVit possibly offer no small temptation.
It is rather therefore for the Executive Government,
acting un their responsibility, to propose ; and for
the wi.dism td. the House to judge, of a matter of
this high importance, than for your Committee to of-
fer an u;,in.n ; out they observe in the mean time,
with satisfaction, that upon a comparison between the
Estimates of the two last years, and those for the
present year, much will appear to have been effected
in the way of reduction, both as to rumbers and as
to expense; and they entertain a confident hope that
such further reductions will continue to be mad.-, as
may be found consistent with all tbe.true interests of
tie country, neither erring on the side of absolute
confidence on the long duration of peace, nor giving
way to unwarrantable apprehensions of danger and
aggression.
And your Committee further submit, that 'as the
duralion and magnitude of the astonishing exertions
made by this kingdom during the late war, must
mainly be eat 'bated to the pecuniary resources then
brought into operation, which could never be more
justly deemed the sinews of war than during the
whole Course of that events ul contest ; so these can
b: renovated and strengthened in no other way than
by retrenchment an 3 economy during the Oppottu-
nity afforded by a return of peace.
At the same time, this most important considera-
tion mast always be kept iti.view, that if our Military
' Establishments should once be suffered to tall b.low
the standard of efficiency and discipline, to which
they are now raised by great exertions founded on
experience, it wily not be possible to restore them
again to the same height without great waste of time,
however urgently their best services may be requ•red.
Lean Foness.—The reduction of that great esta-
blishment which the war had occasioned; was begun.
hi 1816, and has been carried considerably further in
the present Estimates; the difference amounts to no
less a sum than 5t?1,738,496, upon the net balance,
although several charges, such as Half-pay, the Corn-
passionate List, and other allowances of a similar
kind, aie necessarily augmented by the termination
of the war, and a diminution of the numbers main-
tained on active service.
Besides the niere numer:ciil reduction, a principle
.of economy has been applied to the Cavalry, by a
diminution of the number cf horses keot for the ser-
vice of each regiment, to the extent of twenty in each
troop. •lis the last year there were'only ten men dis-
mounted in each troop, and that number is now
doubled, by which a considerable charge is saved,
without too far breaking down the efficiency of the
regiments.—The particulars of the charge of a Tegi.
ment' of Infantry, in the years 1792 and ,1817, con,-
pared with the present, and the relativi charge'of
maintaining the same numerical force in the two pe.
hods, bears the proportion of very nearly two to
dine; being dt245,094 in 1792, and a 113.11,974 in
1817, for 8000 infantry.
A comparison is also given of the expense of regi-
menting a force of 8,000 Inlautry into battalions of
4IX) tank and file each (the establishment existing in
1792); and into battalions of 800 rank' and file each;'
by which judicious arrangement an annual saving of
474,926, as well as a mote efficient Staff, by the
present mode of forming this amount of force upon
the same number, ,is, secured to the Public.- •
The l'ay of the ArMy, with regard tn. rank and
fik, has been exactly doubled since 1792, with addi.
allowanCes after sevin years of seinervi but the
augmentation of pay and-daily allowance has l*en
made upon a•mnch lower scale to'the Offices a; and
the Colcgiel still stands upon the Same looting as
in 1792.
In the tavaliy no addition has been made to,the
pay of any rank superior to that of Lieutenant, which
IiAS beep increased horn Bs. 51. to 9s. per day ; the
Dragoon Soldiers, whose daily pay was 81 in 1792,
now teceive Is. Stl. with the addition of Id. after 10
years, and 2d. alter 17 years of service.
The rate of agency semains precisely the same as
in 1792 for Corps of Intantry for corps of cavaliy,
the rate of agency appears to have been reduced
sae-fourth hom the 25th of July, 1809. It ii.te-
idarkable, that no augmentation has ever been made
to the allowances for clothing and appointments of
ei.her Cavalry or Infantry. The rates of off•reckon-,
logs were first fixed 'in the reign of Queen dune, and
ibey 'Vitamin the same at the present tray ;but in con-
t,eratietice 0.1• the great increase in the price of leather
shish.% die early part of the late war, an allowance
est 'l5 per cent. upon the ofi-reckonings was granted
eta Womb of Cavalry Regiments front July 1799,
•