The Statesman.
London, England, 1822-03-21 00:00:00

(iiiiiliontistary Debate, continued from first page.)

ARMY RSTIIATCII.
Lord PALMERSTON wished to defer for the pretest
the Estimates of the Pay-Master-General's Department,
and apply himself to those of the War oMce. He le-
formed the House that he had made a reduction in his
office to the extent of 8,0801. since last year, and to the
nunilier of sixteen persons. A mistake had occurred last
year in the account of fees, by deducting the sum of
MIL twice: allowing for that mistake, the saving of
8,000/. was effected. lle haul reduced sixteen clerks.
One of 14001. a-year; one of LOW, two of MI., two
of ;501., one of 508/., and one of 4301., besides several
others of minor extent. When he compared the charges
of his °Mee for this year with those for 1814, lie found
a reduction now of iS,llOOt, and be hail a wish to make
a still forther'rettuction ; but a considerable part of the
fwee of his afire was employed on wear accounts.
These reductions had been made in pursuance of direc-
tions from the Treasnrr. An alteration in the system
had been arranged, which, when brought into full opera-
tion, would eanse,a swing of 19,11001. The principal
of the new scale of promotion would not strike at fiat as
beim: different from the former; but on mature consi-
*ideation, a distinct and more beneficial plan to the toon•
try would be seen. The custom was before, that every
clerk's right to promotion was dated from his first entry
into the other; by the new scale his salary could increase
only by his standing in that particular class, which
would have the eS'ect /amending for a lt longer time'
the period of an increaartl salary. Supposing, therefore,
a person coming in at 901. a-year at first, and receiving
progressively every step an increase of pay, it would
take him 45 years to Naive at a salary of SW. a-year.
He then moved that 43,185/. be granted for the War
Office.

Mr. HCHE remarked, that he could only make out
redaction of 7,0001 in this establishment, at the same
time that he 'deserved there were additional pensions to
the amonnt of 4,9501. When the Noble Lord spoke of a
reduction of KOMI/. since the year 1814, he ought to
state to the Committee the number of pensions recently
granted, which amounted to 17,910/. The superannu-
ation system was earned, in the office of the Secretary
at War, to a greater extent than it had reached in any
office under Government. In 1798. the whole establish-
ment stoemi the country in KIM!.; wh it was now
upwards of 43,0001 With respect to the arrear accounts,
he was quite satisfied that the establishment of decks
which was kept up to-inspect them was of DO utility
whatsoever. These accounts had been left in a state of
cosfulien, nntil all whocosild give any information about
them were dead and gone: and yet the department for
inarteetinz such accounts bad cost the public from 130
to 110001. in the course of the last 20 years. lie was
prepared to show, •hat no office tinder Government re-
qnireul &different arrangemenemore decidedly than that
or the Noble Lord. No person, however, could inter-
fere with the Noble Lord in checking or controlling the
system. There was one singularity in the office to
which lie would call the attention at( the Committee.
There was a Secretary at War, with 2,4501. a-year, and
a Deputy who received 2,500 f. a-year. Why had the Do-
pntv more than the principal? The first clerk received
1.1001. a-year, although in 1796 his salary was but 7221.
The Commissioners of military inquiry, when they ex-
amined the state of the War Office, deliberately gave it
as their opinion, "that the additions made to the sa
tarifa oldie principal clerks were granted under parti-
cular circumstances, and were, iu general, to be consi-
dered merely temporary." It was qnite evident, that
these very high Wall ies were intended as a reward for
great exertions in the time of war, and they ought there-
fore to erase when hostile operatimis were no longer
carried on. He had expected that the Noble Lord would
lay before the House the scale to which he bad al-
'wird ; of the merits of which they could not judge.
nntil they had an opportunity of examining it. He would
now advert to some circemstanees connected with
theentravagance of the office. Mr. Brown had been al-
lowed to act as Commissary for a short time, and from
that department he haul retired with 276/. a-year. He had
1,200/. a-year as clerk. But all that was not enough;
3110/. a year were added as clerk to thefund for chaplains,
&e. It was extraordinary, too, that each of these eleeks
had 71. 151.511. allowed him for Newspapers. Mr. Rich.
it -men WWI thus in receipt of 1,926/. a-year altoge-
ther. If lie seas incorrect in ■ny of these statements,
the Noble laird was to bleat?, for detailed accounts
o 'alit to have been laid before the house. liedithnot admit
that the house was to look only at the aggregate amount
of money. There was a Mr. edward Marshal, who bad
70t1/. a-year, and received besides 1501. fur preparing es-
timates to lay before the house. Now be was overpaid
as clerk, if he was able to sparetime to make up the es-
timates. A Mr. Wilkinson had been eiglitelk years in
the office, and received 4:10/. a-year. For assisting iii
snaking up the estimates he received 1110/. ; for regulat-1
ing the army list 100/.; and for preparing lists of militia
trod yeomanry Italt. lie bad, besides, some other em-
ployment connected with the army list, and appeared al-
together in six different capacities. This plan was all
of the Noble Lord's creation. A Mr. Merry haul been
eler.•n years a clerk, nith a salary of 250/. He was, he.
pi.le4, private secretary to the assistant secretary. The
whole duty of the department might be done by fifteen
persons, and fur 15,000/. Contingencies were stated at
2,2501. Last year the Noble Lord haul slated, that not
one senior clerk could be spared. Yet what had he done?
He h cal turned oat five or six senior clerks, and if half a
dozen inure were turned out, the business could he done
a• well as mow. Mr. Sullivan had been ten years in the
office, anti he received 1,0001. Now had he, by seniority
or otherwise, acquired such a salary? But it was more.
A person having 1,200/. a year had linen reduced, and
Mr. Sullivan load Ilia salary increased- to 1,200/. a !•ear.
This was Ministerial ecuituoiny. lie wished time Noble
.Lord to say how airily yonog men had been lately re-
ceived into office? During the last two years, and since
the preemied economy haul commeneed. eight or nine
voting men had been received. The half-pay was
17.417/. The changes which the Noble Lord bad meat
dill not, in short. promote economy or thepithlic service.
Lord PALNIERSTON said the lion. 3lember gave
very great encouragement to reduction, when he treated
reduction% that haul been made in such a manner. lie
(Lord Palmerston) ha•l last year stated the inconvenience
of dismissing senior clerks, and when, in obedience to
the orders of the Government, lie bad dismissed some,
the lion. Member turned that as a charge against him.
With an inemusisteney peculiar to himself. the Honour.
able Member tumoral mood, and charged as a fault the
very act which be hail formerly urged to he done.
Yonng men %tete-said to have bi-en introduced. That
wan precisely the Eno-le in which reduction had been rf.
fected. Persons receiving high salaries had been re-
duced, and others hail been appointed at 90/., and not so
many in number. This was a reduction from salaries of
1,00111. 800/. and MI/. a year, to salaries of 901., and
f.wer, too, in number. Let this be compared with 1797.
Then the clerks bad been few, and in receipt of high,
salaries. Now it was the . The deputy's salary
was filed at 2000/. in future, The person who now held
that situation had no extra allousairee. When be had
been chief cashier of army accounts, lie had received
1,5,041. a year. He had also held the office of supplying
garrimma abroad, by which he had been making a yearly
saving of 994. He thus gave tip 2.400/. amid received
0n1y72,0J01. Where the Henourablettentleman obtained
his information, he did not, nor did be wish to know ;
bat his informer could have given him better inform-
ation. It was impossible to image the business better
far the public .serytze. of for any clerks to work harder