The Statesman.
London, England, 1814-07-05 00:00:00

troy, which this Bill appeared" to convey. The
llon. Baronet animadverted upon the several clauses
bf the Bill, especially the provisions authorising the
Lord Lieutenant, of his own will (without a.njao..
presentation from the Magistrates) to declare any
district in a disturbed state—to subject that district to'
a superintendent Magistrate, with a salary of 7001.
a-year ; such other Officers to.be paid at the npence
of the county in which such district might be placed.
Of these provisions the Hon. Baronet upraised his
decided disapprobation.
Sir H. PARNELL suggested tog propriety of pro.
-*kiwis authorising Magistrates in Ireland to appoint
petty constables as they were 'appointed in this
country, and .also for the constitution of proper
places for holding Quarter Sessions in the several,
counties.

Mr. BANKES submitted to the consideration of
Government, whether it might not be necessary to
adopt a stronger measure than this Bill imported, for
the preservation of the peace of Iceland. if there
should be occasion for such a measure, he trusted
that it would be brought forward in due time before
the coclusion of the Session.
Mr. PEELE, after replying to the obseivations of
Sir Frederick Flood, said, that it might be necessary
to subunit some such proposition to the House, as his
Hon. Friend (Mr. Bankes) had alluded to; but he
was unwilling to mix ally temporary measure with
the consideration of the present Bill, which was
brought forward with a view to the permanent pre-
servation of the peace in Ireland, adding, that he
was not aware of the existence of any unusual dis-
turbance in Ireland that should call for any extraor-
dinary interposition on the part of the Legislature.
'The present measure, however, had no reference to
such a consideration.

After a few more observations from Sir F. FLOOD
the Clauses were agreed to ; the House resumed, and
the Report was ordered to be brought up to-mor-
row.

The House resolved itself into a Committee of Sup-
ply, for taking into consideration the Ordnance Es?
timates,

Mr. R. WARD stated, that considerable redact•
lions would probably be expected in the Estimate'
which he had to bring forward. In fact, a reduction
would be found in the present year of 1,500,0001.—
This sum amounted to one quarter of the whole ex-
pence. It would be recollected that half of the year
bad passed in war, and there had not been an oppor-
tunity to seduce the different expences immediately.
It was the beginning of April before it was known
that Paris bad been entered by the Allies ; soon after
Bonaparte abdicated, and on the 10th of that month
orders were issued by the Master-General of the
Ordnance too reduce the establishments in every pos-
sible way. The military department had been re-
duced one-fourth; the number of horse one-third ;
and in the course of the year they would be reduced
another third—that is, from 7000 to a third of that
number. He slroeld not pledge himself to an exact
estimate of the future reduction of expence, but he
would offer a rough calculation of the probable re-
duction under the peace establishment. This he con-
ceived would be one half, excluive of the total re-
duction of all the foreign corps. In the engineer corps
all the officers would he retained. This arose from

the -peculiar mature Dr that -service, which required al.
long and laborious course of education, and which,!
If once suffered to fall info neglect, could not easily s
be replaced. It was not possible to speak in too ;
high terms of the skill, the industry, and gallantry of
the Officers in this corps. He would next advert to'
what might be considered as an infant service, which
bad, however, arrived at a state of manhood ; he
meant the rocket corps. For this service, and for
the wonders it had achieved in raising the military
character of the country, we were indebted to an
Honourable Friend of his, whom, as he did not see in
his place, he would name. Colonel Congreve. The 1
Hon. Member then read several extracts from Offi-
eers in the army, to show the importance of the see- I
vices which this corps had performed in Spain, and
particularly at the passage of the Adour, where 40
mien armed with rockets had put to flight 3000 of the
enemy. The whole of the Officers in this corps
would be retained, but there would be a reduction in
the number of men. In the works at Woolwich
there had been a considerable reduction, and there
would have been a greater, but from the necessity of
giving the usual orders, and buying up materials as
early in the Year as possible. The whole amount was
64,0001. every shilling of which he thought himself
prepared to justify. Ono article under this head,
which it was proper to account for, was 60001. for
barracks. The fact was, that these were intended
for a new corps of Sappers and Miners, for whom
the barracks at Woolwich were not found sufficient.
For the Royal Powder Mills there was a sum of
12,0001. which arose chiefly from the improvements.
which had been adopted in the different mills to pre-
vent explosions. There had been also great improve-
ments, and consequently some expellee, in the ma-
chinery at Woolwich. Of the magnitude and int
portancil of these works we might judge from tife
quantity of arms and ammunition which had been
cent abroad from the Laboratory at Woolwich, since
the year 1808, among which were 834 pieces of can-
ton, 30,000 muskets, 77,000 barrels of gunpowder,
and in the last year alone 320 cannon, 20,000 bar•
tels of gunpowder, 48 millions of musket cartridges,
6 millions of flints, &c. Among the improvements
in the machinery were two saws, which had cost from
16 to 20,0001. and which had already created a saving
of near 80001. After various statements and details,
the Hon. Gentleman concluded witfil'observing, that
be should not have detained the House so long, but
that he was urged by a sense of duty to eve every
information and explanation in his power.
The CHAIRMAN then proposed the vole of
1,746,0001. on account, for discharging the Ord-
nance Estimates.

Mr. W. SMITH' and Mr. BANKES made some
observations on the proposed amount of the peace
establishment.

•
Mr. WARD explained. Ife particularly insisted
on the necessity of keeping up the artillery and en-
gineer corps, in a greater proportion than the rest of
the army. Even during every year of peace, he
contended, improvements were taking place In the
Artillery Department; but if the Officers in that
Department were reduced, then all this was lust ;
and all the spirit and gallantry in the world would
not enable them to return to the serf/co in that state