The Statesman.
London, England, 1818-03-07 00:00:00

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stied • inlantssful peace; and bad foreign nations
fee her Allies, instead of having them jealous rivals
of her power; there was therefore little reason to
guard more tans. 'ban svaidone at the former period
• against canna! dangers. The Colonies had in this
. respect the same comparative security with England
•—the only danger that was possible to arise to them
must be anticipated from Minks' whose whole
standing army did not amount to 8000 men, and
yet they were to be watched as a precautionary owe-
Sere by no Ins thins 24,000.—Ufear, hearl—ThV
only reduction be meant to propose was 5,000
men, and this would, hnimsgined, create a saving to
the notion of 108,0004. Bet besides the 'arguments
arising for his motion from a vie* of the palatal.,
security of the different garrisons, and their not re•
'Wring this additional force, there was also the great
/ sonstinstional argumentagainst large mending
Arlin In title of peace. —[llear,' hear!]—It used
twbe the she policy of oar ancestors to 'Alice the
Army. cud maintain the Navy; now of late this
course was reversed, the Nary was reduced and the
1 - Army itegesested.—[Nher, hear!]—On an average
of years from 1786 to 1792, the votierfor the Army
were 17,000 leen, for the Navy 19,000. On en
Irmo of ners.orst....„.. , t!iiityyetesonwlyerewfo,ooor th.e avrintriy,
"1 I . I the II
seentry weld twee beviettained the glory she had
acquired, hod she net been a great naval power,
and the nestlings of late madein her Nary might
Iseesefter beserioesty felt, and prevent her from re.
seeing the prowl station she bad heretofore held..
.-[ Hear,- hear !]-;—la 'Tiering, also, as a branch
of the constitutional argument, the greet increase
of influence to the Crown from a standing army,
the ikon should watch, with a jealous eye, any
thing that bed a tendency to perpetuate this over-
grown lefieence; end thooglt the reduction of
3,000 awn would not, in any adequate manner, re-
move the evil, it would, to a certain extent cir.
teased's, and limit. its pi/tromp and operation.—
The reduction would at once be made in the Colo.
Pier, where titer* appeared no internal dissatisfac•
floe ; for instance, in many of them there were
1 satin corps in the pay of Greet Britain. Surely,
) then, there was no necessity of having White regi•
mewls In full numbers in the same places, unless,
)Indeed, they were so placed to watch the Black
i corps, sod Phi, would only prove the necessity of
reducing the latter, and thereby effecting the pro-
i, posed saving in point of expence.—(A laugh, and
km 1)-6-lit the military arrangements at house; con-
sidereble string might be had without even touching
) the general disposable fore.; for instance, io the
Hoes at Chatham, the fortifications at-Portsmouth,
i end other places,' where en unnecessary military
mode was kept up. Why not also reduce the
number in each Mealiest, as before the war ? Then
she number was 400 men•—•it was now 800; but
eappose only 60 were token from each, then a me.
trial saving would take place. Impressed with the
full necessity of making the utmost economical ar-
rangements which the safety of, the country would
admit, he would conclude by moving, as an amend•
meat —That a redaction be made of 5,000 men in
the nomber proposed to be kept up by the Resole.
dun of the Commlttee.—[lfeer, hear!]
Mr. WYNN agreed to much of the substance of
the Noble Lord's 'perch, but objected to it on the
ground of form, and because he thought it would not
answer the end proposed. In 1713, the numbers men.
tioned in the Munity Bill had been reduced from
9956. the number for *hick Supply had been granted,
i
to 8600. In 1721, from 14,244 to 13,244. In
-,
1722, from 18,294 to 16,149. Yet at all those times,
the greater nurnber;thet it, the qomber for which the
Supply bad been granted, and not the number men.
tinned in the Mutiny Act, hat been maintained.—
( 'rhe words of the Munity Act were, in fact, reel.
tatory and not enactive. Much of the reasoning of
the Noble Mover he approved of, especially the part
. which related to the Colonies ; bet he disapproved
i of the manner in which his ideas were to be carried
into effect. He had no objection to the maintenance of
the proposed number of troops in the Colonies, but
be thought the Colonies should bear the espence.—
Jamaica once maintained two battalions of infantry
I end a regiment of cavalry.
• Mr. BANKES could not agree with the Hon. and
Learned Gentleman (Mr. Wynn). The precedents
which the Hon. and Learned 9entleman hail stated,
showed that it was not irregular.—[Hear, hear !]--
The only reams for the Honourable and Learned
Gentleman's objection...as, that for some reason or
other, the wishes of the Legislature had been con.
leavened by the F.tectitire. If the Houses of Par.
fitment concurred in the vole now proposed, he had
Ito doubt they had strength and vigilance enough to
self that that vote was executed.—[Hear, heat!j—
The Hon. Gentlanawthen pressed the necessity of
. redaction at this time, and observed, that though
i Me. Pitt had been censored because he reduced the
force, in 1792, to so low an amount, that, on the
breaking_oet of the war, inconvenience arose from
the oecessity of speedily eugatenting it* yet no.num.
bar which would then have been tolerated would
have obviated that inconvenience. The state of the
country was much improved ; and he thought a re-
duction of three regiments, or 2400 men, in Britain,
and the same proportion an the colonial force, would
"• scarcely be felt. Ile cordially supported the motion.
Lord PALMERSTON rose and laid, that he
would pass over the question of order, and treat the
subject upon its own- merits.--[Near, hear!]—The
- periods of 1786 and 1792, be denied to be either of
them a fair criterion. His Lordship then reputed
the arguments se often urged to show that a greater
establishment than the periods above mentioned, was
. I
/ necessary for the various parts .of the empire. Al-
lowing for the sick. and the non-effective men, on
'i the whole, the 26,000 men stated for Great Britain,
ought to se really taken at 18,0001 •fled was this,
be would ask, too large an restablisirmeet for Eng.
i land 2—[flear, hear!]—As to Ireland, it was nut
• disputed, that the establishment existing there was
folly amenity. Its some of bur -colonies, portico-
, Ilvrly in Canada, au loctiesed force was necessary,
on account of the military, 000 not unfriendly
aspect assumed by the United Stant. Neither could
the estimated forces in -.lassies and the Leeward
Islands be ceusidked ettravegant. Some of our co-
llides, it was true, were Witt productive of returns
ea fficierit to meet their individual expence. But the
lees prodacsise were held as advanced posts, and
1 Mete necessary to be kept for the preservation of the