The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-06-28 00:00:00

..to received large salaries for trifling public serrir -.
Thus far as to numbers. The expense had inereamo
even with reference to an nnerinat number kept en 'n
former years. The mode in which commissions weer
given away was highly to be reprobated. He could
shew upwards of 300 instances in which person, .+re
put on half pay the day after receiving their comuiia•iec.
Half•pay wits intended for past services, and this practice
was therefore in direct violation of those principles. He
must admit that a different practice was followed in the
Navy, and he wished the House to notice the c:reunk.
stance; as it was improper such military power sheuhi
be given to any Commander•in-Chief. Out of Mb
advancements, only 300 had taken place out of the
half-pay. He thought pytice to the officers on half.
pay demanded an official return upon the silkier:.
The Government had transferred 247 officers frnii the
line to the veteran battalions, in order that they might
enjoy full pay. The Commissariat department
scarcely existed in 1;92, and it was now p.•rfertiv
enormous. In the course of the session, he had pr. -
posed a redaction of 20,000 men. Dot he had nit)..

drawn it at the suggestion of Lis frieudb.
reduction would hare saved considerably more thin
a. million. Various reduction% had however been

proposed, amounting in the who!' to 1,690,000/,
but not one of thew had been adopted. I lie expense
of the Navy had increased beyond ail measure time
the year I 792. The expenre of building for the la,t
seven years amounted to the enormous sun of 17
millions, and the House h4d voted in one item
200,0001. for Dock-yard Officers, and lenyan. tot
the men, so that the pay of the Superintend-
ants exceeded that of the workmen.—(lfear.)--
In the Dock-yards alone we had expended in the
last seven years more than live millions. Really be
thought some degree of coniparis in ought to be
drawn between our exproses and our means.—
Out of the vote for building ships he had pro.
posed a reduction, because lie hail thouglit that
some attention ought to he made to the man-
tling as well as to the building. lie now came to the
Ordnance. It appeared that 101,01101. bad been paid
foe gratuities alone. This iirAcire had Leen stopped
by the Government, but it was clear to liim that
200,0001. might be saved from this department. 7he
whole course of the proceedings in the iloumt ',hewed

in his opinion that the only way to obtain economy was
to compel it, and the only way to compel it, was by
withholding the money. Every elepartmeat was over-
charged, and he would pledge leis existence that a sat.
ing might be made in each. The Receiver tienerafs
department might he reduced by 75,000/. if tiorernmest
et ere really disposed to reduce it. Ile was sorry to observe
that there was little disposition to carry into Effect the
Report of the Finance Committee. His obserygtissee
this respect was perfectly warranted by the 11111 iapto-
gress for the allowance to the Duke of ClArence. With
regard to the Report in question, he was happy toes-
cept the conduct of the Paymaster-Deneral, who had
shewn great candour throughout, and who had in ge-
neraladopted the recommendation of the Cotutuittee.
Hu thought the House ought not to separate without
passing a Bill for carrying into effect every Resolution
of the Committee. Ile had on a former occasion brought
under the notice of the House the mode in which pay-
ment was made to the Distributors of Stamps, and
lee pledged himself to get all the Duties perform-
ed at s reduction of 50,0001. iu the expence, with-
out incurring the slightest risk. Ile called upon the
Government to adopt this proposal of themselves with-
out an Act of Parliament. lie could find persons of
substance and respectability to undertake the office at
2 per cent instead of 6 per cent. which was allowed ot
presentin some parts of the country. With respect to
the expensed collecting the assessed Taxes, he had re-
ceived many letters from Scotland, complaining actu-
ally of the laziness of the public officers. The
expense of collection was from three to eight
per cent. on the net produce. lie would here just
refer to an official paper eel sting to Ireland, shewisg
an increase of 15,1100/. a rear in the salaries, and a
decrease of 500,000 t. in the revenue for the last year.
—These were instances he referred to for the purpose
of !hewing the solidity of his observation, that a
million a-year might be sated. For this impose be
might submit t',e tiling off of the taxes upon candles,
soap, leather. and salt. Even not.: it was not ont of
the power of the House to make the reduction. The
House lead granted an immense Civil List, and a Pen-
sion List of 31'0,000/. out of the Consolidated Fund.
If they were disposed to relieve the country, they bad
now a fair opportunity of doing so. It was for his
Majesty's Ministers to make a reduction with a good
grace. No man could deny that the less the taws
the larger would be the National Income. He well
I:new what he said, and he was convinced of the truth
of it, for the money was more profitable to t he coantry
in the pockets of the people than in the coffers of the
Exchequer. Ile should tiser•fore conclude be atosig
a Resolution, which he had drawn np in terms as
little objecti.enahle as post.ible. It was to the follow-
ing effect :—That an humlele Address, be presented to
his Majesty, praying that with a view to relieve the
public distress, be would he please I to order a minus's
Investigation into the Expense,' att,•ntling the Collec-
tion of the public Revenue, and into the prarticabilill
of diminishing the National Expenditnrc n.ltleout de.
triment to the public interest, and especially with re-
ferenre to the reduction ell the Army.
The Marqness of TAV I STOI *K, in seconding the re-
eolotiou, declared his eolori,-tion that the vigilaat cat-
duct of the Hon. Member for Abe7cleen, had enured
him the confidence and the gratitude of the r-
ple. lie regretted, however, that the Estimates for
the year had been brans' : t into such very minute de-
tails, as he did not wish to see that Home usurp
the office of the Executive.—(Cheers.)—lie hops
the Hon. Member woald no longer waste his tin''
and his consitution in arempting to gain an ia:
duence in that House ; especially as Ministers 114
resisted every proposal for relieving the public di';
tresses lev economy. The patronage of tieverarnent
Ras unheard of; :tad it necessarily I ,Iloweel ths
the exercise of that patronage Lad an iDaneace ow
the minds of the best of men. Ile shoull never
even to gratify his constituents make the least ss-
-Ibe
crifice to obtain a future seat in that Rouse.
tNoorbill,llplarroqfeusegsisono,ppoofsiteec:noonoldy.no:staithewasnv.:crdeirtts:
the boon he bad lately granted to tue Agrio!
i,4;
oo4l4c-
rists, was given in consequence of the u
Lion of bis own friends. He could not
ii,tti,.°;g
ar:
withont entering his protest against arming
of the nation against the other.
i beenllt•hid
great regret, that his Majesty bad