was evident that the expence must entirely on the Irish establishment. continue after the reduction had been All these taken together left a dimimade. In the course of the present nution of expence in that class a. year the half-pay officers and pen- mounting to L.270,000. On the se. sioners of Chelsea would merge in cond class, which comprised the exthe account of these reductions, so pences incurred by supporting the that a saving of expence would be troops which were on service in India, effected to meet the increase of half. it was unnecessary to make any obpay officers arising from the reduc- servations, because these charges tion of the army of occupation. If were defrayed by the East India they looked at the whole expence of Company. In the third class the vathis year's establishment, as com- riations were as follow :-On the pared with that of last year's, they Royal Military College there was a would find that a reduction of decrease of L.340: in the establishL. 763,000 had been effected. He ment of general officers, there was a would not at present enter into mi- small decrease of about L.1,000; in nute details, but should content the charge of garrisons there was a himself with stating generally the trifling increase, owing to the garvariations which had arisen in the risons in Scotland having been omitexpenditure in the different classes. ted in last year's estimates of allow, In the first class, comprising the ances to officers of reduced garri. charges for staff officers, medicines, sons: in the estimate for retired &c. the decrease of expence this year, and unattached officers, there was a as compared with last, amounted to reduction of L.5,871 ; on the list of L.270,000, of which L.263,000 arose half-pay and allowances to reduced from the reduction of the land forces. officers, there was an increase of The variations under the several di. L. 37,398; in the estimate of halfvisions of this class were as follows: pay and reduced allowances to offi. - In the recruiting department, cers of disbanded foreign corps, penthere was a diminution of expence, sions to foreign officers, and allowamounting to L.2,149; for depôts ances to widows and children of deof regiments on foreign service, ceased foreign officers, there was a there was a reduction of L. 1,904; decrease of L.6,635; in the estimate in the estimate for regimental and for Chelsea hospital, there was an other contingencies, there was a re- increase of L.121,325, arising solely duction of L. 7,888; on the charge on the out pension list; on the Mi. for general officers, staff-officers, and litary Asylum at Chelsea there was officers of hospitals, there was an in- also an increase of L. 3,631 ; under crease of L.2,236 ; in the secretary the head of pensions paid to the widepartment, there was also an in- dows of officers there was an increase crease of L. 3,681, which had been of L.5,247 : on the allowances granttaken this year to meet a temporary ed on the compassionate list for expence, but would not be perma- wounds, &c. there was an increase nent; and he must also mention, that of L.6,726 ; under the head of allowof this increased expenditure, L.1,784 ances for superannuation to persons were on the Irish establishment; in belonging to public departments the medical department there was a there was an increase of L. 2,965. reduction of L. 8,675; and on the Hewas anxious that the house should charge for volunteer corps, there was see the amount of the expence, and a reduction of L.1,872, which arose that they be convinced it was fairly

incurred. On comparing the per. that of the last by L. 84,000. The manent force now established with staff establishment was too large, and that of 1817, it appeared that there open to much animadversion, but he was a reduction of 41,298 men; and would

pass

it over. But the state of in the expence a diminution of the Military College called imperiL. 1,336,000. He added, that he ously for the attention of the comwould reserve any further remarks mittee. When our army had conhe had to make till the resolutions sisted of 350,000 men, or more, such came to be discussed.

an establishment was perhaps proThe first resolution, that the sum per. In the present year there were of L.2,258,776 be granted for the 400 scholars; there were formerly charges of the land forces of Great many more. In the course of three Britain, having been put, Colonel years this establishment supplied 76 Davies thought a saving of L.127,000 officers to the army: 20 by purchase, might be effected by certain reduc- 56 without purchase. The establishtions both in the cavalry and infantry ment cost the public L.25,000, con

, regiments, and could not help re- sequently each officer thus educated marking the difference between the cost the country L.1,063 per annum. staff establishment in Ireland and in There was another part of the subthis country. In Scotland, Guernsey, ject which seemed well worthy of atand Jersey, there were only seven tention : it was the manner in which general officers, exclusive of the a certain class of half-pay officers

Commander-in-Chief; but in Ireland was created. After 1816, while Mi.

, there were not fewer than ten. In nisters were makiog every exertion the adjutant department, there were to make those reductions which the here only five, while in Ireland there general voice of the nation called for, were eleven ; and in the quarter- 294 officers were put into the army master-general's department, while without purchase. In course of three

. there were only six here, there were years, just so many officers were put eleven in Ireland. He could not help on half-pay at 3s. per day. At the remarking also the high charge for very time that those fresh men were the Military College. He could not put into the army, many hundreds of see the necessity of training so great cornets and ensigns would be glad a number for the army, especially to be employed. The annuity of 3s. while there were so many meritori- per day to 294 officers, that was an ous officers who had been in the ser. annuity of L. 16,000, or the princi. vice, and were now out of employ- palsum of L. 320,000, of which ment. He would not divide the L.16,000 was the annuity, had thus committee at present on this resolu- been wantonly and wastefully thrown tion ; but when the report should be away. There was another charge brought up, he would certainly move, which he considered objectionable : and take the sense of the house on it was that of the Royal Asylum, for the motion, that L.120,000 be de. which the sum of L.86,000 was sta. ducted from the sum proposed, and ted in the estimates. He did not he should then show the method by mean to submit any motion on the which he proposed to effect this re- subject, but he could not repress duction.

objections which appeared to him so Mr Hume remarked, that the No- obvious and so strong. ble Lord had omitted to state that the Mr Bennet said, that the only quesexpenditure of this year exceeded tion was, whether the establishment,

as now before them, was not too promote the interest and prosperity large. In 1819, in the time of pro- of the army and of the country at found peace, 29,353 men were kept large, because the money was exup in Great Britain. There were pended in the country and for the also, it appeared, 20,560 men to be advantage of the country at large. kept up in Ireland. What reason He would not expatiate upon how could be assigned for this, he knew much care ought to be bestowed up not, unless it was that it had been a. on the education of commanding of: greed at the Congress of Vienna to ficers, and how well they ought to be assimilate our Government to the instructed, who could contrive to despotisms of the Continent, and preserve life while they commanded to substitute military parade and others in the destruction of it. There military terror, for the people's love was charged the sum of L. 6604 for and the people's happiness. But the staff of the Military College. Of there was one subject in particular six staff officers, three had been reto which he wished to advert, and duced and three retained : the go. to which, if no redress were previous vernor, lieutenant-governor, and inly given, he should take another op. spector of establishments. This was portunity of calling the attention of a moderate and reasonable charge. the house. The subject was, the Lord Palmerston in reply contendo distribution of that money which had ed, that it should be remembered, been so liberally voted by that house that although the question of exto the surviving sufferers at Water- pences was undoubtedly that of the loo. Whether the evil had arisen greatest importance in considering from the vague manner in which the the estimates submitted to the house, order for distribution had been made, yet there were other matters to be or whether the order had been mis- also considered of very great imporunderstood, the effect was, that tance. If the honourable gentlemany officers were forced into a man opposite (Mr Hume) went share of the bounty who had had no back to the establishment of the arpart in the battle, while corps who my in 1792, the deduction to be had contributed as much to the vic- drawn from thence would be the tory as if they had been in the heart very reverse of the honourable gen. of the action, who in fact defended tleman's. It was then much higher, the flanks of the army, got nothing and he (Lord Palmerston) trusted of the bounty. The medical gentle. the house would be of opinion, that men, who had the care of persons of the present establishment combined all nations, to the number of 10,000, as many advantages as it was possias well as the officers on duty at ble. It was well known that very Brussels, were cut off from all share high establishments were exceedof the prize-money. By a singular ingly inconvenient; for if regiments,

a caprice in the distribution, officers in time of peace, were to be kept of a foreign corps, who had run a. up on as high an establishment as in way when danger appeared, and who time of war, the consequence was, afterwards joined before the army on the breaking out of hostilities, reached Paris, were entitled to a that they must raise new regiments, share of the prize.

which every body was aware was the Sir A. Hope said, the Military Col. most inconvenient and most expen. lege was an establishment wise in sive of all ways by which a military policy, and peculiarly calculated to force could be raised. With respect to the Military College, he would ob- a fair proportion of commissions to serve, that this was an establishment half-pay officers; but it was obvious which it was of the highest conse- that it would not be proper to do so quence to keep up, as well in peace in all cases, nor to appoint them to as in war time. Gentlemen must be the highest commissions ; in both of informed of the very serious conse- which instances those gentlemen quences which resulted on the break. who had been on full pay and in acing out of the last war, from the want tive service would naturally expect of officers sufficiently conversant with their full pay to go on. As to the those tactics and professional details Military Asylum, if there was one that could only be acquired by ex• of the estimates more likely to meet perience, or by a long military edu- the approbation of the house than ancation. Courage, it was certain, was other, he should imagine it would not sufficient to command success; be that, about which so much had and even with British soldiers, whose been said. With respect to its inbravery always had been, and always ternal administration, he would ven. would be, unquestionable, it had ture to say it was one of the very been found that other requisites, first in Europe. The objects of its which it was the object of the col- protection were most of them the lege to confer, were necessary. He orphans of those who had fought and did not think that, on a future oc- perished in their country's battles. casion, there would prove to be As to the distribution of the Water. more candidates ready to receive loo prize money, the honourable commissions than was a fair propor gentleman opposite (Mr Bennet) tion. An honourable gentleman had complained that there had been had very strongly pressed the case an unfair exclusion of those in garof the half pay officers upon the con- rison at Brussels, who with the medisideration of the house. He had cal staff had been employed in taking not indeed gone the length of saying care of the sick and wounded after that all new or vacant commissions the battle. Now, the gratuity in should be filled up from the half- question was given in consideration, pay list ; but he did not appear to expressly, of the battle of Waterloo, imagine that their services were suf, and of the capture of Paris, the imficiently considered. It afforded mediate result of it. The line drawn him, however, great pleasure to for the distribution of that prize state, that the illustrious person who money was, that it should be given had the disposal of those commis- to those concerned in the engagesions always considered their claims ment, and in the capture of Paris with the utmost fairness and impar, and of the neighbouring towns of tiality. From the year 1795 to the France. But, of course, being for last year, taking the salaries of the those objects, those who were in gar. whole number of officers on the mi- rison at the time, for instance at Os. litary establishment at twelve years' tend and Nieuport, were excluded purchase, a sum of no less than from all participation, equally with L. 2,678,000 had been saved to the those at Brussels. Nor was that ex. country, by appointing half-pay of clusion confined to our various corps ficers to full pay. The house would thus situated ; but the same regula. see from this, that there was no want tion was observed by the Belgian, of a disposition, on the part of the Hanoverian, and he believed also by Commander-in-Chief, to give at least the Prussian regiments. The garri.

son at Brussels, moreover, had no- ly wished to state, that as to his hathing to do with the battle of Water- ving proposed, on a former occasion, loo, and when the honourable gen- the reduction of only 5,000 men, tleman talked of protecting the flanks it might be recollected, that in the of the army, he would find, on con- committee he (Lord Althorp) voted sulting the geographical position of for the larger amount recommended, the place, that they could produce 10,000 men : but as the house would no such effect. As to the exclusion not agree to so large a reduction, he of the medical staff, a body of men had voted for one of 5,000, on the whose services never could be suffi. principle that it was better than none ciently estimated or praised, and at all. whose conduct on that as well as on Colonel Davies having observed, every other occasion was most ex. that sums of L. 29,100 for Eng. emplary, yet, if they had been en- Jand, and L. 9,829 for other places, titled to share, so would the garri. were charged for recruiting services, son, and so would all the allied troops begged to know what became of under the command of the Duke of the money paid by the men who were Wellington, throughout the whole discharged for providing substitutes. Netherlands territory; nay, troops Lord Palmerston explained, that the and officers at Deal, waiting at that sums were carried to the credit of each very moment the means of embarka. regiment. The number of men so distion for the scene of action, would charged in 1818 was 500 men; and have had as good a right. With re. the amount, L.10,000, was of course spect to the amount of the ensuing regularly credited. It was the old year's establishment, which the hon- custom to make the men discharged ourable gentleman thought too large, provide substitutes; but this was he had some authorities in his favour found to be very inconvenient, and which he presumed that honourable to introduce improper persons into gentleman would think of some the army.

the army. They were, therefore, by weight. It would be remembered, the new regulations to pay L. 20 inthat last year, in the debate upon stead ; and when the expences of this subject, an honourable Baronet, procuring, marching, and subsisting whom he did not now see in his place, à recruit were considered, it would proposed a reduction of L. 10,000 not appear too large. men. Now, in point of fact, a reduc- Some farther conversation took tion had taken place of L. 9,800 men, place between Mr Bennet, Sir Roand he hoped that they would not bert Wilson, and Lord Palmerston, quarrel with him for the odd L. 200. about the medical staff being exclud. On that occasion, too, a Noble Lord ed from sharing in the prize money; opposite (Lord Althorp) proposed after which the resolutions for the the reduction of only L. 5,000, so different items of supply were sucthat those gentlemen the least dis. cessively put and agreed to. The posed at any time to countenance an principal votes were for the daily excessive military establishment pro- pay, allowances, &c. of commissioned posed last year as a permanent re- officers, non-commissioned officers, duction one that in amount was only and privates, composing the forces 200 men less than that which had of Great Britain, exclusive of Inbeen effected.

dia, Ireland, and the troops on foIn reply to what had fallen from reign stations, L. 1,260,228: For the the Noble Lord, Lord Althorp mere- same to the troops abroad, L.998,548;