or canals, or to trustees of roads, for the use of the allies, which or to any persons engaged in pub- amounted to no less than three lic works now in progress, or a- millions during the war. That the bout to undertake them. The as- general demand of goods for the sociations for the encouragement foreign trade had not suffered in of the fisheries would likewise be an equal proportion, he concluded a very proper institution to receive from the official value of the exaid. In Ireland it would not be ports of steel and iron from the practicable to nominate a similar year 1914. From the persons best commission without such a delay acquainted with the trade of the as would defeat the purpose of the country, he thought that a loan grant. It would be necessary to of 30 or 40,0001. to the manfacenter into a correspondence with turers of Birmingham would be that country to know what gen- of material service in the present tleman would undertake a duty exigence. The right hon. gentlewhich would entail some trouble man concluded with proposing his without any prospect of reward. first resolution. To avoid that delay, the sum ap- Several members found it nepropriated to that country would cessary to desire explanations from be placed at the disposal of the the Chancellor of the Exchequer relord-lieutenant.

specting different subjects; whilst With respect to advances on the others were very doubtful whether security of the poor-rates, he had any good would be the result of never thought that any thing could his project. The resolution was, be done towards the relief of the however, put and carried; as was agricultural population by the loan also the second concerning Ireof any such sum as he then pro- land. posed to advance. He was also On the 14th of May, the Chanafraid that loans to the agricultu- cellor of the Exchequer rose to ral districts in aid of the poor- move the order of the day, that rates, would encourage the prac- the House would resolve itself tice of curtailing the fair wages into a committee, to take into of labour, and supplying the de- consideration the bill for the Emficiency from such a source. When ployment of the Poor. He said the bill came before the House he had introduced a considerable there would be found clauses number of amendments into the which would guard against such bill, which he thought would rean idea. The advance to be grant- move some of the objections raised ed to parishes was never to ex- to it. He would not at present ceed the half of the last year's enter into the merits of these rate, and no advance was to be amendments, as a better oppormade to any parish except where tunity would hereafter occur. the rate was double the average of Some additional observations the two preceding years. Speak- were made upon the bill; after ing of the particular distresses of which the report was brought up, Birmingham, he attributed a con- and a day was appointed for a siderable part of it to the falling farther consideration. off of the supply of small arms On the 21st of May, on the Sur recotnmnitting this bill, that he had the previous sanction 15.01.s objections were made to of his Majesty's ministers; for st? I ble, which were replied a committee of their own appointLots friends. The House then ment had been named in the last year *** into a committee, and a by the lords of the treasury for purL'ary conversation took place poses under which this subject par& its several clauses. The bill ticularly fell. They were confined #!wards passed.

in their operations to all ofhces in the House of Lords it was created since the commencement 13:"ned by the Earl of Lirere of the war in 1793. The office of B., ubrufly stated its objects, third secretary of state had been Coro dune loh. The Earl of Lau- created in 1794 ; and how it could

So, whe against it, but no escape the notice of the committee Sinn time proposed, the bill was to him quite unintelligible.

e prada bird time, and passed. All (the right hon. gentleman

I: * s-ervable, that when the said) that he had now to do, was 8:41 16 nmen was inue of an in- to make out a case strong enough

• 1. trudlucing such a bill, to refer the subject to the examito the chancellor of the Exche nntion of a committee. The in8., dir qutu of money which he crease of colonies since 1792, was *,« se of proposing was between all that he had to meet. These 1 din millions. But the were, in fact, nine in number, for : al suamn contained in his two he would not include Heligoland,

amounts only to nor yet St. Helena. Four of these : . Imi and it does not appear were in the West Indies, three in 2. thing further wits re- the East Indies, and two in the

Mediterranean. Those in the

West Indies were nowise con7.99 $NITARY OF STATE FOR nected with those in the East

Indies, and neither of them with COLONIES.

those in the Mediterranean. His r's r. 29th, Mr. Turney rose proposal was therefore to make :: **. in print of sub-tance, over the four first to the home

Dal of furm, a motion re- department; the three next to the fotbolition of the office board of control, and (said he)

Apsilary of state for the they might add St.!lelena, though

A which he had been de- it would not give much additional to ful: tho x* non of the t:ouble; as it might rather be

Ile www intended to considered as a gaol under the Ha dilantee to mquite care of the police of Europe.

. susit; not, he said, Malta should be inng to the foreign Lair wire ar y doubts in his secretary Ay to the Ionian

to the propriety of islands, he scarcely knew how to til utle; but because speak, whether they were our own

a in questions of this or not; but he apprehended that 2° luad to the smallest the nature of Sir Thomas Vaitof virus in any other land's connexion with them was

0:6 272.18 inducement for not colonial, but purely political. w liberikde this subject was, After various other observations

on

.

LO

as an incontrovertible maxim, that the number of the government no country, especially one so much troops in India to be reduced from involved in debt, could consider 20,000 to 17,000. In the estiits prosperity in time of peace es- mates there would appear a sum tablished on a firm foundation, of 220,000l. to be provided for on unless its expenditure was reduced account of regiments which had not only to the level, but below not yet returned from abroad, but the level, of its revenue.

were on their way home, and in It was not his intention to go a course of reduction. The whole minutely through the several heads of the army estimates, with of expenditure in the different certain contingent expenses, and branches of our establishments that of the militia, would amount for the present year ; but he was to 7,050,000l.; to which the comdesirous to state, that in order to missariat in Great Britain will add prevent the House from being 500,0001. The barrack establishfettered by the votes which it ment has been reduced from might be necessary to call for, 178,000 to 70 or 80,000. The they would not be required to fur- army extraordinaries for this year nish sums for more than some will be 1,300,000l. Total charge months, so that the public service for the army 9,230,0001. For the might be carried on in the mean navy, the House had last year time. To this circumstance, after voted 33,000 men, of which, as some general observations, his 10,000 were in the progress of relordship now proceeded.

duction, it was understood that He first requested the attention only 23,000 would be the permaof the House to the subject of the nent establishment for the prearmy expenditure. The number sent year. But upon further conof the land forces during the last sideration, it has been determined year, (excluding those in France that a larger reduction was pracand India, which were otherwise ticable, and 19,000 men have provided for) was 99,000 men, been proposed as the vote of the namely 53,000 for the home ser- present year. The reduction of vice, and 46,000 for the foreign the wear and tear, ship-building, establishment. This was to be and other expenses, would, of reduced in the present year by course, be very considerable. On 18,000; that at home by 5000, the whole the aggregate ofcharges, and that in the colonies, &c. by comprehending all the various 13,000: and thus the comparison branches of the public service, will between the two years would stand stand thus : from 99,000 to 81,016. The total Army...

£ 7,050,000 number for which a vote had been commissariat and taken in the former year was Barracks

880,000 150,000 men; and the total num- Extraordinaries 1,300,000 ber for this year would be pro- Ordinance.

1,246,000 posed at only 123,000. The reason Navy ....

6,397,000 for this was, that by the conven- Miscellaneous.. 1,500,000 tion with France the number of our troops there was to be reduced Gross total of charge 18,373,000 from 30,000 men to 25,000; and

This was the sum which his times, he begged that they would Majesty's ministers would pro- always separate the charges which pose to the House for the service were wholly unconnected with the of the present year; but it would service of the present year. be unfair to themselves not to de.. The right hon. member then sire them to distinguish between passed an eulogium on the Prince those items which might be more Regent, who had resigned to the durable, from those which, al- public about a fifth of his whole though voted for the present year, receipts, namely, fifty thousand would in all probability not again pounds; and he stated that the recur. For the army, for ex- public servants of the crown were ample, the sum of 220,0001. was also anxious to offer their assistfor the purpose of defraying the ance by contributing what the expense of regiments all which property-tax, had it been conwere actually in a progress of tinued, would have taken from reduction. The extraordinaries, them. In conclusion, he proposed as well as could be anticipated, the formation of a select commitwould be reduced by 300,0001. tee to inquire into and state the and the ordinance by 50,0001. In income and expenditure of the the navy, he had stated, that united kingdom for the year ended 500,0001. of the sum proposed to the 5th of January, 1817; and be voted was for the liquidation of also to consider and state the a transport debt. These several probable income and expenditure items added together would amount (so far as the same can now be to 1,070,0001. which would di- estimated) for the years ending minish the future charge of the the 5th of January, 1898, and the year to the same value.

5th of January, 1819, respectively; There was another view of the and to report the same, together subject which he was desirous that with their observations thereupon, the House should take-that be- to the House; and also to contween charges which were for sider what further measures may services that had been performed, be adopted for the relief of the and charges for services still to be country from any part of the said performed. He had already stated expenditure, without detriment to that the army estimates contained the public interest." a sum of 2,551,000l. for services Mr. Brand said, that with rethat had actually been performed. spect to the first part of the noble If charges of the same kind were lord's motion he had nothing at separated from the navy estimates, present to observe; but as to the they would amount to 1,271,0001. second part, he thought that Those in the ordnance service when, at such a conjuncture as were 223,0001.; and the three the present, the House was about services put together would a- to inquire what reductions ought mount to 4,045,0001. When the to take place in the public expenHouse was therefore occupied in diture, placemen and persons conten:plating the great existing holding sinecure-offices ought not charge of the army and navy, to be on the committee. He should compared with those of former therefore move as an amendment,

" That

“That the select committee to be had therefore repeatedly supported appointed, should inquire into the propositions brought forward what reductions since the year by his friend the member for Corfe 1798 had takenlace in the salaries Castle (Mr. Bankes). The system and emoluments of the different was peculiarly liable to the charge persons holding public offices, and of favouritism; and another strong to consider what farther measures objection to it was its being grantmight be instituted for further re- ed in reversion, which always apducing the expenditure of the peared to him a great abuse. It country.”

nighi be objected, that no great The Speaker having suggested savings would result to the public to Mr. B. that it would be neces- from the abolition of those offices. sary for him first to move, by way The present savings indeed could of amendment, that the second not be much, because it was nepart of the noble lord's cotion cessary that good faith should be should be omitted, he shaped his kept with those who had vested motion accordingly.

interests; but in the course of a After a considerable uumber of few years a material benefit would members had given their opinions, be effected. When the committee Mr. Brand's motion was put, and recommended that certain offices was negatived by 210 to 117. should no longer be suffered to

exist, it was necessary that they REPORT OF FINANCE COMMITTEE. should point out some other mode

The names of the members of by which his Majesty could rethe comnittee was at length ap. ward meritorious services. With pointed, when they stood as fol- this view a system was lows : Lord Castlereagh, Mr. niended, which, under certain reBankes, Mr. Tierney, the Chan- strictions, would answer every cellor of the Exchequer, Lord purpose. He alluded to the grantBinning, Mr. Booile Wilbraham, ing of pensions for services perSir John Newport, Mr. Peele, formed, the time during which Mr. Hart Davis, Sir George Clerk, individuals had occupied their Mr. Frankland Lewis, Air. Hus- offices being one of the criteria by kinson, Mr. ' remaine, Mr. Nic which the crown was to be guided chulson Calvert, Mr. Davies Gil- in rewarding the exertions of pubbert, Mr. Cartright, Mr. Holford, lic officers. If the committee Mr. E. Littleton, Lord Clive, Mr. eed to the motion with which Gooch, Sir T. Ackland.

he should conclude, namely, On May 5th, the first report of "That the chairman should be the Finance Committee, relating directed to apply to the House for to the abolition of Şinecures, be- leave to bring in certain bills for ing laid before the House, Mr. carrying into effect the recomDaries Gilbert rose to address the mendations contained in the recommittee. He began with ob- port," they would then have the gerving that he had uniformly con- subject introduced to them in a sidered the existence of sinecure more detailed shape. After some places as a great blot and blemish further explanations, he moved n the system of this countıy, and “That the chairman be directed

to

recom