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country of a military establishment having undergone so long a discussion, the effect of which was a general conviction that the establishment was wise, fit, and becoming.

The subsequent motion was for the grant of 1,234,5961. for the charge of the forces stationed in France; the resolution on which was agreed to.

In the progress of discussion it appears, that notwithstanding the predominant influence of the ministers in parliament, it was thought advisable to offer to the public some gratuitous deductions from the estimates as first presented; and on April 5th the order of the day stood for going into a committee for taking into consideration the reduced army estimates. On the question that the Speaker leave the chair, Mr. Warre rose to make some observations on these estimates, and the first to which he called the attention of the House was the charge for staff and hospital officers on foreign stations. This article had been stated in the original estimates at 163,000l. and the proposed reduction left it at 123,000l.; and the hon. gentleman having stated from documents that it was still six times more than had been demanded for the same service at the peace of Amiens, argued that there were no justifiable reasons for such a great augmentation. As we do not undertake to give the particulars of these debates, which for the most part turned upon numerical questions, we have noticed the circumstance chiefly to shew the effect which further consideration of the subject pro

duced on the determinations of the ministry.

When the House was resolved into a committee, Lord Palmerston moved for a grant of 277,8851. for defraying the charge of general and staff officers, and officers of the hospitals, and the charge of the garrisons, for 366 days from December 25th, 1815. This motion, though it produced various remarks, was agreed to. Subsequent motions for grants for defraying the charges of the volunteer corps of Great Britain and Ireland in 1810, and the expenses of the local militia were generally concurred in.

When on April 10th the report of the committee of supply on the army staff was to be taken into further consideration, Lord Folkestone declared himself anxious in this last stage to protest against the adoption of the army estimates in their present form. In the staff alone, he said, had any diminution been effected; and although the saving was only 40,000l. it was sufficient to shew that the estimates in general had been made out in a very careless manner. He repeated his strong objections to the employment of soldiers for civil purposes, and affirmed, that during the last 25 years, the number of the guards doing duty in London had been augmented from between 6 and 700, to 8 and 900 men.

The report was agreed to without farther comment.

The navy estimates were laid before the committee of supply by Sir George Warrender on February 14th. He began with mentioning the stations of the squadrone now employed, and those changes

changes which had caused a considerable increase on the last peace establishment of the navy. To the force in the East Indies no addition had been made; but the Cape of Good Hope was a new station, which was also rendered of peculiar importance by its proximity to St. Helena. To the Mauritius likewise a very considerable squadron had been appointed, amounting to 11 ships of the line. In the Mediterranean it had been thought proper to substitute 74 gun ships to those of 50. A small squadron had been stationed off South America in compliance with applications for the protection of our trade in that quarter; on which account the force stationed at Jamaica and the Leeward Islands had been somewhat diminished. One frigate had been added to the force in North America: that on the coast of Africa would be equal to the same during the last peace; and the squadron on the home station of the same strength with that in 1792. Even had there been no new stations to occupy, an increase of men for the peace establishment would have become necessary from other circumstances. One of these was the general employment of larger frigates than formerly. It was also thought important that a fourth corps of marines should be kept up, as being more useful to the navy than troops of the line. On the whole, the total number of men required for the peace establishment would be 23,000; but in the present year, for reasons already explained, 33,000 would be moved for. The hon. baronet concluded with moving five reso

lutions, of which the first was, "That 33,000 men be employed for the sea service for the year 1816, including 900 royal marines."

Mr. Ponsonby expressed himself reluctant to say any thing which might seem to reflect on the services of the navy; yet he could not abstain from entering his pro¬ test against the proposed supply, since it would require much stronger reasons than he had heard, to convince him of the necessity of such a peace establishment. At the close of the American war, in which the fleets of France and Spain had rode triumphant in the channel, 18,000 seamen had been thought sufficient for our safety at this time the fleets of those nations had been so much reduced as to render them no object of apprehension, nor had any other power in Europe a formidable navy. The mere circumstance of having new stations for our ships was not sufficient to prove the necessity of an augmen tation, unless it were shewn that a diminution on the old stations was inexpedient. Were the House to consent to vote such an increase, it would be idle to talk of economy.

Mr. Law, on the other hand, spoke of the necessity of keeping up a respectable naval establishment, and blamed the secretary of the navy for the precipitancy with which he paid off so great a portion of the navy in the last year.

Sir Geo. Warrender made replies to both the last speakers; and after some further debate, which it is not material to particularize, the several resolutions were agreed to.

The

The subject of the navy estimates was resumed before the committee of supply on March 25th. The discussion was begun by Mr. Tierney, who introduced his observations by saying, that an examination of those estimates would furnish a clear exposition of the noble lord's economy; and if he did not make out against his Majesty's ministers one of the strongest cases that had ever been established against any government, he was utterly mistaken in his anticipations. The estimates had no reference to the naval service as connected with the defence of the country by naval officers; they related only to the civil administration of the navy. They were divided into several heads; such as the admiralty, the navy office, the navy-pay-office, the victualling-office, the home-dockyards, the out-ports, the foreign yards, &c. The right hon. gentleman then went through the particulars of these several heads; and his conclusion was, that the ministers had made their estinates in these departments for the first year of peace exceed those of the last year of war by 21,6041.; and giving them credit for the saving of 18001. in the admiralty and victualling departments, there remained an excess of more than 20,000l. beyond the expenditure of 1814. This was a sufficient ground for putting a negative upon the estimates, and sending them back for revision.

Sir G. Warrender, in his speech in reply, assured the House that it was the disposition of the admiralty to carry into effect every retrenchment consistent with the security of the country. Inquiries

were in progress into every department, and considerable reductions might be expected to take place.

Mr. Croker chiefly bent his argument in the present stage of the discussion against the right hon. gentleman's prima facie ground for sending back the estimates, by proving, that in the first year of every peace upon record, the ordinary estimates of the navy had exceeded those of the last year of war preceding ; the reason of which, he said, was plain; because the ordinary estimates comprised the civil department of the navy, and as the scattered materials were in time of peace brought back to the offices and dock-yards, the expense of those establishments was consequently increased.

In the conclusion of this day's debate, a motion for adjournment was negatived, and that for the committee was carried.

When the committee was resumed on the 27th, Sir G. Warrender moved a resolution for the grant of a sum not exceeding 1 million, for defraying the expenses of navy articles eighteen in number.

Mr. Baring and other members having objected to collecting them under one head, it was at length agreed that they should be taken separately; and the first resolution proposed was for a sum not exceeding 59,7231. for defraying the salaries and contingent expences of the admiralty office for the year 1816.

Mr. Tierney, after refuting the imputation of mistake brought against him by Mr. Croker, by asserting that his meaning had been, that in the particular offices

which he had specified there had invariably been a diminution of expense in the first year of peace, proceeded to the subject of the clerks in the several naval departments. He stated, that in 1814 the number of these clerks was 449; at present it was 425, making a diminution of 24; yet there was an augmentation of salaries amounting to 10,000l. On this circumstance he made several pointed observations, and concluded by moving, that only six months' expenditure should be voted, and the House should in the meantime appoint a committee for sifting the matter to the bot

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paymaster of the marines, the paymaster of widows' pensions, and the inspector of telegraphs, contending that they were useless offices; and he moved a proportional deduction from the sum to be voted for. This motion was rejected by a division of 124 to 38; and the original resolution was agreed to.

The navy estimates continued to be a subject of debate at successive sittings of the committee of supply; but as it would be impossible to reduce within moderate limits the particulars brought into discussion, we must confine ourselves to a short notice of the results. On March 29th Sir G. Warrender moved a vote for a sum to defray the expenses of the navy board, which was carried without a division. A similar motion for the expenses of the navy-payoffice was made by him on April 1st, which produced an amendment proposed by Mr. Bennet for reducing the salary of the treasurer of the navy from 4000l. to 2000l. This was rejected by a majority of 66 to 21; and the resolution was agreed to, after disposing of another amendment by Mr. Martin, for deducting 7000l. from the sum proposed. In conclusion, all the other resolutions were put and carried without opposition.

CHAPTER

CHAPTER IF.

Mr. Brougham's motion for interposition with the Spanish court in favour of the suffering patriots.-Discussion in the House of Lords on motion for an address on the treaties with foreign powers. The same in the House of Commons.-Pelitions against the continuance of the Property Fax, and debates.-Motion by the Chancellor of the Exchequer for its renewal, and its defeat.-Relinquishment of the war malt-duties.— Mr. Western's motion for taking into consideration the distressed state of the agriculture-Bill for the effectual detention of Buonaparte.-Message of the Prince Regent respecting the marriage of the Princess Charlotte with the Prince of Cobourg, and consequent provision. Motion respecting the augmentation of the salaries of the secretaries to the admiralty.-Motion for abolishing the office of one of the Secretaries of

State.

N Feb. 15th, a motion was introduced into the House of Commons by Mr. Brougham, which, though it had no political results, was rendered remarkable by the historical matter occurring in the debate subsequent upon it. The hon. gentleman, after some general and particular remarks on the interference of one state in the domestic affairs of another, proceeded to the consideration of the transactions of this government with respect to the Spanish nation, under the changes it had been subjected to from the French usurpation. In 1809 this government concluded a treaty with Admiral Apodaca, the minister commissioned by the Junta of Spain, though nominally the ambassador of Ferdinand, by which this country bound itself never to make peace with France to the surrender of the royal rights of Ferdinand, or whatever prince the Spanish nation might choose as VOL. LVIII.

his successor, and on the other hand, the existing government of Spain agreed that hostilities with France should never be terufinated but with the consent of the allies, and without separating the interests of Spain and England. The Marquis Wellesley was then appointed minister to the Junta, and urgently recommended the assembling of a Cortes. This was effected, and a regency was appointed, composed of five members, all chosen by the interposition of England. On this footing of intimate connection and conjoined interests, (said Mr. B.) affairs went on till the beginning of 1814, when Buonaparte opened a negociation with Ferdinand, then in confinement at Valency, which was conducted by the Duke of San Carlos, now high in office at the court of Spain; and a treaty was concluded by which Ferdinand abandoned the cause of this country, and upon [C] Buonaparte's

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