sum of 207,000l. had been carefully examined by the committee of finance, and sinecures to the amount of 17,000l. had been pointed out, which would drop with the present holders, and fall into the consolidated fund.

No division was attempted on the subject, and the bill passed without opposition through its remaining stages. This bill passed very tranquilly through the Lords, partly, no doubt, owing to the more urgent question with which that august House was forthwith occupied. In its prospect, however, the Marquis of Lansdowne, on the 5th May, inquired of Lord Liverpool, whether he intended to move the appointment of a committee of inquiry. The minister replied, that he considered the accounts laid before Parliament in 1816, as containing information sufficient. Lord Lansdowne then urged, that at least the reprinting of these accounts was necessary, and that other information might be called for. Besides economy, he considered the simplification of these accounts as an important object. He wished to render it clear what part of the civil list went to the maintenance of the royal family, and what was applicable to other purposes, or to services more strictly national. Some approximation to this object had been made in 1816, and he approved of the arrangement then adopted to the extent to which it went. But it had stopped short of the point of real utility, that of reducing the civil list to what might be granted for the regular expenditure of the royal family, and leaving out every thing of a fluctuating nature, and all those expenses which were properly national, subject at all times to the consideration of Parliament. The most proper arrangement, he thought, would be to charge the consolidated fund with every expense

which might be considered national, and to confine the civil list to what should be actually fixed upon for the permanent expenditure of the royal family.

Lord Liverpool observed, in reply, that the settlement of the civil list by a committee of inquiry was altogether without precedent at the commencement of a reign; and their Lordships had at present an advantage never possessed on any former occasion, in consequence of the minute investigation which had taken place in 1816. If the noble marquis referred to that settlement, he would find that every thing had been done with respect to simplification, that was practicable. In every step of the arrangement then made, the public advantage and interest had been maturely considered. The great object was, to take from the civil list and transfer to the consolidated fund various payments for services of a public nature which could be advantageously separated. By this arrangement much improvement in the accounts had been accomplished: but it was proposed that other charges of a fluctuating or uncertain nature, should be voted annually, and thus made subject to the control of Parliament. Upon examination, it would, however, be found, that all the articles of this description were of a peculiar nature, to which such a check could not with propriety be applied. The department most subject to fluctuation in its expenditure was the royal household, and its fluctuation was owing to the same cause that produced a variation in the expenses of any other family, namely, the difference of prices. Now, as to separating the expenses of the royal family from all charges for the maintenance of the civil government, in the manner the noble marquis had proposed,

that was an arrangement, of the propriety of which he entertained very serious doubts. The spirit of the constitution required that the expenditure of the crown should be considered as part of the expenditure of the country. It was doubtless on that ground that the charges for the civil government had been joined to the civil list, and he should therefore consider any attempt to produce a total separation as at least extremely indiscreet.

The accounts were ordered to be reprinted, and no subsequent opposition was made to the bill in the Upper House.

This grand question being adjust ed, it remained only to go through the regular financial arrangements of the year. The first step consisted in the production of the estimates for the different branches of expenditure. On the 17th May, Sir George Warrender produced the navy estimates, which, not differing materially from those of the preceding year, excited little discussion. Previous, however, to the production of the military estimates, a motion was made by Colonel Davies, (May 16,) for an inquiry into this branch of expenditure. He did not demand any definite reduction of force, but merely called for inquiry, in which he thought himself entitled to the support of every friend to economy. Every feeling man who looked to the situation of the country, and marked the aggravated distress and misery which abounded in all quarters, must acknowledge that it was high time for those who wished to see a different state of things, to come forward, and call on Parliament to act with vigour and firmness. Whatever appearance the difficulties of the country might assume-whatever shape they might put on-whether they were manifested in the decline of agriculture, of manu

factures, of commerce, or of them all

still any person who gave a moment's thought to the subject must perceive, at the bottom of all the evil which the country suffered, the disordered state of our finances. He might be told that the committee of finances had, for some years past, taken our military expenditure into consideration. The military expenditure was, however, so extremely complicated, that it would require the attention of a specific committee; and without meaning offence to the finance committee, he must be allowed to say that their exertions had not been efficient-little good had emanated from them. No hopes of reduction, he conceived, could be entertained from ministers, whose interest lay in the extension, not the diminution of power and patronage. Of this a striking proof had been given in the late appointment to the governorship of Gibraltar. In the whole list of sinecures there was not one more decidedly useless than the governorship of that place. It stood almost alone amongst sinecures; so much so, that a Committee of that House some years since recommended that it should be abolished as soon as ever it fell in. Yet, scarcely was the illustrious person who recently held that office deceased, when, with the most extraordinary haste, the vacancy was filled up. And to whom was the situation given ?— The same messenger who carried to the country the account of the decease of the late governor, took with him the appointment of the Earl of Chatham, whose military glories might be summed up in the single fact, that he was commander of the memorable expedition to Walcheren. On looking at the military establishment of 1787, a year corresponding with the present, he found that the whole army, exclusive of India, amounted to 41,921 men; and now, in 1820, it comprised

92,224 men, being considerably more than double the force of the former period; and the expense in the latter time was still greater in proportion. The total expenses for the army, exclusive of extraordinaries, in the last year, was 6,582,603l.; for 1820, it was 6,807,535l.—an increase, as compared with the expenditure of last year, of upwards of 200,000l. They were also to recollect, that corps reduced in the last year occasioned a diminution of expense to the amount of 180,000l., which made the real increase of this year, as compared with the last, upwards of 400,000l. He would not, however, press any reduction, being aware that the general feeling of the House was to consider the increase as rendered necessary by the state of the country. Yet he was himself firmly convinced, that the tranquillity of the country could be preserved without the aid of a standing army. In no part of the empire had disaffection manifested itself by more alarming symptoms than in Scotland, yet the army there never amounted to more than 3000 men; and with that comparatively small regular force, aided by the inhabitants, who came forward to defend their homes and families, the peace of the country, with little exception, had been preserved. He wished the people in the South would act in the same manner. It was because the people in Scotland had stood forward as yeomen and volunteers, that peace and quietness were maintained. He found that those who had come forward voluntarily in Scotland amounted to 3700 men. If the people of England would act as the inhabitants of Scotland had done, they would soon put an end to all disturbance. The nineteen regiments of cavalry now kept up, comprising 11,000 men, appeared to him very superfluous. There were three regiments stationed at Hounslow, and on

the east coast of Essex, for which he could see no occasion, as 2000 seamen were sufficient to put down smuggling. In every cavalry regiment there might, he conceived, be spared, 46 dismounted men, and the second major; this would produce an annual saving of 80,000l. In the infantry, by dismissing the second majors, and forming the regiments into eight companies instead of ten, a saving of 60 or 70,000l. a-year might be made. The waggontrain was of no earthly use. Every man must be convinced of the absolute absurdity of keeping up such a body at present. During the war they were employed to carry the sick, and to assist the military in their movements. But now, when a regiment scarcely removed once in a twelvemonth, they were evidently of no use. By reducing this useless corps, the country would save 10,000l. a-year. The engineer corps was the most expensive in the army, and though it might be impolitic to part with the officers, who were men of education, why not reduce the men? The intricacy of the accounts in the recruiting department rendered a greater number of clerks necessary. The staff appeared to him too numerous. There were double the number of adjutantgenerals in Ireland as in England; and in the Leeward Islands there were three general officers, while in Jamaica there was only one. The office of paymaster-general appeared to him useless. In the war-office, to which he now requested attention, the charge was 57,880. In 1806, a deputy secretary and 112 clerks had been in the war-office, and the expense had been 30,000l. Now, the number of clerks was increased from 112 to 147, and the expenses were 48,000l. After touching on various minor points, he came to the military college. It had been reduced, but further reduction might yet be made. The senior de

partment was useful; but the junior department was quite useless; for young men who left the college early and entered the regular army, soon forgot what they learned there. The committee of finance had commented on the cruelty of educating young men for pursuits in which they could not be employed. The commission of military inquiry had recommended the abolition of the lieutenant-governor and paymaster as unnecessary. Yet they were retained to this hour. The establishment was not only that of a regiment; it was that of an army. The honourable gentleman complained of abuses in the granting of superannuation; and as to barracks, he thought the best plan was to pull them all down immediately.

Lord Palmerston said he would be as brief as possible in replying to the various topics touched upon in the honourable gentleman's speech. The question was not whether a reduction was possible, but whether the evils attending it would not be greater than the benefit. The cavalry were necessary for the preservation of public peace, and other important services. Their services on the coast were necessary to check the contraband trade which was attempted to be carried on; for, when the smuggler had once landed his goods on the coast, it was only by the assistance of cavalry troops that seizures could be made. The proposed change in their organization was a mere matter of speculation and opinion, upon which the House could not act. If it were not for the waggon-train, it would be necessary on all occasions to employ farmers' horses, which would be in the highest degree inconvenient to the service, and perhaps not much less expensive. As to the engineer corps, which the honourable gentleman wished to be reduced, he might observe that proper officers for these corps were

not easily obtained. It was also difficult to procure men for them, on account of the mechanical skill which it was necessary they should possess. These men were always most usefully employed, and therefore he conceived that their reduction would be a serious inconvenience. The honourable gentleman wondered why there should be more staff officers in Ireland than in England or Scotland. The reason was, that in Ireland the force was more dispersed than in this country, and on that account all those details in which staff officers were employed were more numerous. The same thing applied to the staff in the Leeward and Windward Islands. The honourable gentleman would next do away with the commissariat department. He believed, however, that no other arrangement could be made which would so effectually combine economy with regularity of supply. It certainly appeared to him that, when supply was provided by contract, it was likely to be cheaper, better, and more regular, than if each regiment were to provide its own supply. The honourable gentleman had next touched on the military college, and had admitted that great reductions had been made, but contended that still greater ought to be made. The House would see that arrangements had been made for consolidating the senior and the junior departments of that establishment from the 24th of June next, so that next year the whole would merge into one department, and the total expense of the college would be reduced to a sum between 18,000l. and 19,000l. He was sure that the House would not think that the number of cadets which it was proposed to admit every year, say seven, was too great for the other parts of our military establishment. He believed that the highest authority in the military profession thought this establishment

essentially necessary to the army. That officers ought to be previously instructed in military science, was a self-evident proposition; because, if they were not instructed, the army must of necessity be bad. The only good that could result from the abolishing of this establishment, would be to drive young men to foreign countries for their military education -to send them to the schools of France or of Germany at that period of life at which principles are to be acquired, and the character of the future man is to be fixed. For his own part, he wished to see the British soldier with a British character, with British habits, with a British education, and with as little as possible of any thing foreign.

Although the motion was supported by Mr Calcraft, Sir H. Parnell, and Mr Ellice, it was negatived by a majority of 125 to 45.

On the 2d June, the House having resolved itself into a committee of supply, Lord Palmerston rose to move the army estimates. The principal feature, as compared with last year, consisted in the addition of force which had been judged necessary in consequence of the agitated state of the country. Hence there was this year an increase of force, amounting, including officers, to 11,745 men, making an increase of 220,000/There was also an increase of regimental charges, amounting to 363,6477., and on the miscellaneous service of 64,000l. This increase arose chiefly from the calling of the Veteran Battalions into active service. The House might wish to know what had been the result of the examination of the pensioners for these battalions. The whole number that presented themselves was 15,026; of these 12,305 were found fit for duty: 18,624 did not attend, but the greater number made sufficient excuses. Such as were at first

held fit for duty were again examined, and 3348 of them were discharged, leaving in the whole 8957 for the service for which they were intended. It was fit to observe, that the charge made for them included 18,500l. as the expense of clothing them; but as they had been furnished from the stores of the war left on hand, credit had been elsewhere given to that amount. The House might wish to know the expense arising from this measure: including the clothing, it was 360,000l. increased by the charge for organization. Against this was to be set-the pensions of the men, 85,000l.; the saving of pay of retired officers, 35,000l.; and credit for halfpay to the amount of 12,000l. The sum saved was therefore in the whole 132,000l.; and the charge upon the country, including clothing, 360,000l.

deducting the one from the other, together with 18,500l. for clothing, left an additional charge upon the public for the Veteran Battalions, of 210,000l. Lord Palmerston did not feel himself called upon at present to defend that augmentation of force, of which this increased expense had been the necessary consequence; it had been fully discussed on former occasions. To counterbalance it, he mentioned a number of savings: there had been 13,7017. in the staff, 4800l. in the barrack department, 35317. in the war department, and 37021. in the royal military college, where still further reductions were in contemplation. There had indeed been an advance of 53191. in the recruiting, and of 9791. upon garrisons, both arising from temporary causes. In the volunteer corps there had been an increase of 47,8317.; the British part of that increase arose from the establishment of new corps. The total amount of volunteer corps in Great Britain was 25,000 cavalry, and 4950 infantry. In Ireland they were en