above all, the expence attending on the Staff of the army, It amounted to no less than 449,6491. per annum !!-Now if he had an opportunity of going at length into the subject, he would undertake to prove that 200,0001. might be saved. Of the expenditure of the Recruiting Stuff, which amounted to 349,000l. annually, 10,000l. might be saved. The cost to the country in army agency was 61,0751. Now if a general agency office was established, he thought 2,4001. in the war-office might be saved, and perhaps a similar sum in the payoffice. The horse artillery cost 113,000l. In this service contract horses were now used, where artillery horses had been used before. In fortifications at home, 700,000l. had been laid out; at this he could not help professing his astonishment: 27 martello towers were built, on each of which it was intended to mount a long gun and an howitzer: but when they were built, it was discovered that only the gun could be mounted; the consequence was, that it could not be pointed within 250 yards from the foot of the tower, nor point at all with any effect at low water:-four of these towers were placed on quicksands, and even the situations in which they were all placed were so incommodious, that it was impossible that ever the enemy could be annoyed by them unless we could place English pilots in their ships. This was one instance of the scandalous waste of public money; and the royal military canal was another. This canal was calculated to answer any purpose rather than that for which it was intended. The enormous line of fortifications at Dover was another instance; they were intended to prevent invasion, and yet required a garrison of 25,000 men, as if Bonaparte could land in this country in the face of 10,000. Out of this 700,0001. he calculated that 500,000l. might be saved. In Surrey, a military road was made at a great expence, which was now ploughing up and there was one making in Scotland; he supposed when that was converted into agricultural purposes, one would be established in Wales! In the commissariat department also great waste took place; the barracks in Great Britain and Ireland cost 764,9421.; and in Ireland many of those barracks were unoccupied, although others were still building. Next session he meant to take an opportunity of shewing, that the soldiery : might be just as well supplied, and 300,000l. per annum saved to the country. The next point to which he should call the attention of the house was the expenditure for army cloathing.-In this branch he was convinced that a saving of 9s. per man might be effected. He understood that Mr. Courtney would supply the clothing at 5s. 6d. per man under the charge made by Pearce and others, by private contract; and if the saving upon the other appointments should be calculated according to the same rates, the whole saving upon a military establishment of 300,000 men would not be less than 135,000l. But it appeared by the papers on the table, that the contractors had an allowance of 10 per cent. upon the amount of their contract, because they were paid only at the end of six months. By prompt payment a saving of 35,0001. would be effected. Another saving might have been made, if the clothing necessary for our colonial corps, and which had been sent out for the use of the Spanish levies, had been provided according to Mr. Courtney's plan. This saving would not have fallen short of 100,0001, and it was his intention, in an early part of the next session, to bring this subject before the house, when he should pledge himself to prove, that under the head of army clothing alone a sum of 270,0001. may be saved to the public. In this opinion he was fully borne out by the authority of Gen. Stewart and Sir R. Wilson. He felt it necessary in this place to observe, that the military expenditure in 1806, amounted to 17,344,4201. in 1807, to 15,275,8591. in 1808, to 15,596,539). and that in the year 1809, it rose again up to 17,490,000l. Here he was bound in justice to those gentlemen, who certainly were not much in the habit of sparing him, to observe, that during the two years in which the late administration had provided for the public expenditure, the expenditure for the had been two millions less than it was in the present year. army The next point he had to notice, related to the collection of the revenues; and the first circumstance he had to notice was, the expence of the post office department. The expence of the post office in the time of Mr. Palmer amounted to 200,000l. at present it amounted to 400,000l. and for this increase he could discover no other reason than that the management was bad. As to the collection of the revenue of customs, he found that the number of officers had been increased, and for the sole purpose of increasing the patronage of the go vernment. Before the construction of the India and London docks, it was more difficult to collect the duties, because the articles upon which they at tach were dispersed; but when they were collected within these docks, one would have thought that the duties might have been easily collected. The fact was, that to the seven surveyors before employed, three others had been added. On the bare article of stamps a charge of 130,000l. was incurred for their distribution. The expence of collecting this duty was very high; that of collecting the malt duties was 16 per cent. and the expence of collecting the duties on candles was 12 per cent. but upon which a considerable saving might be made. When upon this part of the subject, he was naturally led to notice the amount of the balances supposed to remain in the hands of the receivers-general of taxes, on account of the land and assessed taxes. These taxes amounted to 6,900,000l. and the balances in the hands of the receivers general, on the 5th. of January, 1807, appeared to have amounted to 586,9701. and those in the hands of the collectors to 346,5481. making altogether 933,5181. Now he could not conceive any reason why so much money should be allowed to remain in the hands of either of these officers. The rate of expenditure upon the collection of every branch of the public revenue had risen considerably of late. The whole charge of the management and collection of the pub lic revenue, amounting in the present year to 2,816,5161. being at the rate of 41. 12s. 9d. per cent. If this charge were to be reduced, as he was convinced it might, to 81. per cent. leaving all idea of patronage out of the question, he had no doubt that a saving of above one million annually might be made upon the bare collection of the public revenue. It was impossible not to be convinced of this, if they looked at the comparative expence of collection within the last few years. In the year 1807, the public re venue had been collected at the rate of 41. 5s. per cent. in 1808, at 41. 10s. 5d. per cent. and in 1809, at 41. 12s. 9d. per cent. being an increase of 7s. 9d. upon expence of collection two years ago. VOL. VI. the Why, he would ask, should any such rise have taken place? When the debt, and consequently the revenue, was in creasing, the expence of collection ought to have been diminished. The difference between the expence in 1807 and 1809, amounted to a sum of 205,2521. In Ireland, too, the collection of the taxes was carried on at a rate of charge, which required the interference of that house. The amount of the duties levied in Ireland was 5,551,650l. whilst the charge of collection was 528,6331. being at the rate of 91. 10s. per cent. If this charge were to be reduced to the amount of the charge now paid by Great Britain, it would afford a saving of 284,5191. But the charge for collection of the revenue in Ireland, had been increased from 91. 10s. to 111. 12s. 6d. in the present year! As to the expenditure of the post office in Ireland, it would scarcely be credited that it amounted to nearly 50 per cent.! The post office revenue in Scotland yielded 60,000l. more than the Irish, and was collected at an expence of 12 per cent. whilst the collection of that in Ireland amounted to a charge of 40 per cent! There was another point to which he wished particularly to call the attention of that house, namely the expence of the commissioners for auditing the public ac counts. In the year 1807, they cost 68,910l. in 1808, 77,2771. and in 1809, 80,5601. being in the whole 267,3471. He did not mean to object to the expenditure of the public money for expediting the audit and passing of public accounts; but from every thing he had been able to learn, he thought that the whole money had been thrown away. No progress appeared to have been made in getting through the public accounts, nor did it appear that any effectual progress was to be expected for years to come!! It was the duty of that house to attend to the auditing and passing of public ac counts, without taxing the people to defray the expence of such a commission. By such a course there would be a sa ving of at least 75,0001: When he looked to the amount of balances in the bank, which generally exceeded ten millions and a half, the interest of which could not be less than between 5 and 600,0001. he was of opinion that the interest might fairly be taken at 500,0001. which with other advantages enjoyed by the bank, made the bank debtor to the public in a sum of 710,000l. But from this sum there were various items to be deducted, amounting to 471,2201. which would leave the public creditor to the bank to the extent of 238,7801. It was not necessary for him in this place to advert particularly to sinecure places; another hon. gentleman having stated that these places might be abolished to a consider able extent. He should however notice a doctrine lately broached in that house, that such places were freeholds. In answer to such an opinion, he had only to observe, that in 1774, it had been deemed expedient to reduce the establishment and salaries of the tellers of exchequer, and of other officers, whose emoluments had increased in consequence of the augmented expenditure. The reduction that took place amounted to one third of the emoluments; and so far from these profits having then been considered freehold, the language held upon that occasion was, that having encreased beyond measure, they ought to be reduced within bounds. ment, he must observe that he saw no reason why the sum of 16,000l. should be expended annually upon the settlement of Sierre Leone. As to the fisheries of Newfoundland, he had a document in his possession which shewed that in the year 1745 the settlement at Cape Breton yielded to France a million a year. When it was considered how much that colony had since encreased, he did not think it too much to expect that it should now yield to this country at least half a million. The military expenditure of the country had increased in a most extraordinary degree since 1793. In Ireland, it had doubled even since 1799. Why had this been the case in that country? Putting humanity and justice out of the question, he should ask, whether it was the interest of the country to pursue a conduct towards Ire land which would render such an expenditure necessary? As to the assertions he had thought proper to throw out upon all these points, he should, on a future occasion, be prepared to bring the matter forward in a distinct shape, and to make good all he had said respecting it. He had the satisfaction to feel, that he did not rest upon his own opinion, but was borne out by the authority of those whose assertions were entitled to much greater weight and influence than any thing he could say. On the 1st. of March, 1805, it had been stated in that house by Admiral Markham, that onethird of the naval expenditure might be saved by an honest, upright, and economical discharge of the different duties annexed to the various branches of the department. The hon. person had stated that the victualing office, the expenditure from which amounted to 5,$13,000l. annually, was the most corrupt of all; and it had even been admitted by the secretary to the admiralty, that that branch of the department was most vicious and faulty, and that the heads of that department ought to be removed. From what he had learned too upon subject he felt authorised in stating, that the canvass which had recently been supplied to the navy was of the most infamous description. Considerable loss had also been sustained by the public in the purchase of timber for the stead of the open contracts which were made formerly, private contracts had of late been substituted. The contract for the West Indies had been shut, as also tha for Yarmouth, for four or five years, Another branch of the public expenditure, which might be dispensed with, was that which was disposed of in bounties. The best writers on public econo my condemned the practice as bad, and it was his opinion that to continue these bounties was an idle waste of the public money. The total expenditure under this head, amounted to 526,8701. of which a considerable proportion was given to promote the linen manufacture in Ireland, and $500l. to encourage the supply of fish for the markets of London and Westminster. He did not suppose that the bounty was of any material service in either case, and consequently was of opinion, that nearly the whole of the sun so disposed of might be saved for the public. The hon. gentleman then alluded to the expense of the contract with Mr. Bolton, for the coinage of 10,000 tons of copper; and to the expence incurred for a house for the president for the board of controul, in Downing-street, as unnecessary items of public expenditure. There was another point, which he meant then only to touch upon, the amount of military expenditure for the colonial service. In the army extraordinaries there was a charge of a million and a half on account of the colonies annually. This appeared to him so enormous a sum, that he should take the first opportunity of directing the attention of the house to this subject. As connected with this part of his state navy. the In And whilst he was upon this subject, he should notice another fact with respect to the sale of grains at Deptford; a person who bought them at 1s. 10d. retailed them at 4s, 6d. and by this practice had, within a few years, amassed a very large fortune. He mentioned these circumstances only to shew, that the statement of the hon. admiral was not incorrect, when he affirmed, that by an honest and upright administration of the departments of the navy, one-third of the expenditure might be saved. He did not mean to detain the house unnecessarily, and should therefore not add many words. As to the papers for which he meant to move, he had only to state, that his object was to shew that the house ought to see that the public accounts should be properly settled. As the practice was at present, they voted every thing upon estimate, and it was totally impossible for them to get at any satisfactory account of the manner in which the sums voted were applied. The country, according to the system in existence, was obliged to allow at least twenty millions to remain unaccounted for, and without that sum ever being brought to a fair balance. He was convinced, that if in private life a man were year after year to allow his accounts to run on without striking a balance, he must be a very considerable loser; and a practice that would be ruinous to a private individual, must necessarily be injurious to the public. The late chancellor of the exchequer had stated, that 455,000,000l. of the public money were unaccounted for; and he agreed with that noble lord (Lord H. Petty), that it was extremely desirable that the accounts should be passed, and the individuals concerned released from further responsibility, and anxiety. Having thus stated the views he had upon this subject, he should conclude with moving, "That there be laid before the house an 66 account of the total amount of the ex" pense of the royal staff corps, for the "three years ending the 5th. of January, 1809, together with the statement of. their services." [The following is a recapitulation of the proposed savings.] Household troops, two regiments Dragoon guards, dra Brought forward. Foreign corps Subsidy annually paid Count Meuron for continuing his regi ment in his Majesty's service. Militia of the United Kingdom. Staff of 15 small militia corps reduced Local militia Volunteers of the united kingdom Royal waggon train Manx Fencibles Staff of the army Recruiting staff, levies and bounties. Army agency War office Pay office Contract horses Fortifications and repairs at home Medical department and annual loss of men Commissariat Barracks Army clothing On the collection of the revenue in Great Britain. On ditto ditto in Ireland Commissioners and auditors of public accounts Bank, the sum charged for the management of the national debt 210,594 Q Pensions and offices executed by duputy Bounties Colonies Catholic emancipation 200,000 0 150,000 0 500,000 0 0 2,000,000 0 10,693,563 0 third of which is . . 5,822,630 13 goons, and light do. 340,000 0 0 4 15,317 0 0 duct of the hon. gentleman, in men tioning this subject in another place, had excited his surprise and regret, but that neither his surprise nor his regret, had undergone any diminution from the present statement of the hon. gentleman. It appeared extraordinary to him that the hon. gentleman, as a guardian of the public purse, should have put off his statement to this late period of the session, if he expected that any good could possibly result from submitting it to parliament. But the hon. gentleman had said, that he would not even at this period have entered into the details which he had just submitted to the house, if he had not been provoked to it. Did the hon. gentleman then think, that, if he could point out the means of saving eleven millions of the public expenditure, he should have hesitated about bringing forward his statement? The hon. gentleman had stated, that last year the public expenditure was 71,000,000l. ergo. according to the hon. gentleman's argument, 11,000,000l. may be saved. But before the hon. gentleman came to this conclusion, he should have pointed out the difference in the circumstances of the expenditure of the two years. He should have stated, that there had been, in the present year, a loan, which added at least a million to the public expenditure; that one million and a half had been paid to the East India company; and that at least an addition of one million and a half had been produced to the expenditure of the navy, by the increased price of pitch, tar, hemp, &c. He did not mean to follow the hon. gentleman through all his details, becausé in so doing he should ill consult the time of the house. He could not however suffer many of his statements to pass away without some observation. The hon, member begun his scale of retrenchment, by recommending a reduction of the cavalry force from 23,000 to 15,000, but this was a point of military policy not to be decided by the opinion of that hon. gentleman. The next point was the propriety of getting rid of the foreign corps. But was the hon. gentleman not aware that these foreign corps were composed of men the natural born subjects of his Majesty, serving from a feeling of loyal attachment to their legitimate Sovereign, and that if even we should get rid of them, we should have a military force 20,000 less than we have at present? As to the local militia, he should say, that if any part of our defen sive force ought to be a favourite with the popular branch of the legislature, it was that. If the hon. member could succeed in proving that we could do with one-half of our defence, and with one third less of cavalry, there might be some foundation for his conclusions. As to the question respecting fortifications, that was a point upon which military authorities differed. But upon principle, he could not see why the hon. gentlemen should stop at a saving of 500,000l. The hon. member, in stating the expence of the commissariat in Ireland at 95,0001. upon an expenditure of 150,0001. had fallen into a mistake. The hon. gentleman had confounded the expense of the corps of waggoners with the commissariat. The hon. gentleman had also stated that a saving of 100,000l. might have been made upon the supplies of clothing sent out to the Spanish levies if they had been procured by open contract, whereas the fact was, that the supplies of that description sent to Spain did not amount to 100,000l. As to the credit given by the hon. gentlemen to the late administration for having saved two millions in the public expenditure, he would ask that hon. gentleman whether the expenditure could be the same when an army of 40,000 was employed on the continent, as when no British troops were serving there? He did not suppose the hon. gentleman could have had it in his contemplation to make any improper impression on the public mind by his statement, but he was persuaded · that having made an inconsideraté pledge, the hon. gentleman was induced to bring forward his statement to redeem that pledge. When the hon. member talked of the encreased expenditure of the post office, he seemed to have left out of his consideration the augmentation of the revenue of that department. He seemed also to forget the great advantages to the trading interests, arising from the esta blishment of post offices in the different parts of the kingdom. The hon. gentleman had observed upon the increase of inspectors of customs, from seven to ten, but he could assure that hon. member, that there were no representations with which the board of treasury was more harrassed, and to which it listened with more reluctance, than the applica tion made for the increase of the establishment of customs. As to the saving proposed by the hon. gentleman, from |