came under the denomination of Guards and Garrifons, including the whole of the home army, or troops in Great Britain, as alfo the troops in Guernsey and Jerfey, and likewife a force, which indeed was peculiar to this year--a number of regiments ferving in Ireland, and now remaining there. Should it be continued, Ireland might hereafter be called upon to contribute a part towards bearing that burden, and fo far dimnih the fum at prefent neceffary to be provided for in the prefent eftimates.

An augmentation had also taken place in the regiments of dragoons, which brought on an additional expence of 65000l. Another of 39,00cl. took place in confequence of the encrease of the companies of Foot Guards from 100 to 120 men, and of other troops.

Another encreafe of expence was that of the establishment of a number of regimental paymasters; this was a plan adopted after much confideration, and he believed it would produced much advantage to the public. He believed alfo it was generally approved, inasmuch as it fimplified the mode of payment, and prevented delay; it was calculated alfo to avoid the evils which fome perfons imagined (perhaps chimerically) attended on the old mode of making up army accounts, and filenced those who were difpofed to raife clamours upon the fcore of long arrears. The expence attending this eftablishment, he ftated at 27,0col, per annum, a fum, when come pared with the probable utility of the office, would be allowed to fquare with true economy.

Another charge was owing to a provifion made for the Supplementary Militia, because that subject came only partially before Parliament last year.

Another article was one that was quite new; he meant the Scots Militia. There was a further charge incurred by the increase of that Fencible Infantry.

There was also an additional charge in confequence of the encrease of the ftaff at home; of which the committee would cafily fee the neceffity from the number of troops employed at home, and wifely fo employed, when it was considered in what manner we were threatened by the enemy.

There was another additional charge on account of the allowance that was made to the inn-keepers; and another on account of the volunteer corps, which were not provided for laft year.

There was an additional charge alfo of about 100,cool. on account of barracks.

Another

Another head of charges which he had to bring forward was entirely new, and it was propofed that it fhould be permanent; it was an increafe of about 12,000l. appropriated to the enlarging of Widows' penfions; a defcription of perfons whom he conceived to be fuch as the committee would be glad to protect, as far as they could, with due regard to public economy. Great care had been taken to keep this within the bounds of moderation: in no inftance was it higher than 30l. and in fome it was fo low as 1ol. a year. An additional fum of money was alfo to be employed to the fervice of Jamaica. But against all thefe encreafed charges he had to ftate a diminution, occafioned by the favings that took place in the foreign corps, the reduction in the provifional cavalry, and by there being no charge made for the repair of Scotch roads and bridges, which ufually came under the army eftimates.

There was another article which had been applied in the laft eftimate; this was an allowance for the expences attending the office from which the accounts then before the Houle had come.

These were all the articles he had to enumerate to the committee, as conftituting the difference between the eftimates of this and the laft year, and which amounted to fomething more than a million, as he had already stated; and here he might have concluded all he had to fay, except moving the refolutions; but that what had paffed before a committee, and what had excited fome public attention, did demand of him fome obfervations; he meant the large fees that were taken in fome of the departments of his office. A committee had reported against a continuance of them; and the whole had been collected and thrown into a mafs, whereby a fund was created, and out of it a new divifion was made, and the falaries of the different clerks regulated. He at that time took the liberty of doubting the wifdom of that policy; he doubted whether it would produce, in the fequel, much faving to the public. Experience had been fo far from removing his opinion upon that matter, that it had tended to confirm it. That indeed the new plan will in time produce the reverse of saving to the public. It was true that many refpectable Gentlemen, and indeed the committee who invef tigated the matter, were of a different opinion: but he begged leave to fay, that fome of thefe opinions were formed upon misapprehenfion of facts. They thought that these enormous profits (for fo fome of them were) fhould be calVOL. I, 1798.

M

culated

F

culated as producing what they did upon the average, than which nothing could be more erroneous. So much fo, that these fees, in this very year, although, God knows, we are far enough from a peace establishment, he believed would not be adequate to the expence at which the committee, by its new plan, calculated the expence of the office of the Secretary at War. It was feriously doubted whether these fees would be equal to the expence of the office. He did not ftate these things from any perfonal motives, for, in reality, the fees objected to in fome parts of his office, were points in which he had not the smalleft concern; nor fhould he have thought himself juftified by making any changes without the authority of the committee to which he had alluded. He had nothing now to add, and therefore he should proceed to move the different refolutions, unlefs fome gentleman fhould exprefs a defire for further explanation.

Mr. Tierney faid, that whatever he might hereafter think his duty directed him to fay, he should not oppofe voting upon the estimates now; but although he faid this, yet he could not help adding, that he was not a little mortified by the fpeech of the Secretary at War. He could have conceived, that the advantages of our victories and our triumphs would have been immediately felt in the diminution of our expences: whereas it appeared that fome of them were increafing. The public had a right to fay, that the Secretary at War had deluded them; for, laft year, the danger of invafion operated upon the public mind, and much of the expence was incurred to provide against that calamity. Now the skill and valour of our gallant officers, and the steadiness of our men, had removed all fear with regard to invasion; and yet minifters held out no hope of any retrenchment, even in ufelefs offices. He thould not vote upon any of the refolutions of that night, nor fhould he deliver, in detail, his fentiments upon them, as he wifhed to referve himfelf until he had taken time to confider more fully on the matter, and had an opportunity of converfing with others who were capable of giving him information. There would be no inconvenience from this mode, for he apprehended the resolutions would remain for two or three days. He rofe then merely to take notice of the fpeech of the Secretary at War, only as far as it regarded the fubject of economy. That was a queftion upon which there was but little variety of opinion. He was fure there was not a man who heard him, who did not think there ought to be the fevereft economy in every

part

part of the state. With regard to the office of the Secretary at War, it appeared there were fees there which he himself had admitted to be enormous. He meant no reproach upon any individual whatever; at the fame time he muftfay that thefe things must have been long forefeen, and might and ought to have been provided for. But what was the cafe now? The gentlemen who had reaped the advantages of thefe enormous fees were to have an additional allowance, because the fees of last year had not been equal to the expence calculated by the committee, and allowed upon the new arrangement. He did not mean to infinuate that the Secretary at War was interested in any of these fees; on the contrary, he believed his motives to be pure and honourable in all fuch particulars. But it appeared that a further fum would be wanted to make up deficiencies in office, &c. and this after a fall confideration of the matter, and a report made by a com mittee of finance. He really thought that this was matter worthy of very grave confideration. He thought the public. had been deluded, in a great meafure, upon this matter, for foit certainly appeared from the fpeech of the Secretary at War that night. He faid this with the more confidence, be cause he was convinced: of the abfolute neceffity of figid economy in every department of the ftate that can bear iti But while he faid this, he was one of the last men in this conntry that would wish, by an ill-judged notion of saving, to damp the ardour of the people of this country. He withed not only that their force fhould be refpectable, but that they might be made to stand in a proud and menacing attitude against the enemy. He would add, although by fo doing he hazarded fome reproach out of doors, that it was not in the falaries of public offices that he wished to fee a general· reduction, for he was perfuaded, that, with a few exceptions, they were not over-paid, confidering all the circumftances of things at prefent.

The Secretary at War faid a few words in explanation, and could not agree with Mr. Tierney with regard to the effect of the fees. He did not fee how, without injuftice, any of the gentlemen who had received the large fees alluded to, could be called upon to return them. The expence of the eftablishment did not confift in giving falaries to thofe who fees, but to those who had too little before. It would be impoffible for him to ftate before hand whether this establish ment would be an economical one or not, on account of the Auctuating nature of the fees, which were not permanent.

He had no difficulty in faying, that many perfons in the office were underpaid, and that it was neceflary to raise their falaries.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer faid, he was inclined never to oppose oeconomy while it was confiftent with the due performance of public duty; but he would not lofe fight of the the fentiment which was fo' properly expreffed by the hon. Gentleman oppofite to him (Mr. Tierney.) That hon. Gentleman had faid, that this country fhould be put in a powerful and menacing attitude towards the enemy. But then he faid that we had not the full advantage of our fucceffesfucceffes which were felt and enjoyed by this country, while every other nation in the world beheld with astonishment and admiration the repeated exertions which produced them. It feemed that we were to forego every idea of an invasion of this country; and therefore we had an opportunity of attending to minute economy. He hoped the committee would not be fo unmanly as to give way to that idea: he faid “unmanly," for he knew of nothing more unmanly than to catch at fuccefs, and to neglect all future exertion as unneceffary. Undoubtedly nothing could excel-indeed hitherto nothing had equalled, the splendour of our fucceffes: they would indeed in former times, and under former circumstances, have terminated any conteft; but what fucceffes, what triumphs, what glory of her enemy could affect the difpofition of that nation whofe rulers count as nothing the intereft, the treasure, or even the blood of their fubjects. Therefore, with the best wishes for economy, he could not indulge a hope of carrying it further than it could be accompanied by prudence. We had to deal, we have to deal yet, with an enerny of whofe character it may at least be said, they are not limited by a rule of law, or justice, or prudence, or by any of the maxims which are fuppofed to govern, or to have at any time governed, the policy of thofe ftates which are called regulated monarchies, for they had hitherto been totally uncontrouled by remorse, compun&tion, prudence, or humanity. They have fhewn a readiness to hazard their own existence for the bare chance of deftroying this country, or indeed of overturning the liberty of other nations. But, because they are at prefent difcomfited in their fcheme at the Nile, and becaufe that expedition has turned out to be a difafter, and has reduced them to a temporary confufion, yet they might not have given up all ideas of invafion on this country; and hould they entertain fuch a thought, how wild and chime