Ceylon S,000 troops. In our colonies, for merly, the great proportion, or nearly the whole of the force employed, was British. At present there was a very considerable mixture of natives composing the garrison upon agriculture, will be taken off, making, a moiety of the eight millions paid by the agricultural interest. In addition to this mitigation in favour of agriculture, he meant to propose the further relief of one million, arising from other sources of taxa-detachments. They were found to perform tion, which the farming part of the community at present paid, making thus a reduction of their burdens to the amount of five millions. He meant to propose the remission of the tax upon horses employed in agriculture. If we could abstain from adding to our debt,, which, in the course of the last three years, had been augmented by the great sum of 142,000,000l. and in the last year alone by 54,000,000l. and if we could realize a saving of 14,000,0001. he could not but congratulate the country upon our state and prospects. He would not be understood as fixing the peace establishment. He merely wished to state what would, in his opinion, be the supply for the year. The number of seamen which he would propose for manning the navy would be 33,000. In the peace that occurred after the contest with America, the number kept up was sometimes 18,000, and sometimes 20,000. The ordinary and extraordinary expenses of this establishment he would estimate at 7 millions sterling. He did not think it necessary to enter into further details concerning the navy; but he would be a little more particular with regard to the army, as the subject would not come regularly before the House for some time. For Great Britain, Guernsey, and Jersey, the number of troops proposed to be kept up would be 25.000 men; and for Ireland 25,000 men. There would be 3,000 required as a kind of floating force for the relief of foreign garrisons, and for other incidental purposes. The army to be employed in France is S0,000-for Gibraltar, Malta, and the other British garrisons in the Mediterraneau, 11,000-for British America, including Canada, Nova Scotia, and the Bermudas, &c. 10,000-and for our West India colonies 13,000, including in this estimate 4,000 for Jamaica. Since the year 1792, we had increased our possessions in that quarter to a great extent, by adding several islands to our dominion, and this additional force would appear small in proportion to the number of garrisons to be main tained. [There was here a laugh on the opposition benches; when the Chancellor of the Exchequer said, that whether these. possessions were valuable to the country, might be afterwards discussed by the honourable gentlemen opposite.] The Cape of Good Hope would require 3,000, and the duty equally well, and thus there was a great saving of British lives. St. Helena might be stated at 1,200, the force on the coast of Africa 1,000, and that of New South Wales 800. The total of the military force upon the British and Irish establishments would, according to these estimates, amount to 99,000 men. The Allies had agreed upon the propriety and justice of allotting 50,000,000 of francs, or something more than two millions sterling, to the British and Prussian troops, for their noble services in the battle of Waterloo. This sum had been placed at the disposal of the respective authorities of England and Prussia, and was divided into two parts:-The total amount of supply necessary for supporting our military establishment might be taken at 9,300,000l. The commissariat might be stated at 680,000l.; the barracks, 258,000l. and the whole extraordinaries at two millions- The total for the army, including some items not mentioned, amounted to 12,235,000l.; for the navy ordinaries and extraordinaries 7,000,000l.; for the ordnance 2,000,000l. and for miscellaneous expenditure two millions and a half. The ordnance last year amounted to 4,000,000l.-He had already. stated a surplus of the grants of last year to the amount of more than 40,000,000l. which had been employed in paying arrears, and purchasing exchequer bills; and he would begin, for this year, with a very novel and unexpected item of revenue, and one that he was sure would give satisfaction to the House: he meant an additional surplus of three millions, applicable to the service of the country. The surplus of the consolidated fund might be stated at two millions and a half. The annual taxes might be rated at 3,000,000l. and the war taxes of the excise and customs at 6,000,000l. The property tax, with all the deductions which would be made from it, he would not calculate at more than 6,000,000l. The lottery would give 200,000l. The only remaining part of the ways and means was an advance of 6,000,000l. by the bank. 12,238,000 Surplus Consolidated Fund.... .2,500,000 Customs and Excise (War Taxes).. Property Tax.. Bank Allowance ⚫⚫3,000,000 The Resolutions were, sent and carried without a division. Feb. 14.-The navy estimates were pre6,000,000mittee of Supply. sented, by Sir G. Warrender, in a Com 200,000 26,700,000 Mr. Ponsonby complained of the enormous amount of the army: he was convinced that retrenchment was practicable very practicable. He hoped Ministers were sincere when they mentioned economy; but, it was the duty of the House to watch them.. .6,000,000 He would explain the situation of our 6,000,000 navy shortly, leaving other gentlemen to enter more particularly into detail, if the house should think it necessary. In the East Indies no addition had been made to our force. The Cape might be considered as a new station, connected as it was with St. Helena, and the necessity of guarding the important person who was now secured there. These, with the Mauritius. would employ a very considerable squadron reduced to the lowest number which the admiral on that station considered necessary. In the Mediterranean there had been one additional 74, instead of a 50-gun ship, making in the whole of our squadron in that sea eleven ships. The South American station was altogether new. On the Jamaica and Leeward islands station, some reductions have taken place. In North America, one frigate had been added. The squadron on the coast of Africa was the same as at the last peace. Our home. station consisted of the same number of ships as was employed during 1792, with the addition of nine small vessels. Other powers had increased the size of their fri Mr. Brougham complained of various incidents, especially of the Loan from the Bank; ofthe usury laws, of the immense expenditure; 30 million in peace! of an army of 149,000 men we had better give up our distant Colonies, than keep them at such a rate. The expences of the Offices of State, too, were enormous; it was a joke to say the proposed alleviation of taxes, was any benefit. Why did not Austria pay the money she owes us? Her money might enable us to take off taxes; even the odious Income Tax. Mr. Rose vindicated the measures of Government: we had formerly suffered, and very severely, too, by leaving our co-gates, and we had also substituted larger lonies without proper force: we ought to become wiser. Mr. Preston, Mr. Western, Sir R. Heron, Mr. Grenfell, Mr. F. Lewis, Mr. Baring, Mr. Brand, Lord Nugent, and other gentlemen complained exceedingly of the expences, &c. Loid Castlereagh replied, by stating that this was not a peace estimate; it was the interval, the passage from war to peace. It was impossible while our forces were scattered in all parts of the world, to disband them at a moment's notice; they ships of that denomination. There was likewise an additional corps of royal marines. From the whole of these circumstances, there would be about 5,000 seameu more than we employed on the conclusion of the last war; and it must be satisfactory to the house to know, that no larger force was required for the increasing prosperity of our trade, and securing the benefits which we derive from our colonial possessions. The whole of our seamen, therefore, would amount to 23,000 men, which was a much smaller number than on afraid that some feelings of hostility might the close of any former war. In 1763 our still exist among the vulgar in that counnaval force was much larger. In 1788, try; but he was quite sure that a preju110,000 men were voted for the service of dice equally disgraceful and unreasonable the navy. Since the cessation of hostilities, prevailed against the Americans in this. however, the utmost exertions had beenHe wished to Heaven that both nations made to diminish our naval establishment; and he thought he might claim some merit, in the administration of that department, for the rapidity with which so many ships had been paid off. Mr. Ponsonby complained that the navy was too formidable, France had no fleet: Spain had no fleet: who could annoy us? He was at a loss to conceive the necessity for this force, this increase of the number of seamen if the house should consent to vote them, it would be idle to talk of economy; if voted, they must be paid. would lay aside these antipathies and these tions; and it was agreed, 1st, that the seamen, and 9,000 wages to the seathat the sum of meu for the ensuing year, at the rate of 11. 15. 6d. per man per month-id. that the sum of 1, 777,664). 1os, he granted for victualling-4th. that 922.35ol. be granted for wear and tear of ships-5th, that 155,150l. be granted for the orduauce for the sea service.-The house then resumed, and the report was ordered to be received to morrow. Feb. 16. In a Committee of Supply, the Chancellor of the Exchequer stated, that the loan advanced by the Bank, saved to the Public 60,000 in interest; that the total annual savings were 110,000. If we could avoid a loan for two or three years, the public would save 2,000,000, by the difference in the price of the funds. Sir G. Warrender stated, that the Admiralty had relied on the opinion of eminent naval officers as to the mode of paying off the navy, and that no one instance of insubordination had occurred during the time that the men were discharged, which was of itself a sufficient answer to all that had been alledged respecting the disturbances. The increase in the number of seamen did not arise from the number of ships employed, but from the manner in which they were manued. The size of the French frigates had been increased, and it was neccessary that the complement of ours should bear some approximation. The last time the Toulou fleet put out to meet Lord Exmouth, it consisted of only seventeen sail of the line and two frigates:minished sixteen millions and a half. The The amount of exchequer hills was dithe hardest actions fought by the French remaining twenty-one millions were made were in the year 1813, during which pe-up by diminution of navy debts and other riod they sent 13 frigates, of which 11 were taken, but after hard fighting; but now the French ships of the line amounted to 60 sail, and those of Europe united to nearly 2060. Such being the case he would ask the house-he would ask the country, if they would wish to see the establishment of this country reduced to 12 guard ships? As to any reduction in the West Indies, could we forget or overlook the new power growing up in that quarter-war, the power in North America? As to the navy half-pay, large additions had already been made, and for his part he wished it could be greater still; but there was a duty to the public as well as a duty to the navy, and if the half-pay were to be increased, it must be at the expence of the country. Lord Castlereagh in reply to some observations on the temper of America, observed, that it had been said that an ill spirit prevailed in America, and he was stated to the house that 21 millions would This was a circumstance at once satisfac He saving would be effected of 200,00), a year. A further alteration for public ac commodation was suggested, which would make the bills more secure and convenient by making them payable to order, and not to pass from hand to hand as at present. A blank would be left which the holder could fill up. [The plan met with general approbation; but Mr. Grenfell and some other gentlemen, thought that the terms were too favourable for the Bank.] The Chancellor of the Exchequer in reply observed, that no exchequer bills had been thrown into circulation lately: not five shillings worth of this species of paper in the market, for some months past. Feb. 26-On the motion of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the House resolved into a Committee of Supply, to consider the Army Estimates. Alluding to the numerous petitions against the Property Tax, Lord J. Russell said, These petitions proved beyond contradiction that the people were with haste congregating in all parts of the country in order to compel ministers to listen to their sighs under their afflictions, and to their -groans under the burthens that were laid upon them; burthens heavier than in any previous time of peace; heavier even than in many former wars in which we had been engaged. Ministers, on the contrary, were endeavouring to shut their ears against the cries of the people, and were running a most unbecoming race, in order to impose the grievous weight before the nation could have time to express its resolution not to sustain it. The bare proposal that a standing army of 150,000 men should be supported, must alarm every friend to his country and its constitution; not that he (Lord J. R.) was impressed with any fear so ridiculous, as that a standing army unaided could ever effectuate what had been accomplished in some of the states of the continent; but the greatest danger was to be found in the influence of the crown, which by daily increase, threatened to erase even the vestiges that departing liberty had left behind her. We had undertaken a war to procure peace and a diminution of taxation, and we had concluded a war only to perpetuate the burthens for which war had been the only excuse. Great Britain was converted from a naval into a military nation, and, instead of continuing a mighty island, she was to be changed into a petty continental state. Who could avoid perceiving to what a purpose the army in France might be applied? It might happen that evil counsellors should persuade a king of France Mr. Frankland Lewis remembered with Mr. Yorke thought it highly ridiculous to talk of danger to our liberties, from an encrease of 9 or 10,000. Could we turn away our soldiers, to serve as scavengers and dustmen? He compared Mr. Fox's peace establishment, and shewed that comparing the price of things, with those thirty years ago, the allowances were very noderate. Mr. Brougham was completely asto nished at the whole of the proceedings He was not of opinion that 150,000 men would destroy the constitution more than 140,000 men; but the system was bad, radically bad. All Europe was trained to arms; must we, therefore, be trained to arms? We, to whom our navy was our natural protection? We are now more populous; why, then, we are the better able to defend ourselves. Formerly, when things were bad, we had a smaller army; now, when all Europe is for us, we have a larger army; how absurd! A wise minister would diminish the military furor, not encrease it, the West India Islands would be the first object of attack. For the force necessary in Jamaica, we had a criterion in the opinion of the colony itself, for the colony had agreed to provision any garrison exceeding cheaper to maintain a garrison of 4,000 3,000 men. Now as to expense, it was men, provisioned by the colony, than one force in the Leeward Islands was 4,209 in of 2,000 at our own entire expense. The the same observations applied here, with 1791; at present it would be 5,500; and large naval arsenal. In the present condithis addition, that at Antigua there was a tion, too, of the West Indies, and the rise of the black empire, it was our duty (however we might exult in the abolition of the low countrymen in those islands; and it slave trade) to afford protection to our felwould be mercy to the blacks themselves, to prevent, by a display of strength, any attempt at bloody and unavailing insurrection. Uuder all these circumstances, the proposed addition of 7,000 men in that quarter, could not be esteemed more than were Ceylon, the Mauritius, the Cape, the settlements on the African coast, Trinidad, Tobago, St. Lucia, Berbice, Essequibo, Malta, and the Ionian Isles. It was difficult to ascertain the precise amount of the enemy's force in those places, because we were unacquainted with the extent of their losses. But the amount at the time of surrender, was from 29 to 80,000 men, whilst the force now proposed did not exceed 25,000. The inhabitants of the Mauritius were wholly French, and of such a spirit, that they testified the great, est joy at Buonaparte's return to Paris; besides which the colony was an import, ant naval station, Of the 3,000 men allotted to the Cape, 1,000 men were stationed up the country, to protect our gra dually increasing settlements against the inroads of savages; 1,000 were appropriated to the settlements on the coast of Africa. The design of these settlements was to promote commerce and civilization among the natives, and to prevent the recurrence of any slave trade, Lord Palmerston, in reply, should divide this force of 99,000 men into four portions: for Great Britain, for Ireland, for our old colonies, and our new acquisitions; and the distribution would be, for Great Bri-was absolutely required. New colonies tain 25,000, for Ireland the same; for our old colonies £3,000, for our new acquisitions 23,000; and for the purposes of continual reliefs 3,000. Our old colonies were Gibraltar, Canada and Nova Scotia, Jamaica, and other West India islands. The force on all these in the year 1791 was 17,000 men the force now proposed would amount to 23,800; making an increase of about 7000. As to Gibralter, a mistake had existed on the other side of the house, for a larger force was employed there in 1791 than at present; the force now required was 4000, which would not be thought too much when we recollected how much the works in that place had been augmented. The force in North America, including the Bahamas, amounted in 1791 to 5000 men; that proposed at present to 9,500, the increase being given entirely to Canada, and in that country there were circumstances internal, as well as external, that would sufficiently justify such an augmentation. Nearly the whole of Upper Canada had been settled since the period of 1791; the vulnerable points Feb. 27. This Debate was resumed. and objects of attack had since that period Mr. J. P. Grant, thought it impossible to become infinitely more numerous, while shew any necessity for retaining a larger morasses, forests, and all the natural obsta- military establishment, by two thirds, than cles to conquest, had diminished in the had ever before been attempted for Great same proportion; the spade of the colonist Britain, in time of peace. Would the had acted as pioneer for an enemy. The House tolerate so much influence? Would navigation of the rivers in that quarter was it break down the barriers always estaoften interrupted, and forces might not ar-blished against the power of the Crown? rive at the moment when they were required. Would it sacrifice the liberties of the people? The freedom of the Country was The increase of the United States in power, inconsistent with liberty; one must give made it clear, that in the event of a war, I way; it should be, the Army. |