that, to use the words of the noble lord ought to know something of their contents: opposite, there was a great degree of igno- but he nevertheless maintained the accurant impatience for relief from taxation racy of his original statement, that twenty [a laugh, and cries of hear, hear] ; but it out of the twenty-six petitions contained was proper that the petitioners should be prayers against the property tax ; in some heard for themselves, of them that prayer was mixed up with This was assented to, and the whole of other matters, but twenty contained such the 26 petitions were read. When the prayer, or he had lost his hearing. clerk had got nearly half through them; Sir T. Acland again rose and persevered Mr. Cartwright rose, and put it to the in speaking, although there were cries of right hon. gentleman opposite, whether it “ spoke, spoke !" was necessary that the time of the House The Speaker stated that there was no should be occupied at such length, par-question before the House. ticularly when, as far as respected any Mr. Tierney added, that the hon. baronet information which the House might derive could not be allowed to persevere, as there from hearing so many petitions of nearly really was no question before the House ; the same tenor, it was quite useless ? but as there was a dispute about the mean Mr. Tierney replied, that he had wished ing of these petitions, perhaps the better them to be read for the express purpose way would be to read them over again (a of calling the attention of the House to laugh). them. It was the least thing the House Lord Folkestone could not but express could do to listen to the prayers of the his astonishment at the way in which petipeople; but if gentlemen chose to pay tions on this most important question had no attention at all to the reading of the been brought before the House, especially petitions he could not help it. where one member happened to have a When the petitions had been read, considerable number to present. This Mr. Ponsonby observed, that possibly the was the first time that he had seen twenty hon. members opposite might now know or six and twenty petitions introduced, as something of the contents of the petitions, they had been that night, and on a quesfor their better information he would state tion of such importance that was agitating that twenty out of the twenty-six were the country from one end to the other. against the property-tax, the rest complai- To him such a manner was extremely unning generally of distress and heavy tax- satisfactory. If any member chose to ation. adopt such course towards his constituents, Sir T. Acland, in reply to the right that was his business; but he should be hon. gentleman's remark, felt himself sorry to see the day arrive when the peticalled upon to state, that all the petitions tions of the people of England were to be were put into his hands that afternoon, regularly received in such way. If petiand that notwithstanding the shortness of tions by the score and hundred were to be the time, he had read them over as care- smuggled into the House in such manner, fully as he could. The impression on his what probability was there of their having mind was, that they did not generally a fair chance of effecting their object? pray for the unqualified repeal of the in- According to such system, when one or come tax, in the fair sense of the word; two petitions were presented, they must otherwise why did many of them call for be read; but when they poured in by its modification? The right hon. gentle- twenties and hundreds, a proof of how man would allow that a considerable noise much more importance they were, then prevailed in the House during the time of they were to be smuggled into the House their being read, which might have pre without being read at all. According to vented him from accurately hearing their such practice, neither the House, the purport; but if the right hon. gentleman public, nor the petitioners, would know took the trouble to read them over as he what became of the petitions. There was (Sir T. A.) had done, he would find that another practice of modern date, of which they were not generally against the income he must also complain, namely, that of tax,-probably not above half of them. only printing in their votes the names and Mr. Ponsonby would not pretend to put prayers of such petitions as were presented, the accuracy of his ears in competition instead of the leading features of each with the accuracy of the hon. baronet's petition. In future he hoped this practice eyes, the hon. baronet baying stated that would be amended, and particularly that he had read the petitions, and therefore all members would refrain from presenting petitions in the mass; he trusted that they lousy any attempt to slur over the busiwould separately notice and present them. ness before them. Mr. Baring presented a petition from Mr. Lambton said, that the chancellor Taunton, against the property-tax. At of the exchequer having informed the the same time he expressed the hope that House that on Friday next, in a commembers, who might have petitions to mittee of ways and means, he should bring present, would impartially notice their forward the subject of the property-tax, contents, and not give to such contents he should to-morrow move for a call of the colouring of their own impressions. the House on that day, and on every day Mr. Robinson supposed that the latter during the discussion of that great quesremark was levelled against his hon. friend, tion. upon whose petitions so much had been al- The petitions were ordered to lie on ready said. He must observe, and the House table. would probably entertain the same opinion, Mr. Goulburn presented to the House, that the assertion, that the hon. baronet pursuant to their orders, an account of all had given to his petitions the colouring of offices, civil and military, under the his own feelings, was altogether unjustified Crown, in the island of St. Lucia, with by the contents of the petitions theinselves, the salaries and emoluments of the same; which, when read, were found completely and also of all offices in the said colony to bear out the remarks made on offering filled by appointment from any authority them to the House. He had listened dur- other than the Crown.-An account of ing the reading of the petitions with the all offices, civil and military, under the greatest attention, and would maintain that Crown, in the island of Tobago, with the a statement more correct in all particulars salaries and emoluments of the same; and had never been given in the House than that also of all offices in the said colony filled which had fallen from the hon. baronet. by appointment from any authority other Mr. Baring censured the mode in which than the Crown. An account of all of the hon. baronet had endeavoured to dis- fices, civil and military, under the Crown, miss twenty-six petitions of such import- in the colony of Demerara and Essequibo, ance; certain it was, that if the hon. with the salaries and emoluments of the baronet had felt upon the subject of the same; and also of all offices in the said property-tax as strongly as those who colony filled by appointment from any aumade him their organ, his conduct would thority other than the Crown.-- An achave been very different. It was singular count of all offices, civil and military, also that the petition which the hon. under the Crown, in the colony of Berbaronet had been most anxious should be bice, with the salaries and emoluments of read, said little or nothing upon the theme the same; and also of all offices in the of the abolition of the property-tax, which said colony filled by appointment from had filled nearly all the others. any authority other than the Crown.-An Mr. Wilberforce, although not unpre- account of all offices, civil and military, pared to agree with what had fallen from under the Crown, in the Isle of France, a noble lord, as to the propriety of print, with the salaries and emoluments of the ing the petitions more fully in their votes, same; and also of all offices in the said could not but remark that he had very colony filled by appointment from any aurecently observed the practice pursued by thority other than the Crown.-An acan hon. baronet in presenting twenty-six count of all offices, civil and military, petitions, pursued a short time since by under the Crown, in the island of Malta, one of their oldest members, who had with the salaries and emoluments of the many petitions to present, he presenting same.--An account of all offices in the the whole of them at the same time. islands of Malta and Gozo filled by ap Mr. Baring said, that he had been in- pointment from any authority other than duced to remark on the way in which the the Crown. petitions had been presented by the hon. baronet, in consequence of observing the ABSTRACT OF THE ARMY ESTIMATES decided attempt of his Majesty's ministers FOR THE YEAR 1816.] The following to bring forward the subject to which is an Abstract of the Estimates of the those petitions referred, before the senti- Army Services for the Year 1816, which ments of the country at large could be ex- was presented to the House on the 19th pressed upon it. Under such circum- instant, by lord viscount Palmerston, stances, it was natural to view with jea- secretary at war : + ABSTRACT of the Estimates of ARMY Services, for the Year 1816. £. d. 1. Land Forces, including the Corps intended to be re- 111,756 3,708,963 11 6 duced 3. Regiments stationed in France 34,031 1,234,596 13 6 3. Regiments in the East India 28,491 906,604 19 2 Company's Territories...... 4. Troops and Companies for 348 Recruiting ditto............. 20,835 5 5 5. Embodied Militia 170,000 0 0 6. Pay of General Officers......... 180,615 10 4 7. Staff and Garrisons 234,794 16 0 8. Full Pay for Supernumerary Officers 107,155 68 9. Public Departments 174,816 6 10 10. Exchequer Fees, Irish Poundages, &c. 100,000 0 0 11. Half-pay and Military Al. lowances ......... 415,500 0 0 12. In-Pepsioners of Chelsea and Kilmainham Hospitals...... 40,761 117 13. Out-Pensioners of ditto......... 721,406 13 11 14. Widows Pensions 76,679 4 10 15. Volunteer Corps 72,365 0 0 16. Local Militia 100,000 0 0 17. Foreign Corps ; for various periods in 1816 370,669 18 5 18. Royal Military College. 33,819 17 2 19. Royal Military Asylum, 39,185 17 2 20. Retired Chaplains, &c. 15,896 2 0 21. Medicines and Hospital Ex 40,000 0 0 penses 22. Compassionate List, and Bounty Warrants ......... 64,424 0 3 23. Commissariat Department (Irelaod) 24. Barrack Department (Ireland) 25. Superannuation Allowances 13,057 196 26. Officers attached to the Portuguese Army 35,000 0 0 14,334 00 133,814 1 17,220 0 10 50,621 18 2 ........ }) 21,401 35,095 11 855,220 150 93,899 5 8 122,986 18 2 100,000 0 0 370,669 18 5 33,819 17 2 39,185 17 2 17,550 19 11 60,266 12 4 1,654 10 11 20,266 12 4 ARMY ESTIMATEs.] The Chancellor must bid farewell to that freedom which of the Exchequer having moved the order they had so long and so anxiously preof the day for the House to resolve itself served. Among the many reasons that into a committee of the whole House, to had been urged for the enormous peace consider further of the Supply to be establishment, the most absurd appeared granted to his Majesty, and the same being to him to be the assertion, that it was read, he next moved, “ That the several necessary for our own security, in order Estimates relating to Army Services, to avoid the specdy renewal of hostilities. which were presented to the House upon The House could not fail to recollect that, Monday last by lord viscount Palmerston, for the last twelve years, ministers had and upon Thursday last by Mr. Peol, be been soothing the impatient country by referred to the said committee. The latter stating, that the war was continued to question having been put, prevent the necessity of an armed peace, Lord John Russell said, that he came and yet now they ventured to tell the down to the House with the intention of people, that, after all their sacrifices, they opposing the motion ; but if he had not had gained nothing; for still an armed previously made up his mind, the petitions peace was all that had been acquired. that day laid upon the table, would have Thus then the case stood-we had under. rendered it an imperious duty on his part taken a war to procure peace and a dimi. to give a decided opposition to any pro- nution of taxation, and we had concluded ceeding which should warrant even the a war only to perpetuate the burthens for consideration of the enormous estimates which war had been the only excuse. At of which the House had already heard too the peace of Amiens it would not be formuch. Those petitions proved beyond gotten that the power of France was inficontradiction, that the people were with nitely more dangerous than at present haste congregating in all parts of the Switzerland bowed to her yoke, and Italy country, in order to compel ministers to acknowledged her sovereignty; yet the listen to their sighs under their afflictions, chancellor of the exchequer of that day, and to their groans under the burthens when the danger was more imminent, had that were laid upon them; burthens proposed a much more economical esta. heavier than in any previous time of blishment, as fully adequate for our propeace; heavier even than in many former tection. The noble lord on the opposite wars in which we had been engaged. side might endeavour to show that we Ministers, on the contrary, were endea- were now in equal peril from our neigh. vouring to shut their ears against the cries bours; but, supposing the assertion true, of the people, and were running a most what did it prove, but that, under his adunbecoming race, in order to impose the ministration, all the valuable lives de. grievous weight before the nation could stroyed, and all the immense treasures have time to express its resolution not to lavished in the continuance of the war, sustain it. The bare proposal that a had been wasted ? Honour might have standing army of 150,000 men should be been gained by our armies, but shame had supported, must alarm every friend to his been brought upon the House, and calacountry and its constitution; not that he mity upon the country. From the close was impressed with any fear so ridiculous, of the American war to the opening of as that a standing army unaided could that of the French revolution, the peace ever effectuate what had been accom- establishment of this nation had been too plished in some of the states of the con- much extended, and the admitted consetinent ; but the greatest danger was to be quence had been, that our resources havfound in the influence of the Crown, ing been exhausted, a sanguinary contest which, by daily increase, threatened to was prolonged by the deficiency of means erase even the vestiges that departing to bring it to an early termination; and liberty had left behind her. How much while adverting to the instruction history that influence would be augmented by a would afford, he could not avoid noticing great standing army, required no illustra- a speech of his present majesty, soon after tion. A time might arrive, and that not he ascended the throne, at the terminafar distant, when the House of Commons, tion of a war, in which he said that his for its own security, as well as for the se- first and most ardent wish, the attainment, curity of the Crown, would find it neces- of peace, had been accomplished ; his sary to keep up an immense regular force; second, the alleviation of the burthens of when that event occurred, the people his subjects, yet remained to be fulfilled ; but still it was necessary to maintain a | the mixing up of soldiery with the private respectable navy, the true bulwark of the and civil affairs of a country; the constiisland. The language of the minister in tutional authorities were thus superseded, our own day was far different; it held out, and slavery engrafted on tlie very stock indeed, a vain promise of retrenchment, of the nation. For these reasons, he while Great Britain was converted from a should strenuously resist the estimates naval into a military nation, and, instead about to be proposed; and, should he of continuing a mighty island, she was to have the good fortune to succeed, be be changed into a petty continental state. would afterwards propose an address to The history of the country showed, that the crown, praying that more economical the invariable object on the arrival of propositions should be made to the House, peace was, to reduce the military estas that the people might find that parliament blishment as low as possible. Even at the was not deaf to their loud complaints, and peace of Ryswick, when it was said that that if measures of late years pursued had the Bourbons meditated an attack upon prevented complete retrenchment, yet the independence of England, that the that at least an anxiety prevailed to allesuccession was to be disturbed, and that viate their burthens. she was again to be placed at the mercy Mr. Frankland Lewis expressed his of the House of Stuart; even then, the anxiety to embrace every opportunity of parliament would not agree to the pro- mitigating—he would not say of resisting posal of a standing army, holding it to be the estimates proposed by his majesty's of paramount importance to reduce it as government. In spite of the strong feellow as possible, and to trust the defence ing which he entertained of his inadeof our liberties to the operation of the quacy to address the House, he was sus. constitution, rather than to confide it to tained by his stronger sense of the duty those who had an interest in its overthrow. imposed on every honourable member to This brought him to the question of the exercise, and to declare sincerely and indepropriety of maintaining in France a Bri- pendently his own judgment on this, tish force to repress revolutionary move- which of all the important questions which ments. Whether even that were a fit ob- had been agitated in parliament during the ject, might be a matter of doubt; but who three short years that he had had the could avoid perceiving to what a purpose honour of a seat there, appeared to him to this army might be applied ? It might be of infinitely the greatest magnitude. happen that evil counsellors should per. Whenever the proposition of a large suade a king of France to trample on his standing army had been made in that subjects, and British soldiers might be en House, it had been resisted on a principle gaged as the instruments of detested wholly unconnected with any party feeling tyranny. Already in Spain the prediction -it had been resisted by a body of men had been nearly verified. Sir William acting independently of any administraBlackstone had held, that the army only tion-he meant the country gentlemen of existed for the protection of the people'; England; who had invariably united in and after having been employed success- their hostility to a measure of that nature, fully in France in quelling the rising ener- As for his own motives on this particular gies of a great people, our soldiers on occasion, he could solemnly assure the their return would be well qualified to act House, that he was wholly uninfluenced the same disgusting scenes in England by any personal feeling towards any indiperhaps an improvement upon the emis. vidual whatever. In comparison with such saries of Fouché under the régime of Buo- a question as that before them, he cared naparté. With regard to mode in not who was in or who was out of power; which they were to be supported, no friend but he called on the country at large to of his country could fail to wish that they think and to act for themselves to look should be paid under the control of par- at the extent of the means they possessed, liament, and that the money now intended and at the extent of the danger to be apto be devoted to them might be placed in prehended, and to decide on the establishthe British treasury. To the 25,000 des- ment that was advisable with reference to tined for Ireland, he objected with equal both those considerations. Without defirmness; if they were indeed required, siring the House to go far back to precehis regret would be augmented, and here dents, without referring them to the was a real danger to be apprehended; for sterner periods of British history, he nothing could be more objectionable than thought it might do po harm to remind |