38] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1817. 



as an incontrovertible maxim, that 

 no country, especially one so much 

 involved in debt, could consider 

 its prosperity in time of peace es- 

 tablished on a firm foundation, 

 unless its expenditure was reduced 

 not only to the level, but below 

 the level, of its revenue. 



It was not his intention to go 

 minutely through the several heads 

 of expenditure in the different 

 branches of our establishments 

 for the present year ; but he was 

 denrous to slate, that in order to 

 prevent the House from being 

 fettered by the votes which it 

 might be necessary to call for, 

 they would not be reciuired to fur- 

 nish sums for more than some 

 months, so that the public service 

 might be carried on in the mean 

 time. To this circumstance, after 

 6ome general observations, his 

 lordship now proceeded. 



He first requested the attention 

 of the House to the subject of the 

 army expenditure. The number 

 of the land forces during the last 

 year, (excluding those in France 

 and India, which were otherwise 

 provided for) was 99,000 men, 

 namely 53,000 for the home ser- 

 vice, and 46,000 for the foreign 

 establishment. This was to be 

 reduced in the present year by 

 18,000 J that at home by 5000, 

 and that in the colonies, &c. by 

 13,000 : and thus the comparison 

 between the two years would stand 

 from 99,000 to 81,016. The total 

 number for which a vote had been 

 talien in the former year was 

 150,000 men ; and the total num- 

 ber for this year would be pro- 

 posed at only 1 23,000. The reason 

 for this was, that by tlie conven- 

 tion with France the number of 

 our troops there was to be reduced 

 from 30,000 men to 25,000 ; and 



the number of the government 

 troops in India to be reduced from 

 20.000 to 17,000. In the esti- 

 mates there would appear a sum 

 of 220,0001. to be provided for on 

 account of regiments which had 

 not yet returned from abroad, but 

 were on their way home, and in 

 a course of reduction. The whole 

 of the army estimates, with 

 certain contingent expenses, and 

 that of the militia, would amount 

 to 7,050,0001. ; to which the com- 

 missariat in Great Britain will add 

 500,0001. The barrack establish- 

 ment has been leduced from 

 178,000 to 70 or 80,000. The 

 army extraordinaries for this year 

 will be 1,300,0001. Total charge 

 for the army 9,230,0001. For the 

 navy, the House had last year 

 voted 33,000 men, of which, as 

 10,000 were in the progress of re- 

 duction, it was understood that 

 only 23,000 would be the perma- 

 nent establishment for the pre- 

 sent year. But upon further con- 

 sideration, it has been determined 

 that a larger reduction was pi-ac- 

 ticable, and 19,000 men have 

 been proposed as the vote of the 

 present year. The reduction of 

 the wear and tear, ship -building, 

 and other expenses, would, of 

 course, be very considerable. On 

 the whole,the aggregate of charges, 

 comprehending all the Various 

 branches of the public service, will 

 stand thus : 



Army £ 7,050,000 



ComiTiissariat and 



Barracks 880,000 



Extraordinaries 1,300,000 



Ordinance 1,246,000 



Navy 6,397,000 



Miscellaneous. . . . 1,500,000 



Gross total of charge 18,373,000 



This 



