GENERAL HISTORY. 



[55 



is considerably decreased, the earn 

 being about 3,754-/. In the West 

 Indies, a diminution will be found 

 of 16,557/. in the item of public 

 departments. In the office of 

 commander in chief a diminution 

 had taken place of 1,300/.; and 

 in the war office, of 6,436/. ; but 

 in this year a smaller sum was 

 required on account of the cessa- 

 tion of some of their expenses. 

 A most important change was 

 the muster-master-general's office 

 having been abolished, and the 

 duties transferred to other offices. 

 The reduction by that was 2,918/.; 

 and the whole of the reductions 

 in the other offices amounted to 

 upwards of 16,550/. There was 

 an increase in the charge of me- 

 dicines amounting to 11,265/.; 

 but this, it may be observed, was 

 not an increase in the supply of 

 medicines, but an additional quan- 

 tity bought and paid for beyond 

 the service of the year. In the 

 item of volunteer corps would be 

 found an increase of 16,876/. ; and 

 the recruiting of the East India 

 troops produces an addition of 

 3,451/. The Royal Military Col- 

 lege establishment has a diminu- 

 tion of 2,640/. After various 

 other reductions and additions 

 (of which the particulars have 

 been stated) it appears that there 

 is a saving in the total charge of 

 troops &c. in 1818, of the sum 

 of 188,027/. 195. Sd.; that the 

 whole charge, including the troops 

 in France, India, &c. is diminished 

 by 418,000/. ; and the whole 

 number in the estimate, compared 

 with the estimate of last year, was 

 less by upwards of 21,000 men. 

 The noble lord concluded by 

 moving his first resolution : 

 " That a number of land 



forces, not exceeding 113,640 

 men ( including the forces station- 

 ed in France) and also 4,200 

 men proposed to be disbanded in 

 1S18, but exclusive of the men 

 belonging to the regiments now 

 employed in the territorial pos- 

 sessions of the East India Com- 

 pany, or ordered from thence to 

 Great Britain, commissioned and 

 non-commissioned officers includ- 

 ed, be maintained for the service 

 of the United Kingdom of Great 

 Britain and Ireland, from 25tli 

 December 1817 to 24th Decem- 

 ber 1818." 



Mr. Calcrnft expressed his 

 conviction, that a still greater 

 diminution might take place in 

 our military establishment, than 

 the noble lord's statement. He 

 brought several instances in proof 

 of this assertion ; but finally said, 

 that he would not then enter into 

 the discussion of all the topics 

 which were naturally connected 

 with this subject ; but upon the 

 bringing up of the report, he 

 would move for a further reduc- 

 tion of the proposed establish- 

 ment to the extent of 8 or 9,000 

 men. 



Sir W. M. Ridley was much 

 surprised at the continuance of 

 the Royal Waggon Train, for 

 which there could be no occasion 

 in a time of peace. He also 

 spoke to the expense in the re- 

 cruitmg service ; to the granting 

 of pensions to the Military Col- 

 leges ; and to the apparent unne- 

 cessary grant for a retired barrack- 

 master. 



Lord Palnierston stated, tliat 

 with respect to the Royal Wag- 

 gon Train, a part was stationed 

 at Croydon, whence detachments 

 were sent to the army in France ; 



a part 



