GENERAL HISTORY. 



[II 



without the consent of puilia- 

 nient, and to supply tlieni with- 

 out its inteiference. Further, if 

 France slioukl tail in the payment 

 of its contribution, how could 

 the British army be suppoited 

 without a manifest violation of 

 tlie constitution? 



The motion for this instruction 

 was agreed to, and the House le- 

 solveditself into a committee. 



Lord Palmtrston (Secretary at 

 War) then laid before the com- 

 mittee a statement of the particu- 

 lars of the reductions and savings 

 made in the military department, 

 the total of which amounted to a 

 reduction of 74, 0(H) men, pro- 

 ducing a diminution of charge to 

 the public of five millions, to 

 which another million would be 

 added in the next year. He con- 

 cluded liis statements and oljser- 

 vations with moving, " That it 

 is the opinion of this conmiittee, 

 that a number of land forces not 

 exceeding 176,(>15 men (includ- 

 ing tlie forces stationed in Fiance, 

 and also 30,480 proposed to be 

 disbanded, but exclusive of the 

 men belonging to the regiments 

 employed in the territorial pos- 

 sessions of the East India Com- 

 pany, tlie foreign corps in Eng- 

 lisli pay, and the embodied mi- 

 litia) commissioned and uncom- 

 missioned officers included, be 

 maintained for the service of 

 Great Britain and Ireland, from 

 tlie 'i.-jth of December, 1815, to 

 the '24th of December, 1816, both 

 inclusive." 



In the subsequent debate Mr. 

 Bankes began with an examina- 

 tion of the articles of the esti- 

 I mate, from which he inferred 

 t such a necessity of retrenchment, 

 I that he thought the committee 



ought to begin with negativing 

 the proposition before them. 



Lord Ciistlereaglt , who had been 

 prevented by illness from attend- 

 ing at the previous discussions, 

 then rose in defence of the pro- 

 posed establislnuent ; and, after 

 some preliminary observations, 

 he went o^er all the particulars 

 objected to, endeavouring to 

 shew that no reductions could 

 be made consistently ^vith true 

 policy. 



The debate, having been ad- 

 journed, was resumed on INIarch 

 6th, wlien Mr. Culcruft com- 

 menced the attack upon the esti- 

 mates. Various speakers followed 

 on both sides ; and the debate 

 took exactly tlie character con- 

 formable to ]\Ir.^^'ilberforce's ob- 

 servation, thai'. "Tliis country 

 was at present in the situation of 

 a man vVho wished to reduce a 

 large and expen >ive eitablishment, 

 but who, in exrmiining the differ- 

 ent items of liis expense, thought 

 that each separately did not admit 

 of much redu(?tion." Not, in- 

 deed, that all the objections were 

 answered with equal strength ; 

 and in particular, the home esta- 

 blishment seemed justly charge- 

 able witli excess for purposes of 

 parade an<.l military splendor. In 

 conclusio'a, Mr. Stuart Worthy 

 having moved as an amendanent, 

 that from the proposed establish- 

 ment of 99,000 men there should 

 be deducted 10,000, the House 

 divided. For the amendment 130 ; 

 Against, it 'Oil : Majority for re- 

 jection 72. 



The original resolution was then 

 agreed to. 



The; army estimates continued 

 to be a topic of interesting debate 

 as lo og as they were p.assing 



through 



