introduced into the Electoral Army. 731 



There is another very important point with reference 

 to the condition of the military finances which must 

 not be left out of consideration in rendering this 

 account, and -that is the increase or decrease of the 

 expenses annually necessary for the payment of pen- 

 sions, for the salaries of the persons connected with the 

 council of war, the office of the commandant, and other 

 persons who belong to no regiment; because by far 

 the greater part of all disorders in the financial condi- 

 tion arise from gradual and unobserved increase of such 

 expenses. 



That these outside expenses might easily have in- 

 creased during the last four years was probable, because 

 so many aged officers unfit for service were retired, and 

 had to be retired, in order to raise the standard of the 

 military. No army in Europe affords an example of so 

 considerable a promotion as that which has taken place 

 in the Electoral army since the introduction of the new 

 system. 



In spite, however, of this very rapid promotion, which 

 was brought about by no means on account of an un- 

 usual mortality among the staff officers, but rather by 

 the retirement of many aged officers ; and in spite of 

 the fact that, by the introduction of the new system, 

 many new offices have been created, such as those 

 in connection with the military workhouses and store- 

 houses, and in the engineering department, in spite 

 of these things, the whole amount necessary for the 

 payment of the pensions, general's salary, and the 

 salaries of persons connected with the council of war 

 and the commandant's office, and others not connected 

 with any regiment, has been diminished, between the 

 ist of January, 1788, and the last of December, 1791, 



