MR. VERNON SMITHsaid, he wished to ask a question of the right hon. Gentleman the Secretary at War relating to the appointment of Constable of the Tower. The right hon. Gentleman was probably aware that the Committee on the Army Estimates refrained from entering into the consideration of the Tower garrison, because they were informed that at the expiration of the patent all the offices would undergo revision. That was certainly stated by Mr. Fox Maule, now Lord Panmure. A vacancy had now unfortunately taken place through the death of the Duke of Wellington; and he perceived that Lord Comber-mere had since been appointed Constable 349 of the Tower. He wished to know whether the establishment was subjected to revision previously to Lord Combermere's appointment, or whether the appointment had been made subject to any revision which might hereafter take place, which he conceived to have been the intention of the Committee.
MR. BBRESFORDsaid, in the Committee on the Army and Ordnance Estimates the then Secretary at War (Lord Panmure) certainly stated, that according to the Resolution of a Committee of 1833, the whole staff of appointments at the Tower was to be subject to revision at the death of his Grace the Duke of Wellington; but on turning to the Report of the Committee, he did not find any such resolution. With regard to the appointment of Viscount Combermere as Constable of the Tower, he begged to inform the right hon. Gentleman that the appointment was made on the death of the Duke of Wellington, with this provision, that not only the emoluments of the Constable, but those of other offices also, as they became vacant, were to be subject to any revision which Parliament might choose to make. But he must also beg to make this further remark: That from the Army Estimates of the present year he found that the total sum given to reward distinguished services amounted to 18,000l.; that the sum to distinguished officers was 9,674l.; for garrisons held by officers, as rewards for military services, 2,931l.;the amount borne on the Vote for rewards was 12,605l.; the amount borne on the staff for the Tower of London was 3,911l.; the amount of appointments on the staff which, when vacated, were applicable as rewards, was 445l.—making altogether 16,963l.; to which was added the sum of 1,036l., making a total sum of 18,000l. That was an estimate to which was appended, not the name of "William Beresford," but "Robert Vernon Smith." The "Tower of London" was included in rewards for distinguished services; and he was sure that in the case of Viscount Combermere, who had served his country upwards of sixty years—in India, in the Peninsula, and in nearly all parts of the world—900l. was not too large a sum under that head. He begged leave further to say, in answer to the right hon. Gentleman's question, that whenever any Parliamentary inquiry should be made on the question, the Government would most willingly give their best consideration to it.