Commons Sitting of 23 January 1805

MINUTES.—
A new writ was ordered for the borough of Thirsk, in the room of Sir G. P. Turner, Bart, deceased.—Lord W. Russel moved for leave to bring in a bill to enable the proprietors of the Surry iron railway to raise a further sum of money. Leave granted.—The Sec. at War presented the estimates respecting the army, and Sir E. Nepean, those respecting the navy; which were ordered yesterday. Ordered to be referred to a committee of supply.—On the motion of Sir E. Nepean, the house resolved into a committee of supply, and the following motions were put and agreed to: That 120,000 men, including 30,000 marines, be granted for the service of the navy, for the year 1805; That a sum not exceeding 2,886,000 l. be granted for the pay of the said men, allowing at the rate of 1l. 17 s. each per month; That 2,964,000 l. be granted for victualling, &c. allowing 1l. 18 s. per month for each man; That.4,680,000 l. be granted for the expence of wear and tear, &c. of shipping.—Mr. Johnstone asked, what number of men was at present employed in the navy? This was an inquiry which the hon. member said he did not suppose there could be any objection to satisfy, as there was an official account of the same nature laid before the house about 8 months ago. Sir E. Nepean replied, that as the accounts were not entirely made up he could not speak with perfect accuracy: but from the best information he had, he believed the number now actually in the service was about 107 or 108,000 men.

DEFENCE OF THE COUNTRY.—
Mr. Windhamrose, and said, that although previous to a general inquiry into the military situation of the country, he thought that an account of the army, in all its branches, would have been more desirable; yet he had at present confined the motions that be had to offer to such branches only as were most immediately connected with the subject of the inquiry. He had already shewn die motions that he intended to make, and he was glad to find they would
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not be objected to. The rt. hon. gent, concluded with reading the several propositions he had to submit, which were afterwards put from the chair, and agreed to. They areas follows: 1st, That there be laid before this house, a return of the number of effective men in any foreign levies formed or forming for the service of the country—2d, That there be laid before this house, a return of the number of effective men raised under an act, passed in the last session of Parliament, intituled, "An act for establishing and maintaining a permanent additional force for the defence of the realm, and to provide for augmenting his majesty's regular forces, and for the gradual reduction of the militia of England," up to the period of the last returns, stating the number of effective men recruited per week; distinguishing the number provided in each county by the parish officers from such as shall have been recruited on account of the parishes by officers in his majesty's service, and also specifying the number of effective men, raised under the said act, who shall have enlisted in his majesty's regular forces for general service.—3d, A similar return for Scotland.—4th, A similar return for Ireland.—5th, That there be laid before this house, a return of the number of effective men enlisted from the army of reserve into his majesty's regular forces for general service, up to the last return; distinguishing those enlisted previous to the 1st of June last from such as have been enlisted subsequent to that period.—6th, That there be laid before this house, a return of the number of effective recruits raised for the two new battalions now recruiting in Scotland for general service, and for the four new battalions now recruiting in Ireland for general service; distinguishing the recruits intermediately approved from those finally approved, up to the last weekly, returns, and also distinguishing the number of such recruits as shall have received the bounty for boys, together with the dates of letters of service of the said corps.—7th, That there be laid before this house, a return of the number of effective men, finally approved for general service, up to the last returns, raised by officers for rank, exclusive of the recruits enlisted for the new battalions raising for general service in Scotland, and the four new battalions for general service raising in Ireland,—8th,That there be laid before this house, a return of the number of recruits finally approved for

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general service, from the 1st of June last to the 1st of Jan. instant, in the united kingdom of G. Britain and Ireland, for corps at home and abroad (exclusive of the recruits enlisted for the two new battalions raisins, for general service in Scotland, and four new battalions raising for general service in Ireland, exclusive of recruits raised for general service by officers for rank) distinguishing the number of such recruits who shall have received the bounty for boys; also a return of the number of recruits finally approved for general service, from the 1st of June last to the 1st of Jan. instant, and recruited by the recruiting, staff in the united kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland; distinguishing the number of such recruits as shall have received the bounty for boys.—9th, That there be laid before this house, a return of the number of commissioned and noncommissioned officers that have been detached from their respective regiments for the purpose of receiving men expected to be raised under an act of the last session of parliament, instituted, "An act for establishing and maintaining a permanent additional force for the defence of the realm, and to provide for augmenting his majesty's regular forces, and for the gradual reduction of the militia of England."—10th, That there be laid before this house, a return of all deaths, desertions, discharges, or other casualties, since the commencement of the war to the 1st of Jan. 1S01, and from thence to the 1st of Jan. 1805.
The Chancellor of the Exchequerobserved, that he had not, for his own part, any very material objection to lay before the house an account of the total amount of our public force, and to the propositions which had been submitted by the right hon. gent, he had no objection whatever; on the contrary, it was his wish, that the house should be in full possession of all the particulars to which those propositions referred, before it proceeded to the discussion of the subject which the right hon. gent, had announced his intention of bringing forward.

WAR WITH SPAIN.
Mr. Foxexpressed a-wish to know when the papers relative to the negotiation of govt. with Spain, previous to the war, would be laid before the house; and also what, day it was the intention of the right hon. the Ch. of the Excheq. to appoint for the discussion of the subject In which those papers referred.
The Chanc of the Exchequerstated, that the papers to which the hon. gent, alluded, required more time to print for the use of the house than he was at first aware of, but that they would be laid on the table to-morrow. As those papers were very voluminous, and as it was desirable that the house should have full time to consider their contents, the right hon. gent, thought it advisable not to bring forward the discussion of the subject as early as he originally intended, but would appoint Thursday, the 31st inst. for that purpose.—Adjourned.