Mr. Hobhouse brought up the report of the committee of supply on the Ordnance Estimate.—The first resolution being put,
§ Mr. Johnstoneobserved, that there were two charges which appeared to him to require some explanation. Among the stores sent to Ceylon, amounting to 59,400l. he observed some gun-powder, estimated at 4,000l. Now it seemed very improvident to send out so much powder from this country, when it might have been sent to Ceylon at a much cheaper rate from some of our Settlements in the East Indies. This was the first charge which struck him with surprise. The second was this; he observed that for worms, turn-screws, &c. the charge for the service of Ireland was about 7,000l. while that for England was only 1,000l. This required explanation.
§ Mr. Calcraftreplied to the first observation of the hon. gent. that all stores furnished for foreign service were done so under an order from the secretary of state's office; but that not having that order then about him, he was unable to produce it. As to the difference between the charge of worms and turn-screws, &c. for England and for Ireland, he rather supposed, that a part of the charge for the former country was included in the sums provided for in the other resolutions. But he would make enquiry into this subject, and would be happy to give the hon. gent. every information in his power.
§ Mr. Johnstonenot only thought, that sending powder from this island to Ceylon was an oversight, but that the whole sum voted for the Ordnance Service of Ceylon, was too large to pass without animadversion. With regard to the other sums, he supposed that they were not correctly particularized in the resolution; for it was impossible they could form a part of the sums provided for in the other resolutions, as 426 those sums were for the defraying of the expences of former years unprovided for, and what he alluded to was the charge for the current year.
§ Mr. Calcraftrepeated, that he would make himself master of this subject, and endeavour to account to the hon. gent. for that which now appeared to him to be so extraordinary. The resolutions were then agreed to.