Mr. Cochrane Johnstone ,with a view to shew the practicability of very considerable savings in the Army Clothing and Agency departments, rose to move for a number of papers which he had yesterday given notice of his intention to call for, and to the production of which he did not understand there was any objection. The present mode of clothing the army, by converting the colonels of regiments into a species of wholesale tailors, was particularly reprehensible. In the agency department also, much unnecessary expence was incurred. On the whole, he was convinced a saving of no less than 2 per cent. might be made on the 2,000,000l. now annually expended on the army. The hon. gent. concluded with moving, "That there be laid before the house, 1. An account of all sums of money issued to the army agents from the 25th of Dec. 1805, to the 24th of Dec. 1806; specifying the names of those agents, the number of regiments of the line, militia, and fencibles, for which they are employed; and the amount of the securities given by them for the faithful discharge of the trust reposed in them: 2. An account of all sums of money issued to each and to every of the army agents, by way of compensation for his trouble in the affairs of the different regiments of which he has the management, and for any other public expences, from the 25th of Dec. 1805, to the 24th of Dec. 1806; specifying the several heads of service for which the compensation is granted: 3. An account of all sums of money advanced monthly to the army agents for subsistence, &c. for what period these payments are made in advance, and the names of the agents: 4. An account of the expence for agency attending the 26 articles of the abstract of the army estimates for this year, presented to this house on the 14th of January, the names of the agents entitled to receive the same, and the amount paid to each agent: 5. A statement of the mode of issuing the funds applicable to the Volunteer service through the office of the agent-general, with an account of the expence of that establishment from the 1st of 811 June 1803, to the 1st of Jan. 1805; specifying the different heads under which the same has been issued: 6. Statement of the sums expended in Great Britain for the Volunteer service between the 1st day of June 1803, and the 1st day of Jan. 1805; specifying particularly how much has been applied to the following heads, viz. attendance at drill, inspection, permanent duty, also of drill serjeants, adjutants, serjeantsmajor, inspecting field-officers, brigadier-generals, majors of brigade, aides-de-camp, &c. and clothing: 7. An account of all sums of money to which the regiments of the line are entitled for clothing, from the 25th of Dec. 1804, to the 24th of Dec. 1805; specifying the number of regiments: 8. A return of the number of effective non-commissioned officers and privates, on the strength of the regiments of the line from the 25th of Dec. 1804, to the 24th of Dec. 1805: 9. A return of the number of effective officers of each rank on the strength of the regiments of the line, from the 25th of Dec. 1804, to the 24th of Dec. 1805."
The Secretary at Warhad no objection to the production of the papers, farther than that the subjects they alluded to were now under the consideration of the commissioners of military enquiry, who would shortly report upon it. The subjects were certainly most important, and the attention of the war-office and of his majesty's government were particularly directed to them, with a view to make every practicable saving for the public. Under the circumstances of the commission of military enquiry having directed its investigation to the matter, and of its being necessary to go to a considerable expence for clerks to make out the accounts, he put it to the hon. gent. whether it would be desirable to press the motion.
Mr. Rosewas confident that by adopting the plan of clothing now in use with respect to the invalids, a saving of from 100,000l. to 160,000l. would be practicable on the sum now expended on the clothing of the army, which was from 800,000l. to 1,000,000l. A plan, suggested by the paymaster-general, was under the consideration of his majesty's government, with the approbation of his royal highness the commander-in-chief, for taking the clothing out of the hands of the colonels, allowing them a liberal compensation for the advantages they now derived from it. This arrangement would be more satisfactory to the colonels, 812 at the same time that it would be highly beneficial to the public. With respect to the Agency department, that too had been under consideration: but it was to be feared, that no considerable saving could be made in it, by establishing a general agency office, at least none sufficient to compensate the great convenience that was felt from having agents chosen by the colonels themselves. He submitted to the hon. gent. the propriety of waiting for the report of the commissioners of military enquiry. If that report should not go as far as the hon. gent. wished, he might move any further step he may think proper.
§ Mr. Windhamthought it best to leave these matters to the commissioners of military enquiry in the first instance. Both subjects, the clothing and the agency, had engaged much of the consideration of the late government, with a view to the practicability of some savings upon them. His inclination was very much in favour of the plan mentioned by the right hon. gent. opposite, and that not so much with a view to economy, though that important object also would be promoted, as in order to take the colonels of regiments out of the incongruous situation in which they were placed while suffered to act as clothiers to their respective corps. With respect to agency, that matter had been under consideration so long since, as when he had been in the war office, and the result of the deliberation was, that no saving could be made by the adoption of a general plan, sufficient to compensate the loss of the convenience now afforded by the nomination of his own agent by every commander of a regiment.
Mr. Cochrane Johnstonesaw the strongest reason for the production of the papers in the avowal of so many official persons, that the subject to which he called the attention of the house, admitted, at least, in a considerable degree, of reform; and that such reform, though many years in contemplation, was still not carried into effect. Probably, if he should omit to bring the matter before the house now, it would remain still to be said, after the lapse of some more years, that the reform was under consideration.——After some further observations from the secretary at war, who said the saving even on the clothing, would not be so considerable as some expected; Mr. Windham who said, it was not so much to saving he looked, as to correcting the incongruity of making the colonels clothiers; and Mr. Huskisson, who said that only a small proportion of the 813 20,000,000l. expended on the army, went through the hands of the agents, the whole sum that could with possibility be retrenched in this department, being at the utn.ost 67,000l.; the papers were ordered.