ARMY ESTIMATES. (Hansard, 17 December 1819)

§ Lord Palmerston
said, that the House had seen the abstracts of the estimates on the table. It had not yet been in his power to make out the usual detailed estimates for the year. At present his object was merely to move a vote of certain sums on account. After the recess the detailed estimates should be laid before the House in the usual form. The sum now required was nearly one million and a half, which included the expenses incurred by the call of out-pensioners, and the forming of them into royal veteran battalions, up to Christmas. The noble lord then moved—"That it is the opinion, of this committee that a sum not exceeding 900,000l. be granted to his majesty, towards defraying the charge of his majesty's land forces, for service at home and abroad, excepting the regiments employed in Ireland and the territorial possessions of the East India company, for the year 1820."

§ Mr. Calcraft
said, he should not press the discussion of the subject against the wish of the House, but it did appear strange, that when 10 or 12,000 men were added to a standing army in time of peace, and that standing army too the largest that ever was known in the country at any similar time, the noble lord should pass it over as an ordinary matter of business which called for no explanation. Though he was not prepared, under all the circumstances of the country to say that he should peremptorily oppose the calling out of the pensioners, yet he thought it the duty of members, to awaken the jealousy of the country to such proceedings He hardly knew, however, how to begin a discussion on which he should be ready to enter, as the noble lord had given no reasons for the vote. He saw too, among the votes, a sum for the military college. He, for one, should object to that vote at that moment, as the utility of that application of money was very questionable He had rather that the noble lord should take a sum on account generally, without specifying particular heads, as parliament would then be pledged to no principle except, perhaps, that of the increase of the army, by calling out the pensioners.

§ Lord Palmerston
said, the House had at the beginning of the session been made acquainted with the increase of the army. He had proposed a vote generally for the service of one quarter; and he should have no objection to propose a vote for the whole on account, without specifying particular services, with the exception of that for the military college and asylum, which did not pass through the hands of the paymaster-general, and which it was from that reason necessary; to have under a separate head. But if any gentleman wished to put an end to the military college, it would not certainly be proposed to abolish it before the 24th of March, and it was only till, that time that the sum to be voted would supply the establishment. The expense of the college was less than it had been last year, as reductions were in progress. It would be desirable, too, that the measure of calling out the pensioners should be recognized by a vote.

§ Mr. Calcraft
intimated that he should leave the subject for discussion at a future period.

Colonel Davies
said, he had the strongest objections to the military college. He 1302 wished to know what the increase of 100,000l. on the charge for volunteer corps arose from? It was to be observed, that though not more than half the items of the estimates were brought forward, there was an increase on them of half a million beyond the last year.

§ Lord Palmerston
said, the number of volunteer and yeomanry corps had been increased. The exact number he could not state, as the services of those corps were accepted, not by the War office, but by the home department. The increase on the estimates was merely on the volunteer service, and from the charges of calling out the pensioners.

Colonel Davies
said, that after all the professions and pledges of economy and retrenchment which the House had heard last session from his majesty's ministers, he had hoped they would have made some sincere and effectual effort to redeem their promises. It now appeared that he had been deceived in such an expectation. He therefore embraced that occasion of giving notice, that he should on some night immediately after the recess, move for a committee to inquire into the whole of the army expenditure. In the state in which the country was placed, it was their duty to look to every possible means of lessening the public expenses.