HC Deb 01 July 1819 vol 40 cc1505-6

1. That it appears, that prior to 1808 the business of the Storekeeper General's department was transacted under the direction of Mr. John Trotter, of Soho square, and that his total expenditure for the same, for a period of fifteen years, of which thirteen years were in time of war, and which expenditure included all pay for establishments and contingent charges of every kind, such as insu- rance, freight, carriage, rent, salaries of agents, repairs of returned stores, packers charges, &c. was 252,939l., or on an annual average 16,862l.

2. That it appears, that the present department of storekeeper general was established in 1808; and that the expenditure for that year for his establishment alone was 6,925
And that the expenditure for that year for contingent charges was 23,749
Say, for travelling expenses, packing charges, porters wages, stationary, postages, and rent of offices and warehouses, forming a total of 30,674

And making an excess of expenditure over that of last year of 13,812l. independently of the annual value of two wharfs and warehouses (Wiggins's quay and Fresh wharf) belonging to government, and given up to the storekeeper general, and the annual worth of which may be estimated, at the most moderate computation, at per annum 5,000l. as Fresh wharf and warehouses alone after Mr. Trotter left them, were let by public auction for 3,087l. per annum.

3. That it appears that the Storekeeper General's Expenditure for 1809, was, for his establishment alone 7,591
And that for the same year his contingent charges amounted to 49,212
Amounting together to 56,803

And forming an increase on the expenditure of the preceding year of 20,129l., independently of the annual rent of the two wharfs and warehouses estimated as afore said in (No. 2.) at 5,000l.:

4. That it appears, that his expenditure for 1813 was, for his establishment alone 12,645
And that for the same year his contingent charges amounted to 122,904
Amounting together to 135,549
5. That it appears, that his Expenditure for 1816 was, for his establishment alone 21,138
And that for the same year his contingent charges amounted to 120,698
Amounting together to 141,836
6. That it appears, that his Expenditure for 1817 was, for his establishment alone 21,418
And that for the same year his contingent charges amounted to 72,470
Amounting together to 93,888
7. That it appears, that his expenditure for 1818 was, for his estab-

So that the expenses of the storekeeper general's department for these three years amounted to 156,074l. more than the value of the stores purchased by government (say to more than double the amount of those stores) and to within 21,900l. of the joint amount of the stores bought and sold by government, although the stores sold in these three years amounted to two thirds of all the stores sold by the storekeeper general during a period of eleven years.

9. That it appears that seven deputy storekeeper generals and assistant storekeeper generals have been placed on half pay, although none of their services extended to a period of four years, and the services of one of them to a period of one year and four months only; whereby the country has already been subjected to an annual expense, during the lives of many young men, of 722l. 7s. 11d.;

10. That it appears, that the establishment of the storekeeper general has been, from its institution, exorbitant, and is at present wasteful and extravagant, altogether disproportionate to a time of peace, and to the duties to be performed by it; and that therefore it ought to be reduced to an economical and efficient establishment, proportionate in expense to what the storekeeper general's department was before 1808.

The first Resolution being read, the debate thereupon was adjourned till Monday