§ The House resolved itself into a Committee of Supply.
§ The sums of 75,110l. for paying the wages of Ship-keepers, &c. on board Ships in Ordinary; 40,365l. for the Officers of the Admiralty; 30,929l. for defraying the expenses of the Navy Pay Office; 49,299l. 2s. to defray the expenses of the salaries of Officers, and contingent expenses, of the Navy-office, were voted. On the Resolution that there be granted the sum of 20,162l. 6s. to defray the salaries of Officers employed, and the contingent expenses of the scientific departments of the Navy,
§ Sir Joseph Yorkewished to take that opportunity of inquiring if the Thetis was supplied with a time-piece. That vessel was lost after a run of only twelve leagues.
Mr. Humecomplained that, considering the magnitude of our military and civil marine, too little had been done by Great 949 Britain for the encouragement of scientific discovery.
Mr. Warburtonsuggested, that all small vessels should be provided with chronometers, and also, that the whole of the earth's surface should be surveyed and mapped, as a surveyor mapped a small district of country. At least during peace our vessels could make accurate surveys of the great ports and headlands, and fix their relative distances from each other.
§ Sir Joseph Yorkewas really surprised to hear the two great economists and guardians of the public purse, like two Kings of Brentford—one of them elected too at Brentford—join in complaining of the inadequate expenditure of our funds on experimental science. It was enough that Government gave two chronometers to Officers who were willing to find one, so as to give the Officers a chance of taking correct mean time by the medium of three chronometers. More had been done by the scientific men of our country and our clay than by those of other nations in any similar period in extent. The North-west and North-east coast of America had been very nearly completely explored and defined, by Captains Parry, Beachy, and Franklin. Had the hon. Members ever heard of that poor man, Captain Ross, who saw the Croker Mountains stretching across the bottom of Lancaster Sound, where no mountains ever existed, as it had since appeared? or of the late expense of a voyage straight through the body of the ice, by boats, sledges, and ponies, to the Pole itself; and the charge of writing the plan out, and supporting it in the Quarterly Review, by Mr. Secretary Barrow? Or did the member for Bridport wish the Admiralty to send out vessels all over the seas to make observations, stuffed with chronometers, as turkeys are stuffed full with chestnuts? Enough had been done, in his mind, to secure the high character for science of this country, and to protect her civil and military marine, during the late Administration.
Sir James Grahaminformed the hon. Members, that at present there were various expeditions afloat for surveying the Adriatic and Grecian Archipelago, Cape Horn and the neighbouring coasts, New Zealand and the mouths of the River St. Lawrence. Three vessels also were now surveying the coasts of Great Britain, of which, even within these five or six years, there were no accurate surveys extant.
§ Resolution agreed to.
§ A grant was next proposed of 82,249l. 10s., to defray the salaries of Officers, and the contingent expenses of the Dock-yards.
Mr. Humeexpressed his wish that the Government would turn their immediate and particular attention to the very large establishments that were kept up in this department. The expenses of seven dockyards fell very heavily upon the public.
Sir James Grahamassured the hon. Gentleman, that his Majesty's Government had the subject under consideration. Material reductions had been already made, and they would continue to study economy in every instance in which it was practicable.
§ Sir George Clerkcomplained, that the Government did not adopt the true course in the retrenchments which they made. The reductions took place in those salaries which were already small in amount, while those upon a large scale were left untouched.
§ Sir Joseph Yorkeapproved of the general course pursued by the First Lord of the Admiralty, but wished to see a more equal system of reduction. The salary of the right hon. Baronet had been reduced from 5,000l. to 4,500l., which was certainly not too much for the efficient performance of the duties, and he thought that salaries of 500l. or 600l. ought to undergo a similar diminution.
Mr. Humeobserved, that at Chatham dock-yard there were twenty clerks employed, at an expense of 4,100l.; at Portsmouth, thirty-one, at 6,426l.; and at Plymouth thirty, at 5,900l; while in private dock-yards, where 300 or 400 men were employed, two clerks were found sufficient. This proved that abuses must exist. But the case was still worse in the foreign dock-yards, where 21,200l. yearly was paid to clerks and overseers, while the wages of the workmen did not exceed 38,000l.
Sir James Grahamagain stated, that all the reductions had been made which were at present found practicable, but he would still have the same object in view, and would neglect no opportunity of acting upon a system of economy.
Sir Byam Martinsaid, in proof of the extensive reductions which had taken place, that it was a daily complaint with the Commissioners, that they could not get through the business so rapidly as they wished, owing to the small number of their hands.
§ In answer to a question from Lord Granville Somerset,
Sir James Grahamsaid, that the Government had under their consideration a plan in reference to the coast blockade, which he trusted would be satisfactory, both in the saving of expense and other important points of view.
§ Vote agreed to; as was a vote of 608,200l. for the pay of 32,000 men, for one year, at 29s. per man, per month. The right hon. Baronet stated that this sum was 3s. per month less than was taken last year for the same purpose.