ﬂu 44

ries amounted to L19,7 1‘2; thirty-seven in- ferior ofﬁcers, whose salaries were L3,885; one hundred and two clerks, with salaries to the amount of 135,296. Thus. in the amount of the civil patronage. a diminu- tion ofL74,073 ayear had been effected, (Heat) Ofthis sum 0fL7-l,073, 1157,2753 was for salaries under 1.801); the rest above that amount. The debt ofthe navy in 1830 was Ll,3l4,000; in 1331, 111,317,000; in 1832, L977,l79 He expected to make astill further reduction by a Charge lately effected in the practice of paying for con- tracts by prompt payment, instead of the old system of bills drawn at long dates. He stood between a crass tire, for he was accused on one side of dangerous decre- tions, and on the other of wanton extrava- gance. The hon. and gallant member from Cambridgcshire had said the yards were destitute; but the returns proved that, for ships ofthe line, there were in store, forty- six lower masts, seventy top masts, twenty- sevcn lower yards, sixty-one t0p yards. Last year, they had comsumed 15,155 loads of ship timber, of hemp, 92,347 loads. Now, the noble duke at the head of the late government having made the same 0b- jection as that urged by Captain Yorke, it might be well to add. that the timber left in 1830 was 56,633 loads; in 11:32, 64.073; hemp, in 1330, 7,394; in 18:32, 15,065loads; cordage, in 1830, 10,194; in 1832, 15,065 loads; canvass was lower in amou nt now than when the duke leftoﬂice. Lower masts of the line of battle ships were nearly as many now as then; top masts, 1830.367; 1332, 446; spars for top yards, 1830, 382; 1832, 319; spars for lower mast yards, 1830, 516; 183?, 583. The chain cables were fewer by twenty-seven now than in 1830. in the last three years of the last go- vernmentthepurchases ofstores were [11,798 000; in the first three years of the present go- vernment 1.1345000. The victuztlling stores were also increased in proportion, although in some articles a reduction had been made. They had pipe and brandy stores for thirty-three years; butts for three years; tubs for 535 years‘ andiron hoops for 933 years. (Loud Laugh- ter.) Salt provisions were not so plenty, be- cause he remembered that in the year 1816. the public saved L500,000 by the sale of super. ﬂuous stores of this kind. (llear.) In provi. lion and victualling stores for the last year. 1.46337; but in the last two years the balance of purchase over the consumption was 1.33,!»37. ln half-pay [20,000 a year had been reduced in the two last years. The promotions were—in 1829,213 midshipmen 139 lieutenants; 57 com- manders, raised respectively to lieutenants. commanders. post captains: in 1832, the promo. tions were—88 midshipmen, 31 lieutenants, and 17 Commanders. ([lcar.) Then with regard- to labourers in the dock-yards. The total number employedin 1830 was 7,624. In 12:52. the number had been reduced to 6,633, a reduc- tion to the extent of one-seventh of the whole.

THE BRITISH AMERICAN.

The reduction of wages to artificers in the pre- sent estimates, as compared with the estimates oflast year, was 1.44.000; and he was sorry that the amount of wages still remaining was so great. The numbcrof seamen was 18,000, and, in the state of ourforeign relations, the ho- nour and safely oft/Le country made it impossi- bleto reducclhem crenby one man. He hoped to have a balance sheet of the naval expendi- ture on the table by the Easter recess. Thus had be disposed of the arguments against the efﬁciency of the present state of the navy. Our naVal force was now superior to that of any state that mightgrapple with us. There are now 92 ships fewer than in 1778, and 140 sail fewer than 1792, but more hands were re- quired now to man our navy than were requi- site at that time. France, at the presentmo- ment, had 34 ships of the line and 37 frigates; Russia, 36 ships ofthe line, and 23 frigates; and America, 18 ships ofthe line and 10 t’rigntes_ In all, the navy of Europe was 114 ships of the line.

NAVAL AFFAI RS—NAVARINO.

SirE. Codringlon alluded to the very unequal scale of pensions. How could General Stapylton he rated at fifty-nine years’ service to get a 10001. a year, while Mr. Jackson, after an actual service of thirty-five years, had only 1440:! year? Why was length of service added to the former, and no adequate remuneration to the real services of the latter. A late right honourable Secretary to the Admiral- ty, after ﬁve years’ service, was held to be entitled to 11,500 per annum‘ while the fa- mily of Captain Hawkins, who had fought and bled for his country for many years, had only obtained a pension of [50 a year. How was it that Miss Rosamond Croker had a pension of 1300 a year? Surely not for services in the navy. (A laugh) Why reduce the salary of Sir A. Seppings to [750 a year, while you increase that of Mr. Croker.> Let pensions be regulated according to service. Secretaries to admi- rals, in commission, set adrift the 35. a day, passed midshipmen of twenty-ﬁve years‘ services existed on the same medium. Mr. \Vakeman, had been round the world with Parry, and kept the ship’s company in life and spirits with his poetry and prose At the battle of Navarino he had received ﬁve wounds while obeying his (Sir E. Codring- ton’s confidential commands, yet he re- mained acuptain’s clerk! Mr. '1‘. Gavi- gan had spentliOO, and years of his life, in the production ofthe best work extant on nautical astronomy, and his being in the Navy was the objection to it, which the Board of Longitude urged. Yet, if in his hands he could divide the Sum allowed for pensiOns so as to gratify the whole navy. Mr. Bogier who had held the ofﬁce of Re- Ceiver General for the county of Cornwall, now enjoyeda pension of L300 for three

years’ services, but upon what": tence this individual received a reward 'o 1.50 a year more than the oldest post-captain, be real- ly Cullld not understand, [le {Sir E. Codring- ton)was told that his allowance was conside- red as a retaining fee; he looked on it only as the reward of past services. In the year 1819. a person named Mr. George Boon appeared at the Admiralty with a certificate of good con- duct from Sir E. Follow. The signature of Sir E. Pellew had been blotted while damp, and on handng it in to Mr. Croker, the then Secreta- ry to the Admiralty, that right hon.gontleman at once took upon himself to pronounce it to beaforgery. The individual thus wrongfully charged with so heinous an offence, being a powerful man, of rather irritable disposition, became so incensed at the accusation, at the doubt thrown upon his honour and character, that Mr. Croker, to avoid unpleasant conse- quences, deemed it prudent to retreat into the board-room. But what wasthe result? Why, that Mr. Bean's name was erased from the navy books, and that, although the injustice ofhis dismissal was speedily ascertained, it was notwithout urgent remonstrance and anxious solicitation, then an order inCouncil was made for reinstating him. About the same time a midshipman named Head, who had been on boardatreaSIIre ship when she was lost, and had been detected in robbing the wreck, was actually promoted, and made a master in the navy, and that appointment was not canCclled for two years after, and until the matter got wind, and strong remonstrances were used to induce the Admiralty to nnnul it. (Hear, hear.) His own case was scarcely less unjust. Mostunmerith censure had been cast upon him by the right honourable baronet who sat below him (Sir R. Peel.) but he had not brought the matter forward before because of the con- viction which he had felt that none but a Re— formed Parliament would do him justice. The right honourable baronet to whom he had all. luded had. While in ofﬁce, made a statement against him (Sir E. Codrington) that was in the highest degree derogatory to his character both as an ofﬁcer and a gentleman. (Cries of “ orderl") He had charged him with suffering- 16,000 Greek slaves to pass through the ﬂeet of which he had the command. 'I‘l e right honou- rable barOnet had asserted that he (Sir E. Cod- rington) had receivedinstructions on the sub. ject forty-eight hours before the transaction occurred; the fact was that he had received

no instructions whatever for twenty-eight days '

after it had taken place, and in the order he then received, not one word was said about the transmission of Greek slaVes; so that he had no authority whatever for intefering. He called upon the right honourable baronet to explain, to state the facts of the case. Now as tohis vote on naval and military sinecures, [*‘Question,question-"J He was for reward— ing merit as it deserved, but, instead of creat. ing sinecure ofﬁces for that purpose. he should much prefer a sum being set apart for reward. ing eminent public services. such as had been rendered to the country by Sir Thomas Foley, LordSaumarez, and others that he could name. He fully agreed that the marines were not fairly treated, and he could wish to see full and amplej'ustice done to tnem, as well as to- cvery other class of persons employed in the publicscrvice. (Ilean)