THE ARMY ESTIMATES
Wints: debated in the House of Commons on Monday ; and Lord HOWICK, according to the report of the Chronicle, aave this ex- planation of the discrepancies we pointed out in the Estimates on the 24th of February-
" Ile would first call the attention of the Committee to the vote reapecting
the number of men which it was proposed to grant. The Committee would perceive in this vote, an apparent increase of 8,000 men ; but he nerd not inform those gentlemen who had paid attention to this subject, that this in- crease teas only apparent and not real, the actual increase being very much has than the figures implied. It had been the practice for some years past, to keep up all the regiments in the Estimates to the full extent of their establishments though in actual practice they kept a certain number of men short. For the last two or three years, this actual reduction had been made to the extent of 8 men in each company of Infantry, and 5 men in each troop of cavalry. It was not proposed that the whole of these reductions should for the present be supplied : all that had hitherto been directed was, that the number of the Cs. valty should be completed,—which would cause an actual increase of 5'40 men as compared with the Estimates of last year; and that all 81... Infantry regintecta like. wide, which furnished the military force in tile North American provi oces,or which were ordered out on that station, should be recruited up to the full complement of their respective establishments. In other words, they had deducted a smaller number of non-effective men this year than on previous occasions: so that, whereas the deductions last %var were equivalent to a diminution of expendi- ture to the extent of 151,000s, in the present year they were only to the ex- tent of 110000!; thereby giving an actual increase ut 71,000/. There was also an increase of rather more than 9,0001. on account of officers who had been sent out to Canada mum the first breaking out of the revolt, in order to assist the Volunteer Corps of those provinces."
The object, or at least the effect of this speech, was to throw
dust in the eyes of the House of Commons. It is perfectly true, and we have often complained of it, that some of the statements in the Estimates are "only apparent and not real." But it is not true, as Lord Howicx would have the ignorant infer, that an increase in the number of men commonly appears as a thing of course, in the way it does this year. Leaving this, however, the real fact is, that there are now three statements respecting the addition to the Army, each emanating from the War-office, each authenticated by the name of Howlcx, and each differing front the other.
I. The rote for the detailed estimate of the " Land Forces "— that is, the pay, clothing, and allowances for the regiments of Cavalry and Infantry both of the Guards and Line, including the regimental contingencies of every kind—is more than last year by I41,000/.; but the real cost is 169,248/. (though it will be difficult for any one to work it out.) The proposed additional number of men is not directly given, lint in the estimate for Recruiting they are rated at 4,000 : tested by the proposed additional pay, they would be about 3,300: calculating on a rough average of the cost per head, the increase in numbers would be somewhat less than 4,000. (Army Estimates, pages 4 and 15. Signed " Howicx.") 2. In what professi,s to be a " Comparative Abstract of Army Services for the years ending 31st March 1838 and 1S39, showing the difference between the numbers to be maintained," Sze. the total increase of men and officers is set down at 7,994, and the total additional charge for this increase at 69,24o/. (Army Esti- mates, page 79. Signed" Ilowicx.") •
3. It is perfectly true, as Lord Howicx says in effect, that the detailed estimates are never correct ; as they only give the paper strength, and not the actual numbers, which are generally from eight to nine thousand men less than the establishment, though the deductions on this point are neither clear nor concordant. Now, however, Lord IlowicK atlinns that the Cavalry regiments and the Infantry regiments on the North American station are to be increased to their " full establishment." The addition of num- bers to the Cavalry will, he says, be 580 men ; that of the Infantry Inc does not give, though it was the simple affair of nthltiplyiug the number of regiments by 80 : the increased cust he rates at
171,000/. (Speech, March 12.)
Let us recapitulate these varieties of statement ia a ta'Jular form.
IN,ItEASE OF NUM OERS. INC:RE/ME OF COST. Ayr:warm 1st. Flom 3,:;09 to 3:00, Lord ick ; Amy 1:.timates
:5.
21.7914 ni Lori ; ill no . j •,.1.11 of NI.:co 12. u: 11,1, vote (page ur) is only f.Jr I 11,0;r1. t:oi !list yesr ; but t!.s
We conceited ourselves tobe in the number of those "who had paid attention to the subject ;" but we must confess that we "need to be informed" how to reconcile these discrepancies. This sort of thing, however, passes without comment or inquiry in the Reformed House of Commons.
Of course we do not suppose that such additional troops as the Whig Colonial policy may render necessary in Canada are to be kept for nothing. Nor do we desire Ministers to raise more men than may be requisite merely to make the expenditure and the estimate tally ;1, or suppose that these discrepancies of statement will lead to embezzlement of the public money. But, considering that the cost of the War-office is 29,250/., the public has a right to expect intelligible and accordant accounts.
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