had expressly entered with Her Majesty's Government.

The CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Mr. C. Wood), hoped his noble Friend would withdraw the Motion. All Captain Warner asked for was a fair opportunity of proving the value of the invention before persons appointed by the Government, and in whom the Government had confidence; and the Government were perfectly prepared to appoint impartial officers, to whom there could be no objection, to investigate the merits of the inventions, and a thorough consideration would be given to whatever report might be made by those officers. Captain Warner had offered objections to the last Commission on account of some individual Member of it; but the Government would endeavour to avoid any such difficulty.

MR. BROTHERTON believed that, some years ago, an opportunity had been presented to Captain Warner by Colonel Sir C. Shaw, in Portugal, of putting his inventions to the test; but various excuses were then made, no eagerness was exhibited to seize the offer, and the gallant Colonel then stated, that such had been the conduct of Captain Warner, he had lost all faith in him and his vaunted invention. It had been said that The Times newspaper was a strong advocate of this invention, and he believed that, formerly, such was the fact; but he had placed the letters referring to the transaction he had mentioned in the hands of a gentleman

have said; allow that the studies of a life are at one blow overthrown, and I shall admit that Mr. Warner has made an omnipotent discovery, which will give him that high place among the sages of the world, which the noble Lord would assign him, and supersede all existing modes of warfare. Sir, I must say that the manner in which this affair has been treated, and the terms in which the Commissioners have been maligned, is not very creditable to the science or public press of the country, or to the service to which we belong. I say nothing of myself: I, individually, entirely despise such attacks and misrepresentations; but two British Admirals and a British General have been accused of treating unfairly, partially, and unfeelingly, a projector whom it was their duty to treat, and whom they did treat, with urbanity, consideration, and the utmost liberality. Some, indeed, of the scientific and literary journals did review and express themselves upon this very important and interesting case in an able, creditable, scientific manner, and in a fair and liberal spirit. The Artizan (article ix. 1844), a valuable and well-conducted periodical; the Polytechnic Review, which I regret to find is discontinued; the Athenæum, (No. 881, p. 829) and some of the daily and weekly journals, have likewise treated this matter fairly and learnedly. Some great organs have been led into error by their mathematical department; but I have been most surprised at the articles which have appeared in a highly respectable mi-connected with The Times, and, so far as litary journal, the editor of which ought to have known better. I trust the noble Lord will see how grievously he has been imposed upon; that the House will think that I have completely vindicated the Commission, of which I was a member, from the imputations, aspersions, and fa-ling for the encouragement of inventors of brications, with which it has been assailed; that the country will see the manner in which Mr. Warner has endeavoured to practise upon public credulity; and, in conclusion, Sir, I trust it will be admitted that the Commission did its duty fairly, impartially, liberally, and considerately towards Mr. Warner, in conformity with the spirit and letter of our instructions; that we had made every preparation that depended upon us, to enable Mr. Warner to prove the existence and efficacy of the astounding powers which he asserts; and that the proceedings of the Committee were brought to a termination, by his flying from the engagements into which he

he was aware, The Times had never since said a word in favour of Captain Warner. He objected to grant 400,000l., not because he considered it was too large a sum for the invention, but because he could not find it in his conscience to vote one shil

such an infernal machine as this appeared to be. If they gave any encouragement, they would have infernal machines by the dozen; and men, to produce them, would leave all useful and peaceful employment. To grant such a sum was rewarding a man for destroying his kind.

MR. WAKLEY thought, that, whether the long range succeeded or did not succeed, the question ought to be settled. They were wasting hours every Session in discussing the subject, and it had now become a perfect farce. They heard all sorts of recriminations, all sorts of charges and counter-charges, and nothing would satisfy the public but a trial. The right

the late Government had held office. The
whole charge for the year 1835, when
Lord Melbourne's Government was in
power, was 48,780,000l. The Estimates
for this year amounted to 55,500,0007.,
making an increase of 6,750,000l.; and as
a saving of 600,000l. had been effected
by the reduction of the 3 per cents, the
real increase was 7,320,000l. He ad-
mitted that the late Government, from the
aspect of affairs when they held power,
were perfectly justified in increasing the
army and navy; but the increase of our
expenditure had been in general so much,
that on the Miscellaneous Estimates there
were from 2,000,000l. to 3,400,0007.
There was now no ground even for an in-
crease of the army and navy, as he was
quite satisfied that the noble Lord at the
head of foreign affairs would use the great
ability which he possessed to cultivate
peaceful relations with all countries. He
had shown that our proposed expenditure
over that of 1835 was 2,500,000l. more
than the income tax, and 2,000,0007.
more than the malt tax.
Was it not

hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Ex- | military force no longer existed. There chequer stated now, that the Government was a vastly increased expenditure since would appoint, as a Commission, officers in whose judgment and in whose impartiality they could confide; but then there came the question-would those officers satisfy Captain Warner? What he would ask the Government to do was this-that, in addition to the officers in whom they could confide, they should select two or three persons of acute observation and strong common sense, who should go into the question without any prejudice at all, and represent accurately to the House what they absolutely saw of Captain Warner's invention. The gallant Officer (Sir Howard Douglas) was far from being prejudiced in the matter; but he had a strong conviction of the impossibility of any projectile being discovered with a range of six miles; and even the senses were sometimes discredited when novel experiments in science were concerned. Above all, before they proceeded to any trial, they should have Captain Warner's statement in writing that he was satisfied with the preliminary arrangements, or the question would be brought before them again and again. Considering the just view the Go-worth an effort of the Government so to vernment had taken of the question, he reduce our expenditure, that either of hoped the noble Lord would withdraw his those obnoxious imposts might be repealed? A Commission had been appointed to ascertain the cost of the collection of the revenue; but it had made only one report, and on inquiring as to its proceedings a short time back, he discovered that it no longer existed. It had been ascertained that no less than six hundred places, from 2001. a year upwards, were created by the late Government. which the country could not afford, and would not much longer permit. He trusted that the present Administration would follow the example of Lord Grey, and revise the whole system of expenditure, with the view of effecting large and extensive reductions.

Motion.

SIR H. DOUGLAS explained, that Captain Warner did, on the former occasion, assent to the appointment of Sir Edward Owen and himself.

VISCOUNT INGESTRE thanked the Chancellor of the Exchequer for the spirit in which he had announced the intentions of the Government, and complimented it on its first public act, being what he considered an act of justice. He assured the hon. Member for Salford that he had been misinformed in what he stated relative to Captain Warner, and he should be happy to put him in possession of proofs that he was in error. All he wished was, that the Government and Captain Warner should understand each other thoroughly; and he offered to become the medium of communication between them. Motion withdrawn.

ESTIMATES.

MR. WILLIAMS wished to make a few observations before the Speaker left the chair. The Estimates about to be moved showed a large increase. Now, as our differences with America were happily settled, the necessity for a large naval and

This was an expense

MR. HUME begged to call the attention of the noble Lord at the head of Her Majesty's Government to the course which had been adopted with respect to the salaries of public officers by Lord Grey's Government, of which the noble Lord had been a member. A Committee had been appointed to revise all the salaries of public officers, from the Secretary of State downwards; and the country had looked upon that appointment as an earnest of the determination of Lord Grey's Government to practise strict economy in every branch

of the public service. That Committee which prevailed that the differences behad issued a report; but it had been found tween this country and America would impossible to carry all its recommenda- grow into something serious, he could not tions into effect, or to carry the inquiry agree. He remembered at the time into other departments, as far as might having asked the question of the right have been desirable. However, the spirit hon. Baronet at the head of the Adminisof economy evinced by that Government tration; and the purport of his answer had had been highly creditable to them, and been, that though this consideration had had gained them the confidence of the not been left out in framing the Estimates, country. He wished to know if the noble yet that the increase of the Colonies, and Lord had any objection to have the several the demand for civil and military forces, public establishments and departments was sufficient to account for the increase submitted to such an inquiry as that to of the Estimates. In that view he conwhich the Irish Estimates had been sub-curred. The hon. Member for Coventry mitted in 1830, and begged to suggest to the Chancellor of the Exchequer that he should cause all the estimates to undergo the scrutiny of a Committee similar to that to which he had alluded.

DR. BOWRING called the attention of the House to a most important subject, which would, as he believed, prove a great means of relieving the public from a considerable burden, and render a great public service. The noble Lord at the head of Her Majesty's Government had been a member of a Commission to inquire into the public accounts, which had issued a report wherein certain principles had been laid down for the public accounts, the chief of which had been that the whole of the gross revenue should be paid into the Exchequer, and that all sums should be paid out of it in like manner. At present, however, there was no less than from 6,700,000l. to 6,900,000l. a year, which altogether escaped the attention of Parliament, and was taken up by various public departments for their expenses in the progress of the revenue to the Exchequer. There were also public departments that received large sums of money from the sales of stores and other sources, which were not known to Parliament, and of which the House had no cognizance. This was, as he conceived, very great irregularity, and he thought that all moneys should be paid into the Exchequer, and that no money should be issued from the Exchequer without the control of Parlia

ment.

LORD J. RUSSELL said, that the hon. Member for Coventry had called the attention of the House to the naval and military expenditure, and to the amount of the expenses of the collection of the revenue. As to the first observation of the hon. Gentleman that the whole increase of expenditure in those branches of public service was to be attributed to the apprehensions

also spoke of the expenditure of former years; but if he were to make a balance of the expenditure of former years, as compared to that of the present year, he must take into account the increased demand for naval and military forces in our Colonies, and the necessity for stationing naval forces for the protection of our increased commerce. It was but bad economy to exhaust the strength of regiments by over-exertion in foreign service. As soon as he entered office, he had looked into the subject, and he found that there were regiments which had been little more than four years at home that were ordered for foreign service, and that regiwhich had been sent abroad in 1825 were abroad still. When such was the infrequency of relief he must say that he could not think it right to make any reduction of military expenditure, which would make this relief less frequent. He could not but think that it was very desirable to carry out the system of having each regiment ten years abroad and five years at home. With respect to the statement of the hon. Member for Bolton as to the expenses of the collection of revenue, the hon. Member must excuse him if he did not give him at present any positive answer. He would, however, turn his attention to the subject. He remembered also the report to which the hon. Member alluded; but he remembered that there had been practical difficulties in carrying its recommendations into effect. The hon. Member for Montrose had spoken of the increased amount of the Miscellaneous Estimates, and wished that they should be referred to a Committee of Inquiry. That subject was of a totally different nature, and had reference to a different question from that of the Naval and Military Estimates. He was not prepared to say that it would not be advisable to have a Select Committee in the course of another Session, to inquire into the Mis

cellaneous Estimates. Those which would | tend declared that the way in which the now be submitted to the House had been business was conducted was not satisfacprepared by his predecessors. However, tory. On a former occasion, the Secrehe would take the subject into his consi- tary of State for the Home Department deration, and it might be found that the expressed a similar opinion. He did not suggestion of the hon. Member was one of intend to oppose the vote; but he wanted considerable utility. an assurance that the state of the Commission would be taken into the consideration of Government during the recess, and gave notice that unless some alteration took place in the present mode of conducting business, he would move for a course of inquiry in an early part of the next Session.

and no one of them was paid for attending | of the State; and the connexion between to it; many of them, however, voluntarily the Church and the State subsisted for the devoted much time to it, and most effi- benefit of the latter, and not of the former. ciently performed their duties when they As to what had been said of the voluntary attended. principle the principle that money raised from persons of various religions ought not to be applied to a purpose disagreeable to any of them, let the consequences of that be thought upon. Why, then, should Quakers pay towards the expense of any war, however just?