on, in which certain servants of the
crown expressed the most hearty concurrence. When a motion was made
for reducing the number of seamen to eight thousand, Mr. W. Pitt, Mr.
Lyttelton, and Mr. G. Grenville, opposed it with all their might of
argument and elocution; but they were overruled. Annual debates
were also revived, with the same success, upon the number of troops
constituting the standing army; but the other resolutions of the grand
committees met with little or no opposition. The number of seamen for
the ensuing year was limited to eight thousand; and that of the standing
forces continued at eighteen thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven
effective men, including one thousand eight hundred and fifteen
invalids. The commons granted a considerable sum of money for paying off
the principal of such redeemable stocks as had not been subscribed,
in pursuance of two acts passed in the last session for reducing the
interest of annuities. Thirty thousand pounds were given for fulfilling
the king's engagement with the elector of Bavaria; large grants were
made for supplying deficiencies, and replacing sums borrowed from the
sinking fund. The expense incurred by the new colony of Nova Scotia, not
provided for by parliament, exceeded fifty-seven thousand pounds; and
the maintenance of it for the ensuing year was fixed at fifty-three
thousand nine hundred and twenty-seven pounds, fourteen shillings and
fourpence. An enormous charge! if we consider to how little purpose all
this bounty was bestowed. A fund was established under the sanction
of parliament, for the relief and maintenance of the widows of sea
officers, by allowing, upon the books of every ship of war in sea
pay, the wages and victuals of one man for every hundred of which
the compliment shall consist, for such time only as the number of
men employed in the service of the royal navy shall not exceed twenty
thousand. This was an additional indulgence, over and above the
allowance of one man granted by a former act of parliament. On the
whole, the provisions of this year amounted to five millions one hundred
and twenty-five thousand and twenty-three pounds, eleven shillings and
sevenpence, to be raised by the usual duties; the sum of one million
twenty-six thousand four hundred and seventy-six pounds, four shillings
and sixpence, advanced by the bank of England to pay off their own
unsubscribed annuities, for which they accepted exchequer bills at three
per cent,