h had been fixed in 1798, when prices were about the same as
at the present time; or of the army, into which our soldiers had entered
for a term of years, at a stipulated rate. He meant, however, to
include military officers holding civil situations, such as colonial
governments, because in many cases their salaries had been augmented
without sufficient reason, and because some of these officers being
removable at pleasure, their allowances might be altered without
difficulty. Sir James Graham enumerated examples in which the salaries
of governors had been raised; and stated that there had been an addition
of one-third to the number of _employes_, and an increase of fifty per
cent, on their salaries in 1827 as compared with 1797. He concluded by
moving this resolution:--"That, whereas, subsequently to the act of the
37th George III., by which a suspension of cash-payments was effected,
large augmentations had taken place in the salaries and pay of persons
in civil and military employments, on account of the diminished value of
money; and whereas the alleged reason for such augmentations had ceased
to operate, in consequence of the passing of the 59th George III., which
restored a metallic standard of value, resolved that in order to relieve
the country from its extensive load of taxation, it was expedient
to revise our present system of expenditure in respect of all such
augmentations, for the purpose of making every possible reduction that
could be effected without violation of good faith, or detriment to
public justice." The motion was opposed by Mr. Dawson, the secretary of
the treasury, chiefly on the ground that government had done all that as
yet had been possible in the way of reduction, and felt a sincere desire
to carry the spirit of economy to every practicable extent. Almost
every recommendation of reduction, he said, suggested in the reports of
committees, or by commissions of inquiry, had been carried into effect;
and the recommendation of a committee which sat in 1797 to abolish
sinecures and reversions had been acted upon as far as it was found
possible. Government had, indeed, already acted upon the course which
Sir James Graham recommended; it had been desirous to adopt the scale
of 1797, and though that object had not been fully accomplished, yet,
looking at the extent of public business now, and in 1797, he thought
the house would see that salaries had been brought as near as possible
to the rate of the