[CHAP. XV.]
Early in 1746, a Committee was appointed to investigate the state and grievances of the Land Forces and Marines. A considerable increase of expence had accrued in the maintenance of both, which was one of the objects of this inquiry. Such as affected the Marine Regiments I have already detailed, and assigned the causes of the additional charges in this establishment since the peace of Utrecht. The same are applicable to the Army at large, in the allowance which was made to Commission-Officers in lieu of servants, in 1713, in a similar indulgence granted to the Quartermasters in marching Regiments in 1718, and the annuities to Officers Widows, to Colonels for clothing lost by deserters, to Captains for recruiting, and to the Agents of Corps, which were all the newly-adopted establishments of the latter year.
These additional grants, while they meliorated the situation of the Officer, cost the Nation but little.
It appears, in the course of this inquiry, that the perquisites of a Colonel, in clothing a Marine Regiment, exceeded those of the Foot, from the comparative superiority in their numbers, and the articles being of an inferior quality.
The grievances which had existed, and were peculiar to those Regiments, appeared conspicuous in the course of this public research.
"Upon the whole business, witnesses were examined by the Committee who deposed that the Marines, while on the West India expedition, were paid according to the returns of effective men made monthly to the Commander in Chief, and the account of the off-reckonings was kept by the Pay-Office; and that the Officers clearings of the first raised six Regiments had been paid only to the 25th of December, 1740, and of the other four to the 24th of June, 1741, of which the Pay-Master cannot now make any demand, till muster-rolls are delivered into his office, which he must compute, and then certify a state of the Regiment's account to the Secretary at War, who lays it before the King; in consequence of which, warrants for clearing the Regiment are issued to the Pay-master, who then makes out debentures, pursuant to which a warrant is drawn for the payment of the money, and that by this was to be understood clearing the Regiment. It further appeared, that by the usage of the Army, Regiments could not be cleared with till muster-rolls were made out, but that the Marines had never been regularly mustered, (owing to their being detached and employed in every quarter of the globe) to which circumstance is owing their not having been cleared with, which has been a sad inconvenience to many of the Officers who were obliged to assign their arrears at a prodigious discount."
One of the Agents, upon his evidence, suggested to the Committee an expedient, by which to remedy this evil, which was, that muster-rolls might be made up from the books of the Men of War already come home, and from the muster-rolls of the men now at quarters. He additionally submitted it as his opinion, that it was the duty of the Commissary to make up this account, and within his instructions, to accept of such books as immediate vouchers. This Gentleman farther certified, that the off reckonings were regularly paid, but that the clearings were not, and that the Colonel usually saved near £1,000 out the off reckonings, after clothing a Marine Regiment; and he conceived, that the Officers clearings might also be paid by a warrant from the King to the Secretary at War; more particularly as there was no deficiency of Officers, though there might be of Private men; and the returns made being strictly upon honor, might supply the want of muster-rolls.
From another witness it was obvious, that no account had ever been settled with the Captains of Marines for their Companies, the Agents always alleging, that it could not be done without muster-rolls; and that though the Marines, when in the West Indies, were mustered and paid in the same manner as the marching Regiments were; and though the latter were cleared when they came home, yet the former were not.